Histological Evaluation of Effects of Radiotherapy and Chemotherapy for carcinomas

Based on the histological observation of tumors of the headand neck region serially biopsied during radiotherapy, thehealingprocess of irradiated tumors was described. Healing processof the tumors treated with chemotherapeutic agents such as MitomycinC and Bleomycin was found to be quite similar to that of theirradiated tumors. And histological gradings of effects of radiotherapyand chemotherapy for carcinomas have been set, which have beenused at National Cancer Center Hospital for the past severalyears and found to be useful. With this grading, effects of radiotherapy were evaluated on83 carcinomas of the lung and 97 of esophagus, all of whichhad been irradiated preoperatively, and on autopsy cases, 49eacof lung and esophageal carcinomas, all of which had beenirradiated 5000 rad or more. Also evaluated were the effectsof Mitomycin C infused into the bronchial artery on 29 carcinomasof the lung according to the histological types of the tumor.Relationship between doses and histological effects was investigatedin each group, and some problems of the radiotherapy and chemotherapyfor the tumors were discussed on the histological basis.     

Chemical modification of superoxide dismutase Extension of plasma half life of the enzyme through its reversible binding to the circulating albumin

Protection of organisms from oxidative stress is one of the major prerequisites for aerobic life. Since intravenously injected Cu⁺⁺/Zn⁺⁺ -type superoxide dismutase (SOD) rapidly undergoes renal glomerular filtration and appears in urine in its intact form, its clinical use as a scavenger for superoxide radicals has been highly limited. To test whether reversible interaction of SOD with plasma albumin might decrease the rate of disappearance of the enzyme from the circulation, the lysyl residues of the human erythrocyte-type enzyme were covalently linked with poly-(styrene-co-maleic acid) butyl ester (SMA) via amide linkage. Affinity chromatographic analysis by an albumin-Sepharose column revealed that the enzyme samples labeled with SMA (SMA-SOD) tightly bound to the column, while unmodified SOD was eluted in the unbound fractions. SMA-SOD bound to the column could be eluted by the buffer solution containing 0.1% sodium dodecylsulfate. In vivo analysis revealed that intravenously administered SMA-SOD circulated bound to albumin with an extremely long half-life (6 h), while unmodified SOD rapidly underwent renal glomerular filtration with a plasma half-life of 4min. Thus, SMA-SOD may effectively dismutate superoxide radicals in the circulation.     

Detection of apoptosis in keloids and a comparative study on apoptosis between keloids, hypertrophic scars, normal healed flat scars, and dermatofibroma

Recent studies have suggested that the regulation of apoptosis during wound healing is important in scar establishment and the development of pathological scarring. In this study, we demonstrate that keloid fibroblasts can be identified as apoptotic cells because of their highly condensed chromatin and discrete nuclear fragments. To further reveal the phenomenon of apoptosis, we quantified the number of terminal deoxynucleotide transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL)-positive cells in surgically resected tissues of keloids (N = 10), hypertrophic scars (N = 10), normal healed flat scars (N = 10), and dermatofibroma (N = 10). The number of TUNEL-positive cells was relatively low, but was significantly higher for the keloid group compared with the normally healed flat scar group (p = 0.004), suggesting reduced cell survival and increased apoptotic cell death in a subpopulation of keloid fibroblasts. Furthermore, the number of TUNEL-positive cells was significantly higher for the keloid group compared with the dermatofibroma group (p = 0.044), suggesting that a subpopulation of keloid fibroblasts may suppress tumorgenicity at a greater rate than dermatofibroma by undergoing cell death. Hypertrophic scars had significantly higher levels of apoptosis than normally healed flat scars (p = 0.033). Therefore, these results suggest that selected fibroblasts in keloids and hypertrophic scars undergo apoptosis, which may play a role in the process of pathological scarring.     

Angiomyofibroblastoma of the vulva: A mitotically active variant?

