Role of nuclear factor-kappa B in bleomycin induced pulmonary fibrosis and the probable alleviating role of ginsenoside: histological, immunohistochemical, and biochemical study / 대한해부학회지

Bleomycin (BLM) is one of anti-cancerous drugs. One of its limitation is the development of pulmonary fibrosis during therapy So, we proposed to examine the outcome of BLM take on the light and electron microscopic design of rat lung. Along with, assessment the probable protecting role of ginsenoside on BLM induced pulmonary changes. In this study, thirty adult male albino rats were comprised and were classified to four clusters; Negative & positive control group, BLM treated group and BLM& ginsenoside treated group. The lung was treated for histological and immunohistochemical (anti-p65) studies. Light microscopic examination of H&E stained sections of BLM treated group showed huge distortion of the lung building. Mallory trichrome stain of this group showed evident deposition of collagen fibers in the markedly thickened interalveolar septa and around intrapulmonary bronchi, bronchioles and blood vessels. Moreover, strong positive staining for nuclear factor (NF)-κB in the wall of bronchiole as well as the thickened interalveolar septa were observed. Ultrastructural inspection of lung of this group revealed muddled lung planning. Marked improvement of the lung structure and marked reduction in NF-κB immunoexpression was appeared in BLM and ginsenoside treated group. So, we concluded that coadministration of ginsenoside with BLM significantly enhanced the histological and morphometric image of the lung.

Expression of micro RNA-9 in patients with acute myeloid leukemia and its impact on treatment strategy

Background: Acute myeloid leukemia [AML] is a malignant disorder of hematopoietic tissue. It is one of the most common malignancies in adults. It is characterized by its heterogeneous and complex nature that includes chromosomal, genetic and epigenetic abnormalities. MicroRNAs have been described to be one of the epigenetic regulators in AML

Objective: The present study focused on measuring expression levels of miR-9 in de novo AML patients. 30 bone marrow samples were collected from patients attending at Hematology and Oncology Unit of Aldemerdash Hospitals. MiR-9 expression levels were measured using real time PCR. These expression levels were compared to 30 adult healthy volunteers

Patients and Methods: The present study was carried out in medical oncology and Clinical Pathology Departments of Ain Shams University and National Research Centre, Egypt during the period between September 2017 and April 2018

Results: Statistical analysis of the results showed that miR-9 was significantly down regulated in AML patients in comparison to controls. It is also significantly correlated to platelet count. Regarding diagnostic performance, this study showed that miR-9 has weak diagnostic performance but regarding screening function, it has perfect sensitivity but weak specificity so it can be used as an excluding test

Conclusion: This study showed reduction of miR-9 in bone marrow of AML patients and opened the horizon for future studies on diagnostic and screening performance of miR-9 to be performed on larger scale and different ethnic groups

Open-array analysis of genetic variants in Egyptian patients with type 2 diabetes and obesity

Background: Diabetes mellitus is considered a major public health problem worldwide. Susceptibility to diabetes is influenced by both genetic and environmental determinants

Aims/hypothesis: The aim of the present study was to test for 16 independent single nucleotide polymorphisms [SNPs] in established Type 2 diabetes [T2D] and obesity susceptibility loci by GWAS in a sample of Egyptian patients to find out if there is shared genetic background underlying both disease entities

Methods: Genotyping was performed using OpenArray protocol on the QuantStudio 12K Flex Real-Time PCR System. In the present case control study a custom array was designed to facilitate cost-effective analysis of selected SNPs related to glycolysis, gluconeogenesis, inflammation, insulin signalling, and immune function

Results: Seven gene variants showed significant association with the risk of T2D patients including FCGRA2, STAT4, CELSR2, PPARG, EXT2 rs3740878, GCKR, PTGS1. Factors that significantly affect T2D were obesity [p < 0.001] and GCKR [p = 0.001] and PTGS1 [p = 0.001] gene variants. Gene variants that showed significant or borderline effect on obesity were MTHFD1, EXT2 rs3740878, GCKR and PTGS1 [p = 0.03, 0.017, 0.059, 0.006] respectively

Conclusions/interpretation: Overlapping genetic aspects should be considered and the presence of risk alleles of different genes together could contribute to the risk of T2D or obesity or both. The MTHFD1 and EXT2rs3740878 gene variants significantly affect obesity and not shared with T2D. Gene variants that showed combined effect on both disease entities were GCKR and PTGS1. These findings provide a basis for future studies on a larger scale. More stress on the risk gene variants that have a combined impact on both diabetes and obesity is recommended to improve risk prediction and preventive strategies

Effect of aqueous extract of Hibiscus sabdariffa on hyperthyroidism-induced changes in the renal cortex of rats: a histological study

