Gangliosides of human melanoma: altered expression in vivo and in vitro

The ganglioside composition of human melanoma was analyzed in five sets of tumor specimens obtained directly from surgery, from the autologous tissue culture cell lines, and from the autologous cell lines grown in athymic nude mice. Total gangliosides of these 15 melanoma specimens were isolated and purified, and the amount of each component ganglioside was analyzed by thin-layer chromatography and a thin-layer chromatography scanner. The ganglioside composition of the five surgical melanoma specimens clearly exhibited different patterns from each other. Moreover, none of the autologous cultured melanomas possessed the same ganglioside composition as their original biopsied tumors. However, when these melanoma cell lines were transplanted into nude mice, the ganglioside composition was converted back to the same ganglioside pattern as in the original surgical specimens. The results support the view that changes in the ganglioside composition of melanoma during in vitro growth are caused by the culture environment rather than by selection of melanoma cells with a particular genotype. Reestablishment of the original ganglioside patterns after passage in nude mice provides clear evidence that in vivo expression of gangliosides is a conserved and stable function specified by the human melanoma cells.     

Permanent prostate brachytherapy for Japanese men: Results from initial 100 patients with prostate cancer

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the initial results of brachytherapy for prostate cancer with permanent iodine-125 implant in Japan. METHODS: The results obtained with brachytherapy in the initial 100 Japanese patients treated at Nagano Municipal Hospital were reviewed. Patients with a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level of less than 10 ng/mL and a Gleason's scores of 5, 6, 3 + 4 were classified as having a low risk of recurrence. Patients with a PSA level of 10-20 ng/mL and/or a Gleason's score of 4 + 3 were classified as having an intermediate risk for recurrence. Seventy-eight of the low-risk patients and 19 of the intermediate-risk patients were treated by seed implants alone, or seed implants combined with preceding external radiation, respectively. A total of 53 patients received neoadjuvant hormone therapy. The efficacy and morbidity of brachytherapy were investigated using the serum PSA, International Prostate Symptom Score, quality of life score and uroflowmetry data. RESULTS: The average V100 and D90 obtained by post-implant dosimetry was 94.3 and 113.7%, respectively. Serum PSA decreased gradually after treatment, although it had still not reached a nadir after 1 year. There was little difference of the PSA level between the patients with and without neoadjuvant hormone therapy even at 1 year after seed implantation. There were no PSA biochemical failure or clinical recurrence during the follow-up period. Voiding symptoms worsened until 3 months after treatment, and then gradually improved. Acute urinary retention occurred transiently in one patient (1%). Rectal bleeding and severe diarrhea did not occur. CONCLUSION: Brachytherapy is a feasible and effective option for the treatment of prostate cancer in Japanese men. Brachytherapy may have a different effect in Japanese patients with respect to voiding symptoms. Urinary retention was rare, but voiding symptoms were persistent in Japanese patients. Neoadjuvant hormone therapy deserves investigation to determine whether it can achieve better results, especially in patients with an intermediate risk.     

Dynamic MRI of the gallbladder lesions: Differentiation of benign from malignant

Forty-nine pathologically proven gallbladder lesions were evaluated in 45 patients using dynamic MRI with a spoiled gradient pulse sequence (SPGR), to access the ability of this technique to differentiate benign from malignant gallbladder lesions. The studies were reviewed retrospectively. Signal intensity of the lesions were measured. Twenty-one malignant and 28 benign lesions were classified into three categories: polypoid, diffuse wall thickening, and exophytic. Early and delayed enhancement patterns were evaluated. For the polypoid masses, malignant lesions (n = 9) demonstrated early and prolonged enhancements, whereas benign lesions (n = 14) had early enhancement with subsequent washout (P < .05). For diffuse gallbladder wall thickening, malignant lesions (n = 6) demonstrated early and prolonged enhancement and benign lesions (n = 14) showed relatively slow, prolonged enhancement (P < .05). The exophytic masses (n = 6) all were malignant and demonstrated early and prolonged enhancement. Dynamic MRI can help differentiate benign from malignant gallbladder lesions.     

