Zerumbone modulates CD1d expression and lipid antigen presentation pathway in breast cancer cells.

Natural Killer T (NKT) cells based cancer immunotherapy is an evolving area of cancer therapy, but tumors escape from this treatment modality by altering CD1d expression and its antigen presentation pathway. Here, we have studied the relation of CD1d expression in various breast cancer cell lines to their viability and progression. We observed a novel phenomenon that CD1d expression level increases with the progressive stage of the cancer. A small molecule, zerumbone (ZER) caused down-regulation of CD1d that was accompanied by breast cancer cell growth in vitro. The growth inhibitory effect of ZER against breast cancer cells was augmented by treatment with anti-CD1d mAb. This effect was mediated by G1-phase cell cycle arrest and apoptosis induction coupled with an increase in mitochondrial membrane depolarization. CD1d expression and cell proliferation were inhibited by both CD1d siRNA and ZER. The α-galactosylceramide, a ligand for CD1d, showed increased CD1d expression as well as cell proliferation which was opposite to the effects of ZER. This study shows that, CD1d overexpression is associated with the progressive stages of breast cancer and ZER could be an adjuvant to potentiate cancer immunotherapy.

Effect of dietary supplementation of prebiotic, probiotic, and synbiotic on growth performance and carcass characteristics of broiler chickens.

AIM: The aim was to investigate the effects of dietary supplementations of prebiotic, probiotic, and synbiotic on growth performance and carcass characteristics of broiler chickens. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 360 1-day-old Vencobb broiler chickens of either sex were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments each consisting of three replicates and each replicate having 30 birds for 6 weeks. The dietary treatments were (1) control group with basal diet, (2) basal diet supplemented with prebiotic (at 400 g/tonne of starter as well as finisher ration), (3) basal diet supplemented with probiotic (at 100 g/tonne of starter ration and 50 g/tonne of finisher ration), and (4) basal diet supplemented with synbiotic(at 500 g/tonne of starter as well as finisher ration). The birds were provided with ad-libitum feed and drinking water during the entire experimental period. RESULTS: The highest body weight observed in asynbiotic group, which was non-significantly (p>0.05) higher than thecontrol group. Prebiotic and probiotic groups showed lower body weight than synbiotic and control groups. A total feed intake did not show any significant (p>0.05) difference between experimental groups. There were no significant (p>0.05) differences in feed conversion ratio of broiler chickens in prebiotic, probiotic, and synbiotic groups as compared with control group. There was no significant (p>0.05) difference in the carcass traits with respect to dressing percentage, carcass percentage, heart weight, liver weight and gizzard weight, wing percentage, breast percentage, back percentage, thigh percentage, and drumstick percentage in Cobb broilers under study. CONCLUSION: The growth performance and percentage of carcass yield did not show any significant increase by the dietary inclusion of prebiotic, probiotic, and synbiotic compared with unsupplemented control in a commercial broiler chicken.

Studies on the pathogenicity of Newcastle disease virus isolates in guinea fowl.

Newcastle disease viruses isolated from chickens and guinea fowl were characterized as viscerotropic, velogenic strains on the basis of their mean death time, intracerebral pathogenicity index, intravenous pathogenicity index and cloacal and conjunctival mean death time. The pathogenesis of the disease caused by both the strains was studied in 4-week-old guinea fowl. Both strains had an incubation period of 5 days and the birds showed dullness, depression, anorexia, diarrhoea and paralysis of the legs. They also exhibited nervous signs such as incoordination, muscle tremors and trembling of the neck at the advanced stage of the disease. Mortality reached 52% in the group infected with the chicken isolate but it was only 8% in the birds infected with the guinea fowl isolate. No specific changes were observed at post-mortem examination except haemorrhages at the tip of the glands of the proventriculus and in the caecal tonsil. Changes in the lymphoid organs and brain were always present in both the groups. Despite the low mortality, the guinea fowl isolated had multiplied in various organs in the birds. In both groups, the frequency of virus isolation increased from 5 to 10 days post infection.

