Necrotizing granulomatous inflammation in an ipsilateral axillary lymph node in a patient with invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast

AbstractA patient presented with flu-like symptoms and a warm, tender area in the left axilla after working with an ancient piece of Cyprus wood. Antibiotics prescribed failed to improve symptoms. Followup physical examination and subsequent ultrasound found suspicious left-breast mass and an enlarged lymph node in the left axilla. Biopsy and lumpectomy of the left-breast mass revealed invasive ductal carcinoma. Biopsy and excision of the enlarged lymph node in the left axilla revealed necrotizing granulomatous inflammation without evidence of metastatic breast carcinoma. To our knowledge, this is the first case report to show the coexistence of breast cancer with necrotizing granulomatous inflammation in the ipsilateral axillary lymph node, likely due to exposure to ancient wood

Malignant phyllodes tumor in a patient with hereditary retinoblastoma: a case report and literature review

Patients with hereditary retinoblastoma are at increased risk for second malignancies, most notably sarcomas, particularly after treatment with radiation. Malignant phyllodes tumor is a rare secondary malignancy in these patients. We present a review of the literature and report of a patient with hereditary retinoblastoma who developed two secondary malignancies, including malignant phyllodes tumor. The patient’s phyllodes tumor presented as a palpable breast mass with suspicious findings on mammogram and ultrasound. The mass was shown to be at least a borderline phyllodes tumor via sonographic percutaneous biopsy and confirmed malignant phyllodes tumor on final surgical excision

Boehmeria nivea

We examined the therapeutic effect of an ethanol extract derived from Boehmeria nivea (Linn.) Gaudich in a mouse model of experimental colitis. Treatment with 70% ethanol extract derived from B. nivea (EBN) at a dose of 100, 200, or 500 mg/(kg·d) improved colon shortening, body weight, the disease activity index (DAI), and histopathological score of DSS-induced colitis mice. DSS significantly increased the levels of cyclooxygenase-(COX-) 2 in colon tissue relative to that of the untreated control group. EBN administered at 100, 200, or 500 mg/(kg·d) reduced COX-2 levels in the DSS-treated mice. In addition, EBN decreased the DSS-induced secretion of the inflammatory cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) and chemokine monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1). Taken together, these data suggest that B. nivea extract is effective in preventing colitis

Potassium chloride elicits enhancement of bilobalide and Ginkgolides production by Ginkgo biloba cell cultures

This study investigated the ability of potassium chloride (KCl) to elicit the production of bilobalide (BB), ginkgolide A (GA) and ginkgolide B (GB) by Ginkgo biloba cell suspension cultures. The salt stress by KCl treatments increased production of BB, GA and GB in both suspended cells and cultured medium. Especially, treatment of KCl 800 mM of highest concentration was stimulated emission into cultured medium BB, GA and GB compounds accumulated in cells. Although KCl 800 mM severely inhibited cells growth, the maximum content of GA and GB in cells was obtained in the treatment of KCl 800 mM, which was 1.9 and 4.0 times higher than the control. These results thus suggest that salt stress can afford enhanced production of secondary metabolites by plant cell cultures

Lung cancer with superior vena cava syndrome diagnosed by intravascular biopsy using EBUS-TBNA

AbstractSince superior vena cava syndrome (SVCS) is a critical condition, immediate diagnostic approach and therapy are imperative to avoid potentially life-threatening complications. Here, we report a case of lung cancer with SVCS, which was diagnosed through intravascular tumor biopsy using endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA). EBUS-TBNA enabled us to obtain tissue sufficient for diagnosis, without significant complications. Prompt diagnosis was followed by appropriate anticancer treatment and improvement in the symptoms. For patients suspected of SVCS and requiring prompt pathologic diagnosis, we can consider EBUS-TBNA to diagnose intravascular or mediastinal tumors and provide an accurate diagnosis

Quadruple 9-mer-based protein binding microarray with DsRed fusion protein

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The interaction between a transcription factor and DNA motif (<it>cis</it>-acting element) is an important regulatory step in gene regulation. Comprehensive genome-wide methods have been developed to characterize protein-DNA interactions. Recently, the universal protein binding microarray (PBM) was introduced to determine if a DNA motif interacts with proteins in a genome-wide manner.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We facilitated the PBM technology using a DsRed fluorescent protein and a concatenated sequence of oligonucleotides. The PBM was designed in such a way that target probes were synthesized as quadruples of all possible 9-mer combinations, permitting unequivocal interpretation of the <it>cis</it>-acting elements. The complimentary DNA strands of the features were synthesized with a primer and DNA polymerase on microarray slides. Proteins were labeled via N-terminal fusion with DsRed fluorescent protein, which circumvents the need for a multi-step incubation. The PBM presented herein confirmed the well-known DNA binding sequences of Cbf1 and CBF1/DREB1B, and it was also applied to elucidate the unidentified <it>cis</it>-acting element of the OsNAC6 rice transcription factor.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our method demonstrated PBM can be conveniently performed by adopting: (1) quadruple 9-mers may increase protein-DNA binding interactions in the microarray, and (2) a one-step incubation shortens the wash and hybridization steps. This technology will facilitate greater understanding of genome-wide interactions between proteins and DNA.</p

Resveratrol induces autophagy by directly inhibiting mTOR through ATP competition

Resveratrol (RSV) is a natural polyphenol that has a beneficial effect on health, and resveratrol-induced autophagy has been suggested to be a key process in mediating many beneficial effects of resveratrol, such as reduction of inflammation and induction of cancer cell death. Although various resveratrol targets have been suggested, the molecule that mediates resveratrol-induced autophagy remains unknown. Here, we demonstrate that resveratrol induces autophagy by directly inhibiting the mTOR-ULK1 pathway. We found that inhibition of mTOR activity and presence of ULK1 are required for autophagy induction by resveratrol. In line with this mTOR dependency, we found that resveratrol suppresses the viability of MCF7 cells but not of SW620 cells, which are mTOR inhibitor sensitive and insensitive cancer cells, respectively. We also found that resveratrol-induced cancer cell suppression occurred ULK1 dependently. For the mechanism of action of resveratrol on mTOR inhibition, we demonstrate that resveratrol directly inhibits mTOR. We found that resveratrol inhibits mTOR by docking onto the ATP-binding pocket of mTOR (i.e., it competes with ATP). We propose mTOR as a novel direct target of resveratrol, and inhibition of mTOR is necessary for autophagy inductionopen