Cholesterol metabolism during the growth of a rat ascites hepatoma (Yoshida AH-130).

The metabolism of cholesterol has been investigated in tumour cells, ascitic fluid and blood serum during the growth of an ascites hepatoma (Yoshida AH-130) in the rat. High rates of cholesterol synthesis and elevated free and esterified cholesterol content were observed in tumour cells. During tumour growth, the host animals progressively developed marked changes in the level and distribution of serum cholesterol consisting in an increase of total cholesterol and of a marked reduction of HDL cholesterol (HDL2 subfraction in particular). In agreement with previous observations, these findings indicate that a consistent pattern of altered cholesterol homeostasis develops in relation to normal or neoplastic tissue growth. High synthetic rates and intracellular accumulation of cholesterol are observed in the proliferating cells. Moreover, blood serum cholesterol decreases in the HDL fraction while it increases in LDLs, suggesting that during proliferative processes cholesterol fluxes between tissues and serum lipoproteins are markedly perturbed

MuRF-1 and p-GSK3β expression in muscle atrophy of liver cirrhosis

Background: Chronic diseases, including cirrhosis, are often accompanied by protein-energy malnutrition and muscle loss, which in turn negatively affect quality of life, morbidity and mortality. Unlike other chronic conditions, few data are available on the molecular mechanisms underlying muscle wasting in this clinical setting. Aims: To assess mechanisms of muscle atrophy in patients with cirrhosis. Methods: Nutritional [subjective global assessment (SGA) and anthropometry] and metabolic assessment was performed in 30 cirrhotic patients awaiting liver transplantation. Rectus abdominis biopsies were obtained intraoperatively in 22 cirrhotic patients and in 10 well-nourished subjects undergoing elective surgery for non-neoplastic disease, as a control group. Total RNA was extracted and mRNA for atrogenes (MuRF-1, Atrogin-1/MAFbx), myostatin (MSTN), GSK3β and IGF-1 was assayed. Results: A total of 50% of cirrhotic patients were malnourished based on SGA, while 53% were muscle-depleted according to mid-arm muscle area (MAMA<5th percentile). MuRF-1 RNA expression was significantly increased in malnourished cirrhotic patients (SGA-B/C) vs. well-nourished patients (SGA-A) (P = 0.01). The phosphorylation of GSK3β was up-regulated in cirrhotic patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) vs. patients without tumour (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Muscle loss is frequently found in end-stage liver disease patients. Molecular factors pertaining to signalling pathways known to be involved in the regulation of muscle mass are altered during cirrhosis and HCC. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S

Multicentric case series of scuba diving fatalities: The role of intracardiac gaseous carbon dioxide in the forensic diagnosis.

Scuba diving fatalities post-mortem diagnosis presents a higher level of forensic complexity because of their occurrence in a non-natural human life environment. Scuba divers are equipped with diving gas to breathe underwater. It is essential for them to be fully trained in order to be able to manage their dive safely despite the varying increase of ambient pressure and temperature decrease. Throughout the dive, the inhaled diving gas is dissolved in the diver's tissues during the descent and if the decompression steps are not respected during the ascent, the balance between the dissolved gas and the tissues (including blood) is disrupted, leading to a gaseous release in the organism. Depending on the magnitude of this gaseous release, free gas can occur in blood and tissue. Venous or arterial gas embolism can also occur as a consequence of decompression sickness or barotraumatism. It can also induce drowsiness that consequently leads to drowning. As a result, the occurrence of gas in dead scuba divers is very complex to interpret, as is the difficulty to distinguish it from resuscitation maneuver artifacts or body decomposition. Although the literature is scarce in this domain, significant work has been done to provide a precise intracadaveric gas sampling method to enlighten the cause and circumstances of death during the dive. The aim of this study is to obtain higher statistical significance by collecting a number of cases to confirm the gas sampling protocol and analysis and gain more information about the cause of death and the events surrounding the fatality through the establishment of clear management guidelines