Introduction: Steroid cell tumors of the ovary account for less than 0.1% of all ovarian tumors [1] and these tumours may present at any age in association with interesting presentations related to the hormonal activity and virilizing properties of tumor. Hayes and Scully [2] reported 63 cases in patients ranging from 2 to 80 years of age. The subtype, not otherwise specified, is associated with androgenic changes in approximately one half of patients with this tumour [1]. In a series of 63 cases from Massachusetts General Hospital, 94% of the tumors were found to be unilateral and 28.6% were malignant [3]. As most of these tumors are diagnosed at an early stage and do not recur or metastasize, little is known about their response to therapies such as chemotherapy or radiation [3].

Transitional carcinomas are extremely rare in the fallopian tube. A 41-year-old premenopausal lady presented with colicky abdominal pain and was found to have a left-sided pelvic mass on examination. In view of the elevated CA-125 and imaging findings suggestive of ovarian mass, she underwent staging laparotomy. Pathological examination confirmed a primary transitional cell carcinoma of the left fallopian tube. Review of available literature suggested that the primary transitional cell carcinoma is probably less aggressive compared to classical adenocarcinoma of the fallopian tube, and it has to be distinguished from the recently recognized entity, parafallopian tube transitional cell carcinoma.

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Spontaneous fistula between anorectum and vagina is extremely uncommon. Successful repair depends on etiology, location and the expertise of the surgeon. We report two cases of spontaneous stercoral perforation resulting in rectovaginal fistula (RVF). Both occurred in bedridden patients with fecal impaction. One patient was successfully repaired with a bulbocavernosus (BC) flap interposition. Flap interposition prevents vaginal stenosis in repair of multiple RVF.

Background & Objectives: There is growing evidence to implicate the insulin/IGF-1R/PI3K/Akt signaling cascade in breast cancer development and the central role of aldose reductase (AR) in mediating the crosstalk between this pathway and angiogenesis. The current study was designed to investigate whether nimbolide, a neem limonoid, targets this oncogenic signaling network to prevent angiogenesis in breast cancer. Methods: Breast cancer cells (MCF-7, MDA-MB-231), EAhy926 endothelial cells, MDA-MB-231 xenografted nude mice, and tumour tissues from breast cancer patients were used for the study. Expression of AR and key players in IGF-1/PI3K/Akt signaling and angiogenesis was evaluated by qRT-PCR, immunoblotting, and immunohistochemistry. Molecular docking and simulation, overexpression, and knockdown experiments were performed to determine whether nimbolide targets AR and IGF-1R Results: Nimbolide inhibited AR with consequent blockade of the IGF-1/PI3K/Akt and HIF-1/VEGF signaling circuit by influencing the phosphorylation and intracellular localisation of key signaling molecules. Downregulation of DNMT-1, HDAC-6, miR-21, HOTAIR, and H19 with upregulation of miR-148a/miR-152 indicated that nimbolide regulates AR and IGF-1/PI3K/Akt signaling via epigenetic modifications. Coadministration of nimbolide with metformin and the chemotherapeutic drugs tamoxifen/cisplatin displayed higher efficacy than single agents in inhibiting IGF-1/PI3K/Akt/AR signaling. Grade-wise increases in IGF-1R and AR expression in breast cancer tissues underscore their value as biomarkers of progression. Conclusions: This study provides evidence for the anticancer effects of nimbolide in cellular and mouse models of breast cancer besides providing leads for new drug combinations. It has also opened up avenues for investigating potential molecules such as AR for therapeutic targeting of cancer.