Colour removal and carbonyl by-production in high dose ozonation for effluent polishing

Experimental tests have been conducted to investigate the efficiency and the by-product generation of high dose ozonation (10-60 mg O3 L(-1)) for complete colour removal from a treated effluent with an important component of textile dyeing wastewater. The effluent is discharged into an effluent-dominated stream where no dilution takes place, and, thus, the quality requirement for the effluents is particularly strict. 30, 60 and 90 min contact times were adopted. Colour was measured as absorbance at 426, 558 and 660 nm wavelengths. pH was monitored throughout the experiments. The experimental work showed that at 50 mg L(-1) colour removal was complete and at 60 mg O3 L(-1) the final aldehyde concentration ranged between 0.72 and 1.02 mg L(-1). Glyoxal and methylglyoxal concentrations were directly related to colour removal, whereas formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, acetone and acrolein were not. Thus, the extent of colour removal can be used to predict the increase in glyoxal and methylglyoxal concentrations. As colour removal can be assessed by a simple absorbance measurement, in contrast to the analysis of specific carbonyl compounds, which is much longer and complex, the possibility of using colour removal as an indicator for predicting the toxic potential of ozone by-products for textile effluents is of great value.

Anti-invasive effects and proapoptotic activity induction by the rexinoid IIF and valproic acid in combination on colon cancer cell lines

In this study, we investigated the antiproliferative and anti-invasive mechanism action of sodium valproate (VPA), an inhibitor of histone deacetylase (HDAC) activity, in combination with the rexinoid 6-OH-11-O-hydroxyphenanthrene (IIF), a ligand of retinoid X receptor (RXR), in the HT-29 and LoVo colon cancer cell lines. VPA inhibited HDAC-1 and increased RXRγ expression. VPA and IIF reduced viability in a dose- and time-dependent manner. The combined use of VPA and IIF enhanced the apoptosis induction. In particular, the BCL2 level decreased, while levels of BAX, cleaved caspase-3 and caspase-9 increased. The same treatment also reduced invasiveness of HT-29 cell line through the inhibition of metalloproteinase-9 (MMP9) expression, and MMP9 and MMP2 activity, with an increase of tissue inhibitors of MMPs TIMP1 and TIMP2. In conclusion, VPA and IIF have strong proapoptotic and anti-invasive effects in the HT-29 colon cancer cell line and their effects are enhanced when used together.

Combined modality treatment for patients with locally advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is an emerging treatment for patients with locally advanced pancreatic carcinoma, and can be combined with radiochemotherapy and intra-arterial plus systemic chemotherapy.

METHODS

This observational study compared two groups of patients with locally advanced pancreatic carcinoma treated with either primary RFA (group 1) or RFA following any other primary treatment (group 2).

RESULTS

Between February 2007 and May 2010, 107 consecutive patients were treated with RFA. There were 47 patients in group 1 and 60 in group 2. Median overall survival was 25·6 months. Median overall survival was significantly shorter in group 1 than in group 2 (14·7 versus 25·6 months; P = 0·004) Patients treated with RFA, radiochemotherapy and intra-arterial plus systemic chemotherapy (triple-approach strategy) had a median overall survival of 34·0 months.

CONCLUSION

RFA after alternative primary treatment was associated with prolonged survival. This was further extended by use of a triple-approach strategy in selected patients. Further evaluation of this approach seems warranted.

Disease-related malnutrition in outpatients with systemic sclerosis

BACKGROUND & AIM

Disease-related malnutrition is known to negatively affect clinical outcomes. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the prevalence of malnutrition in a cohort of outpatients affected by Systemic Sclerosis (SSc) and its association with clinical variables.

METHODS

One hundred sixty SSc patients were consecutively evaluated. The following clinical variables were assessed: disease duration, activity and severity, treatments, functional status, gastrointestinal involvement. Nutritional assessment included: body mass index (BMI), weight loss (WL) history, nutritional intakes and serum prealbumin. Malnutrition was defined as BMI <20 kg/m² and/or previous 6-month WL ≥ 10%.

RESULTS

Prevalence of malnutrition was 15% (10-21%). Logistic regression showed that malnutrition was independently associated with disease activity (OR 3.72; p < 0.001) and low serum prealbumin (OR 8.58; p < 0.001). The association with gastrointestinal involvement was not statistically significant, although a trend was detected (OR 1.88).

CONCLUSION

Malnutrition is common in SSc outpatients. It appears associated with disease activity and not influenced by nutritional intakes; gastrointestinal involvement might contribute to its development over time. Serum prealbumin could be an early marker of malnutrition in SSc, whose role should be confirmed by further longitudinal investigations. Prospective studies are also required to clarify the clinical significance of the association between malnutrition and disease activity in SSc.

