Age-related variations in gene expression patterns of renal cell carcinoma

Background

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is known to occur across the adult lifetime traversing the spectrum of age-related organismal changes. Little is known as to how the aging process may affect the course of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and the repertoire of genes involved.

Regenerative growth is impacted by TCDD: gene expression analysis reveals extracellular matrix modulation.

Adult zebrafish can completely regenerate their caudal fin following amputation. This complex process is initiated by the formation of an epithelial wound cap over the amputation site by 12 h post amputation (hpa). Once the cap is formed, mesenchymal cells proliferate and migrate from sites distal to the wound plane and accumulate under the epithelial cap forming the blastemal structure within 48 hpa. Blastemal cells proliferate and differentiate, replacing the amputated tissues, which are populated with angiogenic vessels and innervating nerves during the regenerative outgrowth phase which is completed around 14 days post amputation (dpa). Regenerative outgrowth does not occur in TCDD-exposed zebrafish. To identify the molecular pathways that are perturbed by TCDD exposure, male zebrafish were ip injected with 50 ng/g TCDD or vehicle and caudal fins were amputated. Regenerating fin tissue was collected at 1, 3, and 5 dpa for mRNA abundance analysis. Microarray analysis and quantitative real time PCR revealed that wound healing and regeneration alone altered the expression of nearly 900 genes by at least two-fold between 1 and 5 dpa. TCDD altered the abundance of 370 genes at least two-fold. Among these, several known aryl hydrocarbon responsive genes were identified in addition to several genes involved in extracellular matrix composition and metabolism. The profile of misexpressed genes is suggestive of impaired cellular differentiation and extracellular matrix composition potentially regulated by Sox9b.     

A randomized controlled trial of electromagnetic therapy in the primary care management of venous leg ulceration

OBJECTIVE: The aim was to establish the potential efficacy, tolerabilityand side-effect profile of electromagnetic therapy as an adjunctto conventional dressings in the treatment of venous leg ulcers. METHOD: A prospective, randomized, double blind controlled clinicaltrial was carried out in a dedicated leg ulcer clinic basedin one urban general practice. Nineteen patients with leg ulcersof confirmed venous aetiology were assessed. The main outcomemeasures were rate and scale of venous leg ulcer healing, changesin patient-reported pain levels, quality of life, degree ofmobility, side effect profile and acceptability to patientsand staff. RESULTS: Sixty-eight per cent of patients attending this dedicated clinicachieved improvements in the size of their ulcer (4, 21%, healedfully) and in reduced pain levels (P < 0.05) during the trial,despite the chronicity of ulcer histories. Patients treatedwith electromagnetic therapy at 800 Hz were found at day 50to have significantly greater healing (P < 0.05) and paincontrol (P < 0.05) than placebo therapy or treatment with600 Hz. All patients reported improved mobility at the end ofthe study. The electromagnetic therapy was well tolerated bypatients, with no differences between groups in reporting adverseevents, and proved acceptable to staff. CONCLUSION: Despite the small numbers in this pilot study, electromagnetictherapy provided significant gains in the healing of venousleg ulcers and reduction in pain. Keywords. Electromagnetic therapy, RCT, leg ulcers, primary care.