Cytotoxicity of urushiols isolated from sap of Korean lacquer tree (Rhus vernicifera stokes)

Cytotoxicities of four urushiols, congeners isolated from the sap of Korean lacquer tree (Rhus vernicifera Stokes), to 29 human cancer cell lines originated from 9 organs were evaluated. Their values of 50% growth inhibition were below 4 microg/ml, and showed cell line specific cytotoxicity. The present result is the first report on the cytotoxicity of urushiols suggesting that they would have an anticancer activity to human cancer cells.     

Effect of a cognitive behavioral intervention on reducing symptom severity during chemotherapy.

PURPOSE: To describe a randomized trial of a cognitive behavioral intervention on reducing symptom severity among patients diagnosed with solid tumors and undergoing a first course of chemotherapy and to determine whether the intervention had an additive or interactive effect on symptom severity in the presence of supportive care medications. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients (N = 237) were accrued from comprehensive and community cancer centers, interviewed, and randomly assigned to either the experimental intervention (n = 118) or conventional care (n = 119). A symptom severity index, based on summed severity scores across 15 symptoms, was the primary outcome. Each patient's site of cancer, stage at diagnosis, chemotherapy protocols, and use of supportive medications were learned from medical records. RESULTS: Groups were equivalent at baseline, and attrition by characteristics by group was not different. The proportion of patients not receiving chemotherapy at 10 and 20 weeks did not differ by group. At the 10- and 20-week observations, there was a significant interaction between the experimental group and baseline symptom severity. Patients in the experimental group who entered the trial with higher symptom severity reported significantly lower severity at 10 and 20 weeks. Controlling for chemotherapy treatment status at follow-up and supportive care medications did not alter the effect of the experimental intervention. CONCLUSION: Compared with conventional care alone, the experimental intervention was effective among patients who entered the trial with higher levels of symptom severity. Age, sex, site or stage of cancer, and supportive medications did not modify the effect of this cognitive behavioral intervention on symptom severity.     

Black tea and mammary gland carcinogenesis by 7,12- dimethylbenz[a]anthracene in rats fed control or high fat diets

Epidemiological studies suggest that tea may reduce cancer risk, and in laboratory rodents, chemopreventive effects of tea or purified extracts of tea have been demonstrated in lung, gastrointestinal tract and skin. There is some evidence of chemoprevention by tea in the mammary gland, but the data are not conclusive. In order to evaluate more fully the possible influence of black tea on 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA)-induced mammary gland tumors in the female S-D (Sprague-Dawley) rat, three large studies were performed: experiment 1, tumorigenesis in rats fed AIN-76A diet and given 25 mg/kg DMBA and 1.25 or 2.5% whole tea extract or water to drink; experiment 2, tumorigenesis in rats given 15 mg/kg DMBA and the same diet and fluids as in experiment 1; experiment 3, tumorigenesis in rats fed control or HF (high fat, corn oil) diet and given 15 mg/kg DMBA and 2% tea or water to drink. Tea was given throughout the experiment; DMBA was given by gastric gavage at 8 weeks of age. There was no consistent effect of tea on tumorigenesis in rats fed AIN-76A diet; there was, however, evidence in experiment 3 of a reduction of tumorigenesis by tea in rats fed the HF diet. In experiment 3, rats fed the HF diet and given water showed the expected increase in tumor burden (number and weight) compared with rats fed control diet. However, rats fed the HF diet and given 2% tea showed no increase in tumor burden; their tumor burden was significantly lower than in rats fed the HF diet and given water (P < 0.01) and was not different from rats fed control diet and given water or tea. In addition, in experiment 3, the number of malignant tumors per tumor- bearing rat was increased by the HF diet in water-drinking rats (P < 0.01) but not in tea-drinking rats. Therefore, it appears that tea partially blocked the promotion of DMBA-induced mammary tumorigenesis by the HF diet.      

Quality of life (QOL) assessment of MIP (mitomycin, ifosfamide and cisplatin) chemotherapy in advanced non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC)

BACKGROUND: Quality of life (QOL) assessment has emerged to measure and quantify the balance between treatment benefit and toxicity, and has a value in predicting response and overall survival in cancer patients. METHODS: From July 1995 to February 1997, 38 symptomatic patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were treated with MIP chemotherapy (mitomycin 6 mg/m2, ifosfamide 3000 mg/m2 and cisplatin 50 mg/m2 on day 1 every 3 weeks). Patients were assessed for QOL including physical well-being, general symptoms and lung cancer-specific symptoms, as well as objective response. RESULTS: The overall response rate was 38.9% (14/36, all were partial response) and the median duration of response was 3.5 months [95% confidence interval (CI) 2.0-4.0]. The median duration of overall survival was 7 months (95% CI 5.9-8.5). The overall improvement of QOL was 58.3% with 21 patients feeling better on treatment. The toxicity of chemotherapy was mild, mainly nausea/vomiting and minimal alopecia. Using multiple clinical predictors of survival (age, histology, stage, performance status), only change of QOL emerged significantly (P = 0.0007). CONCLUSIONS: MIP had an endurable response and low toxicity profile, and provided good QOL. Integral QOL data in our study provided the strong prediction of survival in advanced NSCLC. Further experienced QOL study will provide greatly enhanced outcome data in clinical trials.      

