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Sodium 4-phenylbutyrate (PBA) exerts therapeutic effects in a wide range of pathologies. A previous study by the present authors revealed that intraperitoneal administration of PBA suppresses the onset of dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis in mice. In the present study, the effects of orally administered PBA are investigated, as this route of administration is more clinically relevant. The therapeutic efficacy of PBA (10 mg/12 h) in mice with experimental colitis was assessed based on the disease activity index, production of inflammatory cytokines, colon length and histopathological investigations. The results of the present study demonstrated a significantly higher survival rate in the PBA-treated group compared with the PBA-untreated (DSS control) group (P=0.0156). PBA treatment improved pathological indices of experimental colitis (P<0.05). Furthermore, the oral administration of PBA significantly inhibited the DSS-induced shortening of the colon (P<0.05) and overproduction of interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-6 (both P<0.05) as measured in colonic lavage fluids. A marked attenuation of the DSS-induced overproduction of tumor necrosis factor was also observed. For histopathological analysis, a marked decrease in mature goblet cells and increase in enlarged nuclei of the absorptive cells was observed in colon lesions of DSS control mice as compared with normal untreated mice. However, in the PBA-treated mice, no such lesions were observed and the mucosa resembled that of DSS-untreated mice. The results of the present study, combined with those results of a previous study, suggest that oral and intraperitoneal administration of PBA have similar preventative effects on DSS-induced colitis, achieved by suppressing its pathogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sarcoma is an uncommon histopathological presentation of sinonasal tumors, comprising ~15% of all cases; liposarcoma is particularly uncommon. An analysis of the available medical literature revealed no prior reports of dedifferentiated liposarcoma (DDLPS) of the sinonasal cavity. This case report presents a rare case of DDLPS of the sinonasal cavity. A 40-year old six-week pregnant female was admitted with a left nasal obstruction. Endoscopic evaluation of the left nasal cavity revealed a polypoid lesion. A computed tomography scan indicated a mass invading the left nasal cavity, maxillary sinus and anterior ethmoid sinus with focal destruction of the surrounding bone. A biopsy of the tumor was performed and hematoxylin and eosin staining of the tissue sections revealed proliferation of atypical and pleomorphic spindle cells with enlarged or elongated hyperchromatic nuclei and occasional vacuolated cytoplasm arranged in short interlacing fascicles or storiform structures, accompanied by tumor necrosis. These findings were consistent with undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma. Immunohistochemically, the tumor cells were positive for cyclin dependent kinase 4, mouse double minute 2 homolog (MDM2) and adipophilin. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis revealed amplification of the MDM2 gene. Recently, undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma without areas of well-differentiated liposarcoma but with MDM2 amplification is regarded as conventional DDLPS. In the present case, the tumor was diagnosed as a DDLPS due to the results of histopathological, immunohistochemical and FISH analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Angiofibroma of soft tissue (AFST) is an extremely rare soft tissue neoplasm that typically presents as a slow-growing, painless mass in the extremities. The present study reports an unusual case of an intra-articular AFST occurring in the left knee of a 23-year-old female. Physical examination revealed a 3-cm, relatively mobile, elastic-hard, non-tender mass. Magnetic resonance imaging detected an intra-articular soft tissue mass with iso-signal intensity relative to skeletal muscle on T1-weighted sequences and heterogeneous high signal intensity on T2-weighted sequences. Contrast-enhanced fat-suppressed T1-weighted sequences demonstrated strong peripheral enhancement of the mass. An arthroscopic excision of the mass was performed. Histologically, the tumor was composed of spindle- or oval-shaped cells in a fibromyxoid stroma with a prominent vascular pattern. Immunohistochemically, the tumor cells were diffusely positive for vimentin and CD163 and focally positive for CD68, desmin and estrogen receptor. Based on these findings, the tumor was diagnosed as an AFST. The patient had no evidence of local recurrence within 9 months of follow-up. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of intra-articular AFST managed successfully with arthroscopic excision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ordinary lipoma is cytogenetically characterized by structural rearrangements, particularly translocations, of 12q13-15. By contrast, atypical lipomatous tumors exhibit supernumerary ring or giant marker chromosomes that are composed mainly of amplified material from the 12q13-15 chromosome segment. The present study describes the cytogenetic and molecular cytogenetic findings from a lipomatous tumor with minimal nuclear atypia that was identified in a 49-year-old female patient. Magnetic resonance imaging of the right shoulder revealed a 13-cm fatty mass in the subcutaneous layer that possessed only pencil-line septa. Contrast-enhanced fat-suppressed T1-weighted images demonstrated faint enhancement. A marginal excision was performed. Histologically, the tumor was composed of lobules that consisted of mature adipocytes separated by thin fibrous septa. There was minimal nuclear atypia in certain cells, and a small number of binucleated cells were also observed within the tumor. Immunohistochemically, the tumor cells did not reveal the expression of murine double-minute 2 (MDM2). Cytogenetic analysis revealed a complex karyotype with several numerical and structural alterations, including 12q rearrangements. Spectral karyotyping demonstrated a duplication of chromosome segment 12q13-15. Interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis revealed no MDM2 gene amplification. The present case indicates that duplication of 12q may be associated with minimal nuclear atypia in a subset of lipomatous tumors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sodium 4-phenylbutyrate (PBA) exhibits anti-inflammatory effects by suppressing nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) activation. In the present study, the effects of PBA on a mouse model of dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis were investigated. The therapeutic efficacy of PBA (150 mg/kg body weight) in DSS-induced colitis was assessed based on the disease activity index (DAI), colon length, the production of inflammatory cytokines and histopathological examination. The results showed an increase in the median survival time in the PBA-treated group compared with that of the untreated DSS control group. DAI scores were lower in the PBA-treated group than in the DSS control group during the 12 days of the experiment. Additionally, PBA treatment inhibited shortening of the colon and the production of the inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1β and IL-6, which were measured in the colonic lavage fluids. Histopathological examination of the DSS control group showed diffused clusters of chronic inflammatory cells infiltrating the lamina propria, partial exfoliation of the surface epithelium and decreased numbers of mature goblet cells. By contrast, in the PBA-treated group the histopathological findings were the same as those of the normal healthy controls. These results suggest that PBA strongly prevents DSS-induced colitis by suppressing the mechanisms involved in its pathogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]