VASOCONSTRICTION IN THE RENAL VASCULAR BED DURING EXERCISE: STUDIES IN CONTROL AND HEART FAILURE RABBITS

1. The effects of graded treadmill exercise on renal blood flow (RBF) were examined in seven rabbits, in which congestive heart failure (CHF) was produced by the administration of doxorubicin, 1 mg/kg, twice weekly for 8 weeks, and in seven controls. A third group of five rabbits underwent doxorubicin treatment with the addition of surgical section of the left renal sympathetic nerve. 2. During submaximal exercise, there was a small reduction in RBF in controls, which was greatly exaggerated in CHF. 3. In both control and heart failure rabbits, there was a precipitous fall in RBF as exercise fatigue developed. 4. Renal sympathectomy ablated these changes in RBF during exercise. 5. It is concluded that in heart failure there is an exaggerated, sympathetically mediated, diversion of blood flow away from the kidney. The onset of exercise fatigue in both normal and heart failure rabbits is accompanied by a marked intensification of this process.     

耐药乳腺癌MCF-7/Adr细胞c-myc的表达上调及与耐药的关系

目的观察耐药乳腺癌细胞c-myc表达及其反义寡核苷酸对耐药的逆转效应,探讨c-myc在耐药调控中的作用。方法运用流式细胞仪检测乳腺癌耐药细胞MCF-7/Adr和其药敏亲本系MCF-7的c-myc表达水平。MTT法测定阿霉素作用于上述细胞的药物半数抑制浓度(IC50)。结果MCF-7/Adr耐药细胞c-myc的表达率为70.48%,其亲本药敏细胞系MCF-7c-myc表达率仅46.02%,前者显著高于后者(P<0.05)。阿霉素单独作用于MCF-7/Adr,IC50值为(22.00±1.92)μmol/L,但与4μmol/Lc-myc反义寡核苷酸共孵育后,阿霉素的IC50值则显著下降为(9.60±1.04)μmol/L。结论与其亲本药敏细胞相比较,MCF-7/Adr的c-myc表达显著上调,抑制c-myc的过表达可部分逆转MCF-7/Adr的阿霉素抵抗,提示c-myc参与肿瘤耐药的发生。     

Anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity: Overview of studies examining the roles of oxidative stress and free cellular iron

The risk of cardiotoxicity is the most serious drawback to the clinical usefulness of anthracycline antineoplastic antibiotics, which include doxorubicin (adriamycin), daunorubicin or epirubicin. Nevertheless, these compounds remain among the most widely used anticancer drugs. The molecular pathogenesis of anthracycline cardiotoxicity remains highly controversial, although the oxidative stress-based hypothesis involving intramyocardial production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) has gained the widest acceptance. Anthracyclines may promote the formation of ROS through redox cycling of their aglycones as well as their anthracycline-iron complexes. This proposed mechanism has become particularly popular in light of the high cardioprotective efficacy of dexrazoxane (ICRF-187). The mechanism of action of this drug has been attributed to its hydrolytic transformation into the iron-chelating metabolite ADR-925, which may act by displacing iron from anthracycline-iron complexes or by chelating free or loosely bound cellular iron, thus preventing site-specific iron-catalyzed ROS damage. However, during the last decade, calls for the critical reassessment of this “ROS and iron” hypothesis have emerged. Numerous antioxidants, although efficient in cellular or acute animal experiments, have failed to alleviate anthracycline cardiotoxicity in clinically relevant chronic animal models or clinical trials. In addition, studies with chelators that are stronger and more selective for iron than ADR-925 have also yielded negative or, at best, mixed outcomes. Hence, several lines of evidence suggest that mechanisms other than the traditionally emphasized “ROS and iron” hypothesis are involved in anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity and that these alternative mechanisms may be better bases for designing approaches to achieve efficient and safe cardioprotection.     

Response of Orbital and Central Nervous System Metastases of Retinoblastoma Following Treatment with Cyclophosphamide/Doxorubicin

A 3.5-year-old boy with orbital and central nervous system extension of unilateral retinoblastoma received chemotherapy consisting of intravenous cyclophosphamide and doxorubicin and intrathecal methotrexate. Complete shrinkage of orbital tumor, phthisis bulbi,'and disappearance of intracranial metastases occurred following chemotherapy. Response of the intra-cranial tumors reflected the combined effects of cyclophosphamide and doxorubicin; the contribution of each agent could not be assessed. Cerebrospinal fluid tumor cells persisted prior to delivery of craniospinal irradiation, and were detected again 6 weeks after completion of irradiation.     

