Targeting androgen receptor (AR) with a synthetic peptide increases apoptosis in triple negative breast cancer and AR-expressing prostate cancer cell lines.

BACKGROUND: The androgen receptor (AR) has been studied as an approach to cancer therapy. AIMS: We used human breast cancer-derived cells with high, low, and very low expression levels of AR, in addition to prostate cancer-derived LNCaP and DU-145 cells as a positive and negative controls to examine apoptosis caused by a synthetic peptide that targets ARs. METHODS AND RESULTS: The peptide was produced to inhibit AR transactivation in breast cancer cell lines. We then measured cell viability, caspase-3 activity, and the ratio of Bax/Bcl-2. The findings indicated that the peptide (100-500 nM) in the presence of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) reduced cell growth in cells with high and low expression level of AR (p < .001), but not in cells with very low levels of AR. Treatment with 100-500 nM of peptide activated caspase-3 and increased the ratio of Bax/Bcl-2 in cells with high and low expression levels of AR. Also, increasing concentrations of the peptide (100-500 nM) reduced BrdU incorporation in the presence of DHT and promoted apoptosis in cells with high and low expression levels of AR (p < .001). CONCLUSION: The findings indicate the peptide significantly increased apoptosis in cancer cells.

Recurrent Epistaxis and Bleeding as the Initial Manifestation of Brucellosis.

Severe thrombocytopenia with bleeding is rarely reported in children with brucellosis, and recurrent epistaxis is extremely rare. Brucellosis with hemorrhage should be differentiated from viral hemorrhagic fever, malignancy, and other blood disorders. Bone marrow aspiration (BMA) is mandatory to differentiate from other blood diseases. An 8-year-old boy was admitted with recurrent epistaxis, petechiae and purpura on face and extremities and bleeding from the gums. During the hospitalization, he was febrile and complained of muscle pain. Leukopenias associated with thrombocytopenia were observed. BMA showed to be normal. Among the multiple tests requested, only serum agglutination test (SAT) and 2-MercaptoEthanol test (2-ME) were positive. He was treated with Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) associated with co-trimoxazole and rifampin. Finally, fever subsided, and he was discharged with good condition and normal platelet count. Brucellosis should be a differential diagnosis in patients with fever and bleeding disorders and a history of consumption of unpasteurized dairy, in endemic areas.