Processes involved in prostaglandin F2alpha autoamplification in heifers.

In brief: Endometrial and luteal synthesis of prostaglandin F2alpha (PGF2A) occurs before and during luteolysis and is critical for luteal regression. This study demonstrates that PGF2A stimulates further PGF2A synthesis (autoamplification) apparently from the corpus luteum. Abstract: Understanding the endocrine profile of prostaglandin F2alpha (PGF2A) autoamplification is fundamental to comprehend luteal and endometrial responses to PGF2A. On day 10 of postovulation (preluteolysis), heifers (n = 6/group) were treated intrauterine with saline or PGF2A (0.5 mg; hour 0). A third group received flunixin meglumine + PGF (FM+PGF) to prevent endogenous synthesis of PGF2A. Exogenous PGF2A was metabolized at hour 2 as measured by PGF2A metabolite (PGFM). From hours 5 to 48, concentrations of PGFM were greatest in the PGF group, smallest in the FM+PGF, and intermediate in the control suggesting endogenous synthesis of PGF2A only in PGF group. Progesterone (P4) concentrations decreased transiently between hours 0 and 1 in PGF and FM+PGF groups but rebounded to pretreatment concentrations by hours 6 and 4, respectively. No control or FM+PGF heifers underwent luteolysis during the experimental period. Conversely, in the PGF group, one heifer had complete luteolysis (P4 < 1 ng/mL), two heifers had partial luteolysis followed by P4 and CL resurgence by hour 48, and three heifers did not undergo luteolysis. Endogenous PGF2A appears to be of luteal origin due to the lack of pulsatile pattern of PGFM and lack of endometrial upregulation of oxytocin receptor (typical of endometrial synthesis of PGF2A), whereas luteal downregulation of PGF receptor and HPGD indicates a classic luteal response to PGF2A signaling although other specific mechanisms were not investigated. The hypothesis was supported that a single PGF2A treatment simulating the peak of a natural luteolytic pulse and the uteroovarian transport of PGF2A stimulates measurable endogenous PGF2A production.

Safety and Feasibility of Outpatient High Dose Cytarabine for Acute Myeloid Leukemia in the Brazilian Amazon.

Background: The attempt to manage patients with acute myeloid leukemia as outpatients has become increasingly common due to high hospitalization costs, low availability for beds and patient preference. Publications on the subject are scarce, especially in low-income regions and the safety in this population remains to be determined. The present study aims to assess the safety of consolidation with high-dose cytarabine in the outpatient setting. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 39 patients who underwent consolidation with high-dose cytarabine, between 2009 and 2018, at Ophir Loyola Hospital, in Belém, Brazil. Patients treated after 2015 were given high-dose cytarabine as outpatients due to the decision of medical staff. Results: Twenty-seven patients received 76 cycles of cytarabine as outpatients; males were 48.14% of the total population, with a median age of approximately 45 years. The occurrence of delay between cycles was significantly lower among outpatients (48.14% vs. 83.33%, p = 0.04). There was no difference in relapse rates, transfusion requirements and non-relapse mortality between both groups. Hospitalization was required in 40.74% of patients during outpatient cycles and 18.51% of blood cultures were positive for pathogens. Non-relapse mortality was significantly higher among patients above 50 years old and treated on an outpatient basis (44.4% vs. 5.60%, p = 0.03). Conclusion: High-dose cytarabine administration on an outpatient basis appears to be safe and effective in a low-income population at the Brazilian Amazon region, but toxicity seems to be increased for patients older than 50 years.

Increased parasite resistance of greater amberjack (Seriola dumerili Risso 1810) juveniles fed a cMOS supplemented diet is associated with upregulation of a discrete set of immune genes in mucosal tissues.

The main objective of this study was to determine the effect of two forms of mannan oligosaccharides (MOS: Bio-Mos® and cMOS: Actigen®, Alltech Inc, USA) and their combination on greater amberjack (Seriola dumerili) growth performance and feed efficiency, immune parameters and resistance against ectoparasite (Neobenedenia girellae) infection. Fish were fed for 90 days with 5 g kg-1 MOS, 2 g kg-1 cMOS or a combination of both prebiotics, in a Seriola commercial base diet (Skretting, Norway). At the end of the feeding period, no differences were found in growth performance or feed efficiency. Inclusion of MOS also had no effect on lysozyme activity in skin mucus and serum, but the supplementation of diets with cMOS induced a significant increase of serum bactericidal activity. Dietary cMOS also reduced significantly greater amberjack skin parasite levels, parasite total length and the number of parasites detected per unit of fish surface following a cohabitation challenge with N. girellae, whereas no effect of MOS was detected on these parameters. Of 17 immune genes studied cMOS dietary inclusion up-regulated hepcidin, defensin, Mx protein, interferon-γ (IFNγ), mucin-2 (MUC-2), interleukin-1ß (IL-1B), IL-10 and immunoglobulin-T (IgT) gene expression in gills and/or skin. MOS supplementation had a larger impact on spleen and head kidney gene expression, where piscidin, defensin, iNOS, Mx protein, interferons, IL-1ß, IL-10, IL-17 and IL-22 were all upregulated. In posterior gut dietary MOS and cMOS both induced IL-10, IgM and IgT, but with MOS also increasing piscidin, MUC-2, and IL-1ß whilst cMOS induced hepcidin, defensin and IFNγ. In general, the combination of MOS and cMOS resulted in fewer or lower increases in all tissues, possibly due to an overstimulation effect. The utilization of cMOS at the dose used here has clear benefits on parasite resistance in greater amberjack, linked to upregulation of a discrete set of immune genes in mucosal tissues.

Renal cell carcinoma with cutaneous metastasis: case report.

Renal cell carcinoma or hypernephroma is the third most common neoplasia of the genitourinary tract. Its most common type, representing 60% of the cases, is the clear cell carcinoma, with an incidence peak between 50 and 70 years. Metastases are present at the time of diagnosis in approximately 30% of the patients, the major sites being lungs, bones, skin, liver, and brain. We report the case of a male patient with renal cell carcinoma, whose age, clinical findings, and tumor histological type matched with the most common ones for that pathology. Nevertheless, he already had distant metastasis in an uncommon site at the time of diagnosis. The patient died without undergoing specific treatment for renal cell carcinoma.