Quantitative determination of binding of anthracycline antibiotics with DNA

Research Institute of Experimental Diagnosis and Treatment of Tumors, Oncologic Scientific Center, Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, Moscow. Troitsk Branch, I.V. Kurchatov Institute of Atomic Energy, Moscow Region. (Presented by Academician of the Russian Academy of medical Sciences, N. N. Trapeznikov.) Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 113, No. 6, pp. 636–638, June, 1992.     

免疫磁性海藻酸钠载药纳米微球的制备与评价

靶向治疗系统是目前研究的热点,用微乳化-离子交联方法制备包覆阿霉素的碳包铁/海藻酸钠复合纳米微球,以水溶性碳二亚胺为交联剂,将载药微球与单抗Hab18连接,制备出了免疫磁性药物纳米微球.对该免疫磁性微球的理化性能进行了表征,同时检测了免疫磁性微球中抗体的活性和免疫磁性微球与靶细胞的体外结合情况,结果表明,免疫磁性药物纳米微球平均粒径约为171.2nm,外观为球型,铁含量为14.6%,载药量为10.8%,且具有强磁响应性和长时间药物缓释效果.同时在体外该微球能够与靶细胞特异性结合.这种免疫磁性药物纳米微球有望成为一种优良的靶向肿瘤药物载体.     

Mitoxantrone: Propensity for free radical formation and lipid peroxidation — implications for cardiotoxicity

Summary Results of comparative studies on stimulation of the rates of cofactor consumption, superoxide generation and hydrogen peroxide production by mitoxantrone (Novantrone®; dihydroxyanthracenedione; MXN), ametantrone (AM), doxorubicin (DOX) and daunorubicin (DNR) in the presence of NADPH-cytochrome P-450 reductase, NADH dehydrogenase, or rabbit hepatic microsomes have been reported. MXN and AM were substantially less effective in stimulating the rate of cofactor oxidation, superoxide formation or hydrogen peroxide production relative to the anthracyclines. In the presence of P-450 reductase, the rate of NADPH oxidation or superoxide generation produced by 100 M MXN or AM was only 15% and 2% respectively of that produced by 100 M anthracycline.The effects of MXN and AM on lipid peroxidation in hepatic microsomes, cardiac sarcosomes and cardiac mitochondria were determined and compared with those produced by ADM. MXN and AM at 50 M inhibited the basal rate of NADPH-dependent rabbit liver microsomal lipid peroxidation by 50%; in contrast, DOX enhanced the rate of hepatic microsomal lipid peroxidation by 2-and 2.5-fold at 100 and 200 M, respectively. Rabbit cardiac sarcosomal NADPH-dependent lipid peroxidation was inhibited completely at 100 M anthracenedione. NADH-dependent lipid peroxidation in cardiac mitochondria was diminished by 50 M MXN and AM, whereas 50 M DOX produced a 2-fold stimulation in lipid peroxidation. The anthracenediones also effectively inhibited DOX-stimulated lipid peroxidation with 50% inhibition occurring at 4 M (MXN) and 6 M (AM). Moreover, both MXN and AM potently inhibited iron (100 M)-stimulated lipid peroxidation in rabbit hepatic microsomes with 80% inhibition produced by 15 M anthracenedione.These results are consistent with the diminished cardiotoxicity of mitoxantrone and ametantrone relative to DOX or DNR and may require a reassessment of the role of lipid peroxidation in the mechanism(s) of quinone antineoplastic agent-mediated cardiotoxicity.     

