Bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloids from Mahonia nepalensis

From the wood of Mahonia nepalensis DC. 1821, two bisbenzylisoquinolines homoaromoline (1) and isotetrandrine (2) were isolated by using various chromatoghraphies. Their structures were characterized on the basis of the spectroscopic data (1D-NMR, HSQC, HMBC, ESI-MS) in comparison with the literature. This is the first report of 1 - 2 from Mahonia nepalensis. Keywords: Mahonia nepalensis, Isotetrandrine, Homoaromoline, Bisbenzylisoquinoline

Iridoid glycosides from Morinda tomentosa and their endoplasmic reticulum stress modulation activity

Three iridoids 1 - 3, asperulosidic acid, daphylloside, and asperuloside, were isolated from the methanol extract of the leaves of Morinda tomentosa. Their chemical structures were elucidated by 1D- and 2D-NMR spectra and in comparison with those reported in the literature. The effects of these compounds on the endoplasmic reticulum stress in XBP1-eGFP-transfected the 293 T cells were measured. Compound 3 significantly reduced the ER-stress both in DMSO-treated and thapsigargin-treated cells. Unlike this compound, compound 3 selectively reduced thapsigargin-induced ER-stress without any effect on the level of XBP1 splicing in DMSO-treated cells. These results suggested that compounds 2 and 3 can be suggested as new ER stress regulators

Glioblastoma, an example of translational research?

peer reviewedAmong patients which develop glioblastoma multiform (GBM), recurrence is the rule despite continuous progress in surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. In the adult, GBM is the most frequent and most aggressive tumour of the Central Nervous System. A better understanding of the mechanisms by which these tumours relapse could promote the use of preventive therapy and could increase patients' survival. GBM stem cells have been recently described and it was demonstrated that they are specifically implied in the experimental tumorigenesis. It is thus very attractive to speculate on a possible relationship between these GBM stem cells and the neural stem cells which are persisting in the neurogenic zones of the adult brain. In this review, we formulate and discuss the hypothesis by which, in a patient with GBM, malignant stem cells might be present in the neurogenic zones, away from the tumour mass. This hypothesis could explain the tumour relapse observed after the first treatments

IRM interventionnelle : vers une neuronavigation en temps réel.

peer reviewedLa neuronavigation est un outil neurochirurgical qui peut être comparé au GPS. Elle sert à guider la procédure neurochirurgicale en visualisant les déplacements des instruments chirurgicaux sur les images préopératoires. En augmentant la précision du geste, elle permet d’atteindre des lésions parfois très petites ou difficiles d’accès tout en réduisant la morbidité et en augmentant l’efficacité. Elle présente cependant un écueil majeur. L’image utilisée par le système de navigation est obtenue avant l’intervention et ne peut être corrigée durant celle-ci. En raison des modifications anatomiques inhérentes à l’opération (modification du volume du liquide céphalo-rachidien, résection de la tumeur,…), il apparaît progressivement une discordance entre la réalité chirurgicale et l’imagerie. Les informations pertinentes se périment ainsi peu à peu et la précision se perd. L’IRM interventionnelle est le moyen de réactualiser la neuronavigation par des images de haute définition. De plus, elle permet de réaliser des contrôles intra-opératoires de la qualité du geste chirurgical

Gilliatt-Sumner hand or true neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome. A report on seven operated cases

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The clinical picture of hand atrophy related to a cervical rib or elongated C7 transverse process was well described in the modern literature by Gilliatt and Sumner; in 1970, they reported a series of nine patients whose motor status was stabilized following brachial plexus decompression. We report here seven patients suffering from thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS), who developed hand atrophy, sometimes because of diagnostic delay. METHODS: The patient's charts were analysed retrospectively. RESULTS: The seven patients were all female; the mean age was 43 years. The first complaints were arm pain and paresthesias lasting six months to 5 years. Three patients were treated with C56/C67 discectomy plus disc prosthesis (one patient), ulnar neurolysis at the elbow (the same patient), carpal tunnel release (one patient), and intravenous immunoglobulins (one patient) before TOS diagnosis. Hand atrophy, severe in five patients, was present at presentation. All patients underwent brachial plexus decompression by the anterior (four), posterior (two), or transaxillary (one) approach. This last approach was completed 18 months later by brachial plexus neurolysis via the anterior approach. Postoperatively, motor deficit was improved in two patients and stabilized in five patients. CONCLUSIONS: Physicians' unfamiliarity with TOS diagnosis or their reluctance to accept the diagnosis without electrical confirmation can lead to hand atrophy. Brachial plexus decompression at this stage usually stabilizes the deficit

Sufasalazine unveils a contact-independent HSV-TK/ganciclovir gene therapy bystander effect in malignant gliomas

The efficacy of HSV-TK/ganciclovir-based gene therapy on malignant gliomas largely relies on the amplitude of the bystander effect. In these experiments, the anti-inflammatory drug Sulfasalazine increased the HSV-TK/ganciclovir bystander effect in C6, 9L and LN18 cells but not in U87 glioma cells. Using bi-compartmental culture devices and conditioned medium transfer experiments, we showed that in C6, 9L and LN18 cells but not in U87 cells, Sulfasalazine also unveiled a new, contact-independent mechanism of HSV-TK/ganciclovir bystander effect. Upon treatment with ganciclovir, human LN18-TK but not U87-TK cells synthetized and released TNF-alpha in the culture medium. Sulfasalazine sensitized glioma cells to the toxic effect of TNF-alpha. and enhanced its secretion in LN18-TK cells in response to GCV treatment. The caspase-8 inhibitor Z-IETD-FMK and a blocking antibody to TNF-alpha both inhibited the contact-independent bystander effect in LN18 cells. Taken together, these results suggest that TNF-alpha mediates the contact-independent bystander effect in LN18 cells. The treatment with GCV and/or Sulfasalazine of tumor xenografts consisting of a mix of 98% C6 and 2% C6-TK cells shows that Sulfasalazine is also a potent adjunct to the in vivo treatment of gliomas

Encéphalocèle orbitaire post-traumatique bilatéral

peer reviewedL'encéphalocèle orbitaire aigu traumatique est une entité rare. Selon Pubmed moins de 25 cas ont été raportés. Nous présentons le premier cas d'encéphalocèle post-traumatique bilatéral provoqué par une fracture enfoncement du toit de l'orbite. Un traitement rapide est nécessaire pour éviter l'hypertension intra-orbitaire qui peut être responsable de lésions dégénératives du nerf optique. La réparation du toit de l'orbite nécessite une reconstruction rigide pour éviter la transmission de variations de la pression intra-crânienne. Dans le cas rapporté, la reconstruction du toit de l'orbite a été effectuée par voie crânienne sous-frontale à l'aide d'un mélange de poudre d'os à la colle biologique soutenu par un treillis en titane fixé avec des vi