Methanolic extracts of Solieria robusta inhibits proliferation of oral cancer Ca9-22 cells via apoptosis and oxidative stress.

Many red algae-derived natural products are known to have anticancer effects. The biological functions of the red alga Solieria robusta from the Karachi coast (Pakistan) remain unclear. Here, we prepared a methanolic extracts of S. robusta (MESR) to examine its possible anti-oral cancer effects and the corresponding mechanism of action. Cell viability of MESR-incubated oral cancer Ca9-22 cells was dose-responsively decreased (p<0.001). According to a propidium iodide (PI)-based assay the cell cycle distribution was dramatically changed, especially for subG1 accumulation. Annexin V/PI assay of apoptosis using flow cytometry also showed that MESR-incubated Ca9-22 cells were dose-responsively increased (p<0.001). For evaluation of oxidative stress in MESR-incubated Ca9-22 cells, we found that reactive oxygen species (ROS) were overexpressed dose- and time-responsively and mitochondrial depolarization was also increased (p<0.001). Taken together, MESR showed inhibitory effects on oral cancer proliferation coupled with apoptosis and oxidative stress.

A case report of a huge congenital granular cell epulis operated under local anesthesia.

Congenital granular cell epulis (CGCE) is a very rare benign soft tissue lesion of the neonate, it most frequently located on the anterior maxillary alveolar ridge. It has a female predilection. It is a tumor with no tendency to recur after excision. The exact histogenesis of this tumor remains unresolved and it may be hamartomata.

[A successful case of lower gingival cancer with pulmonary metastases by adjuvant chemotherapy including paclitaxel, cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil following a surgical procedure].

We report a successful case with pulmonary metastases from lower gingival cancer by a surgical procedure and four cycles of adjuvant chemotherapy including paclitaxel (PTX), cisplatin (CDDP) and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). A 47-year-old woman underwent chemotherapy with CDDP and 5-FU after an operation for lower gingival squamous cell carcinoma and its neck lymph node metastases. At 4 months from the initial treatment, pulmonary metastatic lesion was resected by video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS). Fourteen months later, pulmonary metastatic lesion was found and dissected again using VATS. Furthermore, the patient was treated by adjuvant chemotherapy with PTX 135 mg/m(2) over 3 hours on day 1, CDDP 75 mg/m(2)on day 2 and 5-FU 350 mg/m(2)/day by continuous intravenous infusion on day 2 through 5. After that, there is no evidence of pulmonary recurrence for more than six years.

Green tea polyphenol targets the mitochondria in tumor cells inducing caspase 3-dependent apoptosis.

Induction of apoptosis by green tea polyphenols has been observed in various tumor cell systems, but whether green tea polyphenol-induced apoptosis requires caspase 3 for execution has not been confirmed. We previously reported that green tea polyphenol-induced apoptosis involved Apaf-1 accumulation and caspase 3 activation in the cytosol. In the current study, tumor cells either with deleted caspase 3 gene or expressing wild-type caspase 3 were treated with increasing concentrations of green tea polyphenol(s), followed by morphological analysis and caspase 3 activity assay. The caspase 3 null parental cell line was further examined in comparison with a well-characterized, caspase 3 wild type oral carcinoma cell line by MTT assay and BrdU incorporation assay. The results demonstrated that, while the mitochondrial function gradually declined to insignificant levels, caspase 3 null cells did not undergo apoptosis, which suggested that green tea polyphenol-induced apoptosis is a mitochondria-targeted, caspase 3-executed mechanism.

The effect of betel nut extract on cell growth and prostaglandin endoperoxide synthase in human epidermoid carcinoma cells.

