Synthesis and evaluation of 2-phenylamino-1,4-naphthoquinones derivatives as potential hypoglycaemic agents

Due to the severe side effects revealed by most of the currently used antidiabetic medicines, search for finding new and safe drugs to manage diabetes is continued. Naphthoquinones possessing strong antioxidant properties have been employed as candidates for diabetes therapy. Present study is aimed at finding the antioxidant and hypoglycaemic potential of some novel derivatives of 2-phenylamino-1,4-naphthoquinones (PAN) including chloro, nitro, methyl and bromo (5a-d) derivatives synthesized by single pot experiment. Product crystals were purified by TLC and characterized by FT-IR. The antioxidant potential of the compounds was assayed through DPPH radical scavenging and reducing power activities noted as UV-vis. absorbance. The DPPH assay has showed the powerful antioxidant activity of nitro and bromo derivatives, while the nitro derivative showed the significant reduction potential towards FRAP assay. Hypoglycaemic potential of the compounds was studied in rat animal model. All synthesized compounds revealed better hypoglycaemic activity; however, the chloro-derivative exhibited the more potent hypoglycaemic activity showing about 43% reduction in the mean blood glucose levels of the treated animals. As the bioreduction of naphthoquinones may be influenced by changing its redox properties, it has been noticed that the e-donating resonance effect (+R) of 'chloro' group has shown the significant effects on biological activity through stabalization of its imine form which limits the potential of generation of free radicals during bioreduction of quinones and thus has been proposed as the reason of its hypoglycaemic activity. Future studies employing the properties of e-donating groups of PAN may optimize the drug-receptor interaction for better drug designing and drug development strategies against diabetes and also for the clinical trials.

Synthesis, Antimicrobial Potential and Computational Studies of Crystalline 4-Bromo-2-(1,4,5-triphenyl-1-H-imidazole-2-yl)phenol and its Metal Complexes

Drug resistance developed in microorganisms is a major concern which needs an immediate attention of the scientific community. Development of new drugs with different mode of actions is an effective...

Excitation dependence and independence of photoluminescence in carbon dots and graphene quantum dots: insights into the mechanism of emission

Excitation-dependent, multicolor emission from different varieties of 0D carbon systems has attracted immense research attention. It is generally accepted that some variants of 0D carbon exhibit excitation dependent emission, while other variants do not. A third variant exhibits both excitation dependent as well as excitation independent emission. In this work we investigate the structure, composition, steady-state emission-excitation and photoluminescence decay dynamics of three distinctly different variants of 0D carbon - amorphous carbon dots (aCDs), graphene quantum dots (GQDs) and nitrogen-doped GQDs (NGQDs). We find that despite significant differences in the structure and composition there is a striking similarity in the excitation energy dependence of the emission characteristics of these three different dots. All of them exhibit excitation energy independent emission below some threshold wavelength (λ_th), and above this threshold the emission becomes excitation dependent. We also demonstrate that a similar trend is apparent for nearly all variants of 0D carbon reported in the literature. The threshold wavelength correlates well with the excitation wavelength for the most intense emission and the photoluminescence excitation peaks, suggesting a common origin of light emission in these carbon dots. The findings provide important clues for developing a unified general picture for understanding the light emission mechanism in 0D carbon nanostructures.

A Prospective Study of Deep Vein Thrombosis after Major Abdominal Surgery in a Tertiary Level Hospital

