Volatile composition of the peel and leaf essential oils of Citrus nobilis Lour. var deliciosa Swingle

The fruits and leaves of Citrus nobilis Lour. var deliciosa Swingle were collected from south of Iran and their essential oils were analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrophotometry (GC-MS). The oil yields of the fresh peel and leaves obtained separately by hydrodistillation were 1.2 and 0.2% (V/W), respectively. 17 components accounting for 99.2% of the peel oil and 34 components accounting for 98.5% of the leaf oil were identified. The main classes of compounds were found to be monoterpenes [monoterpene hydrocarbons (96.0%) and monoterpene alcohols (1.8%)] in the peel oil and monoterpenes [monoterpene hydrocarbons (47.6%), monoterpene alcohols (36.9%)] and sesquiterpenes [sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (2.9%) and sesquiterpene alcohols (3.7%)] in the leaf oil. The major constituent of the peel oil were limonene (87.8%) and γ-terpinene (6.1%), while the major constituents of the leaf oil were linalool (32.8%), sabinene (28.8), (E)-β-ocimene (6.2%) and limonene (5.2%).Key words: Citrus nobilis Lour., chemical composition, essential oils, class composition

Relationship among sera lipoprotein abnormalities in healthy individuals with background of diabetic sibling

As the prevalence of lipoprotein abnormalities in adolescents is increasing dramatically, the identification of relevant risk factors is a major public health challenge. The aim of this study was to investigate whether a family history of diabetes could be a risk factor for lipid abnormalities in healthy individuals. This study is a cross-sectional case control study. 179 men and women were studied in two equal-member groups (with diabetic parents' background and without any diabetic sibling). Both groups matched in body mass index (BMI), age and sex. The serum concentration of oxidized-low density lipoprotein (LDL), Apo B100 and insulin were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbant assay technique and TG, Chol, HDL-C, FBS and GTT by enzymatic methods. The LDL-C level was calculated using the Friedewald formula. The results show that there were no significant variation in the amount of plasma FBS, GTT, Cho, TG, LDL and HDL between the two groups, whereas a significant increase was found in the amount of insulin (P = 0.02), Apo B100 (P = 0.001), OX-LDL (P = 0.001) and HOMA-IR (P = 0.03) in the case group as compared to the control group. We conclude that a family history of diabetic parents can lead to lipid parameters abnormalities and CVD risk factor via aggregation of inherited defected genes.Key words: Diabetes, oxidized-low density lipoprotein (LDL), Apo B100, lipoproteins

The secretome of alginate-encapsulated limbal epithelial stem cells modulates corneal epithelial cell proliferation

Limbal epithelial stem cells may ameliorate limbal stem cell deficiency through secretion of therapeutic proteins, delivered to the cornea in a controlled manner using hydrogels. In the present study the secretome of alginate-encapsulated limbal epithelial stem cells is investigated. Conditioned medium was generated from limbal epithelial stem cells encapsulated in 1.2% (w/v) calcium alginate gels. Conditioned medium proteins separated by 1-D gel electrophoresis were visualized by silver staining. Proteins of interest including secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine, profilin-1, and galectin-1 were identified by immunoblotting. The effect of conditioned medium (from alginate-encapsulated limbal epithelial stem cells) on corneal epithelial cell proliferation was quantified and shown to significantly inhibit (P</=0.05) their growth. As secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine was previously reported to attenuate proliferation of epithelial cells, this protein may be responsible, at least in part, for inhibition of corneal epithelial cell proliferation. We conclude that limbal epithelial stem cells encapsulated in alginate gels may regulate corneal epithelialisation through secretion of inhibitory proteins

Organ preservation surgery for laryngeal cancer

The principles of management of the laryngeal cancer have evolved over the recent past with emphasis on organ preservation. These developments have paralleled technological advancements as well as refinement in the surgical technique. The surgeons are able to maintain physiological functions of larynx namely speech, respiration and swallowing without compromising the loco-regional control of cancer in comparison to the more radical treatment modalities. A large number of organ preservation surgeries are available to the surgeon; however, careful assessment of the stage of the cancer and selection of the patient is paramount to a successful outcome. A comprehensive review of various organ preservation techniques in vogue for the management of laryngeal cancer is presented

SPARC: a matricellular regulator of tumorigenesis

Although many clinical studies have found a correlation of SPARC expression with malignant progression and patient survival, the mechanisms for SPARC function in tumorigenesis and metastasis remain elusive. The activity of SPARC is context- and cell-type-dependent, which is highlighted by the fact that SPARC has shown seemingly contradictory effects on tumor progression in both clinical correlative studies and in animal models. The capacity of SPARC to dictate tumorigenic phenotype has been attributed to its effects on the bioavailability and signaling of integrins and growth factors/chemokines. These molecular pathways contribute to many physiological events affecting malignant progression, including extracellular matrix remodeling, angiogenesis, immune modulation and metastasis. Given that SPARC is credited with such varied activities, this review presents a comprehensive account of the divergent effects of SPARC in human cancers and mouse models, as well as a description of the potential mechanisms by which SPARC mediates these effects. We aim to provide insight into how a matricellular protein such as SPARC might generate paradoxical, yet relevant, tumor outcomes in order to unify an apparently incongruent collection of scientific literature