Effects of 5-ALA mediated photodynamic therapy in oral cancer stem cells.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of PDT using the photosensitizer 5-aminoulevulinic acid (5-ALA) in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) behavior, mainly regarding its role on the cancer stem cell (CSC) phenotypes and in maintenance of the stem cell properties. Two OSCC cell lines were used and divided in the groups: Control, 5-ALA, LED 6 J/cm2 and PDT. MTT and Neutral red assays were used to access cellular viability, cell migration was evaluated by the wound healing assay. The stem cell phenotype was analyzed by flow cytometry to evaluate the CD44high/ESAhigh, CD44high/ESAlow and CD44low populations, by the clonogenic and tumor sphere formation assays as well as by RT-qPCR. The presence of Protoporphyrin IX in each CSC fraction was evaluated by flow cytometry. The OSCC cell lines showed a significant decrease in cell viability and migration after PDT. The percentage of CD44high/ESAhigh cells decreased after PDT, which was associated with an increase in the CD44low cells and with a functional decrease in the colony and sphere formation capacity. CD44high/ESAhigh cells showed increased PpIX, which contributed for their greater sensitivity to PDT. INV gene increased significantly after PDT, indicating cellular differentiation. Altogether, our results demonstrate that 5-ALA mediated PDT decreases not only the fraction of oral CSC but also their functional capabilities, inducing their differentiation.

Analysis of the psychopathological profile, quality of life, and cost-effectiveness of oral lichen planus patients treated with photobiomodulation.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effect of PBM on the psychological profile and quality of life of patients with oral lichen planus (OLP) in comparison to corticoid and to investigate the cost-effectiveness of both treatments. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients were randomized into two groups: Control (clobetasol propionate 0.05%) and Photobiomodulation (660 nm, 100mW, 177 J/cm2, 5 s, 0.5 J) twice a week for 30 days. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and OHIP-14 were used in different treatment time points and at follow-up. The cost-effectiveness was calculated using the improvement in OHIP-14 after treatment. RESULTS: OLP patients showed detected levels of anxiety, depression, and poor quality of life at baseline. No improvement in anxiety and depression was noticed after treatments. However, PBM and corticoid significantly improved the quality of life of OLP patients, considering the OHIP-14-T and the physical pain domain. The treatment with corticoid was more cost-effective than PBM. CONCLUSIONS: Psychological distress was not improved after both treatments and PBM is as effective as corticoids in promoting a better quality of life in OLP patients, despite its higher cost. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This study highlights the need for additional therapeutic interventions in OLP patients, to early recognize and to manage the alterations in their psychological profile. Moreover, PBM is an effective therapy in OLP patient's quality of live and although it was a more expensive, the advantage of being a minimally invasive therapy associated with no side effects must be considered in clinical practice, especially in those patients with refractory disease. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov; the registration number is NCT03320460, registered in 17/10/2017.

Photodynamic therapy for squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck: narrative review focusing on photosensitizers.

This narrative review aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of PDT in early or advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN). Scopus, MEDLINE/PubMed, and Embase were searched electronically following the PRISMA protocol. Quality assessment was performed according to JBI, NIH, and AMSTAR protocols. The main outcomes evaluated were treatment response, recurrence, survival, and adverse effects. A total of 49 articles met the search criteria: 43 case series, two cohort studies, two prospective before-after clinical trials, one systematic review, and one meta-analysis. Data from 2121 SCCHN patients were included. The response to PDT was variable according to the type of photosensitizer, tumor location, and tumor stage. In general, higher complete responses rated were observed in T1/T2 SCCHN, mainly with mTHPC-mediated PDT. With regard to T3/T4 or advanced SCCHN tumors, there is no compelling evidence suggesting the effectiveness of PDT. Any adverse effects reported were well tolerated by patients. The present review suggests that PDT is a promising treatment modality for early-stage SCCHN. Although there are limitations due to the low level of evidence of the included studies, we believe that the present review could help to design robust clinical trials to determine the efficacy of PDT in SCCHN.

Cohabitation with a sick partner increases allergic lung inflammatory response in mice.