This prospective study was conducted to find the rate of deep and risk factors associated with vein thrombosis following major abdominal surgery in Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital from 1st November 2017 to 30th April 2018. Total 103 patients aged above 20 years both male and female who got admitted in Department of Surgery, Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital, Sylhet for their disease requiring routine and emergency major abdominal operation during the study period and fulfilling the inclusion and exclusion criteria were selected in this study. Informed written consent was obtained from the patients after full explanation of the purpose of the study. After full investigations and proper preparation of each patient for operative procedure major abdominal surgery were done. Peroperative findings were noted and post-operative period were followed up routinely. Duplex scanning was done on 3rd POD in all cases. The age of the patients ranged from 25 to 74 years with the mean age of 49.5±13.8 years. There were 60(58.3%) male and 43(41.7%) female. Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) developed in 5(4.9%) of cases and not developed in 98(95.1%) cases. All the five cases were confirmed by color duplex scan. DVT was detected in 2(3.3%) of the 60 males and 3(7.0%) of the 43 females undergoing major general surgical procedures. Among 63 patients in whom the duration of surgery was up to 2 hours, none developed DVT, while among the 40 patients in whom the duration of surgery lasted more than 2 hours, 5(12.5%) developed DVT. Among 23 patients in whom the surgery for malignancy was done, 4(17.4%) developed DVT, while among the 80 patients in whom surgery for non-malignancy, 1(1.2%) developed DVT. The Incidence of DVT in patients undergoing major abdominal surgery is 4.9%. Patients undergoing major abdominal surgery for malignancy and duration of operation greater than 2 hours have higher risk of developing DVT. But there is no significant increase in risk of development of DVT relation to age and sex; and also in patients on oral contraceptives, diabetes mellitus, obesity and smoking. Clinical findings alone cannot be relied upon for the diagnosis of DVT. The study has to be continued with larger sample size to get statistically significant results.

Sero-epidemiology and risk factor analysis of human brucellosis in Punjab, Pakistan: a cross sectional study

Human brucellosis is a neglected zoonotic problem worldwide with a high degree of morbidity in humans and is mostly overlooked due to other febrile conditions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the sero-prevalence and risk factors of human brucellosis among subjects living in Punjab, Pakistan. In this cross-sectional study, human blood samples were collected from seven districts of Punjab, Pakistan. Information regarding personal data, demographic data and potential risk factors was collected through a structured questionnaire. Detection of anti-Brucella antibodies was done through Rose Bengal Plate Test (RBPT) and Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). Descriptive analysis, Chi square test and Odds ratio was applied using STATA software version 12. The sero-prevalence of human brucellosis was 13.13% with significantly higher percentage in males 17.23% and age group 25-40 years 16.50% (P=< 0.001). The demographic factors positively associated with human brucellosis were lack of education (P = 0.003; OR = 1.85) and farming as an occupation (P =<0.001; OR = 2.50) Similarly, among the risk factors studied, keeping animals at home (P =<0.001; OR = 2.03), slaughtering of animals (P =<0.001; OR = 15.87) and consuming raw milk (P =<0.001; OR = 5.42) were the factors strongly connected with human brucellosis. A massive awareness should be given to livestock farmers and individuals directly linked to animals regarding risk factors and transmission of brucellosis. Consumption of unpasteurized milk and its products should be condemned to curtail this neglected disease.

Portrayal of Punica granatum L. peel extract through High Performance Liquid Chromatography and antimicrobial activity evaluation

Increasing trend in antimicrobial resistance and failure of chemically synthesized antibiotics lead to discover alternative methods for the treatment of bacterial infections. Various medicinal plants are in use traditionally and their active compounds can be further applied for treatment of bacterial diseases. This study was designed to determine the antibacterial activity of Punica granatum (P. granatum L.) (pomegranate) peel extract against Enterobacteriaceae [Escherichia coli (E. coli), Salmonella Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium) and Shigella Dysenteriae (S. Dysenteriae)] and gram-positive bacterium [Staphylococcus aureus (Staph aureus)]. Methanolic extract of P. granatum L. peel was prepared by Soxhlet apparatus method. Total flavonoid and phenolic contents from the extract were determined by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). The antibacterial activity of P. granatum L. peel extract was evaluated through agar well diffusion method. HPLC showed the range of phenolics (gallic acid, caffeic acid, benzoic acid, cinnamic acid) and flavonoid compounds. The chemical structures of flavonoid and phenolics found in the methanolic extract of P. granatum L. peel have been reported for the first time. The methanolic peel extract (50 ul) of yellow P. granatum L. showed 26, 10, 10 and 9mm zones of inhibition (ZOI) against S. aureus, S. Typhimurium, S. Dysenteriae and E. coli, respectively. The methanolic extract of red P. granatum L. (100 ul) showed 27, 8, 12 and 15 mm ZOI against Staph. aureus, S. Typhimurium, S. Dysenteriae and E. coli, respectively. Highest ZOI was observed against Staph. aureus. Many of the bacteria studied in the present work may cause serious gastrointestinal infections, which can lead to hemorrhagic diarrhea in children. These infections can be life-threatening to young children and the elderly. There is an incentive to find alternative control measures, such as plant and herbal extracts, especially in lesser-developed countries where traditional antibiotics may not be readily available.

