Antibacterial and cytotoxic activities of naphthoquinone pigments from Onosma visianii Clem.

In this study, the antibacterial and cytotoxic activities of isolated compounds from the roots of Onosma visianii were investigated. By using different chromatographic techniques and appropriate spectroscopic methods, the seven naphthoquinones were described: deoxyshikonin ( 1 ), isobutyrylshikonin ( 2 ), α-methylbutyrylshikonin ( 3 ), acetylshikonin ( 4 ), ß-hydroxyisovalerylshikonin ( 5 ), 5,8-O-dimethyl isobutyrylshikonin ( 6 ) and 5,8-O-dimethyl deoxyshikonin ( 7 ). Among the tested compounds, 3 and 4 exhibited the highest antibacterial activities toward all tested bacterial species (MIC50 and MIC90 for gram positive bacteria: 6.40 µg/mL-12.79 µg/mL and 6.82 µg/mL-13.60 µg/mL, respectively; for gram negative bacteria: 4.27 µg/mL-8.53 µg/mL and 4.77 µg/mL-9.54 µg/mL, respectively). Also, naphthoquinones 3 and 4 exhibited strong cytotoxic activity against MDA-MB-231 cells (IC50 values 86.0 µg/mL and 80.2 µg/mL, respectively), while compounds 1 , 3 , 4 and 5 significantly decreased viability of HCT116 cells (IC50 values of 97.8 µg/mL, 15.2 µg/mL, 24.6 µg/mL and 30.9 µg/mL, respectively). Our results indicated that all tested naphthoquinone pigments are potential candidates for clinical uses as antibacterial and cytotoxic agents.

Quantitative Assessment of Rectal Cancer Response to Neoadjuvant Combined Chemotherapy and Radiation Therapy: Comparison of Three Methods of Positioning Region of Interest for ADC Measurements at Diffusion-weighted MR Imaging.

Purpose To determine the impact of three different methods of region of interest (ROI) positioning for apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) measurements on the assessment of complete response (CR) to neoadjuvant combined chemotherapy and radiation therapy (CRT) in patients with rectal cancer. Materials and Methods Institutional review board approval was obtained for this study; all patients gave written informed consent. ADCs were measured by two radiologists using three circular ROIs (three-ROIs), single-section (SS), and whole-tumor volume (WTV) methods in 62 patients with locally advanced rectal cancer on pre- and post-CRT images. Interobserver variability was analyzed by calculating intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Descriptive statistics and areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUCs) were calculated to evaluate performance in determining CR from pre- and post-CRT ADCs and ADC change. Histopathologic tumor regression grade was the reference standard. Results SS and WTV methods yielded higher AUCs than did the three-ROIs method when determining CR from post-CRT ADC (0.874 [95% confidence interval {CI}: 0.778, 0.970] and 0.886 [95% CI: 0.781, 0.990] vs 0.731 [95% CI: 0.583, 0.878], respectively; P = .033 and P = .003) and numeric change (0.892 [95% CI: 0.812, 0.972] and 0.897 [95% CI: 0.801, 0.994] vs 0.740 [95% CI: 0.591, 0.890], respectively; P = .048 and P = .0021). Respective accuracies of SS, WTV, and three-ROIs methods were 79% (49 of 62), 77% (48 of 62), and 61% (38 of 62) for post-CRT, 79% (49 of 62), 86% (53 of 62), and 60% (37 of 62) for numeric ADC change, and 77% (48 of 62), 84% (52 of 62), and 57% (35 of 62) for percentage ADC change (ADC cut-offs: 1.21, 1.30, and 1.05 × 10-3 mm2/sec, 0.33, 0.45, and 0.27 × 10-3 mm2/sec increases, and 40%, 54%, and 27% increases, respectively). Post-CRT and ADC change measurements achieved negative predictive values of 96% (44 of 46) to 100% (39 of 39). Intraobserver agreement was highest for WTV-derived ADCs (ICC, 0.742 [95% CI: 0.316, 0.892] to 0.891 [95% CI: 0.615, 0.956]) and higher for all pretreatment than posttreatment measurements (ICC, 0.761 [95% CI: 0.209, 0.930] and 0.648 [95% CI: 0.164, 0.895] for three-ROIs method, 0.608 [95% CI: 0.287, 0.844] and 0.582 [95% CI: 0.176, 0.870] for SS method, 0.891 [95% CI: 0.615, 0.956] and 0.742 for WTV method [95% CI: 0.316, 0.892]). Conclusion Tumor ADCs are highly dependent on the ROI positioning method used. Larger area measurements yield greater accuracy in response assessment. Post-CRT ADCs and values of ADC changes accurately identify noncomplete responders. WTV measurement of percentage ADC change provides the best results. © RSNA, 2016 An earlier incorrect version of this article appeared online. This article was corrected on September 19, 2016.

