Quality of life trajectories in breast cancer patients: an updated analysis 5 years after diagnosis

Letter to the editorThis work was funded by FEDER through the Operational Programme Competitiveness and Internationalization and national funding from the Foundation for Science and Technology—FCT (Portuguese Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education) under the project ‘A five-year prospective cohort study on the neurological complications of breast cancer: frequency and impact in patient-reported outcomes’ (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-016867, Ref. PTDC/DTP-EPI/7183/2014), and national funding from FCT under the Unidade de Investigação em Epidemiologia—Instituto de Saúde Pública da Universidade do Porto (EPIUnit) (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-016867, Ref. PTDC/DTP-EPI/7183/2014), and national funding from FCT under the Unidade de Investigação em Epidemiologia - Instituto de Saúde Pública da Universidade do Porto (EPIUnit) (info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/FCT/6817 - DCRRNI ID/UIDB/04750/2020/PT). LLC was funded under the scope of the project ‘NEON-PC—Neuro-oncological complications of prostate cancer: longitudinal study of cognitive decline’ (POCI01–0145-FEDER-032358; ref. PTDC/SAU-EPI/32358/2017). Individual grants attributed to NA (SFRH/BD/119390/2016) and FF (SFRH/BD/92630/2013) were funded by FCT and the ‘Programa Operacional Capital Humano’ (POCH/FSE). Data management activities up to the first year of follow-up were supported by the Chair on Pain Medicine of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, and by the Grünenthal Foundation—Portugal

Quality of life trajectories during the first three years after diagnosis of breast cancer: the NEON-BC study

Background We aimed to identify and characterize quality of life trajectories up to 3 years after breast cancer diagnosis. Methods A total of 460 patients were evaluated at baseline (before treatments), and after 1- and 3-years. Patient-reported outcomes, including quality of life (European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30, QLQ-C30), anxiety, depression and sleep quality, were assessed in all evaluations. Model-based clustering was used to identify quality of life trajectories. Results We identified four trajectories without intersection during 3 years. The two trajectories characterized by better quality of life depicted relatively stable scores; in the other trajectories, quality of life worsened until 1 year, though in one of them the score at 3 years improved. Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics at baseline did not differ between trajectories, except for mastectomy, which was higher in the worst trajectory. Anxiety, depression and poor sleep quality increased from the best to the worst trajectory. Conclusions The type of surgery and the variation of other patient-reported outcomes were associated with the course of quality of life over 3 years. More research to understand the heterogeneity of individual trajectories within these major patterns of variation is needed.This work was funded by FEDER through the Operational Programme Competitiveness and Internationalization and national funding from the Foundation for Science and Technology—FCT (Portuguese Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education) under the project ‘A five-year prospective cohort study on the neurological complications of breast cancer: frequency and impact in patient-reported outcomes’ (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-016867, Ref. PTDC/DTP-EPI/7183/2014) and the Unidade de Investigação em Epidemiologia—Instituto de Saúde Pública da Universidade do Porto (EPIUnit) (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-006862; Ref. UID/DTP/04750/2019). LC was also funded under the scope of the project “NEON-PC - Neuro-oncological complications of prostate cancer: longitudinal study of cognitive decline” (POCI01-0145-FEDER-032358; ref. PTDC/SAU-EPI/32358/2017). Individual grants attributed to NA (SFRH/BD/119390/2016) and FF (SFRH/BD/92630/2013) were funded by FCT and the ‘Programa Operacional Capital Humano’ (POCH/FSE). Data management activities up to the first year of follow-up were supported by the Chair on Pain Medicine of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto and by the Grünenthal Foundation—Portugal

Norhierridin B, a new hierridin B-based hydroquinone with improved antiproliferative activity

Hierridin B (6), a methylated hydroquinone isolated from the marine picocyanobacterium Cyanobium sp. LEGE 06113, moderately inhibited the growth of colon adenocarcinoma HT-29 cells. Aiming to improve the potential antitumor activity of this natural product, the demethylated analogue, norhierridin B (10), as well as its structurally-related quinone (9), were synthesized and evaluated for their growth inhibitory effect on a panel of human tumor cell lines, including the triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells MDA-MB-231, SKBR3, and MDA-MB-468. Norhierridin B (10) showed a potent growth inhibitory effect on all cancer cell lines. Moreover, the growth inhibitory effect of compound 10 on MDA-MB-231 cells was associated with cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Norhierridin B (10) interfered with several p53 transcriptional targets, increasing p21, Bax, and MDM2, while decreasing Bcl-2 protein levels, which suggested the potential activation of a p53 pathway. Altogether, these results evidenced a great improvement of the antitumor activity of hydroquinone 10 when compared to 6 and its structurally-related quinone (9). Notably, hydroquinone 10 displayed a prominent growth inhibitory activity against TNBC cells, which are characterized by high therapeutic resistance.This research was supported by national funds through FCT - Foundation for Science and Technology within the scope of UIDB/04423/2020, UIDP/04423/2020 and UIDB/50006/2020. Joana Moreira acknowledges her grant (SFRH/BD/135852/2018)

Intravaginal hCG administration increases pregnancy rate in artificially inseminated cyclic dairy goats subjected to estrous synchronization.