Kidney transplant surgical director training: Urologists represent a functional alternative to general surgeons

INTRODUCTION

Kidney transplant (KT) directors are general surgeons or urologists. All KT centers must meet established performance standards. However, it has not been established if general surgery and urology led programs have disparate outcomes.

METHODS

Transplant outcomes and donor-recipient characteristics by director training were investigated. Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) directory, program websites were analyzed for surgical director demographics. Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR) 1-year kidney survival and deceased donor (DD) wait-time rankings were evaluated. A retrospective analysis of 142 157 KT recipients from 2010 to 2019 was performed using the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) database.

RESULTS

One hunderd and seventy three (90.6%) KT programs were led by general surgeons. There were no significant differences in gender, ethnicity, region, credentials, or fellowship completion. Recipients undergoing KT with urology led programs were older (P = .002) and had longer wait-times (P < .001). These centers used higher KDPI (.47 vs. .45, P < .001) and higher HLA mismatch (3.92 vs. 3.89, P = .02) kidneys. Urology led centers utilized living donors less frequently (32.1% vs. 35.8%, P < .001) and had longer CIT (15.44 vs. 12.21, P < .001). Both had similar SRTR ranking of 1-year survival and DD wait-time.

CONCLUSION

Most directors were general surgeon. Patient outcomes did not differ by transplant director training. Urologists represent a viable option for KT leadership and recruitment should be encouraged.

(-)-Oleocanthal Nutraceuticals for Alzheimer's Disease Amyloid Pathology: Novel Oral Formulations, Therapeutic, and Molecular Insights in 5xFAD Transgenic Mice Model

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a complex progressive neurodegenerative disorder affecting humans mainly through the deposition of Aβ-amyloid (Aβ) fibrils and accumulation of neurofibrillary tangles in the brain. Currently available AD treatments only exhibit symptomatic relief but do not generally intervene with the amyloid and tau pathologies. The extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) monophenolic secoiridoid S-(–)-oleocanthal (OC) showed anti-inflammatory activity through COX system inhibition with potency comparable to the standard non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) like ibuprofen. OC also showed positive in vitro, in vivo, and clinical therapeutic effects against cardiovascular diseases, many malignancies, and AD. Due to its pungent, astringent, and irritant taste, OC should be formulated in acceptable dosage form before its oral use as a potential nutraceutical. The objective of this study is to develop new OC oral formulations, assess whether they maintained OC activity on the attenuation of β-amyloid pathology in a 5xFAD mouse model upon 4-month oral dosing use. Exploration of potential OC formulations underlying molecular mechanism is also within this study scope. OC powder formulation (OC-PF) and OC-solid dispersion formulation with erythritol (OC-SD) were prepared and characterized using FT-IR spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy (ScEM) analyses. Both formulations showed an improved OC dissolution profile. OC-PF and OC-SD improved memory deficits of 5xFAD mice in behavioral studies. OC-PF and OC-SD exhibited significant attenuation of the accumulation of Aβ plaques and tau phosphorylation in the brain of 5xFAD female mice. Both formulations markedly suppressed C3AR1 (complement component 3a receptor 1) activity by targeting the downstream marker STAT3. Collectively, these results demonstrate the potential for the application of OC-PF as a prospective nutraceutical or dietary supplement to control the progression of amyloid pathogenesis associated with AD.

