Ethyl lactate as a potential green solvent to extract hydrophilic (polar) and lipophilic (non-polar) phytonutrients simultaneously from fruit and vegetable by-products

Phytonutrients extracted from natural resources are receiving much attention among researchers due to their highly antioxidative characteristics which prevent several degenerative diseases including cardiovascular diseases and cancers. These nutraceutical compounds can be used in food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic products as natural antioxidants, preservatives, colourants and functional foods. Huge volume of food wastes are generated from the processing industry and these low-value food residues are rich in various phytonutrients worth recovering. This approach of valorisation reduces the generation of food wastes and is cost-effective considering the cheap feedstock, reduced waste management expenses and high market value of extracted compounds. In light of the health and safety risks posed by commonly used organic extraction solvents derived from the petrochemical industry, there is a need to recover the phytonutrients using green, sustainable and efficient solvents that are safe for human consumption. This work discusses ethyl lactate as a safe, green, efficient and potentially cheap solvent to recover phytonutrients from fruit and vegetable by-products. Ethyl lactate is compared with other organic solvents commonly used from the aspects of safety, environmental impacts and efficiency. Current challenges when employing ethyl lactate are also discussed.     

Emerging from their burrow: Hedgehog pathway inhibitors for cancer

Introduction: Cancer treatment is moving away from conventional cytotoxic drugs and towards agents that target specific proteins and mechanisms important to cancer development or survival. The Hedgehog Pathway (HhP) is a signal transduction pathway and its constitutive activation is tumorigenic in basal cell carcinoma (BCC). The HhP enables phenotypic flexibility, and channels tumor-stroma interactions. As a result, it is over-expressed in numerous cancers as well as in the tumor microenvironment and may represent a promising therapeutic target.

Areas covered: In this article, we review the rationale for targeting HhP and its role as an oncogenic driver, in tumor epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and in the tumor microenvironment and describe the results of preclinical and clinical studies involving HhP inhibitors.

Expert opinion: HhP activation plays an important role in both the tumor microenvironment and tumor EMT which can lead to treatment resistance for a number of different malignancies. In addition to standard use in BCC, several HhP inhibitors are in preclinical, early, and mid-stage clinical development for other solid and hematologic malignancies.     

NT-proBNP reflects right ventricular structure and function in pulmonary hypertension.

The aim of the current study was to investigate whether alterations in N-terminal pro brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) reflect changes in right ventricular structure and function in pulmonary hypertension patients during treatment. The study consisted of 30 pulmonary hypertension patients; 15 newly diagnosed and 15 on long-term treatment. NT-proBNP, right heart catheterisation and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging measurements were performed, at baseline and follow-up. There were no significant differences between newly diagnosed patients and those on treatment at baseline or follow-up with respect to NT-proBNP, haemodynamics and right ventricular parameters. Relative changes in NT-proBNP during treatment were correlated to the relative changes in right ventricular end-diastolic volume index (r = 0.59), right ventricular mass index (r = 0.62) and right ventricular ejection fraction (r = -0.81). N-terminal pro brain natriuretic peptide measurements reflect changes in magnetic resonance imaging-measured right ventricular structure and function in pulmonary hypertension patients. An increase in N-terminal pro brain natriuretic peptide over time reflects right ventricular dilatation concomitant to hypertrophy and deterioration of systolic function.     

原发性肾上腺皮质癌的诊治分析

目的总结和提高原发性肾上腺皮质癌的诊治水平。方法回顾分析16例肾上腺皮质癌患者的临床资料。根据其临床症状、内分泌功能测定、影像学特点做出诊断，手术治疗并随访。结果16例患者中，内分泌功能紊乱者8例，以库欣征、性征异常、醛固酮增多症为主。超声、CT、MRI测定肿瘤直径为4．8～19．5cm，平均7．8cm。3例有远处转移。行根治性切除术13例，侵及同侧肾脏者做肾和肾上腙切除术2例，肾上腺肿瘤并腔静脉癌栓切除2例，腔静脉部分切除1例。病理结果：Ⅰ其耳2例，Ⅱ期8例，Ⅲ期3例，Ⅳ期3例。随访3-62个月，手术2年以上的11例患者中有6例仍存活，但1例肺转移，1例骨转移；死亡5例，平均存活26个月。结论肾上腺皮质癌患者预后差。影像学检查结合临床症状是早期诊断的关键，根治性手术是惟一有效的治疗方法。     

