In vitro radiation sensitivity of the lncap prostatic tumor cell line

Because there is extremely limited information on the intrinsic radiosensitivity of human prostatic cancer cells, we have investigated the in vitro radiation response of exponentially growing LNCaP cells. Due to the very poor colony-forming potential of the LNCaP cells, radiation survival was investigated using the dose-dependent (0-6 Gy) changes seen after X-irradiation in the shapes of regrowth curves. Survival was described using both the single-hit, multitarget (SHMT) equation and the linear-quadratic (LQ) equation. The values and 95% confidence limits of the extrapolation number (n), quasi-threshold dose (D_q), and mean lethal dose (D_o) in SHMT terminology were respectively: 0.9 (0.7-1.0), 0.0 Gy, and 1.39 (0.11) Gy. The LQ alpha and beta parameters were respectively 6.80 (1.13) and -0.53 (2.89). The X-ray dose response of the LNCaP line is, therefore, purely exponential. The mean survival at the clinically relevant dose of 2 Gy (S₂) was 51.2% for the LNCaP line. Comparison of the S₂ value for the LNCaP line with previous investigations with other human prostatic cancer cell lines (DU145 and PC-3) indicates a mean S₂ value of 47.6%, which suggests that human prostate cancer cells might lie toward the resistant side of the spectrum for various classes of human neoplasms. © 1994 Wiey-Liss, Inc.     

Influence of elevated pH levels on structural and functional characteristics of the human zona pellucida: Functional morphological aspects

Purpose A total of 86 fresh and salt-stored immature human oocytes derived from postmortem ovarian tissue were used for this study.Methods Oocytes were randomly incubated either in synthetic human tubal fluid medium (untreated zonae) or in a chemically defined medium (treated zonae).Results Sperm binding experiments using hemizona assay conditions exhibited a 10-fold increased binding of sperm to treated compared to untreated oocytes (272.7±43 versus 24.3±15 sperm bound, respectively; P<0.0001). pH recordings during incubation showed elevated pH levels of 8.1 compared to pH 7.2 among treated and untreated zonae, respectively. Ultrastructural examination showed a spongy appearance of the surface of treated zonae, whereas untreated zonae appeared compact with smooth surface.Conclusions The marked increase in sperm binding among treated zonae, together with the ultrastructural findings, suggest that the altered zona surface enhances sperm binding. The physiological maturational process of the zona pellucida might be manipulated in vitro, thus increasing sperm binding to the zona.Presented at the IXth World Congress on In Vitro Fertilization and Alternate Assisted Reproduction, April 3–7, 1995. Vienna, Austria.     

Body piercing: issues in adolescent health.

Ask the Expert provides research‐based answers to practice questions submitted by JSPN readers.     

Evaluation of the percentage of sperm motility at 24 h and sperm survival ratio for prediction of in vitro fertilization

Summary. The present study was carried out to investigate the predictive value of the percentage of sperm motility after 24-h incubation and sperm survival ratio from semen and inseminated sperm suspension using grading of motility by WHO criteria with respect to the fertilization of oocytes in vitro. A total of 789 oocytes from 85 cases were inseminated and the mean fertilization rate obtained was 72.5%. There was no significant correlation between all of the sperm motility results with fertilization rate in vitro. All sperm motility results were not significantly different between the non-fertilizing group and the fertilizing group and also between the group of fertilization rate ≤ 25th percentile (fertilization rate ≤62.5%) and the group of fertilization rate >62.5%. However, the initial percentage of rapid progressive sperm motility and progressive motility in semen and inseminated sperm suspension at 24 h gave significant differences between the group of fertilization ≤ 50th percentile (fertilization rate ≤80%) and the group of fertilization rate >80%. Overall accuracy using these parameters for prediction of fertilization rate >80% was only about 60%. In conclusion, the percentage of sperm motility at 24 h and sperm survival ratio in both semen and inseminated sperm suspension have no practical value in predicting fertilization rate in vitro. Moreover, detailed motility grading cannot improve the predictivity of these sperm motility parameters.     

眼内异物合并外伤性白内障的联合手术治疗：附88例分析

眼内异物合并外伤性白内障是眼外伤常见的致盲原因之一,各地报告的致盲率为20%～48.9%。本文对88例眼内异物合并外伤性白内障患者采用联合手术治疗,收到较好疗效,术前视力0.05以下占85.2%,术后矫正视力0.05以下占27.3%,矫正视力0.06～1.5占73.7%,其中矫正视力0.6～1.5者占22.8%。根据异物的性质、在眼内部位和晶体损伤情况选择不同的手术方式一次联合手术摘出异物和白内障,术后采用中西药配合治疗。联合手术可提高疗效,减少术后并发症.减少手术次数,减轻病人的痛苦,缩短病程,减少医疗费用.眼科学报1993;9:216—218.     

