Studies of effects of anticancer agents in combination with/without hyperthermia on metastasized human bladder cancer cells in chick embryos using the polymerase chain reaction technique

Cultivated T24 cells derived from a human bladder cancer were inoculated into the chorioallantoic membrane vein of chick embryos. Hyperthermic treatment was performed following injection of anticancer agents 3 days after the inoculation of the T24 cells. DNA samples were obtained from the livers of the chick embryos, and the polymerase chain reaction technique was used to amplify a DNA fragment specific to the human -globin gene. The Southern hybridization method was used to evaluate the inhibitory effects of anticancer agents in combination with/without hyperthermia on T24 cells metastasized to the liver. The hyperthermia exerted an inhibitory effect on the growth of the T24 cells in the livers of the chick embryos, and this was dependent on the thermal dose. The antitumor effects of hyperthermia performed at 42.5° C for 20 min and at 43.0° C for 10 min were evidenced by 69.2% an 82.0% inhibition of the growth of the metastasized T24 cells, respectively, as compared with the growth of untreated T24 cell. Hyperthermia performed at 42.5° C for 10 min alone produced 26.7% tumor growth inhibition, and these conditions for hyperthermia were subsequently used as a criterion for evaluating the effects of its combination with various anticancer agents. Adriamycin (20 g/egg) alone, mitomycin C (10 g/egg) alone, carboplatin (10 g/egg) alone, and cisplatin (10 g/egg) alone produced 13.5%, 58.9%, 27.3%, and 29.1% tumor growth inhibition, respectively. Adriamycin and mitomycin C applied in combination with hyperthermia showed additive inhibitory effects on the growth of the metastasized T24 cells in this chick embryo model.     

Disseminated intravascular coagulation in a man with metachronous bone metastasis from gastric-cancer - case-report

We report on a case of multiple bone metastasis and disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIG) in a 49-year-old Japanese man. He underwent total gastrectomy for advanced gastric cancer in July 1992, He was diagnosed as a case of multiple bone metastasis in August 1993. Severe anemia, thrombocytopenia, and elevated fibrinogen degradative products were indicative of DIG. He was treated with sequential i.v. administration of methotrexate (MTX) and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and continuous i.v. infusion of heparin and gabexate mesilate. After two weeks of treatment with MTX combined with 5-FU, the findings of DIC disappeared and his general condition improved dramatically.     

Investigation of radiation safety management of nuclear medicine facilities in Japan; contamination of radioactivity in the draining-water system. A Working Group of Japanese Society of Nuclear Medicine for the Guidelines of Nuclear Medicine Therapy

Radiation safety management condition in Japanese nuclear medicine facilities were investigated by the questionnaire method. The first questionnaire was asked in all Japanese 1,401 Nuclear Medicine facilities. Answers from 624 institutes (44.5%) were received and analyzed. The radiation-safety management in nuclear medicine institutes was considered to be very well performed everyday. Opinion for the present legal control of nuclear medicine institutes was that the regulation in Japan was too strict for the clinical use of radionuclides. The current regulation is based on the assumption that 1% of all radioactivity used in nuclear medicine institutes contaminates into the draining-water system. The second questionnaire detailing the contamination of radioactivity in the draining-water system was sent to 128 institutes, and 64 answers were received. Of them, 42 institutes were considered to be enough to evaluate the contamination of radioactivity in the draining-water system. There was no difference between 624 institutes answered to the first questionnaire and 42 institutes, where the radioactivity in the draining-water system was measured, in the distribution of the institute size, draining-water system equipment and the radioactivity measuring method, and these 42 institutes seemed to be representative of Japanese nuclear medicine institutes. Contamination rate of radioactivity into the draining system was calculated by the value of radioactivity in the collecting tank divided by the amount of radionuclides used daily in each institute. The institutes were divided into two categories on the basis of nuclear medicine practice pattern; type A: in-vivo use only and type B: both in-vivo and in-vitro use. The contamination rate in 27 type A institutes did not exceed 0.01%, whereas in 15 type B institutes the contamination rate distributed widely from undetectable to above 1%. These results indicated that the present regulation for the draining-water system, which assumed that 1% of all radioactivity used in nuclear medicine institutes contaminated into draining-water system, should be reconsidered in nuclear medicine facilities where radionuclides are used only in in-vivo studies.     

Evaluation of the accuracy of preoperative staging in thoracic esophageal cancer

Background. Exact clinical staging before treatment of esophageal cancer has become increasingly important in the evaluation and comparison of the results of different treatment modalities, including surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy.

Methods. The accuracy of preoperative tumor staging by using an esophagography, esophagoscopy, percutaneous and endoscopic ultrasonography, and computed tomography was assessed in 224 patients with resectable esophageal cancer. The results of tumor staging by these tests were compared prospectively with the pathologic stage of the esophagectomy specimens with respect to the T and N categories defined by the International Union Against Cancer TNM classification.

