Uveal Melanoma Metastatic to the Liver: The Role of Quantitative Volumetric Contrast-Enhanced MR Imaging in the Assessment of Early Tumor Response after Transarterial Chemoembolization

PURPOSETo determine whether volumetric changes of enhancement as seen on contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) imaging can help assess early tumor response and predict survival in patients with metastatic uveal melanoma after one session of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE).MATERIALS AND METHODSFifteen patients with 59 lesions who underwent MR imaging before and 3 to 4 weeks after the first TACE were retrospectively included. MR analysis evaluated signal intensities, World Health Organization (WHO), Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST), European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL), modified RECIST (mRECIST), tumor volume [volumetric RECIST (vRECIST)], and volumetric tumor enhancement [quantitative EASL (qEASL)]. qEASL was expressed in cubic centimeters [qEASL (cm³)] and as a percentage of the tumor volume [qEASL (%)]. Paired t test with its exact permutation distribution was used to compare measurements before and after TACE. The Kaplan-Meier method with the log-rank test was used to calculate overall survival for responders and non-responders.RESULTSIn target lesions, mean qEASL (%) decreased from 63.9% to 42.6% (P = .016). No significant changes were observed using the other response criteria. In non-target lesions, mean WHO, RECIST, EASL, mRECIST, vRECIST, and qEASL (cm³) were significantly increased compared to baseline. qEASL (%) remained stable (P = .214). Median overall survival was 5.6 months. qEASL (cm³) was the only parameter that could predict survival based on target lesions (3.6 vs 40.5 months, P < .001) or overall (target and non-target lesions) response (4.4 vs 40.9 months, P = .001).CONCLUSIONVolumetric tumor enhancement may be used as a surrogate biomarker for survival prediction in patients with uveal melanoma after the first TACE.     

Inhibition of glycogen synthase kinase by curcumin: Investigation by simulated molecular docking and subsequent in vitro/in vivo evaluation

Curcumin was investigated as an inhibitor of glycogen synthase kinase-3beta (GSK-3beta) in an attempt to explain some of its interesting multiple pharmacological effects, such as its anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti-malarial and anti-alzheimer's properties. The investigation included simulated docking experiments to fit curcumin within the binding pocket of GSK-3beta followed by experimental in vitro and in vivo validations. Curcumin was found to optimally fit within the binding pocket of GSK-3beta via several attractive interactions with key amino acids. Experimentally, curcumin was found to potently inhibit GSK-3beta (IC50 = 66.3 nM). Furthermore, our in vivo experiments illustrated that curcumin significantly increases liver glycogen in fasting Balb/c mice. Our findings strongly suggest that the diverse pharmacological activities of curcumin are at least partially mediated by inhibition of GSK-3beta.     

Studies of glutamate dehydrogenase. Analysis of quaternary structure and contact areas between the polypeptide chains

Cross-linking of the unimer of glutamate dehydrogenase from beef liver (consisting of six polypeptide chains each having a molecular weight of 56000) with dimethyladipimidate and subsequent analysis by sodium dodecylsulfate electrophoresis shows predominantly the trimeric species (molecular weight 168000). Treatment with dimethylimidates of other chain length yields significantly less trimeric species indicating that the amino groups being cross-linked are within a distance of about 0.85 nm. Comparison of the molar amount of incorporated [14C]dimethyladipimidate with the number of modified amino groups (determined with trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid) shows that although 8-9 of the 34 amino groups have reacted, only 2-3 of them are involved in cross-links. Reaction with dimethylimidates inactivates the enzyme. The loss of the activity is partly concomitant to cross-linking to the trimeric species and not simply due to the modification of essential lysine residues. This is supported by the fact that, although more lysine residues react with mono-functional methylimidates, the loss of activity is reduced. Purified chymotryptic and tryptic peptides of the radioactive-labeled trimeric species were subjected to sequence analysis. Six peptides containing 75% of the total label were identified: one involves the amino-terminal residue alanine-1 and the others involve lysine-105, lysine-154, lysine-269, lysine-358 and lysine-399. Quantitative analysis of the specific radioactivity of each peptide/mol lysine leads to the conclusion that only lysine-105, lysine-154, lysine-269 and lysine-358 participate in cross-links, lysine-269 and lysine-358, respectively, being at isologous and lysine-105 cross-linked with lysine-154 at heterologous contact domains of the enzyme. A model for the planar arrangement of the trimeric species in the quaternary structure of glutamate dehydrogenase is discussed. It includes both isologous and heterologous contact areas between the polypeptide chains.     

