Transient thoracic duct obstruction in a patient with thoracic outlet syndrome

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Ocotea nutans (Nees) Mez (Lauraceae): chemical composition, antioxidant capacity and biological properties of essential oil

The present study was undertaken to assess the potential uses of the essential oil obtained from Ocotea nutans (Nees) Mez. The hydrodistilled essential oil from O. nutans leaves was analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Fifty-eight compounds representing 87,29% of the total leaf essential oil components were identified, of which biciclogermacrene(11.41%), germacrene-D (4.89%), bisabolol11-ol(3.73%) and spathulenol (3.71%) were the major compounds. The essential oil from O. nutans were tested for antibacterial activity using the minimum inhibitory concentracion (MIC) method, Artemia salina method, larvicidal activity in Aedes aegypti, and antioxidant capacity.The antioxidant activity measured by the phosphomolybdenum complex and Prussian blue method had positive results. The minimum inhibitory concentration for the microorganisms tested allowed moderate inhibitionfor Enterococcus faecalis(MIC=500 µg/mL). Artemia salina were toxic to the organisms in the study (LC50= 71,70 μg /mL). The essential oil showed remarkable larvicidal activity potencial (LC50= 250 µg/mL). The present results showed that O. nutans essential oil has potential biological uses

Chemical composition, phytotoxic potential, biological activities and antioxidant properties of Myrcia hatschbachii D. Legrand essential oil

Myrcia hatschbachii D. Legrand (Myrtaceae) is a native and endemic species from Brazil. This study investigated the essential oil composition, phytotoxic potential, in vitro toxicity, antioxidant properties and antibacterial activity of species. Chromatographic analysis of essential oil identified trans-calamanene, (E)-caryophyllene and spathulenol as major components. Antioxidant capacity was determined by the DPPH• scavenging method and phosphomolybdenum complex formation assay. Antibacterial activity was evaluated using the Minimal Inhibitory Concentration test, demonstrating that the essential oil was active toward Enterococcus faecalis and Staphylococcus aureus. Phytotoxic activity of essential oil was analyzed by testing interference on germination and growth of Lactuca sativa, demonstrating significant inhibition of the hypocotyls and radicles of seeds. Preliminary toxicity studies were determined using Artemia salina, resulting in an LC50 of 409.92 µg/mL, and through hemolytic activity. The results of the phytotoxic activity point to a possible application for Myrcia hatschbachii in the development of natural herbicides and the in vitro toxicity assays suggests the performance of antitumoral activity tests, having in mind the prospection of antineoplastic drugs

Avaliação da atividade antioxidante, antimicrobiana, toxicológica e larvicida de Psychotria fractistipula L.B. Sm., Klein e Delprete

