The volume-sensitive outwardly rectifying anion channel (VSOR) is a key component of volume regulation system critical for cell survival in non-isosmotic conditions. The aim of the present study was to test the effects of four tannin extracts with defined compositions on cell volume regulation and VSOR. Preparation I (98% of hydrolysable tannins isolated from leaves of sumac Rhus typhina L.) and Preparation II (100% of hydrolysable tannins isolated from leaves of broadleaf plantain Plantago major L) completely and irreversibly abolished swelling-activated VSOR currents in HCT116 cells. Both preparations profoundly suppressed the volume regulation in thymocytes with half-maximal effects of 40.9 μg/ml and 12.3 μg/ml, respectively. The inhibition was more efficient at lower concentrations but reverted at higher doses due to possible non-specific membrane-permeabilizing activity. Preparations III and IV (54,7% and 54.3% of hydrolysable tannins isolated, respectively, from roots and aboveground parts of Fergana spurge Euphorbia ferganensis B.Fedtch) inhibited VSOR activity in a partially reversible manner and suppressed the volume regulation with substantially higher half-maximal doses of 270 and 278 μg/ml, respectively, with no secondary reversion at higher doses. Hydrolysable tannins represent a novel class of VSOR channel inhibitors with the capacity to suppress the cell volume regulation machinery.

The parapharyngeal space (PPS) has a special anatomical and clinical importance from the point of view of its content, communication and vicinity with major and vital structures. Tumors of the parapharyngeal space are uncommon, the most incriminated being the salivary gland tumors, neurogenic tumors, especially Schwannomas and paragangliomas, and lymphoreticular lesions. The correct diagnosis of the PPS tumors must include the radiologic evaluation represented by the computed tomography (CT) and the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The therapeutic plan depends on the imagistically identified aspect. We report a case of a 40-year-old male, who initially noted a massive tumor of the left side of the neck within 15 years. The cervical CT scan revealed, in the upper third of the left side of the neck, in the projection of the parotid and masticatory space and the submandibular region, under the lower jaw, medially at the level of cervical vertebrae C1 – C4, to the front of the sternocleidomastoid muscle, a volumetric formation irregular in shape, with clear and uneven contours, dimensions 40x65x85 mm, uniform density +30H. Transverse cervical approach was chosen for the surgical investigation.

According to scientific data, cancer is a very ancient disease, and along with the perfection of humanity it becomes more progressive. The development of technologies that detect molecular changes in the pathogenesis and subsequent development of carcinogenesis has led to the beginning of a new era in oncology. The cell cycle is tightly controlled by a group of protein kinases, including cyclin and cyclin-dependent kinases. These events occur in a strictly regulated time sequence supported by consistent restriction points. p53, p21, p16, retinoblastoma (and other proteins), cyclins and cyclin-related kinases repair DNA before the cell cycle enters the phase of synthesis and mitosis. Loss of regulatory activity of p53 and pRB, stable activation of E2F stimulates uncontrolled cell proliferation, leading to neoplastic cell growth. The Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK signalling pathway is also a complex network of sequentially activated proteins that play a major role in the onset and development of cancer. It can regulate not only the biological functions, such as cell proliferation, cycle regulation, cell differentiation, apoptosis and tissue formation, but it is also associated with tumor development. Stable mutations in the genome or defects in the epigenome lead to dysregulation in the normal biological cycle of the cell, underlying DNA chain damage or dysfunction in the control system, determined by various types of carcinogenic factors, both known and unknown.