Classical Protein Kinase C: a novel kinase target in breast cancer.

Classical protein kinase C (cPKC) enzymes are ser/thr protein kinases that have been an important factor in regulating a variety of cellular functions required for both in terms of health and disease. Therefore, precise control of cPKC-mediated signal is necessary for cellular homeostasis; however, their dysregulation leads to the development of several pathophysiological conditions including cancer. In cellular microenvironment, cPKC-mediated signaling is accompanied by multiple molecular mechanisms including phosphorylation, second messenger binding, and scaffold proteins. Functional cPKC interacts with a number of cellular proteins involved in the regulation of multiple biological functions such as cell growth, survival, migration, and adhesion. Further, the role of cPKC varies from cell to cell, substrate to substrate and, therefore, it is plausible to assume that the dysregulation of cPKC activity causes cellular transformation. Currently, there is no sufficient literature available to provide better understating to develop an effective therapeutic regimen to reverse pathophysiological condition caused by functionally dysregulated cPKC. Therefore, in the present review, we have focused on to provide a better and detail information on the various aspects of cPKC such as structure, mode of activation, regulation, and distinct cellular functions useful for the development of an effective therapeutic regimen against the breast cancer.

Rapidly progressing giant aneurysm of right ventricular outflow tract with severe conduit obstruction: Report of two cases.

Pseudoaneurysm of the right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) has been reported as a rare complication of RVOT reconstruction performed using conduit replacement or patch repair. The RVOT needs to be followed up on echocardiography and if aneurysm a large aneurysm forms, it needs to be operated. Usually progression of aneurysm is slow. Rarely, it may present with symptoms secondary to the compression of adjoining mediastinal structures or thrombus formation inside the aneurysm. We report two cases of rapidly progressing massive RVOT aneurysm needing early surgical intervention. Both patients had ventricular septal defect (VSD) closure and right ventricle to pulmonary artery conduit placement. In both patients Contegra pulmonary valved conduit (Medtronic) had been used.

Selenium nanoparticles induce suppressed function of tumor associated macrophages and inhibit Dalton's lymphoma proliferation.

Selenium Nanoparticle (SeNPs) is reported that it enhances and maintains optimal immune during infection and malignancies. To this end, we examined the role of selenium on TAMS whose anti-tumor function suppressed which favor tumor progression. BALB/c (H2d) strain of mice non-Hodgkin type of Dalton's cell line was used to check the role of carboxlic group induced, synthesized SeNPs on TAMs. Screening of IC50 value was done primarily trypen blue exclusion assay and 50% proliferation of DL cells inhibited 40 ng/ml to 50 ng/. Treatment also decreases ΔΨm, fragmentation of DNA of DL cells and arrest cells cycle in G1/G0 phage. Untreated TAMs cells showing suppressed expression of ROS, adhesion, phagocytosis, fusion and receptor profiling such as ICAM-1, CD47, CD172α. Which was induced more as compare to untreated group. SeNPs have potential to induce the anti-tumor function of TAMs whose anti-tumor function down-regulated pliable shifted towards tumor progression. It decreased the proliferation of DL cell by inducing apoptosis. Therefore, the synthesized SeNPs could be used for imaging diagnosis and cancer therapy which must be cost effective with negligible side effects shifted towards tumor progression. It decreased the proliferation of DL cell by inducing apoptosis.

Percutaneous device closure of Persistent Left Superior Vena Cava Connecting to the Left Atrium with intact coronary sinus: A Rare Entity.

We report a 4 year old child referred for routine cardiology evaluation as part of evaluation of murmur with scoliosis. On examination, there was mild duskiness. Echocardiography revealed bilateral superior vena cavae, a small innominate vein, a left superior vena cava to the left atrium and an intact coronary sinus. The findings were confirmed on computed tomography angiography. Percutaneous closure of the left superior vena cava by an Amplatzer vascular plug was done successfully. Although the patient was apparently asymptomatic, the procedure was done to prevent risk of cerebral emboli.

Mycotic aneurysm: a lesser known complication of coarctation repair in a child, managed by endovascular aneurysm repair.

We report a 12-year-old child diagnosed with mycotic aneurysm at the site of coarctation of aorta (CoA) repair. Surgical intervention, though very high risk, is the mainstay of management. In selected cases endovascular stenting is being reported in adults. Here we report the use of an endovascular stent in a child.

Novel optically active lead-free relaxor ferroelectric (Ba0.6Bi0.2Li0.2)TiO3.