Efficiency of newly prepared thiazole derivatives against some cutaneous fungi

A series of fourteen novel synthesized arylazothiazole and arylhydrazothiazole derivatives were tested for their antifungal activity and structure-activity relationship. The activity of the compounds depends mainly on the side chains of the nucleus compound. The antifungal activity was more significant when both side chains are aromatic?>?one aromatic and one aliphatic and substituted aromatic with CH₃ or OCH₃?>?non-substituted?>?substituted aromatic with chloro- or nitro-groups. Thiazole derivatives 7a, 7c, 7e, 7f, 7?g, 7i, 7?m, and 11a showed the most effective as antifungal compounds and were comparable with fluconazole as antifungal reference drug when investigated against Candida albicans, Microsporum gypseum and Trichophyton mentagrophytes. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) reached 2?µg/mL in the case of C. albicans for compounds 7a, 7b, 7c and 11a and measured 4?µg/mL in the case of M. gypseum and T. mentagrophytes for the same compounds. The minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) for the same compounds was 4?µg/mL for C. albicans and ranged from 8 to 32?µg/mL for the other two fungi. The results revealed that compounds 7c and 11a were the most antifungal compounds against the test fungi regarding keratinase activity and ergosterol biosynthesis. The in vivo efficacy of synthesized thiazoles 7c and 11a applied at their respective MFC was more effective in the treatment of skin infection of guinea pigs previously inoculated with the test fungi as compared with fluconazole. The Molecular Operating Environment (MOE) software was used to analyze the docking poses and binding energies of compound 11a and keratinase. The computational studies supported the biological activity results.     

The adsorption protein of phage IKe. Localization by deletion mutagenesis of domains involved in infectivity

We constructed a set of plasmid-encoded internal deletion mutants within the gene for the adsorption protein (g3p) of phage IKe. All mutant proteins still contain the signal and membrane anchor sequence, as those are known to be indispensable for proper localization and hence assembly of the g3p into phage. These various deletions comprise all internal parts of the protein and are properly incorporated into phage, which remarkably shows that signal and anchor sequence are sufficient for incorporation of g3p. The data furthermore reveal that two separate sections within the IKe g3p are essential for infection: one amino-terminal, preceding the glycine-rich stretch, and the other carboxy-terminal. We conclude that this latter domain is involved in penetration because mutants lacking it are not infectious, but still bind to the receptor. The amino-terminal region, essential for infection, bears the receptor-recognizing domain and a sequence homologous to the penetration domain of the evolutionary related Ff phages, which is probably also involved in penetration of phage IKe. The prominent glycine-rich stretch of the IKe g3p is not essential for infection but significantly promotes it.     

Immunological characterization of diphtheria toxin recovered from Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis

Diphtheria toxin (DT) is a potent toxin produced by the so-called diphtheria group which includes Corynebacterium diphtheriae (C. diphtheriae), Corynebacterium ulcerans (C. ulcerans), and Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis (C. pseudotuberculosis). The present investigation is aimed to study in detail the production of DT by C. pseudotuberculosis. Twenty isolates were obtained from sheep diseased with caseous lymphadenitis (CLA) and twenty-six isolates were obtained from 26 buffaloes diseased with oedematous skin disease (OSD). All isolates were identified by standard microbiological and DT production was assayed serologically by modified Elek test and immunoblotting. All sheep isolates were nitrate negative, failed to hydrolyze starch and could not produce DT, while all buffalo isolates (biotype II) revealed positive results and a specific band of 62 kDa, specific to DT, was resulted in all concentrated cell fractions (CF), but was absent from non-toxigenic biotype I isolates. At the same time, another band of 31 kDa specific to the PLD gene was obtained with all isolates of biotype I and II. Moreover, all isolates showed positive synergistic hemolytic activity and antagonistic hemolysis with β-hemolytic Staphylococci. The obtained results also indicated that C. pseudotuberculosis could be classified into two strains; non-toxigenic biotype I strain, which failed to produce DT as well as being negative to nitrate and starch hydrolysis, and toxigenic biotype II strain, which can reduce nitrate, hydrolyze starch as well as produce DT.     

An alternative approach for evaluating the phenotypic virulence factors of pathogenic Escherichia coli

Escherichia coli is a recognized zoonotic food-borne pathogen; however, the use of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in the underdeveloped countries to differentiate pathogenic from non-pathogenic E. coli is a problematic issue. Our grail was to assess the phenotypic virulence markers motility, hemolysin, congo red agar, embryo lethality assay and serum resistance for pathogenic E. coli (PEC) correlated to PCR tests which is currently used world-wide to evaluate the PEC. The 448 strains of Escherichia coli that were isolated from different sources, were characterized for phenotypic virulence factors such as motility, hemolysin, Congo red binding, Embryo Lethality assay (ELA) and serum resistance, as well as antibiotic susceptibility using disc diffusion method to 23 antibiotics. Results exhibited 100% motility and Congo red binding, 97.1% for hemolysin production and 90.2% in the ELA. As a result, we were able to hypothetically conclude that the aforementioned virulence markers are plain, straightforward, economical, rapid, more dynamic, uncomplicated methodology, duplicatable and cost next to nothing when compared to the molecular PCR. Their implementation in a diagnostic microbiology laboratory for vetting is a rewarding task in the underdeveloped countries. It augments endeavors to minimize the use of PCR in our investigations especially during epidemiological and outbreak investigations of PEC.