The objective of this study was to assess the potential antioxidant, antimicrobial, and toxicological properties of crude extracts and fractions obtained from the leaves and stem of Psychotria fractistipula L.B. Sm., Klein & Delprete. The content of phenolic compounds varied significantly between samples (783.70–78.22 GAE mg/g), with the highest concentrations being in the ethyl acetate fraction of the leaves and stem (679.39 and 783.70 GAE mg/g, respectively). The latter yielded also the best IC50 of the DPPH radical, which amounted to 9.48 and 4.75 µg/mL, respectively; whereas other samples ranged up to 156.64 µg/mL. Similarly, phosphomolybdenum activity varied between 90.17% and 16.00%, with the ethyl acetate fractions of the leaves and stem corresponding to 90.17% and 87.37%, respectively. Antimicrobial activity was elevated in the leaves crude extract (Staphylococcus aureus, 62.5 µg/mL), leaves ethyl acetate fraction (S. aureus, 31.25 µg/mL; Enterococcus faecalis, 62.4 µg/mL), and the stem ethyl acetate fraction (S. aureus, 31.25 µg/mL; Pseudomonas aeruginosa, 62.5 µg/mL). Hemolytic activity was high in the chloroform fractions of the leaves (1000 µg/mL) and stem (500 µg/mL). Larvicidal activity against Aedes aegypti was observed in the hexane fraction of the stem (LC50, 297.44 µg/mL). The ethyl acetate fractions of the stem and leaves were toxic to Artemia salina, with LC50 values of 277.91 and 933.89 µg/mL, respectively. These results indicate that P. fractistipula may constitute an unexplored source of natural antioxidants and antimicrobials with low toxicity.O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar as potenciais propriedades antioxidantes, antimicrobianas e toxicológicas dos extratos brutos e frações obtidos das folhas e caule de Psychotria fractistipula L.B. Sm., Klein & Delprete. O conteúdo de compostos fenólicos variou significativamente entre as amostras (783,70-78,22 GAE mg / g), com as concentrações mais altas na fração acetato de etila das folhas e caule (679,39 e 783,70 GAE mg / g, respectivamente). Essas frações também apresentaram a melhor IC50 frente ao radical DPPH, que totalizaram 9,48 e 4,75 µg/mL, respectivamente; enquanto outras amostras variaram até 156, 64 µg/mL. Da mesma forma, a atividade do fosfomolibdênio variou entre 90,17% e 16,00%, com as frações de acetato de etila das folhas e caule correspondendo a 90,17% e 87,37%, respectivamente. A atividade antimicrobiana foi elevada no extrato bruto de folhas (Staphylococcus aureus, 62,5 µg/mL), na fração de acetato de etila das folhas (S. aureus, 31,25 µg/mL; Enterococcus faecalis, 62,4 µg/mL) e na fração de acetato de etila do caule (S aureus, 31,25 µg/mL; Pseudomonas aeruginosa, 62,5 µg/mL). A atividade hemolítica foi alta nas frações de clorofórmio das folhas (1000 µg/mL) e caule (500 µg/mL). Observou-se atividade larvicida contra Aedes aegypti na fração hexano do caule (CL50, 297,44 µg/mL). As frações de acetato de etila do caule e das folhas foram tóxicas para Artemia salina, com valores de CL50 de 277,91 e 933,89 µg/mL, respectivamente. Esses resultados indicam que P. fractistipula pode constituir uma fonte inexplorada de antioxidantes e antimicrobianos naturais com baixa toxicidade

Human bone marrow-derived CD133+ cells delivered to a collagen patch on cryoinjured rat heart promote angiogenesis and arteriogenesis.

Transplanting hematopoietic and peripheral blood-derived stem/progenitor cells can have beneficial effects in slowing the effects of heart failure. We investigated whether human bone marrow CD133+-derived cells (BM-CD133+ cells) might be used for cell therapy of heart injury in combination with tissue engineering. We examined these cells for: 1) their in vitro capacity to be converted into cardiomyocytes (CMs), and 2) their potential for in vivo differentiation when delivered to a tissue-engineered type I collagen patch placed on injured hearts (group II). To ensure a micro vascular network ready for use by the transplanted cells, cardiac injury and patching were scheduled 2 weeks before cell injection. The cardiovascular potential of the BM-CD133+ cells was compared with that of a direct injection (group I) of the same cells in heart tissue damaged according to the same schedule as for group II. While a small fraction (2 ±0.5%) of BMCD133+ cells cocultured with rat CMs switched in vitro to a CM-like cell phenotype, in vivo-and in both groups of nude rats transplanted with BM-CD133+-there was no evidence of any CM differentiation (as detected by cardiac troponin I expression), but there were signs instead of new capillaries and small arterioles. While capillaries prevailed over arterioles in group II, the opposite occurred in group I. The transplanted cells further contributed to the formation of new micro vessels induced by the patch (group II) but the number of vessels did not appear superior to the one developed after directly injecting the BM-CD133+ cells into the injured heart. Although chimeric human rat micro vessels were consistently found in the hearts of both groups I and II, they represented a minority (1.5-2.3%) compared with those of rat origin. Smooth muscle myosin isoform expression suggested that the arterioles achieved complete differentiation irrespective of the presence or absence of the collagen patch. These findings suggest that: 1) BM-CD133 + cells display a limited propensity for in vitro conversion to CMs; 2) the preliminarily vascularized bioscaffold did not confer a selective homing and differentiation advantage for the phenotypic conversion of BM-CD133 + cells into CMs; and 3) combined patching and cell transplantation is suitable for angiogenesis and arteriogenesis, but it does not produce better results, in terms of endothelial and smooth muscle cell differentiation, than the "traditional" method of cell injection into the myocardiu

