Antitumor Effect of Epigallocatechin Gallate and Vincristine in Mice with L5178Y Lymphoma.

The main objective of research into new therapies is the search for more efficacy and fewer toxic effects in cancer treatments. On one hand, vincristine (VCR) is a chemotherapeutic used in different kinds of tumors. On the other hand, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) is a green tea metabolite that has shown an antineoplastic effect in diverse investigations, so the objective of this work is to evaluate the antitumor effects of the EGCG/VCR combination on tumor volume and survival. To achieve this objective, the solid model of lymphoma L5178Y was used in BALB/c mice with different doses of VCR, EGCG, and their combination allowed tumor growth and survival time recording. After tumor collection, measurements, and immunohistochemistry for p53, Bcl2, and Cyclin D1 were performed. The results showed that the EGCG/vincristine combination had a greater antitumor effect than those effects of vincristine and EGCG. It can be attributed to the fact that the greatest inhibition of Bcl2 was present in gathering of EGCG harvest with vincristine. Therefore, the combination of EGCG with vincristine has a better antineoplastic effect by inhibiting tumor development and increasing survival on both substances independently.

Novel Nanotechnological Strategies for Skin Anti-aging.

BACKGROUND: Nanoparticle formulations development for anti-aging treatment is increasing due to their multifunctional properties. These nanotechnological strategies can target cellular/ molecular pathways of the skin affected by the aging process. However, a review of these strategies is required to discuss their efficacy/safety and establish the needs for further research. OBJECTIVE: Innovative nanotechnological advances for skin anti-aging/rejuvenation are summarized and discussed in this work. METHODS: The information in this review was extracted from recent and relevant studies using nanotechnology for anti-aging treatment from scientific databases. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Results show an enhanced skin anti-aging effect of actives-loaded nanoparticles of next generation (nanostructured lipid carriers, fullerenes, transfersomes, protransfersomes, niosomes, ethosomes, transethosomes, glycerosomes, phytosomes) compared with nanocarriers of first generation or conventional formulations. Anti-aging active ingredients such as, flavonoids (rutin, hesperidin, quercetagetine, quercetin, epigallocatechin-3-gallate, myricetin, silibinin, curcuminoids, isoflavones); vitamins (E, D₃, CoQ10); acids (hyaluronic, ascorbic, rosmarinic, gallic); extracts (Citrus sinensis, Tagetes erecta L., Achillea millefolium L., Citrus aurantium L., Glycyrrhiza glabra L., Aloe vera, propolis earned by Apis mellifera); and other compounds (adenosine, beta-glucan, heptapetide DEETGEF, resveratrol, cycloastragenol, melatonin, botulinum toxin, grapeseed oil), have been successfully entrapped into nanoparticles for skin rejuvenation. This encapsulation has improved their solubility, bioavailability, stability, permeability, and effectivity for skin anti-aging, providing a controlled drug release with minimized side effects. CONCLUSION: Recent studies show a trend of anti-aging herbal active ingredients-loaded nanoparticles, enhancing the moisturizing, antioxidant, regenerating and photoprotective activity of the skin. Suitable safety/shelf-life stability of these novel formulations is key to a successful translation to the clinic/industry.

Use of Functional Foods and Oral Supplements as Adjuvants in Cancer Treatment.

In cancer patients treated with radiotherapy to the abdominopelvic region, dietary modifications and the use of functional foods (fortified food with added ingredients to provide specific health improving benefits, such as antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, and glutamine), may contribute to the improvement of the toxic effects of treatment, including nausea, diarrhea, and constipation, among others. With the aim of analyzing which coadjuvant foods benefit these patients, scientific evidence was gathered by a group of experts. For these patients, the authors recommend a diet that includes sufficient foods rich in antioxidants and polyphenols instead of supplements. Docosahexaenoic and eicosapentaenoic acids have proven useful for the management of anorexia/cachexia in pancreatic cancer patients. Probiotics composed of Lactobacillus spp. and Bifidobacterium spp. are regarded as safe even in patients with neutropenia and have been proven to decrease gastrointestinal symptoms. Several factors should be considered before probiotic supplementation, these include the stage of the disease, radiation dose, and symptomatology of each patient. There is no demonstrated clear benefit to the use of glutamine, so it is not recommended due to its high cost.

Bizarreness and Emotion Identification in Grete Stern Photomontages: Gender and Age Disparities.

Although the International Affective Picture System (IAPS) is used to evaluate emotions (valence, arousal, and dominance evoked by a large set of photographs), bizarre images in works of art have not been assessed with the IAPS procedures. Understood here as strange, non-sense, and absurd mental contents or expressions accompanied by surprise and confusion emotions, bizarreness was assessed after healthy adult volunteers assigned this specified variable to 140 Grete Stern's photomontages overtly intended to illustrate strange, absurd, and non-sensical contents in dream reports. The images were presented to 21 Young Males (YM) and 30 Young Females (YF) who were instructed to use the IAPS Self-Assessment Manikin, along with an additional bizarre-to-normal scale, to evaluate their response to them. The valence and the bizarre-to-normal ratings showed a dissimilar pattern of distribution between genders. Ratings of scales were different, and a greater variation in scales occurred according to gender. When bizarreness was appraised, gender differences became more evident especially for YF, who rated half of the images as bizarre, and with a diminished feeling of control, while the neutral and normal images were deemed more pleased and controlled. Valence, bizarreness, and dominance formed a different component than arousal in both groups. Negative correlations between valence and dominance, and between valence and bizarreness were also found in both groups, plus a positive one for dominance and bizarreness in YF, along with curvilinear relationships among all scales. On a second experiment, 10 photomontages evaluated by YF as bizarre or as normal were administered to 18 Old Males (OM) and 28 Old Females (OF). OF's arousal showed less neutral evaluations than OM's. In OF the bizarre images evoked either more excitation or calmness than in OM. The distribution of the bizarre-to-normal scale was significantly different across the evaluations in YM, YF, OM, and OF. The use of this extended IAPS instrument to explore bizarreness and emotional variables in response to art images seems suitable and potentially valuable to characterize bizarre, absurd, or non-sensical mental states and their brain correlates.