Inhibition of experimental metastasis and cell adhesion of murine melanoma cells by chondroitin sulfate-derivatized lipid, a neoproteoglycan with anti-cell adhesion activity

Chondroitin sulfate dipalmitoylphosphatidylethanolamine (CS-PE), when immobilized onto substratum, inhibited the adhesion of B16F10 mouse melanoma cells to fibronectin-coated dishes (anti-adhesion activity). CS-PE showed the most potent anti-adhesion activity for the melanoma cells among various GAG-PEs. CS-PE also inhibited the adhesion of B16F10 cells to Matrigel and the invasion of the cells into Matrigel. In the in vivo system of experimental metastasis, administration of B16F10 cells with CS-PE into C57BL/6 mice significantly inhibited lung metastasis. The inhibition degree of CS or hyaluronic acid-PE was lower than CS-PE. CS-PE administered intravenously into mice before the injection of B16F10 cells also inhibited metastasis. Pretreatment of B16F10 cells with CS-PE caused some but a lower degree of inhibition. When CS-PE was injected intravenously into mice, more binding in the lung was found than when CS was injected. CS-PE but not CS inhibited the retention in the lung of fluorochrome-labeled B16F10 cells when injected intravenously into mice. Since there was no significant effect of CS-PE on the viability and growth of B16F10 cells, the results suggest that CS-PE immobilized onto the subendothelial matrix may prevent melanoma cells from adhering to the subendothelial substrata of lung capillaries and inhibit subsequent invasion processes of metastasis.     

The significance of small erythrocytes.

Small erythrocytes (mean corpuscular volume less than 80 mu-3 by the Coulter Model S) were found in 222 (2.75%) of 8,086 consecutive patients admitted to a large suburban general hospital. Forty-five (20.3%) of these 222 patients had laboratory findings consistent with thalassemia. Seventy-six (31.2%) were found to be iron deficient. Patients whose hemoglobin values were below 9.0 Gm. per 100 ml. were more likely to be iron deficient. The hemoglobin A2 values were significantly lower in iron-deficient than in non-iron-deficient patients. Although the mean corpuscular volume is much lower and the erythrocyte count is higher in thalassemia than in iron deficiency, hematologic values obtainable from the Counlter S (such as MCV, erythrocyte count, and hemoglobin) alone are not valuable in differentiating thalassemia from iron deficiency.     

Two dinucleotide repeat polymorphisms at the D8S1442 and D8S1443 loci

Two polymorphic dinucleotide (CA) repeat clones were isolated from cosmids, cCI8-1121 and cCI8-1199, mapped to chromosome 8p11.2-p12.     

Localization of a tumor suppressor gene associated with progression of human prostate cancer within a 1.2 Mb region of 8p22-p21.3

Human prostate cancers frequently show loss of heterozygosity at loci on the short arm of chromosome 8. In order to take a step toward isolation of the putative tumor suppressor gene(s) on 8p via positional cloning, we performed high-resolution deletion mapping in 46 prostate cancers (stage B, 20 cases; stage C, 8 cases; endocrine therapy-resistant cancer death, 18 cases) using new 12 restriction fragment length polymorphism markers for this chromosomal region. Allelic losses were observed in 25 of the 44 cases (57%) that were informative with at least one locus. Detailed deletion mapping defined a 1.2 Mb commonly deleted region at 8p22-p2 1.3 flanked by markers cMSR-32 and C18- 105 1. A second region of common deletion was identified between C18-1312 and C18-494 at 8p21-8p11.22, suggesting that at least two tumor suppressor genes associated with prostate cancer are present on chromosome arm 8p. Allelic losses on 8p were observed more frequently in the cancer death cases (14/17, 82%) than in early-stage tumors (11/27, 40%; P < 0.01, Fisher's exact test). In two out of 7 patients for whom DNA was available from metastatic cancers as well as from normal tissues and primary tumors, the primary cancer foci had no detectable abnormality of 8p, but the metastatic tumors showed loss of heterozygosity. These results suggest that inactivation of tumor suppressor genes on 8p plays an important role in the progression of prostate cancer. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Extrarenal Wilms' tumor in the adult patient. A case report and review of the world literature

