Dietary leucine supplementation minimises tumour-induced damage in placental tissues of pregnant, tumour-bearing rats.

BACKGROUND: The occurrence of cancer during pregnancy merges two complex, poorly understood metabolic and hormonal conditions. This association can exacerbate the conditions of both the mother and the foetus. The branched-chain amino acid leucine enhances cellular activity, particularly by increasing protein synthesis. This study aimed to analyse the modulatory effect of a leucine-rich diet on direct and indirect tumour-induced placental damage. This was accomplished by evaluating the expression of genes involved in protein synthesis and degradation and assessing anti-oxidant enzyme activity in placental tissues collected from pregnant, tumour-bearing rats. RESULTS: Pregnant rats were either implanted with Walker 256 tumour cells or injected with ascitic fluid (to study the indirect effects of tumour growth) and then fed a leucine-rich diet. Animals in a control group underwent the same procedures but were fed a normal diet. On the 20(th) day of pregnancy, tumour growth was observed. Dams fed a normoprotein diet showed the greatest tumour growth. Injection with ascitic fluid mimicked the effects of tumour growth. Decreased placental protein synthesis and increased protein degradation were observed in both the tumour-bearing and the ascitic fluid-injected groups that were fed a normoprotein diet. These effects resulted in low placental DNA and protein content and high lipid peroxidation (measured by malondialdehyde content). Decreased placental protein synthesis-related gene expression was observed in the tumour group concomitant with increased expression of genes encoding protein degradation-associated proteins and proteolytic subunits. CONCLUSIONS: Consumption of a leucine-rich diet counteracted the effects produced by tumour growth and injection with ascitic fluid. The diet enhanced cell signalling, ameliorated deficiencies in DNA and protein content, and balanced protein synthesis and degradation processes in the placenta. The improvements in cell signalling included changes in the mTOR/eIF pathway. In conclusion, consumption of a leucine-rich diet improved placental metabolism and cell signalling in tumour-bearing rats, and these changes reduced the deleterious effects caused by tumour growth.

Pheochromocytoma associated with pregnancy: unexpected favourable outcome in patients diagnosed after delivery.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to present the clinical findings and outcome of a large cohort of pregnant women with pheochromocytoma (PHEO) with the aim to contribute to the better recognition, detection and management of pregnancy-related PHEO in the population of pregnant patients with hypertension. METHODS: This is a longitudinal follow-up of a single cohort of 15 patients aged 19-40 years with PHEO associated with pregnancy. Urinary catecholamines and vanillylmandelic acid (VMA) were analysed. Ret proto-oncogene, SDHB and VHL mutations were determined in germline DNA from seven women using PCR followed by direct sequencing. RESULTS: During pregnancy, all women presented typical features of catecholamines excess. Nevertheless, biochemical diagnosis was performed only in four out of 15 cases during pregnancy and postpartum in the remaining 11. Paroxysmal hypertension was the predominant pattern. Urinary catecholamines and/or VMA were increased in all patients. Tumours were adrenal in 13 patients and extraadrenal in two. Mutations in the Ret proto-oncogene were found in four patients, in the VHL gene in one and in the SDHB gene in one. Antihypertensive treatment resulted in effective control of blood pressure and all women survived. In the group of women diagnosed postpartum, one foetus demised. Newborns from mothers receiving adequate treatment survived. One woman left the hospital after caesarean section but before PHEO surgery became pregnant again and this gestation ended with maternal-foetal dead. CONCLUSION: A high index of suspicion in all pregnant women presenting hypertension mainly paroxystic during any gestational phase and/or a history of familial PHEO are the keys to disclose this important diagnosis.