Polyphenon E Effects on Gene Expression in PC-3 Prostate Cancer Cells.

Polyphenon E (Poly E) is a standardized, caffeine-free green tea extract with defined polyphenol content. Poly E is reported to confer chemoprotective activity against prostate cancer (PCa) progression in the TRAMP model of human PCa, and has shown limited activity against human PCa in human trials. The molecular mechanisms of the observed Poly E chemopreventive activity against PCa are not fully understood. We hypothesized that Poly E treatment of PCa cells induces gene expression changes, which could underpin the molecular mechanisms of the limited Poly E chemoprevention activity against PCa. PC-3 cells were cultured in complete growth media supplemented with varied Poly E concentrations for 24 h, then RNA was isolated for comparative DNA microarray (0 vs. 200 mg/L Poly E) and subsequent TaqMan qRT-PCR analyses. Microarray data for 54,613 genes were filtered for >2-fold expression level changes, with 8319 genes increased and 6176 genes decreased. Eight genes involved in key signaling or regulatory pathways were selected for qRT-PCR. Two genes increased expression significantly, MXD1 (13.98-fold; p = 0.0003) and RGS4 (21.98-fold; p = 0.0011), by qRT-PCR. MXD1 and RGS4 significantly increased gene expression in Poly E-treated PC-3 cells, and the MXD1 gene expression increases were Poly E dose-dependent.

Postoperative Retroperitoneal Hematoma: A Case of Saw Palmetto and the Importance of Primary Care Intervention.

Introduction: A middle-aged male with a history of bilateral inguinal hernia repair was admitted for acute abdominal pain. The patient reported that he took prescribed hydrocodone and a saw palmetto supplement prior to surgery. He denied any recent trauma after the procedure, and he was unable to schedule a follow-up appointment with the surgeon or the primary care physician. Clinical Findings: Diagnosis: The CT angiography of the abdomen/pelvis was indicative of new interval development of a large left retroperitoneal hematoma. Intervention: No emergent intervention was required following the evaluation by the surgery and interventional radiology (IR) departments. Outcome: There was no evidence of overt bleeding over the 3-day hospital course, and his hemoglobin was within normal limits. The patient was stable for discharge as the hematoma would slowly absorb over the next 2 months. Conclusions: A retroperitoneal hematoma (RPH) has a multi-factorial etiology, such as endovascular procedures and surgeries. Detection and presentation of an RPH serves as a guide in management. There are various modes of detection. However, a multi-detector computer tomography-angiography (MDCTA) provides greater information in regards to the anatomical etiology and extent of RPH. Despite the common risk factors associated with a RPH, there are understudied and underreported influences of medications and herbal supplements, such as saw palmetto, in the development of this outcome. A large portion of the population consume herbal and/or dietary supplements, which belong to the category of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). The challenge for health care providers, especially in the primary-care setting, is the unregulated use of herbal supplements and the associated effects. It is imperative for primary-care physicians to recognize these unknown risks and attempt to inquire about supplement use. Future education should be aimed at integrating CAM into the medical curriculum to improve physician-patient interaction in addressing this topic.