The "High-Riding" superior pericardial recess: CT findings

OBJECTIVE. We recently observed patients in whom the superior pericardial recess extended cephalad ("high-riding") into the right paratracheal region. In these patients, differentiation from mediastinal lymphadenopathy or mass was difficult. The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence and CT features of the high-riding superior pericardial recess. CONCLUSION. Narrow-collimation CT with multiplanar reformations was useful for confidently diagnosing a high-riding superior pericardial recess and for distinguishing it from pathologic lesions.     

Vascular endothelial growth factor gene polymorphisms and risk of primary lung cancer.

Angiogenesis is an essential process in the development, growth, and metastasis of malignant tumors including lung cancer. DNA sequence variations in the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) gene may lead to altered VEGF production and/or activity, thereby causing interindividual differences in the susceptibility to lung cancer via their actions on the pathways of tumor angiogenesis. To test this hypothesis, we investigated the potential association between three VEGF polymorphisms (-460T > C, +405C > G, and 936C > T)/haplotypes and the risk of lung cancer in a Korean population. VEGF genotypes were determined in 432 lung cancer patients and 432 healthy controls that were frequency matched for age and sex. VEGF haplotypes were predicted using Bayesian algorithm in the phase program. Compared with the combined +405 CC and CG genotype, the +405 GG genotype found associated with a significantly decreased risk of small cell carcinoma [SCC; adjusted odds ratio (OR), 0.36; 95% confidence interval (95% CI), 0.17-0.78]. The 936 CT genotype and the combined 936 CT and TT genotype were also associated with a significantly decreased risk of SCC compared with the 936 CC genotype (adjusted OR, 0.47; 95% CI, 0.26-0.85 and adjusted OR, 0.44; 95% CI, 0.24-0.80, respectively). Haplotype CGT was associated with a significantly decreased risk of SCC (adjusted OR, 0.39; 95% CI, 0.18-0.87), whereas haplotype TCC conferred a significantly increased risk of SCC (adjusted OR, 1.63; 95% CI, 1.14-2.33). None of the VEGF polymorphisms studied significantly influenced the susceptibility to lung cancer except SCC. However, haplotypes TCT and TGT were significantly associated with the risk of overall lung cancer, respectively (adjusted OR, 0.38; 95% CI, 0.25-0.60 and adjusted OR, 3.94; 95% CI, 2.00-7.76, respectively). These effects of haplotypes TCT and TGT on lung cancer risk were observed in three major histologic types of lung cancer. These results suggest that the VEGF gene may be contribute to an inherited predisposition to lung cancer.     

Pilomatrixoma of the upper eyelid in a 10-month-old baby

Letter to the editor     

Effects of Arg–Gly–Asp-modified elastin-like polypeptide on pseudoislet formation via up-regulation of cell adhesion molecules and extracellular matrix proteins

Extracellular matrix (ECM) plays an important role in controlling the β-cell morphology, survival and insulin secretary functions. An RGD-modified elastin-like polypeptide (RGD-ELP), TGPG[VGRGD(VGVPG)₆]₂₀WPC, has been reported previously as a bioactive matrix. In this study, to investigate whether RGD-ELP affects β-cell growth characteristics and insulin secretion, β-TC6 cells were cultured on the RGD-ELP coatings prepared via thermally induced phase transition. On RGD-ELP, β-TC6 cells clustered into an islet-like architecture with high cell viability. Throughout 7 days’ culture, the proliferation rate of the cells within a pseudoislet was similar to that of monolayer culture. Under high glucose (25 mM), β-TC6 pseudoislets showed up-regulated insulin gene expression and exhibited glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. Importantly, the mRNA and protein abundances of cell adhesion molecules (CAM) E-cadherin and connexin-36 were much higher in pseudoislets than in monolayer cells. The siRNA-mediated inhibition of E-cadherin or connexin-36 expression severely limited pseudoislet formation. In addition, the mRNA levels of collagen types I and IV, fibronectin and laminin were significantly elevated in pseudoislets. The results suggest that RGD-ELP promotes pseudoislet formation via up-regulation of the CAM and ECM components. The functional roles of RGD-ELP are discussed in respect of its molecular composition.