The current treatment for cervico-facial cancer involves radio and/or chemotherapy. Unfortunately, cancer therapies can lead to local and systemic complications such as mucositis, which is the most ...common dose-dependent complication in the oral cavity and gastrointestinal tract. Mucositis can cause a considerably reduced quality of life in cancer patients already suffering from physical and psychological exhaustion. However, the role of melatonin in the treatment of mucositis has recently been investigated, and offers an effective alternative therapy in the prevention and/or management of radio and/or chemotherapy-induced mucositis. This review focuses on the pathobiology and management of mucositis in order to improve the quality of cancer patients' lives.
The outcome of radiotherapy treatment might be further improved by a better understanding of individual variations in tumor radiosensitivity and normal tissue reactions, including the bystander ...effect. For many tumors, however, a definitive cure cannot be achieved, despite the availablity of more and more effective cancer treatments. Therefore, any improvement in the efficacy of radiotherapy will undoubtedly benefit a significant number of patients. Many experimental studies measure a bystander component of tumor cell death after radiotherapy, which highlights the importance of confirming these observations in a preclinical situation. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been investigated for use in the treatment of cancers as they are able to both preferentially home onto tumors and become incorporated into their stroma. This process increases after radiation therapy. In our study we show that in vitro MSCs, when activated with a low dose of radiation, are a source of anti-tumor cytokines that decrease the proliferative activity of tumor cells, producing a potent cytotoxic synergistic effect on tumor cells. In vivo administration of unirradiated mesenchymal cells together with radiation leads to an increased efficacy of radiotherapy, thus leading to an enhancement of short and long range bystander effects on primary-irradiated tumors and distant-non-irradiated tumors. Our experiments indicate an increased cell loss rate and the decrease in the tumor cell proliferation activity as the major mechanisms underlying the delayed tumor growth and are a strong indicator of the synergistic effect between RT and MSC when they are applied together for tumor treatment in this model.
Abstract
Multiple studies reporting mitochondrial impairment in Parkinson's disease (
PD
) involve knockout or knockdown models to inhibit the expression of mitochondrial‐related genes, including
...parkin
,
PINK
1
, and
DJ
‐1
ones. Melatonin has significant neuroprotective properties, which have been related to its ability to boost mitochondrial bioenergetics. The meaning and molecular targets of melatonin in
PD
are yet unclear. Zebrafish are an outstanding model of
PD
because they are vertebrates, their dopaminergic system is comparable to the nigrostriatal system of humans, and their brains express the same genes as mammals. The exposure of 24 hpf zebrafish embryos to
MPTP
leads to a significant inhibition of the mitochondrial complex I and the induction of
sncga
gene, responsible for enhancing
γ
‐synuclein accumulation, which is related to mitochondrial dysfunction. Moreover,
MPTP
inhibited the
parkin/
PINK
1
/
DJ
‐1
expression, impeding the normal function of the parkin/
PINK
1/
DJ
‐1/
MUL
1 network to remove the damaged mitochondria. This situation remains over time, and removing
MPTP
from the treatment did not stop the neurodegenerative process. On the contrary, mitochondria become worse during the next 2 days without
MPTP
, and the embryos developed a severe motor impairment that cannot be rescued because the mitochondrial‐related gene expression remained inhibited. Melatonin, added together with
MPTP
or added once
MPTP
was removed, prevented and recovered, respectively, the parkinsonian phenotype once it was established, restoring gene expression and normal function of the parkin/
PINK
1/
DJ
‐1/
MUL
1 loop and also the normal motor activity of the embryos. The results show, for the first time, that melatonin restores brain function in zebrafish suffering with Parkinson‐like disease.
There is increasing interest in evaluating the potential health risks and biologic effects of exposure to extremely low-frequency magnetic fields (ELF-MF) and electromagnetic radiation (EMR), like ...those associated with personal computers, cellular phones, and environmental radiation (e.g., cellular towers, high-voltage power lines, radar). ELF-MF may generate free radicals in biological organisms, which leads to hyperoxidative status. Here, we investigated the potential efficacy of protective devices constructed with nonmetallic and metallic nanoparticles, which are conductors and semiconductors of electromagnetic energy.
In a before and after study, 20 healthy subjects who regularly used cellular phones and were exposed to typical environmental EMF were given one of three different (ELF-MF) protective devices. Blood samples were drawn at baseline and one month after using the devices to examine redox and inflammatory status.
We found that, 30days after using the devices, plasma levels of lipid peroxidation, nitrites, and interferon-γ decreased significantly. Furthermore, the disulfide glutathione/glutathione ratio decreased, which indicated reduced intracellular oxidative damage. These data suggested that continuous use of devices that contain nonmetallic and metallic nanoparticles could protect healthy subjects from EMF-induced oxidative/inflammatory damage.
Thus, for the first time, we have shown that the devices tested could be useful in counteracting the deleterious effects of EMF pollution by neutralizing harmful radiation before it reaches the body.
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