Spermine oxidase (SMO) activity in breast tumor tissues and biochemical analysis of the anticancer spermine analogues BENSpm and CPENSpm

Background: Polyamine metabolism has a critical role in cell death and proliferation representing a potential target for intervention in breast cancer (BC). This study investigates the expression of spermine oxidase (SMO) and its prognostic significance in BC. Biochemical analysis of Spm analogues BENSpm and CPENSpm, utilized in anticancer therapy, was also carried out to test their property in silico and in vitro on the recombinant SMO enzyme. Methods: BC tissue samples were analyzed for SMO transcript level and SMO activity. Student’s t test was applied to evaluate the significance of the differences in value observed in T and NT samples. The structure modeling analysis of BENSpm and CPENSpm complexes formed with the SMO enzyme and their inhibitory activity, assayed by in vitro experiments, were examined. Results: Both the expression level of SMO mRNA and SMO enzyme activity were significantly lower in BC samples compared to NT samples. The modeling of BENSpm and CPENSpm complexes formed with SMO and their inhibition properties showed that both were good inhibitors. Conclusions: This study shows that underexpression of SMO is a negative marker in BC. The SMO induction is a remarkable chemotherapeutical target. The BENSpm and CPENSpm are efficient SMO inhibitors. The inhibition properties shown by these analogues could explain their poor positive outcomes in Phases I and II of clinical trials

[Behavior of plasma pancreatic polypeptides and motilin in obese patientssubjected to biliopancreatic bypass].

Biliopancreatic bypass for obesity entails a 2/3 distal gastrectomy with Roux-en-y reconstruction, being the small bowel transected at its midpoint and the enteroenteroanastomosis placed 50 cm proximal to the ileocecal value. Pancreatic polypeptide (PP) and motilin fasting and meal-stimulated plasma concentrations were determined in 13 nonobese healthy volunteers, in 13 nonoperated obese patients, in 9 subjects within two months, in 12 subjects four to twelve months, and in 7 subjects fifteen to twenty months after operation. There were no significant differences in PP fasting levels between either the obese and control groups or between the postoperative groups and the preoperative group. Both meal-stimulated peak and integrated response values were similar in the obese and control groups, and were strikingly and progressively reduced postoperatively, with statistically significant difference between all postoperative groups and preoperative group. Mean plasma motilin fasting and peak values were higher in the obese group than in the control group, and significantly reduced in the 4-12 and 15-20 month group. Despite the huge variability among data, the integrated response in the 0-2 month group was significantly decreased in comparison with the preoperative group, while a subsequent progressive increase was shown by the 4-12 and 15-20 month groups

Towards the Definition of a Low-Cost Toolbox for Qualitative Inspection of Painted Historical Vaults by Means of Modified DSLR Cameras, Open Source Programs and Signal Processing Techniques

Historical architecture is a primary element containing the identity values of a society. The wide diffusion of many ancient buildings gathering part of these values on painting walls over territories often characterized by poor technological or economic resources brings to consider the development of low-cost protocols to inspect valued surfaces and to give the authorities in charge of preservation and restoration adequate technical information. Here we present the preliminary results of a recent application of remote sensing micro-geophysical techniques to typical architectural targets such as vaults. A modified commercial Digital Single-Lens Reflex (DSLR) camera was used to acquire multispectral datasets on portions of a painted vault. Multispectral datasets were used raw or after the application of a pre-processing step with a Multi Images Stacking (MIS) algorithm. Multispectral images were then processed with spatial wavelet decomposition, histogram enhancing, thresholds application, image fusion, false colors compositing and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) techniques. Software used have been GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP) and Mathworks MATLAB (which can be substituted for the processing steps proposed by the built-in functions of GNU OCTAVE open-source software). Processed images were able to highlight features on vault paintings revealing details of the surface or its very shallow layers which were impossible or very difficult to distinguish in raw data. In fact, they emphasized low-visible details, differences in apparently similar finishes or pigments, cracks and probably details of surface preparation