The bidirectional relationship between the nervous system and the immune system is relevant for homeostatic organism maintenance. Studies from our laboratory showed that 14days of cohabitation with a sick partner (injected with Ehrlich tumor cells-TAE) produced behavioral, neurochemical, endocrinological and immunological changes. This study analyzes the effects of cohabitation with an Ehrlich tumor-bearing animal on ovalbumin (OVA)-induced lung inflammatory response in mice. Pairs of male mice were divided into three groups: naïve, control and experimental. Animals of the naïve group were kept undisturbed being used for the assessment of basal parameters. One animal of each experimental and control pair of mice was immunized with OVA. On ED(0), these OVA-immunized animals received an OVA booster. At this day (D(0)) the experimental mice that were kept undisturbed were inoculated with 5×10(6) Ehrlich tumor cells; their immunized cage-mates were then referred as to CSP ("companion of sick partner"). The undisturbed mice of each control pair were i.p. treated on D(0) with 0.9% NaCl; their sensitized cage-mates were subsequently referred as CHP ("companion of health partner"). The OVA challenge was performed on CSP and CHP mice on ED(12) and ED(13); blood and tissue collection were performed on ED(14). Fourteen days after cohabitation, in comparison to the CHP mice, the CSP mice displayed the following: (1) an increased number of eosinophils and neutrophils in the BAL, (2) a decreased bone marrow cell count, (3) increased levels of IL-4 and IL-5 and decreased levels of IL-10 and IFN-γ in the BAL supernatant, (5) increased levels of IgG1-OVA, decreased levels of IgG2a-OVA and no changes in OVA-specific IgE in the peripheral blood, (6) increased expression of L-selectin in the BAL granulocytes, (7) decreased tracheal reactivity to methacholine measured in vitro, (8) no changes in plasma corticosterone levels and (9) increased levels of plasmatic noradrenaline. These results suggest that allergic lung inflammatory response exacerbation in CSP mice is a consequence of the psychological stress induced by forced cohabitation with the sick partner. Strong involvement of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) through adrenaline and noradrenaline release and a shift of the Th1/Th2 cytokine profile toward a Th2 response were considered to be the mechanisms underlying the cell recruitment to the animal's airways.

Nitric oxide mediates lung vascular permeability and lymph-borne IL-6 after an intestinal ischemic insult.

Acute lung injury following intestinal I/R depends on neutrophil-endothelial cell interactions and on cytokines drained from the gut through the lymph. Among the mediators generated during I/R, increased serum levels of IL-6 and NO are also found and might be involved in acute lung injury. Once intestinal ischemia itself may be a factor of tissue injury, in this study, we investigated the presence of IL-6 in lymph after intestinal ischemia and its effects on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) detachment. The involvement of NO on the increase of lung and intestinal microvascular permeability and the lymph effects on HUVEC detachment were also studied. Upon anesthesia, male Wistar rats were subjected to occlusion of the superior mesenteric artery during 45 min, followed by 2-h intestinal reperfusion. Rats were treated with the nonselective NO synthase (NOS) inhibitor L-NAME (N(omega)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester) or with the selective inhibitor of iNOS aminoguanidine 1 h before superior mesenteric artery occlusion. Whereas treatment with L-NAME during ischemia increased both IL-6 levels in lymph and lung microvascular permeability, aminoguanidine restored the augmented intestinal plasma extravasation due to ischemia and did not induce IL-6 in lymph. On the other hand, IL-6 and lymph of intestinal I/R detached the HUVECs, whereas lymph of ischemic rats upon L-NAME treatment when incubated with anti-IL-6 prevented HUVEC detachment. It is shown that the intestinal ischemia itself is sufficient to increase intestinal microvascular permeability with involvement of iNOS activation. Intestinal ischemia and absence of constitutive NOS activity leading to additional intestinal stress both cause release of IL-6 and increase of lung microvascular permeability. Because anti-IL-6 prevented the endothelial cell injury caused by lymph at the ischemia period, the lymph-borne IL-6 might be involved with endothelial cell activation. At the reperfusion period, this cytokine does not seem to be modulated by NO.

Cellular recruitment and cytokine generation in a rat model of allergic lung inflammation are differentially modulated by progesterone and estradiol.

We evaluated the role of estradiol and progesterone in allergic lung inflammation. Rats were ovariectomized (Ovx) and, 7 days later, were sensitized with ovalbumin (OA) and challenged after 2 wk with inhaled OA; experiments were performed 1 day thereafter. Ovx-allergic rats showed reduced cell recruitment into the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid relative to sham-Ovx allergic rats, as was observed in intact allergic rats treated with ICI-182,780. Estradiol increased the number of cells in the BAL of Ovx-allergic rats, whereas progesterone induced an additional reduction. Cells of BAL and bone marrow (BM) of Ovx-allergic rats released elevated amounts of IL-10 and reduced IL-1beta and TNF-alpha. BM cells of Ovx-allergic rats released increased amounts of IL-10 and lower amounts of IL-4. Estradiol treatment of Ovx-allergic rats decreased the release of IL-10 but increased that of IL-4 by BM cells. Estradiol also caused an increased release of IL-1beta and TNF-alpha by BAL cells. Progesterone significantly increased the release of IL-10, IL-1beta, and TNF-alpha by BAL cells and augmented that of IL-4 by BM cells. Degranulation of bronchial mast cells from Ovx rats was reduced after in vitro challenge, an effect reverted by estradiol but not by progesterone. We suggest that the serum estradiol-to-progesterone ratio might drive cellular recruitment, modulating the pulmonary allergy and profile of release of anti-inflammatory or inflammatory cytokines. The existence of such dual hormonal effects suggests that the hormone therapy of asthmatic postmenopausal women and of those suffering of premenstrual asthma should take into account the possibility of worsening the pulmonary conditions.