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Colorectal cancer may be maintained by cancer stem-like cells (CSCs) that express the cell surface marker CD133. CSCs (CD133+cells) exhibits greater resistance to the chemotherapy and this resistance may be mediated in part by an autocrine response to IL4. The aim of the study was to assess the effect of anti-IL4 antibody alone or in combination with chemotherapy on the CD133 expression andthe tumor growth. We used Caco cell line in our experiments and the samples were as the following; untreated colorectal cell line, cells treated by chemotherapy, cells treated by anti-IL4 antibody in 3doses (2.5, 5, 10μg/ml), cells treatedby combination of chemotherapy and anti-IL4 antibody in 3 doses. Results of our in vitro studies demonstrated that anti-IL4 inhibited growth of Caco cell line in a dose-dependent manner revealing a 32.11% inhibition at the highest concentration (10µg/ml). There was further significant inhibition by combination of anti IL4 and chemotherapy in a dose response manner when compared to group treated by chemotherapy only. These effects were associated with decreased expression of CD133 in tumor cells also. Lastly, anti-IL4 antibody stimulated apoptosis. Our study suggested that neutralizing of IL4 by anti IL4 antibody affect the CD133+ cells may be by increasing their apoptosis. The effects of anti IL4 antibody either, alone or in combination with chemotherapy, inhibited the tumor growth and decreased the viable tumor cells. Furthermore, neutralizing of IL4 increased the efficacy of chemotherapy treatment.

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of Ca soap of palm oil fatty acids (CSFA), as a protected fat, on milk composition and the performance of both ewes and lambs. Thirty-three crossbred ewes aged 2-3 years and weighed 41-44 kg were allocated in three unequal groups for A, B &C (10, 12 &11 ewes, respectively). Group A was fed a diet free from protected fat and kept as a control. Group B was fed a diet containing 4 % fat and group C was given a diet containing 8 % fat. The ewes were in the last month of pregnancy and the experiment extended till the end of late lactation (4.5 months). Milk composition was tested, and body change in ewes and nursing lambs was traced. Moreover, the effect of fat addition on dry matter intake of ewes was analyzed. Results revealed a decrease in dry matter intake in the late gestation and an increase in early lactation, with no significant differences in the late lactation. The effect followed the amount of fat added. There was no effect on ewe’s body weight change or lamb’s growth rate from birth to weaning. On milk composition, there was an increase in fat %, higher in group B and total solids%, while percentage of protein was decreased. Concerning fat supplementation, no effect on lactose, urea milk nitrogen, and somatic cell counts was detected. There was a decreased level of solids-not-fat in group B, while group C showed no detectable alterations. In conclusion CSFA supplementation was effective to increase the fat % and yield in milk of sheep especially at the rate of 4% of addition.

to describe the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of HAV infection during three successive outbreaks occurring between 2007 and 2010 in the governorate of Sfax. epidemiological and clinical characteristics were retrospectively analyzed from the outbreak investigations. The diagnosis of acute hepatitis A was confirmed by ELISA detection of immunoglobulin M serum antibodies to HAV. 443 patients were identified and 159 of them investigated. Their mean age was 12.2 years and the M/F ratio was 0.9. The most affected age groups were 6-10 years (35%) and 11-15 years (33%). The most likely sources of contamination were drinking water from wells or tanks and direct transmission. The most frequent symptoms included asthenia, digestive disorders, and jaundice. Two cases of fulminant hepatitis were reported, one lethal. our results show that HAV endemicity in the governorate of Sfax has dropped from high to intermediate as demonstrated by the increasing age at primary HAV infection. Strengthening health education and improving access to drinking water would reduce the transmission risk of HAV in our regions.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is an unusual head and neck cancer because of its unequal geographical distribution and its consistent association with the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). This malignant tumor poses a serious public health problem in many countries, especially in Southeast Asia and North Africa where the recorded incidence are highest. During the past decade, a growing number of studies were undertaken to define the molecular basis of NPC. However, the analysis of several clinical and biological parameters of North African and Southeast Asian NPCs has shown notable differences, suggesting that they could result from a distinct combination of etiological factors. One intriguing characteristic of North African NPC, concerns its bimodal age distribution with a secondary peak of incidence in the range of 15-25 years, not observed in Asian NPC. In this juvenile form of NPC, immuno-histochemistry assay has shown that the two key proteins controlling the apoptotic-survival balance p53 and Bcl-2 are less frequently expressed whereas the transmembrane tyrosine-kinase receptor c-kit and the main EBV oncoprotein LMP1 were more abundant. In addition, the EBV serological alterations are less informative for the diagnosis of the juvenile compared to the adult form. In addition, most North African NPCs contain EBV strains with genetic polymorphisms distinct from those described in the Southeast Asia series (predominance of F, D, H1-H2, XhoI+ and f, C, H, XhoI- respectively). In contrast, studies relating on tumor chromosomal alterations or aberrant promoter methylation result in data very similar to those obtained from the Southeast Asia series, supporting the concept of a common molecular basis for all NPC regardless of patient geographic origin.