Nuclear receptors agonists exert opposing effects on the inflammation dependent survival of breast cancer stem cells

Recent literature highlights the importance of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the biology of breast cancer stem cells (CSCs), unraveling differences with respect to their normal counterparts. Expansion of mammospheres (MS) is a valuable tool for the in vitro study of normal and cancer mammary gland stem cells. Here, we expanded MSs from human breast cancer and normal mammary gland tissues, as well from tumorigenic (MCF7) and non-tumorigenic (MCF10) breast cell lines. We observed that agonists for the retinoid X receptor (6-OH-11-O-hydroxyphenanthrene), retinoic acid receptor (all-trans retinoic acid (RA)) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-γ (pioglitazone (PGZ)), reduce the survival of MS generated from breast cancer tissues and MCF7 cells, but not from normal mammary gland or MCF10 cells. This phenomenon is paralleled by the hampering of pro-inflammatory Nuclear Factor-κB (NF-κB)/Interleukin-6 (IL6) axis that is hyperactive in breast cancer-derived MS. The hindrance of such pathway associates with the downregulation of MS regulatory genes (SLUG, Notch3, Jagged1) and with the upregulation of the differentiation markers estrogen receptor-α and keratin18. At variance, the PPARα agonist Wy14643 promotes MS formation, upregulating NF-κB/IL6 axis and MS regulatory genes. These data reveal that nuclear receptors agonists (6-OH-11-O-hydroxyphenanthrene, RA, PGZ) reduce the inflammation dependent survival of breast CSCs and that PPARα agonist Wy14643 exerts opposite effects on this phenotype.

Is the toxic dinoflagellate Ostreopsis cf. ovata harmful to Mediterranean benthic invertebrates? Evidences from ecotoxicological tests with the polychaete Dinophilus gyrociliatus

Toxicity tests were performed exposing the polychaete Dinophilus gyrociliatus to seawater samples containing the toxic dinoflagellate Ostreopsis cf. ovata. Experiments were carried out twice in mid summer, when O. cf. ovata bloomed, and twice in late summer, when the dinoflagellate density declined. Each time, four treatments were considered: original sample; reference sample, which always contained 200 O. cf. ovata cells ml(-1); filtered-seawater sample; artificial seawater (control). All the time, almost all worms survived in the controls and filtered-seawater treatments. In mid summer, the mortality of worms in the treatments containing O. cf. ovata was high and density-dependent. On the other hand, mortality in groups exposed to the original and reference samples collected in late summer was negligible. The high per cell toxicity of O. cf. ovata during mid summer could represent an allelopathic response. The test with D. gyrociliatus appears to be a promising tool for assessing the ecological risk of toxic dinoflagellate blooms.

[Syncope and occupational risk survey: the role of continuing education and multidisciplinary approach]

Syncope is a common disorder characterized most of the times by a positive clinical outcome. However, it may turn to a life threatening event even for working colleagues and third party when occurring during an high risk job. We have recently found that, out of 670 patients admitted to the Emergency Department (ED) for syncope, about 50% were potential workers, being their age between 18 and 65 years. Also, we found that in this group of patients syncope recurrence was as high as 11% at 6 months. It is unknown how physicians address the problem of the occupational risk in patients suffering from syncope and how occupational aspects are taken into account in the clinical judgment before work readmission. One hundred eighty five doctors (149 occupational physicians, OP), participating in a work-shop on syncope, were asked to fulfill a questionnaire about their clinical experience and their attention to the occupational aspects in patients after syncope. Despite long lasting clinical experience, 41% of OP did not scrutinize syncope as a relevant symptom in their daily activity. 65% of the other specialists were used to address the occupational risk aspects in their syncope patients. A multidisciplinary approach involving continuing education on safety at work might reduce work accidents due to syncope relapse and promote a safe and suitable re-employment of patients with syncope. scrutinize syncope as a relevant symptom in their daily activity. 65% of the other specialists were used to address the occupational risk aspects in their syncope patients. A multidisciplinary approach involving continuing education on safety at work might reduce work accidents due to syncope relapse and promote a safe and suitable re-employment of patients with syncope.

[Syncope and work: role of the occupational physician and global risk stratification]

Safety risk for subjects suffering from syncope while working has not been as yet addressed by occupational medicine. The present study was aimed at evaluating a new developed methodology for job tasks risk stratification in patients with syncope. During a work-shop on syncope and occupational risk, 149 occupational physicians (OP) with about 10 years of clinical experience were asked to fulfil a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) concerning the doctor's estimated potential damage (D) to the worker and the probability of a damage to occur (P) should syncope take place during the job task. Five job tasks characterized by different risk for safety (1, driving; 2, toxic products handling; 3, job performed closed to hot surfaces o free flames; 4, surgical activity; 5, office job) were identified. OP correctly stratified the risk associated to the different job tasks in patients with syncope. Unexpectedly, task #3 was given a risk similar to that obtained in drivers. This might be of paramount clinical and social importance when patients with syncope have to return to their job tasks.

