Changes of cancer diagnosis disclosure to children in Japan in the last 20 years

International Journal of Clinical Oncology - The practice of cancer diagnosis disclosure to children has been changed with the times. The regulations of clinical trials in the 2000s might change...     

Myosin heavy chain composition of tongue muscle in microphthalmic (mi/mi) mice before and after weaning.

To elucidate the effects of teeth on muscle fibers in the tongue during the developmental process, we examined the expression of muscle contractile proteins and the genes for those proteins in normal mice and microphthalmic (mi/mi) mice with impaired tooth eruption. The mice were observed during the growth period, including weaning, which is when feeding movements undergo major changes. Expression of the myosin heavy chain (MyHC)-2a protein, whose contraction speed is relatively slow, disappeared after weaning in normal mice, while it remained in high concentrations even after weaning in mi/mi mice. The presence of MyHC-2a after weaning in mice with no tooth eruption was attributed to a compensation for lack of proper masticatory function and sucking-like movements, as MyHC-2a is necessary for these movements.     

A case of parathyroid hormone-related peptide producing gallbladder carcinoma presenting humoral hypercalcemia of malignancy]

Humoral hypercalcemia of malignancy (HHM) in neoplastic syndrome has been most commonly reported in squamous cell carcinoma. Gallbladder carcinoma with HHM is uncommon. In this report, we describe a male case of gallbladder carcinoma with marked hypercalcemia and a high level of serum parathyroid hormone-related peptide (PTHrP). An immunohistochemical examination using PTHrP was also positive.     

Immunocytochemical distribution of met-enkephalin-Arg6-Gly7-Leu8 in the rat lower brainstem

The distribution of methionine-enkephalin-Arg6-Gly7-Leu8, a unique peptide derived from proenkephalin A in the rat brainstem, was studied immunocytochemically by using a highly specific antiserum to this octapeptide sequence. Immunoreactive perikarya with various shapes and sizes were detected in many regions of the rat brainstem. Dense accumulation of immunoreactive perikarya and fibers was seen in the nuclei associated with special sensory and visceral functions, such as the interpeduncular nucleus, the parabrachial nucleus, the nucleus of the solitary tract, and the nucleus of the spinal tract of the trigeminal nerve. Clusters of methionine-enkephalin-Arg6-Gly7-Leu8-like immunoreactive perikarya and fibers were observed in certain areas considered to play a role in nociception and analgesia, such as the central gray of the midbrain central gray and the raphe magnus nucleus. Some methionine-enkephalin-Arg6-Gly7-Leu8-like immunoreactive perikarya were distributed in the lateral reticular nucleus, the nucleus of the solitary tract, and the raphe magnus nucleus, where monoaminergic neurons were also detected. In addition to the previously reported enkephalinergic cells, we found many methionine-enkephalin-Arg6-Gly7-Leu8 containing neurons; the rostral and caudal linear nucleus of raphe, the median raphe nucleus, entire length of the raphe magnus nucleus, the medial longitudinal fasciculus, the cuneate nucleus, the external cuneate nucleus, the gracile nucleus, and the area postrema. The wide distribution of this octapeptide-like immunoreactivity reflected neurons expressing the preproenkephalin A gene distributed more widely than previously reported and that innervated many regions.     

Double immunoelectron microscopic labelings of human chorionic gonadotropin and human placental lactogen in human chorionic villi

Simultaneous immunoelectron microscopic localization of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) and human placental lactogen (HPL) was examined on the same ultrathin section of human chorionic villi by means of the double labeling technique. Using specific rabbit antisera against HCG and HPL followed by goat anti-rabbit IgG-coated colloidal gold of different sizes (15 nm and 5 nm), immunoreactions of HCG were concentrated on middle-sized secretory granules of 200-300 nm and large dense bodies of 500-1000 nm, while those of HPL were exclusively located on small secretory granules of 80-180 nm. The present experiment provides direct evidence for our previous data that HCG and HPL seem to be stored in different granular components in the syncytiotrophoblast.     

