There is, I think, something ethereal about i —the square root of minus one. I remember first hearing about it at school. It seemed an odd beast at that time—an intruder hovering on the edge of reality.

Usually familiarity dulls this sense of the bizarre, but in the case of i it was the reverse: over the years the sense of its surreal nature intensified. It seemed that it was impossible to write mathematics that described the real world in …

I and i

I. Introduction A FUNCTIONAL relationship between cell growth and the initiation and progression of events associated with differentiation has been a fundamental question challenging developmental biologists for more than a century. In the case of bone, as observed with other cells and tissue, the relationship of growth and differentiation must be maintained and stringently regulated, both during development and throughout the life of the organism, to support tissue remodeling. For many years, bone was defined anatomically and examined largely in a descriptive manner by ultrastructural analysis and by biochemical and histochemical methods. These studies provided the basis for our understanding of bone tissue organization and orchestration of the progressive recruitment, proliferation, and differentiation of the various cellular components of bone tissue. Now, complemented by an increased knowledge of molecular mechanisms that are associated with and regulate expression of genes encoding phenotypic compone...

Molecular mechanism mediating proliferation, defferentiation interralationships during progressie development of the osteoblast phenotype

There is growing recognition that many phenolic secondary metabolites present in foodstuffs may possibly exert beneficial effects on human health. This may to some degree be mediated via antioxidant actions, but a range of more specific pharmacological effects have also been proposed. Given this background, there may be favourable consequences for the general health of Western populations as a result of optimising the phenolic content of the diet. This paper reviews what is known of the function of phenolics both in the plant and in man. It also describes current understanding of the biosynthesis of phenolics in plants, with emphasis on where potential controlling steps may exist. Finally, advances in identification and isolation of the genes coding for phenolic biosynthetic enzymes or regulatory proteins are also summarised. Taken together, this information provides a basis for attempts to modify and optimise the phenolic content of food crops, using either conventional plant breeding along with manipulation of agronomic practices, or else the more targeted approaches of modern molecular biology.



© 2000 Society of Chemical Industry

Phenols in the plant and in man. The potential for possible nutritional enhancement of the diet by modifying the phenols content or profile

Obstetrics and gynecology.

Obesity and type 2 diabetes are becoming increasingly prevalent worldwide, and both are associated with an increased incidence and mortality from many cancers. The metabolic abnormalities associated with type 2 diabetes develop many years before the onset of diabetes and, therefore, may be contributing to cancer risk before individuals are aware that they are at risk. Multiple factors potentially contribute to the progression of cancer in obesity and type 2 diabetes, including hyperinsulinemia and insulin-like growth factor I, hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, adipokines and cytokines, and the gut microbiome. These metabolic changes may contribute directly or indirectly to cancer progression. Intentional weight loss may protect against cancer development, and therapies for diabetes may prove to be effective adjuvant agents in reducing cancer progression. In this review we discuss the current epidemiology, basic science, and clinical data that link obesity, diabetes, and cancer and how treating obesity and type 2 diabetes could also reduce cancer risk and improve outcomes.

https://www.physiology.org/doi/pdf/10.1152/physrev.00030.2014

Obesity and Diabetes: The Increased Risk of Cancer and Cancer-Related Mortality.

What’s known on the subject? and What does the study add?



We found that resistin, a member of adipokine family, is expressed in human prostate cancers and induces prostate cancer cell proliferation through PI3K/Akt signaling pathways



We are studying the effect of resistin on other urogenital tract diseases besides prostate cancer, and the relationship between other adipokines and the urogenital tract diseases



OBJECTIVES

• To determine whether resistin, a novel adipokine, induces prostate cancer cell proliferation



• To identify the mechanisms underlying the activation of prostate cancer cells by resistin



MATERIALS AND METHODS

• Semi-quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemical staining were performed to investigate the intensity of prostate epithelial resistin expression



• Human full-length resistin gene (RETN) was transfected into the PC-3 cells using the pEGFP-N1 vector to assess the effect of overexpression of resistin in prostate cancer cell line PC-3



• Various concentrations of human recombinant protein resistin were added to the hormone-insensitive prostate cancer cell lines PC-3 and DU-145 for 48 h, and cell proliferation was assessed by a water-soluble tetrazolium salt assay



RESULTS

• Human prostate cancer cell lines PC-3 and DU-145 were found to express the human resistin mRNA



• Resistin protein was strongly detected in high-grade prostate cancer tissue, whereas BPH or low-grade prostate cancer tissue revealed fainter expression of resistin



• Cell proliferation was stimulated by both the full-length resistin gene overexpression and resistin treatment



• Akt phosphorylation occurred after addition of resistin to PC-3 and DU-145 cells LY294002, a pharmacological inhibitor of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), significantly inhibited PC-3 and DU-145 cell proliferation after resistin treatment



CONCLUSIONS

• Resistin is expressed in human prostate cancers



• Resistin induces prostate cancer cell proliferation through PI3K/Akt signalling pathways



• The proliferative effect of resistin on prostate cancer cells may account in part for prostate cancer progression

Expression of resistin in the prostate and its stimulatory effect on prostate cancer cell proliferation.