A case of angbmyofibrobiastoma in a 48-yearold woman is reported. The tumor occurred as a left vulval mass and was treated by simple excision. It was located in the subcutaneous tissue of the left vuiva and was well circumscribed, measuring 2.8 × 2.7 × 2.5 cm. Microscop Ically, the tumor was composed of hypocellular and cellular arees with well-developed small vessels. Spindle or polygonal cells were arranged with perlvascular accentuation In an edematous or fibrocollagenous background. Some spindle-shaped or polygonal stromal cells were also arranged in epithelioid nests. In some areas, mitosas were frequent (maximum 3/10 high-power field). lmmunohistochemicaily, the stromal cells were positive for vimentln and desmin, but negative for α-smooth muscle actin, S-100, neurofilament, estrogen receptor, progesterone remptor, CD31 and CD34. The average labeling index of Kl-67 In stromal cells was 3.1%. Ultrastructural analysis demonstrated that the stromal cells adhered with primitive Junctions and contained lntermediate filaments with no focal density In the cytoplasm. These findings were consistent with anglomyofibrobiastoma, although previously reported cases did not show so many mitoses. Therefore, this case was suggested to be a mitotically active variant.     

Induction of Fos expression following anodal polarization in rat brain

Abstract Expression of c-fos immunoreactivity was investigated in rat brain after unilateral application of a weak anodal direct current (anodal polarization) to the sensorimotor cortex of rats. Increases in Fos-immunopositive neurons were observed transiently in the neocortex, cingulate cortex, piriform cortex, and hippocampal formation, which were ipsilateral to the polarization, as a function of the duration and intensity of the currrent applied. It is likely that anodal polarization enhances the neuronal activities in the cortex dependent on polarization paradigms.     

Non-invasive estimation of intraurethral pressure profile from uroflowmetric curve

BACKGROUND: An intraurethral pressure-time profile as urodynamic information was obtained in a non-invasive manner using an equivalent equation as a voiding model. METHODS: The reasonability of the voiding model was confirmed by applying it to an experimental flow curve likened to urinary flow. The flow curve was approximated and the pressure profile was estimated. From the uroflowmetric curves obtained in a normal subject and a patient with bladder outlet obstruction, the respective intraurethral pressure profiles were estimated. RESULTS: The pressure profile estimated from the approximated flow curve was found consistent with the profile of the difference between the pressure actually measured at two different portions in the experimental system. CONCLUSION: Non-invasive estimation of intraurethral pressure profile from uroflowmetric curves may be very useful to grasp intraurethral urodynamic information in clinical practice.     

Echographia as a symptom of interictal state in an epileptic patient: A case report

Abstract Echographia is a phenomenon in which a patient continuously translates verbal stimuli into writing. We encountered a patient with epilepsy who developed visual echographia during interictal periods. In this case, echographia was observed during two different periods, namely the period of disturbed consciousness after the epileptic seizure and the period of clear consciousness after suppression of the seizures. Disinhibition due to disturbance of the consciousness is considered to have been the cause of echographia in the former period. In the latter period, it is considered that echographia was caused by the release of lower function from suppression of upper function by brain dysfunction, as the after effect of status epilepticus. As echographia can be observed in epileptic patients, attention and careful observation by epileptologists is needed.     

Laparoscopic adrenalectomy in patients with large adrenal tumors

OBJECTIVES: The maximum size of adrenal tumors that should be removed by laparoscopic adrenalectomy is controversial. We conducted a retrospective comparison of the results of laparoscopic adrenalectomy between patients with adrenal tumors > or =6 cm ('large tumors') and patients with adrenal tumors <6 cm ('small tumors'). METHODS: The participants in the study were 16 patients with large tumors and 111 patients with small tumors. The patients comprised 59 men and 68 women (mean age, 49.0 years; age range, 23-79) with varying diagnoses. Of the 16 patients with large tumors, five had Cushing's syndrome, four had pheochromocytomas, six had a non-functional tumor and one had malignant lymphoma. Adrenal tumors were confirmed by hormonal assays, biochemical tests and computed tomography. Of the 16 large tumors, five tumors were on the right and 11 were on the left. RESULTS: We found no significant differences in general demographic parameters between patients with large and small tumors. The mean duration of surgery was not significantly different between two groups. (large tumors, 210 min; small tumors,175 min). The mean volume of blood loss was 212 mL for large tumors and 30 mL for small tumors (P < 0.001, significant difference). There was no significant difference in time until walking, duration of hospitalization or number of using analgesics used. The time to first oral intake of group 1 (<6 cm) was significantly shorter than group 2 (> or =6 cm). Tumor size (> or =7.5 cm) was an independent predictor of a longer operation and greater blood loss in large tumors. CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopic adrenalectomy for large tumors was safe and minimally invasive.