A review of cannabidiol-containing electronic liquids—Current regulations and labelling accuracy

The use of cannabidiol in electronic liquids (e-liquids) is becoming increasingly widespread, and the current regulations enforced onto nicotine-containing e-liquids are not applicable to cannabidiol-based products. This has led to concerns about the quality of cannabidiol vapes. Articles investigating the reliability of product labelling were reviewed using systematic review criteria. Of 70 e-liquids, 77.1% of the e-liquids tested in the articles were found to have underestimated or overestimated the cannabidiol quantities stated in the product labelling. Statistical analysis confirmed that there was a significant difference between the labelled and analysed cannabidiol concentrations (p < 0.05, Mann-Whitney U and Wilcoxon Signed Rank). Inaccuracies in received cannabidiol dosages could lead to an increased risk of adverse reactions or limit the therapeutic effect received, highlighting the benefit of enforcing specific regulations on cannabidiol-based e-liquids to protect consumer safety and guarantee product efficacy.     

Prognostic and predictive value of thymidine labelling index in breast cancer

In the last few decades, much effort has been directed towards identifying the phenotypic or functional aspect of tumor cells which can contribute to a biofunctional staging for improving the accuracy of pathologic staging used for identifying patients at different risk. Among known biologic factors, the proliferative capacity of the tumor cell population, a feature common to all tumors, has been widely investigated.Several approaches have been used to measure different aspects of the cell cycle. Among these, the thymidine labeling index (TLI) represents the fraction of cells in S-phase cell fraction and is based on the active incorporation of labelled thymidine into DNA. From basic studies conducted on several thousands of patients, the TLI of primary breast cancers appears closely related to steroid receptor status and generally unrelated to pathologic stage. Retrospective analyses performed on large series of patients treated with local regional therapy alone have consistently shown the relevance of TLI value to clinical aggressiveness in terms of relapse-free survival and overall survival. Moreover, TLI is a prognostic indicator which is independent of tumor size, steroid receptors, and p53 and bc12 protein expression, and which, together with patient age and tumor size, is able to identify patients at different risk of loco-regional or distant metastases. Recently, a direct relationship between TLI and response to polychemotherapy has been shown in patients with operable and advanced breast cancers.This finding, derived from retrospective and recently confirmed in prospective clinical studies, has led to the activation of cell kinetics based therapeutic protocols for patients with node-negative and one to three node-positive operable breast cancers.     

肝胆管癌中bcl-2、bax基因表达和细胞凋亡的研究

目的　探索细胞凋亡及相关基因在体内肝胆管癌发生中所起的作用。　方法　用mRNA原位杂交技术和免疫组织化学方法 ,检测了肝胆管癌中bcl 2和bax基因表达 ;利用TUNEL法检测其细胞凋亡 ;　结果　肿瘤中bcl 2表达增强 ,癌旁组织中bax表达增强 ,癌旁组织中凋亡细胞增加 ;　结论　bcl 2基因激活后 ,抑制bax的作用及基因表达 ,可能使细胞的增殖加快 ,肿瘤发生 ;而bax的表达可能引起癌旁组织的细胞凋亡加剧     

Immunolocalization of serum amyloid A and AA amyloid in lysosomes in murine monocytoid cells: Confocal and immunogold electron microscopic studies

Murine AA amyloid (AA) protein represents the amino-terminal two-third portion of SAA₂, one of the isoforms of serum amyloid A. Whether plasma membrane-bound or lysosomal enzymes in activated murine monocytoid cells degrade SAA₂ to generate amyloidogenic AA-like peptides is not clearly understood, although AA has been localized in the lysosomes. Here we show, using confocal and immunogold microscopy (IEM), that both SAA and AA localize in lysosomes of activated monocytoid cells from amyloidotic mice. Rabbit anti-mouse AA IgG (RAA) and two monoclonal antibodies against murine lysosome-associated membrane proteins (LAMP-1 and LAMP-2) were used to immunolocalize SAA/AA and lysosomes, respectively. Confocal analysis co-localized both anti-RAA and anti-LAMP-1/LAMP-2 reactivities in the perikaryal organelles which by IEM proved to be electron-dense lysosomes. LAMP-1/LAMP-2-specific gold particles were also localized on lysosomal and perikaryal AA. The results suggest sequestration of SAA into the lysosomes. Since monocytoid cells are not known to phagocytose native amyloid fibrils, our results implicate lysosomes in AA formation.     