Cerebral type of Lewy body disease

A cerebral type of Lewy body disease (LBD) is proposed. Lewy body disease was split formerly into three types: brainstem type, transitional type and diffuse type. The diffuse type is now called diffuse Lewy body disease (DLBD). These three types are characterized pathologically by the presence of a large number of Lewy bodies in the CNS. In the brainstem type, Lewy bodies are numerous in the brainstem and diencephalon nuclei, and in DLBD, a vast number are present not only in these nuclei but also in the cerebral cortex and amygdala. In the cerebral type of LBD, as many Lewy bodies are found in the cerebral cortex and in the amygdala as there are in DLBD, but only rarely are they present in the brainstem and diencephalon nuclei. Thus, this type of LBD is different from other types in that it has no parkinson pathology. Therefore, parkinsonism fails to occur throughout the whole clinical course of this disease. The existence of a cerebral type of LBD suggests that Lewy bodies occur in the cerebral cortex earlier than in the brainstem nuclei and that cortical Lewy bodies appear even when the mesocortical dopaminergic system is intact. In addition, this might explain why dementia frequently precedes parkinsonism in DLBD.     

The treatment of diffuse lewy body disease: A pilot study

Single case studies may provide useful information and generate hypotheses for later testing in group studies. The effect of anti-Parkinsonian medication is reported in five individual cases of diffuse Lewy body disease. The problems caused by the variability in congnitive function and psychiatric symptoms in these cases are outlined together with suggested strategies for future research.     

Metastatic Behavior and Tumorigenicity of a Human Melanoma Cell Line (MM-RU) after Injection into Nude Mice

The ability of the human amelanotic melanoma cell line MM-RU to produce experimental metastases and to grow tumors at subcutaneous inoculation sites in 4-week-old nude mice was examined. After i.v. inoculation of 10⁶ cells, all injected mice (n=21) developed consistent numbers of metastatic pulmonary colonies within 32 days. The coefficients of variation for the number of colonies were between 17%–23% in three independent experiments. Survival time after i.v. inoculation was 63 ± 7 days (mean ± SD) (n=20). Within 20 days, subcutaneous inoculation of 5 × 10⁶ cells resulted in tumor growths of 13 ± 3 mm (mean ± SD) at the inoculation sites in all nude mice (n=12). The MM-RU cell line seems to be a simple, fast vehicle for testing the effect of melanoma growth modulators on experimental pulmonary metastases as well as on subcutaneously growing melanoma.     

Growth effects of epidermal growth factor (EGF) and a monoclonal antibody against the EGF receptor on four glioma cell lines

Summary Epidermal growth factor (EGF) has been shown to stimulate DNA synthesis and cell division in normal glia. At least half of malignant human gliomas (MHG) express high levels of the EGF receptor (EGFR), which are above those detected in normal brain. The demonstration that antibodies against the EGFR inhibit the growth of squamous cell carcinoma line A-431, with large numbers of EGFR, in vitro and in vivo raises the possibility that these agents could be used therapeutically against malignant human gliomas either alone or conjugated to other agents. We have measured the growth effects of EGF and an anti-EGFR monoclonal antibody, 528 (Ab-528), on four well-characterized human malignant glioma cell lines, D-263 MG, D-247 MG, U-343 MGa Cl 26, and D-37 MG, with 2.9×10⁴, 1.5×10⁵, 8.6×10⁵ and 1.59×10⁶ EGFRs per cell, respectively. EGF significantly increased cell number in D-263 MG and D-37 MG by 65% and 74%, respectively, had no effect on D-247 MG, and significantly decreased cell number in U-343 MGa Cl 26 by 39%. U-343 MGa Cl 26 growth was inhibited 19% by Ab-528, but Ab-528 had no effect on growth of the other MHG lines. Ab-528 significantly inhibited all EGF-mediated growth effects. These studies demonstrate that, although Ab-528 alone has little antiproliferative activity on MGH, it successfully competes with EGF to reduce the biological effects of EGF-EGFR binding. Therefore, this antibody could potentially be used to target radioisotopes to MHG via the EGFR for diagnosis and therapy.Supported by Grants CA-11898, NS-20023, CA-43722, and the Association for Brain Tumor Research (MHW, PAH)