Hepatoprotective and Immunosuppressive Effect of Synedrella nodiflora L. on Carbon Tetrachloride (CCl4)-Intoxicated Rats.

Synedrella nodiflora is a medicinal plant that is used by the natives of Sabah, Malaysia to treat rheumatism and several other ailments. This study aims to evaluate the ability of the crude aqueous extract of S. nodiflora leaves to protect against carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-mediated hepatic injury in rats. S. nodiflora aqueous extract was orally administered to adult Sprague Dawley rats once daily for 14 days (150 and 300 mg/kg body weight [b.w.]) before CCl4 oral treatment (1.0 mL/kg b.w.) on the 13th and 14th days. Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), hepatic antioxidant enzymes, and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were estimated. Immunohistochemistry was performed for oxidative stress markers (4-hydroxynonenal [HNE], 8-hydroxy-deoxyguanosine [8-OHdG]) and proinflammatory markers (tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-6, prostaglandin E2). Biochemical, immunohistochemical, histological, and ultrastructural findings were in agreement to support the hepatoprotective effect of S. nodiflora against CCl4-mediated oxidative hepatic damage. Hepatoprotective effects of S. nodiflora might be attributable to the presence of phenolic antioxidants and their free radical scavenging property.

Diagnostic Implication and Clinical Relevance of Ancillary Techniques in Clinical Pathology Practice.

Hematoxylin-eosin-stained slide preparation is one of the most durable techniques in medicine history, which has remained unchanged since implemented. It allows an accurate microscopic diagnosis of the vast majority of tissue samples. In many circumstances, this technique cannot answer all the questions posed at the initial diagnostic level. The pathologist has always been looking for additional ancillary techniques to answer pending questions. In our daily histopathology practice, we referred to those techniques as special stains, but nowadays, they are more than stains and are collectively called ancillary tests. They include a wide range of techniques starting from histochemical stains and ending in one or more advanced techniques, such as immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, molecular studies, cytogenetic studies, electron microscopy, flow cytometry, and polymerase chain reaction.

Hepatoprotective effects of Flagellaria indica are mediated through the suppression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress markers in rats.

Context The antioxidative properties of plants or plant derivative products are well known for their free radical scavenging effects. Flagellaria indica L. (Flagellariaceae) (FI) is a tropical medicinal plant used by the natives of Sabah as medication for semi-paralysis. Objective This study evaluates the hepatoprotective mechanism of FI against carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-mediated liver damage. Materials and methods Aqueous extract of FI leaves was orally administered to adult Sprague-Dawley rats once daily for 14 consecutive days at 300, 400, and 500 mg/kg b.w. prior to CCl4 treatment (1.0 mL/kg b.w.) on the 13th and 14th days. Results Total phenolic content in the aqueous extract of FI leaves was 65.88 ± 1.84 mg gallic acid equivalent/g. IC50 value for free radical scavenging activity of FI aqueous extract was reached at the concentration of 400 µg/mL. Biochemical studies show that the aqueous extract of FI was able to prevent the increase in levels of serum transaminases, alanine aminotransferase, and aspartate aminotransferase (38-74% recovery), and malondialdehyde formation (25-87% recovery) in a dose-dependent manner. Immunohistochemical results evidenced the suppression of oxidative stress markers (4-hydroxynonenal and 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine) and pro-inflammatory markers (tumour necrosis factor-α, interleukin-6, prostaglandin E2). Histopathological and hepatocyte ultrastructural alterations proved that there were protective effects in FI against CCl4-mediated liver injury. Signs of toxicity were not present in rats treated with FI alone (500 mg/kg b.w.). Discussion and conclusion It can be concluded that the presence of phenolic constituents and their antioxidative effects can be credited to the hepatoprotective activity of FI.

Diagnostic flex-rigid pleuroscopic biopsy of parietal pleura for exudative pleural effusions in suspected malignant and tuberculosis cases: a retrospective study of 219 cases.

OBJECTIVES: This study was carried out to ascertain the aetiology of exudative pleural effusions when other diagnostic investigations such as pleural fluid and sputum examination for cytology and acid fast bacilli fail to yield a definitive diagnosis and to differentiate between tuberculosis and malignancy in cases suspicious of malignancy. METHODS: Pleuroscopic biopsies were obtained in 219 cases by Chest Physicians in the endoscopy suite using flexi-rigid fiber-optic pleuroscopes. Histological sections were stained with H&E and microscopic examination performed. Ziehl-Nielsen stain for acid fast bacilli was performed in all suspected tuberculosis cases and immunohistochemistry for Thyroid transcription factor 1 and other markers were carried out for all cases suspicious of malignancy. RESULTS: Adequate biopsy material for interpretation was obtained in 210 (95.9%) of 219 cases. Histopathology revealed 79 (37.6%) cases were tuberculosis, 64 (30.5%) were malignant (primary from lung and other sites), 62 (29.5%) were non-specific inflammation and 5 (2.4%) were empyema. A definitive diagnosis of tuberculosis, malignancy and empyema was obtained in 70.5% of cases. Tuberculosis was encountered in a younger age-group than malignancy. Mean age for tuberculosis patient was 49 years while for malignant patients was 63 years. The majority (79.6%) of malignances encountered were metastatic lung adenocarcinoma.

Expression distribution of cancer stem cells, epithelial to mesenchymal transition, and telomerase activity in breast cancer and their association with clinicopathologic characteristics.

A total of 167 surgically resected primary invasive breast carcinomas and 63 metastatic lymph node lesions were analyzed for immunohistochemical (IHC) localization of the CD44(+)CD24(-low) breast cancer stem cell (CSC) markers, epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers, and telomerase activity by double-staining IHC technique, in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue, the results were validated by double-staining immunofluorescent and flow cytometry techniques. The results showed that CSCs with CD44(+)CD24(-low) phenotype were significantly increased in node-positive tumors, high-grade tumors, and ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). There was a high incidence of telomerase expression in metastatic lymph node lesion. There were considerably high number of tumor cells with EMT expression in metastatic lymph node lesion, and triple-negative tumor. The occurrence of EMT phenomena was usually accompanied by the co-existence of CSCs of CD44(+)CD24(-low) phenotype. There was no association between the existence of CSCs and detection of telomerase activity in tumor cells. Increased numbers of both CSCs of CD44(+)CD24(-low) phenotype and cells underwent EMT in DCIS lesion might be an initial step in the stromal invasion and propagation of breast cancer, and occurrence of EMT in the breast tumor associated with high prevalence of CSCs, promoting tumor invasiveness and metastasis.

Diversity of Breast Carcinoma: Histological Subtypes and Clinical Relevance.

Mammary carcinoma is the most common malignant tumor in women, and it is the leading cause of mortality, with an incidence of >1,000,000 cases occurring worldwide annually. It is one of the most common human neoplasms, accounting for approximately one-quarter of all cancers in females worldwide and 27% of cancers in developed countries with a Western lifestyle. They exhibit a wide scope of morphological features, different immunohistochemical profiles, and unique histopathological subtypes that have specific clinical course and outcome. Breast cancers can be classified into distinct subgroups based on similarities in the gene expression profiles and molecular classification.