Comparison of incremental concentrations of micron-sized superparamagnetic iron oxide for labelling articular cartilage derived chondroprogenitors

IntroductionIn vivo tracking of labelled cells can provide valuable information about cellular behavior in the microenvironment, migration and contribution of transplanted cells toward tissue regeneration. Articular cartilage derived chondroprogenitors (CPs) show promise as a candidate for cell-based therapy as they have been classified as mesenchymal stem cells with inherent chondrogenic potential. Iron oxide labelling is known to withstand harsh processing techniques known to be associated with staining of osteochondral specimens.Aim and methodsThe aim of our study was to investigate the feasibility of labelling CPs with micron-sized super paramagnetic iron oxide (M-SPIO) particles and to study the effects of this approach on the labelling efficiency, viability, maintenance of phenotype and potential for differentiation. Human CPs were isolated using fibronectin adhesion assay, passage 2 cells were labelled using three concentrations of M-SPIO (12.75 μg/ml, 25.5 μg/ml and 38.25 μg/ml). At sub confluence, cells were assessed for a) iron uptake by Prussian blue stain and colorimetry b) viability using 7-amino actinomycin D, c) MSC marker expression by flow cytometric analysis and d) trilineage differentiation potential.Results and conclusionIron uptake was higher with increase in M-SPIO concentration whereas CD73, CD90 marker expression significantly decreased and chondrogenic potential appreciably reduced with increase in M-SPIO concentration. In conclusion, 12.75 μg/ml M-SPIO can successfully label human articular cartilage derived chondroprogenitors with minimal effect on cellular viability, MSC marker expression and potential for differentiation.     

~(90)Y标记抗人成骨肉瘤单抗体内生物分布

目的 :研究抗人成骨肉瘤单抗 (OSMcAb)标记放射性核素90 Y在动物体内生物分布情况。方法 :应用DTDA环酸酐法将90 Y标记抗人成骨肉瘤单克隆抗体 (OSMcAb) ,动物体内观察12 5Ⅰ OSMcAb与90 Y OSMcAb生物分布情况及不同90 Y标记物体内分布情况 ,在裸鼠体内观察90 Y OSMcAb肿瘤内浓度现象。结果 :90 Y标记OSMcAb动物体内生物分布与12 5Ⅰ OSMcAb相似 ,不同络合物配体影响90 Y体内生物分布 ,经90 Y标记OSMcAb在肿瘤内浓聚。结论 :90 Y标记的OSMcAb体内有稳定的分布规律 ,不同标记物配体影响90 Y体内分布。     

The nutrition label knowledge and usage behaviours of women in the US

Summary The objective of this study was to evaluate the nutrition label-reading skills of women to determine the impact of demographic and health factors on label-usage behaviours and label-reading knowledge. A sample of 453 women was surveyed to determine their label-usage behaviours and label-reading knowledge. 80% of all participants reported that they were 'label readers' (i.e. they always or sometimes read labels), however, only about one-quarter indicated that they always read nutrition labels. Three out of four participants reported that labels always or sometimes affected their purchasing decisions. In general, participants had fairly well-developed label-reading knowledge. However, further analysis revealed that certain subgroups were the least proficient at using nutrition labelling (i.e. older women, women with no postsecondary education, and women who perceived their health to be fair to poor). We conclude that nutrition labelling education programmes can help consumers to use nutrition labels to improve the quality of their diets. While probably all consumer groups could benefit from labelling education, the least proficient groups deserve special attention. Labelling education efforts targeted to a subgroup's needs and interests and delivered in a manner that is readily accessible and acceptable to them is key to maximising the impact of nutrition labels.     

Immunoelectron microscopic study of glutamate inputs from the retrosplenial granular cortex to identified thalamocortical projection neurons in the anterior thalamus of the rat

We have carried out an ultrastructural study to determine the characteristics and distribution of glutamate-containing constituents of the anterodorsal (AD) and anteroventral (AV) thalamic nuclei in adult rats. We used a polyclonal antibody to glutamate and a postembedding immunogold detection method in animals in which the neurons of AD/AV projecting to the cortex had been retrogradely labelled and the terminals of corticothalamic afferents anterogradely labelled by injection of cholera toxin-horseradish peroxidase (HRP) into the retrosplenial granular cortex. The heaviest immunogold labelling was over axon terminals 0.42 to 2.2 microm in diameter containing round synaptic vesicles and establishing Gray type 1 (asymmetric) synaptic contact (type 1 terminals) on HRP-labelled or non-labelled dendrites. Mean gold particle densities over such terminals were 3-4 times higher than the densities over the dendrites to which they were presynaptic and 5-6 times higher than over terminals establishing Gray type 2 (symmetric) synaptic contacts (type 2 terminals). Gold particle densities over neuronal cell bodies and dendrites and over a subpopulation of myelinated axons were intermediate between the densities over type 1 and type 2 terminals. In adjacent serial sections immunoreacted for gamma aminobutyric acid, type 2 terminals were heavily immunolabelled whereas type 1 terminals and other profiles with moderate gold particle densities after glutamate immunoreaction displayed very low labelling. A subpopulation of small type 1 axon terminals (up to 1 microm diameter) contained HRP reaction product identifying them as cortical in origin; they contacted small dendritic profiles (most <1 microm diameter) many of which also contained HRP reaction product. We conclude that terminals of the corticothalamic projection from retrosplenial granular cortex to AD/AV are glutamatergic and innervate predominantly distal dendrites of thalamocortical projection neurons.