Differences in anthropometric and ultrasonographic parameters between adolescent girls with regular and irregular menstrual cycles: a case-study of 835 cases.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: Exploring the relation between the age, time since menarche, anthropometric parameters and the growth of the uterus and ovaries in postmenarcheal girls. DESIGN: Cross sectional. SETTING: Department of Human reproduction at a tertiary pediatric referral center. PARTICIPANTS: Eight hundred thirty-five adolescent girls. INTERVENTIONS: Postmenarcheal girls were classified according to the regularity of their menstrual cycles in 2 groups (regular and irregular cycles) and compared. Anthropometric measurements and ultrasonographic examination of the pelvis was conducted with all participants. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Anthropometric and ultrasonographic parameters were evaluated. RESULTS: Results of our study showed that girls with regular and irregular cycles differed in height, weight, body mass index, percentage of body fat and ovarian volumes. The size of the ovaries decreases in the group of girls with regular cycles (r = 0.14; P < .005), while it increases in girls with irregular cycles (r = 0.15; P < .001) with advancing age. Uterine volume in all patients increases gradually with age reaching consistent values at 16 years (r = 0.5; P < .001). Age at menarche, the time elapsed since menarche, the height, weight, body mass index and percentage of body fat in patients correlated with uterine volume. Ovarian volume correlated with patients' weight, BMI and percentage of fat. CONCLUSION: Uterus continues to grow in postmenarcheal years, with increasing height and weight of girls, regardless of the regularity of cycles. Postmenarcheal girls with irregular cycles were found to have heavier figures and larger ovaries.

Do components of metabolic syndrome contribute to cardiac autonomic neuropathy in non-diabetic patients?

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether autonomic dysfunction exist in patients with metabolic syndrome (MetS) to establish any association with components of MetS. METHODS: From July 2008 to January 2009, 32 outpatients attending the University Clinical Center, Zemun, Belgrade, Serbia, 15 with MetS, 17 with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and 15 control subjects were recruited for cross-sectional study among adults. The study was completed at the University Clinical Center, Bezanijska Kosa, and University Clinical Center, Dragisa Misovic, Belgrade, Serbia. Inclusion criteria were the presence of MetS without T2DM, T2DM and healthy controls, matched for age and gender. Exclusion criteria were uncontrolled diabetes (glycosylated hemoglobin [HbA1c] higher than 9%), advanced complications of diabetes (retinopathy, nephropathy, coronary heart disease, or peripheral angiopathy). Besides anthropometric and metabolic parameters cardiovascular autonomic reflex tests, ambulatory ECG monitoring, and blood pressure monitoring for 24 hours was obtained. Power spectral analysis of heart rate variability (HRV) was carried out by Fourier transformation. RESULTS: Mean total power (TP) log-transformed (ln), very low frequency (VLF)ln power, and high frequency (HF)ln power were significantly lower in T2DM patients, when compared with controls, and only HFln power was significantly lower in the MetS group. The average value of low frequency (LF)/HFln ratio was significantly higher in T2DM and MetS, and significantly correlated with glucose level of the last one. CONCLUSION: Disturbed HRV indices were present in patients with MetS before the development of T2DM. With this in mind, improvement of glucose metabolism, as well as early detection of cardiac autonomic dysfunction should be important.