Efficacy of third-party chimeric antigen receptor modified peripheral blood natural killer cells for adoptive cell therapy of B cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia

We developed an innovative and efficient, feeder-free culture method to genetically modify and expand peripheral blood-derived NK cells with high proliferative capacity, while preserving the responsiveness of their native activating receptors. Activated peripheral blood NK cells were efficiently transduced by a retroviral vector, carrying a second-generation CAR targeting CD19. CAR expression was demonstrated across the different NK-cell subsets. CAR.CD19-NK cells display higher antileukemic activity toward CD19+ cell lines and primary blasts obtained from patients with B-cell precursor ALL compared with unmodified NK cells. In vivo animal model data showed that the antileukemia activity of CAR.CD19-NK cell is superimposable to that of CAR-T cells, with a lower xenograft toxicity profile. These data support the feasibility of generating feeder-free expanded, genetically modified peripheral blood NK cells for effective “off-the-shelf” immuno-gene-therapy, while their innate alloreactivity can be safely harnessed to potentiate allogeneic cell therapy

Safety and efficacy analysis of neoadjuvant pertuzumab, trastuzumab and standard chemotherapy for HER2–positive early breast cancer: real–world data from NeoPowER study

Abstract Background The addition of pertuzumab (P) to trastuzumab (H) and standard chemotherapy (CT) as neoadjuvant treatment (NaT) for patients with HER2 + breast cancer (BC), has shown to increase the pathological complete response (pCR) rate, without main safety concerns. The aim of NeoPowER trial is to evaluate safety and efficacy of P + H + CT in a real–world population. Methods We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of stage II–III, HER2 + BC patients treated with NaT: who received P + H + CT (neopower group) in 5 Emilia Romagna institutions were compared with an historical group who received H + CT (control group). The primary endpoint was the safety, secondary endpoints were pCR rate, DRFS and OS and their correlation to NaT and other potential variables. Results 260 patients were included, 48% received P + H + CT, of whom 44% was given anthraciclynes as part of CT, compared to 83% in the control group. The toxicity profile was similar, excluding diarrhea more frequent in the neopower group (20% vs. 9%). Three patients experienced significant reductions in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), all receiving anthracyclines. The pCR rate was 46% (P + H + CT) and 40% (H + CT) (p = 0.39). The addition of P had statistically correlation with pCR only in the patients receiving anthra-free regimens (OR = 3.05,p = 0.047). Preoperative use of anthracyclines (OR = 1.81,p = 0.03) and duration of NaT (OR = 1.18,p = 0.02) were statistically related to pCR. 12/21 distant-relapse events and 14/17 deaths occurred in the control group. Patients who achieve pCR had a significant increase in DRFS (HR = 0.23,p = 0.009). Conclusions Adding neoadjuvant P to H and CT is safe. With the exception of diarrhea, rate of adverse events of grade > 2 did not differ between the two groups. P did not increase the cardiotoxicity when added to H + CT, nevertheless in our population all cardiac events occurred in patients who received anthracycline-containing regimens. Not statistically significant, higher pCR rate is achievable in patients receiving neoadjuvant P + H + CT. The study did not show a statistically significant correlation between the addition of P and long-term outcomes