Unusual case of multilocular cystic renal cell carcinoma treated with nephron-sparing technique

Il nefroma multiloculare cistico è una lesione benigna relativamente rara del rene da ascrivere al gruppo delle malatie cistiche non genetiche. Sia la presentazione clinica che l’ imaging radiologica non sono caratteristici e la diagnosi esatta si fa solo con l’esame istologico definitivo del pezzo asportato. Presentiamo un caso di nefroma cistico multiloculare (MLCN) con foci di carcinoma a cellulle chiare. La diagnosi differenziale tra MLCN e altre malattie cistiche del rene è difficile perché la fenomenologia clinica non è specifica e l’imaging non consente una corretta diagnosi. Anche se il MLCN è una malattia benigna, ci sono alcune rare pubblicazioni nella letteratura medica in cui si descrivono casi di carcinoma. Il nostro paziente è libero da malattia 12 anni dopo l’ intervento chirurgico di exeresi

Pacing within the ischemic area significantly decreases the left ventricular ejection fraction during experimental acute myocardial infarction

Background: The aim of this study was to examine the effects on left ventricular (LV) function of LV apical or/and lateral wall pacing during an experimental acute myocardial infarction. Methods: In 12 anesthetized pigs, epicardial LV pacing at the apex or lateral wall, or at both sites simultaneously, was performed before and after left anterior descending (LAD) ligation. Data concerning LV function were obtained by two-dimensional echo during spontaneous sinus rhythm (SR) and during pacing before and 15, 45, 60, and 90 minutes after LAD ligation. Results: Before ligation of the LAD, pacing at the lateral wall (48.04 ± 6.25%) or both sites (45.71 ± 6.31%) reduced the LV ejection fraction (EF) significantly (P < 0.01) in comparison to SR (55.44 ± 4.10%). However, during pacing at the apex (50.19 ± 6.50%), the reduction was not significant. After LAD ligation, the EF during lateral pacing (43.02 ± 7.71%) was significantly higher than during apical pacing (38.78 ± 8.26%, P < 0.04) but was not significantly different from that during dual-site pacing (41.65 ± 8.69%). Conclusions: Pacing within the ischemic LV apical zone after LAD ligation impairs left ventricular ejection fraction, as compared with pacing the nonischemic LV lateral wall, and should therefore be avoided in clinical settings where the LV pacing site may be chosen. (PACE 2011; 63-71) ©2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc

Transcriptional analysis of apple fruit proanthocyanidin biosynthesis

Proanthocyanidins (PAs) are products of the flavonoid pathway, which also leads to the production of anthocyanins and flavonols. Many flavonoids have antioxidant properties and may have beneficial effects for human health. PAs are found in the seeds and fruits of many plants. In apple fruit (Malus × domestica Borkh.), the flavonoid biosynthetic pathway is most active in the skin, with the flavan-3-ols, catechin, and epicatechin acting as the initiating units for the synthesis of PA polymers. This study examined the genes involved in the production of PAs in three apple cultivars: two heritage apple cultivars, Hetlina and Devonshire Quarrenden, and a commercial cultivar, Royal Gala. HPLC analysis shows that tree-ripe fruit from Hetlina and Devonshire Quarrenden had a higher phenolic content than Royal Gala. Epicatechin and catechin biosynthesis is under the control of the biosynthetic enzymes anthocyanidin reductase (ANR) and leucoanthocyanidin reductase (LAR1), respectively. Counter-intuitively, real-time quantitative PCR analysis showed that the expression levels of Royal Gala LAR1 and ANR were significantly higher than those of both Devonshire Quarrenden and Hetlina. This suggests that a compensatory feedback mechanism may be active, whereby low concentrations of PAs may induce higher expression of gene transcripts. Further investigation is required into the regulation of these key enzymes in apple

Genetic Screening Identifies Cyanogenesis-Deficient Mutants of Lotus japonicus and Reveals Enzymatic Specificity in Hydroxynitrile Glucoside Metabolism[W][OA]

This work describes a high-throughput screen for mutants affected in their ability to release hydrogen cyanide using the model legume Lotus japonicus. Mutants revealed unexpected specificity in the enzymes of both synthesis and degradation of cyanogenic glucosides and closely related compounds. This may offer flexibility in the production of deterrents to herbivores by this species