Dietary fatty acids modulation of human colon cancer cells: mechanisms and future perspectives

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common malignancies worldwide and its pathogenesis is proven to be related with dietary patterns, namely dietary fatty acid (FA) intake. We reviewed the evidences regarding the effect of different dietary FAs on human CRC cell lines proliferation and apoptosis. Altogether, the results obtained from in vitro studies show that monounsaturated FAs lack evidence regarding both proliferation and apoptosis, whereas there is a consensus about the anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic effects, involving different intracellular targets, of n-3 polyunsaturated FAs, while n-6 series show a similar effect or no effects. The response to these dietary components depends on the cell type as well as the amount and duration of exposure. These results highlight the importance of identifying molecular targets for dietary components aiming to interfere with one of the main risk factors related with CRC incidence and prevalence.

The effect of live feeds bathed with the red seaweed Asparagopsis armata on the survival, growth and physiology status of Sparus aurata larvae

Larval rearing is affected by a wide range of microorganisms that thrive in larviculture systems. Some seaweed species have metabolites capable of reducing the bacterial load. However, no studies have yet tested whether including seaweed metabolites on larval rearing systems has any effects on the larvae development. This work assessed the development of Sparus aurata larvae fed preys treated with an Asparagopsis armata product. Live prey, Brachionus spp. and Artemia sp., were immersed in a solution containing 0.5% of a commercial extract of A. armata (Ysaline 100, YSA) for 30 min, before being fed to seabream larvae (n = 4 each). In the control, the live feed was immersed in clear water. Larval parameters such as growth, survival, digestive capacity (structural-histology and functional-enzymatic activity), stress level (cortisol content), non-specific immune response (lysozyme activity), anti-bacterial activity (disc-diffusion assay) and microbiota quantification (fish larvae gut and rearing water) were monitored. Fish larvae digestive capacity, stress level and non-specific immune response were not affected by the use of YSA. The number of Vibrionaceae was significantly reduced both in water and larval gut when using YSA. Growth was enhanced for YSA treatment, but higher mortality was also observed, especially until 10 days after hatching (DAH). The mortality peak observed at 8 DAH for both treatments, but higher for YSA, indicates larval higher susceptibility at this development stage, suggesting that lower concentrations of YSA should be used until 10 DAH. The application of YSA after 10 DAH onwards promotes a safer rearing environment.

Hoarding disorders: Two different clinical presentations

Introduction

Hoarding disorders (HD) have increasingly become a public health hazard. It usually emerges during two broad life periods: in early age-of-onset is usually associated with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD); in the elderly, it can be due to psychiatric and organic disorders, unrelated to OCD.

Objectives

Our objective is to increase medical awareness and to highlight that both young and elderly people may suffer from this condition.

Aims

The aim of this presentation is to address HD and its different presentations.

Methods

Presentation of two clinical cases of HD and pathology revision.

Results

A 30-year-old woman was hoarding litter, food and several items in a systematic way, become aggressive when her family tried to clean the house and was admitted several times in a psychiatric facility for cleanliness of her house. She had a history of depressive symptoms and severe OCD, with obsessive thoughts and several verification behaviors. A 78-year-old woman, with history of cerebral vascular disease, was self-neglected, living in a filthy home, with hoarding of litter and many worthless objects in a disorganized way, become aggressive after her relatives try to enter her house and refused to get help of any kind. Later on, she was admitted in a psychiatric facility and diagnosed with vascular dementia.

Conclusions

Timely diagnosis and proper management of these two variations of HD will allow more advanced studies in this matter and more effective pharmacological and psychotherapeutic treatments. These clinical cases reinforce the importance of practical guidelines for appropriate approach of these patients with complex and multidimensional needs.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

REUTILIZAÇÃO DA SOBRA DE ÁGUA PERMEADA E DE REJEITO DE UMA CENTRAL DE TRATAMENTO DE ÁGUA POR OSMOSE REVERSA DE UMA UNIDADE DE HEMODIÁLISE HOSPITALAR

