A first approach for the micropropagation of the medicinal halophyte Polygonum maritimum L. and phenolic profile of acclimatized plants

Polygonum maritimum L. (sea knotgrass) belongs to a genus commonly used in folk medicine to treat inflammation-related disorders. In vitro pharmacological studies have confirmed these properties that were ascribed to bioactive flavonoids, such as myricetin and quercetin glycosides. Therefore, this study aimed at establishing a micropropagation procedure for sea knotgrass for obtaining standardized materials for its potential commercial cultivation. For that, a complete plant regeneration protocol was developed by improving shoot multiplication from nodal explants, rooting and acclimatization procedures, followed by the assessment of the phenolic profile of the in vitro-produced plants. The combination of 3 mg/L 6-benzylaminopurine (BA) + 0.1 mg/L indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) induced the maximum shoot formation (10.3), which was significantly increased from the first to the second cycle (18.3). The best rooting capacity was observed on shoots derived from the control medium (100%), followed by 2 mg/L kinetin (KIN) (97%) and 3 mg/L BA + 0.1 mg/L IAA (90%); however, the shoot number at the end of the rooting phase was higher on shoots derived from 3 mg/L BA + 0.1 mg/L IAA (6.16). The plant growth regulators used in the multiplication phase influenced survival in the acclimatization process, and plants derived from the control medium had the highest survival percentage (63.1%). Acetone extracts made from aerial organs of micropropagated sea knotgrass showed a predominance of the flavonoid myricetin-3-O-rhamnoside (8.135 mg/g). Overall, the halophyte sea knotgrass was successfully micropropagated showing its potential as a medicinal crop for the extraction of bioactive molecules.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Analiza ekspresji BCRP u pacjentek z rakiem piersi

Breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP, ABCG2) is a xenobiotic half-transporter protein. It is a member of the ATPbinding cassette protein family and functions as an energy-dependent efflux pump. BCRP is involved in multidrug resistance. The study aimed at examining BCRP expression in breast cancers and at defining a relationship between activity of this protein and clinical course of the cancer. Materials and Methods: We analyzed the expression of BCRP in 101 stage II breast cancer patients. All the patients were diagnosed and treated at the Lower Silesia Oncology Centre (LSOC) between January 1993 and June 1994. After the treatment the patients remained under constant control at LSOC. Mean duration of the observation was 14.2 years (ranging between 9.1 and 16.5 years). Data related to relapse of the disease and deaths were obtained from medical documentation stored in LSOC. The immunohistochemical reactions were performed on paraffin sections of primary tumours, using monoclonal antibodies against BCRP. The intensity of immunohistochemical reactions with BCRP antibody was evaluated using the semi-quantitative IRS (ImmunoReactive Score) scale, which took into account the intensity of the colour reaction and percentage of positive cells. Results of the immunohistochemical reactions, pathological and of clinical observations were subjected to statistical analysis. Correlations between these factors and BCRP were analyzed using Spearman and Chi2 tests. In order to estimate the survival rate, we used Kaplan Meier statistics, log-rank tests and Cox proportional hazard regression. Results: In our analysis we observed a positive correlation between the expression of the BCRP protein and grade of tumour advancement (r=0.2 p=0.03). We found also a negative correlation between the expression of BCRP and the estrogen (r=0,24 p=0,02) and progesteron (r=0,28 p=0,02) receptors. In a univariate analysis a significantly shorter disease free survival (DFS) and disease specific survival (DSS) was noted in patients with metastases to the lymph nodes (p=0,003 and p=0,0006), over the age of 50 years old ((p=0,02 and p=0,04) and clearly statistically significant in patients with a high expression of BCRP (p=0,00044 and p=0,00005). Overall survival (OS) was shorter in patients over the age of 50 (p=0,01), with higher stage of the disease – IIB (p=0,025), with metastases to the lymph nodes (p=0,003) and also clearly statistically significant in patients with a high expression of BCRP (p=0.00004). A multivariate analysis allowed to reveal that only higher expression of BCRP and metastases to lymph nodes were typical for cases of DFS (p=0,0028 and p=0,00015), DSS (p=0,00052 and 0,000017) and OS (p=0,0018 and p=0,000007) time. Conclusions: We demonstrated that high BCRP expression level is associated with poor survival in early stage breast cancer patients.Cel pracy: Celem naszej pracy była ocena ekspresji białka BCRP w wycinkach pochodzących od pacjentek chorych na raka piersi i określenie jej związku z odległymi wynikami leczenia. Materiał i metody: Materiał do badań immunohistochemicznych pochodził od 101 pacjentek z rozpoznaniem raka piersi. Badania immunohistochemiczne przeprowadzono na skrawkach parafinowych, z użyciem monoklonalnych przeciwciał przeciwko BCRP. Uzyskane wyniki oraz dane kliniczne pacjentów poddano statystycznej analizie. Wyniki: W jedno i wieloczynnikowej analizie wyników wykazano, że wyższa ekspresja białka BCRP była związana z krótszym czasem przeżycia wolnego od wznowy (DFS), przeżycia specyficznego dla nowotworu (DSS) oraz przeżycia całkowitego (OS). Wnioski: U pacjentek z wczesną postacią raka piersi wysoka ekspresja białka BCRP związana jest z gorszym rokowaniem

