Evaluation of Salivary Function Post-Partial Superficial Parotidectomy.

Introduction: Parotid pleomorphic adenomas necessitate surgical intervention, with a growing emphasis on preserving salivary function post-surgery due to its critical role in maintaining oral health and overall quality of life. This study aims to evaluate a surgical method meticulously designed to preserve salivary function following partial superficial parotidectomy, utilizing Technetium-99m scintigraphy. Materials and Methods: This single-center prospective cohort study was conducted in Mashhad, Iran, between 2022 and 2023. The study encompassed 40 patients diagnosed with parotid pleomorphic adenomas, ages 20 to 64, undergoing partial superficial parotidectomy. The salivary function was evaluated using Technetium-99m scintigraphy three weeks post-operation. Results: Most participants underwent right parotid surgery (62.5%, n=25) instead of left parotid surgery (37.5%, n=15). The outcomes of the partial superficial parotidectomy indicated no complications during the three-week post-operative period. Saliva secretion rates on the operated side were preserved across the cohort. A significant difference in saliva secretion rates was observed between the operated and contralateral sides (P<0.01) for both right and left parotid surgery groups. No significant correlation was found between the time elapsed post-surgery and saliva secretion rates (P=0.48). Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that the superficial parotidectomy technique is notably effective when focused on preserving the salivary function of the deep parotid gland. Not only does it maintain saliva secretion on the operated side, but it also boasts an admirable safety profile. There were no recorded complications, and duct preservation was achieved in most instances.

An Evaluation of Antibacterial Effects of Human Amniotic Fluid on Pathogenic and Probiotic Bacteria In Vitro.

Background: Amniotic fluid in the uterus is beneficial for the fetus growth and protection due to its nutritional elements as well as its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Today, body membranes are increasingly being used in multiple fields. The purpose of the current study was evaluation of the antibacterial effects of amniotic fluid and comparison of its effects on pathogenic and probiotic bacteria. Methods: This experimental study was conducted on amniotic fluid obtained from 43 healthy mothers who gave birth by selective cesarean section. Then, antibacterial effects of amniotic fluids were investigated on 8 standard bacterial strains, including Bacillus cereus, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Shigella flexneri, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Bacillus cereus, and Lactobacillus plantarum by agar well-diffusion method. Data analysis was performed by SPSS software, vs. 22 (IBM, US). Results: Amniotic fluid revealed an inhibitory effect on the growth of bacterial strains. Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes strains showed growth inhibition in 39% and 17% of samples, respectively. In other bacterial strains, there was growth inhibition in less than 5% of the samples. Also, the zone of growth inhibition for Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes was significantly higher than the other strains. Amniotic fluid samples had an antibacterial effect on all pathogen strains in general, but not on the Lactobacillus plantarum probiotic strain. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the antibacterial effect of amniotic fluid on pathogenic bacteria is significantly higher than the Lactobacillus plantarum as a probiotic one. Overall, the findings support the use of natural substances as alternative therapeutic agents to combat antibiotic resistance.

Remarkable FDG Uptake in Numerous Granulomatous Panniculitis Lesions: A Case Report.

ABSTRACT: A 42-year-old woman with history of rheumatoid arthritis and erythema nodosum from 8 years ago, who was treated with CellCept and prednisolone, was admitted to the rheumatology service due to skin lesions in the upper and lower extremities. Skin excisional biopsy was performed, and the results suggested panniculitis. FDG PET/CT was performed for malignancy workup. The scan images revealed intensely increased FDG uptake in all numerous subcutaneous nodules. FDG uptake in the panniculitis lesion is rarely reported in the literature.

Prostatic bed calcification with MDP uptake: Easy to miss on planar images.

A 65 years old man with high-risk prostate adenocarcinoma underwent bone scintigraphy with 99mTc-methylene diphosphate (99mTc-MDP). The scan revealed a focus of radiotracer uptake in the left pubic region, which was suspicious for metastatic involvement. Additional imaging with single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT/CT) confined the uptake to be extra-osseous and contributed to the calcified zone in the prostate bed. Prostatic bed calcification with 99mTc-MDP uptake mimics metastasis and can be easily missed on planar images.

Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen Radioguided Surgery for Salvage Pelvic Lymph Node Dissection in a Man With Prostate Cancer.

ABSTRACT: A 75-year-old man with evidence of recurrent prostate cancer on 68Ga-prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) PET/CT after radical prostatectomy was referred to our department for 99mTc-PSMA radioguided surgery. Intraoperatively, lymph nodes with high count rates were localized using a handheld gamma probe. High-count specimens were resected from the exact locations as reported by 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT. The total prostate-specific antigen value decreased 6 weeks after surgery. Our case shows the feasibility of radioguided surgery with 99mTc-PSMA for salvage lymphadenectomy in prostate cancer.

Case Report: Regaining radioiodine uptake following PRRT in radioiodine-refractory thyroid cancer: A new re-differentiation strategy?

