Thioredoxin-1 and oxidative stress status in pregnant women at early third trimester of pregnancy: relation to maternal and neonatal characteristics

This study examined the clinical and biological importance of thioredoxin-1, a redox-active defensive protein that controls multiple biological functions, in pregnant women. We measured serum concentrations of thioredoxin-1, total hydroperoxides, and redox potential in 60 pregnant women at the early third trimester: gestational age of 27-29 weeks. The thioredoxin-1 concentration (mean +/- SD) was 90 +/- 42 ng/ml. Total hydroperoxides was 471 +/- 105 U.CARR (1 U.CARR = 0.08 mg/dl H2O2). Redox potential was 2142 +/- 273 mu mol/l. The total hydroperoxides: redox potential ratio (oxidative stress index) was 0.23 +/- 0.08. Thioredoxin-1, total hydroperoxides, and oxidative stress index were higher and redox potential was lower than in blood of healthy adults. Total hydroperoxides and redox potential were mutually correlated significantly and negatively. Thioredoxin-1 correlated significantly and negatively and redox potential correlated significantly and positively with body weight and body mass index. Thioredoxin-1 and redox potential correlated significantly and positively with uric acid and albumin, respectively. Thioredoxin-1 and oxidative stress index correlated significantly and negatively and redox potential significantly and positively with neonatal birth weight. These results suggest that high concentrations of thioredoxin-1 are linked to high oxidative stress status in pregnant women and that neonatal birth weight is affected by the maternal oxidative condition during later pregnancy

Discrepancies between pathological examination and imaging analysis after primary systemic chemotherapy for breast cancer: report of two cases

Primary systemic chemotherapy (PSC) in breast cancer prolongs disease-free survival in patients who have obtained pathological complete remission (pCR). In combination with pathological examination, CT and MRI have been used to evaluate the efficacy of PSC, they generally coincide well with pathological evaluation. We here present two cases showing discrepancies between pathological examination and imaging analysis after PSC in breast cancer. We should keep such discrepancies in mind to determine the ideal treatment after PSC. An accurate method of evaluating cellular damage by PSC is needed

Duct lavage cytology for the detection of breast cancer: report of a case

Although many modalities have been established to diagnose breast cancers, it is sometimes difficult to reveal nonpalpable cases. Duct lavage cytology was originally established to reveal groups at high risk for breast cancers by detecting metaplastic ductal cells. We report here a case where duct lavage was useful for revealing a small cancer that had been undetected by repeated bloody nipple discharge and cytological examinations. Duct lavage cytology may be of use in cases where nipple discharge of unknown origin persists

Localization of nonpalpable breast cancers using VATS marking system under ultrasonographic guidance

A preoperative tumor guiding system for nonpalpable breast cancer using a VATS guiding needle (Hakko Co., Ltd., Tokyo Japan) was reported. It was easy to introduce the guiding needle into breast cancers smaller than 1cm under ultrasonographic observation. Neither bleeding nor infection was experienced. Wound management was easy and painless. This guiding system is very useful for locating and managing nonpalpable breast cancers even in outpatient settings

Aluminium reduces sugar uptake in tobacco cell cultures: a potential cause of inhibited elongation but not of toxicity

Aluminium is well known to inhibit plant elongation, but the role in this inhibition played by water relations remains unclear. To investigate this, tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) suspension-cultured cells (line SL) was used, treating them with aluminium (50 μM) in a medium containing calcium, sucrose, and MES (pH 5.0). Over an 18 h treatment period, aluminium inhibited the increase in fresh weight almost completely and decreased cellular osmolality and internal soluble sugar content substantially; however, aluminium did not affect the concentrations of major inorganic ions. In aluminium-treated cultures, fresh weight, soluble sugar content, and osmolality decreased over the first 6 h and remained constant thereafter, contrasting with their continued increases in the untreated cultures. The rate of sucrose uptake, measured by radio-tracer, was reduced by approximately 60% within 3 h of treatment. Aluminium also inhibited glucose uptake. In an aluminium-tolerant cell line (ALT301) isogenic to SL, all of the above-mentioned changes in water relations occurred and tolerance emerged only after 6 h and appeared to involve the suppression of reactive oxygen species. Further separating the effects of aluminium on elongation and cell survival, sucrose starvation for 18 h inhibited elongation and caused similar changes in cellular osmolality but stimulated the production of neither reactive oxygen species nor callose and did not cause cell death. We propose that the inhibition of sucrose uptake is a mechanism whereby aluminium inhibits elongation, but does not account for the induction of cell death

Alkannin, HSP70 inducer, protects against UVB-induced apoptosis in human keratinocytes.

Alkannin is an active constituent from the root extract of Alkanna tinctoria of the Boraginaceae family and it may have utility as a heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) inducer in living organisms. Here, the effects of alkannin-induced HSP70 on ultraviolet (UV) B (40 mJ/cm(2))-induced apoptosis were investigated in human keratinocyte HaCaT cells. Pretreatment of cells with alkannin (1 µM) caused significant inhibition of UVB-induced apoptosis and caspase-3 cleavage. On the other hand, the addition of KNK437 (HSP70 inhibitor) reversed the action of alkannin increasing UVB-induced apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, differences in gene expression associated with the suppression of UVB-induced apoptosis in the presence of alkannin were investigated using Gene Chip assay. Our results indicate that alkannin suppresses UVB-induced apoptosis through the induction of HSP70 in human keratinocytes, and therefore, we suggest the usefulness of using alkannin as an antiaging agent