Exogenous growth hormone promotes an epithelial-mesenchymal hybrid phenotype in cancerous HeLa cells but not in non-cancerous HEK293 cells.

In cancer, the Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) is the process in which epithelial cells acquire mesenchymal features that allow metastasis, and chemotherapy resistance. Growth hormone (GH) has been associated with melanoma, breast, and endometrial cancer progression through an autocrine regulation of EMT. Since exogenous and autocrine expression of GH is known to have different molecular effects, we investigated whether exogenous GH is capable of regulating the EMT of cancer cells. Furthermore, we investigated whether exogenous GH could promote EMT in non-cancerous cells. To study the effect of GH (100 ng/ml) on cancer and non-cancer cells, we used HeLa and HEK293 cell lines, respectively. We evaluated the loss of cell-cell contacts, by cell scattering assay and migration by wound-healing assay. Additionally, we evaluated the morphological changes by phalloidin-staining. Finally, we evaluated the molecular markers E-cadherin and vimentin by flow cytometry. GH enhances cell scattering and the migratory rate and promotes morphological changes such as cell area increase and actin cytoskeleton filaments formation on HeLa cell line. Moreover, we found that GH favors the expression of the mesenchymal protein vimentin, followed by an increase in E-cadherin's epithelial protein expression, characteristics of an epithelial-mesenchymal hybrid phenotype that is associated with metastasis. On HEK293cells, GH promotes morphological changes, including cell area increment and filopodia formation, but not affects scattering, migration, nor EMT markers expression. Our results suggest that exogenous GH might participate in cervical cancer progression favoring a hybrid EMT phenotype but not on non-cancerous HEK293 cells.

Erupción papulosa fotodistribuida / Papular Eruption on Sun-Exposed Skin

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In vitro and in vivo characterization of neural stem cells.

Neural stem cells are defined as clonogenic cells with self-renewal capacity and the ability to generate all neural lineages (multipotentiality). Cells with these characteristics have been isolated from the embryonic and adult central nervous system. Under specific conditions, these cells can differentiate into neurons, glia, and non-neural cell types, or proliferate in long-term cultures as cell clusters termed "neurospheres". These cultures represent a useful model for neurodevelopmental studies and a potential cell source for cell replacement therapy. Because no specific markers are available to unequivocally identify neural stem cells, their functional characteristics (self-renewal and multipotentiality) provide the main features for their identification. Here, we review the experimental and ultrastructural studies aimed at identifying the morphological characteristics and the antigenic markers of neural stem cells for their in vitro and in vivo identification.

Técnicas básicas de biología molecular aplicadas a la oncología

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Regulation of glucose transport and transporter 4 (GLUT-4) in muscle and adipocytes of sucrose-fed rats: effects of N-3 poly- and monounsaturated fatty acids.

The goal of this study was to compare the short-term effects of dietary n-3 polyunsaturated (fish oil) and monounsaturated (olive oil) fatty acids on glucose transport, plasma glucose and lipid controls in a dietary insulin resistance model using sucrose-fed rats. The underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms were also determined in the muscle and adipose tissue. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (5 weeks old) were randomized for diets containing 57.5 % (w/w) sucrose and 14 % lipids as either fish oil (SF), olive oil (SO) or a mixture of standard oils (SC) for 3 weeks. A fourth control group (C) was fed a diet containing 57.5 % starch and 14 % standard oils. After three weeks on the diet, body weight was comparable in the four groups. The sucrose-fed rats were hyperglycemic and hyperinsulinemic in response to glucose load. The presence of fish oil in the sucrose diet prevented sucrose-induced hyperinsulinemia and hypertriglyceridemia, but had no effect on plasma glucose levels. Insulin-stimulated glucose transport in adipocytes increased after feeding with fish oil (p < 0.005). These modifications were associated with increased Glut-4 protein (p < 0.05) and mRNA levels in adipocytes. In the muscle, no effect was found on Glut-4 protein levels. Olive oil, however, could not bring about any improvement in plasma insulin, plasma lipids or Glut-4 protein levels. We therefore conclude that the presence of fish oil, in contrast to olive oil, prevents insulin resistance and hypertriglyceridemia in rats on a sucrose diet, and restores Glut-4 protein quantity in adipocytes but not in muscle at basal levels. Dietary regulation of Glut-4 proteins appears to be tissue specific and might depend on insulin stimulation and/or duration of dietary interventions.

[Diabetes mellitus induced by pentamidine, without previous episodes of hypoglycemia, in patients with AIDS]. / Diabetes mellitus inducida por pentamidina, sin episodios previos de hipoglucemia, en pacientes con SIDA.

The onset of a pneumonia by P. carinii in AIDS patients have force scientist to look for others therapies against this parasite. It is more necessary when the first line treatment which is cotrimoxazol produced secondary effects or not therapeutic effects. Pentamidine which is an agent usually used to treat leishmaniasis and trypanosomiasis, but it is an alternative for P. carinii infection. The problems are the frequent and severe secondary effects when administered by continuous infusions and less when it is inhaled. Between those effects are the changes in carbohydrate metabolism which are 9% of them. It is frequent observe hypoglycemia during infusion following by hyperglycemia in 5% of the cases which convert the patients in diabetic insulinodependent. A case of a patient who developed diabetes mellitus insulinodependent, 10 days after the end of pentamidine treatment, without previous episodes of hypoglycemia, is presented. The medical literature is reviewed.

23. The long-term care component of the Massachusetts Cooperative Health Statistics Program.

The Office of Health Planning and Statistics of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, with the support of the National Center for Health Statistics, has over the past two years established two data programs in long-term care. The first of these involves experimentation with large-scale collection of patient-specific data from long-term care facilities, with the goal of developing statistically valid algorithms to predict the most appropirate level of care for individual patients. The second program has been the development of a data base for home health care agencies, the elements of which are an agency-specific annual statistical report and a patient-specific discharge abstract program. These two programs mark an effort to document home health care activities so as to provide a base of information for program development and evaluation.