Low dose fractionated cisplatin plus gemcitabine for elderly patients with advanced non small cell lung cancer: a retrospective analysis

The aim of the study was to evaluate safety and efficacy of gemcitabine-cisplatin in elderly patients with advanced non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This study included 59 patients aged >70 years consecutively admitted to our Department. treatment consisted of gemcitabine 1000 mg/m(2) on days 1 and 8, and low-dose fractionated cisplatin 20 mg/m(2) on days 1, 2, 3 of a 21-day cycle. Toxicity was graded according to the world Health Organization (WHO) criteria.A total of 281 cycles was administered. Hematological toxicities of grade 3 and 4 were seen in 17% and 5% of patients, respectively. Grade 3 gastrointestinal toxicity was 3%, grade 2 neuropathy was 2%. Twenty-nine partial responses with an objective response rate of 49% were obtained. No complete responses were observed. The median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were 7.8 and 15.5 months respectively. Cisplatin-based combination chemotherapy at low doses appears to be safe and active in older patients with advanced NSCLC.

(-)-Epigallocatechin-3-gallate downregulates Pg-P and BCRP in a tamoxifen resistant MCF-7 cell line

We investigated the anticancer effect of EGCG treatment on a breast carcinoma cell line resistant to tamoxifen (MCF-7Tam cells). As there are no reports about the molecular mechanisms implicated in EGCG treatment of tamoxifen resistant breast carcinoma cells, we studied the effects of EGCG treatment on three plasma membrane proteins that are involved in the mechanism of drug-resistance: Multidrug Resistance Protein (MRP1), P-glycoprotein (P-gp) and Breast Cancer Resistance Protein (BCRP). EGCG treatment (10-100 microg/ml for 24-72 hours) caused cell growth inhibition and dose-dependent apoptosis: after 100 microg/ml EGCG treatment for 24 hours, Bax expression increased and Bcl2 expression decreased (p<0.05). Coherently, Annexin V-FITC apoptosis assay detected a significant increase in labelled cells (p<0.05). EGCG did not affect MRP1: in contrast, 100 microg/ml EGCG administration caused P-gp decrease to 53% of control cells (p<0.001) and this effect was not due to downregulation of P-gp gene expression. EGCG induced P-gp decrease even when MG132, a strong proteasome inhibitor, was given together with EGCG to MCF-7Tam cells. EGCG treatment also inhibited BCRP activity: mRNA transcription and protein level did not change after treatment, but mitoxantrone test demonstrated a strong inhibition of BCRP activity (p<0.001). In conclusion, the present results showed that EGCG could down-regulate the activity of two molecules that play a key role in drug metabolism and transport and that are highly expressed in tamoxifen resistant breast carcinoma cells. The interaction of EGCG and drugs used in the therapy of estrogen sensitive breast carcinoma ought to be subject of studies and the potential use of EGCG in drug-resistant diseases ought to be better considered.

Conservative surgery with and without radiotherapy in elderly patients with early-stage breast cancer: a prospective randomised multicentre trial

Breast conserving therapy (BCT) including postoperative irradiation of the remaining breast tissue is generally accepted as the best treatment for the majority of patients with early-stage breast cancer. The question is whether there is a necessity for irradiating all patients. Between 2001 and 2005, 749 women aged 55-75 years with infiltrating breast carcinoma were randomly assigned to breast conservative surgery, with or without radiotherapy (RT), to evaluate the incidence of in-breast recurrence (IBR). After 5 years of median follow-up, the cumulative incidence of IBR was 2.5% in the surgery-only arm and 0.7% in the surgery plus RT arm. There are no differences in terms of overall survival and distant disease-free survival. The preliminary evaluation suggests that breast irradiation after conservative surgery can be avoided without exposing these patients to an increased risk of distant-disease recurrence. Prolonged follow-up will further clarify the possible risks and late sequelae potentially induced by breast RT.

