Effects of phosphate shortage on root growth and hormone content of barley depend on capacity of the roots to accumulate aba

Although changes in root architecture in response to the environment can optimize mineral and water nutrient uptake, mechanisms regulating these changes are not well-understood. We investigated whether P deprivation effects on root development are mediated by abscisic acid (ABA) and its interactions with other hormones. The ABA-deficient barley mutant Az34 and its wild-type (WT) were grown in P-deprived and P-replete conditions, and hormones were measured in whole roots and root tips. Although P deprivation decreased growth in shoot mass similarly in both genotypes, only the WT increased primary root length and number of lateral roots. The effect was accompanied by ABA accumulation in root tips, a response not seen in Az34. Increased ABA in P-deprived WT was accompanied by decreased concentrations of cytokinin, an inhibitor of root extension. Furthermore, P-deficiency in the WT increased auxin concentration in whole root systems in association with increased root branching. In the ABA-deficient mutant, P-starvation failed to stimulate root elongation or promote branching, and there was no decline in cytokinin and no increase in auxin. The results demonstrate ABA’s ability to mediate in root growth responses to P starvation in barley, an effect linked to its effects on cytokinin and auxin concentrations

Normative resistance to responsibility to protect in times of emerging multipolarity: the cases of Brazil and Russia

This article assesses the normative resistance to Responsibility to Protect adopted by Brazil and Russia against the backdrop of their international identities and self-assigned roles in a changing global order. Drawing upon the framework of Bloomsfield's norm dynamics role spectrum, it argues that while the ambiguous Russian role regarding this principle represents an example of 'norm antipreneurship', particularities of Brazil's resistance are better grasped by a new category left unaccounted for by this model, which this study portrays as 'contesting entrepreneur'.- (undefined

LONG-TERM RESULTS OF TARGET THERAPY WITH FIRST AND * SECOND-LINE TYROSINE KINASE INHIBITORS IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC MYELOID LEUKEMIA

Aim: To assess long-term efficacy of firstand second-line tyrosine kinase inhibitors in non-selected patients with chronic myeloid leukemia in a real-life clinical setting.Materials and methods: The assessment is based on long-term results of a prospective single center comparative clinical trial that was based on non-selected groups of 116 patients with various stages of chronic myeloid leukemia being treated with a first generation tyrosine kinase inhibitor imatinib, and of 44 patients being treated with a second generation tyrosine kinase inhibitor nilotinib. We analyzed all-cause mortality, progression-free survival from April 2005 to April 2013, with a median of the follow-up of 128 months.Results: In 116 patients with chronic myeloid leukemia treated with imatinib, the Kaplan-Meier survival estimate was 120 months. In 44 patients at an early chronic phase, 5-year overall survival and progression-free survival was 93.2% and 8-year overall and progression-free survival was 79.5%. In 44 patients at a late chronic stage, 5-year overall and progression-free survival was 95.5%, 8-year overall and progression-free survival, 72.7%. In 28 patients at acceleration phase, 5-years overall survival was 78.6% and 8-year overall survival, 46%. Median of overall survival in patients treated with nilotinib was not reached. During 78.6 months of combination treatment with cytotoxic agents, tyrosine kinase inhibitors of the first (imatinib) and second line (nilotinib), overall survival was 100%.Conclusion: In clinical practice, inclusion of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia and imatinib resistance (disease relapse) or imatinib intolerance into the treatment program with frontline therapy with general cytotoxic agents and thereafter with firstand second-line tyrosine kinase inhibitors significantly improves overall survival

Rhizobacteria Inoculation Effects on Phytohormone Status of Potato Microclones Cultivated In Vitro under Osmotic Stress

Water deficits inhibit plant growth and decrease crop productivity. Remedies are needed to counter this increasingly urgent problem in practical farming. One possible approach is to utilize rhizobacteria known to increase plant resistance to abiotic and other stresses. We therefore studied the effects of inoculating the culture medium of potato microplants grown in vitro with Azospirillum brasilense Sp245 or Ochrobactrum cytisi IPA7.2. Growth and hormone content of the plants were evaluated under stress-free conditions and under a water deficit imposed with polyethylene glycol (PEG 6000). Inoculation with either bacterium promoted the growth in terms of leaf mass accumulation. The effects were associated with increased concentrations of auxin and cytokinin hormones in the leaves and stems and with suppression of an increase in the leaf abscisic acid that PEG treatment otherwise promoted in the potato microplants. O. cytisi IPA7.2 had a greater growth-stimulating effect than A. brasilense Sp245 on stressed plants, while A. brasilense Sp245 was more effective in unstressed plants. The effects were likely to be the result of changes to the plant’s hormonal balance brought about by the bacteria

Efficacy of lenalidomide, bortezomib, and prednisolone in patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma

49 patients aged 28 to 81 years old (median age of 55 years old) with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma (MM) were enrolled in the study. The relapse was diagnosed in 25 (51 %) patients, the refractory disease was determined in 24 (49 %) patients (including primary refractory disease in 14 (28.6 %) patients). The prior therapy for all patients included bortezomib-based treatment in combination with thalidomide and autologus stem cell transplantation (8.1 %). Lenalidomide had not been used in the previous therapeutic regimens. All patients were given the original treatment regimen, which included lenalidomide, bortezomib, and prednisolone (RVP). The therapy was made up of seven induction cycles with each one lasting for 48 days. Length of courses was 14 days. After seven cycles of RVP therapy were over, such results were achieved: complete response (CR) in 1 (2 %) patient; very good partial response (VGPR) in 4 (8 %) patients; partial response (PR) in 26 (53 %) patients; minimal response (MR) in 2 (4 %) patients; stable disease (SD) in 8 (16.3 %) patients, and progressive disease (PD) in 8 (16.3 %) patients. The objective response rate, including CR+VGPR+PR, was obtained in 31 (63.1 %) patients. The objective response rate, including MR, was seen in 33 (67.1 %) patients. Hematological and non-hematological toxicities were moderate. Taking into account the above, the RVP therapeutic regimen has demonstrated its efficacy as a second-line therapy for MM, and its clinical use can solve the problem of relapsed/refractory to bortezomib-based regimens MM management

