Mitotic activity: A systematic literature review of the assessment methodology and prognostic value in feline tumors.

Increased proliferation is a driver of tumorigenesis, and quantification of mitotic activity is a standard task for prognostication. This systematic review is an analysis of all available references on mitotic activity in feline tumors to provide an overview of the assessment methods and prognostic value. A systematic literature search in PubMed and Scopus and a nonsystematic search in Google Scholar were conducted. All articles on feline tumors that correlated mitotic activity with patient outcome were identified. Data analysis revealed that of the 42 eligible articles, mitotic count (MC, mitotic figures/tumor area) was evaluated in 39 studies, and mitotic index (MI, mitotic figures/tumor cells) in 3 studies. The risk of bias was considered high for most studies (26/42, 62%) based on small study populations, insufficient details of the MC/MI methods, and lack of statistical measures for diagnostic accuracy or effect on outcome. The MC/MI methods varied between studies. A significant association of MC with survival was determined in 20 of 28 (71%) studies (10 studies evaluated other outcome metrics or provided individual patient data), while 1 study found an inverse effect. Three tumor types had at least 4 studies, and a prognostic association with survival was found in 5 of 6 studies on mast cell tumors, 5 of 5 on mammary tumors, and 3 of 4 on soft-tissue sarcomas. MI was shown to correlate with survival for mammary tumors by 2 research groups; however, comparisons to MC were not conducted. Further studies with standardized mitotic activity methods and appropriate statistical analysis for discriminant ability of patient outcome are needed to infer the prognostic value of MC and MI.

Mitotic activity: A systematic literature review of the assessment methodology and prognostic value in canine tumors.

One of the most relevant prognostic indices for tumors is cellular proliferation, which is most commonly measured by the mitotic activity in routine tumor sections. The goal of this systematic review was to analyze the methods and prognostic relevance of histologically measuring mitotic activity that have been reported for canine tumors in the literature. A total of 137 articles that correlated the mitotic activity in canine tumors with patient outcome were identified through a systematic (PubMed and Scopus) and nonsystematic (Google Scholar) literature search and eligibility screening process. Mitotic activity methods encompassed the mitotic count (MC, number of mitotic figures per tumor area) in 126 studies, presumably the MC (method not specified) in 6 studies, and the mitotic index (MI, number of mitotic figures per number of tumor cells) in 5 studies. A particularly high risk of bias was identified based on the available details of the MC methods and statistical analyses, which often did not quantify the prognostic discriminative ability of the MC and only reported P values. A significant association of the MC with survival was found in 72 of 109 (66%) studies. However, survival was evaluated by at least 3 studies in only 7 tumor types/groups, of which a prognostic relevance is apparent for mast cell tumors of the skin, cutaneous melanoma, and soft tissue tumor of the skin and subcutis. None of the studies using the MI found a prognostic relevance. This review highlights the need for more studies with standardized methods and appropriate analysis of the discriminative ability to prove the prognostic value of the MC and MI in various tumor types. Future studies are needed to evaluate the influence of the performance of individual pathologists on the appropriateness of prognostic thresholds and investigate methods to improve interobserver reproducibility.

Cytogenetic damage by vanadium(IV) and vanadium(III) on the bone marrow of mice.

Vanadium is a strategic metal that has many important industrial applications and is generated by the use of burning fossil fuels, which inevitably leads to their release into the environment, mainly in the form of oxides. The wastes generated by their use represent a major health hazard. Furthermore, it has attracted attention because several genotoxicity studies have shown that some vanadium compounds can affect DNA; among the most studied compounds is vanadium pentoxide, but studies in vivo with oxidation states IV and III are scarce and controversial. In this study, the genotoxic and cytotoxic potential of vanadium oxides was investigated in mouse bone marrow cells using structural chromosomal aberration (SCA) and mitotic index (MI) test systems. Three groups were administered vanadium(IV) tetraoxide (V2O4) intraperitoneally at 4.7, 9.4 or 18.8 mg/kg, and three groups were administered vanadium(III) trioxide (V2O3) at 4.22, 8.46 or 16.93 mg/kg body weight. The control group was treated with sterile water, and the positive control group was treated with cadmium(II) chloride (CdCl2). After 24 h, all doses of vanadium compounds increased the percentage of cells with SCA and decreased the MI. Our results demonstrated that under the present experimental conditions and doses, treatment with V2O4 and V2O3 induces chromosomal aberrations and alters cell division in the bone marrow of mice.

