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In recent years, the role of zinc in biological systems has been a subject of intense research. Zinc is required for multiple metabolic processes as a structural, regulatory, or catalytic ion. The objective of this study, was to assess the toxicity profile of a newly synthesized zinc-boron molecule on cultured cells. Zinc fructoborate, at different levels of concentration, was tested for its impact on the Vero kidney cell line (ATCC® CCL-81™) using the MTT assay. The compound exhibited a low cytotoxic effect on the cell line. Thus, our study demonstrates that the zinc fructoborate could become a promising dietary supplement molecule.
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Heart failure (HF) is one of the most common causes of hospitalization in patients over the age of 65. Purpose The objective of our study was to assess the prevalence of anemia and characterize the morphology of red blood cells in patients admitted for HF decompensation. Material and Methods We have included patients with decompensated HF with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). ≤45% successively hospitalized at Filantropia Clinical Hospital Craiova. Results A total of 397 patients, including 204 males (51.39%) were included. The prevalence of anemia in our group was 38.54% (153 patients). The mean age of patients with heart failure and anemia was significantly higher compared to those with normal hemoglobin (75.05±7.16 years vs. 72.27±7.91 years, p=0.00047). The majority of anemias (68.62%) were normocytic normochromic, defined as mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCV) value between 80 to 98fl and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCH)>27pg. 20 patients (13.07%) had microcytic hypochromic anemia (MCV<80fL and MCH<27pg), in 16 patients (10.45%) was present normocytic hypochromic anemia (MCV 80-98fl and MCH<27pg) and 12 patients (7.48%) had macrocytic anemia (MCV>98fL and MCH>27pg), respectively. Conclusions Our study suggests that the prevalence of anemia in hospitalized patients for HF decompensation is high and normocytic normochromic anemia was the most common morphological type of anemia.
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BACKGROUND: Pelvic recurrence following conventional rectal resection for cancer is common. Preoperative iradiation has been shown in prospective randomized studies to halve this risk. AIM: This multiinstitutional study aimed to assess the necesity of total mesorectal excision in rectal cancer. PATIENTS AND METHOD: Pathological resections from 50 consecutive patients with adenocarcinoma of the rectum within 12 cm of the anal verge who underwent currative resection incorporating total mesorectal excision were examined. The resection specimen was examined by one of two pathologists. Some 50 total mesorectal excision specimens were examined following rectal excision for cancer. Some 38 had total mesorectal excision as a component of a low anterior resection and 12 with abdomino-perineal resection. "Cure" was defined as absence of metastatic disease and the excision of entire macroscopic tumor tissue with negative proximal and distal borders. TME was performed as described by Heald et al. The mesorectum was evaluated for lymph nodes and tumor deposists in three areas: deep to the tumor, in the proximal mesorectum and in the distal mesorectum. RESULTS: Six patients had Dukes A lesions. Of 21 patients with Dukes B tumors, five had discrete foci of adenocarcinoma in the mesorectum, with no evidence of lymph node metastasis. Dukes C lesions were more heterogeneous, but 12 out of 23 patients had distinct mesorectal deposists in addition to mesorectal node involvement. Circumferential margin involvement was rare, but mesorectal tumor deposits were present in 17 of 44 patients with pT3 tumors, and 23 of 44 had mesorectal nodal involvement. No patient with a pT2 tumor had mesorectal involvement. Failure to excise the mesorectum completely has the potential to leave gross or microscopic residual disease that may in theory predispose to local failure. CONCLUSION: Total mesorectal excision is necessary to avoid incomplete pathological evaluation of the mesorectum and understaging of rectal cancer.
