Immunohistochemical study of human brain tumors with vimentin and astroprotein (GFAP)

Distributions of two different subclasses of intermediate filaments, vimentin and glial filaments, were studied immunohistochemically in human brain tumors using specific antiserum to each protein subunit, vimentin and astroprotein (GFAP), Surgical specimens (5 meningiomas, 4 ependymomas, 5 benign astrocytomas, 5 anaplastic astrocytomas and 7 glioblastomas) were fixed in 95% ethanol or ethanol-acidic acid (95:5) and embedded in paraffin Avidin biotin peroxidase-complex (ABC) method (Vectastain) was carried out on 6 microns-thick paraffin sections. All meningioma cells were negative for astroprotein (GFAP) and positive for vimentin. Ependymoma cells showed various patterns of immunoreaction for astroprotein (GFAP) but were invariably positive for vimentin. In benign astrocytomas, many cells (or cell body and processes) were positive for astroprotein (GFAP). Immunoreaction for vimentin was, however, less frequent and intense. In anaplastic astrocytomas, population of astroprotein (GFAP)-positive cells decreased and vimentin-positive cells increased. Astroprotein (GFAP)-positive cells were further decreased in glioblastomas and the population of vimentin-positive cells varied among tissues. The present study suggests that the anaplastic change of astrocytoma cells were associated with decreased expression of glial filaments and increased expression of vimentin filaments. It was also suggests that the expression of both intermediate filaments may be suppressed in highly-malignant glial tumor cells.     

Microbiological approach to the treatment of brain tumors

Growths factors, defined as polypeptides that stimulate cell proliferation, are major growth-regulatory molecules for cells in culture and probably also for cells in vivo. Evidence has been derived for autocrine system in which the cell produces its own growth factor. Several growth factors as well as their cellular receptors have been identified as productions of proto-oncogenes. Furthermore, these growth factors have been identified as mitogens in tumors of the central nervous system. The roles of growth factors including platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), epidermal growth factor (EGF) and its receptor. Insulin-like growth factors (IGFs), transforming growth factors (TGFs) and fibroblast growth factor (FGF) on the proliferation of brain tumors, especially glioma were reviewed. The activation of cellular proto-oncogenes resulting in the autocrine system of growth factors and their receptors offers the opportunity for therapeutic interference. Therapeutic efforts will be based on the concepts of neutralization of growth factors, antagonizing growth factors at their receptors, irreversibly blocking receptors, and interference with oncogene product synthesis. Specific antibody for growth factors or receptors will be able to inhibit the proliferation. Trapidil, an antagonist for PDGF, can inhibit the proliferation of a PDGF-producing glioma cell. We can assume that the further analysis of growth regulatory mechanism will allow the design of new therapeutic approaches.     

Early invasive colorectal carcinomas with submucosal invasion: radiographic characteristics with barium double contrast images

Background: We assessed the radiographic characteristics of early colorectal carcinomas with submucosal invasion (CCSI) with the use of double-contrast images. Methods: From 1989 to 1997, 193 patients with 196 CCSI lesions underwent double-contrast barium enema examinations. Three gastrointestinal radiologists retrospectively reviewed the radiographic characteristics of the lesions and classified them as protruding and depressed types by consensus. Further, subclassifying the protruding into lobular and smooth types was accomplished on the basis of surface structure. Each type was compared with pathologic findings of resected specimens. Results: The incidence of the protruding type was 98.0%, and that of the depressed type was only 2.0%. The proportion of smooth lesions was 49.0% for the protruding type; these had a mean diameter of 17.9 mm, which was significantly smaller than the 23.1 mm mean observed for lobular lesions (p < 0.01). Of the smooth lesions, 44.7% demonstrated massive invasion, whereas 91.8% of lobular lesions exhibited only slight or moderate invasion into the submucosa (p < 0.01). The extent of invasion of the smooth lesions was greater than that for their lobular counterparts in terms of venous and lymph node involvement. Conclusion: Almost all CCSIs could be identified radiologically as protruding lesions; these had a smooth rather than a lobulated surface and demonstrated greater malignancy, despite the smaller size. It is clinically important to discriminate these from other polypoid lesions in establishing patient treatment. Double-contrast imaging is useful for evaluation of the surface characteristics of CCSIs in barium enema studies.     

Anesthetic management of a patient with deep brain stimulators

A 68-year man with severe Parkinson's disease who had been implanted with deep brain stimulators into both sides, received an emergency surgery uneventfully under general anesthesia with standard monitoring. During the operation, the surgeon turned off the impulse generators and used bipolar diathermy. Postoperatively, he had transient episodes of severe Parkinson symptoms, which were controled by levodopa drugs.     

Combination therapy of intra-arterial 5-fluorouracil and systemic pegylated interferon α-2b for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma

Background  

This study evaluated the efficacy of combined 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN) α-2b in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).     

