Risky decision-making seems to be markedly disrupted in patients with chronic pain, probably due to the high cost that impose pain and negative mood on executive control functions. Patients’ behavioral performance on decision-making tasks such as the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) is characterized by selecting cards more frequently from disadvantageous than from advantageous decks, and by switching often between competing responses in comparison with healthy controls (HCs). In the present study, we developed a simple heuristic model to simulate individuals’ choice behavior by varying the level of decision randomness and the importance given to gains and losses. The findings revealed that the model was able to differentiate the behavioral performance of patients with chronic pain and HCs at the group, as well as at the individual level. The best fit of the model in patients with chronic pain was yielded when decisions were not based on previous choices and when gains were considered more relevant than losses. By contrast, the best account of the available data in HCs was obtained when decisions were based on previous experiences and losses loomed larger than gains. In conclusion, our model seems to provide useful information to measure each individual participant extensively, and to deal with the data on a participant-by-participant basis.
Although lymphomas account for almost half of blood-derived cancers that are diagnosed each year, the causes of new cases are poorly understood, as reflected by the relatively few risk factors established. Galectin-1, an immunoregulatory ß-galactoside-binding protein, has been widely associated with tumor-immune escape. The aim of the present work was to study the relationship between tumor growth rate, aggressiveness, and response to cyclophosphamide (Cy) therapy with regard to Gal-1 expression in murine T-cell lymphoma models. By means of a disruptive selection process for tumor growth rate, we generated two lymphoma variants from a parental T-cell lymphoma, which have unique characteristics in terms of tumor growth rate, spontaneous regression, metastatic capacity, Gal-1 expression and sensitivity to Cy therapy. Here, we show that Gal-1 expression strongly correlates with tumor growth rate, metastatic capacity and response to single-dose Cy therapy in T-cell lymphoma models; this association might have important consequences for evaluating prognosis and treatments of this type of tumors.
ObjectiveThis prospective study aimed to characterize the changes in blood lactate
concentration and blood oxygen saturation in patients during the immediate
postoperative period of cardiac surgery with extracorporeal circulation.MethodsBlood samples were collected from 35 patients in a rapid and random order
from the arterial line and from the proximal and distal port of a pulmonary
artery catheter.ResultsThe results showed no statistically significant differences between the blood
oxygen saturation in the right atrium (72% ± 0.11%) and the blood
oxygen saturation in the pulmonary artery (71% ± 0.08%). The blood
lactate concentration in the right atrium was 1.7mmol/L ± 0.5mmol/L,
and the blood lactate concentration in the pulmonary artery was 1.6mmol/L
± 0.5mmol/L (p < 0.0005).ConclusionThe difference between the blood lactate concentration in the right atrium
and the blood lactate concentration in the pulmonary artery might be a
consequence of the low blood lactate concentration in the blood from the
coronary sinus, as it constitutes an important substrate for the myocardium
during this period. The lack of differences between the blood oxygen
saturation in the right atrium and the percentage of blood oxygen saturation
in the pulmonary artery suggests a lower oxygen extraction by the myocardium
given a lower oxygen consumption.
L-DGE is a spontaneous poorly differentiated murine lymphoma. During tumor growth it develops lymph node metastasis at a low frequency. Gal-1 is an immunomodulatory protein that acts as a regulator of T cell homeostasis and plays an important role in immune tolerance and tumor-immune escape. Overexpression of Gal-1 is associated with tumor progression and metastasis. Based on our previous findings, our aim was to obtain by a divergent selection two L-DGE variants that differ in tumor growth rate in order to study Gal-1 expression as well as their response to Cy. Two selection experiments were carried out. 1) L-DGE was s.c. implanted on 12 BALB/c mice (day 0). On day 14 the tumor displaying the largest volume was chosen as donor for the next passage to 4 mice. This higher-volume-selection was repeated for 25 serial passages, every 14 days and the tumor thus obtained was named L-DGE/M. 2) L-DGE was s.c. implanted on 12 BALB/c mice (day 0). On day 21, the tumor with the lowest growth rate was chosen as a donor and implanted into 6 mice and repeated through 16 serial passages. As a result of this selection L-DGE/L was obtained. We challenged mice (n=20/group) with L-DGE, L-DGE/M and L-DGE/L and studied tumor growth, metastatic capacity, galectin-1 expression and response to a single low dose Cy (25 mg/kg). Tumor volume vs. Time data was adjusted with an exponential curve and the growth rate was calculated. Gal-1 expression was studied by Western Blot in tumor and metastases homogenates. L-DGE/M growth rate was higher than that of L-DGE (p<0.01). L-DGE/L grew slower than L-DGE but did not differ statistically. The % of metastasis displayed by L-DGE/M was higher than that displayed by L-DGE (p=0.009) whereas L-DGE/L did not differ from L-DGE. Median survival times were 15, 20 and 26 days for L-DGE/M, L-DGE and L-DGE/L, respectively (p<0.0001). Tumor regressions were also different: 5%, 20% and 30%, respectively. Interestingly, Gal-1 expression in L-DGE/M primary tumors was higher (p=0.042) and in L-DGE/L lower (p=0.013) than in L-DGE, whereas in lymph-node metastases from L-DGE/M and L-DGE was 20% lower than their respective primary tumors, a pattern that we had already found in a rat lymphoma model. Finally, Cy treatment had different impact on tumor progression on these variants. While it increased median survival times of L-DGE, L-DGE/L and L-DGE/M-bearing mice, it induced exponential tumor volume decay with different rates on L-DGE, L-DGE/L and L-DGE/M (p=0.0001). Two lymphoma variants were obtained, of which, the more aggressive overexpresses Gal-1 in primary tumor while the slowly growing variant underexpresses this immunomodulatory protein. These differences also correlate with different responses to immunomodulatory doses of Cy. These results show a strong relationship between galectin-1 expression and tumor aggressiveness, a fact that could be of great value for prognosis and therapy.
Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 404.
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