Forty-four patients with advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma were treated with biochemical modulated combination chemotherapy and surgery. Treatment consisted of cisplatinum (70 mg/m2/day 1, day 22), 5-fluorouracil (5-FU; 700 mg/m2/day, days 1-5, 22-26), and leucovorin (20 mg/m2/day, days 1-5, 22-26) with nutritional support, and surgery (days 42-70, mean day 56). Surgery consisted of subtotal esophagectomy with extended lymphadenectomy. Postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy or additional irradiation to the mediastinum was restricted to patient with residual tumors. Clinical response rate was 63.6% in primary tumor, 52.6% in intramural metastasis, 100% in intraepithelial spread, and 30.9% for metastatic lymph nodes. There was a slight disagreement between the result of evaluation of histological and clinical effect. The incidence of postoperative complications was 25%, and the mortality rate was 2.3%. Overall 1-, 2-, 3-, and 4-year survival rates of the patients were 57%, 37.9%, 28.5%, and 28.5%, respectively. The median survival time was 14.7 months. Responders survived longer than nonresponders. The histological responders survived longer than clinical responders. The 4-year survival rate of patients without residual tumor after treatment was 75% in the superficial cases, 51% in the locoregional cases, and 50% in the widespread cases.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Systematic assessment of bone resorption, collagen synthesis, and calcification in chick embryonic calvaria in vitro: effects of prostaglandin E2.

A systematic method has been developed to assess bone resorption, matrix formation, and calcification in a single calvarial culture from 20-day-old chick embryos. The bones were prelabeled with 45Ca by an injection into the egg white before culture. In the last 2 h of incubation, the bones were further labeled with both 3H-proline and 3H-tetracycline. Bone resorption was assessed as 45Ca release into the medium. Collagen synthesis was measured by the incorporation of 3H-proline into collagenase-digestible protein (CDP). Since tetracycline has been commonly used as an in vivo marker for osteoid calcification, we assessed in vitro calcification as the uptake of 3H-tetracycline into bone. By using this method, we studied the effects of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and indomethacin, which inhibits biosynthesis of PGE2, on bone resorption and formation. The cultured bone synthesized approximately 300 ng of PGE2 during every 24 h of incubation, and indomethacin (10(-6) M) completely inhibited the synthesis. In indomethacin-treated cultures, % 45Ca release and the labeling of CDP were significantly reduced. These reductions were not seen when exogenous PGE2 (10(-9) M) comparable to its endogenous level was added along with the indomethacin. Furthermore, 10(-8) to 10(-5) M PGE2 increased % 45Ca release and the CDP labeling. In addition, the uptake of 3H-tetracycline into the cultured bone was also enhanced by PGE2. In devitalized calvaria, PGE2 had no effect on 3H-tetracycline uptake, suggesting that the stimulative effect on PGE2 was cell-mediated.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The presence of a gonadotropin-inhibiting substance in human urine.

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Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Nicardipine modification of endothelin-1 effects on visual evoked potential.

Endothelin-1 (ET-1), a vascular endothelium-derived peptide, regulates microcirculation by modulating Ca2+ ion channels. Intravitreally injected ET-1 constricts retinal vessels and reduces blood flow in the optic nerve capillaries. We examined the antagonistic effect of a calcium-ion channel blocker, nicardipine, on ET-1 effects on visual evoked potential (VEP). ET-1 (10(-6); 10 microL) was injected into the posterior vitreous of rabbit eyes. Intravenous nicardipine (20 micrograms/kg) was also given, and VEP was monitored for 2 hours following injection. Thirty minutes after injection, ET-1 had reduced VEP amplitude to 42.6% of the baseline level. The reduction effect continued for the remainder of the study. Nicardipine suppressed the ET-1-induced reduction of VEP amplitude (P < 0.05, Scheffe). The vasospasm produced by ET-1, which reduces the VEP amplitude, involves the CA2+ ion channel. Since nicardipine interferes with the activity of ET-1, we believe that Ca2+ channel blockers can be useful in the treatment of ischemic retinal and optic nerve disorders that are related to abnormal ET-1 production.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Flow cytometric studies of the D antigen of various Rh phenotypes with particular reference to Du and Del.

Flow cytometric analysis was performed on red cells (RBCs) to compare the antigen activity of various Rh phenotypes, including the rare variants Del and Du (both high-grade and low-grade), whose genotypes were confirmed or presumed by the family study. This appears to be the first report that the Del phenotype is due to the inhibitory effect of Cde. This study also compares the quantity of the D antigen in different phenotypes, whose genotypes comprise the same Du gene (cDuE) transmitted in a family. RBCs were stained by the indirect immunofluorescence method using IgG anti-D purified through a protein-A affinity column. The mean fluorescence intensity obtained for each genotype representing the activity of the D antigen decreased in the following order (percentages show relative fluorescence intensity taking cDE/cDE control as 100% and Cde/cde as 0%): CDe/cDE, 76 percent; CDe/cde, 73 percent; cDE/Cde, 70 percent; cDE/cDuE, 68 percent; CDe/Cde (high-grade Du), 59 percent; cDuE/cde (low-grade Du), 6 percent; and cDuE/Cde (Del), 3 to 4 percent.

Female↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Close association of dermatitis herpetiformis and chronic tonsillitis in a Japanese patient without gluten sensitivity.

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Chronic Disease↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Intranuclear distribution of rat liver glucocorticoid receptors by nuclease digestion in a cell-free system.

Intranuclear distribution of rat liver glucocorticoid receptors was examined. When the [3H]TA-receptor complex-bound nuclei were digested with micrococcal nuclease, the [3H]TA-receptor complex sedimented coincident with mono-, di- and trinucleosomes on a glycerol gradient. The specific activity of the [3H]TA-receptor associated with chromatin fragments in the Mg-soluble fraction was 13-fold higher than that in the Mg-insoluble fraction. In adrenalectomized rats, the nucleosome-bound [3H]TA-receptor complex was reduced, but the specific activity in the Mg-soluble fraction was almost the same as that in intact rats. Endogenous glucocorticoid receptor complex associated with mononucleosomes decreased 2 weeks after adrenalectomy. These results suggest that interaction between the glucocorticoid receptor complex and chromatin acceptor sites in intact and adrenalectomized rats occurred in the transcriptionally active chromatin regions which are sensitive to micrococcal nuclease.

Adrenalectomy↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Genetic relationships among Japanese, northern Han, Hui, Uygur, Kazakh, Greek, Saudi Arabian, and Italian populations based on allelic frequencies at four VNTR (D1S80, D4S43, COL2A1, D17S5) and one STR (ACTBP2) loci.

The genetic polymorphism at four variable number of tandem repeats (D1S80, D4S43, COL2A1, D17S5) and one short tandem repeat (ACTBP2) loci was assessed by polymerase chain reaction analysis of genomic DNA obtained from blood samples of eight human populations (Japanese, Northern Han, Hui, Uygur, Kazakh, Saudi Arabian, Greek, Italian). Allele frequencies at all loci were in the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium for each population. With the exception of ACTBP2, the allelic distribution patterns for these loci revealed a marked genetic divergence among the eight populations. A dendrogram constructed by the neighbor-joining method based on the allele frequencies of the five loci suggested that the five Asian populations (Japanese, Northern Han, Hui, Uygur, and Kazakh) formed one cluster, whereas the two European populations and one West Asian population (Italian, Greek, and Saudi Arabian) formed another. The genetic relationship among these populations may have been greatly influenced by admixture as a result of the migration of individuals along the Silk Road throughout history.

Alleles↗