Esse trabalho trata da possibilidade de reutilizar a água do rejeito e a sobra da água permeada proveniente de um sistemade Osmose Reversa, OR, da unidade de hemodiálise do Hospital das Clínicas de Ribeirão Preto (HCRP-USP). O estudo foi feito por meio de levantamento estrutural com plantas físicas e ‘layout’do local, fazendo visitas a esse local para analisar a qualidade e verificar a quantidade de água utilizada no mesmo e, principalmente, do estudo das características bacteriológicas e físico-químicas da água a ser reaproveitada. O resultado obtido das análises da sobra de água permeada e do rejeito mostrou que é possível reutilizar a sobra de água permeada diretamente na caixa central do HCRP-USP, pois esse procedimento não altera a qualidade da água de abastecimento do hospital, sendo somente de 0,73 % dediluição. Com a instalação do sistema de reaproveitamento da sobra de água permeada o HCRP-USP passou a ter uma economia em volume de água de 575 m3/mês. O custo total de implantação do sistema não passou de 5.809,43 reais, ou seja, com pouquíssimo recurso financeiro o hospital obteve uma grande economia no insumo água.

Organization and implementation of a cardio-oncology program

Considerable advances in cancer therapies in recent decades have reshaped the prognosis of cancer patients. There are now estimated to be over 20 million cancer survivors in the USA and Europe, numbers unimaginable a few years ago. However, this increase in survival, along with the aging of the patient population, has been accompanied by a rise in adverse cardiovascular effects, particularly when there is a previous history of heart disease. The incidence of cardiotoxicity continues to grow, which can compromise the effectiveness of cancer therapy. Cardiotoxicity associated with conventional therapies, especially anthracyclines and radiation, is well known, and usually leads to left ventricular dysfunction. However, heart failure represents only a fraction of the cardiotoxicity associated with newer therapies, which have diverse cardiovascular effects. There are few guidelines for early detection, prevention and treatment of cardiotoxicity of cancer treatments, and no well-established tools for screening these patients. Echocardiography is the method of choice for assessment of patients before, during and after cancer treatment. It therefore makes sense to adopt a multidisciplinary approach to these patients, involving cardiologists, oncologists and radiotherapists, collaborating in the development of new training modules, and performing clinical and translational research in a cardio-oncology program. Cardio-oncology is a new frontier in medicine and has emerged as a new medical subspecialty that concentrates knowledge, understanding, training and treatment of cardiovascular comorbidities, risks and complications in patients with cancer in a comprehensive approach to the patient rather than to the disease.

Red Raspberry Phenols Inhibit Angiogenesis: A Morphological and Subcellular Analysis Upon Human Endothelial Cells

Polyphenols are a class of natural compounds whose potential as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-angiogenesis has been reported in many pathological conditions. Red raspberry extract, rich in polyphenols, has been reported to exert anti-inflammatory effects and prevent cell proliferation in distinct animal models. However, the signaling pathways involved remain unknown. Herein, we used human microvascular endothelial cells (HMVECs) to determine the influence of red raspberry phenolic compound extract concentrations, ranging from 10 to 250 µg gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/mL, on endothelium viability (MTS assay), proliferation (BrdU incorporation), migration (injury assay), and capillary-like structures formation (Matrigel assay). Protein expression in cell lysates was determined by Western blot analysis. We showed that red raspberry extracts reduced cell viability (GI50  = 87,64 ± 6,59 μg GAE/mL) and proliferation in a dose-dependent manner. A significant abrogation of cells ability to migrate to injured areas, even at low concentrations, was observed by injury assay. Cell assembly into capillary-like structures on Matrigel also decreased in a dose dependent-manner for higher extract concentrations, as well as the number of branching points per unit of area. Protein expression analysis showed a dose-dependent decrease in Phospho-VEGFR2 expression, implying abrogation of VEGF signaling activity. We also showed for the first time that red raspberry phenolic compounds induce the rearrangement of filamentous actin cytoskeleton, with an isotropy increase found for higher testing concentrations. Taken together, our findings corroborate the anti-angiogenic potential of red raspberry phenolic compounds and provide new insights into their mode of action upon endothelium. J. Cell. Biochem. 117: 1604-1612, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

