The results suggest that inherited absence of this carcinogen detoxification pathway may not be associated with sporadic colorectal adenocarcinoma in the present cases. However, a higher frequency of GSTT1 null genotype in patients diagnosed before the age of 60 years suggests that this genotype could influence the age of disease onset in Brazil.

We investigated the influence of the polymorphism D104N of the COL18A1 gene, encoding endostatin, on the occurrence of sporadic breast cancer in 181 patients and 448 controls. The homozygous 104NN polymorphism was found in five patients but was absent in controls (2.8% vs 0.0%; P = 0.002). Individuals with this genotype had a significantly increased risk for disease. Our results suggest, for the first time, that the homozygous 104NN polymorphism, even at low frequency, constitutes an important inherited determinant of the disease.

These results suggest a role for the MTHFR 677TT plus 677CT genotype in increasing SCA diagnosed at a low age in southeastern Brazil, but additional studies with larger sample sizes should be carried out to clarify this issue.

No abstract

Previous studies have shown that under short photoperiod exposure spermatogenesis in golden hamster regresses leading to sexual inactivity. It is known that this regression is related to changes in somatic and germ cells (spermatocytes and spermatids). However, the photoperiod effects on spermatogonial biology have not been studied in detail yet. In this regard, this study was carried out to investigate the morphology, kinetics and niches of different spermatogonial types in golden hamsters under long- and short-photoperiod. Six spermatogonial generations such as type A undifferentiated (A(und)), type A differentiating (A(1), A(2), A(3)), intermediate (In) and type B spermatogonia were characterized, and were morphologically similar irrespective of the photoperiod exposure. The short photoperiod was inhibitory to A(und) spermatogonia and preleptotene but had no effect on the number of differentiating (A(1) to B) spermatogonia. In golden hamsters exposed to stimulatory-photoperiod, the interstitial components were positioned mainly in triangular areas around the seminiferous tubules and, in this situation, the A(und) spermatogonia were clearly positioned in niches (p < 0.05) in all stages studied. On the other hand, during the inhibitory-photoperiod where the seminiferous tubules have smaller diameter, the interstitial components were more homogenously distributed and the triangular areas were not clearly observed. In this case, the niches were identified only at stage VII (p < 0.05), although there was a trend of being positioned in niches area in all the stages studied. Thus, these findings suggest that the A(und) spermatogonia location in the seminiferous epithelium and the niche position are directly related to the position of the interstitial components.