The diagnostic utility of preoperative breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and/or intraoperative sub-nipple biopsy in nipple-sparing mastectomy.

BACKGROUND: The necessity of routine sub-nipple biopsy was uncertain, and the role of preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in detecting nipple invasion in patients who have been selected for nipple sparing mastectomy (NSM) has not been adequately evaluated. METHODS: We retrospectively collected and analyzed the medical and surgical records of 434 patients with primary operable breast cancer who met the criteria for NSM and underwent breast surgery during the period January 2011 to December 2015. Patients were stratified into three risk groups (low, intermediate, and high) according to tumor size and tumor-to-nipple distance. RESULTS: Among the 434 patients in this study, 29 (6.7%) had occult invasion of the nipple-areola complex (NAC). Sub-nipple biopsy had a sensitivity of 84.6%, a specificity of 100%, a false negative rate of 1.2%, a false positive rate of 0%, and an overall accuracy rate of 98.8% in confirming NAC invasion. The NAC invasion rate was 0% in the low-risk group, 5.1% in the intermediate-risk group, and 19.7% in the high-risk group (P < 0.01). The overall NPV of preoperative MRI for predicting NAC invasion was 94.8%. Cost analysis revealed that the cost of NSM with sub-nipple biopsy was significantly higher than that of NSM alone, with a mean difference in cost of USD 238.5 (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The high negative predictive value of MRI for NAC invasion is useful for selection of patients receiving NSM. Sub-nipple biopsy is a reliable procedure to detect occult NAC invasion, however, routine use is not cost-effect for low risk patients.

Improvement of glycemic control in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats by Atlantic salmon skin gelatin hydrolysate as the dipeptidyl-peptidase IV inhibitor.

In our previous study, Atlantic salmon skin gelatin hydrolysed with flavourzyme possessed 42.5% dipeptidyl-peptidase (DPP)-IV inhibitory activity at a concentration of 5 mg mL(-1). The oral administration of the hydrolysate (FSGH) at a single dose of 300 mg per day in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats for 5 weeks was evaluated for its antidiabetic effect. During the 5-week experiment, body weight increased, and the food and water intake was reduced by FSGH in diabetic rats. The daily administration of FSGH for 5 weeks was effective for lowering the blood glucose levels of diabetic rats during an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). After the 5-week treatment, plasma DPP-IV activity was inhibited; the plasma activity of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), insulin, and the insulin-to-glucagon ratio were increased by FSGH in diabetic rats. The results indicate that FSGH has the function of inhibiting GLP-1 degradation by DPP-IV, resulting in the enhancement of insulin secretion and improvement of glycemic control in STZ-induced diabetic rats.

In vivo assessment of grafted cortical neural progenitor cells and host response to functionalized self-assembling peptide hydrogels and the implications for tissue repair.

Tissue specific scaffolds formed from minimalist N-fluorenylmethyloxycarbonyl self-assembling peptides (Fmoc-SAPs) have emerged as promising biomaterials due to their ease of synthesis and capacity to self-assemble via simple, non-covalent interactions into complex nanofibrous hydrogels. However, concerns remain over their biocompatibility and cytotoxicity for in vivo applications. Here, we demonstrate that these Fmoc-SAPs are biocompatible in vivo and well suited as a delivery vehicle for cell transplantation. In order to determine the effect of tissue specific parameters, we designed three Fmoc-SAPs containing varying bioactive peptide sequences derived from extracellular matrix proteins, laminin and fibronectin. Fmoc-SAPs delivering cortical neural progenitor cells into the mouse brain display a limited foreign body response, effective functionalization and low cytotoxicity for at least 28 days. These results highlight the suitability of Fmoc-SAPs for improved neural tissue repair through the support of grafted cells and adjacent host parenchyma. Overall, we illustrate that Fmoc-SAPs are easily engineered materials for use as a tool in cell transplantation, where biocompatibility is key to promoting cell survival, enhancing the graft-host interface and attenuation of the inflammatory response for improved tissue repair outcomes.