Medical Library

In vitro antileukaemic activity of extracts from chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa [Michx] Elliott) and mulberry (Morus alba L.) leaves against sensitive and multidrug resistant HL60 cells.

The aim of the present study was to determine in vitro antileukaemic activities of extracts obtained from chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa [Michx] Elliot) and mulberry (Morus alba L.) leaves against promyelocytic HL60 cell line and its multidrug resistant sublines exhibiting two different MDR phenotypes: HL60/VINC (overexpressing P-glycoprotein) and HL60/DOX (overexpressing MRP1 protein). It was found that the extracts from chokeberry and mulberry leaves were active against the sensitive leukaemic cell line HL60 and retained the in vitro activity against multidrug resistant sublines (HL60/VINC and HL60/DOX). The values of resistance factor (RF) found for these extracts were very low lying in the range 1.2-1.6. Copyright (c) 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Skupień K, Kostrzewa-Nowak D, Oszmiański J, Tarasiuk J.

Department of Processing and Storage of Plant Raw Materials, Agricultural Academy of Szczecin, 17 Słowackiego St, 71‐434 Szczecin, Poland.

Antitumor effects of saponin extract from Patrinia villosa (Thunb.) Juss on mice bearing U14 cervical cancer.

Saponin extracted from Patrinia villosa (Thunb.) Juss (SPVJ) is a Chinese medicine which is used widely by traditional medicine doctors. In this study, the antitumor effects and the possible mechanisms of SPVJ were investigated in mice bearing U14 cervical cancer. The results showed that SPVJ (50 mg/kg and 100 mg/kg) effectively reduced the weight of U14 cervical tumor (35.1% and 57.1%, respectively). Compared with the control group, SPVJ (100 mg/kg) significantly increased tumor cells in the G0/G1 phase (38.1% vs 68.5%), increased the number of cells in apoptosis (9.4% vs 28.9%) and G0/G1 phase and decreased the number of cells in S phase (41% vs 26.2%) and G2/M (20.9% vs 5.3%), inhibited proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) of tumor cell (80.6% vs 21.8%), decreased the expression of mutant p53 (66.4% vs 33.5%) and bcl-2 protein (78.2% vs 20.3%). The mechanism of the SPVJ antitumor effect might be associated with inhibition of tumor cells in G0/G1 phase, inducing apoptosis and inhibiting the expression of PCNA, mutant P53 and Bcl-2 protein. Copyright (c) 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Zhang T, Li Q, Li K, Li Y, Li J, Wang G, Zhou S.

College of Basic Medicine, Haerbin Medical University, P. R. China.

Examining item bias in the anxiety subscale of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) is a widely used screening instrument for depression and anxiety in medically compromised patients. The purpose of this study was to examine the differential item functioning (DIF) of the anxiety subscale of the HADA (HADS-A). A research assistant administered the HADS-A to 166 Chinese patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who were consecutively admitted to a rehabilitation hospital. Although the HADS-A was overall uni-dimensional, there were one mute item and two items with borderline misfit. Only one item had a DIF for arterial oxygen saturation. No item had DIF for other indicators of the severity of COPD. In conclusion, this study found that for one item the HADS-A has significant item bias for the severity of disease in patients with COPD. Copyright (c) 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Tang WK, Wong E, Chiu HF, Lum CM, Ungvari GS.

Department of Psychiatry, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China.

The factorial structure of the Suicide Intent Scale: a comparative study in clinical samples from 11 European regions.

Although the Suicide Intent Scale (SIS) is a widely used instrument in research on suicidal behavior, comparative research on the latent structure of the SIS has been neglected. To determine whether a general factor model of the SIS is supported, alternative factor models of the SIS were evaluated comparatively in 11 clinical samples. The SIS was applied as part of a structured clinical interview to patients after an episode of non-fatal suicidal behavior. The samples were drawn from 11 study centers within the frame of the WHO/EURO multicenter study on suicidal behavior. Three different two-factor and two three-factor models of the SIS were examined in each sample using principal component analysis with orthogonal Procrustes rotation. The factorial structure of the \’subjective part\’ of the SIS (items 9-14) was strongly supported, whereas an acceptable model fit for the \’objective part\’ was not found. Possible future revisions of \’objective\’ SIS items may be worth consideration. As a limitation, the results of the study might not generalize to other samples that use different definitions of non-fatal suicidal behavior. Copyright (c) 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Antretter E, Dunkel D, Haring C, Corcoran P, De Leo D, Fekete S, Hawton K, Kerkhof AJ, Lönnqvist J, Renberg ES, Schmidtke A, Van Heeringen K, Wasserman D.