Mycobiomes of Young Beech Trees Are Distinguished by Organ Rather Than by Habitat, and Community Analyses Suggest Competitive Interactions Among Twig Fungi

Beech trees (Fagus sylvatica) are prominent keystone species of great economic and environmental value for central Europe, hosting a diverse mycobiome. The composition of endophyte communities may depend on tree health, plant organ or tissue, and growth habitat. To evaluate mycobiome communalities at local scales, buds, and twigs were sampled from two young healthy mountain beech stands in Bavaria, Germany, four kilometers apart. With Illumina high-throughput sequencing, we found 113 fungal taxa from 0.7 million high-quality reads that mainly consisted of Ascomycota (52%) and Basidiomycota (26%) taxa. Significant correlations between richness and diversity indices were observed (p < 0.05), and mycobiomes did not differ between habitats in the current study. Species richness and diversity were higher in twigs compared to spring buds, and the assemblages in twigs shared most similarities. Interaction network analyses revealed that twig-bound fungi shared similar numbers of (interaction) links with others, dominated by negative co-occurrences, suggesting that competitive exclusion may be the predominant ecological interaction in the highly connected twig mycobiome. Combining community and network analyses strengthened the evidence that plant organs may filter endophytic communities directly through colonization access and indirectly by facilitating competitive interactions between the fungi.

Diversity of Vibrio parahaemolyticus in marine fishes of Bangladesh

AIMS

To determine the occurrence, diversity, antibiotic resistance and biofilm formation of Vibrio parahaemolyticus isolated from marine fishes in Bangladesh.

METHODS AND RESULTS

A total of 80 marine fishes were obtained from the local markets and examined for the presence of V. parahaemolyticus. All the isolated V. parahaemolyticus were characterized for the presence of virulence markers, thermostable direct hemolysin (TDH) or thermostable direct hemolysin related hemolysin (TRH). Isolates were serotyped and further characterized by enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus sequence PCR (ERIC-PCR) typing to analyse the genetic diversity. Moreover, biofilm formation and antibiotic resistance patterns were also determined. About 63·75% (51/80) of the tested marine fishes were contaminated with V. parahaemolyticus. From the contaminated fishes, 71 representatives V. parahaemolyticus were isolated and none of them harboured tdh and trh virulence genes. Nine different O-groups and seven different K-types were found by serological analysis and the dominant serotype was O5:KUT. In ERIC-PCR analysis, eight clusters (A-H) were found and the most common pattern was A (46·5%). All of the isolates were resistant to ampicillin and 78·9% of isolates were resistant to streptomycin. The highest biofilm formation was found at 37°C compared to 25°C and 4°C.

CONCLUSION

Diverse V. parahaemolyticus are present in marine fishes in the local market of Bangladesh with antibiotic-resistant properties and biofilm formation capacity.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

The widespread prevalence of diverse V. parahaemolyticus in marine fishes is an issue of serious concern, and it entails careful monitoring to ascertain the safety of seafood consumers.

Prevalence and risk factors of Syphilis among blood donors of Punjab, Pakistan

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease and its actual prevalence among Pakistani blood donors is currently unknown. A cross sectional study was conducted at different district healthcare hospitals of Punjab, Pakistan with an aim to evaluate the prevalence and risk factors associated with syphilis in blood donors using immunochromatographic test (ICT) and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). A total (n=1200) blood samples were collected from donors aged 18-65 years. All the information regarding personal data, demographic data and risk factors was collected via structured questionnaire. On the basis of ICT and ELISA, the overall prevalence of syphilis was 3.91% among blood donors. The demographic factors positively linked with syphilis were age (P= 0.000; Odds ratio, OR= 7.18; 95% confidence interval CI= 2.816-18.295) and education status (P= 0.000; Odds ratio, OR= 12.33; 95% confidence interval CI= 3.469-43.849) of donors. Similarly among the risk factors analyzed, marital status (P= 0.012; Odds ratio OR= 2.251; 95% confidence interval CI= 1.206- 4.202) and blood transfusion history (P= 0.030; Odds ratio OR= 1.981; 95% confidence interval CI= 1.083-3.623) were also strongly associated with syphilis. We emphasized the importance of promoting preventive measures for syphilis. The syphilis diagnosis should not be based on a single test. The present study indicates that higher prevalence is alarming for blood donors in Pakistan. Stringent donor screening is highly recommended to ensure maximum safe blood transfusion.

