Intracellular calcium is a target of modulation of apoptosis in MCF-7 cells in the presence of IgA adsorbed to polyethylene glycol.

PURPOSE: Clinical and epidemiological studies have indicated that breastfeeding has a protective effect on breast cancer risk. Protein-based drugs, including antibodies, are being developed to attain better forms of cancer therapy. Secretory IgA (SIgA) is the antibody class in human breast milk, and its activity can be linked to the protective effect of breastfeeding. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of polyethylene glycol (PEG) microspheres with adsorbed SIgA on MCF-7 human breast cancer cells. METHODS: The PEG microspheres were characterized by flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy. The MCF-7 cells were obtained from American Type Culture Collection. MCF-7 cells were pre-incubated for 24 hours with or without SIgA (100 ng/mL), PEG microspheres or SIgA adsorbed in PEG microspheres (100 ng/mL). Viability, intracellular calcium release, and apoptosis in MCF-7 cells were determined by flow cytometry. RESULTS: Fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry analyses revealed that SIgA was able to adsorb to the PEG microspheres. The MCF-7 cells that were incubated with PEG microspheres with adsorbed SIgA showed decreased viability. MCF-7 cells that were incubated with SIgA or PEG microspheres with adsorbed SIgA had increased intracellular Ca(2+) levels. In the presence of SIgA, an increase in the percentage of apoptotic cells was observed. The highest apoptosis index was observed when the cells were treated with PEG microspheres with adsorbed SIgA. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that colostral SIgA adsorbed to PEG microspheres has antitumor effects on human MCF-7 breast cancer cells and that the presence of large amounts of this protein in secreted breast milk may provide protection against breast tumors in women who breastfed.

Repercussions of breastfeeding by diabetic women for breast cancer.

Diabetes represents a serious health problem. In the diabetic state, alterations in metabolism, increased susceptibility to infections and immunological changes occur. The suppression of the immune response has been identified as a relevant factor that contributes to the increase in the rate of infections in these patients. At the same time, breast cancer is the most frequent malignant tumor in women. The molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying cancer development have revealed that immune cells functionally regulate epithelial cancer development and progression. Breastfeeding has been hypothesized to reduce the risk of breast cancer. However, early systematic reviews have not yielded consistent findings for this association. The demand for human milk is increasing due to the promotion and consumer acceptance of the health benefits of consuming a natural product rich in bioactive components. However, due to changes in glucose metabolism, the components of the milk from diabetic women are modified depending on the time of evaluation. In this literature review, we summarize important new findings revealing the paradoxical role of breastfeeding in preventing the onset of breast cancer in diabetic mothers. We hypothesized that the milk component production in diabetic mothers is affected by changes in glucose metabolism. Therefore, adequate maternal glycemic control and an adequate duration of breastfeeding for diabetic mothers are crucial to ensure that the immunity components are able to confer protection against breast cancer.

Breastfeeding and its relationship with reduction of breast cancer: a review.

In this review, we describe the patterns of known immunological components in breast milk and examine the relationship between breastfeeding and reduced risk of breast cancer. The top risk factors for breast cancer are a woman's age and family history, specifically having a first-degree relative with breast cancer. Women that have a history of breastfeeding have been shown to have reduced rates of breast cancer. Although the specific cause has not been elucidated, previous studies have suggested that breastfeeding reduces the risk of breast cancer primarily through two mechanisms: the differentiation of breast tissue and reduction in the lifetime number of ovulatory cycles. In this context, one of the primary components of human milk that is postulated to affect cancer risk is alpha-lactalbumin. Tumour cell death can be induced by HAMLET (a human milk complex of alpha-lactalbumin and oleic acid). HAMLET induces apoptosis only in tumour cells, while normal differentiated cells are resistant to its effects. Therefore, HAMLET may provide safe and effective protection against the development of breast cancer. Mothers should be encouraged to breastfeed their babies because the complex components of human milk secretion make it an ideal food source for babies and clinical evidence has shown that there is a lower risk of breast cancer in women who breastfed their babies.

