Some Medicinal Plants with Anti-breast Cancer Activity and the Input of Phytotherapy in the Treatment of Breast Cancer

Aim: Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer leading to death among women worldwide. Despite the advances in the diagnosis skills and in the treatment of breast cancer, it has been observed that the recurrence rate experienced by breast cancer patients is quite high. Many plants have been reported to have anti-breast cancer properties. This paper focuses on determining the role of phytotherapy in the treatment of breast cancer. Methods: The following key search terms were used on Pubmed, Google scholar, and Researchgate: breast cancer, breast cancer cell lines, phytotherapy, medicinal plants in the treatment of breast cancer, treatment of breast cancer, cytotoxics effects of plant extracts on breast cancer in vitro/ in vivo, integrative oncology, and natural products as sources of drugs. Pertinent reviews in English language were examined. Results: It has been observed that many studies were conducted in vitro and in vivo to demonstrate the anti-breast cancer activities of a myriad of plants. While investigations are being made to prove the anti-breast cancer effects of many plants, the use of phytomedicine is not generating enough attention by mainstream practitioners. Some significant results were observed by patients with breast cancer history through the combination of phytotherapy and conventional medicines. Discussion: The conventional treatment of breast cancer is often accompanied with side effects. Many patients in low-income countries are faced off with the enormous cost of conventional treatment. Hence, there is a need to search for new bioactive substances in the treatments of breast cancer. Phytotherapy is a promising approach and herbal preparations are to be used in the same way as conventional medicine in the treatment of breast cancer. Conclusion: Phytotherapeutics products are used more often in the treatment of breast cancer as adjuvant therapy. In Africa, the use of herbal products in the treatment of breast cancer still remains in the hands of traditional-practitioners, without any control of quality and efficacy. Standard methods for the preparation of herbal products are to be determined in order to adopt phytotherapy in the treatment of breast cancer as much as conventional treatment

Electrolyte disturbances in diabetic patients in Cotonou, Benin

Background: As globally observed in low income countries, the incidence of diabetes rise rapidly in Benin. Electrolytes imbalance contribute to complications observed in diabetes. The aim of this study was to estimate electrolytes disturbances in diabetic patients in Cotonou, Benin.Methods: A total of 260 participants were included in the study: 150 diabetic patients and for the control group110 age and sex matched non diabetic subjects. Glucose, Ca2+, Mg2+, K+, Na+ and Cl- were determined in fasting blood samples. The proportions of subjects with abnormal values in the diabetic population and in the control group were compared using Chi-square test. The diabetic population was divided in three groups in regard of the fasting plasma glucose (FPG) level. For each group, the mean values of the parameters were compared to those of the control group using the Student’t-test.The significance level was set to 5%.Results: Near half of the diabetic patients suffered from hyperkalemia (48%). Hypocalcemia was observed in 41.3% of the diabetic patients and hypercalcemia was found in 23.3%. Hypomagnesemia and hyponatremia affected more than 40% of the diabetic subjects.  The mean values of serum potassium were significantly elevated in all three groups of diabetic patients compared to the control group.Conclusions: This study showed that electrolyte imbalances affect the diabetic patients in Cotonou

Current Perspectives in the Use of Phytotherapy for the Treatment of Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is  the most commonly diagnosed cancer leading to death among women worldwide. However, there is a significant improvement in the treatment of breast cancer. Today, the conventional treatment of breast cancer combines surgery , chemotherapy, radiation, targeted therapy, hormone therapy and immunotherapy.  Despite the advances in the diagnosis skills and in the treatment of breast cancer it has been observed that the recurrence rate experienced by breast cancer patients  is quite high. Moreover, the conventional treatment is often accompained with side effects. Thus, there is a need to search for new bioactive molecules.  Plant derived natural compounds can play a major role as sources of new bioactive substances for the treatment of breast cancer. Many plants have been reported to have anti-breast cancer properties. While investigations are being made to demonstrate the cytotoxic activities of many plants, the use of phytomedicine is not generating fully attention by mainstream practitioners. Some significant results were observed by patients with breast cancer history by combining phytotherapy and the conventional medicines.  Hence, plant extracts are more being used   in the treatment of breast cancer as adjuvant therapy. In this review we will present a summary of the advances of the researches on the efficacity of phytotherapeutic products when discussing their use in the treatment of breast cancer