A case of an extrarenal Wilms' tumor arising in the retroperitoneal region of a 49-year-old male is reported. A review of the world literature indicates that the incidence of the tumor arising in the extrarenal region is extremely rare. A total of 14 cases have previously been reported, but the number of cases that occurred in adult patients is only 2. The clinical and pathologic features are briefly discussed.     

Mold filling of titanium alloys in two different wedge-shaped molds

Pure titanium and titanium alloys are potential materials for the fabrication of cast dental appliances. One important factor in producing sound castings is the capacity of the metal to fill the mold. This study used a wedge-shaped mold to compare the mold filling of titanium with that of conventional dental casting alloys. The metals used were CP Ti, Ti-6Al-7Nb, Ti-6Al-4V, Ti with 1 and 4wt% Cu and ADA Type III gold alloy and an Ni-Cr alloy. The castings were cut into four pieces parallel to the triangular surface. Mold filling was evaluated as the distance between the tip of the cast wedge and theoretical tip of the triangle. The mold filling of the gold alloy was superior compared to all the metals tested, while the mold filling of the Ni-Cr alloy was the worst. There were no statistical differences at the 30 degrees marginal angle for all the cast titanium metals. At the sharper 15 degrees angle, CP Ti and Ti-6Al-7Nb was superior to both the Ti-Cu alloys. Although the mold filling of titanium was inferior compared to the gold alloy, the data justify the use of titanium for the production of dental appliances.     

A CASE OF MYCOSIS FUNGOIDES

The clinical history and pathological findings of a 68-year-old female with mycosis fungoides were described.
Clinically she developed cutaneous eruptions, and plaques to nodules appearlng within the next 4 months. Histopathological examination at biopsy revealed mycosis fungoides. At autopsy, extensive visceral involvement was disclosed (lungs, liver, kidneys, spleen, esophagus, left adrenal gland, lumbar vertebral bone marrow, and lymph nodes). Acute exacerbation of pulmonary tuberculosis was thought to be a terminal event.     

Effects of AMPPNP and vanadate on the mechanochemical crossbridge cycle in flagella

Summary The non-hydrolysable ATP analogue, ,-imido-adenosine-5-triphosphate (AMPPNP, adenylylimidodiphosphate) does not reduce the stiffness of demembranated sea urchin sperm flagella measured in the rigor state in the absence of MgATP^2– and does not cause relaxation of rigor bends. The competitive inhibition of flagellar beat frequency by AMPPNP is not enhanced by vanadate. These observations provide further evidence that the dynein-tubulin crossbridge cycle in flagella is similar to the actin-myosin crossbridge cycle.     

The molecular weight dependence on the photoconductivity of poly(N-vinylcarbazole)

Poly(N-vinylcarbazole), (PNVC), was prepared, fractionated by gel permeation chromatography, and then characterized by viscometry and vapour pressure osmometry. The fractionated PNVC species with relatively narrow molecular weight distributions were successfully used to measure both their electrical dark-conductivity and photoconductivity using a surface type cell in high vacuum (ca. 10^?7 mm Hg) at room temperature. A molecular weight dependent photoconductivity was found for the fractionated PNVCs with weight average molecular weights in the range of 1,2·10³ to 2,4·10⁵. This observation is in contradiction to Epping's results who has found a molecular weight independent photoconductivity in the molecular weight range of 3·10⁵ to 7·10⁶. Our molecular weight dependence may be well understood in terms of the interrupted overlap of the π-electrons of adjacent carbazolyl groups at the terminal parts of the polymer chains, this effect being all the more stronger the smaller the molecular weight is.