Localization of 3H-proline, 35S-sulfate and 3H-glucosamine in rat cornea following epithelial removal: epithelio-stromal interaction

Localization of 3H-proline, 35S-sulfate and 3H-glucosamine was studied by autoradiography in the rat cornea following the removal of the epithelium. The three labeling chemicals were injected into the anterior chamber of rats, one chemical in each rat, 24 hours after the removal of the epithelium. Animals were sacrificed at various intervals up to 7 days after the injection. The silver grains of 35S-sulfate incorporated into the re-covered epithelium gradually shifted into the stroma. On the other hand, the 3H-glucosamine tended to move toward the epithelial cell membrane and the superficial layer of the epithelium. The 3H-proline incorporated in the epithelium remained in the cells without movement. These results suggest that the 35S-sulfate in the epithelium shifted into the stroma as 35S-phosphoadenosine-phosphosulfate [35S-PAPS] before sulfation of glycoconjugates occurred in the epithelium. A large amount of 3H-glucosamine was utilized as a component of low-sulfated glycoconjugates in the epithelial cell membrane and other cell-coating substances.     

Zinc, calcium, and magnesium metabolism: effects on plasmacytomas in Balb/c mice

The effects of different amounts of dietary zinc on the Zn absorption rate and on Zn, calcium and magnesium concentrations in tissues of MOPC 104E tumor-bearing Balb/c mice were determined. The Zn absorption rate was inversely related to the amounts of Zn in their diets and was lower than that of nontumor-bearing control mice fed a laboratory mice chow. Zn concentrations of tumor-bearing mice were also low compared with control mice but tumor Zn concentrations, regardless of the concentrations of Zn in the diets, were higher than those of normal tissues of the host other than the pancreas. Ca concentrations in tumor and tissues of tumor-bearing mice were higher than in control animals but Mg concentrations in tissues of tumor-bearing mice appeared to be similar to those of control mice. Results suggest that tumor-bearing mice have a lower intestinal Zn absorption capacity and a higher Zn uptake rate causing other tissues to become hypozincemic and hypercalcemic.     

Clinical phase I study of T-2588

A clinical phase I study for T-2588 was carried out in 25 healthy male volunteers. Each volunteer received T-2588 in one of the following doses: 100 mg capsule or tablet as a single oral administration in fasting or non-fasting state, 200 or 400 mg capsule as a single oral administration in non-fasting state or 300 or 600 mg daily for 14 approximately 15 days as a repeated administration in non-fasting state. The results are summarized below. No subjective or objective adverse effects were noted after a single oral administration. But repeated dose of 300 mg daily for 15 days and 600 mg daily for 14 days brought about abdominal distension in 1 case and soft stool in 1 case, respectively. As an abnormal change in clinical laboratory findings, 1 case with slight increase in transaminase after a single administration and 3 cases with slight increases in transaminase after repeated doses were observed. Time to reach a maximum concentration of T-2525 in blood (Tmax) was longer in subjects at non-fasting states than subjects in fasting states. Maximum blood concentration was lower in the latter than in the former. Urinary excretion rate in 8 hours after an oral administration was 19 approximately 28% and it was higher in non-fasting subject than in fasting subject. No accumulation of T-2588 was noted after repeated doses.     

A case report of inflammatory breast cancer effectively treated with cis-platinum

A 50-year-old woman with bilateral inflammatory breast cancer (T4, N1b, M1, Stage IV) underwent right extended radical mastectomy and left modified radical mastectomy following pre-operative administration of carcinostatics (ADM, 5-FU) and irradiation. However, tumor recurrence was observed at the skin and right pleural cavity after the operation. Adriamycin-containing combination chemotherapy and radiation therapy were performed, but no significant response was obtained. CDDP was then administered intravenously at a daily dose of 62.5 mg/m2 at intervals of 60 days. The pleural effusion disappeared and the extent of skin metastasis was reduced, resulting in partial response which lasted for 90 days. The serum CEA level decreased from 13.1 ng/ml to 2.3 ng/ml. As the side effects of this therapy, slight nausea, vomiting and general fatigue were observed. This result suggested that CDDP is an effective drug for inflammatory breast cancer.     

An examination of role identification by students in health education and health services administration

This research was designed to test the extent to which health education and health services administration students' perceptions of their roles as professionals matched the expectations of professional faculty. These perceptions were found to match in general. However, doubt was cast on the extent to which internships or practicums contributed to this result, since there was no change in student responses between the beginning of the junior year and end of the senior year, a period which includes fieldwork and most of the professional coursework presumed to influence professional development. Additional research is required to test this result with other student populations in other health professions and identify the point at which professional role and task definitions are amenable to change.     

Angiotensin-converting enzyme in sarcoid and chalazion granulomas of the conjunctiva

Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) was studied immunohistochemically in conjunctival biopsies from 6 patients with systemic sarcoidosis, 4 patients with posterior non-sarcoid uveitis and in specimens from 4 patients with chalazion of the eyelid. Specimens with sarcoid granulomas showed intense ACE-positive immunoreactivity in epitheloid cells of the granuloma, whereas chalazion granulomas did not contain ACE-immunoreactivity. There was no difference in staining patterns between specimens without granulomas. Thus immunohistochemical staining for ACE may be of help in differentiating conjunctival granulomatous tissue of a chalazion from sarcoid granuloma.