Antitumor Effect of Epigallocatechin Gallate and Vincristine in Mice with L5178Y Lymphoma.

The main objective of research into new therapies is the search for more efficacy and fewer toxic effects in cancer treatments. On one hand, vincristine (VCR) is a chemotherapeutic used in different kinds of tumors. On the other hand, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) is a green tea metabolite that has shown an antineoplastic effect in diverse investigations, so the objective of this work is to evaluate the antitumor effects of the EGCG/VCR combination on tumor volume and survival. To achieve this objective, the solid model of lymphoma L5178Y was used in BALB/c mice with different doses of VCR, EGCG, and their combination allowed tumor growth and survival time recording. After tumor collection, measurements, and immunohistochemistry for p53, Bcl2, and Cyclin D1 were performed. The results showed that the EGCG/vincristine combination had a greater antitumor effect than those effects of vincristine and EGCG. It can be attributed to the fact that the greatest inhibition of Bcl2 was present in gathering of EGCG harvest with vincristine. Therefore, the combination of EGCG with vincristine has a better antineoplastic effect by inhibiting tumor development and increasing survival on both substances independently.

Novel Nanotechnological Strategies for Skin Anti-aging.

BACKGROUND: Nanoparticle formulations development for anti-aging treatment is increasing due to their multifunctional properties. These nanotechnological strategies can target cellular/ molecular pathways of the skin affected by the aging process. However, a review of these strategies is required to discuss their efficacy/safety and establish the needs for further research. OBJECTIVE: Innovative nanotechnological advances for skin anti-aging/rejuvenation are summarized and discussed in this work. METHODS: The information in this review was extracted from recent and relevant studies using nanotechnology for anti-aging treatment from scientific databases. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Results show an enhanced skin anti-aging effect of actives-loaded nanoparticles of next generation (nanostructured lipid carriers, fullerenes, transfersomes, protransfersomes, niosomes, ethosomes, transethosomes, glycerosomes, phytosomes) compared with nanocarriers of first generation or conventional formulations. Anti-aging active ingredients such as, flavonoids (rutin, hesperidin, quercetagetine, quercetin, epigallocatechin-3-gallate, myricetin, silibinin, curcuminoids, isoflavones); vitamins (E, D₃, CoQ10); acids (hyaluronic, ascorbic, rosmarinic, gallic); extracts (Citrus sinensis, Tagetes erecta L., Achillea millefolium L., Citrus aurantium L., Glycyrrhiza glabra L., Aloe vera, propolis earned by Apis mellifera); and other compounds (adenosine, beta-glucan, heptapetide DEETGEF, resveratrol, cycloastragenol, melatonin, botulinum toxin, grapeseed oil), have been successfully entrapped into nanoparticles for skin rejuvenation. This encapsulation has improved their solubility, bioavailability, stability, permeability, and effectivity for skin anti-aging, providing a controlled drug release with minimized side effects. CONCLUSION: Recent studies show a trend of anti-aging herbal active ingredients-loaded nanoparticles, enhancing the moisturizing, antioxidant, regenerating and photoprotective activity of the skin. Suitable safety/shelf-life stability of these novel formulations is key to a successful translation to the clinic/industry.

Use of Functional Foods and Oral Supplements as Adjuvants in Cancer Treatment.

In cancer patients treated with radiotherapy to the abdominopelvic region, dietary modifications and the use of functional foods (fortified food with added ingredients to provide specific health improving benefits, such as antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, and glutamine), may contribute to the improvement of the toxic effects of treatment, including nausea, diarrhea, and constipation, among others. With the aim of analyzing which coadjuvant foods benefit these patients, scientific evidence was gathered by a group of experts. For these patients, the authors recommend a diet that includes sufficient foods rich in antioxidants and polyphenols instead of supplements. Docosahexaenoic and eicosapentaenoic acids have proven useful for the management of anorexia/cachexia in pancreatic cancer patients. Probiotics composed of Lactobacillus spp. and Bifidobacterium spp. are regarded as safe even in patients with neutropenia and have been proven to decrease gastrointestinal symptoms. Several factors should be considered before probiotic supplementation, these include the stage of the disease, radiation dose, and symptomatology of each patient. There is no demonstrated clear benefit to the use of glutamine, so it is not recommended due to its high cost.

Bizarreness and Emotion Identification in Grete Stern Photomontages: Gender and Age Disparities.