Spatially and Temporally Regulated Modification of the Receptor-like Protein Tvrosine Phosphatase ζ/β isoforms with Keratan Sulphate in the Developing Chick Brain

Protein tyrosine phosphatase ζ (PTPζRPTPβ) is a proteoglycan-type receptor-like protein tyrosine phosphatase specifically expressed in the brain. In addition to the transmembrane form (PTPζ-A), the extracellular splice variant (PTPζ-S) occurs as a major soluble chondroitin sulphate proteoglycan in the brain. We prepared antibodies which specifically recognize PTPζ-A and -S, and analysed the carbohydrate structures on the two PTPζ isoforms in the developing chick brain. lmmunoprecipitation experiments using these antibodies revealed that almost all of the keratan sulphate recognized by a monoclonal antibody (5D4) was exclusively bound to PTPζ-A and PTPζ-S. Addition of keratan sulphate to these proteoglycans markedly increased from embryonic day (E) 11, in contrast to the addition of Le^X and HNK-1 carbohydrates, which gradually increased during development in accordance with expression of the core proteins, suggesting that keratan sulphate modification plays some specific roles. Moreover, at the early embryonic stage keratan sulphate was observed only in several restricted regions, especially at boundary regions such as the roof plate of the tectum, the zona limitans intrathalamica in the diencephalon, and the mesencephalon-metencephalon boundary. At the mesencephalon-metencephalon boundary, keratan sulphate modification of PTPζ isoforms was specifically observed from E3 to E6 on a ring of cells encircling the neural tube and their radially oriented processes, which were identified as radial glial fibres. This expression pattern of keratan sulphate spatiotemporally corresponded well to the formation of the fovea isthmi, a groove separating the mesencephalon from the metencephalon. These results suggest that carbohydrates including keratan sulphate on PTPζ isoforms play important roles in brain development by modulating the cell-cell and/or cell-substrate interactions mediated by these molecules.     

Effects of low-caloric diet in puerperium on prolactin, TSH estradiol and milk secretion

Ten puerperal women were put on a 1,200 kcal diet per day for 3 days followed by an ordinary 1,800 kcal diet per day for 3 days [Low-Caloric (LC) group]. Fifteen puerperal women were put on an ordinary 1,800 kcal diet per day for 6 days[Ordinary-Caloric (OC) group]. All of the women took breakfast at 7:30 am, blood was drawn at 9:30 am and then the breasts were milked for 2 minutes with an electric breast pump starting on the day of delivery (Day 0) and continuing to Day 5. Four women in the LC and OC groups underwent a thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) stimulation test on Days 1 and 3. Serum prolactin (PRL) and TSH levels in the LC group tended to be much lower than those of the OC group during the test period. Serum PRL and TSH release response to TRH in the OC group were much higher than in the LC group on Days 1 and 3. No significant difference was noted between the OC and LC groups in serum estradiol (E2) and cortisol levels from Day 0 to Day 5. The milk volume in the LC group was significantly less than in the OC group on Day 1. Analysis of milk specimen components revealed little difference between the OC and LC groups. These results suggested that a low-caloric diet may suppress PRL, TSH and milk secretion and may not be useful for breast-feeding.     

The study of the autopsies of six patients with progressive esophageal cancer to investigate complications caused by esophageal stents]

Endoscopic placement of metal stents are used widely for patients with esophageal obstruction and fistula due to progressive esophageal cancer, but cause high rate of severe complications associated with the immediate causes of death. To determine severe complications caused by stents, we studied clinical data and autopsy of six patients who had been treated with stents for inoperable progressive esophageal cancer. Occording to the clinical records only two patients had severe complications due to stents. But at autopsy, three patients had massive hemorrhage in the stent placement, one patient had mediastinitis, and one patient were in imminent danger of perforation whose stent had been incorporated into the adventitia of the wall. More severe complications were revealed than those expected clinically. Endoscopic placement of metal stents have a great deal for the improvement of quality of life. But we should carefully decide the indication because endoscopic placement of metal stents could cause severe complications associated with the immediate causes of death.     

A small early carcinoma of the stomach with extra-perigastric lymph node metastasis: a case report

An early gastric carcinoma, measuring 1.7 X 0.6 cm, had already metastasized to the extra-perigastric lymph node in a 71 year old symptom-free man. Radiographic and endoscopic studies showed a small depressed lesion on the lesser curvature of the antrum and histology of the biopsied specimen revealed a well differentiated adenocarcinoma. Under the diagnosis of IIc type intramucosal carcinoma, partial gastrectomy and wide lymph node dissection was performed. Pathologic study of the resected specimen showed that the cancer cells had invaded the submucosa at an area via a lymphatic vessel and that only one lymph node along the common hepatic artery was involved.