The objective of this study was to find out whether prostaglandin endoperoxide synthase (PHS) involves the action of betel nut extract (BNE) on the growth of oral cancers. Therefore, growth and PHS activity were examined in two human oral carcinoma cell lines (OEC-M1 and KB) and one normal fibroblast cell line (NF) in the presence of increasing BNE concentration. BNE at concentrations above 50 microg/ml significantly inhibited the cell growth of OEC-M1 after 72 h in culture, of KB and NF after 48 h in culture. The IC50 of BNE in OEC-M1, KB and NF at 24 h in culture was about 406, 37.5 and 140 microg/ml respectively. PHS activity in OEC-M1 was significantly increased by low BNE concentrations (50 microg/ml, 114%; 100 microg/ml, 33%; 150 microg/ml, 30%) but significantly reduced at higher BNE concentrations (300 microg/ml, 33%; 500 microg/ml, 61%). The PHS activity in KB was significantly inhibited by BNE and this effect was intensified as concentrations increased (50 microg/ml, 31%; 100 microg/ml, 24%; 150 microg/ml, 43%; 300 microg/ml, 60%; 500 microg/ml, 92%). Similar to that in OEC-M1, the PHS activity in NF was significantly increased at low BNE concentrations (50 microg/ml, 139%; 100 microg/ml, 87%;150 microg/ml, 77%) but reduced at higher concentrations (300 microg/ml, 55%; 500 microg/ml, 72%). The PHS activity in all cell lines was almost completely blocked by indomethacin (5 x 10(-6) M). We conclude that these findings suggest that PHS may be an important biochemical mediator of the effect of BNE on the growth of two human oral carcinoma cell lines.

Granuloma periférico de células gigantes: caso clínico y revisión de la literatura / The peripheral giant cell granuloma: clinical case and review of literature review

El granuloma periférico de células gigantes, es una lesión exofítica que se sitúa en la zona gingival y en el hueso alveolar, de carácter benigno y etiología no muy bien definida. Representa el 7 por ciento de los tumores benignos de los maxilares. En este trabajo, describimos un caso en una mujer de 13 años de edad, con una lesión de crecimiento rápido, localizada en el maxilar superior y realizamos una revisión bibliográfica, estudiando los aspectos epidemiológicos, clinicopatológicos y los posibles tratamientos de este proceso. (AU)

Metallothionein immunoreactivity in head and neck carcinomas; special reference to clinical behaviors and chemotherapy responses.

Metallothionein (MT), has selectively binding affinity for heavy metal ions and over expression of MT has a potential against resistance for CDDP anticancer agents and radiation treatment. The role of MT immunoreactivity of squamous cell carcinoma in oral and pharyngeal regions (n = 28) and in the maxillary sinus region (n = 3) was evaluated for distribution patterns of MT and clinicopathologic behaviors. All the sections were examined in 400x and counted for MT positive cells over 5 fields of tumor growing foci. MT immunoreactivity was expressed in both tumor cell cytoplasm and nuclei, and showed heterogeneous localization in tumor epithelial cells and in the stroma. Immunohistochemical localizations showed mosaic patterns as the highest MT staining tumor cells intermingled with negative or low staining cells in neoplastic foci, and in stromal cells. Histiocytic and fibrocytic cells in both peripheral and interstitial stromas were also not stained homogeneously. In oral and pharyngeal carcinomas (n = 28), MT positive cell index in treated cases (n = 11) was 17.85% and that in non treated tumors (n = 17) was 25.19%. In maxillary sinus carcinomas (n = 3), MT positive index was 4.56% and showed lowers levels as compacted to other SCC sites. Among histological grading in oral and pharyngeal SCCs, MT index of well differentiated SCC (n = 9) was 17.04%, of moderately differentiated SCC (n = 13) 21.92% and poorly differentiated SCC (n = 6) was 31.06%. There is no significant correlation of positive index of metallothionein between treated and untreated samples taken in oral and pharyngeal SCCs.

Peripheral ameloblastoma of the gingiva. A case report.

Reports of gingival peripheral ameloblastoma are extremely rare and have been sporadic. This paper reports a pertinent case of a 40-year-old woman who for 2 years had a progressively enlarging asymptomatic firm mass in the buccal gingival region of the lower premolars. Cupping of the underlying bone was radiographically demonstrated. The lesion was excised surgically together with extraction of the first premolar, and no evidence of recurrence was seen 5 years later. The clinical, radiological, and histopathological characteristics of gingival peripheral ameloblastoma were analyzed in the 33 previously reported cases. The differential diagnosis and treatment of this case report are discussed.