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“OBJECTIVE: To investigate the pattern of care and outcomes for newly diagnosed glioblastoma in find more Italy and compare our results with the previous Italian Patterns of Care study to determine whether significant changes occurred in clinical practice during the past 10 years.

METHODS: Clinical, pathological, therapeutic, and survival data regarding 1059 patients treated in 18 radiotherapy centers between 2002 and 2007 were collected and retrospectively reviewed.

RESULTS: Most patients underwent

both computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging either preoperatively (62.7%) or postoperatively (35.5%). Only 123 patients (11.6%) underwent a biopsy. Radiochemotherapy with temozolomide was the most frequent adjuvant treatment (70.7%). Most patients (88.2%) received 3-dimensional conformal radiotherapy. Median survival was 9.5 months. Two- and 5-year survival rates were 24.8% and 3.9%, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed the statistical significance of age, postoperative Karnofsky Performance Status scale score, surgical extent, use of 3-dimensional conformal selleck chemical radiotherapy, and use of chemotherapy. Use of a more aggressive approach was associated with longer survival in elderly patients. Comparing

our results with those of the subgroup of patients included in our previous study who were treated between 1997 and 2001, relevant differences were found: more frequent use of magnetic resonance imaging, surgical removal more common than biopsy, and widespread use of 3-dimensional conformal radiotherapy + temozolomide. Branched chain aminotransferase Furthermore, a significant improvement in terms of survival was noted (P < .001).

CONCLUSION: Changes in the care of glioblastoma over the past few years are documented. Prognosis of glioblastoma patients has slightly

but significantly improved with a small but noteworthy number of relatively long-term survivors.”
“The alleviative effect of procyanidins extracted from the lotus seedpod (LSPC) on oxidative stress in various tissues was evaluated by determining the activities of the antioxidant enzymes and the content of reduced glutathione (GSH) in heart, liver, lung, kidney. skeletal muscle, and serum in aged rats. Aging led to antioxidant deficit in various tissues in this study, which is confirmed by remarkable increased lipid peroxidation, whereas the change patterns of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and GSH were diverse in various tissues of aged rats. LSPC treatment (50 and 100 mg/kg body weight) modified the activity of SOD, CAT. and GPx as well as GSH content alteration in these tissues, which reversed the age-related antioxidant deficit in aged rats. However, the regulatory patterns on the activities of these enzymes and GSH content by LSPC treatment were different according to the tissues in aged rats.