The role of adiponectin and leptin in the treatment of ovarian cancer patients

Introduction: Ovarian cancer is most frequently detected in the advanced stage. Although its pathogenesis is not fully elucidated, it is assumed that body susceptibility and hormonal disorders are responsible. The role of some cytokines as predictors in the treatment process is still investigated. The aim of the study was to determine the relationship of adiponectin and leptin with the disease severity and response to chemotherapy. Material and methods: Forty-three ovarian cancer patients were treated by systemic treatment. Patients received 5–7 cycles of chemotherapy — paclitaxel/carboplatin with or without bevacizumab. Using standard ELISA kits before and after chemotherapy, adiponectin and leptin concentrations were determined in the blood serum. Results: The average adiponectin concentration before chemotherapy was found to be 8.83 ± 3.19 μg/ml, as compared to 10.37 ± 4.18 μg/ml (increase by 17.44%, p < 0.001) after treatment. Mean pre-treatment leptin concentration was 16.89 ± 15.54 ng/ml, and 21.77 ± 14.69 ng/ml after chemotherapy (increase by 28.89%, p < 0.01). A positive correlation was found between leptin concentration and age and BMI. There was no relationship of the disease severity with the response to treatment and the concentration of the adipokines. The leptin/adiponectin ratio (L/A) before treatment correlated with better response to chemotherapy. Conclusions: Adiponectin and leptin did not correlate with the stage of ovarian cancer and response to chemotherapy. The L/A ratio may be considered a predictor of clinical response to treatment

Dolichol: A Component of the Cellular Antioxidant Machinery

Dolichol, an end product of the mevalonate pathway, has been proposed a biomarker of aging, but its biological role, not to mention its catabolism, has not been fully understood. UV-B radiation was used to induce oxidative stress in isolated rat hepatocytes by the collagenase method. Effects on dolichol, phospholipids-bound polyunsaturated fatty acids (PL PUFA) and known lipid soluble antioxidants [coenzyme Q (CoQ) and α-tocopherol] were studied. The increase in oxidative stress was detected by a probe sensitive to reactive oxygen species (ROS). Peroxidation of lipids was assessed by measuring the release of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS). Dolichol, CoQ and α-tocopherol were assessed by high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC), PL PUFA by gas-liquid chromatography (GC). UV-B radiation caused an immediate increase in ROS as well as lipid peroxidation and a simultaneous decrease in the levels of dolichol and lipid soluble antioxidants. Decrease in dolichol paralleled changes in CoQ levels and was smaller than that in α-tocopherol. The addition of mevinolin, a competitive inhibitor of the enzyme 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl CoA reductase (HMG-CoAR), magnified the loss of dolichol and was associated with an increase in TBARS production. Changes in PL PUFA were minor. These findings highlight that oxidative stress has very early and similar effects on dolichol and lipid soluble antioxidants. Lower levels of dolichol are associated with enhanced peroxidation of lipids, which suggest that dolichol may have a protective role in the antioxidant machinery of cell membranes and perhaps be a key to understanding some adverse effects of statin therapy

Kapsaicynoidy w papryce ostrej w zaleznosci od fazy dojrzałości owoców i terminu zbioru

The pharmacological and culinary usefulness of hot pepper fruits is determined, among others, by the content of capsaicinoids that give hot peppers a pungent burning taste. The content of these compounds in hot pepper is primarily determined by the genetic traits of a cultivar and is modified by various factors: weather conditions during the growing season, fertilization, harvest time, and fruit maturity stage. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of fruit maturity stage: green fruits, fruits turning colour as well as physiologically mature fruits (red), and fruit harvest date: the first and third decade of September, on the content of capsaicinoids in four hot pepper cultivars: ‘Cyklon’, ‘Orkan’, ‘Rokita’, and ‘Bronowicka Ostra’. In this study, which was carried out in 2005 and 2006, the content of capsaicinoids (capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin) was measured by HPLC. The highest amount of capsaicinoids was obtained in the fruits of hot pepper that were harvested at the initial stage of maturity – in green fruits (on average 309 mg·kg⁻¹), compared to fruits turning red (258) and red fruits (250 mg·kg⁻¹). Peppers selected in the third decade of September contained more capsaicinoids (on average 301 mg·kg⁻¹) than those harvested in the first decade of this month (243 mg·kg⁻¹). Fruits of the evaluated cultivars differed in capsaicinoids content; on average it ranged from 212 (‘Cyklon’) to 326 mg·kg⁻¹ (‘Bronowicka Ostra’). In fruits of all the quantitative ratio of capsaicin to dihydrocapsaicin was at a similar level, ranging between 11.9 and 12.9. The capsaicinoids content in fruits of the investigated cultivars differed between years 2005 (302) and 2006 (243 mg·kg⁻¹).Przydatność farmakologiczną i kulinarną owoców papryki ostrej warunkuje m.in. zawartość kapsaicynoidów, które nadają jej specyficzny, ostry i piekący smak. Zawartość tych związków w papryce ostrej determinowana jest przede wszystkim cechami genetycznymi odmiany oraz modyfikowana różnymi czynnikami: warunkami pogodowymi w okresie wegetacji, stosowanym nawożeniem, terminem zbioru i fazą dojrzałości owoców. W niniejszej pracy oceniono wpływ fazy dojrzałości owoców: owoce zielone, przebarwiające się i dojrzałe fizjologicznie (czerwone) i terminu zbioru owoców: 1. i 3. dekada września na zawartość kapsaicynoidów (kapsaicyny i dihydrokapsaicyny) czterech odmian papryki ostrej: ‘Cyklon’, ‘Orkan’, ‘Rokita’, ‘Bronowicka Ostra’. W badaniach przeprowadzonych w latach 2005 i 2006 zawartość kapsaicynoidów (kapsaicyny i dihydrokapsaicyny) oznaczono metodą HPLC. Najwięcej kapsaicynoidów (kapsaicyny i dihydrokapsaicyny) oznaczono w owocach papryki ostrej, które były zbierane w początkowej fazie dojrzałości – zielone (średnio 309) w porównaniu z przebarwiającymi się (258) oraz czerwonymi (250 mg·kg⁻¹). Więcej kapsaicynoidów zawierały owoce, które zebrano w 3. dekadzie września (średnio 301) niż w 1. dekadzie tego miesiąca (243 mg·kg⁻¹). Owoce ocenianych odmian różniły się pod względem zasobności kapsaicynoidów średnio od 212 (‘Cyklon’) do 326 mg·kg⁻¹ (‘Bronowicka Ostra’). W owocach wszystkich ocenianych odmian relacje ilościowe kapsaicyny do dihydrokapsaicyny były bardzo wyrównane i kształtowały się średnio w zakresie od 11,9 do 12,9. Zwartość kapsaicynoidów w owocach badanych odmian była zróżnicowana w latach badań: 2005 (302) i 2006 (243 mg·kg⁻¹)