Hyperthyroidism is a condition resulting from hypersecretion of thyroid hormones [T3 and T4]. It affects multiple organ systems, including the renal system. This study was set to evaluate the protective effect of Hibiscus sabdariffa [roselle] on the damaging effect induced by hyperthyroid state in the rat renal cortex. Twenty-four adult male albino rats were used and divided into four groups of six rats each. Group I was the control group. In group II, the rats received aqueous extracts of roselle at a daily dose of 500 mg/kg body weight. In group III, the rats were given a daily oral dose of thyroxin [100 micro g/kg body weight] dissolved in distilled water through gavage for 1 month. In group IV, the rats were given an aqueous extract of roselle at a daily dose of 500 mg/kg body weight 3 h before thyroxin administration at 100 micro g/kg body weight. At the end of the experimental period, blood samples wer collected for thyroid hormone [T3 and T4] assay. Kidney specimens were processed for immunohistochemical and histological study using light and electron microscopes. Morphometric analysis of the proximal convoluted tubule [PCT] diameter was carried out. A statistically significant elevation in the levels of T3 and T4 was observed in the thyroxin-treated group. Also, a significant increase in the diameter of PCT was detected in this group. Histologically, some malpighian corpuscles were partially atrophied. Effacement of podocyte foot processes with thickening of the filtration barrier was observed. In addition, tubulointerstitial injury in the form of PCT dilatation, peritubular hemorrhage, and inflammatory cellular infiltration was also seen. Immunohistochemical examination of the thyroxin-treated group revealed excess actin fibers in the PCT cells, indicating exposure of these cells to stress. Furthermore, there was significant improvement in the histological and immunohistochemical pictures toward normal in the thyroxin and roselle-treated group. Roselle has a potent protective effect against the damaging effect induced by the hyperthyroid state in the rat renal cortex

Synthesis and formulation of some new azines and evaluation of their fungicidal efficiency

Twenty five new 3-cyanopyridine-2[1H]-thione derivatives were synthesized by different routes. Structural elucidation of the prepared compounds was carried out by their correct elemental analyses as well as spectroscopic data [IR, Ms, [1]H-NMR]. Fungicidal activity of the new compounds, on two soil borne fungi, was assayed by food poison technique where, some of the new compounds showed good fungicidal activity. Formulation of the most potent one, in the form of 20% EC, was carried out and its fungicidal activity was evaluated which was found to be more active than the standard fungicide Flutolanil [Moncut 25% WP]

Is there a role for postmastectomy radio therapy in early stage. Node positive breast cancer

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the addition of radiotherapy to mastectomy and adjuvant systemic therapy influenced loco regional control, disease free and overall survival in early stage node positive patients with breast cancer. A total of 263 patients who underwent mastectomy for T1 or T2, node positive breast cancer were retrospectively studied. The systemic therapy consisted of six cycles of combination chemotherapy [FAC or CMF] or hormonal therapy [tamoxifen] for 5 years. One hundred and fifty-two patients received post mastectomy radiotherapy [PMRT], in addition to systemic therapy; while all patients were allocated to systemic therapy alone. Radiotherapy was given to the chest wall, supraclavicular and internal mammary nodes to a total dose of 50 Gy after the second cycle of chemotherapy. The frequency of loco regional recurrence was 5.9% among women who received radiotherapy plus systemic therapy and 41.1% among those who received systemic therapy alone. The 5-year relapse free survival was 85.5% in patients treated with combined modality and 50.5% in those treated with systemic therapy alone. The overall survival at 5 years was 89.5% among those given radiotherapy plus systemic therapy and 63.1% in those who received systemic therapy alone. Radiation toxicity was minimal, mainly skin pigmentation and dry desquamation

Role of adiation therapy in the treartment of malignant pleural mesothelioma based on treatment ouctcome of 54 patients

This is a retrospective study that included 54 patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma presenting to NEMROCK from 1999 to 2001. Twenty- six patients [group I] were treated with platinol-adriamycin, 16 patients [group II] were treated with holoxan-adriamycin and 12 patients [group III] were treated with external beam radiation therapy. The overall response rate in the three treatment groups were 38.5%, 43.8% and 25%, respectively. The median overall survival of cases of the whole study was 7.5 months. Eighteen patients from groups I and II received salvage radiation therapy when they progressed. Their response rate to radiation therapy was 33.3%. The overall median survival of these patients was 10.5 months. So, radiation therapy gave a survival advantage when given as bimodality treatment following chemotherapy. The local recurrence rate was 16.6% with no cases of local recurrence encountered in patients receiving local radiation therapy. So, prophylactic radiation therapy to scar regions can reduce local recurrence. Age <50 years and epithelial pathology were significant predictors of treatment response

Evaluation of radiation pneumonitis in breast cancer patients

This is a prospective study included 30 patients with primary breast cancer who had modified radical mastectomy and postoperative radiation therapy to peripheral lymphatics and chest wall that had ben evaluated/or radiation pneumonitis [RP]. The assessment was done using clinical, radiographic [CXR] scintigraphic and pulmonry function tests for both pre and post-irradiation evaluation, the incidence of [RP] was 3.3%. However, the incidence of asymptomatic lung damage was 16.6% as evidenced by CXR and 13.3% evidenced in ventillation/perfusion [V/O] defects, as for pulmonary function [PFT] tests there were global affection of ventilation and per fusion data which is more marked in patients with abnormal radiographs and pulmonary scintigraphy [V/Q] defects. Risk factors for developing [RP] as well as asymptomatic lung damage were central lung distance [CLD] more than 3 cm, a lung volume in tangential field of more than 20% and the use of concurrent RT with CT. Lung damage should be monitored not only with plain radiographs