Recursos de bioinformática aplicados às ciências ômicas como genômica, transcriptômica, proteômica, interatômica e metabolômica / Bioinformatic resources applied on the omic sciences as genomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, interatomic and metabolomic

As ciências ômicas tratam da análise global dos sistemas biológicos, integrando diferentes áreas do conhecimento, como a bioquímica, genética, fisiologia e computação, com o objetivo de isolar e caracterizar genes, proteínas e metabólitos, assim como estudar as interações entre eles, com base em técnicas experimentais, softwares e bancos de dados. A bioinformática por sua vez, propõe novas formas de ciência baseada na experimentação in silico, sendo muito dinâmica na sua atualização e fornecendo a base para geração de novos dados e conhecimentos que podem ser aplicados na pesquisa básica e na aplicada com o desenvolvimento de novos produtos e soluções. Este processo está intimamente relacionado à inovação tecnológica, que é conseguida unindo-se a biotecnologia e a bioinformática. Contudo, o objetivo desta revisão é apresentar uma pequena abordagem dos recursos de bioinformática aplicados às ciências ômicas, como genômica, transcriptômica, proteômica, interatômica, metabolômica, farmacogenômica, dentre outras.

The omic sciences had a wide point of view of the biological systems, integrating different knowledgement areas, as biochemistry, genetics and physiology, with the aim of isolation and characterization of genes, proteins and metabolites as well study their interactions, based on experimental techniques, softwares and data banks. Bioinformatics proposes a new science, which is based on in silico experimentation, being very dynamic in its update and also can provides the basis for generation of new data and knowledge that can be applied in basic research and applied to the development of new products and solutions. This process is closely related to technological innovation, which is achieved joining biotechnology and bioinformatics. However, the objective of this review is to present a small approach of bioinformatics resources applied to the omics science, like genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, interatomics, metabolomics, pharmacogenomics, among others.

Aspectos epidemiológicos da Leishmaniose Tegumentar Americana no município de Juína, Mato Grosso, Brasil / Epidemiological aspects of American Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in the city of Juína, Mato Grosso state, Brazil

Objetivos: o objetivo deste trabalho foi estudar possíveis consequências da ação antrópica nas regiões urbana e rural do Município de Juína, estado de Mato Grosso, descrever aspectos epidemiológicos da Leishmaniose Tegumentar Americana e investigar a relação desta doença com atividades ocupacionais. Métodos: foram analisadas as notificações de Leishmaniose Tegumentar Americana no Município no período entre 2004 e 2006, fornecidas pela Secretaria Municipal de Saúde. Resultados: observou-se que entre os 458 casos notificados de Leishmaniose Tegumentar Americana foi maior a proporção de indivíduos do sexo masculino (89,10% dos casos), da faixa etária entre 20 a 39 anos (49,10%) e de atividades ocupacionais voltadas para a agropecuária e para o garimpo (62,90%). Ao analisar o possível local da fonte de infecção observou-se que a grande maioria dos indivíduos infectados esteve em contato com a zona rural (95,40%). Em relação ao tipo de lesão, observou-se predomínio das lesões do tipo cutâneo (94,10%). Conclusões: a análise dos dados revelou que a Leishmaniose Tegumentar Americana é uma parasitose importante no município de Juína. Os dados sugerem relação com a atividade laboral e um perfil de transmissão predominantemente silvestre, o que deve ser levado em conta ao definir medidas de controle da doença na região.

Aims: To assess the possible consequences of anthropic action and to describe the epidemiological aspects of American Cutaneous Leishmaniasis, as its relationship to occupational activities, in urban and rural areas of Juína County, state of Mato Grosso, Brazil. Methods: Data from the City Department of Health of Juína were analyzed. From 2004 to 2006, 458 notifications of the disease were analyzed. Results: We observed that among the notified cases of American Cutaneous Leishmaniasis there were more male individuals (89.10% of the cases). Age group between 20 to 39 years (49.10%) was the most frequent, and most people worked in farming and mine exploration (62.90%). When analyzing the possible source of infection, it has been observed that the great majority had previous contact with agricultural zone (95.40%). Cutaneous type lesions were the most frequent (94.10%). Conclusions: Our study showed that American Cutaneous Leishmaniasis is an important parasitosis in Juína County. Our data points to a relationship between the occurrence of the disease and occupational activities, and suggests that transmission occurs mainly in the forest zone, which is worth of attention for defining control measures in Juína region.