鄂托克前旗马场井村改水降氟15年病情防治效果分析

目的：了解改水降氟后地氟病的防治效果。方法：水氟，尿氟测定均为电极法，氟斑牙诊断为Dean‘s法。结果：该村自1985年改饮低氟水，水氟含量由改水前的6.05mg/L降至改水后的0.48mg/L。改水后未出现新的氟骨症患者，8-12岁儿童氟斑牙患病率呈逐年下降趋势，改水后7-15年间氟斑牙病率均已稳定，表明病情得到有效控制，且达到稳定控制状态，结论：坚持长年饮用低氟水，地方性氟中毒就能得到有效控制。     

彩超对肾移植术后并发肝脏恶性肿瘤的监测

目的　探讨彩超在肾移植术后并发肝脏恶性肿瘤监测中的应用价值。　方法　应用 Acuson12 8XP彩色多普勒超声诊断仪 ,对在我院行异体肾移植手术的终末期尿毒症患者 12 0 0例进行规律随访。　结果　发现 17例恶性肿瘤 ,其中肝癌 7例 ,占 4 1.17%。 5例肿块单发 ,2例多发 ;肿块最大 10 cm× 10 cm,最小 2 .3cm× 2 .1cm。其中 6例手术病理证实 ,1例肝活检证实。　结论　对移植肾术后患者 ,首选彩超随访肝脏变化 ,能早期发现肿瘤 ,为临床选择治疗方案提供时机 ,并提高换肾后发生恶性肿瘤患者的存活率     

抑制脑血栓形成的硫代磷酸酯脱氧寡核苷酸的亲和性研究

目的为抑制脑血栓形成,合成与TF基因启动子区切应力反应元件(SSRE)形成三链DNA的硫代磷酸酯寡核苷酸(TFO)。方法设计TFO序列14条,采用固相亚磷酰胺三酯固相法合成TFO。硫代磷酸酯修饰在TFO的3'末端进行。应用电泳迁移分析(EMSA)观察寡核苷酸和硫代脱氧寡核苷酸的亲和性。结果在设计合成的14条寡核苷酸中,与靶序列能形成三链DNA的TFO只有T21GTa、T14GTa和T15GTa,其Kd值分别为3.6×10-10、1.0×10-9和1.0×10-8(M),经硫代磷酸酯修饰后分别为:2.3×10-9、3.8×10-9和1.5×10-8。结论硫代磷酸酯修饰的T21GTa-ps、T14GTa-ps和T15GTa-ps能够与TF基因启动子SSRE的3个位点形成三链DNA。     

淋巴管型着色芽生菌病1例

52岁男性农民，左手臂沿淋巴管排列损害4年。损害由结节和时间 红色浸润斑块覆污秽色痂组成，部分损害表面有黑点。临床表现酷似淋巴管型孢子丝菌病。直接镜检和组织病理见棕色厚壁孢子，培养证实病原菌为卡氏支孢霉。诊断为卡氏支孢霉所致皮肤着色芽生菌病。     

rhGM—CSF对小鼠口腔粘膜损伤的防治作用

目的：观察rhGM-CSF对TMX致实验性小鼠口腔粘膜损伤的疗效。方法：按随机分组原则将501只昆明种小白鼠分成8组，分别在相应时间给予不同药物（MTX，CF或rhGM-CSF）的处理因素，于第1－10天光镜下观察小鼠口腔粘膜的病理改变和积分情况。结果：IDMTX致口腔粘膜损伤病变率（45％－63％）和积分率（19．4％－56％）较其它组高，且死亡率很低（小于5％）；IDMTX＋GM0（或GM2）组的口腔粘膜损伤病变率（30．53％和30．99％）和积分率（19．47％和17．25％）比IDMTX组（55．56％和36．31％）明显减少，且溃疡严重程度较轻，二者相差显著（P＜0．01）。结论：IDMTX致小鼠口腔粘膜损伤模型可以用于粘膜损伤的研究；rhGM-CSF可以减少MTX致小鼠口腔粘膜损伤，并促进粘膜损伤恢复。