Differentiating effect of thalidomide and GM-CSF combination on HL-60 acute promyelocytic leukemia cells

Aim: To investigate whether granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) with or without thalidomide can induce apoptosis and differentiation of HL-60 acute promyelocytic leukemia cell line in vitro. Methods: Effect of GM-CSF and thalidomide on proliferation of HL-60 cells was evaluated by MTT assay, cell cycle analysis was performed by propidium iodide staining approach and flow cytometry, and apoptosis rate was analyzed using FITC-conjugated annexin-V and FACScan flow cytometry. Results: The study revealed that thalidomide alone at high concentrations inhibited HL-60 cell growth and induced apoptosis. Three days treatment of low-dose thalidomide in combination with GM-CSF induced marked terminal differentiation of HL-60 cells, as it was assessed by increased expression of differentiation antigens on cell surface. Conclusion: Treatment of HL-60 cells by low concentration of thalidomide combined with GM-CSF induced terminal differentiation of HL60 cells in vitro, which may be advantageous for the elaboration of novel therapeutic regimens in patients with differentiation-inducible leukemias.Цель: изучить эффект гранулоцитарно-макрофагального колониестимулирующего фактора (ГМ-КСФ) в сочетании с талидомидом на индукцию апоптоза и дифференцировку клеток острого промиелоцитарного лейкоза линии HL-60 in vitro. Методы: для оценки пролиферации и жизнеспособности клеток HL-60 применяли MTT анализ, для изучения клеточного цикла — окраску пропидиум бромидом и проточную цитометрию. Для оценки апоптоза клетки линии HL-60 обрабатывали талидомидом, ГМ-КСФ, и совместно талидомидом и ГМ-КСФ в течении 48 ч, и затем метили анексином, конъюгированным с FITC, и анализировали с помощью проточной цитометрии. Результаты: талидомид в высоких концентрациях ингибирует пролиферацию клеток HL-60 и вызывает апоптоз. В сочетании с ГМ-КСФ в течение 3 дней талидомид в низкой концентрации индуцировал терминальную дифференцировку клеток HL-60, о чем свидетельствовало появление экспрессии дифференцировочных антигенов на поверхности клеток. Выводы: применение талидомида в низкой концентрации в сочетании с ГМ-КСФ вызывает терминальную дифференцировку клеток HL-60

Aspartame induces angiogenesis in vitro and in vivo models

Angiogenesis is the process of generating new blood vessels from preexisting vessels and is considered essential in many pathological conditions. The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the effect of aspartame on angiogenesis in vivo chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) and wound-healing models as well as in vitro 2,3-bis-2H-tetrazolium-5-carboxanilide (XTT) and tube formation assays. In CAM assay, aspartame increased angiogenesis in a concentration-dependent manner. Compared with the control group, aspartame has significantly increased vessel proliferation (p < 0.001). In addition, in vivo rat model of skin wound-healing study showed that aspartame group had better healing than control group, and this was statistically significant at p < 0.05. There was a slight proliferative effect of aspartame on human umbilical vein endothelial cells on XTT assay in vitro, but it was not statistically significant; and there was no antiangiogenic effect of aspartame on tube formation assay in vitro. These results provide evidence that aspartame induces angiogenesis in vitro and in vivo; so regular use may have undesirable effect on susceptible cases. © The Author(s) 2015

In vitro synergistic cytoreductive effects of zoledronic acid and radiation on breast cancer cells

INTRODUCTION: Bisphosphonates are mostly used in the treatment of bone metastases. They have been shown to act synergistically with other chemotherapeutic agents. It is not known, however, whether similar synergistic effects exist with radiation on breast cancer cells. METHODS: Human MCF-7 breast cancer cells were treated with up to 100 μM zoledronic acid, were irradiated with up to 800 cGy or were exposed to combinations of both treatments to determine the antiproliferative effects of zoledronic acid and radiation. RESULTS: Zoledronic acid and radiation caused a dose-dependent and time-dependent decrease in cell viability (approximate 50% growth inhibition values were 48 μM and 20 μM for 24 hours and 72 hours, respectively, for zoledronic acid and 500 cGy for radiation). A synergistic cytotoxic effect of the combination of zoledronic acid and radiation was confirmed by isobologram analysis. CONCLUSION: These data constitute the first in vitro evidence for synergistic effects between zoledronic acid and radiation. This combination therapy might thus be expected to be more effective than either treatment alone in patients with metastatic breast carcinoma

Intrabiliary rupture of liver hydatid cyst: a case report and review of the literature

Herein, we report a 66 year old woman who was diagnosed to have intrabiliary rupture of liver hydatid cyst with demonstrative computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography findings, with a review of the literature

Diagnosis of pericardial cysts using diffusion weighted magnetic resonance imaging: A case series

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>Congenital pericardial cysts are benign lesions that arise from the pericardium during embryonic development. The diagnosis is based on typical imaging features, but atypical locations and signal magnetic resonance imaging sequences make it difficult to exclude other lesions. Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging is a novel method that can be used to differentiate tissues based on their restriction to proton diffusion. Its use in differentiating pericardial cysts from other pericardial lesions has not yet been described.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>We present three cases (a 51-year-old Caucasian woman, a 66-year-old Caucasian woman and a 77-year-old Caucasian woman) with pericardial cysts evaluated with diffusion-weighted imaging using cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. Each lesion demonstrated a high apparent diffusion coefficient similar to that of free water.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This case series is the first attempt to investigate the utility of diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging in the assessment of pericardial cysts. Diffusion-weighted imaging may be a useful noninvasive diagnostic tool for pericardial cysts when conventional imaging findings are inconclusive.</p

Evaluation of Oral Mucosal Lesions in 598 Referred Iranian Patients

The mucosal membrane of the oral cavity displays at times classical developmental lesions considered to be variations of normal structures rather than having disease characteristics. Of these lesions leukoedema, Fordyce granules, geographic-, fissured- and hairy tongue, median rhomboid glossitis and lingual varices were studied in 598 patients referred to the School of Dentistry, Tehran, Iran. The prevalence was studied in relation to age, gender, occupation, education, smoking habits, general health, addictions and or drug therapies. Oral developmental lesions were seen in 295 patients (49.3%). Only Fordyce granules (27,9%), fissured tongue (12,9%), leukoedema (12,5%) and hairy tongue (8,9%) had enough cases for statistical analysis. Three of these lesions increased with age but not fissured tongue. All were more common in men. After adjusting for age, the parameters education, occupation and complaints upon referral had little influence on the prevalence of the lesions. Fewer Fordyce granules were seen in oral mucosa of smoking men. Leukoedema and hairy tongue were significantly associated with smoking, leukoedema with diabetes mellitus. We conclude that there was a highly significant association between these oral lesions and age, gender and smoking. Few significant associations were found between oral lesions and general diseases