Influence of ellagic acid on prostate cancer cell proliferation: a caspase-dependent pathway

OBJECTIVE@#To evaluate the effect of allagic acid treatment on the cell viability of human prostate cancer cells.@*METHODS@#Ellagic acid (10-100 mol/L) treatment (48 h) of human prostate carcinoma PC3 cells was found to result in a dose-dependent inhibition of cell growth and apoptosis of PC3 cells as assessed by MTT assay, western blotting, flow cytometry and confocal microscopy.@*RESULTS@#We observed that ellagic acid treatment of PC3 cells resulted in a dose dependent inhibition of cell growth/cell viability. This ellagic acid caused cell growth inhibition was found to be accompanied by induction of apoptosis, as assessed by the cleavage of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) and morphological changes. Further, induction of apoptosis accompanied a decrease in the levels of antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2 and increase in proapoptotic protein Bax, thus shifting the Bax: Bcl-2 ratio in favor of apoptosis. Ellagic acid treatment of PC3 cells was also found to result in significant activation of caspases, as shown by the dose dependent decrease in the protein expression of procaspase-3, -6, -8 and -9. This ellagic acid-mediated induction of apoptosis was significantly (80%-90%) inhibited by the caspase inhibitor N-benzyloxycarbonyl-Val-Ala-Asp (OMe)-fluoromethylketone (Z-VAD-FMK). Thus these data suggested an essential role of caspases in ellagic acid-mediated apoptosis of PC3 cells.@*CONCLUSIONS@#It is tempting to suggest that consumption of tropical pigmented fruits and vegetables could be an effective strategy to combat prostate cancer.

Dysgerminoma with pregnancy and viable baby: a case report

Dysgerminomas are the most common of primitive germ cell tumors of the ovary, accounting for 1-5% of all ovarian malignancies. The reproductive age group females are most commonly affected, thereby causing problems in conception and if pregnancy occurs, it leads to feto-maternal compromise. It is extremely rare to have a successful natural pregnancy, with viable child birth with a coexisting dysgerminoma, without any assisted reproductive interventions. We hereby report a case of successful spontaneous natural pregnancy in a primi gravida, associated with dysgerminoma, with no feto-maternal compromise

Pindborg tumor in an adolescent

Calcifying epithelial odontogenic tumor [Pindborg tumor], is a rare benign odontogenic neoplasm representing about 0.4-3% of all odontogenic tumors. This tumor more frequently affects adults in the age range of 20-60 years, with a peak incidence in the 5 th decade of life. Calcifying epithelial odontogenic tumour has a much lower recurrence rate than ameloblastoma and malignant transformation, and metastasis is rare

Combined modality cytopathologic diagnosis of lung malignancy: a feasible proposition?

Primary carcinoma of lung is a major health problem with a generally grim prognosis. Cytology is reliable and useful method in the diagnosis of bronchogenic carcinoma. However, an orderly approach to diagnosis, using a variety of cytologic diagnostic procedures helps us to separate benign and malignant lesions of lung and allows early diagnosis and cytologic typing of various pulmonary malignant lesions. That provides perspective selection of best therapy for individual patient. We have reached to a conclusion from the present study that multiple types of tissue sampling techniques including bronchial brushing, transbronchial needle aspiration [TBNA], CT-guided transcutaneous needle aspiration [TCNA] and bronchial biopsy should be performed since the diagnostic results improve when combination of techniques are employed