Results. For the T category, the overall accuracy was 80%. For the N category, overall accuracy was 72%, with a sensitivity of 78%, a specificity of 60%, and a positive predictive value of 78%. Overall, the accuracy of stage grouping was 56%.

Conclusions. Either the T or N categories can be predicted reliably by clinical staging techniques. However, the preoperative stage grouping might not be valid in resectable, localized esophageal cancer.     

MR imaging of the posterolateral aspect of the knee

The structures of the posterolateral aspect of the knee were evaluated with axial MR images. One hundred twelve knees of clinical cases without posterolateral injury were retrospectively reviewed, and 30 knees of 15 volunteers with no history of knee injury or pain were evaluated. The amount of joint effusion and visualization of the lateral collateral ligament (LCL) and popliteal tendon were classified according to three grades. The LCL and popliteal tendon were identified in 111 clinical cases (99%) and 28 volunteer knees (93%). Visualization of the LCL and popliteal tendon was facilitated in the presence of both joint effusion and fluid collection between the LCL and popliteal tendon. Fluid collection posterior to the femoral attachment of the popliteal tendon was seen in 79 clinical cases (71%) and 20 volunteer knees (67%). Based on cadaveric study, this was considered to be a potential fluid space for communication to the joint space.     

Acquired pulmonary stenosis caused by mediastinal mature teratoma: a case report

A 13-year-old girl was admitted with a sudden onset of chest oppression. Mediastinal teratoma was suspected on chest X-ray and CT scan. A grade 2/6 systolic murmur was heard at the upper left sternal area and cardiac catheterization showed mild pulmonary stenosis. After resection of the tumor, the murmur disappeared and histopathological diagnosis was mature teratoma. This is a rare case report of pulmonary stenosis caused by mediastinal mature teratoma.     

Endosonography during endoscopic mucosal resection to enhance its safety

BACKGROUND: We have performed endoscopic mucosal resection of the esophagus (172 cases), stomach (102 cases), and colon (28 cases) using a transparent plastic cap. Because the lesion-bearing mucosa is suctioned up inside the cap under endoscopic suction, the mucosa should be dissected sufficiently from the proper muscle layer to prevent perforation. METHODS: To avert the risk of perforation, we introduced endosonographic assessment of submucosal dissection (47 cases). In all cases, just keeping the ultrasonic probe on the surface of the mucosa allowed us to evaluate whether the mucosal lesion was lifted up sufficiently from the proper muscle layer after local saline injection. RESULTS: It was possible to confirm that the muscle layer was kept outside the strangulating snare by the same procedure (32 of 37 cases, 86.5%). CONCLUSIONS: We experienced five muscular resections in cases without the ultrasonic probe and no muscular resection with the ultrasonic probe. Thus we recommend endosonographic assessment during endoscopic mucosal resection to enhance its safety.     

Trans-synaptically induced bursts in regular spiking non-pyramidal cells in deep layers of the cat motor cortex

In deep layers of the cat motor cortex, we have investigated the properties of neurons displaying trans-synaptically induced bursts. In in vivo experiments, extracellularly recorded burst neurons were separated into two subtypes based on their dependence on stimulation sites, the medullary pyramid or the ventrolateral (VL) thalamic nucleus, from which bursts of 10-20 spikes were triggered. The spike amplitude attenuation and frequency adaptation during a burst were more prominent in pyramid-dependent burst neurons than in VL-dependent burst neurons. Intracellular recordings in in vivo experiments revealed that pyramid-dependent bursts emerged from a long-lasting depolarization, while each spike during a VL-dependent burst was narrow in half-width and was followed by a fast AHP, similar to fast spiking neurons. In in vitro slice experiments, intracellular recordings were obtained from neurons that displayed a burst of attenuated spikes emerging from a long-lasting depolarization, and were also obtained from fast spiking neurons. They were morphologically recovered to be multipolar cells with sparsely spiny dendrites and local axonal networks, suggesting that they are inhibitory interneurons. The multipolar neurons displaying bursts of attenuated spikes may mediate the recurrent inhibition of pyramidal tract cells.     

Effects of bilateral jugular vein ligation on local cerebral blood flow

The authors examined the effect of bilateral jugular vein ligation (JVL) on local cerebral blood flow (CBF). Local CBF was measured in the neocortex of the frontal lobe over a 1-week period in 10 freely moving male rats. Measurements were taken with the hydrogen clearance method before and after the rat underwent either an operation of bilateral JVL or a sham operation. After the sham operation, blood flow values did not change significantly compared with preoperative values. Blood flow values decreased rapidly in rats with JVL. For 3 hours after surgery, JVL values were significantly lower (p <0.05) than preoperative values were, then gradually they recovered and reached preoperative values within 48 hours. Histopathologic study showed no remarkable parenchymal damages in the brain of rats with JVL. These results show that bilateral JVL produces a reversible decrease in the CBF and does not cause histopathologic brain damages.