Correction: Triple-negative breast cancer suppressive activities, antioxidants and pharmacophore model of new acylated rhamnopyranoses from Premna odorata

Correction for ‘Triple-negative breast cancer suppressive activities, antioxidants and pharmacophore model of new acylated rhamnopyranoses from Premna odorata’ by Abeer H. Elmaidomy et al., RSC Adv., 2020, 10, 10584–10598. DOI: 10.1039/D0RA01697G

Induction of Erythrocyte Shrinkage by Omeprazole

Omeprazole, a proton pump inhibitor blocks the H⁺/K⁺-ATPase channels of gastric parietal cells. It is used for the treatment of peptic ulcer. Prolonged use of omeprazole may involve in inducing anemia. The key marker of eryptosis includes membrane blebbing, cell shrinkage and phosphatidylserine (PS) exposure at the cell surface. In current study, the eryptotic, oxidative as well as hemolytic effects of therapeutical doses (0.5, 1 and 1.5 µM) of omeprazole were investigated after exposing erythrocytes for 48 hours. Investigation of eryptosis was done by cell size measurement, PS exposure determination and calcium channel inhibition. As a possible mechanism of omeprazole induced eryptosis, oxidative stress was investigated by determining the catalase, glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase activities. Similarly, necrotic effect of omeprazole on erythrocytes was also evaluated through hemolysis measurement. Results of our study illustrated that 1.5 µM of omeprazole may induce significant decrease in superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and catalase activities as well as triggered the erythrocytes shrinkage, PS exposure and hemolysis. Role of calcium was also confirmed in inducing erythrocyte shrinkage. It is concluded that the exposure of erythrocytes with 1.5 µM omeprazole may enhance the rate of eryptosis and hemolysis by inducing oxidative stress.

Viruses of endophytic and pathogenic forest fungi

Mycoviruses, just as the fungal endophytes they infect, are ubiquitous biological entities on Earth. Mycoviruses constitute a diverse group of viruses, and metagenomic approaches have-through recent discoveries of been mycoviruses-only recently began to provide evidence of this astonishing diversity. The current review presents (1) various mycoviruses which infect fungal endophytes and forest pathogens, (2) their presumed origins and interactions with fungi, plants and the environment, (3) high-throughput sequencing techniques that can be used to explore the horizontal gene transfer of mycoviruses, and (4) how the hypo- and hypervirulence induced by mycoviral infection is relevant to the biological control of pathogenic fungi.

Hand Sewn versus Stapled Closure of Duodenal Stump after Gastric Resection

This prospective comparative study was done to compare the outcome of stapled closure of the duodenal stump with hand-sewn closure during gastric resection in terms of total operating time, postoperative duodenal stump leakage, postoperative hospital stay, and surgical cost. This study was conducted from January 2013 to August 2014. Patients who were admitted to the Department of Surgery, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Dhaka, Bangladesh with the indication of distal or total gastrectomy were included in the study. A total of 32 patients were enrolled in this study with 16 in each group, they were divided either into Group I (Hand Sewn) or Group II (stapling). Mean±SD age of Group I was 53.38±8.69 and Group II was 50.88±9.56 (p=0.445). Male patients were predominant than the female with a male: female ratio being 3.57:1. Mean±SD total operating time was 154.38±16.32 minutes and 136.88±17.40 minutes in Group I and Group II respectively (p=0.001). In Group I, 2(12.5%) patients and in Group II, 1(6.3%) patient had duodenal stump leakage which showed no statistically significant difference (p=0.999). Postoperative hospital stay had no statistically significant difference (p=0.923). The surgical cost had a significant difference (p=0.001) which is more in Group II. This study showed there was a significant reduction in total operating time but there was no significant difference in occurring of duodenal stump leakage or postoperative hospital stay. However, use of stapler hastens the surgeon's job and it relieves extra pressure of them.

