Successful treatment of a huge meningeal hemangiopericytoma using Preoperative Autologous Transfusion and Hemodilutional Autologous Transfusion: case report

We report successful operations for a meningeal hemangiopericytoma using sufficient amounts of Preoperative Autologous Transfusion (PAT) and Hemodilutional Autologous Transfusion (HAT). A 23-year-old woman with amenorrhea and bilateral visual field disturbance was found to have a huge intracranial tumor. MRI showed a well-enhanced cystic mass in the left middle fossa, suprasellar, intrasellar, sphenoidal sinus, and cavernous sinus. Preoperatively, the tumor was thought to be a cystic pituitary tumor or meningioma. Surgical removal was planned in three steps. The first operation was carried out via the transsphenoidal approach. Total blood loss was 1348 ml and 2 MAP infusion were required to control bleeding. Histopathological diagnosis was hemangiopericytoma. After preparation of PAT 400 ml and HAT 800 ml, we carried out the second partial removal operation mainly via the interhemispheric approach. Total blood loss was 1829 ml and required autologous transfusion only. After preparation of PAT 1200 ml and HAT 400 ml, the last total removal operation was carried out mainly via the pterional and subtemporal approach. Total blood loss was 1813 ml and required autologous transfusion only. We needed 2 MAP infusion in the first operation, but were able to perform total removal successfully without homologous blood transfusion because a sufficient amount of PAT and HAT had been prepared preoperatively. Hemangiopericytoma required postoperative radiation therapy to avoid local recurrence. After successful removal of the tumor surgically, postoperative radiation therapy was able to be carried out efficiently.     

Inhibition of human cancer cell growth and metastasis in nude mice by oral intake of modified citrus pectin

BACKGROUND: The role of dietary components in cancer progression and metastasis is an emerging field of clinical importance. Many stages of cancer progression involve carbohydrate-mediated recognition processes. We therefore studied the effects of high pH- and temperature-modified citrus pectin (MCP), a nondigestible, water-soluble polysaccharide fiber derived from citrus fruit that specifically inhibits the carbohydrate-binding protein galectin-3, on tumor growth and metastasis in vivo and on galectin-3-mediated functions in vitro. METHODS: In vivo tumor growth, angiogenesis, and metastasis were studied in athymic mice that had been fed with MCP in their drinking water and then injected orthotopically with human breast carcinoma cells (MDA-MB-435) into the mammary fat pad region or with human colon carcinoma cells (LSLiM6) into the cecum. Galectin-3-mediated functions during tumor angiogenesis in vitro were studied by assessing the effect of MCP on capillary tube formation by human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) in Matrigel. The effects of MCP on galectin-3-induced HUVEC chemotaxis and on HUVEC binding to MDA-MB-435 cells in vitro were studied using Boyden chamber and labeling assays, respectively. The data were analyzed by two-sided Student's t test or Fisher's protected least-significant-difference test. RESULTS: Tumor growth, angiogenesis, and spontaneous metastasis in vivo were statistically significantly reduced in mice fed MCP. In vitro, MCP inhibited HUVEC morphogenesis (capillary tube formation) in a dose-dependent manner. In vitro, MCP inhibited the binding of galectin-3 to HUVECs: At concentrations of 0.1% and 0.25%, MCP inhibited the binding of galectin-3 (10 micro g/mL) to HUVECs by 72.1% (P =.038) and 95.8% (P =.025), respectively, and at a concentration of 0.25% it inhibited the binding of galectin-3 (1 micro g/mL) to HUVECs by 100% (P =.032). MCP blocked chemotaxis of HUVECs toward galectin-3 in a dose-dependent manner, reducing it by 68% at 0.005% (P<.001) and inhibiting it completely at 0.1% (P<.001). Finally, MCP also inhibited adhesion of MDA-MB-435 cells, which express galectin-3, to HUVECs in a dose-dependent manner. CONCLUSIONS: MCP, given orally, inhibits carbohydrate-mediated tumor growth, angiogenesis, and metastasis in vivo, presumably via its effects on galectin-3 function. These data stress the importance of dietary carbohydrate compounds as agents for the prevention and/or treatment of cancer.     

Are We Lost in the Labyrinth of the Sinoatrial Node Pacemaker Mechanism?

Despite extensive electrophysiologic studies performed to date, the ionic mechanisms of sinoatrial node pacemaker activity are unclear. This article highlights three recent topics associated with this issue: (1) sustained inward current (Ist)); (2) the role of Ca2+ release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum; and (3) the role of L-type Ca2+ current (I(Ca,L)). New observations on these topics seem to make the scenario of the pacemaker mechanism increasingly complex. However, such complexity and diversity of ionic events and their orchestration may be important for the sinoatrial node to perform its robust pacemaking activity under a variety of pathophysiologic circumstances.     

巢—聚合酶链反应技术的改进

作者改进了巢-聚合酶链反应技术.在第一轮聚合酶链反应(PCR)之后,进行低融点琼脂糖凝电泳.切下靶序列带或相应位置的凝胶,加热融化后稀释,再进行第二轮PCR.由于对第一轮反应的产物进行了电泳纯化,所以可进一步提高这种方法的特异性.用这种方法研究了转基因小鼠中抗体基因的表达.     

Sequence heterogeneity of murine acquired immunodeficiency syndrome virus: the role of endogenous virus

A defective murine leukemia virus is the causative agent ofmurine acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (MAIDS). We have clonedcDNAs from both virus infected and non-infected cells usingthe PCR methods with primers corresponding to the franking sequenceof the unique p12 gag gene. Sequence analysis of these cDNAclones revealed: (i) the presence of endogenous virus relatedto MAIDS virus in C57BL/6 mice, (ii) B cell lineage specificexpression of endogenous virus and (iii) extensive heterogeneityof MAIDS virus recovered from virus infected cells due to therecombination of the related viruses (defective pathogenic virus,ecotropic virus and endogenous virus). These findings suggestthat the creation of virus variants in infected cells may playan important role in virus pathogenesis and escape from immuneattack during the development of MAIDS.     

Habitual coffee consumption and blood pressure: A study of self-defense officials in Japan

The study aims to examine the relationship between habitual coffee consumption and blood pressure. The subjects were 3336 male self-defense officials aged 48–56 years, who received a preretirement health examination at the Self-Defense Forces Fukuoka Hospital between October 1986 and December 1992. Average coffee intake in the past year was ascertained by a self-administered questionnaire. A significant inverse relation between habitual coffee consumption and blood pressure was found with and without adjustment for alcohol use, cigarette smoking, body mass index, glucose tolerance, and green tea intake. Green tea, another major source of caffeine intake in Japanese, was unrelated to blood pressure. The adjusted mean differences per cup of coffee consumed per day were –0.6 mmHg (95% confident interval [CI]: –0.9 to –0.3, p=0.0001) in systolic blood pressure and –0.4 mmHg (95% CI: –0.5 to –0.2, p=0.0002) in diastolic blood pressure. Habitual coffee drinkers had lower blood pressure than non-drinkers at any levels of alcohol use, cigarette smoking, obesity, and glucose intolerance. Our findings consolidate the previous observation that habitual coffee consumption was associated with lower blood pressure.