Primary culture of Rhodnius prolixus (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) salivary gland cells

In the present paper, we developed a primary culture of Rhodnius prolixus salivary gland and main salivary canal cells. Cells remained viable in culture for 30 days. Three types of cells were indentified in the salivary gland cultures, with binuclear cells being the most abundant. The supernatants of salivary cultures contained mainly 16-24 kDa proteins and presented anticoagulant and apyrase activities. Secretion vesicles were observed budding from the cellular monolayer of the main salivary canal cells. These results indicate that R. prolixus salivary proteins may be produced in vitro and suggest that the main salivary canal may have a possible secretory role

Perfil da clientela estomizada residente no município de Ponte Nova, Minas Gerais Profile of the ostomized patients resident in the city of Ponte Nova, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Um estoma pode ser um sério limitador da qualidade de vida de pessoas obrigadas a conviver com essa condição. Conhecer os aspectos demográficos e clínicos de pessoas assistidas por programas de atenção ao estomizado é essencial para o estabelecimento de protocolos assistenciais visando à melhoria do cuidado prestado. Trata-se de estudo descritivo, visando caracterizar os pacientes estomizados residentes em uma cidade de Minas Gerais e inseridos no Programa de Atenção à Pessoa Ostomizada do local, no período de 1994 a 2006. A amostra foi constituída por 12 pacientes, todos colostomizados, com diagnóstico inicial, em ordem de ocorrência, de câncer de reto, de fístula vesicorretal e de câncer pélvico com acometimento das alças intestinais. Complicações no estoma ou na pele ao redor deste foram observadas em 66,1% da amostra, e 58,30% dos pacientes estavam estomizados há dois anos ou mais. Os pacientes relataram alterações nos aspectos físicos e emocionais após a realização do estoma, interferindo em sua qualidade de vida. Constatou-se, porém, que para a maioria dos pacientes, o programa é considerado apenas um centro de concessão de dispositivos. Os mesmos desconhecem o papel da equipe multidisciplinar na recuperação e reabilitação precoces.<br>A stoma can be a serious limiting factor in the quality of life of people forced to live with it. Knowing the demographic and clinical characteristics of people assisted by ostomate care programs is essential for the establishment of protocols which focus on improving the care provided. This is a descriptive study and its purpose was to characterize the ostomates who live in any city in Minas Gerais state, Brazil, and were treated in the local Ostomate Care Program Center between 1994 and 2006. The sample consisted of 12 colostomized patients, with an initial diagnosis of, in order of occurrence, rectal cancer, rectovesical fistula and pelvic cancer affecting the intestinal loop. Complications in the stoma or in the skin around it were observed in 66.1% of the sample, of which 58.3% had been ostomized for two years or more. Patients reported changes in physical and emotional aspects after the stoma, which interferes with their quality of life. It has been proven, however, that for most of them, the Program is considered only as a center where they get their devices. They do not know the role of the multidisciplinary team in the early recovery and rehabilitation

Role of mesenchymal cells in the natural history of ovarian cancer: a review

International audienceBackground: Ovarian cancer is the deadliest gynaecologic malignancy. Despite progresses in chemotherapy and ultra-radical surgeries, this locally metastatic disease presents a high rate of local recurrence advocating for the role of a peritoneal niche. For several years, it was believed that tumor initiation, progression and metastasis were merely due to the changes in the neoplastic cell population and the adjacent non-neoplastic tissues were regarded as bystanders. The importance of the tumor microenvironment and its cellular component emerged from studies on the histopathological sequence of changes at the interface between putative tumor cells and the surrounding non-neoplastic tissues during carcinogenesis. Method: In this review we aimed to describe the pro-tumoral crosstalk between ovarian cancer and mesenchymal stem cells. A PubMed search was performed for articles published pertaining to mesenchymal stem cells and specific to ovarian cancer. Results: Mesenchymal stem cells participate to an elaborate crosstalk through direct and paracrine interaction with ovarian cancer cells. They play a role at different stages of the disease: survival and peritoneal infiltration at early stage, proliferation in distant sites, chemoresistance and recurrence at later stage. Conclusion: The dialogue between ovarian and mesenchymal stem cells induces the constitution of a pro-tumoral mesencrine niche. Understanding the dynamics of such interaction in a clinical setting might propose new therapeutic strategies