No abstract

BackgroundChronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a disorder associated to cigarette smoke and lung cancer (LC). Since epigenetic changes in oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes (TSGs) are clearly important in the development of LC. In this study, we hypothesize that tobacco smokers are susceptible for methylation in the promoter region of TSGs in airway epithelial cells when compared with non-smoker subjects. The purpose of this study was to investigate the usefulness of detection of genes promoter methylation in sputum specimens, as a complementary tool to identify LC biomarkers among smokers with early COPD.MethodsWe determined the amount of DNA in induced sputum from patients with COPD (n = 23), LC (n = 26), as well as in healthy subjects (CTR) (n = 33), using a commercial kit for DNA purification, followed by absorbance measurement at 260 nm. The frequency of CDKN2A, CDH1 and MGMT promoter methylation in the same groups was determined by methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (MSP). The Fisher’s exact test was employed to compare frequency of results between different groups.ResultsDNA concentration was 7.4 and 5.8 times higher in LC and COPD compared to the (CTR) (p < 0.0001), respectively. Methylation status of CDKN2A and MGMT was significantly higher in COPD and LC patients compared with CTR group (p < 0.0001). Frequency of CDH1 methylation only showed a statistically significant difference between LC patients and CTR group (p < 0.05).ConclusionsWe provide evidence that aberrant methylation of TSGs in samples of induced sputum is a useful tool for early diagnostic of lung diseases (LC and COPD) in smoker subjects.Virtual slidesThe abstract MUST finish with the following text: Virtual Slides The virtual slide(s) for this article can be found here: http://www.diagnosticpathology.diagnomx.eu/vs/1127865005664160

In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in studying food and its derived ingredients that can provide beneficial effects for human health. These studies are helping to understand the bases of the ancestral use of several natural products, including native fruits as functional foods. As a result, the polyphenol profile and the antioxidant capacity of the extracts obtained from different Patagonian native berries have been described. This review aims to provide valuable information regarding fruit quality, its particular compound profile, and the feasibility of producing functional foods for human consumption to prevent disorders such as metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular diseases. We also discuss attempts concerning the domestication of these species and generating knowledge that strengthens their potential as traditional fruits in the food market and as a natural heritage for future generations. Finally, additional efforts are still necessary to fully understand the potential beneficial effects of the consumption of these berries on human health, the application of suitable technology for postharvest improvement, and the generation of successfully processed foods derived from Patagonian berries.

We investigated voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels of bovine adrenal medulla endothelial cells with the whole cell version of the patch-clamp technique. Depolarization elicited an inward current that was carried by Ca2+ and was composed of a transient (T) current, present in all the cells tested, and a sustained (L) current, present in 65% of them. We separated these currents and measured their individual kinetic and gating properties. The activation threshold for T current was approximately −50 mV, and its maximum amplitude was −49.8 ± 4.8 pA (means ± SE, n = 19) at 0 mV. The time constant was 10.2 ± 1.5 ms ( n= 4) for activation and 18.4 ± 2.8 ms ( n = 4) for inactivation. The L current activated at −40 mV, and it reached a plateau at −20.1 ± 2.3 pA ( n = 6). Its activation time course was a single exponential with an activation time contant of 26.8 ± 2.3 ms ( n = 4). Current-voltage curves, kinetics, gating, response to BAY K 8644, nifedipine, amiloride, and different selectivity for Ba2+ and Ca2+ indicated that the underlying channels for the observed currents are only of the T- and L-types that resemble those of the endocrine secretory cells.