Triple-negative breast cancer suppressive activities, antioxidants and pharmacophore model of new acylated rhamnopyranoses from Premna odorata

Phytochemical investigation of Premna odorata Blanco “Lamiaceae” young stems afforded four new acylated rhamnopyranoses 1–4, along with fourteen known compounds 5–19.

Clinical and Laboratory Characteristics of an Acute Chikungunya Outbreak in Bangladesh in 2017

From April to September 2017, Bangladesh experienced a huge outbreak of acute Chikungunya virus infection in Dhaka. This series describes the clinical and laboratory features of a large number of cases (690; 399 confirmed and 291 probable) suffered during that period. This observational study was carried out at Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Bangladesh. The median age of the patients at presentation was 38 years (IQR 30–50) with a male (57.3%) predominance. Hypertension and diabetes were the most common comorbidities. The mean (±SD) duration of fever was 3.7 (±1.4) days. Other common manifestations were arthralgia (99.2%), maculopapular rash (50.2%), morning stiffness (49.7%), joint swelling (48.5%), and headache (37.6%). Cases were confirmed by anti-chikungunya IgG (173; 43.3%), IgM (165; 42.3%), and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (44; 11.0%). Important laboratory findings include high erythrocyte sedimentation rate (156; 22.6%), raised serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (73; 10.5%), random blood sugar (54; 7.8%), leukopenia (72; 10.4%), thrombocytopenia (41; 5.9%), and others. The oligo-articular (453; 66.1%) variety of joint involvement was significantly more common compared with the poly-articular (237; 34.5%) variety. Commonly involved joints were the wrist (371; 54.1%), small joints of the hand (321; 46.8%), ankle (251; 36.6%), knee (240; 35.0%), and elbow (228; 33.2%). Eleven cases were found to be complicated with neurological involvement and two of them died. Another patient died due to myocarditis. Public health experts, clinicians, and policymakers could use the results of this study to construct the future strategy tackling chikungunya in Bangladesh and other epidemic countries.

Novel olive oil phenolic (-)-oleocanthal (+)-xylitol-based solid dispersion formulations with potent oral anti-breast cancer activities

Epidemiological studies have compellingly documented the ability of the Mediterranean diet rich in extra-virgin olive oil to reduce the incidence of certain malignancies, and cardiovascular diseases, and slow the Alzheimer's disease progression. S-(-)-Oleocanthal (OC) was identified as the most bioactive olive oil phenolic with documented anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and anti-Alzheimer's activities. OC consumption causes irritating sensation at the oropharynx via activation of TRPA1. Accordingly, a taste-masked formulation of OC is needed for its future use as a nutraceutical while maintaining its bioactivity and unique chemistry. Therefore, the goal of this study was to prepare a taste-masked OC solid formulation with improved dissolution and pharmacodynamic profiles, by using (+)-xylitol as an inert carrier. Xylitol was hypothesized to serve as an ideal vehicle for the preparation of OC solid dispersions due to its low melting point and sweetness. The optimized OC-(+)-xylitol solid dispersion was physically and chemically characterized and showed effective taste masking and enhanced dissolution properties. Furthermore, OC-(+)-xylitol solid dispersion maintained potent in vivo anti-breast cancer activity. It effectively suppressed the human triple negative breast cancer development, growth, and recurrence after primary tumor surgical excision in nude mice orthotopic xenograft models. Collectively, these results suggest the OC-(+)-xylitol solid dispersion formulation as a potential nutraceutical for effective control and prevention of human triple negative breast cancer.

