ACTH silent adenoma shrinking under cabergoline.

OBJECTIVES: The authors present a case report that proposes the use of cabergoline treatment in silent ACTH adenoma, an unusual member of the heterogeneous group of the so-called clinically non-functioning pituitary adenomas. DESIGN: Following the clinical and radiological improvement of a recurrent silent ACTH adenoma in a 77-year-old patient treated with cabergoline (0.5 mg every 2 days for 2 years), in vitro studies of the original tumor were performed. METHODS: The original tumor from the patient was studied by in situ hybridization and dopamine D2 receptor autoradiography. It was compared with four macroprolactinomas and two macroadenomas from patients with Cushing's disease. RESULTS: The D2 receptor mRNA signal of the reported case was intense and of the same order of magnitude as that observed in control prolactinomas. Dopamine D2 receptor autoradiography was twice that of control corticotroph adenomas and was close to that observed in prolactinomas. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first description of an in vivo shrinkage of an ACTH silent adenoma under cabergoline. We demonstrate in vitro, the presence of D2 receptors in the primitive tumor in concentrations similar to those found in control prolactinomas. These results suggest that therapeutic trials with cabergoline might be undertaken in recurring cases of ACTH silent tumors and more generally, non-functioning pituitary adenomas

Plant Flavonoids: a Group of Compounds with Antineoplastic Activity on B16-F10 Murine Melanoma Cells

Berries are well known for containing flavonoids including anthocyanins (ACN), that may have positive effects on human health. The antiproliferative activity and differentiation potential of ANC-rich extracts from strawberry fruit (SFE) were investigated on highly metastatic murine melanoma B16-F10 cell line. Cell treatment with SFE produced a remarkable reduction of cell proliferation and of intracellular levels of polyamines, and the enhancement of tissue transglutaminase (TG2) activity (used as a differentiation marker). Altered protein expression profiles were detected in treated cells by proteomic analysis. In particular, proteins overexpressed in cancer cells, involved in tumor progression and metabolism, were down-regulated. Besides fruits, another potential source of flavonoids is represented by plant cell cultures, because of the continuous production and chance to elicit the synthesis. Strawberry (SC), blackberry (BC), red raspberry (RRC) and strawberry-tree (STC) cell suspensions were elicited in order to determine the possibility to enhance the production and the antiproliferative activity of the extracts. Various elicitor treatments were chosen, i.e. changes of temperature, type of light, and different nitrogen content of the growth medium. The ANC extracts from all tested species reduced cell proliferation of melanoma. An improvement of antiproliferative activity on murine melanoma cells, respect to the un-elicited suspensions, was shown by the extracts from SC and STC cells treated with red and blue light and BC with blue light. In STC a high correlation between ANC content of the extracts and effectiveness in reducing cell proliferation was detected

Plant Flavonoids: a Group of Compounds with Antineoplastic Activity on B16-F10 Murine Melanoma Cells

Berries are well known for containing flavonoids including anthocyanins (ACN), that may have positive effects on human health. The antiproliferative activity and differentiation potential of ANC-rich extracts from strawberry fruit (SFE) were investigated on highly metastatic murine melanoma B16-F10 cell line. Cell treatment with SFE produced a remarkable reduction of cell proliferation and of intracellular levels of polyamines, and the enhancement of tissue transglutaminase (TG2) activity (used as a differentiation marker). Altered protein expression profiles were detected in treated cells by proteomic analysis. In particular, proteins overexpressed in cancer cells, involved in tumor progression and metabolism, were down-regulated. Besides fruits, another potential source of flavonoids is represented by plant cell cultures, because of the continuous production and chance to elicit the synthesis. Strawberry (SC), blackberry (BC), red raspberry (RRC) and strawberry-tree (STC) cell suspensions were elicited in order to determine the possibility to enhance the production and the antiproliferative activity of the extracts. Various elicitor treatments were chosen, i.e. changes of temperature, type of light, and different nitrogen content of the growth medium. The ANC extracts from all tested species reduced cell proliferation of melanoma. An improvement of antiproliferative activity on murine melanoma cells, respect to the un-elicited suspensions, was shown by the extracts from SC and STC cells treated with red and blue light and BC with blue light. In STC a high correlation between ANC content of the extracts and effectiveness in reducing cell proliferation was detected