Effect of n-3 fatty acids on nutritional status and inflammatory markers in haemodialysis patients.

AIMS: Nutrition as an aetiological factor participates a great deal in premature atherosclerosis in haemodialysis (HD) patients. The basic mechanisms of end-stage renal disease and premature atherosclerosis are connected with changes in cell functions at the membrane level. We investigated the red cell membrane fatty acids and the effects of fish oil supplements on nutritional status and inflammatory markers in HD patients. METHODS: We examined 42 HD patients (mean age 55 +/- 8 years). The control group consisted of 16 healthy subjects of similar age and sex to the tested group. HD patients were administered supplements with 2.4 g of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids per day for 2 months. Before and after supplementation, we examined plasma lipids, cell membrane erythrocyte phospholipids content, serum albumin, haemoglobin, interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha). RESULTS: Baseline values in the tested group confirmed the presence of essential fatty acids deficiency. A statistically significant negative correlation between TNF-alpha and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) (r = -0.497; P < 0.05) and IL-6 and EPA (r = -468; P = 0.03) was found in HD patients before supplementation. There was a significant increase in docosahexaenoic acids, high density lipoprotein cholesterol, plasma albumin, haemoglobin levels in HD patients after supplementation (P = 0.0001). There was a significant increase in EPA (P = 0.01) after treatment, and there was a significant decrease in inflammatory markers (IL-6 and TNF-alpha, P = 0.0001) after supplementation in the tested group. CONCLUSION: A dietary regime with fish oil could be used in dialysis patients to slow down the development of atherosclerosis and improve nutritional parameters.

[Inflammatory markers, nutritional parameters and polyunsaturated fatty acids in hemodialysis patients].

INTRODUCTION: Malnutrition and inflammation are associated with end-stage renal disease. Inflammation leads to reduced synthesis of albumin, transferin, and other negative acute-phase proteins and increases their catabolic rates. The causes of inflammation are multifactorial, including oxidative modification of plasma proteins, interaction of blood with nonbiocompatible membranes, and other infectious processes. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) powerfully predict death from cardiovascular disease in dialysis patients as well as progression of vascular injury. The aim of our study was to establish a correlation between markers of inflammation and parameters of malnutrition in hemodialysis patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We examined 42 hemodialysis patients at the mean age of 55+/-8 with dialysis duration 52.6+/-42. For nutritional assessment subjective global assessment (SGA), anthropometric parameters, bio-electric impedance (BIA), and biochemical nutritional parameters were used. We measured their plasma levels of inflammatory markers: C-reactive protein, IL-6 and TNF-alpha. Patients with severe malnutrition had higher level of IL-6 and TNF-alpha. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The following correlations between measured parameters emerged. There was a negative correlations between serum albumin concentration and inflammatory markers (r=-0.31; p=0.05). Anthropometric parameters in hemodialysis patients were lower when inflammatory markers were higher and correlation was significant (p=0.05). A statistically significant negative correlation between TNF-alpha and EPA (r=-0.497; p<0.05) and IL-6 and EPA (r=-468; p=0.03) was found in hemodialysis patients. CONCLUSION: The main findings of this study were that the decrease of nutritional parameters in hemodialysis patients were related to the degree of inflammation. Nutritional factors, as essential fatty acids, could lead to permanent changes in the inflammatory process.

[Factor XII deficiency]. / Deficit F XII.

The work presents classical form and variant of F XII deficiency. Although a rare disorder, F XII deficiency can lead to bleeding, particularly after injuries and surgeries. Further laboratory investigation of patients with pathological APTT is required.