Dietary Intake and Serum Levels of Iron in Relation to Oxidative Stress in Breast Cancer Patients

Iron may induce oxidative stress via production of reactive oxygen species, facilitating mammary carcinogenesis. This study investigated the role of iron in relation to oxidative stress as a potential risk factor in the development of breast cancer (BC). BC patients (n = 121) and healthy age-matched controls (n = 149) were entered into the study. Iron and antioxidant vitamins intakes were estimated using a quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Thirty one subjects from each group provided blood samples for measurement of serum iron, plasma malondialdehyde (MDA) and ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP). Total and non-heme iron intake of BC patients were lower than those of the controls. However, the serum iron level was significantly higher in BC patients. Plasma MDA levels were also significantly higher in BC patients whereas no significant difference in FRAP values were observed between the two groups. Log-transformed serum iron concentration showed no significant correlation with MDA or FRAP. These results suggest that serum iron overload may be a breast cancer risk factor possibly due to increased oxidative stress

N-Nitrosamine inhibition by strawberry, garlic, kale, and the effects of nitrite-scavenging and Nnitrosamine formation by functional compounds in strawberry and garlic, Food Control

Abstract High nitrate and amine-rich food intake may result in an increased risk of endogenous formation of carcinogenic N-nitroso compounds (NOCs). We studied the eVects of whole strawberries, garlic and kale on the formation of N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) in a traditional Korean diet (amine and nitrate-rich) in simulated saliva and gastric conditions. The addition of whole strawberries, kale and garlic juices in the diet reduced NDMA formation by amine and nitrate. Strawberries and garlic juice were more eVective than kale. To identify active compound, isolated fractions were prepared from strawberries or garlic juice samples by preparative liquid chromatography. Inhibition of NDMA formation and nitrite-scavenging ability of each fraction (strawberries: S1-S4; garlic juice: A1-A5) was tested. Fraction A4 inhibited NDMA formation by 50.5 § 5.4% and increased the eVect of nitrite-scavenging by 72.3 § 8.7%. Fractions A3 and A4 were identiWed as 1,2-benzendicarboxy acid (A3) and S-oxodially disulWde (A4) compounds by mass spectrophotometry and 13 C nuclear magnetic resonance

Freshwater and Terrestrial Algae from Ny-Ålesund and Blomstrandhalvøya Island (Svalbard)

A field survey of algae and cyanobacteria from terrestrial and freshwater habitats in the vicinity of Ny-Ålesund and on Blomstrandhalvøya Island (Svalbard) was performed in June 2009, and results were compared with data from our fieldwork in June 2006. In total, we identified 30 taxa belonging to 23 genera from the specimens collected near Ny-Ålesund (26 taxa) and on Blomstrandhalvøya Island (24 taxa). Five species previously unrecorded from this locality are depicted, including astaxanthin-containing Haematococcus sp. collected from Blomstrandhalvøya Island. This is the first report on a Haematococcus species from the High Arctic.Une étude sur le terrain portant sur les algues et les cyanobactéries d’habitats terrestres et dulçaquicoles dans les environs de Ny-Ålesund et de l’île Blomstrandhalvøya (Svalbard) a été réalisée en juin 2009, et les résultats ont été comparés aux données de notre travail sur le terrain effectué en juin 2006. En tout, nous avons identifié 30 taxons appartenant à 23 genres à partir de spécimens prélevés près de Ny-Ålesund (26 taxons) et de Blomstrandhalvøya (24 taxons). Cinq espèces qui n’avaient jamais été répertoriées dans cette localité sont illustrées, dont l’Haematococcus sp. contenant de l’astaxanthine recueillie à l’île Blomstrandhalvøya. Il s’agit de la première fois que l’espèce Haematococcus a été signalée dans l’Extrême-Arctique

Identification of Domains Directing Specificity of Coupling to G-proteins for the Melanocortin MC3 and MC4 Receptors

The melanocortin receptors, MC3R and MC4R, are G protein-coupled receptors that are involved in regulating energy homeostasis. Using a luciferase reporter gene under the transcriptional control of a cAMP-responsive element (CRE), the coupling efficiency of the MC4R and MC3R to G-proteins was previously shown to be different. MC4R exhibited only 30-50% of the maximum activity induced by MC3R. To assess the role of the different MC3R and MC4R domains in G-protein coupling, several chimeric MC3R/MC4R receptors were constructed. The relative luciferase activities, which were assessed after transfecting the chimeric receptors into HEK 293T cells, showed that the i3 (3rd intracellular) loop domain has an essential role in the differential signaling of MC3R and MC4R. To reveal which amino acid residue was involved in the MC4R-specific signaling in the i3 loop, a series of mutant MC4Rs was constructed. Reporter gene analysis showed that single mutations of Arg220 to Ala and Thr232 to either Val or Ala increased the relative luciferase activities, which suggests that these specific amino acids, Arg220 and Thr232, in the i3 loop of MC4R play crucial roles in G-protein coupling and the subtype-specific signaling pathways. An examination of the inositol phosphate (IP) levels in the cells transfected with either MC3R or MC4R after being exposed to the melanocortin peptides revealed significant stimulation of IP production by MC3R but no detectable increase in IP production was observed by MC4R. Furthermore, none of the MC4R mutants displayed melanocortin peptide-stimulated IP production. Overall, this study demonstrated that MC3R and MC4R have distinct signaling in either the cAMP- or the inositol phospholipid-mediated pathway with different conformational requirements

Transforaminal Epidural Steroid Injection for Lumbosacral Radiculopathy: Preganglionic versus Conventional Approach

OBJECTIVE: The present study was undertaken to evaluate the effectiveness of transforaminal epidural steroid injection (TFESI) with using a preganglionic approach for treating lumbar radiculopathy when the nerve root compression was located at the level of the supra-adjacent intervertebral disc. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The medical records of the patients who received conventional TFESI at our department from June 2003 to May 2004 were retrospectively reviewed. TFESI was performed in a total of 13 cases at the level of the exiting nerve root, in which the nerve root compression was at the level of the supra-adjacent intervertebral disc (the conventional TFESI group). Since June 2004, we have performed TFESI with using a preganglionic approach at the level of the supra-adjacent intervertebral disc (for example, at the neural foramen of L4-5 for the L5 nerve root) if the nerve root compression was at the level of the supra-adjacent intervertebral disc. Using the inclusion criteria described above, 20 of these patients were also consecutively enrolled in our study (the preganglionic TFESI group). The treatment outcome was assessed using a 5-point patient satisfaction scale and by using a VAS (visual assessment scale). A successful outcome required a patient satisfaction scale score of 3 (very good) or 4 (excellent), and a reduction on the VAS score of > 50% two weeks after performing TFESI. Logistic regression analysis was also performed. RESULTS: Of the 13 patients in the conventional TFESI group, nine showed satisfactory improvement two weeks after TFESI (69.2%). However, in the preganglionic TFESI group, 18 of the 20 patients (90%) showed satisfactory improvement. The difference between the two approaches in terms of TFESI effectiveness was of borderline significance (p = 0.056; odds ratio: 10.483). CONCLUSION: We conclude that preganglionic TFESI has the better therapeutic effect on radiculopathy caused by nerve root compression at the level of the supra-adjacent disc than does conventional TFESI, and the difference between the two treatments had borderline statistical significance