Psychiatric State Hospital Hall, Unit for Clinical Research and Evaluation, Austria.

Effect of green tea and (-)-epigallocatechin gallate on ethanol-induced toxicity in HepG2 cells.

Despite the continuing reports supporting the hepatoprotective effects of green tea against ethanol intoxication, there remain controversies regarding the active compound(s) and molecular mechanism. These issues were addressed in the present study using cultured HepG2 cells exposed to a lethal dose of ethanol. Gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) was chosen as a marker of ethanol toxicity because it is widely used in clinics. When the cells were treated with ethanol at various concentrations, there was a dose-dependent increase of GGT activity in the culture media and loss of cell viability. Pretreatment of the cells with green tea extract attenuated the changes significantly. Among the green tea constituents, (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) attenuated the ethanol cytotoxicity effectively, whereas l-theanine and caffeine had no effects. The ethanol cytotoxicity was also attenuated by alcohol dehydrogenase inhibitor 4-methyl pyrazol and GGT inhibitor acivicin as well as by thiol modulators such as S-adenosyl-l-methionine, N-acetyl-l-cysteine and glutathione. EGCG failed to prevent the intracellular glutathione loss caused by ethanol, but it appeared to be a strong GGT inhibitor. Therefore the cytoprotective effects of green tea could be attributed to the inhibition of GGT activity by EGCG. This study suggests that GGT inhibitors including EGCG may provide a novel strategy for attenuating ethanol-induced liver damage. Copyright (c) 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Lee SI, Kim HJ, Boo YC.

Department of Molecular Medicine, Kyungpook National University School of Medicine, 101 Dongindong‐2‐ga, Junggu, Daegu, 700‐422, Republic of Korea.

[A matter of etiquette.]

no abstract.

Adorati Menegato M.

Direttore SOC di Nefrologia e Dialisi, ASS4 \’Medio Friuli\’, Ospedale S. Antonio, S. Daniele del Friuli (Udine) - Italy.

[Re: A metter of etiquette.]

no abstract.

Aucella F.

Unita\’ Operativa di Dialisi, Presidio Ospedaliero \’Francesco Lastaria\’, Lucera (Foggia) - Italy.

[Role and appreciation of the Italian Journal of Nephrology (GIN): the opinion of the readers.]

no abstract.

Baraldo A, Gambaro G.

Divisione di Nefrologia, Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche e Chirurgiche, Azienda Ospedaliera, Universita\’ degli Studi, Ospedale Maggiore, Verona - Italy.

[The classics of Italian Nephrology: A eminent nephrologist in Paris.]

In June 1967 the first international congress of the Transplantation Society took place in Paris. Professor Ernico Fiaschi was one of the participants. The history of the development of kidney transplantation in light of the data emerging from that congress is briefly described and the contribution of Enrico Fiaschi to this important event is discussed.

Antonello A.

Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche e Chirurgiche, Clinica Nefrologica, Universita\’ degli Studi, Padova - Italy.

[Therapeutic options for mineral metabolism disorders in dialysis patients: a case report.]

Mineral metabolism disorders are well-recognized complications in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Furthermore, hyperphosphatemia and secondary hyperparathyroidism are associated with both renal osteodystrophy and cardiovascular disease. During the last 5 years, new therapeutic options have become available to treat these conditions in CKD. We describe the case of a 70-year-old lady with a dialysis history of 5 years and a number of cardiovascular risk factors (hypertension, hypercholesterolemia and obesity). Unfortunately, the patient was poorly compliant with any pharmaceutical treatment. After 2 years, a pharmacological approach with a low dosage of calcium salts and sevelamer HCl, subsequently changed to lanthanum carbonate, intravenous paricalcitol, and cinacalcet HCl reached the goals suggested by the current guidelines. Every nephrologist should look at the pathogenesis and treatment of hyperphosphatemia and secondary hyperparathyroidism. New options are now available and may help the clinician to obtain satisfactory short- and long-term outcomes in the treatment of this disease.

Cozzolino M, Pasho S, Missaglia E, Crovetto C, Fallabrino G, Brancaccio D.

Unita\’ Operativa Nefrologia e Dialisi, Azienda Ospedaliera \’San Paolo\’, Cattedra di Nefrologia, Universita\’ degli Studi, Milano - Italy.