A rare case of sclerosing meningioma with immunohistochemical features.

To identify histological types of Meningiomas', immunohistochemically markers are used. We present Phosphohistone-H3 (PHH-3) staining for the first time. The patient's case notes were retrospectively reviewed. PHH-3 staining revealed sparse mitotically active cells. PHH-3 staining can be used to grade sclerosing meningioma.

Genotoxic and morpho-physiological responses of ZnO macro- and nano-forms in plants.

In the current study, two plants, viz., Pisum sativum L. and Hordeum vulgare L., were exposed to nano- and macro-dispersed ZnO at 1, 10, and 30 times of maximal permissible concentration (MPC). The main objective of the study is to depict and compare the genotoxicity in terms of chromosomal anomalies, cytotoxicity (i.e., mitotic index), and phytotoxicity (viz., germination, morphometry, maximal quantum yield, and chlorophyll fluorescence imaging) of macro- and nano-forms of ZnO along with their accumulation and translocation. In the case of genotoxic and cytotoxic responses, the maximal effect was observed at 30 MPC, regardless of the macro- or nano-forms of ZnO. The phytotoxic observations revealed that the treatment with macro- and nano-forms of ZnO significantly affected the germination rate, germination energy, and length of roots and shoots of H. vulgare in a dose-dependent manner. The factor toxicity index of treated soil demonstrated that toxicity soared as concentrations increased and that at 30 MPC, toxicity was average and high in macro- and nano-dispersed ZnO, respectively. Furthermore, the photosynthetic parameters were observed to be negatively affected in both treatments, but the maximal effect was observed in the case of nano-dispersed form. It was noted that the mobility of nano-dispersed ZnO in the soil was higher than macro-dispersed. The increased mobility of nano-dispersed ZnO might have boosted their accumulation and translocation that subsequently led to the oxidative stress due to the accelerated production of reactive oxygen species, thus strengthen toxicity implications in plants.

The Role of Insulin-like Growth Factor-Axis and Mitotic Index in South Indian Neonates with Small for Gestational Age.

OBJECTIVE: IGF-axis and mitotic capacity of cells play a vital role in fetal growth. We compared IGF1, IGF2, and IGFBP3 protein levels, mitotic indices, IGFR1 and IGFR2 mRNA expression in appropriate for gestational age (AGA) and small for gestational age (SGA) neonates of Indian women. METHODS: Cord blood (n = 80) and placental samples (n = 40) were collected from AGA and SGA neonates. Plasma IGF1, IGF2, and IGFBP3 proteins were measured by ELISA. IGFR1 and IGFR2 mRNA expression in the placenta were analyzed by qRT-PCR. Cord blood was cultured in vitro and mitotic index was obtained. RESULTS: IGF1 (p = 1), and IGF2 (p = 0.69) protein levels did not differ, whereas IGFBP3 (p = 0.02) was significantly less in SGA compared to AGA neonates. Down-regulation of IGFR1 (3.9-folds) and IGFR2 (2.8-folds) mRNA and reduced mitotic index of lymphocytes was observed in SGA (p = 0.001) compared to AGA neonates. CONCLUSION: Our results showed that, SGA neonates displayed down-regulated IGFR1 and IGFR2 mRNA, decreased IGFBP3 protein and mitotic index.

Correlation of Endoscopic Ultrasonography Features with the Mitotic Index in 2- to 5-cm Gastric Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors.

BACKGROUND: Predicting the malignancy potential of gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) before resection could improve patient management strategies as gastric GISTs with a low malignancy potential can be safely treated endoscopically, but surgical resection is required for those tumors with a high malignancy potential. This study aimed to evaluate endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) features of 2- to 5-cm gastric GISTs that might be used to predict their mitotic index using surgical specimens as the gold standard. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Forty-nine patients (30 females and 19 males; mean age 55.1 ± 12.7 years) who underwent EUS examinations, followed by surgical resections of 2- to 5-cm gastric GISTs, were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: The mean tumor size was 3.44 ± 0.97 (range 2.1-5.0) cm. A univariate analysis revealed no significant differences in age, sex, and tumor location in the low mitotic index and high mitotic index groups (all p > 0.05). In terms of EUS features, there were no significant differences in the mitotic indexes with respect to the shape, surface lobulation, border regularity, echogenicity, homogeneity, growth patterns, presence of mucosal ulceration, hyperechogenic foci, anechoic spaces, and hypoechoic halos (all p > 0.05). However, the tumor size was larger in the high mitotic index group than that in the low mitotic index group (3.97 ± 1.05 vs. 3.27 ± 0.9 cm, p = 0.03). CONCLUSION: Conventional EUS features are not reliable for predicting the mitotic index of 2- to 5-cm gastric GISTs. Further modalities for predicting the mitotic index are needed to prevent unnecessary surgical resections in patients with a low risk of malignancy.

