Relief of Mesenteric Ischemia by Z-Stent Placement into the Superior Mesenteric Artery Compressed by the False Lumen of an Aortic Dissection

In a 58-year-old man acute aortic dissection compromised the origin of the superior mesenteric artery (SMA), resulting in mesenteric ischemia. After failed balloon angioplasty a Gianturco Z-stent was placed. The stenosis improved immediately, followed by resolution of the clinical signs of mesenteric ischemia. SMA flow was well preserved 1 year after stenting. Received: 0/00/00/Accepted: 0/00/00     

Lysocellin, a metabolite of the novel drug 'alopestatin', induces G1 arrest and prevents cytotoxicity induced by etoposide

We report here that lysocellin, a polyether antibiotic from a streptomycete, induces G1 phase arrest in human osteosarcoma MG63 cells. Lysocellin up-regulates p21WAF1/Cip1 and down-regulates cyclin D1 at the mRNA level. In addition, cyclin D1 is down-regulated by the proteasome-dependent signal pathway in MG63 cells. In drug combination studies, we found that lysocellin treatment weakened the cytotoxic activity of etoposide in MG63 cells using a colony-formation assay. To study the in vivo efficacy of lysocellin, we isolated a novel compound related to lysocellin from the same streptomycete, and found that the novel drug is converted to lysocellin in vivo and decreases etoposide-induced alopecia in a neonatal rat model. We raise the possibility that this novel drug, named 'alopestatin', may be a promising agent against alopecia.     

Effects of estrogens and antiestrogens on androgen-dependent growth of Shionogi carcinoma 115: Role of estrogen receptor

Experiments were performed to observe the role of estrogen receptor in the proliferation of androgen-dependent mouse tumor, Shionogi carcinoma 115. Estradiol and diethylstilbestrol inhibited tumor growth as well as the weight gain of seminal vesicles and prostate glands in intact male mice. Tamoxifen decreased the tumor weight in intact males. Both nitromifene given to intact mice and tamoxifen given to castrated androgenized mice decreased the weight of seminal vesicles, but increased tumor weight. Estradiol was bound to the androgen receptor of the tumor cytosol with relatively high affinity, whereas diethylstilbestrol, tamoxifen and nitromifene were not. These were effective competitors in the estrogen receptor present in the tumor cytosol. These results suggest that the estrogen receptor system in Shionogi carcinoma 115 inhibits the proliferation of tumor cells.     

A toxicoproteomic study on cardioprotective effects of pre-administration of docetaxel in a mouse model of adriamycin-induced cardiotoxicity

Studies suggest that pre-administration of docetaxel (DOC) in adriamycin (ADR)-DOC combination anticancer therapy results in stronger antitumor effects and fewer ADR-induced cardiotoxic deaths in mouse model, yet no mechanism explaining this effect has been established. The aim of this study was to identify cellular processes in mouse heart tissue affected by different ADR/DOC dosing protocols using a toxicoproteomic approach. We applied fluorogenic derivatization-liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (FD-LC-MS/MS) - which consists of fluorogenic derivatization, separation and fluorescence detection by LC, and identification by LC-tandem mass spectrometry - to the proteomic analysis of heart tissue from control, intermittent-dosing (DOC-ADR), and simultaneous-dosing (ADR&DOC) groups. In DOC-ADR group, ADR was administered 12 h after DOC injection; in ADR&DOC group, both drugs were administered simultaneously; in control group, saline was administered at the same timing as ADR injection of other groups. Heart samples were isolated from all mice 1 week after the treatment. The highly reproducible and sensitive method (FD-LC-MS/MS) identified nine proteins that were differentially expressed in heart tissue of control and the two treatment groups; seven of these nine proteins participate in cellular energy production pathways, including glycolysis, the tricarboxylic acid cycle, and the mitochondrial electron transport chain. Significantly higher expression of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) was observed in the DOC-ADR group, the group with the fewer cardiotoxic deaths, than in the ADR&DOC group. Therefore, GAPDH may have potential as a drug target for protective intervention and a biomarker for evaluation of the cardioprotective effects in pre-clinical studies.