Although the International Affective Picture System (IAPS) is used to evaluate emotions (valence, arousal, and dominance evoked by a large set of photographs), bizarre images in works of art have not been assessed with the IAPS procedures. Understood here as strange, non-sense, and absurd mental contents or expressions accompanied by surprise and confusion emotions, bizarreness was assessed after healthy adult volunteers assigned this specified variable to 140 Grete Stern's photomontages overtly intended to illustrate strange, absurd, and non-sensical contents in dream reports. The images were presented to 21 Young Males (YM) and 30 Young Females (YF) who were instructed to use the IAPS Self-Assessment Manikin, along with an additional bizarre-to-normal scale, to evaluate their response to them. The valence and the bizarre-to-normal ratings showed a dissimilar pattern of distribution between genders. Ratings of scales were different, and a greater variation in scales occurred according to gender. When bizarreness was appraised, gender differences became more evident especially for YF, who rated half of the images as bizarre, and with a diminished feeling of control, while the neutral and normal images were deemed more pleased and controlled. Valence, bizarreness, and dominance formed a different component than arousal in both groups. Negative correlations between valence and dominance, and between valence and bizarreness were also found in both groups, plus a positive one for dominance and bizarreness in YF, along with curvilinear relationships among all scales. On a second experiment, 10 photomontages evaluated by YF as bizarre or as normal were administered to 18 Old Males (OM) and 28 Old Females (OF). OF's arousal showed less neutral evaluations than OM's. In OF the bizarre images evoked either more excitation or calmness than in OM. The distribution of the bizarre-to-normal scale was significantly different across the evaluations in YM, YF, OM, and OF. The use of this extended IAPS instrument to explore bizarreness and emotional variables in response to art images seems suitable and potentially valuable to characterize bizarre, absurd, or non-sensical mental states and their brain correlates.

Information and Communication Technologies in the Care of the Elderly: Systematic Review of Applications Aimed at Patients With Dementia and Caregivers.

BACKGROUND: The interest in applying information and communications technology (ICT) in older adult health care is frequently promoted by the increasing and unsustainable costs of health care services. In turn, the unprecedented growth of the elderly population around the globe has urged institutions, companies, industries, and governments to respond to older adults' medical needs. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this review is to systematically identify the opportunities that ICT offers to health services, specifically for patients with dementia and their families. METHODS: A systematic review of the literature about ICT applications that have been developed to assist patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and their primary caregivers was conducted. The bibliographic search included works published between January 2005 and July 2015 in the databases Springer Link, Scopus, and Google Scholar. Of the published papers, 902 were obtained in the initial search, of which 214 were potentially relevant. Included studies fulfilled the following inclusion criteria: (1) studies carried out between the years of 2005 and 2015, (2) studies were published in English or Spanish, (3) studies with titles containing the keywords, (4) studies with abstracts containing information on ICT applications and AD, and (5) studies published in indexed journals, proceedings, and book chapters. RESULTS: A total of 26 studies satisfied the inclusion criteria for the current review. Among them, 16 were aimed at the patient with AD and 10 at the primary caregivers and/or family members. The studies targeted applications that included assistive technology (44%, 7/16), telecare (37%, 6/16), and telemedicine (31%, 5/16). The information systems (56%, 9/16) and Internet (44%, 7/16) were the most commonly used enabling technologies for the studies. Finally, areas of attention more covered by the studies were care (56%, 9/16), treatment (56%, 9/16), and management (50%, 8/16). Furthermore, it was found that 20 studies (77%, 8/26) evaluated their ICT applications through carrying out tests with patients with dementia and caregivers. CONCLUSIONS: The key finding of this systematic review revealed that the use of ICT tools can be strongly recommended to be used as a lifestyle in the elderly in order to improve the quality of life for the elderly and their primary caregivers. Since patients with AD are completely dependent in most activities, it is necessary to give attention to their primary caregivers to avoid stress and depression. In addition, the use of ICT in the daily life of caregivers can help them understand the disease process and manage situations in a way that is beneficial for both parties. It is expected that future developments concerning technological projects can support this group of people.

Microneedles: a valuable physical enhancer to increase transdermal drug delivery.

Transdermal drug delivery offers an attractive alternative to the conventional drug delivery methods of oral administration and injection. However, the stratum corneum acts as a barrier that limits the penetration of substances through the skin. Recently, the use of micron-scale needles in increasing skin permeability has been proposed and shown to dramatically increase transdermal delivery. Microneedles have been fabricated with a range of sizes, shapes, and materials. Most in vitro drug delivery studies have shown these needles to increase skin permeability to a broad range of drugs that differ in molecular size and weight. In vivo studies have demonstrated satisfactory release of oligonucleotides and insulin and the induction of immune responses from protein and DNA vaccines. Microneedles inserted into the skin of human subjects were reported to be painless. For all these reasons, microneedles are a promising technology to deliver drugs into the skin. This review presents the main findings concerning the use of microneedles in transdermal drug delivery. It also covers types of microneedles, their advantages and disadvantages, enhancement mechanisms, and trends in transdermal drug delivery.

Therapeutic 188Re-lanreotide: determination of radiopharmacokinetic parameters in rats.