Quantification of Hepatocellular Mitoses in a Toxicological Study in Rats Using a Convolutional Neural Network.

Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have been recognized as valuable tools for rapid quantitative analysis of morphological changes in toxicologic histopathology. We have assessed the performance of CNN-based (Halo-AI) mitotic figure detection in hepatocytes in comparison with detection by pathologists. In addition, we compared with Ki-67 and 5-bromodesoxyuridin (BrdU) immunohistochemistry labeling indices (LIs) obtained by image analysis. Tissues were from an exploratory toxicity study with a glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3) inhibitor. Our investigations revealed that (1) the CNN achieved similarly accurate but faster results than pathologists, (2) results of mitotic figure detection were comparable to Ki-67 and BrdU LIs, and (3) data from different methods were only moderately correlated. The latter is likely related to differences in the cell cycle component captured by each method. This highlights the importance of considering the differences of the available methods upon selection. Also, the pharmacology of our test item acting as a GSK-3 inhibitor potentially reduced the correlation. We conclude that hepatocyte cell proliferation assessment by CNNs can have several advantages when compared with the current gold standard: it relieves the pathologist of tedious routine tasks and contributes to standardization of results; the CNN algorithm can be shared and iteratively improved; it can be performed on routine histological slides; it does not require an additional animal experiment and in this way can contribute to animal welfare according to the 3R principles.

Cytogenotoxicity assessment in Allium cepa roots exposed to methyl orange treated with Oedogonium subplagiostomum AP1.

The present study is an attempt to assess the cytogenotoxic effect of untreated and methyl orange treated with Oedogonium subplagiostomum AP1 on Allium cepa roots. On the fifth day, root growth, root length, mitotic index, mitotic inhibition/depression, and chromosomal abnormalities were measured in root cells of Allium cepa subjected to untreated and treated methyl orange dye solutions. Roots exposed to treated dye solution exhibited maximum root growth, root length and mitotic index, whereas roots exposed to untreated dye solution had the most mitotic inhibition and chromosomal abnormalities. Allium cepa exposed to untreated dye solution revealed chromosomal aberrations such as disoriented and abnormal chromosome grouping, vagrant and laggard chromosomes, chromosomal loss, sticky chain and disturbed metaphase, pulverised and disturbed anaphase, chromosomal displacement in anaphase, abnormal telophase, and chromosomal bridge at telophase, spindle disturbances and binucleate cells. The comet test was used to quantify DNA damage in the root cells of A. cepa subjected to untreated and treated methyl orange solutions in terms of tail DNA (percent) and tail length. The results concluded that A. cepa exposed to methyl orange induced DNA damage whereas meager damage was noted in the treated dye solution. As a result, the research can be used as a biomarker to detect the genotoxic effects of textile dyes on biota.

Use of Artificial Intelligence in the Prediction of Malignant Potential of Gastric Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: This study aimed to investigate whether AI via a deep learning algorithm using endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) images could predict the malignant potential of gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs). METHODS: A series of patients who underwent EUS before surgical resection for gastric GISTs were included. A total of 685 images of GISTs from 55 retrospectively included patients were used as the training data set for the AI system. Convolutional neural networks were constructed to build a deep learning model. After applying the synthetic minority oversampling technique, 70% of the generated images were used for AI training and 30% were used to test AI diagnoses. Next, validation was performed using 153 EUS images of 15 patients with GISTs. In addition, conventional EUS features of 55 patients in the training cohort were evaluated to predict the malignant potential of GISTs and mitotic index. RESULTS: The overall sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of the AI system for predicting malignancy risk were 83%, 94%, and 82% in the training dataset, and 75%, 73%, and 66% in the validation cohort, respectively. When patients were divided into low-risk and high-risk groups, sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy increased to 99% in the training dataset and 99.7%, 99.7%, and 99.6%, respectively, in the validation cohort. No conventional EUS features were found to be associated with either malignant potential or mitotic index (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: AI via a deep learning algorithm using EUS images could predict the malignant potential of gastric GISTs with high accuracy.

Cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of Kalanchoe pinnata (Lam.) Pers. fresh leaf juice in the cultured human blood lymphocytes.

This is the first investigation on the in vitro cytotoxicological and genotoxicological effects of Kalanchoe pinnata (Lam.) Pers. fresh leaf juice, for establishing a safe and effective quantity for use. Peripheral blood of 6 healthy, non-addicted males between 20 and 25 years of age was used for toxicity assessment by 3-(4, 5-dimethylthazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT), mitotic index (MI), sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs) and Cytokinesis Blocked Micronucleus (CBMN) assays. The IC50 of the leaf juice calculated by MTT assay was 155.1 µl. The 50 and70 µl of the juice concentrations were decided after standardization by MI and showed non-significant and significant decrease respectively when compared to control. The SCEs/Cell and SCEs/Chromosome were increased non-significantly (50 µl) and significantly (70 µl),while cell cycle proliferative index, Average generation time and Population doubling time values were non-significant for both doses when compared to the controls. In CBMN assay, the Cytokinesis block proliferation index, cytotoxicity, Micronuclei, Nuclear bud, Nucleoplasmic bridge frequencies and total DNA damage biomarkers showed non-significant changes for both 50 and 70 µl. The changes observed were significant only at 70 µl for MI and SCEs, which were significantly lower than that by positive control indicating a non genotoxic effect. Hence, the fresh leaf juice can be used pharmaceutically as well as traditionally, but for long durations and higher doses should be used with caution, as it can have mutagenic effect at particularly high levels.

Cyto-genotoxicity evaluation of pyroligneous acid using Allium cepa assay.

Pyroligneous acid (PA) is a highly oxygenated organic condensate obtained by cooling the gases generated from the pyrolysis process. PA has been used in agriculture for several years with multiple beneficial effects, including plant health and yields, pest resilience, and seed germination. It is generally applied to agricultural soils in the dilution of 1:1000 to 1:100, corresponding to 0.1-1% PA concentration. In this study, the cyto-genotoxic potential of PA to Allium cepa meristematic root-tips (where all cells undergo repeated division and form primary root tissues) was examined. Exposure to PA concentrations of 0.1% and above showed a reduction in the mitotic index percentage, and at 5%, a complete arrest in the cell division was recorded. However, chromosomal aberrations at 0.5, 1, and 3% PA were reversible types such as bridges, vagrants, laggards, and multipolar anaphase, with a maximum of only 5.8% chromosomal aberration observed at 3% PA. Comet assay (single-cell gel electrophoresis) for genotoxicity assessment determined using PA exposed A. cepa root tips showed that it was not genotoxic. The absence of cyto-genotoxicity in A. cepa, even at concentrations far above what would be typically encountered in agricultural applications, strongly suggests that PA is unlikely to cause adverse effects on crops and ultimately on the biota and human health.

Cytotoxic and genotoxic effects induced by associated commercial glyphosate and 2,4-D formulations using the Allium cepa bioassay.

Studies assessing the toxicity of glyphosate and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid mixture are scarce. The aim of this study was to evaluate the cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of the mixture of these herbicides using Allium cepa. Roots were exposed to glyphosate (1.56 and 11.66 mg mL-1), 2,4-D (0.28 and 17.5 mg mL-1) and mixture for 24 h, based on the average concentration applied in the field and the acute reference dose (ARfD) established in Brazil. Both isolated and associated herbicides induced a significative decrease in mitotic index (MI) (P < 0.0001) in all tested concentrations. Regarding the genotoxicity results, 2,4-D and the mixture showed, at concentrations applied in the field, a significative increase of chromosomal anomalies (CA) index compared to control (P < 0.0001) and glyphosate (P = 0.024 and P = 0.0002, respectively). All tested groups from the ARfD showed a significative difference compared to the control group (P < 0.0001), as well as glyphosate and 2,4-D isolated compared to the mixture (P = 0.0005 and P < 0.0001, respectively). The most observed CA were apoptotic bodies, giant cells, and nuclear erosions. We emphasize the need for further studies assessing the toxicity of these herbicides' mixture due to the distinct effects caused in different organisms.

Evaluation of Phytoremediation Potential of Pteris vittata L. on Arsenic Contaminated Soil Using Allium cepa Bioassay.

