Secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in endometrial cancer versus normal endometrial tissue

n/

In vitro human growth hormone increases human chorionic gonadotropin and progesterone secretion by human placenta at term: evidence of a modulatory role by opioids

We examined the in vitro effect of human growth hormone (hGH) on hormone placental production and the modulation by opioids of this function. Small placental fragments from 12 term placentas were incubated at 37 degrees C in a 95% air and 5% CO2 atmosphere for 4 h with various concentrations of hGH (1-1000 ng/ml) or naloxone (3-500 ng/ml). Both hGH and naloxone increased the concentrations of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and progesterone in the media. The effect of the hGH was dose-dependent and statistically significant at 10 ng/ml, while naloxone was able to increase hCG and progesterone production only at the highest doses (250-500 ng/ml). The concomitant treatment with ineffective doses of naloxone and hGH was able to enhance hCG and progesterone secretion reaching levels similar to those obtained with the highest doses of hGH alone. High naloxone concentrations significantly decreased both hCG and progesterone secretion induced by high doses of hGH. This study confirms the relevance of growth hormone in sustaining placental endocrine activities and indicates an effect of opioids in modulating these function

Detection of Microconidia in Microscopy Images of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense Using Neural networks

Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (Foc) is a soil-borne fungus and the causative agent of the deadly Fusarium wilt disease in banana plants. Left alone, the fungus is able to survive for years and infect multiple plants through the soil. External symptoms only manifest in late stages of infection, with the burning of plants being the only way to eradicate the fungus. It is imperative then that Foc be detected as soon as possible. To achieve this, the study endeavors to detect microconidia, a reproductive structure of the Foc species, in microscopy images of stained soil specimen under three microscopy configurations using convolutional neural networks (CNNs). First, features of microconidia useful in classification through CNNs will be identified. Then, four CNNs per CNN architecture will be developed: one classifying bright field (BF) images only, one classifying dark field (DF) images only, another classifying fluorescent images (FL) only, with the last classifying all images regardless of microscopy technique. Modelling will be followed by a performance comparison of CNN architectures (ResNet, VGGNet, and AlexNet) in terms of accuracy and prediction time on the test set, as well as ROI detection using Gradient-weighted class activation mapping (Grad-CAM). Lastly, two more CNNs classifying images with and without hyphae will be developed to examine the effect that the presence of hyphae has on the models. This study contributes towards the early detection of Foc, and is a step toward mitigating the threat it presents

Chemokines mRNA expression in relation to the Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor (MIF) mRNA and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) mRNA expression in the microenvironment of endometrial cancer tissue and normal endometrium: A pilot study

Tumor microenvironment inflammatory cells play a major role in cancer progression. Among these, the Tumor Associated Macrophages (TAMs) infiltration depends on the kind of chemokine, cytokines and growth factors secreted by the tumor cells and by the stroma in response to the cancer invasion.TAMs have been found to promote anti-tumor response in early stages and to stimulate neovascularization and metastases in advanced disease. In the microenvironment chemo-attractants of many human cancers, MIF and VEGF correlate with an increased TAMs recruitment. In addition, MIF enhances tumor cells metastases by modulating the immune responses and by promoting the angiogenesis related to VEGF. On the contrary the inhibition of MIF can lead to cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Some chemokines (e.g. CXCL12, CXCL11, CXCL8) and their receptors, thanks to their ability to modulate migration and proliferation, are involved in the angiogenetic process.In this study we compared the expression of MIF mRNA with VEGF mRNA expression and with mRNA expression of other chemokines related to neo-angiogenesis, such as CXCL12, CXCL11, CXCL8 and CXCR4, in human endometrial cancer tissue (EC) and normal endometrium (NE).Fresh samples of EC tissue and NE were extracted from 15 patients with FIGO stage I-III undergoing primary surgery. Some of the tissue was sent for histology and part of it was treated with RNA later and stored at -80. °C.Four patients dropped out. A significant up-regulation of MIF mRNA in EC tissue versus NE samples ( P=. 0.01) was observed in all 11 patients. The MIF mRNA over-expression was coincident with a VEGF mRNA overexpression in 54% of patients ( P=. NS). MIF mRNA was inversely related to CXCL12 mRNA expression ( P=. 0.01).MIF over-expression was significantly related to low grading G1-2 ( P=. 0.01), endometrial type I ( P=. 0.05), no lymphovascular spaces invasion ( P=. 0.01) and 3. years DFS ( P=. 0.01).As reported in previous studies on patients with breast cancer, our data suggest that the up-regulation of MIF in patients with endometrial cancer might be related to the inhibition of distant and lymphatic spread. © 2013

Early feeding compared with nasogastric decompression after major oncologic gynecologic surgery: a randomized study

To evaluate the feasibility, safety, and tolerance of early feeding in patients undergoing surgery for gynecologic malignancies. METHODS: Patients were stratified according to operative time and type of tumor and were randomized into two arms: A) early oral feeding and B) nasogastric decompression followed by feeding at the first passage of flatus. Variables assessed included nausea, vomiting, time to first passage of flatus and stool, time elapsed before adequate tolerance of a regular diet, postoperative stay, and complications. RESULTS: Sixty-one patients were randomized into each arm. The types of tumor, the surgical procedures performed, and the operative times were similar in both groups. Early oral feeding in patients in arm A was associated with a significantly faster resolution of postoperative ileus (P < .01), with a more rapid return to a regular diet (P < .01), with an earlier first passage of stool (P < .01), and with a shorter postoperative stay (P < .05) than patients in arm B. Rates of nausea and vomiting were similar in both arms. Hindered deglutition and nasal soreness caused by the nasogastric tube were observed in 88% of patients in arm B. Insertion of a nasogastric tube was necessary in six patients in arm A (10%), and three of these had postoperative complications. Thus, early feeding was feasible in 95% of patients and did not seem to be related to preoperative chemotherapy, tumor type, or lymphadenectomy. CONCLUSION: Early feeding is feasible and well tolerated and is associated with reduced postoperative discomfort and a more rapid recovery in patients undergoing major surgery for gynecologic malignancies