Effect of mastectomy versus mastectomy plus adjuvant ovariectomy on prolactin response to TRH in breast cancer

The endocrine effects of ovariectomy need to be further investigated. The present study was carried out to evaluate the influence of the adjuvant ovariectomy on the mastectomy-induced changes in PRL response to TRH in breast cancer. The study included 34 patients with locally limited breast carcinoma, 18 of whom were treated with radical mastectomy, whereas the other 16 underwent mastectomy plus adjuvant ovariectomy. PRL secretion in response to TRH (200 mcg I.V. as bolus) was evaluated one day before and 7 days after surgery. In patients treated with mastectomy only, PRL increase after TRH was significantly higher after surgery than before. On the contrary, no difference was seen in patients treated with mastectomy plus ovariectomy. This study shows that the adjuvant ovariectomy may block the increase in PRL response to TRH induced by mastectomy in breast cancer.     

Basal forebrain cholinergic system in the dementias: Vulnerability,resilience, and resistance

The basal forebrain cholinergic neurons (BFCN) provide the primary source of cholinergic innervation of the human cerebral cortex. They are involved in the cognitive processes of learning, memory, and attention. These neurons are differentially vulnerable in various neuropathologic entities that cause dementia. This review summarizes the relevance to BFCN of neuropathologic markers associated with dementias, including the plaques and tangles of Alzheimer's disease (AD), the Lewy bodies of diffuse Lewy body disease, the tauopathy of frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD-TAU) and the TDP-43 proteinopathy of FTLD-TDP. Each of these proteinopathies has a different relationship to BFCN and their corticofugal axons. Available evidence points to early and substantial degeneration of the BFCN in AD and diffuse Lewy body disease. In AD, the major neurodegenerative correlate is accumulation of phosphotau in neurofibrillary tangles. However, these neurons are less vulnerable to the tauopathy of FTLD. An intriguing finding is that the intracellular tau of AD causes destruction of the BFCN, whereas that of FTLD does not. This observation has profound implications for exploring the impact of different species of tauopathy on neuronal survival. The proteinopathy of FTLD-TDP shows virtually no abnormal inclusions within the BFCN. Thus, the BFCN are highly vulnerable to the neurodegenerative effects of tauopathy in AD, resilient to the neurodegenerative effect of tauopathy in FTLD and apparently resistant to the emergence of proteinopathy in FTLD-TDP and perhaps also in Pick's disease. Investigations are beginning to shed light on the potential mechanisms of this differential vulnerability and their implications for therapeutic intervention.

     

Molecular systematics

Journal of Molecular Evolution -     

Simultaneous Quantification of Multiple Urinary Naphthalene Metabolites by Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Naphthalene is an environmental toxicant to which humans are exposed. Naphthalene causes dose-dependent cytotoxicity to murine airway epithelial cells but a link between exposure and human pulmonary disease has not been established. Naphthalene toxicity in rodents depends on P450 metabolism. Subsequent biotransformation results in urinary elimination of several conjugated metabolites. Glucuronide and sulfate conjugates of naphthols have been used as markers of naphthalene exposure but, as the current studies demonstrate, these assays provide a limited view of the range of metabolites generated from the parent hydrocarbon. Here, we present a liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method for measurement of the glucuronide and sulfate conjugates of 1-naphthol as well as the mercapturic acids and N-acetyl glutathione conjugates from naphthalene epoxide. Standard curves were linear over 2 log orders. On column detection limits varied from 0.91 to 3.4 ng; limits of quantitation from 1.8 to 6.4 ng. The accuracy of measurement of spiked urine standards was -13.1 to + 5.2% of target and intra-day and inter-day variability averaged 7.2 (± 4.5) and 6.8 (± 5.0) %, respectively. Application of the method to urine collected from mice exposed to naphthalene at 15 ppm (4 hrs) showed that glutathione-derived metabolites accounted for 60-70% of the total measured metabolites and sulfate and glucuronide conjugates were eliminated in equal amounts. The method is robust and directly measures several major naphthalene metabolites including those derived from glutathione conjugation of naphthalene epoxide. The assays do not require enzymatic deconjugation, extraction or derivatization thus simplifying sample work up.     

Hemorrhage induces an increase in serum TNF which is not associated with elevated levels of endotoxin

Although tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and interleukin 6 (IL 6) are purported to be important mediators of inflammatory responses following trauma, it is not known if the serum levels of these cytokines are altered by simple hemorrhage. The objective of this study therefore was to determine whether or not: 1) there is any elevation of TNF or IL 6, and 2) if endotoxin, an important upregulator of these cytokines, is also increased following hemorrhage. To study this, C3H/HeN mice were bled to, and maintained at a mean blood pressure of 35 mmHg for 60 min, and then resuscitated with their own shed blood and adequate fluid. Mice were sacrificed at 30 min into hemorrhage and at 2, 4 or 24 hr post-hemorrhage to obtain serum samples. IL 6 and TNF levels were measured using cytokine dependent cellular assays. Using a quantitative Limulus amebocyte lysate assay, endotoxin levels were determined. TNF levels were significantly elevated at 30 min into hemorrhage, remaining so at 2 hr after resuscitation, but absent by 4 hr. Although there was a trend toward elevated IL 6 levels at 2 hr following hemorrhage, which was sustained up to 24 hr, the values were not significantly different from sham controls. When compared to controls, no marked increase in endotoxin was seen at any time point during or following hemorrhage. These results indicate that hemorrhage, in the absence of significant tissue trauma, causes enhanced TNF release which is not the result of increased endotoxin.     

Impacto de la actividad física sobre el control metabólico y el desarrollo de complicaciones crónicas en pacientes con diabetes mellitus tipo 1

Together with a balanced diet, regular physical activity is one of the pillars of diabetes mellitus (DM) management. Physical activity theoretically provides the same advantages in people with DM as in the general population and also has some beneficial effects in controlling metabolic factors, such as improving blood glucose levels and insulin sensitivity. In this article, we analyze the main clinical studies published to date that evaluate the impact of physical activity on metabolic control or the development of chronic complications in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus. In conclusion, most of the evaluated studies show that regular physical activity favorably affects metabolic control in DM (or at least does not have adverse effects). However, there is insufficient information about the impact of physical activity on the development and progression of chronic complications.