Inhibition of cancer cell growth and migration by dihydroxynaphthyl aryl ketones

Julio Benites,Jaime A. Valderrama,David Ríos,Rosalba Lagos,Octavio Monasterio,Pedro Buc Calderon,Pedro Buc Calderon 대한독성 유전단백체 학회 2016 Molecular & cellular toxicology Vol.12 No.3

Dihydroxynaphthyl aryl ketones 1-5 exhibit activity as tubulin polymerization inhibitors by targeting the colchicine binding site of microtubules making them potential anticancer drugs. Therefore, analogues 1-5 have been evaluated for their cytotoxic activity against the cancer cell lines DU-145 (prostate), T24 (bladder) and MCF-7 (breast). Notable differences in biological activity were observed for compounds 1-5, most likely related to the nature of the aryl substituent bonded to the carbonyl group. Among the tested compounds, only compound 5 showed selectivity for cancer cells over healthy, non-transformed cells. T24 cancer cells treated with compound 5 presented a concentration-dependent decrease in cell proliferation and a loss of migration ability. The cytotoxicity of compounds 1-5 on the selected cell-based assays is discussed in terms of it lipophilicity and polarizability parameters.

Undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma of the mandible

Bernar Monteiro Benites,Wanessa Miranda-Silva,Felipe Paiva Fonseca,Claudia Regina Gomes Cardim Mendes de Oliveira,Eduardo Rodrigues Fregnani 대한구강악안면외과학회 2020 대한구강악안면외과학회지 Vol.46 No.4

Undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma (UPS) is a high-grade neoplasm that is usually located in the extremities and retroperitoneum. In the past, UPS was considered the most common soft tissue sarcoma in adults; due to improvements in diagnostic techniques, most cases have been reclassified as other lineage-specific tumors. Gnathic bones are rarely affected, and the clinicopathological characteristics of this neoplasm when diagnosed in the jaw remain to be better described. In this report, we present a rare case of mandibular UPS affecting an 88-year-old female who demonstrated a painful swelling on the right side of the mandible that was accompanied by a pathological fracture. Microscopic examination revealed a pleomorphic spindlecell neoplasm with mitotic figures and necrosis. The patient underwent surgery and adjuvant radiotherapy but experienced metastasis after 12 months of follow-up and died. Diagnosis of UPS is challenging, and oral pathologists must be aware of this entity when dealing with aggressive undifferentiated neoplasms.

Efficacy and Safety of Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection for Superficial Gastric Neoplasms: A Latin American Cohort Study

Fernando Palacios-Salas,Harold Benites-Goñi,Luis Marin-Calderón,Paulo Bardalez-Cruz,Jorge Vásquez-Quiroga,Edgar Alva-Alva,Bryan Medina-Morales,Jairo Asencios-Cusihuallpa 대한소화기내시경학회 2022 Clinical Endoscopy Vol.55 No.2

Background/Aims: Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is the preferred technique for treating early gastric cancer (EGC). However, very few studies have been conducted in South America. This study aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of ESD for EGC. Methods: We analyzed data from a prospective cohort from 2013 to 2020. A total of 152 superficial gastric neoplasms that fulfilledthe absolute or expanded criteria for ESD were included. Outcomes were en bloc, R0, and curative resection rates, incidence ofadverse events, and length of procedure. Results: The age of the enrolled patients was 68.4±11.3 years. The number of included patients based on the absolute and expandedindications was 150 and 2, respectively. En bloc, R0, and curative resections were achieved in 98.0%, 96.1%, and 89.5% of the cases,respectively. Bleeding and perforation were reported in 5.9% and 6.6% of the cases, respectively. Histopathological examinationrevealed low-grade dysplasia, high-grade dysplasia, well-differentiated adenocarcinoma, and poorly differentiated adenocarcinomain 13, 20, 117, and 2 cases, respectively. Conclusions: Our study shows that ESD performed by properly trained endoscopists in reference centers is safe and effective, withcomparable therapeutic outcomes to those reported in the Eastern series.

