Alkaloids extracted from Pterogyne nitens induce apoptosis in malignant breast cell line.

In the present study, two alkaloids isolated from Pterogyne nitens, a plant native to Brazil, have been shown to induce apoptosis in human breast cancer cells. These compounds, pterogynine (PGN) and pterogynidine (PGD), were tested for their effect on a human infiltrating ductal carcinoma cell line (ZR-7531). The cell line was treated with each alkaloid at several concentrations. Time-dependence (with or without recuperation time) and concentration-dependence (in the range 0.25-10 mM) were investigated in cytotoxicity and apoptosis assays. The annexin assay indicated an apparently higher percentage of death by necrosis of malignant cells after 24 h exposure to both P. nitens extracts than the Hoechst assay. Thus, our results in the two tests demonstrated that the Hoechst assay can discriminate between late apoptotic cells and necrosis, whereas the flow cytometry-based annexin V assay cannot. We concluded that PGN and PGD have effective antineoplastic activity against human breast cancer cells in vitro, by inducing programmed cell death.

Immunohistochemical expression of HLA-DR in the conjunctiva of patients under topical prostaglandin analogs treatment.

PURPOSE: Subclinical inflammation may be observed in patients using topical antiglaucomatous drugs. The objective of this study was to investigate inflammation in conjunctiva of glaucoma patients using prostaglandin analogs, by the detection of an immunogenetic marker (HLA-DR) and compare the effect of 3 different drugs: latanoprost, bimatoprost, and travoprost in the induction of this inflammation. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Thirty-three patients with primary open-angle glaucoma were evaluated without and with prostaglandin analogs topical therapy. Imprints of conjunctival cells were obtained, fixed on glass slides, and prepared for immunohistochemical analysis. RESULTS: Before the use of prostaglandin analogs, 4 of the 33 patients evaluated presented expression of HLA-DR in the conjunctiva (mild). After 1 month on prostaglandin analog treatment, all but 1 patient presented HLA-DR staining. HLA-DR expression of these 32 patients was scored as mild (19 patients), medium (11 patients), or intense (2 patients). The differences were statistically significant both when the presence and the increased expression of HLA-DR were considered (P<0.001). When the 3 different groups were analyzed (latanoprost, bimatoprost, and travoprost) no statistically significant difference was found (P=0.27). CONCLUSIONS: The use of prostaglandin analogs eye drops provokes a subclinical inflammatory reaction, observed by HLA-DR expression, even after a short period of treatment, independently of the class of the prostaglandin analogs used.

Colonoscopia diagnóstica e terapêutica: análise de 1000 exames / Diagnostic and therapeutic colonoscopy: 1000 cases analysed

Os autores relatam os resultados de 1000 colonoscopias realizadas no Serviço de Coloproctologia do Hospital das Forças Armadas, Brasilia-DF. A indicaçäo mais frequente foi a alteraçäo do hábito intestinal. As colonoscopias foram normais em 43,2 porcento dos casos. Os pólipos colorretais e a doença diverticular foram as patologias de maior prevalência. A taxa de complicaçäo foi de 0,4 porcento, consistindo de três casos de perfuraçäo de cólon e um caso de bacteremia após o exame. Quando exames de enema opaco de 176 pacientes foram comparados com os achados da colonoscopia, observaram-se 93 casos positivos verdadeiros, 32 negativos verdadeiros, 43 falsos-positivos, oito casos de falsos-negativos, resultando em sensibilidade de 92,07 porcento, especificidade de 42,66 porcento, valor preditivo positivo de 68,33 porcento, valor preditivo negativo de 80 porcento e acuidade diagnóstica de 71,02 porcento. Os achados corroboram a eficiência e segurança da colonoscopia, em relaçäo ao enema opaco, como procedimento fundamental no diagnóstico das patologias do intestino grosso