Vanillic acid attenuates cell proliferation, xenobiotic enzyme activity, and the status of pulmonary mitochondrial enzymes in lung carcinoma.

The purpose of the study is to determine the anti-proliferative and mitochondrial status of benzo(a)pyrene-induced lung cancer in Swiss albino mice, as well as the modulatory effect of vanillic acid on it. B(a)P had altered levels of lysosomal enzymes, xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes, cell proliferation, inflammation, and mitochondrial abnormalities, whereas treatment with VA treatment significantly reversed the aforementioned activities. According to the findings, VA greatly reduces lung carcinogenesis by restoring antioxidants and xenobiotic-enzyme levels, consequently proving to be an anti-proliferative and anti-inflammatory drug against lung cancer in mice. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: As we all know, lung cancer is on the rise all over the world. A recent study demonstrated that vanillic acid protects against B(a)P in experimental mice. According to the findings, VA considerably suppresses lung carcinogenesis by restoring lysosomal enzyme levels, xenobiotic-metabolizing enzyme levels, and mitochondrial activities, effectively functioning as an anti-proliferative and anti-inflammatory therapy against lung cancer. According to the most recent study, vanillic acid can be used as a defensive medicine in the treatment of lung cancer.

Validation of the diagnostic utility of salivary interleukin 8 in the differentiation of potentially malignant oral lesions and oral squamous cell carcinoma in a region with high endemicity.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical utility of salivary interleukin 8 (IL-8) in the differential diagnosis of potentially malignant lesions (PMLs) and oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) in a region with high oral cancer prevalence. STUDY DESIGN: Saliva and blood samples were collected from 100 participants in each group (OSCC, PMLs, and healthy controls). Serum and salivary IL-8 levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The data were subjected to appropriate statistical analysis. RESULTS: A significant increase in levels of serum and salivary IL-8 was found in OSCC compared with PMLs and healthy controls. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis found salivary IL-8 to have superior sensitivity in detecting OSCC. A significant increase in IL-8 levels based on the histologic grading of OSCC was also observed. CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms that salivary IL-8 can be a potent marker that can be used as a tool in the differential diagnosis of PMLs and OSCC.

Serum zinc and magnesium concentrations in type 2 diabetes mellitus with periodontitis.

AIM: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the serum levels of zinc (Zn) and magnesium (Mg) in type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) with periodontitis patients and to correlate them with the levels of serum cholesterol, high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c), and triglycerides among the study subjects. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 600 subjects participated in the study, who were divided into four groups as control healthy individuals (group I), type 2 DM without periodontitis (group II), type 2 DM with periodontitis (group III), and periodontitis subjects without DM (group IV), matched for age, sex, and duration of diabetes. Serum concentrations of glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL-c, Zn, and Mg were measured using enzymatic methods in an UV absorption spectrophotometer, and LDL-c was calculated using Friedwald's formula. Student's t-test, Pearson correlations, and analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: The serum zinc level was found to be significantly increased in type 2 DM without periodontitis (group II) and periodontitis subjects without type 2 DM (group IV) (P < 0.0001), and the level was lowered in type 2 DM with periodontitis (group III) when compared to control. The serum Mg level was found to be significantly decreased (P < 0.0001) in group II, group III, and in group IV, when compared to control. We found a significant increased level of serum total cholesterol and LDL-c and decreased triglycerides and HDL-c in type 2 DM subjects with periodontitis (group III, P < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Patients with DM and periodontitis had altered metabolism of Zn and Mg which were linked to increased values of serum cholesterol and LDL-c and decreased HDL-c, contributing to the progression and complications of type 2 DM with periodontitis.

Palliative Benefits of the Multimodality Approach in the Re-treatment of Recurrent Malignant Glioma: Two Case Reports.

Two young male patients treated seven and four years back, for malignant glioma, returned with recurrence at the same site, with a World Health Organization (WHO) Performance Score of four and two. Both underwent resurgery and received postoperative reirradiation of 5040 cGy in 28 fractions and concurrent Temozolomide 75 mg/m(2) body surface area (BSA) daily, and one patient received additional adjuvant Temozolomide 250 mg (150 mg/m(2) BSA). Both patients tolerated the treatment well with 16 and 14 months follow-up from the time of recurrence. They were symptom-free, with normal physical function and good mental state, and resumed their respective jobs.

The protective effect of alpha-crystallin against acute inflammation in mice.

Acute inflammation can activate macrophages or monocytes and subsequently release several inflammatory cytokines and reactive oxygen species (ROS). Oxidative stress triggered by the production of ROS plays deleterious role leading to multiple organ failure. This study was designed to investigate the prophylactic effect of alpha-crystallin, a major chaperone lens protein comprising of alpha-A and alpha-B subunits in inflammation-induced mice. Mice were divided into three groups (n=6 in each): control, inflammation and alpha-crystallin-treated. Results show that ROS was significantly higher in the lymphocytes, hepatocytes and astrocytes (P<0.05) of inflammation-induced mice when compared to control, but no significant changes were observed in the alpha-crystallin-treated group. Increased level of lipid peroxidation (LPO) and decreased activities of antioxidant such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione were observed in the inflammation-induced mice when compared to control, whereas the activities of these were found to be normal followed by alpha-crystallin treatment. We also observed a reduction in reduced glutathione levels in hepatocytes of inflammation-induced mice, which were normalized on alpha-crystallin treatment. The in vitro study has shown that alpha-crystallin treatment not only suppresses the increase in LPO levels but also inhibits the lipid breakdown resulting from autooxidation in mouse cerebral cortex homogenate, and strongly suggests that alpha-crystallin therapy may serve as a potent pharmacological agent in systemic inflammation.