Free Fatty Acid Concentration and Carboxy Methyl Cellulase Activity of Some Formulas of Protected Fat-proteins Tested in Vitro

The aim of this study was to determine the levels of free fatty acids and carboxymethylcellulase activity (cmc-ase) activity of some protected fat-proteins base on in vitro Tilley and Terry method. Two sources of fat, i.e. crude palm oil and fish oil and three sources of protein i.e. skim milk, soybean flour and soybean meal were used in the formulation of protected fat-protein, and thus there were six treatment combinations. The filtrate from the in vitro test was analyzed for the levels of free fatty acids and cmcase activity. The result of this research indicates that different combinations of feed materials and fat give different content of free fatty acid in first stage and second stage in vitro, with the best results in the combination treatment of skim milk and palm oil that give the lowest result of free fatty acid concentration in fisrt stage in vitro (0.168%) and the highest result free fatty acid concentration in second stage in vitro ( 4.312%) . The activity of CMC-ase was not influenced by different sources of fat and protein. It can be concluded was that the protection of the combination between skim milk and CPO gives the highest protection results

Apparent Diffusion Coefficient in MRI Scan and Cervix Squamous Cell Carcinoma Histopathologic Grade: A Correlational Study

Abstract Background: Currently, MRI examination is the main radiological diagnostic examination option for determining cervical cancer staging. Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) predicts changes in cell density due to water quantity and diffusion. This study aims to determine the correlation between ADC value and cervix SCC. Methods: This is a correlation study with retrospective design that was conducted at Radiology Installation of Dr. Soetomo General Hospital, Surabaya, Indonesia for 2 years.!Sample of this study was all cervix cancer patients at Dr. Soetomo General Hospital, Surabaya who met inclusion criteria. Histopathologic grades were collected from histopathologic archives and ADC values were collected through DWI sequence in MRI. Descriptive analysis was carried out to obtain sample characteristics then continued with ROC analysis to obtain ADC cut off value and non-parametric Spearman's rho correlation test was conducted to determine the correlation between ADC values in cervix cancer which was categorized according to their histopathologic grade. Results: Sample distribution based on cervix cancer histopathologic grade from 48 samples showed that 27 patients (56.3%) had grade I SCC, eight patients (16.7%) had grade II, and 13 patients (27.1%) had grade III. Apparent diffusion coefficient cut-off value for grade I cervix cancer was 0.90 ± 0.18 x 10-3mm2/s, grade II was 0.83 ± 0.14 x 10-3mm2/s, and grade III was 0.82 ± 0.12 x 10-3mm2/s. Spearman's rho correlation test result was -0.169 and p = 0.250 (p>0.05). Conclusion: There was a very weak negative and non-significant correlation between ADC value and cervix squamous cell carcinoma histopathologic grade

Distinct cytoplasmic regions of the human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor receptor involved in induction of proliferation and maturation

The granulocyte colony-stimulating factor receptor (G-CSF-R) transduces signals important for the proliferation and maturation of myeloid progenitor cells. To identify functionally important regions in the cytoplasmic domain of the G-CSF-R, we compared the actions of the wild-type receptor, two mutants, and a natural splice variant in transfectants of the mouse pro-B cell line BAF3 and two myeloid cell lines, 32D and L-GM. A region of 55 amino acids adjacent to the transmembrane domain was found to be sufficient for generating a growth signal. The immediate downstream sequence of 30 amino acids substantially enhanced the growth signaling in the three cell lines. In contrast, the carboxy-terminal part of 98 amino acids strongly inhibited growth signaling in the two myeloid cell lines but not in BAF3 cells. Truncation of this region lead to an inability of the G-CSF-R to transduce maturation signals in L-GM cells. An alternative carboxy tail present in a splice variant of the G-CSF-R also inhibited growth signaling, notably in both the myeloid cells and BAF3 cells, but appeared not to be involved in maturation

The obesity paradox in lung cancer : associations with body size versus body shape

