The diagnostic utility of cell block as an adjunct to cytological smears

Objectives: Cytological examination of serous fluids is of paramount importance in detecting cancer cells. Distinguishing malignant cells from benign reactive mesothelial cells in fluid cytology is an everyday diagnostic problem. Cell blocks are valuable when the features in cytology are inconclusive. The motive of this study was to assess the utility of this method in increasing the diagnostic yield of serous fluids. Methods: 225 (25%) effusion fluids were analyzed carefully by both smear and cell block technique. Results: Among 225 fluids, 139 were pleural, 84 peritoneal and 2 pericardial. In case of pleural fluids and ascitic fluids, maximum numbers of cases were inflammatory. By the cell block technique, 5 additional cases of malignancy in pleural fluids and 7 additional cases of malignancy in ascitic fluids were diagnosed which could not be detected in the cytological smears. In pericardial fluids both cases were inflammatory. Male predominance was noted in case of pleural effusion and female predominance was noted in case of pericardial effusion and ascites. Maximum numbers of cases were seen in the age group of 40-60 years. Conclusion: We conclude that the cell block technique when used as an adjuvant to routine smear examination has increased the diagnostic yield because of better preservation of the architectural pattern

Protective Effects of Aqueous Extract of Solanum nigrum

Oral mucositis is one of the most debilitating side effects in patient undergoing chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy. Leaves of the plant Solanum nigrum are used in folklore medicine to treat oral ulcers in India. However, no pharmacological investigation has been carried out till date. Aqueous extract of Solanum nigrum leaves (AESN) was prepared and subjected to various phytochemical screening. HPLC analysis of the ethyl acetate fraction was carried out. The aqueous extract (100 and 200 mg/kg) was further evaluated for its protective effect on two rat models: (a) busulfan plus infrared radiation (chemoradiotherapy) induced oral mucositis and (b) methotrexate (chemotherapy) induced oral mucositis. Various parameters including body weight change, food intake, and mortality were measured. AESN showed protective effect in both models of oral mucositis; however, the higher dose was more effective in chemotherapy induced oral mucositis. A reduction in oral mucositis score (P<0.05) was observed in the treatment groups. Significant (P<0.05) improvement in food intake was also observed in AESN treated groups. Aqueous extract of Solanum nigrum leaves has protective effect on chemotherapy and chemoradiotherapy induced oral mucositis in rats

Selected mitochondrial DNA landscapes activate the SIRT3 axis of the UPR(mt) to promote metastasis

By causing mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations and oxidation of mitochondrial proteins, reactive oxygen species (ROS) leads to perturbations in mitochondrial proteostasis. Several studies have linked mtDNA mutations to metastasis of cancer cells but the nature of the mtDNA species involved remains unclear. Our data suggests that no common mtDNA mutation identifies metastatic cells; rather the metastatic potential of several ROS-generating mutations is largely determined by their mtDNA genomic landscapes, which can act either as an enhancer or repressor of metastasis. However, mtDNA landscapes of all metastatic cells are characterized by activation of the SIRT/FOXO/SOD2 axis of the mitochondrial unfolded protein response (UPR(mt)). The UPR(mt) promotes a complex transcription program ultimately increasing mitochondrial integrity and fitness in response to oxidative proteotoxic stress. Using SOD2 as a surrogate marker of the UPR(mt), we found that in primary breast cancers, SOD2 is significantly increased in metastatic lesions. We propose that the ability of selected mtDNA species to activate the UPR(mt) is a process that is exploited by cancer cells to maintain mitochondrial fitness and facilitate metastasis.Oncogene advance online publication, 3 April 2017; doi:10.1038/onc.2017.52

Vampires in the village Žrnovo on the island of Korčula: following an archival document from the 18th century

Središnja tema rada usmjerena je na raščlambu spisa pohranjenog u Državnom arhivu u Mlecima (fond: Capi del Consiglio de’ Dieci: Lettere di Rettori e di altre cariche) koji se odnosi na događaj iz 1748. godine u korčulanskom selu Žrnovo, kada su mještani – vjerujući da su se pojavili vampiri – oskvrnuli nekoliko mjesnih grobova. U radu se podrobno iznose osnovni podaci iz spisa te rečeni događaj analizira u širem društvenom kontekstu i prate se lokalna vjerovanja.The main interest of this essay is the analysis of the document from the State Archive in Venice (file: Capi del Consiglio de’ Dieci: Lettere di Rettori e di altre cariche) which is connected with the episode from 1748 when the inhabitants of the village Žrnove on the island of Korčula in Croatia opened tombs on the local cemetery in the fear of the vampires treating. This essay try to show some social circumstances connected with this event as well as a local vernacular tradition concerning superstitions