Pregnancy establishing after artificial insemination (AI) in goats depends on many important aspects, including time of AI, ovulation and premature luteal regression. The knowledge of ovulation in relation to estrus onset, ovulation induction and strategies to prevent PLR can be valuable tools to increase pregnancy rate. This study tested the effect of hCG administration on pregnancy rate in artificially inseminated dairy cyclic goats after estrus synchronization Results of this study showed that hCG administration associated to AI significantly increased pregnancy rates in goats after estrus synchronization with dcloprostenol, which can be a valuable and promising tool to be applied in field conditions

Livestock-Forest integrated system attenuates deleterious heat stress effects in bovine oocytes.

Global warming poses signiî±cant challenges to the î–ertility oî– tropical dairy cattle. One promising approach to mitigate heat stress eî–î–ects on reproductive function and reduce the carbon î–ootprint is the use oî– integrated livestock-î–orest (ILF) systems. The aim oî– this study was to investigate the effects of two different systems, namely Full Sun (FS) and ILF, on maternal hyperthermia and oocyte quality oî– Holstein and Girolando heiî–ers during the tropical summer season. The temperature-humidity index (THI) data revealed intense heat stress during the experiment. Both the system (P<0.01) and the breed (P<0.01) î–actors had a signiî±cant impact on vaginal temperature, being hyperthermia more pronounced in the FS system and in the Holstein breed. Over the î±ve time points collected at a 33-day interval, we observed distinct patterns for ILF (P=0.65) and FS (P<0.001) systems, suggesting an adaptive response in animals kept in FS systems. Furthermore, oocyte quality assessment revealed an eî–î–ect oî– the system î–or oocyte diameter (P<0.001) and levels oî– IGFBP2 (P<0.001), and caspase 3 levels showed a decrease in ILF compared to FS î–or both Holstein (P<0.001) and Girolando (P<0.001) breeds. Collectively, these parameters indicate that oocyte quality during the summer months was superior in animals maintained in the ILF system. In conclusion, the ILF system demonstrated promising results in attenuating maternal hyperthermia and mitigating its eî–î–ects on oocyte quality. Additionally, our observations suggest that animals in the FS system may exhibit an adaptive response to heat stress

Livestock-Forest integrated system attenuates deleterious heat stress effects in bovine oocytes.

Abstracts of 36th Annual Meeting of the Brazilian Embryo Technology Society (SBTE)

Reproductive development of dairy heifers in an integrated livestock-forest system during the summer.

This study aimed to assess the cortisol, body and reproductive development of prepubertal Holstein and Holstein-Gir ¾ heifers at 27 months of age maintained in an integrated livestock-forest (ILF) system for 60 summer days compared to the monoculture system in full sun (FS). The ILF system promoted changes (P=0.02) in the cortisol levels of Holstein-Gir ¾ heifers and did not affect weight gain in any of the breed groups studied. Animals in ILF system presented a lower (P=0.006) vulvar development for the rima height parameter and similar for the vulva width parameter. The ovarian follicular population of Holstein-Gir ¾ heifers in the ILF system was lower (P=0.004); however, for the Holstein heifers, no statistical difference was found, and numbers were higher (P=0.08) in the ILF system. None of the other ovarian parameters studied had any changes, and we also found important racial differences. Weight gain (P=0.003), vulvar development (P<0.001), and mean follicular size (P=0.008) were higher in the Holstein-Gir ¾ animals. Based on such results, the effect of the ILF system at 27 months of age on stress and reproductive parameters in the Holstein breed is considered positive, although negative effects have been detected on reproductive parameters in the Holstein-Gir ¾ breed

Essential oils of Ocimum gratissimum, Lippia grata and Lippia origanoides are effective in the control of the acanthocephalan Neoechinorhynchus buttnerae in Colossoma macropomum.

This study investigated the in vivo efficacy of the essential oils (EOs) of Lippia grata (EOLG), Lippia origanoides (EOLO) and Ocimum gratissimum (EOOG) in the control of the acanthocephalan Neoechinorhynchus buttnerae in Colossoma macropomum (tambaqui). In addition, the parasitic and growth indices, and hematological, biochemical, enzymatic and histopathological parameters were evaluated in the tambaqui. After 30 days of feeding with diets containing 1.52 g EOLO kg&#8722;1, the length, mean weight and mean weight gain decreased. There was 100% survival of fish fed with the EOs, and a decrease in the rates of parasitism in fish fed with diets containing 0.86 g EOLG kg&#8722;1, 0.76 g EOLO kg&#8722;1, 1.03 and 2.06 g EOOG kg&#8722;1. For these concentrations, the anthelmintic efficacy of the EOLG was 62.1%, EOLO was 61.8% and EOOG was 58.7% and 59.8%, respectively. An increase in plasma levels of total protein and alkaline phosphatase was found in the fish fed with diets containing highest concentrations of EOLG and EOLO. Maintenance levels of alanine aminotransferase in plasma and aspartate aminotransferase, together with the higher frequency of mild to moderate damages in liver tissue and presence of focal point necrosis, suggest the influence of a high abundance of parasites on the biochemical and enzymatic processes of the host fish. Histomorphological and physiological indicators and a decrease in the rates of parasites with diets containing 0.86 g EOLG kg&#8722;1, 0.76 g EOLO kg&#8722;1 and 1.03 and 2.06 g EOOG kg&#8722;1 indicate that this is a promising therapeutic alternative in the control of acanthocephalosis in tambaqui