Upregulation of BRCA1 and 2 protein expression is associated with dysregulation in amino acids profiles in breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of breast cancer (BC) is high among cancers in Egypt, ranking it the most common cause of cancer mortality in women. BRCA1 and BRCA2 tumor suppressors proteins have a specific relationship with BC. Plasma free amino acids levels (PFAAs) have been reported to exhibit altered profiles among cancer patients. Thus, the present study aims to examine the alteration of the PFAAs profiles and investigate their association with BRCA1 and 2 circulating levels in Egyptian females diagnosed with BC and in females with family history of BC to establish potential early detection strategies for BC. METHODS AND RESULTS: This study included 26 BC patients, 22 females with family history of BC (relatives) in addition to 38 healthy females as control group. Quantitative measurement of PFAAs was determined by the ion exchange separation method through high performance liquid chromatography. BRCA1 and BRCA2 concentrations were determined using ELISA. Our results showed PFAAs profiles in BC patients and in females with BC family history with significant upregulation in mean plasma levels of Alanine, Phenylalanine, Glutamate and Cysteine and downregulation of Taurine, Threonine, Serine, Glycine, Valine, Methionine and Histidine levels compared to controls. Also, a significant positive correlation was observed between plasma BRCA1 and Valine levels while a significant negative correlation was observed between BRCA2 and Lysine plasma levels. CONCLUSION: PFAAs profile can potentially be used in early screening for BC patients and for susceptible females.

Phytochemical and antimicrobial investigation of the leaves of five Egyptian mango cultivars and evaluation of their essential oils as preservatives materials.

The sterols, hydrocarbons and fatty acids constituents of the leaves of five mango cultivars locally implanted in Egypt were identified. The effect of their essential oils (EOs) against food borne microorganisms was studied as preservative materials. The chemical constituents of the EOs isolated from mango leaves were identified by Gas Chromatography-Mass spectrometry (GC-MS) technique. Trans-caryophyllene, α-humulene and α-elemene were identified as terpene hydrocarbons, while 4-hydroxy-4-methyl-2-pentanone as oxygenated compounds were recorded in all tested cultivars with variable amounts. Results showed that Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli were the most sensitive microorganisms tested for Alphonso EOs. On the other hand, Salmonella typhimrium was found to be less susceptible to the EOs of the studied cultivars. The EOs of different mango cultivars induced a steady decrease in the activity of amylase, protease and lipase at the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). The treatment of the tested bacteria with the EOs of mango cultivars caused a steady loss in enterotoxins even when applied at the sub-MIC. Bacteria-inoculated apple juice treated with minimum bactericidal concentration of Alphonso oil was free from the bacteria after 5 days of incubation at 25 °C. Eighteeen volatile compounds were found to reduce the activity of the amylase enzyme and the most active was cedrelanol (-7.6 kcal mol-1) followed by alpha-eudesmol (-7.3 kcal mol-1) and humulene oxide (-7 kcal mol-1). The binding mode of both of cedrelanol and alpha-eudesmol with amylase enzyme was illustrated.

Autologous platelet-rich plasma versus conventional therapy for the treatment of chronic venous leg ulcers: A comparative study.

BACKGROUND: Chronic venous leg ulcers drastically reduce the quality of life of affected patients. There is heightened interest in autologous platelet-rich plasma (PRP) as one of the promising therapies for leg ulcers. AIM: Our aim was to compare the clinical efficacy of PRP in the management of chronic venous leg ulcers vs conventional treatment. PATIENTS/METHODS: In total, 40 patients with chronic venous leg ulcers were included in the study. Twenty patients were treated with autologous PRP weekly for 6 weeks (Group A), and 20 patients were treated with conventional treatment (compression and dressing) for 6 weeks (Group B). Treatment results were calculated by percentage of improvement in area of the ulcer. RESULTS: Compared to conventional therapy, a highly significant improvement in the ulcer size was observed post-PRP therapy (P-value = .0001). The mean change in the area of the ulcer post-PRP and conventional therapy was 4.92 ± 11.94 cm and 0.13 ± 0.27 cm, respectively, while the mean percentage improvement in the area of the ulcer post-PRP and conventional therapy was 67.6% ± 36.6% and 13.67% ± 28.06%, respectively. Subjective improvement in pain associated with the ulcer was noted by all patients. CONCLUSIONS: Platelet-rich plasma is a safe nonsurgical procedure for treating chronic venous leg ulcers. Additional studies with larger sample size and longer follow-up periods are required to confirm or refute our findings.

Molecular characterization of the vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene in Holstein cows.

Vitamin D plays a vital role in calcium homeostasis, growth, and immunoregulation. Because little is known about the vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene in cattle, the aim of the present investigation was to present the molecular characterization of exons 5 and 6 of the VDR gene in Holstein cows. DNA extraction, genomic sequencing, phylogenetic analysis, synteny mapping and single nucleotide gene polymorphism analysis of the VDR gene were performed to assess blood samples collected from 50 clinically healthy Holstein cows. The results revealed the presence of a 450-base pair (bp) nucleotide sequence that resembled exons 5 and 6 with intron 5 enclosed between these exons. Sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis revealed a close relationship between the sequenced VDR region and that found in Hereford cattle. A close association between this region and the corresponding region in small ruminants was also documented. Moreover, a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) that caused the replacement of a glutamate with an arginine in the deduced amino acid sequence was detected at position 7 of exon 5. In conclusion, Holstein and Hereford cattle differ with respect to exon 5 of the VDR gene. Phylogenetic analysis of the VDR gene based on nucleotide sequence produced different results from prior analyses based on amino acid sequence.