Objective: To investigate the prognostic value for loss of heterozygosity (LOH) of chromosomes 4 and 14q in early-stage colorectal cancer (CRC). Methods: A total of 70, largely microsatellite stable, tumours and their corresponding normal mucosa were subjected to microdissection and analysed for LOH at chromosomes 4 and 14q by using 13 highly polymorphic microsatellite markers. LOH was correlated with the survival of the patients, using univariate, multivariate and Kaplan–Meier’s survival curves. Result: LOH at D4S2935, D4S1579 and D4S1595 on chromosome 4 was significantly associated with metastatic recurrence of early-stage CRC. For chromosome arm 14q, two minimal regions of deletion were associated with metastatic recurrence and mapped to neighbouring markers D14S275/D14S49 at 14q12–13 and D14S65/D14S250 at 14q32. High-level loss (loss of five to eight of the informative microsatellite markers) on both chromosomes 4 and 14q, to be an independent prognostic indicator in early-stage CRC was shown by multivariate analysis. Conclusion: Determining the LOH of chromosomes 4 and 14q and their extent in primary tumours of patients with early-stage CRC may constitute a molecular signature of metastatic recurrence. This may be achieved if new finding sheds light on the treatment of this subgroup of patients that have been largely ignored.

The quality of rendered leaf fat from mature breeder fowl which contained varying amounts of tocopherol due to in vivo dietary supplementation or due to direct in vitro addition was investigated. Treatments were dietary supplementation with d-alpha-tocopheryl acetate at levels of 0, 0.025, 0.050, 0.075 and 0.100% (0 to 1360 I.U./kg. feed) for 3 weeks pre-slaughter and in vitro d-alpha-tocopherol addition of 0, 10.74, 21.48, 32.22 and 42.96 μg./ml. of rendered fat (0 to 6.4 I.U./100 ml. fat) of fowl fed 3 weeks on a diet containing no tocopherol supplementation. Parameters used to estimate fat quality included AOM stability time, free fatty acid content, initial peroxide value, and moisture and volatile matter content. Tocopherol content of the rendered fat was also determined. Fat tocopherol content was found to be significantly related to AOM stability time (r = 0.93, P

A total of 317 carp Barbus grypus were collected during one year (1977–1978) from the Dukan reservoir of Iraq to study age, grwoth and sexual maturity. The length-weight relationship was found be: log: W=–4.2298 + 2.6832 log L. and the condition (K) was 0.88. Back calculation was determined by using a correction factor (45.727) in Lee's equation. Predicted standard length and weight were found to be less than the actual values. The maximum increase in length was noted in the first year group, while the maximum increase in weight occurred at the time of sexual maturity. Males were found to attain maturity earlier than the females. Spawning took place during May and June.

The identification of viruses is important in the prediction of plant diseases in annual crops, the prevention of infection in planting stock, in monitoring disease control methods and in diagnosing disease in plants held in quarantine. Nucleic acid hybridization methods are well suited to such purposes. Their applicability will be extended by developments in membrane materials, probes and non-radioactive reporter groups.