Short Immobilization in a Sling Does Not Lead to Increased Salivary Cortisol Levels in Pigs.

The goal of the present study was to evaluate the potential stress developed in farm hybrid pigs and miniature laboratory pigs briefly restrained in a sling, by measuring salivary cortisol levels. The study was performed in 20 healthy pigs grouped into three groups: group HYB-F: hybrid female pigs (n = 12), housed at the CREBA facility (Lleida, Spain); group MIN-F: Specipig miniature female pigs (n = 4), housed at the CREBA facility; group MIN-M: Specipig miniature male pigs (n = 4), housed at the Almirall facility (Barcelona, Spain). Upon arrival, the animals were enrolled in a social habituation and training program, which included habituation to a restraint sling.

Clinical value of perioperative levels of DNA and mRNA in plasma of patients with renal cell carcinoma.

Introduction: The current challenge on renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is to finding a non-invasive biomarker for improving their diagnostic and therapeutic management. In the present study, we analyzed the clinical value of plasma levels of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) and RNA (cfRNA) of two genes: glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate-dehydrogenase (GAPDH) and human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT).

Materials And Methods: We recruited 82 patients with RCC, and 20 healthy subjects.

Liquid biopsy by NGS: Differential presence of exons (DPE) is related to metastatic potential in a colon-cancer model in the rat.

Differential presence of exons (DPE) is a method of interpretation of exome sequencing, which has been proposed to design a predictive algorithm with clinical value in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). The goal of the present study was to examine the reproducibility in a rat model of metastatic colon cancer. DHD/K12-TRb cells were injected in syngenic immunocompetent BD-IX rats.

A new minimally invasive porcine model for the study of intrahepatic bile duct dilatation.

Background: Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) procedures are becoming more frequent nowadays and novel techniques are on the rise. These procedures require high technical experience and complex endoscopic skills. The goal of this study was to develop a new minimally invasive animal model of bile duct dilatation in the pig, in order to offer a new tool for endoscopic and surgical therapy training and to test new therapeutic strategies.

Effects of negative-pressure therapy with and without ropivacaine instillation in the early evolution of severe peritonitis in pigs.

Purpose: The abdomen is the second most common source of sepsis and secondary peritonitis, which likely lead to death. In the present study, we hypothesized that instillation of local anesthetics into the peritoneum might mitigate the systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) in the open abdomen when combined with negative-pressure therapy (NPT) to treat severe peritonitis.

Methods: We performed a study in 21 pigs applying a model of sepsis based on ischemia/reperfusion and fecal spread into the peritoneum.

Diagnostic and prognostic value of the detection of hTERT mRNA in renal tumors.

Introduction: Elevated mRNA expression of human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT mRNA) is common in many types of tumors, participating in tumor growth and progression. Such expression has not been sufficiently examined in renal cancer. The goal of the present study was to quantify it and analyze its possible clinical value in the management of this pathology.

Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy induces molecular changes in peripheral white blood cells.

Background & Aims: Peripheral white blood cells (PWBC) may allow for the development of obesity biomarkers. We aimed to investigate the existence of gene expression and DNA methylation changes in PWBC after a very low calorie diet (VLCD) followed by a laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG), and its correlation with surgical outcomes.

Methods: From July 2013 to June 2014, 35 consecutive bariatric patients and 33 healthy lean volunteers were recruited.

Increased Serine and One-Carbon Pathway Metabolism by PKCλ/ι Deficiency Promotes Neuroendocrine Prostate Cancer.

Increasingly effective therapies targeting the androgen receptor have paradoxically promoted the incidence of neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC), the most lethal subtype of castration-resistant prostate cancer (PCa), for which there is no effective therapy. Here we report that protein kinase C (PKC)λ/ι is downregulated in de novo and during therapy-induced NEPC, which results in the upregulation of serine biosynthesis through an mTORC1/ATF4-driven pathway. This metabolic reprogramming supports cell proliferation and increases intracellular S-adenosyl methionine (SAM) levels to feed epigenetic changes that favor the development of NEPC characteristics.

The Secretion of miR-200s by a PKCζ/ADAR2 Signaling Axis Promotes Liver Metastasis in Colorectal Cancer.

Most colorectal cancer (CRC)-related deaths are due to liver metastases. PKCζ is a tumor suppressor in CRC with reduced expression in metastasis. Given the importance of microRNAs (miRNAs) in regulating cellular plasticity, we performed an unbiased screening and identified the miR-200 family as the most relevant miRNAs downregulated by PKCζ deficiency.

Further the liquid biopsy: Gathering pieces of the puzzle of genometastasis theory.

Metastasis is the major cause of mortality in cancer disease and still constitutes one of the most controversial mechanism, not yet fully understood. What is almost beyond doubt is that circulatory system is crucial for cancer propagation. Regarding this system, much attention has been recently paid to liquid biopsy.