Alpha-lipoic acid may ameliorate testicular damage by targeting dox-induced altered antioxidant parameters,mitofusin-2 and apoptotic gene expression

In the study, the ameliorating effects of alfa lipoic acid (ALA) against doxorubicin-induced testicular apoptosis, oxidative stress and disrupted mitochondrial fusion were investigated in male rats. Rats were divided into four groups as control, doxorubicin (DOX), DOX + ALA and ALA. A single dose of 15 mg/kg DOX was administered i.p to the DOX and DOX + ALA groups. 50 mg/kg ALA was given to the DOX + ALA and ALA groups by oral gavage every other day. After 28 days, rat testes and serum samples were collected and analysed. Administration of DOX alone caused a decrease in body and relative testicular weights, seminiferous tubule diameter and germinal epithelium thickness, Johnsen's score and serum testosterone levels. DOX treatment led to severe testicular damage such as tubular degeneration, and atrophic tubules. Also, the activities of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase were reduced, while the level of malondialdehyde was increased in the testis. The mRNA levels of apoptotic-related genes (CASP3, TP53, BAX, BCL2) and apoptotic index were increased, while mitofusin-2 decreased. DOX caused an increase in CASP3 and a decrease in mitofusin-2 immunoreactivities. Treatment with ALA markedly improved all of DOX-induced biochemical, histochemical and molecular alterations in rat testis. Consequently, ALA has a therapeutic role in ameliorating DOX-induced testicular damage in rats.     

Phase I clinical and pharmacokinetic trial of dextran conjugated doxorubicin (AD-70, DOX-OXD)

Coupling of anthracyclines to high-molecular-weight carriers may alter drug disposition and improve antitumor effects. We have performed a clinical phase I trial of doxorubicin coupled to dextran (70000 m.w.). The drug was administered as single dose i.v. every 21–28 days. Thirteen patients have received a total of 24 courses (median 2; range 1–3). At the starting dose of 40 mg/m² doxorubicin equivalent (DOXeq), WHO grade IV thrombocytopenia was noted in 2/2 patients. WHO grade IV hepatotoxicity and WHO grade III cardiotoxicity were noted in a patient with preexisting heart disease. Five patients were treated with 12.5 mg/m² DOXeq. Maximal toxicity at this dose level was WHO grade III thrombocytopenia and local phlebitis (WHO grade II) in 1/5 patients, elevation of alkaline phosphatase (WHO grade III) and WHO grade III vomiting in another patient. Subsequently, five patients received 20 mg/m² DOXeq. Hepatotoxicity was noted in 5/5 patients (1 × WHO grade IV, 1 × WHO grade III). Thrombocytopenia was noted in 3/5 patients (1 × WHO grade IV, 2 × WHO grade III). At 12.5 mg/m² DOXeq, a patient diagnosed with a malignant fibrous histiocytoma had stable disease for 4 months. Pharmacokinetic analyses of total and free doxorubicin were performed in plasma and urine. The maximum peak plasma concentration (ppc) for total DOX was 12.3 g/ml at 40 mg/m² DOXeq. The area under the plasma concentration time curve (AUC) ranged from 28.83–80.21 g/ml^*h with dose-dependent elimination half lives (t_1/2: 0.02–0.87 h;_1/2: 2.69–11.58 h;_1/2: 41.44–136.58 h). We conclude that the maximal tolerated dose (MTD) of AD-70 using this schedule is 40 mg/m² DOXeq. The recommended dose for clinical phase II studies is 12.5 mg/m² DOXeq.Abbreviations ALT Alanine Aminotransferase - AST Aspartate Aminotransferase - DOX Doxorubicin - DOXeq Doxorubicin Equivalent - ECG Electrocardiogram - HPLC High Pressure Liquid Chromatography - LD₁₀ Lethal Dose for 10% of individuals - MTD Maximal Tolerated Dose - ppc Peak Plasma Concentration - WHO World Health Organisation     

加热对人肝癌耐药细胞模型-7721/Adm细胞内药物浓度的影响

目的 探讨比较43℃加热前后人肝癌细胞－7721（以下简称7721细胞）和耐药人肝癌细胞模型－7721／Adm(以下简称7721／Adm细胞）细胞内阿霉素（ADM）药物浓度的变化。方法 以体外培养的人肝癌细胞－7721和作自行培养建立的人肝癌细胞模型－7721／Adm为研究对象,采用水浴加温法、流式细胞荧光技术观察阿霉素化热前后7721和7721／Adm细胞胞内阿霉素（ADM）浓度的变化。结果 加热后7721组提高30．8％,HCC－7721／Adm组提高51％。结论 加热可明显提高这两种细胞内的阿霉素浓度,从而提高这两种细胞的化疗敏感性,为临床克服多药耐药问题提供了重要依据。