Determination of procalcitonin concentration using the SphereLight 180 clinical auto-analyzer

BACKGROUND: Procalcitonin (PCT) is a biomarker for the diagnosis of sepsis and bacterial infection diseases. METHODS: A new fully automated SphereLight PCT (SL-PCT) assay system for PCT concentration in human serum or plasma by using SphereLight 180 (SL180, Olympus Corp.) analyzer was developed. The SL-PCT assay is based on chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay. RESULTS: A linear dose response relationship was observed up to 200 ng/ml PCT concentration. The detection limit of PCT concentration was 0.06 ng/ml. Endogenous substances, anticoagulants, sodium fluoride and drugs did not interfere with assay results. There was a good correlation between the present method and the manual method in serum and plasma samples. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that the SL-PCT assay showed good performance in terms of the linearity, detection limit and precision. Use of this PCT measurement may improve the detection of sepsis and infectious disease.     

Epidural tuberculoma of the spine: case report

Epidural tuberculomas of the spine have been reported only rarely during the past few decades. A case of a surgically treated epidural tuberculoma of the thoracic spine in a 76-year-old women is presented.     

Effect of ginsenoside Rgl on the release of enzymes by cultured endothelial cells.

The effects of ginsenoside Rgl, isolated from Ginseng Radix, on the secretion of plasminogen activator and angiotensin-converting enzyme from cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells were investigated in vitro. Ginsenoside Rgl significantly increased the secretion of plasminogen activator from the cells both with and without stimulation of the cells by thrombin. Ginsenoside Rgl also remarkably induced the secretion of angiotensin-converting enzyme from the cells. Furthermore, ginsenoside Rgl showed some morphological alteration in the surface membrane of the cells. In addition, survival-promoting effect of CPAE cell line by ginsenoside Rgl was observed.     

Determination of protoporphyrins in blood using HPLC. Standardization of protoporphyrins and interlaboratory comparison of analyses]

1) In order to compare the results of determination of protoporphyrin IX (PP) and zinc protoporphyrin IX (ZP) using HPLC, the preparation procedures for standard solutions of PP and ZP were studied at four laboratories. According to the methods mutually agreeable to the four laboratories, the absorption values using UV-Vis spectrometer from the 4 laboratories were found to be identical. 2) The total of 28 whole blood samples obtained from the same workers whose Pb-B levels ranged from 2.9 to 87.9 micrograms/dl were sent to the 4 laboratories for determination of PP and ZP. The laboratories were allowed to use their own HPLC apparatus, column, mobile phase and fluorometric detectors, although the same procedures were used to prepare the standard solutions of PP and ZP. The results showed that significant biases in ZP and PP levels were found between two out of the 4 laboratories, but the ZP values corrected by the recovery rate showed no statistical difference among the laboratories. 3) Blood levels of ZP, total protoporphyrin (TP, calculated by PP+ZP/1.1), and PP determined by HPLC method correlated well with free erythrocyte protoporphyrin (FEP) determined by the method of extraction into the acidic solvent. The correlation coefficients between Pb-B and log TP, ZP, FEP or PP were 0.82-0.84, 0.80-0.83, 0.786, or 0.70-0.73, respectively. 4) The coincident ratios of PP/TP obtained at 4 laboratories ranged from 12.1 to 19.0%. These values were within a relatively narrow range, although two different kinds of organic solvents (DMF: N',N'-dimethylformamide or Methanol/triton-X 100) were used in the extraction steps.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Clotrimazole-induced modulation of hepatic cytochrome P450 enzymes in Syrian and Chinese hamsters.

Clotrimazole, an imidazole antifungal drug, is known to induce cytochrome P450 isozymes of the P450IIIA and P450IIB subfamilies in rats. This agent modulated hepatic cytochrome P450 enzymes differently in golden Syrian and Chinese hamsters and also in hamsters and rats. Clotrimazole at a daily intraperitoneal dose of 100 mg/kg for three days increased the amount of cytochrome P450 in the livers of the two hamster strains. In Syrian hamsters, clotrimazole significantly induced the activities of 7-pentoxyresorufin O-dealkylase, coumarin 7-hydroxylase, benzphetamine N-demethylase and testosterone 15 alpha- and 16 alpha-hydroxylases, but reduced those of testosterone 15 beta-, 7 alpha-, 6 beta-, 2 alpha- and 2 beta-hydroxylases. In Chinese hamsters, clotrimazole markedly stimulated the activities of coumarin 7-hydroxylase and testosterone 15 alpha, 16 alpha- and 2 alpha-hydroxylases as well as the formation of androstenedione. Western blot analysis revealed that clotrimazole treatment induced mainly cytochrome P450 isozymes immunorelated to the P450IIB and P450IIA subfamilies in Syrian hamsters and isozymes immunorelated to the P450IIA subfamily in Chinese hamsters. In contrast, in both hamster strains, clotrimazole did not induce the isozymes corresponding to the P450IIIA subfamily.