Complete regression of low-grade mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma in the gastric stump after eradication of Helicobacter pylori

Recent studies have suggested that Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori)-associated gastritis may play an important role in the pathogenesis of primary gastric lymphoma. Recently, triple therapy using proton pump inhibitor, amoxicillin, and clarithromycin, has been established for the eradication therapy of H. pylori infection, and is also recommended for the treatment of the superficial type of low-grade gastric MALT (mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue ) lymphoma. MALT lymphoma of the gastric stump is rare, and total resection or chemotherapy for MALT lymphoma of the gastric stump has been previously reported. Therefore, there is no evidence that eradication therapy is effective for low-grade MALT lymphoma of the gastric stump. Our case illustrates the remarkable efficacy of eradication of H. pylori for low-grade MALT lymphoma of the gastric stump without other modalities such as surgery and systemic chemotherapy.     

Histone deacetylase inhibitor, trichostatin A, increases the chemosensitivity of anticancer drugs in gastric cancer cell lines

Epigenetic alterations of the histone acetylation play an important role in the regulation of gene expression associated with cell cycles and apoptosis that may affect the chemosensitivity of gastric carcinomas. Recently, a histone deacetylase inhibitor, trichostatin A (TSA), was proven to be a chemo-sensitizer on human erythroleukemia cells. With the aim of improving the chemotherapeutic efficacy of gastric carcinoma, the effect of TSA on the chemosensitivity of several anticancer drugs in gastric carcinoma cells was investigated. Human gastric cancer cell lines, OCUM-8 and MKN-74, and 5 anticancer drugs, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), paclitaxel (PTX), oxaliplatin (OXA), irinotecan (SN38) and gemcitabine (GEM) were used. In both gastric cancer cell lines, a synergistic anti-proliferative effect by the combination of TSA (30 ng/ml) with 5-FU, PTX or SN38 showed a synergistic anti-proliferative effect in OCUM-8 and MKN-74 cells. TSA increases the expression of p21, p53, DAPK-1 and the DAPK-2 gene in both OCUM-8 and MKN-74 cells. In conclusion, TSA is a promising chemotherapeutical agent in combination with anticancer drugs of 5-FU, PTX and SN38 in gastric cancer cell lines. The up-regulation of p53, p21, DAPK-1 and DAPK-2 might be associated with the synergistic effect of TSA.     

Inhibitory effects of beer on mutation in the Ames test and DNA adduct formation in mouse organs induced by 2-Amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP)

An evaluation of the antigenotoxic potential of beer components against carcinogens contained in the human diet, namely heterocyclic amines (HCAs) including 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP), was determined. The protective mechanism involved was also investigated. Beer samples were found to inhibit the mutagenicity of HCAs in the Ames test. Beer solution, consisting of a freeze-dried and dissolved sample, given as drink-water significantly reduced the formation of PhIP-DNA adducts in mouse colon and lung compared to control mice fed with PhIP in the absence of beer solution. Furthermore, beer solution added in the diet as a food additive mimic significantly reduced the amount of DNA adducts present in the liver and lung of mice fed with PhIP. In an effort to investigate the mechanism responsible for the observed protective effect, the effect of beer solutions on HCA metabolizing enzymes was investigated. Beer solutions inhibited the activity of CYP1A1 and CYP1A2, as determined from deethylation and demethylation assays using 7-ethoxy- and 7-methoxyresolufin, respectively. Considering the overall suppression of PhIP genotoxicity by beer, this study confirmed that beer components can interfere with the enzyme activity involved in the metabolism of HCAs and subsequently suppress the observed genotoxicity. The results of this study showed that beer components act in a protective capacity against the genotoxic effects of heterocyclic amines in vivo.     

Dietary Garcinia cambogia does not modify skin properties of mice with or without excessive sucrose intake

The influence of 3.3% Garcinia cambogia extract on the properties of mouse skin with or without 10% sucrose water loading was investigated. Mice (7-week-old) were given free access to a control diet or a diet containing Garcinia cambogia extract. They were also given water alone or both water and sucrose water. Their skin was compared by both biochemical and histological methods. The collagen and triacylglycerol contents were not significantly different among the four groups. Similarly, electron microscopy revealed no differences in the thickness of the dermis layer or the subcutaneous tissue layer. Mice given the diet containing Garcinia cambogia tended to have a reduced total number of adipocytes, but not significantly. These results suggest that Garcinia cambogia supplementation for at least 4 weeks does not induce a negative effect on skin properties in mice irrespective of excessive sucrose intake.     

Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) gene transfection inhibits the liver metastasis of pancreatic cancer by preventing angiogenesis

Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) is a unique type of serine protease inhibitor and one of the key regulators of tumor invasion and metastasis. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the effect of PAI-1 gene transfection on liver metastasis and its mechanism by using the human high liver metastasis pancreatic cancer cell line, SW1990. PAI-1-transfected SW1990 (SW/PAI-1) produced a significantly higher level of PAI-1 in supernatant than parental cells. While no difference was observed for the production of u-PA and u-PA activity in the supernatant, cell proliferation of SW/PAI-1 was slightly suppressed on the 7th day of incubation compared to parental cells. Cellular invasion, in vivo tumorigenesis in xenograft and liver metastasis were significantly suppressed in SW/PAI-1 cells compared to parental cells. The angiogenesis of xenograft by detecting microvascular density and the production of metastasis-related factors, such as VEGF and TGF-beta1, were also decreased in SW/PAI-1 cells. These findings suggested that PAI-1 gene transfection might have the ability to prevent the liver metastasis of pancreatic cancer by modulating angiogenesis.     

Lipofibromatous hamartoma of nerve in the foot

A case of lipofibromatous hamartoma in the foot is described. This tumor-like lesion commonly occurs in the hands, wrists and forearms of young persons. The median nerve is affected in the great majority of cases. Only very rarely, however, is it found in the nerves of the foot. It is believed that the present study is the seventh reported case of lipofibromatous hamartoma in the foot, and is the first case reported in Japan. A review shall be made of the six reported cases in the foot.     

Logistic time constant of isometric relaxation force curve of ferret ventricular papillary muscle: reliable index of lusitropism

We have found that a logistic function fits the left ventricular isovolumic relaxation pressure curve in the canine excised, cross-circulated heart more precisely than a monoexponential function. On this basis, we have proposed a logistic time constant (tau(L)) as a better index of ventricular isovolumic lusitropism than the conventional monoexponential time constant (tau(E)). We hypothesize in the present study that this tau(L) would also be a better index of myocardial isometric lusitropism than the conventional tau(E). We tested this hypothesis by analyzing the isometric relaxation force curve of 114 twitches of eight ferret isolated right ventricular papillary muscles. The muscle length was changed between 82 and 100% L(max) and extracellular Ca(2+) concentrations ([Ca(2+)](o)) between 0.2 and 8 mmol/l. We found that the logistic function always fitted the isometric relaxation force curve much more precisely than the monoexponential function at any muscle length and [Ca(2+)](o) level. We also found that tau(L) was independent of the choice of the end of isometric relaxation but tau(E) was considerably dependent on it as in ventricular relaxation. These results validated our present hypothesis. We conclude that tau(L) is a more reliable, though still empirical, index of lusitropism than conventional tau(E) in the myocardium as in the ventricle.     

Meningeal Hamartoma of the Scalp A Variant of Primary Cutaneous Meningioma

A case of meningeal hamartoma of the scalp is reported. A 15-year-old girl was admitted complaining of scalp nodules in the midline occipital region. A midline skull defect was found under the nodular lesions. Histologically, the mass had a fibrocollagenous tract extending to the dura and showed an admixture of mature adipose tissue, small ves sels, strands of fibrocollagenous tissue, and scattered foci of meningocytes. lmmunohistochemically, the menin-gocytes were positive for vimentin. Ultrastructurally, the meningocytes had scattered desmosomes, interdigitating processes, and intermediate filaments. The patient's brother also had the meningeal hamartoma of the scalp. Meningeal hamartoma as a variant of primary cutaneous meningioma is extremely rare, and this is the first report of such a case in Japan. Acta Pathol Jpn 42: 353–357, 1992.     

QRS width does not reflect ventricular dyssynchrony in patients with heart failure

The purpose of this study was to evaluate QRS width as an indication for cardiac resynchronization therapy. This study group consisted of 64 heart failure patients (51 men, age average 60.5 ± 15.5 years) with a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) of less than 35%. Patients were divided into two groups according to their QRS width; the wide QRS group (QRS width greater than or equal to 120 ms, 31 patients) and the narrow QRS group (QRS width less than 120 ms, 33 patients). The ventricular dyssynchrony (VD), i.e., the inter- and intraventricular dyssynchrony, of the two groups was compared. The correlation between QRS width and VD was evaluated in all patients. There were no significant differences between the wide and the narrow QRS groups concerning interventricular dyssynchrony [28.4 ± 26.1 ms vs. 25.3 ± 18.2 ms, not significant (NS)] or intraventricular dyssynchrony (99.0 ± 43.8 ms vs. 109.0 ± 56.6 ms, NS). Nor were there any differences in the LVEF (26.6 ± 6.6% vs. 28.2 ± 5.1%, NS), brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) (567.0 ± 319.0 pg/ml vs. 390.0 ± 375.8 pg/ml, NS), and New York Heart Association (NYHA) class (2.4 ± 0.8 vs. 2.0 ± 1.0, NS). QRS width did not correlate with interventricular (r = 0.026, NS) or intraventricular dyssynchrony (r = 0.052, NS). There were no differences in VD between the two groups based on differences in QRS width. There was also no correlation between QRS width and VD. It is suggested that QRS width is not an absolute indication for cardiac resynchronization therapy.