Enhanced effects of PPARgamma ligands and RXR selective retinoids in combination to inhibit migration and invasiveness in cancer cells

Experimental data from in vitro and in vivo models indicate that peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) ligand activation regulates differentiation and induces cell growth arrest and apoptosis in a variety of cancer types. Thiazolidinediones such as ciglitazone (CGZ) constitute the most well-known synthetic ligands for PPARgamma. We previously reported a remarkable antitumor effect of the retinoid 6-OH-11-O-hydroxyphenantrene (IIF), synthetic retinoid X receptors (RXRs) agonist, on many cancer cell lines. Since PPARs bind to DNA as heterodimers with RXRs, in this study we investigated if IIF potentiates the antitumoral properties of the PPARgamma ligand CGZ in glioblastoma U87MG and melanoma G361 cells. Our results show that either IIF or CGZ inhibited cell growth and tissue invasion ability, but these properties were enhanced by using IIF and CGZ in combined treatment. Since matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) play a major role in tumor cell invasion, we analyzed the effect of IIF and CGZ on MMP2 and MMP9 activity and expression. The addition of IIF to CGZ resulted in a decrease of MMP2 and MMP9 expression and activity, higher than when each agent was used alone. Furthermore, treatment with IIF and/or CGZ enhanced PPARgamma expression but both agents in combined treatment caused the maximum efficiency. Finally, we demonstrated that IIF can potentiate PPARgamma trascriptional activity induced by CGZ, by evaluation of peroxisome proliferator-responsive element transactivation. In conclusion, these findings suggest that the RXR selective retinoid IIF, in combination with the PPARgamma ligand CGZ, may provide a therapeutic advantage in cancer treatment.

Time-resolved optical spectroscopy of wood

We have proposed and experimentally demonstrated that picosecond time-resolved optical spectroscopy in the visible/near-infrared (NIR) region (700-1040 nm) is a useful technique for noninvasive characterization of wood. This technique has been demonstrated on both softwood and hardwood samples treated in different ways simulating the aging process suffered by waterlogged woods. In all the cases, alterations of absorption and scattering spectra were observed, revealing changes of chemical and structural composition.

Growth inhibition and proapoptotic activity induction by IIF and valproic acid on RA-resistant leukemia cells

All-trans retinoic acid (RA) induces complete remission in a high proportion of patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). Nevertheless, most of these patients develop RA resistance and relapse. In an attemp to mimic clinical conditions for the treatment of leukemia, a stably RA-resistant subclone of the human promyelocytic leukemia cell line HL60 (HL60-R) was developed to study the antiproliferative and proapoptotic effect of the retinoid IIF (6-OH-11-O-hydroxyphenantrene) in comparison with RA. Moreover whether the inhibitor of histone deacetylase (HDAC) activity, valproic acid (VPA), could enhance sensitivity to retinoids in HL60-R cells was evaluated. Finally, the effect of IIF on the expression of multidrug resistance-associated protein 1 (MRP1) and P-glycoprotein (P-gp) was evaluated. It was found that IIF strongly suppressed cell proliferation (as measured by growth curves) and induced apoptosis (as measured by DNA fragmentation and Annexin V detection assays), while RA was practically ineffective. The addition of VPA to IIF accentuated the antiproliferative effect of IIF alone and increased apoptosis; the combination of VPA with RA allowed growth arrest. Moreover IIF caused a reduction of transmembrane transporter expression, particularly of P-gp, as shown by Western blotting. Our results suggest that IIF may be useful in controlling the proliferation of RA-resistant leukemia cells, especially in combination with an HDAC inhibitor, such as VPA.

Inhibitory effects of retinoic acid and IIF on growth, migration and invasiveness in the U87MG human glioblastoma cell line

Glioblastomas, the most malignant and prevalent brain tumors which remain incurable, are characterized by both extensive proliferation and invasive growth. We previously reported a remarkable antitumoral effect of the retinoid 6-OH-11-O-hydroxyphenantrene (IIF) on neuroblastoma, leukemia and colon carcinoma cells. In this study we examined the effect of IIF on proliferation, apoptosis and cell invasion in the human glioblastoma cell line U87MG, in comparison with all-trans-retinoic acid (RA). Our results showed that both retinoids induced cell growth inhibition and apoptosis in a dose- and time-dependent manner. We also demonstrated that the invasive ability of glioblastoma cells decreased after treatment with IIF or RA. Since cell invasion involves a complex system of tightly regulated proteases, matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and their specific inhibitors, tissue inhibitors of MMPs (TIMPs), we analysed the effect of IIF on MMP and TIMP expression in comparison with RA. Treatment with both retinoids resulted in a marked decrease of MMP2 and MMP9 expression and of lytic activity of MMP2. In addition, exposure to IIF led to enhanced expression of TIMP2. Collectively, our results demonstrated the effectiveness of both IIF and RA in inhibiting proliferation, cell migration, and the invasive potential of glioblastoma U87MG cells. Notably, the anticancer activity of IIF, on the whole, was more pronounced than that of RA. Therefore, these findings, besides providing further evidence that IIF may be a powerful tool in the development of cancer treatments, suggest that IIF may have therapeutic potential against the invasiveness of brain tumors.