Relevance of dietary exposure to acrylamide formed in heat-processed agri-food products.

OBJECTIVES: Acrylamide (AA) is considered one of the contaminants that occur in heat-processed agri-food products, which through diet can increase the risk of developing cancer for consumers of all age groups. METHODS: This review analysed the level of acrylamide of the most important heat-processed agri-food products that contribute to the dietary exposure of the population of different European countries and the assessment of health risks related to the presence of AA in food. RESULTS: The results of monitoring AA concentrations in agri-food products, reported individually by researchers or projects such as CONTAM in 2015 and the UK Food Standard Agency in 2017, show that some products exceeding the recently set European reference level are reported as such for specific values - mean UB/RLs in µg.kg-1: French fries (550/500), coffee dry (523/400), coffee substitutes (1,499/500, 400), processed cereal-based baby foods (76/40), potato crisps and snacks (2,214/750), breakfast cereals (744/300), biscuits and crackers (637/350, 400), and coffee substitutes (1,897/500). Average values (µg/kg body weight per day) of exposure to AA from food for different age groups (EFSA) are estimated at 0.4-1.9, but in different European countries, as reported by several studies (including Romania), are between 1.4 and 3.4. CONCLUSION: Starting from the genotoxic and carcinogenic potential of acrylamide, it is important to regularly monitor the presence of acrylamide and its levels in food and to investigate the food pattern of the population to detect the share of foods at risk of exposure.

The Clinical, Biological, Psychological and Psychiatric Impact of the Diagnosis of Breast Cancer in Women.

OBJECTIVE: Psychosocial factors are correlated with the risk of breast cancer, by the lack of externalization of feelings and aggressive tendencies, or with a negative prognosis, by the presence of a high level of stress and reduced coping abilities. Impairment of psychological status should be assessed early to identify quantifiable psychooncological changes, such as depression, anxiety, and self-esteem. These indicators, measured in this study, may become psychometric markers for predicting the existence of the neoplastic process, prior to histopathological evaluations. METHODS: 58 patients diagnosed with breast cancer and in different stages of evolution and 61 breast lumps patients were evaluated for depression, anxiety and self-esteem. RESULTS: The correlation of depression and anxiety levels according to the evolutionary stage of the disease was as follows: in stage I cases of severe depression with significant anxiety predominate, in stage II mild depression predominates with insignificant anxiety, in stage III depression predominates moderate with significant anxiety, while in stage IV moderate depression with significant anxiety predominates. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of significant anxiety in the uncertainty phase and the anxious-depressive clinical picture can be an alarm signal for the initiation of specific psychotherapeutic strategies, to increase the adaptive potential and resilience to the disease to ensure a therapeutic collaboration of the patient by increasing adherence and compliance. the proposed therapeutic plan. Relatively sudden anxiety in a young woman, risk factors for breast cancer, and deficient cognitive impairment require intensified clinical and paraclinical investigations to confirm early oncological diagnosis.

The Relevance of Supplemental Vitamin D in Malignancies.

BACKGROUND: Vitamin D has a widely acknowledged role in regulating the metabolism of calcium and phosphate, both essential to bone remodeling. However, numerous studies in recent decades have emphasized the association between low sun exposure and vitamin D deficiency, and an increased risk of extra-skeletal disorders such as cancer. OBJECTIVE: This mini-review of literature aims to present an objective overview of several recent studies and meta- analyses evaluating the role of vitamin D in cancer prevention, its potential to improve cancer treatment outcomes, as well as the negative effects of vitamin D deficiencies. METHODS: The antitumor effects of calcitriol and analogs in the treatment of cancer, either as single agent or in combination with other anticancer agents, are based on several mechanisms: inhibition of cancer cell proliferation and invasiveness, induction of differentiation and apoptosis, and promotion of angiogenesis, all recorded in numerous preclinical studies of various cancer types. RESULTS: The importance of VDR polymorphisms for individual malignancies remains a topic of debate. Contradictory effects have been recorded in recent studies, the results of which include positive associations of VDR when cumulated with other risk factors, both an increase and a decrease in cancer risks, as well as no correlation between VDR polymorphisms and individual malignancies. CONCLUSION: The scientific evidence reviewed in this paper suggests that health care providers and individuals should consider increasing concentrations of 25 (OH) D through sensitive sun exposure and / or by supplementing with vitamin D to reduce cancer risk and, in combination with standard care, to treat cancer.

Autophagy dysfunctions associated with cancer cells and their therapeutic implications.

Genomic analysis of human cancers indicates that the loss or mutation of core autophagy related genes, (ATG) is uncommon, whereas oncogenic events that activate autophagy and lysosomal biogenesis have been identified. Several studies have demonstrated that autophagy plays a wide variety of physiological and pathophysiological roles in cells: a cellular process that maintains the homeostasis of the normal cell, while self-defects can lead to a lawsuit to accelerate tumorigenesis and developing diseases, such as cancer. Depending on different contexts, autophagy dysfunctions may play a role: neutral, tumor-suppressive, or tumor-promoting. The process of autophagy may function in tumor suppression by mitigating metabolic stress and, in concert with apoptosis, by preventing tumor cell death by necrosis. In this case, optimal combination of autophagy inhibition (CQ, HCQ) with other conventional therapies - chemo or radiotherapy in a variety of tumor types in different phases can be successful approaches for improve the effect of anticancer therapies. This review examines recent insights of the molecular mechanism of autophagy and the potential roles of autophagy in cell death, cancer development, overview of the most recent therapeutic strategies involving autophagy modulators in cancer prevention and therapeutic opportunities.

Signification of protein p-53 isoforms and immune therapeutic success in chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

In the past few years has used thetechnique for analyzing deletions of genes, its rearrangements, cross-reactivity or multiplications in human genome affected of genetic diseases. Was proved that, the best techniques in the investigation of malignant lymphocytes are the Flow Cytometry, Elisa, ICT and Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Last method, FISH is used as an alternative to chromosomal banding, a conventional application in molecular medicine and can detect the chromosomal rearrangements and complexes of different genes in malignant diseases, like chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), acute lymphocytic leukemia, (ALL), or multiple myeloma (MM). Identification of P53 gene deletions and mutations in regions of chromosome 17 in hematological malignancies is important because these mutations have an impact on the clinical management of patients.

Effect of apitherapy products against carbon tetrachloride-induced toxicity in Wistar rats.

The present paper aimed to evaluate the influence of apitherapy diet in Wistar rats with carbon tetrachloride induced hepatotoxicity, by the means of biochemical determinations and histopathological changes of liver, spleen, pancreas and testicular tissue. The experiment was carried out on six groups of male Wistar rats. Hepatic lesions were induced by intraperitoneal injection of carbon tetrachloride (dissolved in paraffin oil, 10% solution), 2 mL per 100 g, every two days, for two weeks. Hepatoprotection was achieved with two-apitherapy diet formulations (containing honey, pollen, propolis, Apilarnil, with/without royal jelly), that have been administered for six up to nine weeks. The biochemical results revealed that the two-apitherapy diet formulations had a positive effect improving the enzymatic, lipid, and protein profiles, coagulation, mineral parameters and also the bilirubin levels, after six weeks of treatment. The histopathological results demonstrated the benefit of the two-apitherapy diet formulations on reducing the toxicity of liver, spleen and pancreas in laboratory animals, after six and nine weeks, respectively. In conclusion, apitherapy products have a hepatoprotective effect in carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatopathy.