Angiomyolipome épithélioïde rénal mimant un carcinome rénal

L’angiomyolipome épithélioide est une forme rare d’angiomyolipome à potentiel malin, considéré récemment par l’OMS comme une entité à part dans la classification des tumeurs rénales. Cette lésion pose un problème dans le diagnostic différentiel avec les carcinomes à cellules claires. Il n’y a pas de critère spécifique clinique ou radiologique caractérisant cette tumeur. L’immunohistochimie en révélant la positivité des cellules épithélioide au marqueur HMB45 est essentielle au diagnostic. Le traitement doit être discuté en concertation pluridisciplinaire.Pan African Medical Journal 2016; 2

Fertility sparing surgery for stage Ic ovarian cancer: An eight case series

Introduction. One case out of 3 cases of primary ovarian cancer is diagnosed at an early stage. Almost 15% of ovarian cancers are diagnosed in women who are within the range of procreation age, raising the debate on the feasibility of fertility-sparing surgery (FSS) for those tumors. In the case the patient is admitted with stage 1A or 1B in most histologic types, it is still controversial in stage 1C. Results and Discussions. This is an eight-patient-case series. The median age is 27 years old (ranging from 18 to 42). The main clinical manifestation was pelvic pain (87.5%). Four patients (50%) presented with tumor torsion. All patients underwent FSS; five of them (62.5%) had conservative staging, two (25%) underwent salpingooophorectomy and one (12.5%) ovariectomy, type histo + stade Figo. The chemotherapeutic treatment was administered to four patients (50%) following surgery without major side effects. One patient (12.5%) presented a loco regional recurrence that occurred 14 months later. She was treated with combined chemotherapy and radical surgery. One patient out of eight (12.5%) achieved a natural pregnancy after the treatment and another one (12.5%) was submitted to an assisted reproductive procedure which did not result in a viable pregnancy. Conclusion. FSS seems to be a suitable approach for stage 1C ovarian cancer. However, more case series and meta-analyses should be conducted

Uncovering the clinical relevance of unclassified variants in DNA repair genes: a focus on BRCA negative Tunisian cancer families

Introduction: Recent advances in sequencing technologies have significantly increased our capability to acquire large amounts of genetic data. However, the clinical relevance of the generated data continues to be challenging particularly with the identification of Variants of Uncertain Significance (VUSs) whose pathogenicity remains unclear. In the current report, we aim to evaluate the clinical relevance and the pathogenicity of VUSs in DNA repair genes among Tunisian breast cancer families.Methods: A total of 67 unsolved breast cancer cases have been investigated. The pathogenicity of VUSs identified within 26 DNA repair genes was assessed using different in silico prediction tools including SIFT, PolyPhen2, Align-GVGD and VarSEAK. Effects on the 3D structure were evaluated using the stability predictor DynaMut and molecular dynamics simulation with NAMD. Family segregation analysis was also performed.Results: Among a total of 37 VUSs identified, 11 variants are likely deleterious affecting ATM, BLM, CHEK2, ERCC3, FANCC, FANCG, MSH2, PMS2 and RAD50 genes. The BLM variant, c.3254dupT, is novel and seems to be associated with increased risk of breast, endometrial and colon cancer. Moreover, c.6115G>A in ATM and c.592+3A>T in CHEK2 were of keen interest identified in families with multiple breast cancer cases and their familial cosegregation with disease has been also confirmed. In addition, functional in silico analyses revealed that the ATM variant may lead to protein immobilization and rigidification thus decreasing its activity. We have also shown that FANCC and FANCG variants may lead to protein destabilization and alteration of the structure compactness which may affect FANCC and FANCG protein activity.Conclusion: Our findings revealed that VUSs in DNA repair genes might be associated with increased cancer risk and highlight the need for variant reclassification for better disease management. This will help to improve the genetic diagnosis and therapeutic strategies of cancer patients not only in Tunisia but also in neighboring countries

Effect of selenium on hypothyroidism induced by methimazole (MMI) in lactating rats and their pups

The present study was undertaken to assess the effect of selenium (Se) on hypothyroidism induced by methimazole (MMI) in lactating rats and their pups. Rats were randomly divided into four groups of six each: group I served as a negative control which received standard diet; group II received orally MMI (250 mg L–1); group III received both MMI (250 mg L–1, orally) and Se (0.5 mg/kg of diet); group IV served as a positive control and received Se (0.5 mg Na2 SeO3 /kg of diet). Treatments were started from the 14th day of pregnancy until postnatal day 14. In the MMI-exposed group, the body weight of 14-dayold pups diminished compared to controls; besides, a hypertrophy of the thyroid glands was observed. Co-administration of Se through the diet restored these parameters to near normal values. In the MMItreated group, thyroid iodine contents and plasma thyroid hormone levels significantly decreased, while plasma TSH levels increased in pups and their mothers. These biochemical modifications corresponded histologically to closed follicles, increased vascularity and a reduction in colloid volume. Co-treatment with Se ameliorated these parameters. We concluded that the supplementation of Se in diet had beneficial effects on hypothyroidism during a critical period of life

