Bilateral thalamic stroke after tonsillectomy in patient with collateral extracranial anastomosis : case report

Haemorrhage remains the most frequent and serious complication of tonsillectomy. When bleeding is recurrent, gushing, and ceases spontaneously, pseudoaneurysm of the injured artery in the proximity of the tonsillar bed should be suspected. Haemorrhage related to pseudoaneurysm occurs most commonly in the first 30 days after surgery. It can sometimes be excessive and requires a revision procedure such as external carotid artery (ECA) ligation or embolisation. During those procedures, ECA should be checked for possible anastomoses, otherwise the bleeding may persist despite the intervention. We report an unusual case of a patient with recurrent post-tonsillectomy haemorrhage due to pseudoaneurysm of the facial artery, which persisted after ECA ligation because of the presence of collateral occipital-vertebral anastomosis. Due to the recurrence of bleeding episodes, endovascular treatment was implemented. However, the embolisation was complicated by bilateral thalamic stroke with unclear mechanism. This case highlights the importance of anastomosis between ECA and the vertebrobasilar system, both in recurrence of significant post-tonsillectomy bleeding and in potential thromboembolic complications. Therefore, ECA ligation should always be accompanied by exclusion of possible anastomoses. In cases of non-life-threatening bleeding, embolisation seems to be the proper and more selective therapy

Conjugated metallothionein-carbon-doxorubicin nanotransporter for targeted breast cancer therapy.

Metalothionein (MT) is a polypeptide of molecular weight in the range of 6-10 kDa. MT typically contains 60 to 68 amino acid residues. MT is characterized by its unique content of metal ions as well as its sulfur content. Higher MT levels were observed in proliferating cells. This fact demonstrates the importance of MT in the process of cellular regulation (relationship to cancer). The most widely used drug for patients with breast cancer metastases is an anthracycline antitumor antibiotic doxorubicin (DOX). However, the clinical use of DOX is limited by dose-related heart muscle damage (cardiomyopathy), more prevalent with increasing cumulative doses. For this reason, creation of novel pharmaceutical formulations based on using alternative methods as nanocarriers for targeted drug delivery to tumour cells is a crucial task in modern pharmacology. The aim of this work was to design a nanotechnological construct. The construct is designed as two separate nanotransporters. The nanotransporter (A) is formed by an antibody-modified AgNPs particle and a carbon nanotube with encapsulated DOX (AgNPs/Ab1/MWCNT/DOX/ODN1). The nanotransporter (B) is engineered with SPION particle modified with antibody and with bound MT (SPION/Ab2/MT/ODN2). Construct AgNPs/Ab1/MWCNT/DOX/ODN1-SPION/Ab2/MT/ODN2 is formed using an oligonucleotide anchor. Individual parts of the nanotransporter were studied using appropriate methods. The presence of MT was monitored electrochemically by Brdicka method in connection with the transfer technique (AdTSV). Characteristic MT signals RS2CO (-1.15 V), Cat1 (-1.25 V), Cat2 (-1.45 V), Cat3 (-1.75 V) were observed at accumulation time of 120s. SDS PAGE confirmed the presence of MT on SPION nanoparticles at sizes 7 to 15 kDa. The DOX signal was fluorometrically monitored (Em 590 nm, Ex 490 nm). AgNPs sizes ranged from 15-20 nm, and the SPION nanoparticles ranged from 20-50 nm. Additionally, used AgNPs nanoparticles exhibited significant antiproliferative activity (growth inhibition by 20-40%) on a model culture S. Cerevisiae. Created nanoconstruct A showed growth inhibition for S. Cerevisiae by more than 50%. The nanoconstruct after these various analysis shows a high potential as an anticancer drug and may be an innovative way how to deal with the breast cancer in a targeted therapy

Repeating enlargement, recanalisations, and subarachnoid haemorrhages after middle cerebral artery aneurysm embolisation using pCONus stent and coils : a case report

Purpose: Large and wide-necked bifurcation aneurysms remain technically challenging to treat by the endovascular approach. Several endovascular strategies have been established in recent years for treating wide-necked bifurcation aneurysms, such as balloon-assisted coiling, stent-assisted coiling, waffle cone technique (WCT), and intrasaccular flow disruptors. Case report: A 64-year-old woman was diagnosed with three intracranial aneurysms of the right and left middle cerebral artery and right internal carotid artery. She was qualified for endovascular treatment of the left middle cerebral artery (LMCA) aneurysm because it posed the greatest risk of rupture. Due to complicated morphology, a pCONus stent and coils were chosen for treatment. Three months later the right middle cerebral artery aneurysm was embolised and the woman was scheduled for second-stage treatment of the LMCA aneurysm. One week before the planned admission the woman was diagnosed with subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) in the region of the previously treated LMCA aneurysm, and the second-stage treatment was conducted with a good result. The woman was discharged in improved condition. Three months later the woman was once again admitted with SAH - an enlarged LMCA aneurysm was observed and immediate third-stage embolisation was performed, but due to complications of SAH the woman eventually died. Conclusions: On the basis of the presented case we would like to emphasise the importance of sufficient initial coil packing and frequent control of neck region of the aneurysm for the long-term stability and safety after pCONusassisted coiling of intracranial aneurysms

Zinc-modified nanotransporter of anticancer drugs for targeted therapy: biophysical analysis.

