RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Obesity has been associated with the development of various types of cancer. Biomarker studies may provide molecular level knowledge of the factors involved in this association, improving clinical practice through new methods of prevention and treatment. PURPOSE: The present study aimed to analyze proteins found in the plasma of obese patients prior to and 6 months after bariatric surgery, using body mass index (BMI) and percentage total weight loss (%TWL) to evaluate, in a prospective manner, the effects of weight loss on the regulation of proteins related to the appearance of tumors. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This was a cohort study designed to compare parameters before and after intervention. A total of 40 patients were divided into two groups: control (n = 10) and obese (n = 30). The latter group was stratified according to surgical technique used (Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) n = 11 and sleeve gastrectomy (SG) n = 19) to remove confounding variables. Blood samples were collected for plasma protein studies using two-dimensional electrophoresis. RESULTS: Six proteins related to carcinogenesis were hyperexpressed in the obese patients but were absent in the control group and following surgery. These proteins were the beta-receptor of derived growth factor platelet, the receptor of apolipoprotein B, thrombospondin-2, the low-density lipoprotein receptor, transthyretin, and podoplanin. CONCLUSION: The current preliminary study thus identified potentially carcinogenic proteins in obese patients. Surgical weight loss resulted in the not detection of these proteins.
Assuntos
Biomarcadores/sangue , Neoplasias/etiologia , Obesidade Mórbida/cirurgia , Adulto , Índice de Massa Corporal , Carcinógenos , Estudos de Casos e Controles , Estudos de Coortes , Feminino , Gastrectomia , Derivação Gástrica , Humanos , Masculino , Neoplasias/sangue , Obesidade/cirurgia , Obesidade Mórbida/sangue , Obesidade Mórbida/complicações , Estudos Prospectivos , Redução de Peso/fisiologiaRESUMO
Despite the recognised antiproliferative and antitumour properties of usnic acid, its therapeutic application has yet to be introduced. In fact, the high hepatotoxicity and low water solubility of usnic acid have somewhat restricted its practical use in anticancer therapy. The aim of this study was therefore to investigate the antitumour activity of usnic acid encapsulated into nanocapsules prepared with lactic co-glycolic acid polymer. Usnic acid-loaded nanocapsules were obtained using the interfacial deposition of a preformed polymer. The antitumour activity was confirmed on an ascitic tumour (Sarcoma-180) implanted in Swiss mice and estimated by means of the tumour inhibition. The results of antitumour activity confirmed that the encapsulation of usnic acid into PLGA-nanocapsules produced a 26.4% increase in tumour inhibition as compared with the standard free usnic acid treatment. Vacuolization of hepatocytes and a mild lymphocytic infiltration in portal spaces were observed in animals treated with free usnic acid. However, this hepatotoxicity was substantially reduced when animals were treated with usnic acid-loaded nanocapsules. No histological changes were noticed in the kidneys or spleen of animals treated either with usnic acid or usnic acid-loaded nanocapsules. These results suggest that nanoencapsulation may be a way of enabling usnic acid to be used in chemotherapy.