Transcription factor GATA3 expression is induced by GLS2 overexpression in a glioblastoma cell line but is GLS2-independent in patient-derived glioblastoma.

Phosphate-activated glutaminase (GA), a ubiquitous glutamine-metabolizing enzyme, is encoded by two genes, GLS and GLS2. In mammalian cancers, GLS isoforms are perceived as molecules promoting cell proliferation and invasion, whereas the role of GLS2 isoforms seems to be more complex and cell type-specific. Previous studies have shown abundance of GLS and lack of GLS2 transcripts in T98G human glioblastoma (GBM) cell line and patient-derived GBM. Transfection with GAB sequence, the whole GLS2 cDNA transcript, suppressed malignant phenotype of T98G cells. Microarray analysis revealed upregulation of GATA3, the product of which has been implicated in suppressing growth of some peripheral cancers. In this study we confirmed a significant upregulation of GATA3 expression in the transfected cells both at mRNA and protein level. Considerable expression of GATA3 was also observed in GBM tissues (previously shown as not expressing GLS2), while only traces or no GATA3 was detected in (GLS2-expressing) non-tumorigenic brain samples. In conclusion, while mechanistic relation between GAB and GATA3 expression is evident following in vitro manipulation of GBM cell line, it does not appear to be an intrinsic property of GBM nor non-tumorigenic brain tissue.

The effect of lateral electrical surface stimulation (LESS) on motor end-plates in an animal model of experimental scoliosis.

The treatment of idiopathic scoliosis is challenging because of its diverse etiology, age of onset, and long duration of intensive treatment. We examined the effect of lateral electrical surface stimulation (LESS) in an animal model of experimental scoliosis (ES) assessing the number of motor end-plates (MEPs) as a study end-point. The control group (n=5) was adapted to the experimental apparatus without stimulation, whereas ES was induced in rabbits by one-sided LESS of the longissimus dorsi muscle (LDM) for a duration of 2 months. The ES group (n=5) were subjected to a short-term corrective electrostimulation applied at the contralateral side of the spine compared to the previous LESS stimulation for 2 h daily for 3 (n=5) or 6 months (n=5). Another group of ES rabbits was subjected to a long-term corrective electrostimulation applied for 9 h daily for 3 (n=5) or 6 months (n=5). LESS applied for 2 months (ES), significantly increased the number of MEPs in LDM. The short-term corrective electrostimulation for 3 months resulted in an increased number of MEPs. However, a decrease was observed in the animals treated for 6 months. The long-term corrective electrostimulation for 3 months did not change the density of MEPs in the LDM, but for 6 months the number of MEPs in the LMD significantly decreased by ES and control groups. Thus, the results of the present study clearly show that the short-term LESS is able to influence both the number of MEPs and the effectiveness of muscle correctional adaptation in a more efficient and harmless manner than the long-term procedure.

[Vascular intracranial procedures in Jehovah's Witnesses. Erythropoietin in the preparation for the surgery]. / Naczyniowe operacje wewnatrzczaszkowe u swiadków Jehowy. Erytropoetyna w przygotowaniu do operacji.

Intraoperative haemorrhage or major bleeding may still cause serious problem in present-day neurosurgery, especially with reference to major vascular procedures despite the improving surgical techniques and methods of performing bloodless procedures. This is why certain neurosurgical procedures are not attempted without prior preparation of a major amount of blood. Jehovah's Witnesses refuse their consent to be subjected to blood transfusion of their own or foreign blood despite their full awareness of a potential danger to their lives. This paper describes three patients subjected to the major vascular intracranial procedures (two cases of clipping intracranial aneurysms, and one case of removal of arteriovenous intracranial angioma in anaemic patient), and one case of endovascular neuroradiosurgical procedure in intracranial aneurysm. This last method is presented as alternative procedure to decrease complications that are related to bloodless interventions suggest certain management methods which may decrease the surgical risk. One of those methods erythropoietin in treatment of postoperative anaemia and in preparing anaemic patients to vascular intracranial procedures.

[Surgical treatment of meningiomas of medial part of sphenoid ala and en-plaque meningiomas of perisellar area]. / Operacyjne leczenie oponiaków przysrodkowej czesci skrzydla kosci klinowej i oponiaków en-plaque okolicy okolosiodlowej.

The authors present some clinical aspects of their own experience in the operative treatment of clinoidal and en-plaque suprasellar meningiomas which account for 5.6% of all intracranial meningiomas in Department of Neurosurgery treated in the years 1987-93. Visual loss was the first symptom of disease. In conclusion, the authors stress the still unacceptably long period between the onset of symptoms and correct diagnosis. Possibilities of total removal are limited by the size of tumour and compression of adjacent structures, and the chance for visual improvement is low for that reasons. Visual improvement was observed in only one case after surgery, however in 5 cases worsening of visual acuity was noted in postoperative period. Mortality rate was 6.2%. Adjuvant radiotherapy was performed in non patient. Long term results in ophthalmological and neurological aspects are discussed.

[Meningiomas of sella turcica: some clinical aspects]. / Oponiaki guzka siodla tureckiego--wybrane aspekty kliniczne.

The authors present their own experience in the treatment of tuberculum sellae meningiomas. The presented series includes 14 patients operated on during past 7 years. Visual loss was the first symptom in 78% of patients. The period between the onset of symptom and surgical treatment was long and in the majority of patients exceeded 2 years. Monocular blindness was found in 71% of cases prior to surgery. The authors present the results of surgical treatment with special attention directed to visual function after surgery. In conclusion, the authors stress the still unacceptably long period between the onset of symptoms and correct diagnosis. When the size of tumour exceeds 4 cm and compressing of adjacent important neurovascular structures is evident, possibilities of total removal are limited and the chance for visual improvement is low.

[ Ceftriaxone (Rocephin "Roche") in short-term program of perioperational prophylaxis in neurosurgery]. / Ceftriaxon (Rocephin "Roche") w krótkim programie profilaktyki okolooperacyjnej w neurochirurgii.

Own experience is presented in the administration of prophylactic antibiotic treatment in clean neurosurgical operations. The clinical material comprised 131 patients subjected to 138 operations. For prophylaxis ceftriaxone (Rocephin "Roche") was given by the so called short term programme in which 2 g of the drug was given intravenously before the operation, and 1 g after 24 hours. The frequency of postoperative infections was 0.7% in the group. The effectiveness is stressed of the short-term programme of prophylactic antibiotic treatment in the prevention of postoperative infections in neurosurgery emphasizing that operations in emergency cases, perioperative steroid therapy, tumours, craniotomy with free bone flap do not reduce the effectiveness of the method.

A strategy for analyzing multiple parameters with application to aneurysmal SAH patients all of them clipped but treated with and without cyclosporine.

The study evaluated the effectiveness of the combination of nimodipine and cyclosporine A vs nimodipine alone in the prevention of delayed neurologic deficit in 82 (31 plus 51) patients in whom intracranial aneurysms were clipped within 72 h after subarachnoid haemorrhage. The tests performed included examination of the neurological condition before and after operation, angiography of cerebral arteries to visualize vasospasm, and analysis of the distribution and amount of blood in the brain fluids and/or tissue according to Fisher's scale. Inclusion of cyclosporine A in the treatment was clearly beneficial for the neurological condition. While cyclosporine A did not appear to produce a statistically significant improvement as evaluated by the chi-square test, a positive result was obtained following analysis of the correlation coefficients after Pearson in combination with the logistic log-linear regression analysis. The results argue against the utility of the chi-square test for verifying clinical data obtained in a limited number of patients.