We discovered a near-room-temperature lead-free relaxor-ferroelectric (Ba0.6Bi0.2Li0.2)TiO3 (BBLT) having A-site compositionally disordered ABO3 perovskite structure. Microstructure-property relations revealed that the chemical inhomogeneities and development of local polar nano-regions (PNRs) are responsible for dielectric dispersion as a function of probe frequencies and temperatures. Rietveld analysis indicates mixed crystal structure with 80% tetragonal structure (space group P4mm) and 20% orthorhombic structure (space group Amm2), which is confirmed by the high resolution transmission electron diffraction (HRTEM). Dielectric constant and tangent loss dispersion with and without illumination of light obey nonlinear Vogel-Fulcher (VF) relations. The material shows slim polarization-hysteresis (P-E) loops and excellent displacement coefficients (d 33 ~ 233 pm V(-1)) near room temperature, which gradually diminish near the maximum dielectric dispersion temperature (T m ). The underlying physics for light-sensitive dielectric dispersion was probed by x-ray photon spectroscopy (XPS), which strongly suggests that mixed valence of bismuth ions, especially Bi(5+) ions, comprise most of the optically active centers. Ultraviolet photoemission measurements showed most of the Ti ions are in 4 + states and sit at the centers of the TiO6 octahedra; along with asymmetric hybridization between O 2p and Bi 6s orbitals, this appears to be the main driving force for net polarization. This BBLT material may open a new path for environmental friendly lead-free relaxor-ferroelectric research.

Isolated Biventricular Noncompaction in an adult with severe pulmonary hypertension: An association reviewed.

Biventricular noncompaction is a recently recognized rare form of cardiomyopathy. It is characterized by altered structure of myocardial wall as a result of intrauterine arrest of compaction of the myocardial fibers in absence of coexisting congenital lesion. Left ventricle is the most affected site for noncompaction, but right ventricular involvement has been reported in a few cases. Diagnosis is made with 2-dimensional echocardiography or cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. While major clinical manifestations are heart failure, arrhythmias and embolic events,pulmonary artery hypertension (PAH) has not been well elaborated in the literature. We present a 13-year old boy who had Biventricular noncompaction complicated by severe pulmonary hypertension. Pulmonary hypertension may be a consequence of increased pulmonary venous pressures caused by systolic and diastolic left ventricular dysfunction secondary to noncompaction. We review the literature particularly with reference toPAH in the context of our case.

Hepatic osteodystrophy is common in patients with noncholestatic liver disease.

BACKGROUND: Patients with cirrhosis are more prone to develop metabolic bone disease. Scanty literature data are available on osteodystrophy in patients from India with noncholestatic liver diseases. METHODS: Patients diagnosed with cirrhosis were prospectively evaluated for bone mineral density (BMD) as measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry at the femoral neck, lumbar spine, and left forearm (distal radius). Correlation of BMD with age, sex, etiology of cirrhosis, Child's class, serum bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), albumin, calcium, phosphate, 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D), and parathyroid hormone (PTH) was studied. RESULTS: The study group comprised 115 cirrhotic patients (107 males and 8 females). Etiology of cirrhosis was alcohol in 67 (58.2%) and viral in 48 (41.7%). Hepatitis B was diagnosed in 29 (25.2%) and hepatitis C in 19 (16.5%). Mean age was 49 (± 5.5) years. Prevalence of osteodystrophy was significantly higher in males than in females; 97.1% and 75% respectively (P = .038). Both alcoholic and viral groups had similar baseline characteristics except albumin levels. Child's class was B in 72 patients and C in 43. Low BMD was present in 97% of patients with alcoholic cirrhosis and 93.7% with viral cirrhosis (P > .05). Low BMD was present at the femoral neck in 80.8% of patients, lumbar spine in 77.3%, and forearm in 59.9%. PTH correlated negatively with BMD. CONCLUSION: Osteodystrophy is common in alcoholic and viral cirrhosis patients.

Symptomatic giant left atrial aneurysm in a child: a rare entity.

Isolated left atrial aneurysms are rare entities in clinical practice. Usually the condition is diagnosed in the second to fourth decades of life. The presence of such lesions in the pediatric age group is scantily described. We present a 2 year boy who presented with complaints of excessive irritability, respiratory distress and swelling of the feet. On examination, child was tachypnoeic with irregularly irregular rhythm. Echo showed a huge aneurysmal LA appendage with severe left ventricle dysfunction. The child underwent surgical resection for same. Findings were confirmed intraoperatively but he continued to have low cardiac output state after the surgery, with frequent arrhythmias and expired on day 7 of surgery. The case is reviewed and compared with the available English literature.

Biodiversity of phosphate solubilizing bacteria in rhizosphere of chickpea, mustard and wheat grown in different regions of Haryana.