OBJECTIVES: The radiopharmacokinetic parameters of the therapeutic radiopharmaceutical (188)Re-lanreotide were compared in rats implanted with hepatocarcinoma tumours (n= 18) and healthy rats (n= 18). METHODS: Rats were injected with approximately 1.8 MBq (188)Re-lanreotide (0.1 ml) via the tail vein and blood samples were obtained. The activity per gram of tissue (%IA/g) was calculated and the radiopharmacokinetic parameters determined. Data were fitted using a two-compartment model. KEY FINDINGS: Significant differences were found between healthy and hepatoma rats for beta elimination half-life (22.56 vs 48.14 h); transference constants K(10) (k(e)) (6.44 vs 3.05 h(-1)) and K(12) (2.76 vs 7.09 h(-1)); volume of distribution (2.06 vs 5.45 ml); mean residence time (66.58 vs 95.50 h) and apparent volume of distribution at steady state (131.30 vs 810.37 ml). The tumour/organ ratios after 24 h were 11.20 for tumour/muscle, 8.00 for tumour/liver and 7.72 for tumour/bone. The scintigraphic images obtained therefore had high resolution. CONCLUSIONS: (188)Re-lanreotide had a prolonged beta elimination half-life and increased volume of distribution in rats with hepatocellular carcinoma. This may be beneficial in the diagnosis and therapy of metastatic lesions in patients with cancer.

Radiopharmacokinetic and dosimetric parameters of 188Re-lanreotide in athymic mice with induced human cancer tumors.

Radiolabeled peptides, like the somatostatin analogs, have been used for peptide receptor-mediated radionuclide therapy (PRMRT) in metastatic neuroendocrine tumors. The eight amino acid peptide 3-(2-naphthalenyl)-D-alanyl-L-cysteinyl-L-tyrosyl-D-tryptophyl-L-lysyl-L-valyl-L-cysteinyl-L-threoninamide,cyclic(2-->7)-disulfide (9Cl) (lanreotide) was found to bind to the five somatostatin tumor receptors. Lanreotide has been labeled via the bifunctional chelating agent, DOTA, to (111)In, and (90)Y. A direct labeling method was used to label lanreotide with (188)Re. Athymic mice with implanted human cancer tumors (uterine-cervix, renal, and neuroblastoma) were injected with radiochemically pure (188)Re-lanreotide (1.11 MBq). The percent injected activity (%IA/g) from serial blood samples was the input data for the WinNonlin computer program to obtain radiopharmacokinetic parameters. The organs' percent injected activity per gram of tissue (%IA/g) was extrapolated to the weights of a 70 kg male model organs and the number of nuclear transitions (N) were the input for the OLINDA/EXM program to obtain dosimetry estimates. Induced uterine-cervix tumors (HeLa cells) show a mean 2.4 %IA/g uptake up to 24 h and the tumor/blood ratio was over 1.85 (1.5-24 h post-injection) confirming (188)Re-lanreotide remains bound to the tumor. The estimated tumor absorbed dose was 460 mGy/MBq. Human effective dose was 0.0182 mSv/MBq. Therefore, (188)Re-lanreotide is a good candidate for PRMRT and a clinical trial is being planned in order to acquire individual dosimetric data.

Radiopharmacokinetics, renal clearance and dosimetry of 99m Tc-MAG3

Background. Technetium-99m-mercaptoacetyltriglycine (99-mTc-MAG3) is a radiopharmaceutical for tubular function and can be prepared with 99-mtechnetium and the ligand Bz-MAG3 (Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares, Mexico City). No radiopharmacokinetic parameters have been found for the healty adult Mexican population with 99mTc-MAG3, prepared with the nationally produced or imported Bz-MAG3 kit. Methods. The radiopharmacokinetic parametrs and the clearance of 99mTc-Mag3 in seven healthy Mexican volunteers were determined by the single-and multi-sample methods. Computer programs were used for the calculations. Results. Using several plasma samples from 0.43 min and the BIEXP program, it was show that 99mTc-MAG3 follows a two-compartment model of distribution, with an apparent volumen in the central compartment Vdcc = 6.7 + 1.0 1, T½Ó = 0.07 + 0.02 h-1, T½ ß = 0.49 + 0.15 h-1, mean residence time MRT = 0.60 + 0.17 h and clearance = 208 57 (ml/min)/1.73 m². In comparison, the clearance value with a single sample drawn 43 min post-injection and calculated with Tauxe's formula was 193 ñ 59 (ml/min)/m². Conclusions. The 15 ml difference between the two methods is neither statistically different (p= 0.11) nor important for routine clinical studies. The single-sample method is recommendad because it is reliable and can be done at the same time that dynamic renal scan is aquiered. Estimated absorbed radiation dose was calvulated for several organs