A mycoparasitic and opportunistic fungus is inhabited by a mycovirus

A novel bisegmented double-stranded RNA virus was identified in the mycoparasitic and opportunistic fungus Hypomyces chrysospermus. The RNA1 genome segment comprises 1866 bp and encodes an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp). The RNA2 segment comprises 1822 bp and encodes a capsid protein. Phylogenetic analysis of the RdRp protein indicated that this virus is a new member of genus Alphapartitivirus in the family Partitiviridae. We have designated this mycovirus as "Hypomyces chrysospermus partitivirus 1" (HcPV1). HcPV1 is highly transmissible with aleurioconidia and is present in large amounts within growing mycelium in comparison to the GAPDH reference gene.

Abstract 4810: Olive oil-derived (-)-oleocanthal for prevention of breast cancer recurrence

Despite progress in BC therapy and improved survival rates, several breast cancer (BC) patients have poor recurrence-free rates. More than three million BC survivors are currently at the risk of disease recurrence without feasible preventive options. Surgical excision of early-stage confined breast tumors commonly used to minimize subsequent metastasis. Neoadjuvant and adjuvant therapeutic agents usually cannot prevent BC recurrence. There is a dire need to discover novel recurrence and metastasis inhibitory entities because clinical trials on early-stage cancer patients survival and metastases/recurrence reduction endpoint is not financially feasible and need large patients number. Mediterranean populations have less colon and breast cancers incidence due to their dietary consumption of significant amounts of phenolics-rich extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO). (-)-Oleocanthal (OC) is the most bioactive EVOO phenolic with diverse activities and exceptional in vivo potency. Validated molecular targets of OC in BC include the inhibition of the activation of the RTKs c-Met and HER2 and modulation of estrogen receptors (ER). Met/HER2/ER amplification is implicated in activation of quiescent breast tumor cells, repopulation, subsequent recurrence and relapse. This study reports the potent ability of four-weeks oral 10 mg/kg OC treatments to inhibit more than 90% of local and regional triple negative and hormone-dependent breast tumors recurrence after the surgical excision of orthotopically xenografted primary breast tumors. Oral OC treatments also potently inhibited recurrence after surgical excision of breast tumors subjected to neoadjuvant therapies with either lapatinib (50 mg/kg, 5X/week, 4 weeks) or paclitaxel (4.5 mg/kg, ip, 3X/week for 6 weeks) in athymic orthotopic nude mice models. This was associated with significant reductions of p-c-Met and p-HER2 levels in treated animal tumors by Western blotting. OC-treated mice sera completely lacked the BC recurrence marker CA 15-3, unlike vehicle treated controls which showed significantly high CA 15-3 levels. OC treatment did not show any observable toxicity and did not affect animals body weight over the experiment course. OC is a novel breast cancer recurrence inhibitory dietary supplement lead with excellent clinical applications potential.

Note: This abstract was not presented at the meeting.

Citation Format: Abu Bakar Siddique, Nehad M. Ayoub, Khalid A. El Sayed. Olive oil-derived (-)-oleocanthal for prevention of breast cancer recurrence [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 4810.

(-)-Oleocanthal Prevents Breast Cancer Locoregional Recurrence After Primary Tumor Surgical Excision and Neoadjuvant Targeted Therapy in Orthotopic Nude Mouse Models

