Background:
The role of a healthy and balanced diet in cancer prevention should never be underestimated; some
nutritional factors can reduce the side effects of chemotherapy or radiotherapy and contribute to increasing its effectiveness.
Therefore, in recent years it has been thought to associate the administration of antioxidants to the chemotherapy approach
that can protect non-tumor cells from the cytotoxic action of these drugs. However, the protective action of these substances
could also limit the chemotherapy effects against the neoplastic cells themselves.
Objective:
In this context, the goal of this work was to test the viability of cultured human non-small lung cancer A549 cells
in response to the combined administration of cisplatin (CDDP) and polyphenols. In particular, Annurca apple flesh
polyphenol extract (AFPE) action was examined.
Methods:
A549 cells were treated with AFPE alone or in combination with CDDP and then cell viability was measured by
the MTT assay. The effects of constituent polyphenols (+)-catechin, (–)-epicatechin, and caffeic acid) in AFPE were also
evaluated. The cell morphology was observed by an inverted phase-contrast microscope.
Results:
CDDP reduced A549 cell viability in both concentration- and time-dependent manners. Polyphenols and CDDP coadministration did not interfere with the CDDP efficacy, in fact, the cellular vitality was found to be similar to that detected
in the samples treated with CDDP alone.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, the co-administration of AFPE with CDDP does not interfere with its chemotherapy efficacy.
Therefore, Annurca apple could be good candidates to act as antioxidant and potentially reduce the side effects of CDDP
therapy, although the joint effect of AFPE and CDDP on normal cells is still unclear. More studies will be needed to analyze
the molecular mechanism of AFPE and in vivo studies will also be needed to verify the anticancer effects. These findings
may represent a starting point for the design of new clinical trials for use in cancer treatment.
Aiming at the development of an implantable neuroprosthesis for restoration of hand function in tetraplegic patients (C5/C6), we examined and compared the stimulation performance of two different neural electrode designs. Our studies on the radial nerve of adult pigs proved the feasibility of selective control of different forearm muscles by using only one multichannel nerve cuff electrode. The results gained by applying a 12-polar cuff electrode design were poor, while the potential of an 18-polar design was very encouraging.
Abstract-Multipolar nerve cuffs are being developed to apply to peripheral trunk nerves in an effort to limit the number of implanted components of an FES system, while at the same time allowing specific fascicles within the cuffed nerve to be independently activated. Because the electrode contact sites of a multipolar circumferential fitted cuff are positioned only at the surface of the cuffed nerve, it is difficult to activate fascicules that are located deep within the nerve. This situation might be improved if one or more additional electrode contacts were provided within the core of the nerve. An obvious choice for such a contact is to use an intrafascicular electrode (IFE) such as those described by Horch and his colleagues. In our present study we inserted a single IFE into a trunk nerve that subserves the forelimb muscles in an adult anesthetize pig. An 18 pole multichannel nerve cuff was then applied to the nerve at the same site. We stimulated different combinations of the cuff contact sites with and without the IFE while monitoring the evoked EMGs from an array of innervated forearm and shoulder muscles to assess the ability to activate different fascicles independently. The results have shown that the use of the IFE in combination with the normal cuff contacts can afford modest improvements in the degree of selective muscle activation that is possible.
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