Screening Papaveraceae as Novel Antibiofilm Natural-Based Agents

The antimicrobial properties of herbs from Papaveraceae have been used in medicine for centuries. Nevertheless, mutual relationships between the individual bioactive substances contained in these plants remain poorly elucidated. In this work, phytochemical composition of extracts from the aerial and underground parts of five Papaveraceae species (Chelidonium majus L., Corydalis cava (L.) Schweigg. and Körte, C. cheilanthifolia Hemsl., C. pumila (Host) Rchb., and Fumaria vaillantii Loisel.) were examined using LC-ESI-MS/MS with a triple quadrupole analyzer. Large differences in the quality and quantity of all analyzed compounds were observed between species of different genera and also within one genus. Two groups of metabolites predominated in the phytochemical profiles. These were isoquinoline alkaloids and, in smaller amounts, non-phenolic carboxylic acids and phenolic compounds. In aerial and underground parts, 22 and 20 compounds were detected, respectively. These included: seven isoquinoline alkaloids: protopine, allocryptopine, coptisine, berberine, chelidonine, sanguinarine, and chelerythrine; five of their derivatives as well as non-alkaloids: malic acid, trans-aconitic acid, quinic acid, salicylic acid, trans-caffeic acid, p-coumaric acid, chlorogenic acid, quercetin, and kaempferol; and vanillin. The aerial parts were much richer in phenolic compounds regardless of the plant species. Characterized extracts were studied for their antimicrobial potential against planktonic and biofilm-producing cells of S. aureus, P. aeruginosa, and C. albicans. The impact of the extracts on cellular metabolic activity and biofilm biomass production was evaluated. Moreover, the antimicrobial activity of the extracts introduced to the polymeric carrier made of bacterial cellulose was assessed. Extracts of C. cheilanthifolia were found to be the most effective against all tested human pathogens. Multiple regression tests indicated a high antimicrobial impact of quercetin in extracts of aerial parts against planktonic cells of S. aureus, P. aeruginosa, and C. albicans, and no direct correlation between the composition of other bioactive substances and the results of antimicrobial activity were found. Conclusively, further investigations are required to identify the relations between recognized and unrecognized compounds within extracts and their biological properties

Neoadjuvant radiotherapy and anastomosis dehiscence after total mesorectal excision for stage II and III rectal cancer

BackgroundAnterior resection is nowadays the preferred option of surgical treatment for rectal cancer without sphincter involvement. However, this operation is associated with the risk of anastomosis dehiscence (AD).AimThe aim of this study was to estimate the influence of neoadjuvant radiotherapy and other factors on the risk of anastomosis dehiscence after total mesorectal excision for stage II and III rectal cancer.Materials/MethodsOne hundred and thirty consecutive patients operated on due to histologically confirmed rectal carcinoma were studied with prospective data collection. Elective surgery with curative intent was administered. All patients underwent sphincter-sparing anterior resection with total mesorectal excision. End-to-end anastomosis with double stapled technique was performed. Impact of patient-, tumour- and treatment-related variables on anastomosis dehiscence rate was evaluated in univariate and multivariate analysis.ResultsIncidence of AD was 10.6%. There was no leakage-related mortality. Univariate analysis showed that patient's age and gender, presence of lymph node metastases and irradiation setting (pre- vs post-operative) did not significantly influence dehiscence rate (P>0.05). Tumour level at or below 7cm from the anal verge was related to increased AD risk with statistical importance (P=0.0438). Neither pelvic drainage nor omentoplasty effectively protected the anastomosis. Proximal diversion with protective stoma resulted in significantly decreasing AD risk (P=0.0012). In multivariate analysis the presence of transversostomy was found as the most important factor independently associated with significantly lower incidence of AD.ConclusionsNeoadjuvant radiotherapy does not seem to be a significant risk factor for anastomosis dehiscence, even after resection of low-sited tumours, but proximal diversion with temporary stoma needs to be considered

The clinical significance of tumor infiltrating lymphoctyes in breast cancer: does subtype matter?

Tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) are commonly detected in breast tumors but their bearing on disease outcome is uncertain. The importance of TILs appears to be subtype-specific and varies depending on the histologic characteristics of the tumor. As our understanding of tumorigenesis is increasing the relevance of immunobiology will become apparent