A 61-year-old woman with a history of metastatic follicular thyroid carcinoma became radioiodine-refractory following two doses of radioiodine (RAI) therapy (cumulative = 230 mCi). While no RAI-avid lesion was noticed in the last post-ablation whole-body radioiodine scan (WBIS), she reported sternal pain, which was accompanied by rapidly rising thyroglobulin levels. 18F-FDG and 68Ga-DOTA-TATE PET/CT was performed, showing metastatic pulmonary nodules and a lytic sternal lesion with acceptable avidity (i.e. uptake ≥ liver). Following four cycles of peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) with 177Lu-DOTA-TATE, the thyroglobulin levels dropped significantly, and the sternal pain was partially alleviated. Despite only experiencing grade I thrombocytopenia, the treating physician decided to discontinue PRRT and repeat the diagnostic WBIS. Surprisingly, the scan revealed significantly increased tracer uptake in the sternum. The patient received 200 mCi 131I, and WBIS showed increased RAI uptake in all pulmonary nodules as well as bone metastases. We report a case of RAI-refractory thyroid carcinoma with a somatostatin-receptor expression that re-differentiated and gained significant RAI uptake capacity after PRRT.

Antimicrobial Properties of Amniotic and Chorionic Membranes: A Comparative Study of Two Human Fetal Sacs.

BACKGROUND: There is evidence of antibacterial properties of human chorioamniotic layer. However, the distinctive contribution of its individual parts, amniotic and chorionic membranes, to these effects is still unknown. The aim of present study was comparison of the antibacterial effects between amniotic and chorionic membranes. METHODS: Chorioamniotic layer was removed from placenta belonging to 43 healthy mothers whose infants were delivered by caesarean section. Their amniotic and chorionic fetal tissues were manually peeled in sterile conditions. The antibacterial effects of all membrane samples were evaluated on 8 standard strains of bacterial collection using disk diffusion method on bacteriologic media. Results of bacterial growth inhibition in the presence of amniotic or chorionic membranes were measured and recorded as median±IQR. For data analysis and statistical comparison of samples, Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U-test were applied using SPSS (v. 18). RESULTS: Amniotic and chorionic membranes significantly showed different level of growth inhibitory effects on 8 bacterial strains including seven pathogens: E. coli, Bacillus cereus, Klebsiella pneumonia, Streptococcus pyogenes, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Shigella flexneri and one probiotic: Lactobacillus plantarum (p=0.018 and p<0.001, respectively). The number of bacterial growth inhibition zones around chorionic membranes was more than of what found around amniotic membranes. CONCLUSION: The superiority of antibacterial effects of the chorionic membrane compared with the amniotic membrane can represent the key role of maternal part in placenta in protecting the fetus against possible infections. The antimicrobial effect of amniotic and chorionic membranes is significantly different on various bacteria.

Neuroprotective Effects of Exercise on Brain Edema and Neurological Movement Disorders Following the Cerebral Ischemia and Reperfusion in Rats.

INTRODUCTION: Cerebral ischemia and reperfusion causes physiological and biochemical changes in the neuronal cells that will eventually lead to cell damage. Evidence indicates that exercise reduces the ischemia and reperfusion-induced brain damages in animal models of stroke. In the present study, the effect of exercise preconditioning on brain edema and neurological movement disorders following the cerebral ischemia and reperfusion in rats was investigated. METHODS: Twenty-one adult male wistar rats (weighing 260-300 g) were randomly divided into three groups: sham operated, exercise plus ischemia, and ischemia group (7 rats per group). The rats in exercise group were trained to run on a treadmill 5 days a week for 4 weeks. Transient focal cerebral ischemia and reperfusion were induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) for 60 minutes, followed by reperfusion for 23 hours. After 24 hours ischemia, movement disorders were tested by a special neurological examination. Also, cerebral edema was assessed by determining the brain water content. RESULTS: The results showed that pre-ischemic exercise significantly reduced brain edema (P<0.05). In addition, exercise preconditioning decreased the neurological movement disorders caused by brain ischemia and reperfusion (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Preconditioning by exercise had neuroprotective effects against brain ischemia and reperfusion-induced edema and movement disorders. Thus, it could be considered as a useful strategy for prevention of ischemic injuries, especially in people at risk.

Chemoprotection of MNNG-initiated gastric cancer in rats using Iranian propolis.

BACKGROUND: Iranian propolis is a natural product of honeybees that has significant and varied anti-cancer benefits. The present study was designed to investigate the protective effects of Iranian propolis on gastric tissue carcinogenesis in an animal model.  METHODS: Propolis samples were collected from Hamadan and Taleghan districts of Iran, followed by ultra performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometry analysis. Fifty-five rats were divided into three groups; control, Taleghan propolis and Hamadan propolis. All the animals received N-methyl-N-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG, 100 µg/ml) in drinking water ad libitum for 34 weeks. In the treated groups, nutrition with propolis was started two weeks before MNNG administration. At the end of the study, the entire gastrointestinal tract was scrutinized for tumors, and the rest of the body was assessed for metastatic deposits.  RESULTS: Results indicated that the incidence and number of tumors were significantly decreased by propolis in comparison with the control group (P < 0.05). The nuclear/cytoplasmic ratio, epithelial stratification, nuclear dispolarity, structural abnormality, and Beta-catenin and Bcl-2 proteins expression were significantly reduced in the propolis group compared to the control group (P < 0.05). In addition, Bax protein expression was significantly increased in the propolis group in comparison with the control group (P < 0.05).  CONCLUSION: The present study demonstrated the potential chemoprotective effects of the Iranian propolis against gastric cancer in a typical animal model. The results provide evidence for the hypothesis that Iranian propolis may exert a chemoprotective effect on MNNG-initiated gastric cancer through inhibition of cell proliferation and apoptosis induction.