Electrolyte disturbances in diabetic patients in Cotonou, Benin

Background: As globally observed in low income countries, the incidence of diabetes rise rapidly in Benin. Electrolytes imbalance contribute to complications observed in diabetes. The aim of this study was to estimate electrolytes disturbances in diabetic patients in Cotonou, Benin.Methods: A total of 260 participants were included in the study: 150 diabetic patients and for the control group110 age and sex matched non diabetic subjects. Glucose, Ca2+, Mg2+, K+, Na+ and Cl- were determined in fasting blood samples. The proportions of subjects with abnormal values in the diabetic population and in the control group were compared using Chi-square test. The diabetic population was divided in three groups in regard of the fasting plasma glucose (FPG) level. For each group, the mean values of the parameters were compared to those of the control group using the Student’t-test.The significance level was set to 5%.Results: Near half of the diabetic patients suffered from hyperkalemia (48%). Hypocalcemia was observed in 41.3% of the diabetic patients and hypercalcemia was found in 23.3%. Hypomagnesemia and hyponatremia affected more than 40% of the diabetic subjects.  The mean values of serum potassium were significantly elevated in all three groups of diabetic patients compared to the control group.Conclusions: This study showed that electrolyte imbalances affect the diabetic patients in Cotonou

Effects of bFGF on Cx46 and Cx50 in TtT/GF FS cells.

<p>Serum starved TtT/GF cells were incubated with 15 ng/ml bFGF for increasing periods of time. Whole cell lysates (15 μg) were subjected to SDS-PAGE followed by electrotransfer. Membranes were incubated with Cx46 or Cx50 antibodies. The membranes were stripped and reprobed with mouse monoclonal anti-actin and polyclonal anti-actin respectively. (A) Representative Western blots are shown. The bands were scanned and their intensity values were normalized first, to the corresponding actin band intensity value, next to the respective control value (time = 0). Values shown are the mean ± SEM of three independent experiments. Statistics (ANOVA followed by THSDT). Forty eight-49 kDa Cx46 was transiently and significantly increased by 30 min in the presence of bFGF († P<0.03). Cx50 increased after a 2 h incubation period with bFGF (# P<0.02 2 h vs 0 h), then slowly receded to control values by 24h in the presence of bFGF. (B) Following short-term incubation with bFGF, the 14, 25 and 48–49 kDa Cx46 immunoreactive band intensities were quantified. Values shown are the mean ± SEM of three independent experiments. Statistics (ANOVA followed by THSDT): Short-term incubation with bFGF decreased the intensity of the14 kDa immunoreactive band (black bars) by 10 min (* P<0.05 10 min vs 0 min) and by 30 min (*** P<0.0005 30 min vs 10 min). Short-term treatment with bFGF decreased the intensity of the 25 kDa immunoractive band (grey bars) by 30 min (++ P<0.001 30 min vs 0 min). Forty eight-49 kDa Cx46 immunoreactive band intensity (open bars) was increased at 30 min (+ P<0.01, 30 min vs 10 min).</p

Cx43, Cx46 and Cx50 interaction in TtT/GF FS cells.

<p>(A) Confocal microscopy of TtT/GF cells labelled for Cx43, Cx46 and Cx50. Micrographs shown correspond to a unique focal plane of 0.7 μm thickness. Cx43-Cx46 co-localized neither in the cytoplasm nor in the nucleus. As well, no co-localization was apparent for Cx50-Cx46. Cx50 co-localized with Cx43 in the cytoplasm. (B) Co-immunoprecipitation studies. Pre-cleared TtT/GF cell lysates (L) were incubated either with buffer alone (control: C) or rabbit polyclonal anti-Cx43 (IP). Next, the mixtures were incubated with protein A Sepharose beads. Proteins attached to beads were subjected to SDS-PAGE followed by Western blotting (WB) with either mouse monoclonal anti-Cx50 or mouse monoclonal anti-Cx43. The figure shows representative membranes. Cx43 and Cx50 were both pulled down by Cx43 antibody.</p

Expression, phosphorylation status and localization of Cx46 and Cx50 in TtT/GF cells and mouse and mink anterior pituitaries.