Inhibition of HIV-1 infectivity with curdlan sulfate in vitro

Polymethoxylated flavones and C-glycosyl derivatives isolated from medicinal plants besides other flavonoid compounds were studied for their influence on lipid peroxidation induced by FeSO4+ cysteine in rat liver microsomes. A number of hydroxyflavones (e.g. luteolin); C-glycosyl-flavones (e.g. orientin); methoxyflavones (e.g. gardenin D) and flavonols (e.g. datiscetin), as well as the flavanol leucocyanidol and the biflavone amentoflavone behaved as inhibitors of non-enzymic lipid peroxidation. Structure-activity relationships were established and it was observed that the structural features for active polyhydroxylated compounds were different from those of polymethoxylated flavones, antiperoxidative flavonoids possessing a high lipophilicity.     

Alveolar hydatid disease of the liver: computed tomography and transabdominal ultrasound with histopathological correlation.

The appearances of alveolar hydatid disease of the liver (AHDL) on computed tomography (CT) and ultrasound (US) were retrospectively compared with histopathological appearances in 67 patients with 100 separate lesions. The radiological features were correlated directly with the pathological specimens obtained from each patient. We conclude that the CT appearances are more specific, but that US has a role to play in mass screening in endemic areas, and intraoperatively.     

Enhanced rectal absorption and reduced local irritation of the anti-inflammatory drug ethyl 4-biphenylylacetate in rats by complexation with water-soluble beta-cyclodextrin derivatives and formulation as oleaginous suppository.

To improve the rectal delivery of ethyl 4-biphenylylacetate (EBA), a prodrug of the anti-inflammatory drug 4-biphenylylacetic acid (BPAA), the use of highly water-soluble 2-hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HP-beta-CyD) and heptakis(2,6-di-O-methyl)-beta-cyclodextrin (DM-beta-CyD) was investigated and compared with the use of the parent beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CyD). Among the three beta-CyDs, HP-beta-CyD was best at improving the rectal bioavailability of EBA in rats after single and multiple administrations of oleaginous suppositories (Witepsol H-5) containing the complexes. To gain insight into the enhancing effect of beta-CyDs, the absorption behaviors of EBA (observed by monitoring BPAA as an active metabolite of EBA) and beta-CyDs themselves were examined in vitro, in situ, and in vivo. The in situ recirculation study revealed that the complexed form of EBA was less absorbable from the rectal lumen in the solution state, but this disadvantageous effect of beta-CyDs was compensated in part by the inhibition of the bioconversion of EBA to BPAA. When beta-CyDs were coadministered with EBA in vivo, however, rather high amounts of HP-beta-CyD (approximately 26% of dose) and DM-beta-CyD (approximately 21% of dose), compared with beta-CyD (approximately 5% of dose), were absorbed from the rat rectum. Thus, the enhancement of rectal absorption of EBA in vivo can be explained by the facts that the hydrophilic beta-CyDs increased the release rate of EBA from the vehicle and stabilized EBA in the rectal lumen and that the drug was partly absorbed in the form of the complex.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Case of Parkinson's disease presenting with unique dyspneic attacks caused by oromandibular dystonia and sleep apnea syndrome]

A 79-year-old woman with a 4-year history of Parkinson's disease was admitted due to unique dyspneic attacks with cyanosis while eating. Dyspneic attacks with cyanosis occurred mainly during actions such as taking meals or rehabilitation. Due to increased tonus of the orbicularis oris muscle, she was unable to open her mouth and breathe out, and finally experienced hypoxemia as revealed by pulse oxymetry. Dystonic hypertonus was relieved by touching the mandible with the fingers, and she was able to open her mouth again. These symptom was compatible with the sensory trick. Based on these findings, we considered that dyspneic attacks were produced by focal oromandibular dystonia. Polysomnography also showed central sleep apnea. We report herein a rare case of Parkinson's disease presenting with respiratory insufficiency caused by focal dystonia and central sleep apnea.