The importance of sapienic acid (6c-16:1), a monounsaturated fatty acid of the n-10 family formed from palmitic acid by delta-6 desaturase, and of its metabolism to 8c-18:1 and sebaleic acid (5c,8c-18:2) has been recently assessed in cancer. Data are lacking on the association between signaling cascades and exposure to sapienic acid comparing cell lines of the same cancer type. We used 50 μM sapienic acid supplementation, a non-toxic concentration, to cultivate MCF-7 and 2 triple-negative breast cancer cells (TNBC), MDA-MB-231 and BT-20. We followed up for three hours regarding membrane fatty acid remodeling by fatty acid-based membrane lipidome analysis and expression/phosphorylation of EGFR (epithelial growth factor receptor), mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin) and AKT (protein kinase B) by Western blotting as an oncogenic signaling cascade. Results evidenced consistent differences among the three cell lines in the metabolism of n-10 fatty acids and signaling. Here, a new scenario is proposed for the role of sapienic acid: one based on changes in membrane composition and properties, and the other based on changes in expression/activation of growth factors and signaling cascades. This knowledge can indicate additional players and synergies in breast cancer cell metabolism, inspiring translational applications of tailored membrane lipid strategies to assist pharmacological interventions.

Background Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is widely used to assess flap perfusions by measuring tissue oxygen saturation (StO(2)). However, the StO(2) level for the onset of perfusion failure is still a controversial issue. Aim This study proposes a new threshold of StO(2) level for detecting the onset of perfusion failure as early as possible to increase flap salvage rates. Methods Twenty patients undergoing flap surgery were included in this study - 13 flaps were implemented to cover defects that occurred due to trauma and 7 flaps to hide imperfections that occurred after cancer treatment. Thirteen flaps were in the lower extremity, six in the mandible, and one in the breast. NIRS was used to measure StO(2) in 240 flap regions of the 20 patients to determine flap viability using descriptive statistics. Results The mean StO(2) values from healthy flap and control regions were obtained as 81.6% +/- 0.36 and 82% +/- 0.18, respectively. The lowest StO(2) value of 77.2% was defined as the onset of a vascular complication at a probability of 99.74% by subtracting three times the standard deviation from the mean StO(2) of healthy flaps. Vascular complications were observed from 21 regions in the four flaps with StO(2) values lower than 77.2%, but only one was lost. Conclusion The threshold value for the onset of perfusion failure was a 5% decrease from the expected value, much lower than previously described thresholds that may facilitate the detection of perfusion failure in the early stage and increase salvage rates in flap revisions.

Objectives: Recently, the need for early diagnosis of modifiable risk factors involved in the etiology of stroke has been highlighted in the literature. Nesfatin-1 is a peptide expressed in the central nervous system and peripheral tissues and has been used as a biomarker in recent years. This study aimed to determine the association of ischemic stroke with internal carotid artery stenosis according to nesfatin-1 level and whether it could be used as a biomarker. Methods: A total of 118 patients were included in the study. Three groups were defined: acute stroke patients with symptomatic internal carotid artery stenosis, acute stroke patients without internal carotid artery stenosis, and a control group. Nesfatin-1 levels were measured and compared. Results: The median value was 22 pg/mL in acute stroke patients with internal carotid artery stenosis, 24.3 pg/mL in acute stroke patients without internal carotid artery stenosis, and 46.4 pg/mL in the control group. There is a difference between the median values of nesfatin-1 according to the stroke groups with the control group (p < 0.001). When a cut-off value of ≤30.62 was taken for nesfatin-1, an AUC value of 0.773 indicated statistical significance (p < 0.001). Sensitivity was 77.03%, specificity 83.33%, PPV 90.48%, and NPV 63.83%. The main limitations of our study are the small sample size and the fact that the function of nesfatin-1 is not completely known. Conclusions: Although we found that nesfatin-1 levels were lower in ischemic stroke patients compared to controls, its diagnostic potential indicates a moderate discriminatory ability with an AUC value of 0.773. Therefore, whether it is suitable for clinical use will be demonstrated by studies in larger and multicenter cohorts.

Ovarian torsion is agynecologic emergency that affects females of all ages. Early diagnosis is important to preserve ovarian function. The false positive rate for sonographic diagnosis of ovarian torsion is 50%; therefore, a new real-time approach is required to improve diagnostic accuracy. We investigated diffuse reflectance spectroscopy for diagnosing ovarian torsion. Spectroscopic measurements were performed in vivo prior to, during and after detorsion. After bilateral oophorectomy, hemoxygenase and myeloperoxidase enzyme activity in ovarian tissue was evaluated and the tissues were examined for pathology. Spectroscopic data were compared to histopathological and biochemical data to assess the diagnostic value of the spectroscopic method for differentiating healthy and damaged ovarian tissue. We found a good correlation between spectroscopy and histopathology. We also found a correlation between the spectroscopic data and heme oxygenase enzyme activity. We found no correlation between the histopathological tissue damage score and myeloperoxidase enzyme activity. Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy may be of prognostic and diagnostic value for ovarian torsion in vivo.

Gastrik dilatasyon volvulus problemine predispoze ırk olan 15 köpeğe proflaktik amaçla endoskopik gastropeksi, laparoskopik gastropeksi ve ventral orta hat gastropeksi tekniklerini uygulayarak, iyileşme sürecinde mideden ve pankreastan salgılanan amilaz, lipaz ve gastrin seviyelerindeki değişiklikleri karşılaştırılarak tekniklerin avantaj ve dezavantajları araştırıldı. Çalışmada 15 köpek, orta ventral hat, laparoskopik ve endoskopik destekli gastropeksi için 3 gruba ayrıldı. Birinci gruptaki 5 köpekte klasik gastropeksi, İkinci gruptaki köpeklerde laparoskopik destekli gastropeksi ve üçüncü gruptaki köpeklerde ise endoskopik gastropeksi operasyonu uygulandı. Her gruptaki köpeğe preoperative, postoperative 1. gün ve 8. günde amilaz, lipaz ve gastrin ölçümleri yapılarak elde edilen veriler istatistiksel olarak değerlendirildi. Operasyon sonunda klinik olarak herhangi bir patolojiye rastlanılmadı. Elde edilen amilaz, lipaz ve gastrin seviyeleride normal standart referanslar aralığında bulundu. Sonuç olarak, enzim salınımları yönünden yapılan operasyon tekniklerinin birbirlerine istatistik açıdan bir üstünlükleri olmadığını destekler niteliktedir. Tekniklerin uygulama ve zaman olarak birbirlerine avantaj ve dezavantajları bulunsa dahi bu üç teknikten herhangi bir tanesinin amilaz, lipaz ve gastrin enzimlerinin enzimatik sonuçları yönünden istatistiki bir fark oluşturmayacağı, her üç tekniğin de profilaktik amaçla kullanılabileceği görüşü ağırlık kazanmıştır. Fakat post-operatif dönemin daha uzun tutulması ile enzimatik ve mide motilitesinde değişikliklerin olabileceği düşünülmektedir. Bu açıdan daha fazla olgu ile daha uzun post-operatif dönem değerlendirilmelidir.