The native population of phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB) was studied in the rhizosphere of chickpea, mustard and wheat grown in different regions of Haryana. A total of 193 PSB were isolated from 245 rhizospheric samples collected from south-west and north-east zones. The PSB count showed large variations (3-67 × 10(5)cfu/g) and biodiversity within the crop and place of sampling. Using biochemical analysis, the isolates were tentatively identified as belonging to four genera, Pseudomonas, Aeromonas, Klebsiella and Enterobacter. Phosphate solubilization of these isolates varied from 5.9 to 123.8% and 2.2 to 227.2 µg/ml in solid and liquid Pikovskaya's medium, respectively. Based on their morphological traits, all the isolates were placed into 20 groups, majority of them falling in the group having white, round and gummy colonies, irrespective of the crop or the region. The intrinsic antibiotic resistance pattern showed large variations among the isolates and most of the isolates were resistant to streptomycin, ampicillin and penicillin. The highest PSB number and greatest variability were found in the rhizosphere of chickpea, followed by wheat and then mustard.

Unusual case of ruptured sinus of Valsalva: rupture into left ventricle cavity along with distortion of mitral valve requiring double valve replacement.

We report a rare case of sinus of Valsalva aneurysm of left aortic sinus, which was bulging into left atrium (LA) distorting mitral valve and rupture into the left ventricle with severe aortic regurgitation in a 25 years old male patient. Due to the rupture, both aortic and mitral valves were irreparable and required a double valve replacement along with the closure of the neck of the aneurysmal cavity occupying the left atrial roof.

Isolated subpulmonary membrane causing critical neonatal pulmonary stenosis with concordant atrioventricular and ventriculoarterial connections.

We report a rare case of isolated subpulmonary membrane leading to critical pulmonary stenosis in an infant. This anomaly needs to be differentiated from valvar pulmonary stenosis as both anomalies require different modality of treatment (surgical/catheter).

Biventricular noncompaction: A rare cause of fetal distress and tricuspid regurgitation.

Isolated noncompaction of the ventricular myocardium involving both ventricles is a rare entity. Here we report a rare case of biventricular noncompaction presenting with features of fetal distress and moderate tricuspid regurgitation. Noncompaction of both ventricles was diagnosed at birth.

Psychiatric manifestations in Wilson's disease: a cross-sectional analysis.

Behavioral and psychiatric abnormalities in Wilson's disease (WD) have a variable frequency and spectrum. This study involved evaluation of the psychiatric comorbidities in patients of Wilson's disease, using structured clinical interview for DSM-IV Axis-I disorders (SCID). Among the 50 confirmed patients with Wilson's disease recruited for this study, 12 patients (24%) fulfilled the diagnostic criteria for syndromic psychiatric diagnosis: bipolar affective disorder (18%), major depression (4%), and dysthymia (2%). Formal assessment of psychopathology in all patients with Wilson's disease may have therapeutic significance.

Kinetics and mechanism of the citrate synthase from the thermophilic archaeon Thermoplasma acidophilum.

The kinetics and mechanism of the citrate synthase from a moderate thermophile, Thermoplasma acidophilum (TpCS), are compared with those of the citrate synthase from a mesophile, pig heart (PCS). All discrete steps in the mechanistic sequence of PCS can be identified in TpCS. The catalytic strategies identified in PCS, destabilization of the oxaloacetate substrate carbonyl and stabilization of the reactive species, acetyl-CoA enolate, are present in TpCS. Conformational changes, which allow the enzyme to efficiently catalyze both condensation of acetyl-CoA thioester and subsequently hydrolysis of citryl-CoA thioester within the same active site, occur in both enzymes. However, significant differences exist between the two enzymes. PCS is a characteristically efficient enzyme: no internal step is clearly rate-limiting and the condensation step is readily reversible. TpCS is a less efficient catalyst. Over a broad temperature range, inadequate stabilization of the transition state for citryl-CoA hydrolysis renders this step nearly rate-limiting for the forward reaction of TpCS. Further, excessive stabilization of the citryl-CoA intermediate renders the condensation step nearly irreversible. Values of substrate and solvent deuterium isotope effects are consistent with the kinetic model. Near its temperature optimum (70 degrees C), there is a modest increase in the reversibility of the condensation step for TpCS, but reversibility still falls short of that shown by PCS at 37 degrees C. The root cause of the catalytic inefficiency of TpCS may lie in the lack of protein flexibility imposed by the requirement for thermal stability of the protein itself or its temperature-labile substrate, oxaloacetate.

Influence of cadmium on growth and development of Vicia faba Linn.

Influence of cadmium (Cd) on growth and development of broad bean (V. faba) was assessed in pot cultures with cadmium iodide (CdI2) in different concentrations ranging from 15 to 500 mg per kg of soil. There was a decline in plant height and total dry weight. Root size decreased most significantly with a corresponding reduction in the frequency of root nodules. Total soluble protein in leaf, stem and root suffered a pronounced loss with increasing concentration of cadmium. Chlorophyll a was the most sensitive pigment followed by chlorophyll b and carotenoids. Nitrate reductase activity too was adversely affected. Cadmium contamination induced abnormalities in stomata and trichomes.