The present study assessed the utility of Allium cepa based cyto-genotoxicity bioassays in evaluating the arsenic toxicity and remediation potential of Pteris vittata on contaminated soil of Lakhimpur-Kheri district. Untreated and P. vittata treated soil extracts were used for cyto-genotoxicity tests in A. cepa. Results showed that P. vittata extracted high concentration of arsenic, which ranged from 220 to 1420 mgkg-1 in different soils. Cyto-genotoxic assessment of A. cepa showed that extract of P. vittata treated soil had lower cyto-genotoxic effects as compared to untreated soil. A higher mitotic index (10%) while lower mitotic depression (29%), relative abnormality rate (10%), chromosomal aberrations (1%) and micronuclei (2%) were detected in root meristematic cells of A. cepa exposed to remediated soil extract in comparison to untreated soil. The studies provide a simple, rapid and economic cyto-genotoxicity bioassay tool for evaluating toxicity of contaminated soils of contaminated soils as well as revealed the phytoremdiation property of P. vittata against arsenic toxicity.

Chordoid Meningioma. Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Chordoid meningioma is an uncommon histopathological type of meningioma, frequently associated with Castleman's syndrome. Histologically, chordoid meningiomas are similar to chordomas. Because of their high proliferative index, they present aggressive biological behavior and high risk of postoperative recurrence. We report a case of chordoid meningioma in an adult patient without Castleman's syndrome manifestation. As its chordoid feature is related with a rapid recurrence after incomplete removal, meticulous histopathological examination is crucial for the adequate postoperative treatment plan.

MRI Texture-Based Models for Predicting Mitotic Index and Risk Classification of Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors.

BACKGROUND: Treatment regimens and prognoses of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) are quite different for tumors in different risk categories. Accurate preoperative grading of tumors is important for avoiding under- or overtreatment. PURPOSE: To develop and validate an MRI texture-based model to predict the mitotic index and its risk classification. STUDY TYPE: Retrospective. POPULATION: Ninety-one patients with histologically-confirmed GIST; 64 patients in a training cohort, and 27 patients in a test cohort. FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE: T2 -weighted imaging (T2 WI), diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), and dynamic contrast-enhanced three-dimensional volumetric interpolated breath-hold examination (3D-VIBE) at 1.5T. ASSESSMENT: GIST images were manually segmented by two independent radiologists using ITK-SNAP software and MRI features were extracted using Pyradiomics. Two pathologists reviewed the tissue specimens of the tumors to identify the mitotic index and risk classification in consensus. STATISTICAL TESTS: The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression method was used to select texture features. A logistic regression model was established based on the radiomic score (radscore), tumor location, and maximum diameter to predict tumor classification and develop a nomogram. Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves were used to evaluate the ability of the nomogram to distinguish between two tumors with different risk classifications, and a calibration curve was used to evaluate the consistency between the predicted risk and the actual risk. RESULTS: The texture signature achieved high efficacy in predicting the mitotic index area under the curve ([AUC], 0.906; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.813, 0.961). A nomogram for prediction of the risk classification of GIST, which incorporated this texture signature together with maximum tumor diameter and location, allowed good discrimination in the training cohort (AUC, 0.878; 95% CI: 0.769, 0.960) and the validation cohort (AUC, 0.903; 95% CI: 0.732, 0.922). DATA CONCLUSION: The texture-based model can be used to predict GIST mitotic index and risk classification preoperatively. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 2. TECHNICAL EFFICACY STAGE: 3.

Chemical composition and phytotoxicity of essential oil from invasive plant, Ambrosia artemisiifolia L.

Essential oils have been evaluated as appropriate phytotoxins with mechanisms of action that are different from those of synthetic herbicides applied in weed management activities, but little is known about the effect of Ambrosia artemisiifolia essential oil (EO) on weeds. Here, the chemical composition of A. artemisiifolia EO was analyzed using a Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry system. and the phytotoxic activities of the EO against monocot (Poa annua, Setaria viridis) and dicot (Amaranthus retroflexus, Medicago sativa) species are evaluated under laboratory and green-house conditions for the first time. The EO was rich in sesquiterpenes (62.51%), with germacrene D (32.92%), ß-pinene (15.14%), limonene (9.90%), and caryophyllene (4.49%) being the major compounds based on Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry analysis results. A. artemisiifolia EO inhibited seed germination and seedling development significantly in the tested species even at low concentrations (0.25 mg mL-1). In addition, bioassay results for the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD) increased and then decreased with an increase in EO concentration. Unlike the enzymatic activity, root cell viability declined significantly in the tested weeds in all EO treatments. Besides, a foliar spray experiment resulted in visible injury in leaves and a decrease in chlorophyll content and eventually led to wilting of all tested weeds. The EO (0.25-5.00 mg mL-1) altered Allium cepa root tip cells with a decline in mitotic index and an increase in chromosomal aberrations after 24 h treatment. The cytotoxic evaluation confirmed the mitotic inhibitory effect of EO, although the intensity varied under different concentrations. According to the results, A. artemisiifolia EO has the potential applications as a natural herbicide owing to its phytotoxic activity; which also helps to explain their potential involvement in allelopathic interaction of volatile compounds present in the EO that facilitate the invasion success of the exotic species.