Bioguided Fractionation, and Antioxidant, Antiproliferative, and Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Annona cacans Warm

Carla Roberta Ferreira Volobuff,Milena Menezes Correˆa Pederiva,Roseane Soares Ramos Benites,Camila Juliane Lima,Eliana Janet Sanjinez Argandon˜a,Clau´dia Andrea Lima Cardoso,Zefa Valdevina Pereira,An 한국식품영양과학회 2019 Journal of medicinal food Vol.22 No.10

This study evaluated to determine the phenolic and flavonoids contents, and antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiproliferative activity of the hydromethanolic extracts of the leaves, pulp, and seeds of Annona cacans. The isolation and structural identification of the constituent acetogenin, phenolic acid, and flavonoids were also reported. Antioxidant capacity was determined by the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS), and β-carotene/linoleic acid methods. Cell proliferation was determined by spectrophotometric quantification of the cellular protein content using a sulforhodamine B assay. Anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated in paw edema model, to myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity induced by carrageenan in mice. Fractionation resulted in the isolation of one acetogenin (annoreticuin-9-one), two flavonoids (quercetin-3-O-β-glucoside-6-O-α-rhamnoside and kaempferol-3-O-β-glucoside), and one phenolic acid (p-coumaric acid). The pulp extract presented potent antioxidant activities by the DPPH (IC50 = 44.08 μg/mL) and ABTS (IC50 = 39.32 μg/mL) methods, as well as high contents of phenols (618.95 mg GA/g) and flavonoids (477.35 mg QE/g). The bioguided fractionation demonstrated that the ethyl acetate fraction of the pulp extract and annoreticuin-9-one showed potent antiproliferative activity against ovarian cancer (GI50 = 6.4 μg/mL). The anti-inflammatory activity demonstrated significant inhibition of edema compared to the control group in 2 and 4 h; in addition, the extracts inhibited the increase in MPO activity after 6 h, when compared to the DEX and control groups. For the first time, this study demonstrated antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiproliferative activity, as well as compounds isolated, suggesting that A. cacans could also be potential sources for prevention of cancer and other diseases associated with oxidative stress.

Prevalence of Nomophobia in University Students: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Kimberly G. Tuco,Sharong D. Castro-Diaz,David R. Soriano-Moreno,Vicente A. Benites-Zapata 대한의료정보학회 2023 Healthcare Informatics Research Vol.29 No.1

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of nomophobia in university students. Methods: A systematicsearch was conducted of the following databases: Web of Science/ Core Collection, Scopus, PubMed, Embase, and Ovid/MEDLINE until March 2021. Cross-sectional studies reporting the prevalence of nomophobia in undergraduate or postgraduateuniversity students that assessed nomophobia with the 20-item Nomophobia Questionnaire (NMP-Q) tool were included. Study selection, data extraction, and risk of bias assessment were performed in duplicate. A meta-analysis of proportionswas performed using a random-effects model. Heterogeneity was assessed using sensitivity analysis according to the risk ofbias, and subgrouping by country, sex, and major. Results: We included 28 cross-sectional studies with a total of 11,300 participantsfrom eight countries, of which 23 were included in the meta-analysis. The prevalence of mild nomophobia was 24%(95% confidence interval [CI], 20%–28%; I2 = 95.3%), that of moderate nomophobia was 56% (95% CI, 53%–60%; I2 = 91.2%),and that of severe nomophobia was 17% (95% CI, 15%–20%; I2 = 91.7%). Regarding countries, Indonesia had the highestprevalence of severe nomophobia (71%) and Germany had the lowest (3%). The prevalence was similar according to sex andmajor. Conclusions: We found a high prevalence of moderate and severe nomophobia in university students. Interventionsare needed to prevent and treat this problem in educational institutions.

Chinese Islam: A Complete Concert

Zvi Ben-Dor Benite 고려대학교 민족문화연구원 2017 Cross-Currents Vol.- No.23

Why study a Chinese “minority” and its history? The task of scholars of Chinese Islam since the 1990s has been twofold: on the one hand, we have wanted to study Islam in China in its Chinese social and cultural context, as opposed to imagining it as a single separate entity, and to show that its history is relevant and meaningful for Chinese history in general. One could almost say that this goal was achieved a while ago. The next task has been to make the study of Chinese Islam and its history meaningful and useful for the greater community of scholars of Islam in general. It seems to me that with the books reviewed here, and with others in the making, we are getting close to reaching this target. In 1910, Marshall Broomhall’s Islam in China declared that Chinese Islam was a “neglected problem.” These books show that it is no longer neglected, and no longer a “problem”; rather, it is an exciting topic. Indeed, a complete, even if not harmonious, concert.