Efficiency of lenalidomide, bortezomib and prednisone (RVP) in patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma

Objective: to study the efficacy and safety of the antitumor RVP program (lenalidomide, bortezomib, prednisone) as a first-line therapy in patients with multiple myeloma (MM). Materials and methods. A prospective study involved 39 patients with MM (15 women, 24 men), median age 61 years (30–76 years). All patients had Durie–Salmon stage III disease. According to the paraprotein isotype variant, 19 patients (48.7 %) had Gk myeloma, 8 (20.5 %) had Gλ, 4 (10.2 %) – Ak, 1 – Aλ, 1 – Dk, 1 – paraproteinemia Bens-Jones k and 1 – Bens-Jones λ, 2 – Dλ, and 2 patients – nonsecreting MM. The average level of plasma cells in the bone marrow was 31.7 % (0.8–80.0 %). In 14 (35.8 %) patients there were plasmacytomas of various localization (spine, cranial bones, clavicle, pleura). Nine (23.0 %) patients had renal failure, requiring the start of renal replacement therapy. The average Karnovsky index in the study group was 50 %. All patients received RVP therapy (lenalidomide 25 mg in 1–14 days, bortezomib 1.3 mg subcutaneously in 1, 4, 8, 11 days, prednisolone 60 mg/m2; the interval between courses was 42 days) as the first line therapy. Evaluation of therapy efficacy, characterized by overall survival, objective response rates (the number of complete, very good partial and partial remissions) was performed after 6 treatment courses. Results. The median follow-up was 15 months; the median of overall survival was not achieved. Objective antitumor response achieved in 29 (74.3 %) patients, including complete remissions in 3 (7.6 %), very good partial remissions – in 7 (17.9 %), partial remissions – in 19 (48.7 %) patients. In 2 out of 9 patients who received renal replacement therapy, independence from dialysis therapy was achieved. Cases of III–IV stage hematological and non-hematological toxicity in the study were not noted. Conclusion. The antitumor RVP program showed high efficacy and safety as a first-line therapy in a non-selective group of patients, including those with a complicated MM course

Treatment efficacy of chronic myeloid leukemia with imatinib in clinical practice

Imatinib (IM) treatment efficacy in 116 chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients in different studies was analyzed. Patient group was non‑selective with prospective enrollment. The study was based on real‑time patient’s register allows to treatment quality control due to clinical results. Cytogenetic response (CO), hematological data, and overall survival (OS) were used as criteria for the therapy efficacy. After 12 month of treatment in 46.4 % of CML patients in early chronic phase complete CO (CCO) was obtained, in 33.3 % — in the late chronic phase, and in 13.3 % — in accelerated phase. Deficit of daily imatinib dose and intervals in treatment schedule were made a negative influence on CO quality. The median of OS was 120 months.</p

THE EFFECT OF MULTIDRUG RESISTANCE GENE EXPRESSION ON THE CLINICAL COURSE OF MULTIPLE MYELOMA

Background: Implementation of a proteasome inhibitor bortezomib into treatment of multiple myeloma has helped to improve survival of patients with this malignancy that is characterized by continuous relapsing course as a clinical manifestation of multidrug resistance (MDR). Previous studies have resulted in contradictory data on the effects of various MDR genes expression on efficacy of bortezomib. Aim: To evaluate an impact of MDR1, MRP1, LRP, BCRP gene mRNA expression responsible for the development of MDR in bone marrow aspirates from patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma before bortezomib-containing therapy on the clinical course of the disease, response to treatment and overall survival. Materials and methods: MDR gene expression was assessed in a  group of 15  patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma Durie-Salmon stage  III before initiation of a bortezomib-based chemotherapeutic regimen. The assessment was done in bone marrow mononuclear cell fraction containing plasmocytes. MDR gene expression was measured by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction test. Results: MDR gene expression was found in all patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma before initiation of cytostatic therapy: MDR1 was expressed in 14 (93%) of patients, MRP1 and LRP  – in 11 (73%), BCRP  – in 15  (100%). There was no difference between patient subgroups with high and low MDR gene expression in their clinical parameters, such as hemoglobin level, erythrocyte counts, total calcium, creatinine, total protein, lactate dehydrogenase, and albumin. At diagnosis of multiple myeloma, only absolute levels of paraprotein were significantly lower in patients with high MDR1 gene expression (31.52±3 vs  44.27±3.62  g/L, p&lt;0.05). After 6  cycles of induction, there was a  significant decrease of paraprotein levels in the group with low MDR1 gene expression (from 44.3±3.6 to 16.8±5.2 g/L, p&lt;0.05). Overall survival was negatively associated with high LRP gene expression only (median of overall survival in patients with high LRP gene expression was 17 months and in those with low expression – 62 months, р&lt;0.05). Conclusion: High expression of MDR genes in patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma is not associated with clinical characteristics of the disease but may deteriorate the immediate response to bortezomib-based regimens and overall survival