<p>(A) Left panel: lysates of mouse lens (30 μg) and TtT/GF cells (10 μg), and right panel: lysates of TtT/GF cells (5 μg) and mouse (moAP, 30 μg) and mink (miAP normal male, 20 μg) anterior pituitaries were subjected to SDS-PAGE followed by Western blotting with Cx46 and Cx50 antibodies. Cx46 antibodies detected a 48–49 kDa (arrowhead) band and a 68–71 kDa band (open arrowheads, 71 kDa) in lens. TtT/GF cells, moAP and miAP lysates exhibit the same bands with different intensities. In addition, two faint bands of molecular masses of 52, and 56 kDa were sometimes observed in lens and TtT/GF cells (open arrowheads). (B) Cx50 antibodies revealed a 51 kDa band (arrowhead) and 61 kDa band (open arrowhead) in the lens, TtT/GF cells, moAP and miAP. A third 65 kDa band was detected in TtT/GF cells and in AP lysates (open arrowhead). (C) Cx46 phosphorylation status: TtT/GF cell lysates (control: L) were incubated either in the absence (-APh) or presence (+APh) of alkaline phosphatase. Following incubation, 30 μg protein aliquots from each sample were subjected to SDS-PAGE followed by Western blotting with anti-Cx46. The left panel shows a strong ~68 kDa band flanked by ~71, 56 and 52 kDa bands whose intensities were diminished by the APh treatment (open arrowheads). The right panel shows two Cx46 immunoreactive bands at 25 and 14 kDa in whole cell lysates (L) and in lysates incubated with buffer alone (-APh). The 14 kDa band intensity was reduced by phosphatase treatment (+APh, open arrowhead). (D) TtT/GF cell lysate (L, 30 μg), cytosolic (C, 30 μg) and crude membrane (M, 30 μg) fractions were subjected to SDS-PAGE and immunoblotting with Cx46 and Cx50 antibodies. Representative Western blots show enrichment in the high molecular weight Cx46 and Cx50 immunoreactive bands in the crude membrane fraction (open arrowheads). (E-E”) Cx46 immunohistochemistry in mink AP. (E) No reaction was detected in Cx46 controls done on normal adult male mink APs incubated with either the primary or secondary antibody. (E’) The FS cell delicate cytoplasmic processes were Cx46-positive (arrows). (E”) A higher magnification of a hormone secreting cell labelled with a white asterisk in E’ displays Cx46 labelling (arrowheads) in the perinuclear region and the nucleolus (n). In (E”), the lower arrow points to heavy Cx46 labeling within the cytoplasm of an FS cell; the upper arrows points to Cx46 labelled FS cell thin cytoplasmic process surrounding an adjacent endocrine cell. E and E’, bar: 40 μm. E”, bar: 15 μm. (F) Cx46 immunofluorescence in TtT/GF cells. Cx46 staining showed a punctate, cytoplasmic distribution concentrated in the perinuclear region (arrows). Cx46 labelled cytoplasmic processes (open arrowhead). When changing the focal planes a nuclear distribution became visible (insert). F and insert, bar: 20 μm. (G-G’) Cx50 immunohistochemistry in adult male mink anterior pituitaries. (G) Cx50 controls with either the primary or secondary antibody showed no immunolabeling in adult male mink. (G’) At the periphery of the follicle, the FS cells and their delicate cytoplasmic processes adjoining endocrine cells were Cx50-positive (arrows) in contrast to the hormone secreting cells that were not (asterisk). In addition, Cx50 labeled the wall of blood vessels (bv). G and G’, bar: 40 μm. (H) Cx50 fluorescence microscopy studies in TtT/GF cells. A dust-like Cx50 labelling was evenly distributed in the cytoplasm (arrow). In addition, cytoplasmic processes (open arrowhead) and the cell membrane (arrowhead) were Cx50-positive. No immunoreactivity was apparent in the nucleus. Bar: 20 μm.</p