Prostate cancer remains one of the most frequent and deadliest malignancies in males, where the rate of disease progression is closely associated with the type of dietary intake, specifically Western-style diet. Indeed intake of the Asian diet, which contains abundant phytoestrogens, is inversely correlated with a higher risk of prostate cancer, suggesting a chemoprotective effect of phytoestrogen against cancer progression. Although the role of phytoestrogens in cancer treatment was well documented, their impact on prostate cancer is not well understood. Therefore, the present review discusses the possible chemopreventive effect of phytoestrogens, emphasizing their efficacy at the different stages of carcinogenesis. Furthermore, phytoestrogens provide a cytoprotective effect in conventional chemotherapy and enhance chemosensitivity to tumor cells, which have also been discussed. This compilation provides a solid basis for future research on phytoestrogens as a promising avenue for anticancer drug development and also recommends these beneficiary compounds in the daily diet to manage and prevent prostate cancer.

Convolvulus pluricaulis (CP), a Medhya Rasayana (nootropic) herb, is a major ingredient in Ayurvedic and Traditional Chinese formulae indicated for neurological conditions, namely, dementia, anxiety, depression, insanity, and epilepsy. Experimental evidence suggests various neuroactive potentials of CP such as memory-enhancing, neuroprotective, and antiepileptic. However, precise mechanisms underlying the neuropharmacological effects of CP remain unclear. The study, therefore, aimed at deciphering the molecular basis of neuroprotective effects of CP phytochemicals against the pathology of dementia disorders such as Alzheimer’s (AD) and Parkinson’s (PD) disease. The study exploited bioinformatics tools and resources, such as Cytoscape, DAVID (Database for annotation, visualization, and integrated discovery), NetworkAnalyst, and KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) database to investigate the interaction between CP compounds and molecular targets. An in silico analysis was also employed to screen druglike compounds and validate some selective interactions. ADME (absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion) analysis predicted a total of five druglike phytochemicals from CP constituents, namely, scopoletin, 4-hydroxycinnamic acid, kaempferol, quercetin, and ayapanin. In network analysis, these compounds were found to interact with some molecular targets such as prostaglandin G/H synthase 1 and 2 (PTGS1 and PTGS2), endothelial nitric oxide synthase (NOS3), insulin receptor (INSR), heme oxygenase 1 (HMOX1), acetylcholinesterase (ACHE), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPARG), and monoamine oxidase A and B (MAOA and MAOB) that are associated with neuronal growth, survival, and activity. Docking simulation further confirmed interaction patterns and binding affinity of selected CP compounds with those molecular targets. Notably, scopoletin showed the highest binding affinity with PTGS1, NOS3, PPARG, ACHE, MAOA, MAOB, and TRKB, quercetin with PTGS2, 4-hydroxycinnamic acid with INSR, and ayapanin with HMOX1. The findings indicate that scopoletin, kaempferol, quercetin, 4-hydroxycinnamic acid, and ayapanin are the main active constituents of CP which might account for its memory enhancement and neuroprotective effects and that target proteins such as PTGS1, PTGS2, NOS3, PPARG, ACHE, MAOA, MAOB, INSR, HMOX1, and TRKB could be druggable targets against dementia.

Objective: To observe the out come of tumor lysis syndrome (TLS) following treatment with hydration and alkalinization in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.Methodology: This is an observational study which included 30 diagnosed ALL children who were at high risk of developing TLS in the Department of Pediatric Hematology & Oncology, BSMMU, from January 2010 to July 2010. Result: The mean (±SD) age was found 10.2±2.9 years and maximum (46.7%) numbers were found between 11 to 15 years. Male female ratio was 2.3:1. High risk patients for developing TLS presented with huge organomegaly such as hepatomegaly, splenomegaly, and lymphadenopathy associated with fever, anemia, and bony tenderness. For diagnosis of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) bone marrow study was done in all patients and immunophenotyping in 40.0% patients. Hydration, Alkalinization, Tab Allopurinol and Oral Aluminum hydroxide were used in all study patients while treatment. WBC and serum uric acid were found higher in all patients during baseline investigation. After hydration and Alkalinization serum potassium, serum phosphate, serum calcium and serum creatinine level were normal within 72 hours and serum uric acid within day five. Mortality was found 6.7% and the cause of mortality was septicemia. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjms.v11i4.12598 Bangladesh Journal of Medical Science Vol. 11 No. 04 Oct’12

Withania somnifera (WS), is known for its remarkable contribution in herbal medicine and Ayurveda, which is therapeutically applied to improve memory and anxiety in patients. However, the pharmacological details of this plant on memory boosting yet remained undefined. This study provides mechanistic insights on the effect of ethanol solution extract of the whole plant of WS (WSEE) on neuritogenesis by combining in vitro and in silico network pharmacology approaches. WSEE promoted significant neuronal growth through early differentiation, axodendritic arborization, and synaptogenesis on primary hippocampal neurons. The network pharmacological study confirmed that the neuritogenic activity is potentially mediated by modulating the neurotrophin signaling pathway, where NRTK1 (TrkA) was revealed as the primary target of WS secondary metabolites. This neurotrophic activity of WSEE was significantly stifled by the presence of TrkA inhibitor, which further confirms the TrkA‐dependent activity of WSEE. In addition, a molecular docking study suggested steroidal lactones present in the WS might act as nerve growth factor (NGF)‐mimetics, activating TrkA by binding to the NGF‐binding domain. As a whole, the findings of the study suggest a significant role of WSEE on neuritogenesis and its potential to function as a therapeutic agent and in drug designing for the prevention and treatment of memory‐related neurological disorders.