Anti-hyperglycemic and genotoxic studies of 1-O-methyl chrysophanol, a new anthraquinone isolated from Amycolatopsis thermoflava strain SFMA-103.

The compound 1-O-methyl chrysophanol (OMC) which belongs to a class of hydroxyanthraquinones was isolated from Amycolatopsis thermoflava strain SFMA-103 and studied for their anti-diabetic properties. OMC was evaluated as an anti-diabetic agent based on in silico studies which initially predicted the binding energy with α-amylase (-188.81 KJ mol-1) and with α-glucosidase (70.53 KJ mol-1). Further, these results were validated based on enzyme inhibition assays where OMC demonstrated enzyme inhibitory activity towards α-amylase (IC50 3.4 mg mL-1) and α-glucosidase (IC50 38.49 µg mL-1). To confirm the anti-diabetic activity, in vivo studies (oral dose in Wistar rats) revealed that OMC inhibited significantly the increase in glucose concentration at 100 mg/kg as compared to starch control (p < 0.05). Further, to understand the safety of OMC as a therapeutic agent, the genotoxic analysis was performed in both in vitro Chinese Hamster Ovary cells (250, 500, and 1000 µM/mL) and in vivo Swiss albino mice (250, 500, and 1000 mg/kg). In vitro results showed that OMC concentration of up to 250 µM/mL did not elicit significant changes in CAs, MI, and MN counts in CHO cells. Similarly, in mice experiments (i.p. injection), no significant changes in CAs, MI, and MN induction were observed till 500 mg/kg of OMC when compared with chrysophanic acid (Cy) (200 mg/kg). In addition, mice that received the lowest dose of OMC (250 mg/kg) did not show any histological changes in liver, kidney, and heart. The study concluded that five times higher therapeutic dose (100 mg/kg) of OMC can be utilized against hyperglycemia with no genotoxic effects.

High mitotic index has no prognostic significance in mixed tumor of the vagina.

Mixed tumor of the vagina is a benign neoplasm usually developing in the posterior and distal vaginal wall, close to the hymen, with almost all reported cases exhibiting no or little cellular pleomorphism and rare mitotic activity. The present paper presents a case of a 30 year-old pregnant patient also known to have human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in which a mixed tumor of the vagina was identified and completely surgically removed. Microscopic examination revealed a predominant spindle cell component characterized by high mitotic activity and mild cellular pleomorphism admixed with a minor epithelial component mainly represented by glandular structures lacking atypia and mitoses. Close follow-up showed that the high mitotic index has no prognostic significance in mixed tumor of the vagina, as our patient is well at 3 years after the initial diagnosis.

Cytotoxic and genotoxic assessment of agricultural soils from an industrial region.

Industrial effluents contain hazardous substances that can be a serious threat to the agriculture and human health. In the present study, the cytotoxic and genotoxic impacts of agricultural soil from the industrial area of Dera Bassi (Punjab, India) have been evaluated. Assays such as defects in DNA repair in K-12 mutants of Escherichia coli and chromosomal aberrations in Allium cepa were used to estimate the acute toxicity and chromosomal mutagenesis, respectively. Atomic absorption spectrometry and GC-MS analysis revealed contamination of the soil with high concentrations of heavy metals and organic compounds, respectively. Dichloromethane extract of site I soil sample caused maximum damage to 40 µL mL-1 DNA repair defective mutants and showed 38 and 49% survival in lexA and recA mutants, respectively, which was least among all the sites. In A. cepa test, an inverse relationship between soil extract concentration and the mitotic index was observed. Exposure of growing roots of A. cepa to soil extracts induced chromosomal abnormalities and alterations in mitotic phases in root tip cells. The study concludes that agricultural sites near the industrial area were contaminated with genotoxic and mutagenic compounds. Hence, adequate measures should be taken to reduce the toxicity of industrial effluents discharged onto the agricultural fields.