Background and Aim
Mucosal immune activity may participate in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) pathogenesis. Mast- and T cell numbers from patients with IBS or ulcerative colitis (UC) and healthy controls were determined.

Colonic Mucosal Immune Activity in Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Comparison with Healthy Controls and Patients with Ulcerative Colitis

Aim: To evaluate the expression of leptin and leptin receptor in benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and prostate cancer (PCa), and to investigate whether they are associated with the development and progression of PCa. Methods: Immunohistochemical staining was performed to examine the expression of leptin and leptin receptor in BPH and PCa. PCa was divided into three groups: localized PCa, locally advanced PCa and metastatic PCa. The positive staining was identified and the percentage of the positive staining was graded. We also assessed the relationship between both the Gleason score and body mass index (BMI) and PCa. Results: The percentage of the leptin expression in PCa was significantly higher than that in BPH (P < 0.01). For the PCa group, the expressed levels of leptin showed a considerable correlation with localized PCa and metastatic PCa (P < 0.05). Leptin receptor, however, did not reveal a definite difference between BPH and PCa. The expression of leptin indicated a significant difference between well-differentiated PCa (Gleason score ≤ 6) and poorly differentiated PCa (Gleason score 8–10) (P < 0.05). The relation between the leptin expression level in PCa and the BMI was not remarkable (P= 0.447). Conclusion: Our results suggest that leptin might have a promoting effect on the carcinogenesis and progression of PCa.

Clinical significance of the leptin and leptin receptor expressions in prostate tissues.

Summary Diced cartilage grafting has re-emerged as a popular method in aesthetic rhinoplasty since the introduction of Erol's Turkish delight technique. However, an extensive literature review indicates that diced cartilage grafts with Surgicel ® wrapping are usually absorbed and often fail to correct associated clinical problems. Recent studies show that significant foreign-body reactions occur in diced cartilage grafts wrapped in Surgicel ® , but not in grafts wrapped in fascia. However, to date, no study has addressed the histological behaviour of diced cartilage wrapped using AlloDerm ® . The primary aim of this study was to compare the viability of diced cartilage wrapped in autogenous fascia to diced cartilage wrapped in AlloDerm ® in a rabbit model. Ear cartilage and lumbosacral fascia were obtained from six New Zealand white rabbits. Diced cartilage grafts were transplanted to three surgically created subcutaneous pockets on the backs of the rabbits. The rabbits were divided into control group and two experimental groups: control group (group I): diced cartilage ( n  = 6); experimental group I (group II): diced cartilage wrapped in fascia ( n  = 6); and experimental group II (group III): diced cartilage wrapped in AlloDerm ® ( n  = 6). The grafts were observed 6 months after implantation. Histological processing of the specimens included haematoxylin–eosin (H&E), Masson trichrome, safranin-O, Van Gieson and immunohistochemical staining for glial fibrillary acidic protein. Statistical analysis was performed using the Mann–Whitney test. Results were evaluated at a p ® -treated group were significantly superior to those of the fascia-treated group. With respect to other histological parameters, the AlloDerm ® -treated group showed better results than the fascia-treated group, but these results were not statistically significant. The results of our experimental study suggest that AlloDerm ® may be an excellent material for diced cartilage grafting. Further studies are needed to evaluate the clinical applications of AlloDerm ® in diced cartilage grafting.

https://www.jprasurg.com/article/S1748-6815(11)00045-3/pdf

The viability of diced cartilage grafts wrapped in autogenous fascia and AlloDerm® in a rabbit model

In the course of a search for acyl-CoA : cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT) inhibitors from natural sources, new types of ACAT inhibitors were isolated from the extract of Magnolia obovata leaves, and identified as obovatol, honokiol, and magnolol. The active compounds inhibit rat liver ACAT with IC50 values of 42, 71, and 86 microM, respectively.

Mi Kyung Kim

Papers

Expression of resistin in the prostate and its stimulatory effect on prostate cancer cell proliferation.

Colonic Mucosal Immune Activity in Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Comparison with Healthy Controls and Patients with Ulcerative Colitis

Clinical significance of the leptin and leptin receptor expressions in prostate tissues.

The viability of diced cartilage grafts wrapped in autogenous fascia and AlloDerm® in a rabbit model

Acyl-CoA : cholesterol acyltransferase inhibitors from Magnolia obovata.