<span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family: "Times New Roman";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language: HI" lang="EN-GB">Flavonoid profile and antioxidant activities of methanolic extract of <i>Hyparrhenia hirta</i> <span style="mso-bidi-font-style:italic">(L.) Stapf.</span></span>

208-215In this study, we report isolation of flavonoids, viz., 3-O-methylquercetin, tangeritin, luteolin-7-O-glucoside, luteolin, apigenin-7-O-glucoside, apigenin-8-C-glucoside, luteolin-8-C-glucoside, luteolin-6-C-glucoside, diosmetin and catechin from the methanolic extract of Hyparrhenia hirta employing high performance liquid chromatography and liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry. The total phenolic content of H. hirta extract was 105.58 ± 0.1 mg gallic acid equivalents/g of plant extract while the total flavonoid content was 45.20 ± 0.2 mg quercetin equivalents/g of plant extract and the total condensed tannin were 72.35 ± 0.7 mg catechin equivalents/g of plant extract by reference to standard curve. The antioxidant activity was assayed through the antioxidant capacity by phosphomolybdenum assay, the reducing power assay and the radical scavenging activity using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl method. The extract showed dose dependant activity in all the three assays. </span

Acute oral toxicity study on Wistar rats fed microalgal protein hydrolysates from Bellerochea malleus

International audienceProtein hydrolysates and bioactive peptides from various protein sources have demonstrated their effectiveness for the prevention of illness and the improvement of symptoms from several diseases. In particular, the use of microalgae to generate bioactive peptides has received a growing interest because of their potential to be cultivated on non-arable land and high nutritional value. However, scant research is available on the toxicity of peptide-based preparations. The present study aims to evaluate the toxicity of microalgal protein hydrolysates (MPH) from one marine species of microalgae (Bellerochea malleus) to determine the feasibility of their use for functional food applications. Results showed that the oral administration of MPH at three doses (D1, 100 mg kg−1 BW; D2, 400 mg kg−1 BW; and D3, 2000 mg kg−1 BW) to male Wistar rats did not induce any adverse effects or mortality up to13 days of treatment. Data analysis of relative organ weights and biochemical and hematologicalparameters did not show any significant differences between control and treated groups at the three doses investigated. Data from histopathological observations did not reveal any signs of major toxicity at the doses D1 and D2. However, mild signs of inflammation and necrosis were observed in the kidney of rats fed MPH at D3. All together, these results reveal the overall safety of MPH and provide new evidence for advocating their use for functional food or nutraceutical applications

Food restriction induced thyroid changes and their reversal after refeeding in female rats and their pups

In the present study, two groups of pregnant female rats were submitted to food restriction (24 h fast ver- sus 24 h diet intake) from the 14th day of pregnancy until either the 14th day (group B) or the 4th day after parturition (group C). All pups and their mothers were sacrificed on day 14 after delivery. The body weight of the 14-day-old pups (group B) was 46% less than the controls (group A). Free thyroxine and free triiodothyronine levels in the plasma were reduced by 44 and 16% in pups and by 20 and 36% in their mothers, respectively. These reductions were correlated with a decrease in thyroid iodine content of the pups (–50%) and their mothers (–24%). Radioiodine uptake ( 131 I) by the thyroid gland of pups was significantly increased by 27%. Plasma TSH levels were decreased by 38% in pups and by 44% in dams. Morphological changes in thyroid glands were observed in energy restricted dams and in their pups. Some of follicles in pups were empty. Moroever in dams, we noted the presence of peripheral resorbed vacuoles, sign of thyroid hyperactivity. After a refeeding (group C) period of ten days, total recovery occurred in plasma thyroid hormone levels (FT 4 and FT 3 ) and in thyroid iodine contents of pups in spite of a partial recovery of body weights and plasma TSH levels. In dams, a partial recovery occurred in plas- ma thyroid hormone levels in spite of total recovery in thyroid iodine contents, while plasma TSH lev- els exceeded control values. A significant amelioration in thyroid histological aspects was observed in pups and their dam

Fertility sparing surgery for ovarian sex cord stromal tumors: a nine case series

Ovarian Sex Cord Stromal Tumors (SCST) are a rare disease carrying a good prognosis. They generally affect young women; therefore fertility preservation is a critical issue. Fertility Sparing Surgery (FSS) showed promising results in both oncologic safety and fertility preservation. A retrospective case series involving 9 patients diagnosed with SCST and treated with fertility sparing surgery at our institution was conducted between January 2000 and May 2015. The median age was 24 years old (10 to 39). The main clinical manifestation was pelvic pain seen in seven patients. Five patients complained about menstrual cycle disorders. The nine patients went through fertility sparing surgery; seven had conservative staging and the other two had a unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. Three patients out of nine had a pelvic unilateral lymphadenectomy. Two patients received adjuvant chemotherapy. Only two patients presented locoregional recurrence that occurred respectively after 7 and 192 months. The treatment combined chemotherapy and surgery based on mass resection. One patient achieved a natural pregnancy after the treatment. FSS seems to be a suitable approach for SCST. However, more case series and meta-analysis should be conducted