Background: The association between obesity and lung cancer (LC) remains poorly understood. However, other indices of obesity on the basis of body shape instead of body size have not been examined yet. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between different indices of body size and body shape and the risk of LC. In particular, this study examined the association between A Body Shape Index, a more precise indicator of abdominal fat than traditional anthropometric measures, and the risk of LC. Methods: In the prospective cohort the Rotterdam Study, we analysed data of 9,689 participants. LC diagnoses were based on medical records and anthropometric measurements were assessed at baseline. Cox-regression analyses with corresponding Hazard Ratios were used to examine the association between the anthropometric measurements and the risk of LC with adjustment for potential confounders. Potential non-linear associations were explored with cubic splines using the Likelihood ratio (LR) test. Results: During follow-up, 319 participants developed LC. Body mass Index (BMI) was inversely associated with the risk of lung cancer (HR 0.94, 95% CI: 0.91-0.97) and persisted after excluding lung cancer cases during the first 10 years of follow-up. There was evidence for a non-linear association between BMI and the risk of lung cancer (0,04, df = 1), which indicated that the inverse association between BMI and lung cancer was mainly present in non-obese participants. Waist circumference (WC) (HR 1.03 95% CI: 1.01-1.05), Waist-to-Hip Ratio (WHR) (HR 1.23 95% CI: 1.09-1.38) and ABSI (A Body Shape Index) (HR 1.17 95% CI: 1.05-1.30) were positively and linearly associated with the risk of lung cancer. Conclusions: Body shape rather than body size may be an important risk indicator of LC. Future research should focus on the role of visceral fat and the risk of LC as well as the underlying mechanisms

Critical illness induces alternative activation of M2 macrophages in adipose tissue

INTRODUCTION: We recently reported macrophage accumulation in adipose tissue of critically ill patients. Classically activated macrophage accumulation in adipose tissue is a known feature of obesity, where it is linked with increasing insulin resistance. However, the characteristics of adipose tissue macrophage accumulation in critical illness remain unknown. METHODS: We studied macrophage markers with immunostaining and gene expression in visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue from healthy control subjects (n=20) and non-surviving prolonged critically ill patients (n=61). For comparison, also subcutaneous in vivo adipose tissue biopsies were studied from 15 prolonged critically ill patients. RESULTS: Subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue biopsies from nonsurviving prolonged critically ill patients displayed a large increase in macrophage staining. This staining corresponded with elevated gene expression of "alternatively activated" M2 macrophage markers arginase-1, IL-10 and CD163 and low levels of the "classically activated" M1 macrophage markers tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha and inducible nitric-oxide synthase (iNOS). Immunostaining for CD163 confirmed positive M2 macrophage staining in both visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue biopsies from critically ill patients. Surprisingly, circulating levels and tissue gene expression of the alternative M2 activators IL-4 and IL-13 were low and not different from controls. In contrast, adipose tissue protein levels of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma PPARgamma a nuclear receptor required for M2 differentiation and acting downstream of IL-4, was markedly elevated in illness. In subcutaneous abdominal adipose tissue biopsies from surviving critically ill patients, we could confirm positive macrophage staining with CD68 and CD163. We also could confirm elevated arginase-1 gene expression and elevated PPARgamma protein levels. CONCLUSIONS: Unlike obesity, critical illness evokes adipose tissue accumulation of alternatively activated M2 macrophages, which have local anti-inflammatory and insulin sensitizing features. This M2 macrophage accumulation may contribute to the previously observed protective metabolic activity of adipose tissue during critical illness.status: publishe

Identification of a nonsense mutation in the granulocyte-colony-stimulating factor receptor in severe congenital neutropenia

Severe congenital neutropenia (Kostmann syndrome) is characterized by profound absolute neutropenia and a maturation arrest of marrow progenitor cells at the promyelocyte-myelocyte stage. Marrow cells from such patients frequently display a reduced responsiveness to granulocyte-colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF). G-CSF binds to and activates a specific receptor which transduces signals critical for the proliferation and maturation of granulocytic progenitor cells. Here we report the identification of a somatic point mutation in one allele of the G-CSF receptor gene in a patient with severe congenital neutropenia. The mutation results in a cytoplasmic truncation of the receptor. When expressed in murine myeloid cells, the mutant receptor transduced a strong growth signal but, in contrast to the wild-type G-CSF receptor, was defective in maturation induction. The mutant receptor chain may act in a dominant negative manner to block granulocytic maturation