PTSD And Quality of Life Among Firefighters and Municipal Police Forces

Research has shown that PTSD is prevalent among firefighters and police forces and that Quality of Life (QoL) is seriously compromised in individuals suffering from PTSD. However, QoL studies with these professionals are scarce. This study results from a screening program held by the Portuguese Red Cross (PRC) aiming to analyze predictors of QoL. Participants were 95 firefighters and municipal police officers. They answered the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist (PCL-5) in order to evaluate the prevalence of PTSD symptoms, as well as measures of social support (3-Item Oslo Social Support Scale) and QoL (EUROHIS-QOL-8). From the results, there were no group differences regarding total PTSD, social support or QoL and 10% of participants reported enough symptoms to PTSD diagnostic. Social Support and PTSD explained 25% of QoL variance, PTSD symptoms explaining 10% (negative beta) and, in the second step, social support explained 15%. The results suggest that it would be important to include QoL as an outcome measure in clinical and research work in these populations, with special attention to PTSD and social support.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Prognostic Factors after Liver Resection for Colorectal Liver Metastasis

INTRODUCTION

Surgery is the only potentially curative treatment for patients with colorectal liver metastases, resulting in 5-year survival rates of 36 -€“ 58. Although many studies have been performed to determine prognostic factors for tumor recurrence and survival after resection of colorectal liver metastases, there are few prognostic scoring systems stratifying patients undergoing surgery for colorectal liver metastases into risk group models.

OBJECTIVES

To identify, evaluate and compare the existing prognostic scores for survival after surgery for resection of colorectal liver metastases.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Electronic search in PubMed, Cochrane and Embase from 1990 to 2013 using the terms '€˜hepatic resection', '€˜colorectal cancer'€™, 'liver metastasis', '€˜hepatectomy', '€˜prognostic'€™, and '€˜score'€˜. Only studies proposing a prognostic model or risk stratification based on clinical and/or pathological variables were included.

RESULTS

From 1996 to June 2013, 19 scoring systems were identified, including one nomogram. Thirty prognostic factors were identified although none of the factors was common to all prognostic models. The 4 factors most often included were: number of liver metastases, regional lymph node metastization of primary tumor, preoperative CEA level and maximum size of metastases. The median study sample size was 305 patients (81-1 568 patients) and median follow-up was 33 months (16-54 months). All studies were retrospective and used the Cox proportional hazards model for multi-variable analysis.

CONCLUSION

Several factors have been constantly reported as having prognostic value after liver resection of colorectal livermetastases, although there is no consensus on the ideal scoring system.

Antiproliferative effects of β-blockers on human colorectal cancer cells

Colon cancer is the fourth and third most common cancer, respectively in men and women worldwide and its incidence is on the increase. Stress response has been associated with the incidence and development of cancer. The catecholamines (CA), adrenaline (AD) and noradrenaline (NA), are crucial mediators of stress response, exerting their effects through interaction with α- and β-adrenergic receptors (AR). Colon cancer cells express β-AR, and their activation has been implicated in carcinogenesis and tumor progression. Interest concerning the efficacy of β-AR blockers as possible additions to cancer treatment has increased. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of several AR agonists and β-blockers following cell proliferation of HT-29 cells, a human colon adenocarcinoma cell line. For this purpose, HT-29 cells were incubated in the absence (control) or in the presence of the AR-agonists, AD, NA and isoprenaline (ISO) (0.1-100 µM) for 12 or 24 h. The tested AR agonists revealed proliferative effects on HT-29 cells. In order to study the effect of several β-blockers following proliferation induced by AR activation, the cells were treated with propranolol (PRO; 50 µM), carvedilol (CAR; 5 µM), atenolol (ATE; 50 µM), or ICI 118,551 (ICI; 5 µM) for 45 min prior, and simultaneously, to incubation with each of the AR agonists, AD and ISO, both at 1 and 10 µM. The results suggested that adrenergic activation plays an important role in colon cancer cell proliferation, most probably through β-AR. The β-blockers under study were able to reverse the proliferation induced by AD and ISO, and some of these blockers significantly decreased the proliferation of HT-29 cells. The elucidation of the intracellular pathways involved in CA-induced proliferation of colon cancer cells, and in the reversion of this effect by β-blockers, may contribute to identifying promising strategies in cancer treatment.