Dietary phenethylisothiocyanate attenuates bowel inflammation in mice

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Phenethylisothiocyanate (PEITC) is produced by Brassica food plants. PEO is a <b>P</b>EITC <b>E</b>ssential <b>O</b>il containing >95% natural PEITC. PEITC is known to produce various health benefits but its effect in alleviation of ulcerative colitis signs is unknown.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In two efficacy studies (acute and chronic) oral administration of PEO was effective at remitting acute and chronic signs of ulcerative colitis (UC) in mice. Disease activity, histology and biochemical characteristics were measured in the treated animals and were compared with appropriate controls. PEO treatment significantly improved body weights and stool consistency as well as decreased intestinal bleeding. PEO treatment also reduced mucosal inflammation, depletion of goblet cells and infiltration of inflammatory cells. Attenuation of proinflammatory interleukin1β production was observed in the colons of PEO-treated animals. Expression analyses were also carried out for immune function related genes, transcription factors and cytokines in lipopolysaccharide-activated mouse macrophage cells. PEO likely affects an intricate network of immune signaling genes including a novel concentration dependent reduction of total cellular Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 1 (STAT1) as well as nuclear phosphorylated-STAT1 (activated form of STAT1). A PEO-concentration dependent decrease of mRNA of C-X-C motif ligand 10 (a STAT1 responsive chemokine) and Interleukin 6 were also observed.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>PEO might be a promising candidate to develop as a treatment for ulcerative colitis patients. The disease attenuation by PEO is likely associated with suppression of activation of STAT1 transcription and inhibition of pro-inflammatory cytokines.</p

Impact of non-axillary sentinel node biopsy on staging and treatment of breast cancer patients

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the occurrence of lymphatic drainage to non-axillary sentinel nodes and to determine the implications of this phenomenon. A total of 549 breast cancer patients underwent lymphoscintigraphy after intratumoural injection of 99mTc-nanocolloid. The sentinel node was intraoperatively identified with the aid of intratumoural administered patent blue dye and a gamma-ray detection probe. Histopathological examination of sentinel nodes included step-sectioning at six levels and immunohistochemical staining. A sentinel node outside level I or II of the axilla was found in 149 patients (27%): internal mammary sentinel nodes in 86 patients, other non-axillary sentinel nodes in 44 and both internal mammary and other non-axillary sentinel nodes in nineteen patients. The intra-operative identification rate was 80%. Internal mammary metastases were found in seventeen patients and metastases in other non-axillary sentinel nodes in ten patients. Staging improved in 13% of patients with non-axillary sentinel lymph nodes and their treatment strategy was changed in 17%. A small proportion of clinically node negative breast cancer patients can be staged more precisely by biopsy of sentinel nodes outside level I and II of the axilla, resulting in additional decision criteria for postoperative regional or systemic therapy

Niche complementarity between an alien predator and native omnivorous fish in the Wilge River, South Africa

A major challenge in biological invasions is to predict community susceptibility to invasion. This study investigated trophic interrelationships between an alien predator, largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides), and native omnivores, sharptooth catfish (Clarias gariepinus) and largescale yellowfish (Labeobarbus marequensis), in an invaded aquatic system to elucidate factors that might have aided their successful establishment. It tested the hypothesis that M. salmoides is able to co-exist with the two native omnivores by either utilising a previously vacant food niche or through niche complementarity. Gut content and stable isotope analyses were used to determine trophic interactions. There was no evidence that M. salmoides was utilising a previously vacant food niche but instead it occupied a restricted and specialised niche within a broad niche space utilised by the native omnivores. Differences in niche space and size have resulted in minimal niche overlaps that imply niche complementarity. The introduction of M. salmoides raises concerns about increases in predation pressure in the system. This, however, is difficult to ascertain because of complexities in measuring long-term trends in predator demands, abundance and community compensation mechanisms. There is a need for long-term monitoring of community structure, especially small-sized prey species that are vulnerable to increased predation pressure.The Centre for Invasion Biology is acknowledged for the financial support. In addition, CTC and TZ also received further support from the South African National Research Foundation (NRF).http://link.springer.com/journal/107502019-07-01hj2018Zoology and Entomolog

Sentinel lymph node dissection in breast cancer

During the last years, the efficacy and reliability of the sentinel lymph node biopsy (snb) as a minimal invasive diagnostic procedure for the nodal status has been intensively evaluated. After the widespread clinical use in the staging of melanoma patients the snb is currently introduced in the clinical management of breast cancer patients. We present our experience with this method during 3, 5 years and discuss its potential and pitfalls. From 11/95 to 3/99 we performed sentinel node detection in 146 patients with breast cancer stage I to III, consisting of 127 patients with pT1/2-tumors and 19 patients with pT3/4-tumors. We used the radionuclid method including preoperative lymphoscintigraphy and intraoperative gamma-probe detection. The detection rate varied with the tumor size between 94% for tumors with a diameter 5 cm). The accuracy of the snb in the prediction of the nodal status changed also with the tumor diameter between 100% for very small tumors ( 5 cm). In the subgroup of patients restricted to T1-2-tumors (n = 106). 57 patients (53%) showed true negative snb. 38 patients (36%) revealed tumor cells in the H&E-staining and an additional 7 patients (7%) solely in the immunohistochemical staining. 4 (4%) of these patients, all of them from the first half of the study period, underwent false-negative snb, 3 of them showing lymphangiosis carcinomatosa. The presented results show, that snb using the radionuclid method is a reliable method for the evaluation of the nodal status in early breast cancer patients with a tumor size up to ca. 3 cm. Therefore the sn procedure should be restricted to small tumors with clinically uninvolved axillary nodes or patients with a ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) to rule out invasiveness