Assessment of CD44S and CD44V6 in colorectal carcinoma [immunohistochemical study]

The last few years showed an increase in the incidence of colorectal cancer in our country. From 20% to 50% of patients are susceptible to death within 5 years of diagnosis, usually as a result of metastasis. Tumor growth, invasion and metastasis may be enhanced by alteration in the expression of certain adhesion molecules such as CD44s and CD44 v6. In an effort to detect the difference in the immunohistochemical expression of CD44s and CD44 v6 glycoproteins in colorectal carcinomas and correlating this expression with other clinicopathological parameters, we studied 55 cases of colorectal carcinomas resected from patients who underwent surgery at Assuit university Hospital in the period from 2003 to 2004. Forty five cases were conventional adenocarcinoma and 10 cases were of mucinous carcinoma type. The mean age was [44.9 +/- 2.5] with male predominance in cases of conventional adenocarcinoma, while the mean age was [33.4 +/- 2.67] in mucinous carcinoma with female predominance. Most of the cases were of stage B with only 11 cases of stage C and no cases of stage A. Positive staining for CD44s was detected in 81.8% of cases, in contrast to 69% positive cases for CD44v6. CD44s showed statistically significant higher mean of IRS [immunoreactivity score] in mucinous carcinoma than in adenocarcinoma while the opposite was noticed for CD44v6 but without statistical significance. There was inverse relation between IRS for CD44s and tumor grade, while IRS of CD44v6 showed direct relation with the grade. CD44v6 IRS exhibited upregulation with increasing stage and statistically significant higher level in tumors with infiltrating borders. In conclusion, CD44s had a significant relation to the type of colorectal cancer as its mean of IRS increased in mucinous carcinoma than in conventional adenocarcinoma which may indicate their better prognosis. CD44v6 may be an indicator for the metastatic potential of the tumor as its expression showed upregulation with progression of the stage and grade of the tumor and increased in tumors with infiltrating border

Comparative study of cardiovascular effects of losartan and captopril in rabbits

Drugs that interfere with renin - angiotensin system [RAS] play a prominent role in treatment of cardiovascular diseases. These drugs include two groups, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors e.g. captopril and angiotensin II receptor blockers e.g. losartan. This work was performed to investigate the effects of chronic administration [60 days] of each of losartan and captopril on the progression of atherosclerosis, serum lipids, glutathione peroxidase activity and on arterial blood pressure in rabbits fed with 1% cholesterol enriched diet. Specimens from different levels of aorta, heart, liver and kidneys of each rabbit were formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded and stained with haematoxylin and eosin and Verhoff's stains. The serum lipids were estimated by enzymatic colorimetric tests. The glutathione peroxidase activity in the aortic tissues was determined by a modified spectrophotometric method. Our results showed that administration of each of losartan and captopril had the ability to attenuate the progression of atherosclerosis in hypercholesterolemic rabbits. The antiatherogenic effect of losartan was more pronounced than that of captopril. Both drugs also prevented the effect of hypercholesterolemia on the heart and liver compared to the non-medicated hypercholesterolemia rabbits. On the other hand, cholesterol-fed rabbits treated with each of losartan and captopril demonstrated significant decrease in total cholesterol, triglycerides and low density lipoprotein with an insignificant increase in high density lipoprotein compared to untreated hypercholesterolemia rabbits. However, the intensity of changes produced by losartan was of greater extent than that produced by captopril. This study revealed an increase in the glutathione peroxidase activity in aortic tissues of groups of atherosclerotic animals treated with either losartan or captopril in comparison with the non-mediated atherosclerotic rabbits. Moreover, a lowering in the blood pressure was recorded in cholesterol-fed rabbits treated with either losartan or captopril. In conclusion, these results are encouraging and the beneficial antiatherosclerotic effects of both drugs are presumably attributed to then ability to interrupt influences on the RAS. In addition, their contributory role of the possible antioxidant properties of these drugs must not be ruled out. Besides, the documented ability of these drugs to accumulate kinins and nitric oxide as well as prevention of the vascular endothelial dysfunction can not be neglected

Histological and immunohistochemical studies of effect of fenugreek seeds on the pituitary, mammary glands and ovary of lactating rabbits

The present work was done to study the effect of fenugreek seeds on the structure of the pars distalis, ovary and mammary gland of lactating rabbit. A total number of 24 lactating rabbits was used. The animals were divided into two groups. One served as a control lactating group [8 rabbits] and the other group was lactating rabbits treated with the seeds [16 rabbits]. The control and treated rabbits were sacrificed after two weeks and four weeks. Specimens of the pituitary gland were prepared for electron microscopy [E/M]. Mammary gland was prepared for light and electron microscopy while the ovary was prepared for light microscopy. Another specimens of the pituitary, mammary glands and ovary were prepared and processed for immunohistochemical application of mouse monocolonal prolactin [PRL] receptor antibody to detect the prolactin receptors in these tissues. This study cleared that, there was apparent increase in the number, size and signs of activity of mammotrophs. The mammary gland showed an increase in the activity of the alveolar cells and in the amount of milk secretion. As regard the ovary, there was an apparent increase in the number of primary follicles. There was progressive increase in the amount of atretic follicles. Corpus luteum showed progressive decrease in size and degeneration. The number of healthy growing follicle was reduced. The immunohistochemical study demonstrated a progressive increase in the number and size of mammotrophs that showing positive reaction for PRL receptor antibody. The mammary gland showed positive reaction in the alveolar cells and in the stroma cells. The ovary showed strong positive reaction for PRL receptor antibody. It becomes obvious that the treatment with fenugreek seeds leads to stimulation of the mammotrophs and mammary gland. At the same time it causes suppression of the ovary. In conclusion, the use of fenugreek seeds has a double advantageous effects as its ingestion by lactating females increases the milk production and in the mean time it suppresses the ovary which may decrease the possibility of pregnancy during lactation. So, we recommend the use of fenugreek seeds instead of the hormones or chemical drugs for more milk production and as a partial ovulation inhibitor