Breast cancer (BC) recurrence represents a challenge for survivors who have had their primary tumors surgically excised, and/or have completed radiation, neoadjuvant, or adjuvant therapeutic regimens. Current BC treatments mostly lack the ability to reduce the risk of disease recurrence. About 70% of BC patients will subsequently suffer disease relapse, manifesting as local, regional, or distant tumor recurrence, which clearly underscores the urgent need to discover novel recurrence inhibitors. (−)-Oleocanthal (OC) is a natural phenolic, found so far exclusively in extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO). OC exerts documented bioactivities against diverse cancer types, inflammation, and neurodegenerative diseases. Herein we report the novel activity of daily oral treatment with OC (10 mg/kg) in preventing BC locoregional recurrence in a nude mouse xenograft model generated by orthotopic inoculation with BT-474 cells as a luminal type B model. We further report inhibition of tumor recurrence by OC after completion of a lapatinib neoadjuvant regimen. However, in a recurrence model of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), OC treatment (10 mg/kg) did not effectively prevent tumor recurrence, but rather, was seen to significantly reduce the growth of recurrent tumors as compared to vehicle control-treated animals. Inhibition of tumor recurrence was associated with significant serum level reductions of the human BC recurrence marker CA 15-3 at the study end in animals treated with OC. OC treatment upregulated the expression of the epithelial marker E-cadherin and downregulated the levels of the mesenchymal marker vimentin in recurrent tumors vs. untreated control animals. OC treatment also reduced the activation of MET and HER2 receptors, as indicated by reduced phosphorylation levels of these proteins in recurrent tumors vs. controls. Collectively, the results of our studies provide the first evidence for suppression of BC tumor recurrence by oral OC treatment in an animal model for such recurrence, and furthermore, highlight favorable prospects for this natural product to emerge as a first-in-class BC recurrence inhibitor.

Novel liquid-liquid extraction and self-emulsion methods for simplified isolation of extra-virgin olive oil phenolics with emphasis on (-)-oleocanthal and its oral anti-breast cancer activity

Epidemiological and clinical studies compellingly documented the ability of Mediterranean diet rich in extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) to reduce breast and colon cancers incidence, cardiovascular diseases, and aging cognitive functions decline. (-)-Oleocanthal (OC) and other EVOO phenolics gain progressive research attention due to their documented biological effects against cancer, inflammations, and Alzheimer’s disease. There is no simple, reliable, and cost-effective isolation protocol for EVOO phenolics, which hinder their therapeutic applications. This study develops novel methods to isolate OC and other EVOO phenolics. This includes the use of ultra-freezing to eliminate most EVOO fats and the successful water capacity to efficiently extract OC and EVOO phenolics as self-emulsified nano-emulsion. Subsequent resin entrapment and size exclusion chromatography afforded individual EVOO phenolics in high purity. OC in vitro and in vivo oral anti-breast cancer (BC) activities validated its lead candidacy. Effective isolation of EVOO phenolics provided in this study will facilitate future preclinical and clinical investigations and stimulate the therapeutic development of these important bioactive natural products.

Cytologically Indeterminate Follicular Thyroid Nodule on Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology is an Indication for Total Thyroidectomy

The magnitude of case management of indeterminate thyroid nodule is very difficult and controversial. In addition there is recent evidence that the incidence of follicular lesion may be increasing that will prove to be follicular cancer. This prospective observational study was done in the department of Surgery at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Dhaka, Bangladesh from February 2016 to January 2017 to investigates the rate of malignancy and inability of demographical, clinical and sonographic data to predict malignancy in indeterminate nodules and the unreliability of intraoperative frozen section biopsy with the scope of determining the need for total thyroidectomy in these patients. The study population consisted of 40 cases presenting indeterminate nodules (Thy3): females (80%) and males (20%) with a mean age of 35.73±11.11 years. All patients underwent total thyroidectomy. Malignancy was diagnosed in 27 out of 40 patients (67.5%). The mean nodule size was 3.67±1.69mm in malignant lesions, 40.7% of the malignant nodules were more than 3cm in size, 51.9% of malignant cases were irregular border and 29.6% of malignant lesions were hard in consistency; these data are statistically significant (<0.05) and correlated with malignancy. The rate of malignancy in cytologically indeterminate lesions was high in the present study sample compared to other reported studies. Thus, considering the fact that demographical, clinical and sonographic features were found to be inaccurate predictors of malignancy, it is our opinion that total thyroidectomy should always be recommend in such patients.