High sodium, rather than high blood pressure, induces immune cell activation and renal infiltration in ovariectomized adult Wistar rats.

We used an animal model of salt-sensitive hypertension (SSH) in which ovariectomized (oVx) rats developed hypertension with high salt (HS) intake. Hypertension is accompanied by changes in the percentage of CD4+ T lymphocytes, immune CD45+ cell infiltration into renal tissue, and changes in Na+, K+- ATPase (NKA) expression in both renal tissue and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). To determine whether the observed changes resulted from HS intake, high blood pressure, or both, hydralazine (HDZ) was used to lower blood pressure. The oVx HS rats received two HDZ schedules either to prevent or to treat hypertension. NKA was overexpressed in the kidneys of all oVx groups and in PBMCs of oVx HS rats. This pattern was not altered with HDZ treatment. Changes in CD4+ T lymphocytes and renal infiltration of CD45+ cells were not reversed either. High salt, but not high blood pressure, induces immune cell activation and renal infiltration. Overexpressed NKA is the primary event, and HS is the perturbation to the system in this model of SSH, which resembles the postmenopausal state.

Extract from Aloysia polystachya Induces the Cell Death of Colorectal Cancer Stem Cells.

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are an important player in the resistance of cancers to therapy. In this work, we determined the flavonoids composition and biological action of Aloysia polystachya (AP) extracts in colorectal cancer. The chemical characterization of extracts was performed by HPLC. Assays of cytotoxicity, apoptosis, migration and invasion, metalloproteases activity, clonogenic growth, tumorspheres formation, Hoechts efflux, pluripotency marker expression and sensitization to chemotherapeutic drugs were performed in vitro in human HCT116 and murine CT26 colorectal cancer cells. The AP toxicity and effect in tumor growth administered alone or in combination with 5- Fluorouracile was analyzed in vivo, including histopathological studies. We found that AP extracts induced in vitro the apoptosis of colorectal cancer cell lines decreasing the CSC proportion. Moreover, they were capable to kill 5-Fluorouracile resistant side population cells. At not toxic doses in vivo, AP extracts inhibited tumor growth. Regarding the ability to reduce the CSC population, AP extracts deserves to be investigated as a useful therapy for colorectal cancer treatment.

High RAC3 expression levels are required for induction and maintaining of cancer cell stemness.

RAC3 is a transcription coactivator, usually overexpressed in several tumors and required to maintain the pluripotency in normal stem cells. In this work we studied the association between RAC3 overexpression on cancer cell stemness and the capacity of this protein to induce cancer stem properties in non tumoral cells. We performed in vitro and in vivo experiments using two strategies: by overexpressing RAC3 in the non tumoral cell line HEK293 and by silencing RAC3 in the human colorectal epithelial cell line HCT116 by transfection. Furthermore, we analysed public repository microarrays data from human colorectal tumors in different developmental stages. We found that RAC3 overexpression was mainly associated to CD133+ side-population of colon cancer cells and also to early and advanced stages of colon cancer, involving increased expression of mesenchymal and stem markers. In turn, RAC3 silencing induced diminished tumoral properties and cancer stem cells as determined by Hoechst efflux, tumorspheres and clonogenic growth, which correlated with decreased Nanog and OCT4 expression. In non tumoral cells, RAC3 overexpression induced tumoral transformation; mesenchymal phenotype and stem markers expression. Moreover, these transformed cells generated tumors in vivo. Our results demonstrate that RAC3 is required for maintaining and induction of cancer cell stemness.

Absceso ovárico por Actinomyces sp. en ausencia de un dispositivo intrauterino / Ovarian abscess due to Actinomyces sp. in absence of an intrauterine contraceptive device

Los procesos infecciosos causados por Actinomyces spp. suelen representar un desafío diagnóstico. Se presenta un caso inusual de absceso ovárico por Actinomyces sp. en una paciente sin antecedentes de uso de DIU, que consultó por fiebre persistente. La ecografía transvaginal mostró ovarios aumentados de tamaño, quísticos y con sombras acústicas. Fue realizada una laparotomía exploradora con un diagnóstico preoperatorio de teratoma quístico bilateral, infectado. Se realizó una salpingooforectomía bilateral. La biopsia mostró endometrioma y absceso ovárico con calcificación de la pared. En los cultivos desarrollaron bacilos gram-positivos filamentosos identificados como Actinomyces sp. Luego de la cirugía y del tratamiento con penicilina, la fiebre desa-pareció y la evolución de la paciente fue óptima. Se concluye: 1- la infección ovárica por Actinomyces sp. puede presentar imágenes anexiales que pueden ser confundidas con tumores (teratoma), conduciendo a errores diagnósticos y terapéuticos; 2- es fundamental el estudio microbiológico del material purulento extraído para lograr el diagnóstico etiológico y orientar la terapia antimicrobiana; 3- la actinomicosis pelviana, también puede manifestarse en pacientes sin DIU o pesarios; 4- la prevención se basa en el estudio microbiológico del material endocervical en toda paciente en cuyo Papanicolaou se visualicen bacilos compatibles con Actinomyces spp., utilicen o no DIU.