Modern anticancer therapy aims to increase the effectiveness of tumor treatment. The aim of this work was to propose a new nanotransporter for targeted delivery of anthracycline antibiotics, which is characterized by its bioavailability, increased uptake of the drug from the bloodstream at the site of tumor tissue and as well as low toxicity to non-target tissue. Chitosan nanoparticles have attracted great attention in the field of drug delivery due to their stability, low toxicity and easy preparation. Deacetylated chitosan skeleton is composed of glucosamine units and has a high density of charged amino groups which allow strong electrostatic interactions with biomolecules, transition metals (Zn, Se) and peptides. We obtained the encapsulation effectiveness of chitosan 20%. Electrochemical detection of the bounded Zn2+ ions into the chitosan structure showed shift from -0.99 to -0.93 V. This result proved the formation of a chitosan-zinc complex. The ability of metallothione in to quench the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazylradicalin the presence of 50 {aelig}M doxorubicin was confirmed by the change of relative absorbance in the range of 50 to 60%

Sonoelastografia szyjki macicy jako nowa metoda diagnostyczna w ocenie stanu szyjki u kobiet ciężarnych – doniesienie wstępne

Objectives: The study aimed at determining whether there exists a correlation between the cervical cohesion parameters assessed in the elastography and the length of the cervix. Material and methods: Assessment of cervical cohesion parameters with the use of real-time sonoelastography was performed on 59 patients between 28 and 39 weeks of gestation. Results: The analysis showed that there exists a statistically significant (p=0.033) correlation between the cervical length and the elasticity of the front cervical labium (strain ratio A). Correlation coefficient (r) stood at (-) 0.28. Conclusions: 1. There exists a negative correlation between the condition on the front cervical labium in elastographic imaging and the length of the cervical canal in USG imaging. 2. Elastography of the uterine cervix may be helpful in assessing the risk of premature labour or cervical insufficiency. 3. There is a need to perform a study on a larger group of patients in order to determine whether elastography may find its place among routine obstetric diagnostic methods.Cel pracy: Celem pracy było zbadanie czy istnieje korelacja między spoistością szyjki macicy ocenianej metodą elastografii a długością szyjki macicy. Materiał i metody: Badaniu poddano 59 ciężarnych kobiet pomiędzy 28. i 39. tygodniem ciąży, u których oceniono parametry konsystencji szyjki macicy przy użyciu sonoelastografii w czasie rzeczywistym (real-time sonoelastography) . Wyniki: Analiza wykazała, iż istnieje istotna statystycznie (p=0.033) korelacja między długością szyjki macicy a konsystencją przedniej wargi szyjki macicy (strain ratio A). Współczynnik korelacji (r) wyniósł (-) 0.28. Wnioski: 1. Istnieje ujemna korelacja pomiędzy stanem przedniej wargi szyjki macicy ciężarnej ocenianej w badaniu elastograficznym z długością kanału szyjki macicy w obrazie USG. 2. Badanie elastograficzne szyjki macicy może być pomocne w prognozowaniu ryzyka porodu przedwczesnego oraz niewydolności szyjki macicy. 3. Potrzebne są badania na większej grupie pacjentek aby stwierdzić czy elastografia znajdzie miejsce wśród rutynowych położniczych metod diagnostycznych

A rapid method for the detection of sarcosine using SPIONs/Au/CS/SOX/NPs for prostate cancer sensing.

Background: Sarcosine is an amino acid that is formed by methylation of glycine and is present in trace amounts in the body. Increased sarcosine concentrations in blood plasma and urine are manifested in sarcosinemia and in some other diseases such as prostate cancer. For this purpose, sarcosine detection using the nanomedicine approach was proposed. In this study, we have prepared superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) with different modified surface area. Nanoparticles (NPs) were modified by chitosan (CS), and sarcosine oxidase (SOX). SPIONs without any modification were taken as controls. Methods and Results: The obtained NPs were characterized by physicochemical methods. The size of the NPs determined by the dynamic light scattering method was as follows: SPIONs/Au/NPs (100–300 nm), SPIONs/Au/CS/NPs (300–700 nm), and SPIONs/Au/CS/SOX/NPs (600–1500 nm). The amount of CS deposited on the NP surface was found to be 48 mg/mL for SPIONs/Au/CS/NPs and 39 mg/mL for SPIONs/Au/CS/SOX/NPs, and repeatability varied around 10%. Pseudo-peroxidase activity of NPs was verified using sarcosine, horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) as a substrate. For TMB, all NPs tested evinced substantial pseudo-peroxidase activity at 650 nm. The concentration of SPIONs/Au/CS/SOX/NPs in the reaction mixture was optimized to 0–40 mg/mL. Trinder reaction for sarcosine detection was set up at 510 nm at an optimal reaction temperature of 37 °C and pH 8.0. The course of the reaction was linear for 150 min. The smallest amount of NPs that was able to detect sarcosine was 0.2 mg/well (200 μL of total volume) with the linear dependence y = 0.0011x − 0.0001 and the correlation coefficient r = 0.9992, relative standard deviation (RSD) 6.35%, limit of detection (LOD) 5 μM. The suggested method was further validated for artificial urine analysis (r = 0.99, RSD 21.35%, LOD 18 μM). The calculation between the detected and applied concentrations showed a high correlation coefficient (r = 0.99). NPs were tested for toxicity and no significant growth inhibition was observed in any model system (S. cerevisiae, S. aureus, E. coli). The hemolytic activity of the prepared NPs was similar to that of the phosphate buffered saline (PBS) control. The reaction system was further tested on real urine specimens. Conclusion: The proposed detection system allows the analysis of sarcosine at micromolar concentrations and to monitor changes in its levels as a potential prostate cancer marker. The whole system is suitable for low-cost miniaturization and point-of-care testing technology and diagnostic systems. This system is simple, inexpensive, and convenient for screening tests and telemedicine applications