Impact of stress single-photon emission computed tomography perfusion imaging on downstream resource utilization.

This study shows that in patients with intermediate pretest probability of coronary artery disease stress single-photon emission computed tomography perfusion imaging decreases the rate of coronary angiography and coronary revascularization and is economically a superior strategy to routine coronary angiography.

Stress myocardial perfusion imaging after coronary angioplasty.

Stress myocardial perfusion imaging is useful in patient management after coronary angioplasty. The ischemic perfusion pattern suggests the presence of residual stenosis, restenosis, down stream stenosis, side branch stenosis, and remote stenosis.

Complications of cardiac angiography using low- or high-osmolality contrast agents in patients with left main coronary stenosis.

Recently published guidelines suggest that, in view of cost concerns, low-osmolal contrast should be selectively used in patients at increased risk of experiencing a contrast-related complication during cardiac angiography. The suggested criteria include the presence of left main coronary disease. However, the presence of left main disease is not usually known prior to angiography. Contrast-related complications of cardiac angiography were therefore analyzed in a group of 111 clinically stable patients found to have left main coronary stenosis, to determine if use of low-osmolality contrast had any beneficial effect when compared to standard contrast. Data were gathered prospectively as part of a randomized controlled trial, and the subgroup of patients with left main disease was analyzed retrospectively. Complications were divided into minor, intermediate, and major categories. In the 58 patients who received high-osmolar contrast, there were 4 contrast-related minor reactions, 8 intermediate events requiring treatment, and 1 major adverse event. Among the 53 patients who received low-osmolar contrast, there were no minor reactions, 7 intermediate events requiring treatment, and no major adverse events. The only difference of borderline significance was in the incidence of minor reactions requiring no treatment (P = 0.05). Although small and therefore not definitive, this study suggests that 1) universal use of low-osmolar contrast agents would not be expected to eliminate the risk of contrast-related reactions to cardiac angiography; 2) the well-documented clinical differences between high- and low-osmolar contrast primarily involve mild reactions; and 3) standard high-osmolar contrast is reasonably safe in clinically stable patients with left main coronary stenosis. The results therefore are consistent with the notion that selective use of low-osmolar contrast only in unstable patients is safe and appropriate.

Detachment of transluminal extraction catheter cutter head from shaft and successful retrieval.

Transluminal extraction catheter atherectomy has been shown to be a clinically effective interventional technique for the treatment of thrombotic degenerative saphenous vein bypass grafts. We will report the first case of detachment of transluminal extraction catheter cutter head from the shaft and its successful retrieval during a saphenous vein bypass graft intervention.

Changes in serum protease inhibitors and liver specific enzymes in experimental jaundice.

Changes in the different fractions of the serum protease inhibitors were studied in experimentally produced cases of obstructive jaundice in rabbits to correlate with other liver specific diagnostic parameters. The heat stable antiprotease fraction and alkaline phosphatase levels in serum were the only parameters which did not show significant fluctuations in the normal as well as in the experimental controls and were significantly elevated due to bile duct ligation. However, due to smaller change in the magnitude, the heat stable antiprotease levels were not found to be of much diagnostic use and the determination of bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase and alanine aminotransferase levels in serum appeared to be better indicators for detection of liver damage in such cases due to appreciable alterations in their levels.

Characterization of non-linear behaviour of an animal membrane using electro-kinetic studies.

Electro-kinetic studies of water, aqueous solutions of urea, thiourea, glucose, creatinine and urine solution across urinary bladder membranes of goat have been used to explain non-linear behaviour. It has been found that fluxes are non-linearly related with forces. The structure of the membrane is a decisive factor when the range of driving forces is not too high. Stability of the steady state has also been examined and has been found to remain quite stable even in non-linear regions. The results have been examined using the methodology of non-equilibrium thermodynamics.