Biomedical subjects

R R Perry

Publications and source records attributed to R R Perry.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1992

Effect of treatment duration and glutathione depletion on mitomycin C cytotoxicity in vitro.

Glutathione (GSH) has been shown to modulate the cytotoxicity of a variety of chemotherapeutic agents. The effect of mitomycin C (MMC) treatment duration and the effect of GSH depletion on in vitro cytotoxicity against the human colon cancer cell line HT-29 was studied under aerobic conditions. Continuous-exposure experiments revealed that the cytotoxicity of 0.1 microM MMC, as measured by clonogenic cell survival, exhibited a shoulder until exposure time was at least 12 h, after which time exponential cytotoxicity was observed. Lowering GSH levels to less than 3% of control using buthionine sulfoximine (BSO) did not enhance cytotoxicity of MMC given for 1 h or continuously for less than 12 h. However, GSH depletion did enhance cytotoxicity of MMC given continuously for at least 12 h, with a dose-modifying factor at 1% survival of 1.4 for a 24-h treatment. GSH depletion under these conditions enhanced cytotoxicity of even minimally cytotoxic MMC concentrations (0.02 microM). Absolute levels of GSH-related enzymes, including glutathione-S-transferase, and the MMC-metabolizing enzyme DT-diaphorase did not change appreciably. A tetrazolium [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide] assay was used to verify the results further and to determine the optimal sequence of BSO administration with a 24-h MMC treatment. BSO added simultaneously with MMC did not increase cytotoxicity, compared to MMC alone. BSO added and then removed prior to MMC was effective (dose-modifying factor at 50% survival = 1.3), but the greatest cytotoxicity was noted when BSO was present before and during MMC treatment (dose-modifying factor = 1.5). GSH depletion in another cell line (SW480) showed similar enhancement of 24-h MMC cytotoxicity. These studies show that aerobic cytotoxicity of MMC is improved by administration of the drug in continuous fashion for at least 12 h, as opposed to continuous administration for shorter periods or 1-h bolus administration. Cytotoxicity of continuous (at least 12-h) MMC treatment can be modestly enhanced by GSH depletion, which must precede MMC exposure in order to be effective.

Buthionine Sulfoximine↗

PubMed1991

Intravenous vs intraperitoneal sensitizer: implications for intraperitoneal photodynamic therapy.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a potential treatment for peritoneal carcinomatosis. However, little data is available regarding the relative distribution of sensitizer to tumor and intra-abdominal organs, optimal route of sensitizer administration, and maximal tolerated light dose. Tumor and normal tissue sensitizer levels were measured by tissue extraction 3, 24, 48 and 72 h after 10 mg/kg of Photofrin II was given intraperitoneally (IP) or intravenously (IV) in a mouse peritoneal tumor model, and the maximal tolerated PDT light dose determined. Equivalent tumor sensitizer levels were obtained regardless of the route of sensitizer administration. Route of administration, however, did affect the kinetics of tumor sensitizer elimination, with the half-time for elimination (T1/2) 113.6 h for IP drug and 60.6 h for IV drug. Route of administration also affected sensitizer levels in several intra-abdominal organs, resulting in somewhat higher tumor to liver and kidney levels at 24 and 72 h after IP sensitizer administration. Despite these tissue distribution differences, route of sensitizer administration did not significantly affect PDT toxicity or mortality when mice were treated with 630 nm light. The maximum tolerated light dose was 1.04 J/cm2. These parameters will prove helpful in designing large scale animal trials assessing the efficacy and safety of intra-abdominal PDT.

Animals↗

PubMed1990

Surgical management of pheochromocytoma with the use of metyrosine.

Despite recommended preoperative preparation with alpha-adrenergic blockers, severe hemodynamic instability may occur during operations to resect pheochromocytoma. We combined the alpha-blocker phenoxybenzamine with the tyrosine hydroxylase inhibitor metyrosine in an attempt to better manage the hypertension of patients with pheochromocytoma undergoing surgical resection. This report reviews the cases of 25 consecutive patients undergoing surgery for known intra-abdominal pheochromocytoma. Each patient had elevated serum or urine levels of catecholamines or their metabolites. Nineteen patients were prepared before operation with phenoxybenzamine and metyrosine and six patients were given phenoxybenzamine alone. There were no significant differences in maximum, minimum, or mean blood pressure before or after tumor resection between patients who received metyrosine and those who did not. However careful review suggested that those who received metyrosine had more severe disease as judged by biochemical criteria. Study of selected patients matched for age and severity of disease suggested that the intraoperative blood pressure management of patients prepared with phenoxybenzamine and metyrosine was facilitated. In addition metyrosine-prepared patients lost less blood and required less volume replacement during surgery than did non-metyrosine-prepared patients. There were no apparent differences in postoperative fluid requirements. Although the study is not a prospective randomized trial, a retrospective review of patients managed with the combination of phenoxybenzamine and metyrosine suggests that surgery to resect pheochromocytoma can be better performed with both drugs than with phenoxybenzamine alone. The combination regimen appears to result in better blood pressure control, less blood loss, and the need for less intraoperative fluid replacement than does the traditional method of single-agent alpha-adrenergic blockade.

Adrenal Gland Neoplasms↗

PubMed1976

Lymphocyte response in patients with head and neck cancer: effect of clinical stage and radiotherapy.

Ffty-three patients with head and neck cancer tested before radiation treatment to determine numbers of blood lymphocytes and immunologic responses to mitogens of lymphocytes in whole-blood cultures had mean values that were 19% to 26% less than values for healthy individuals. Thirty patients whose disease was in stages III or IV had values similar to those in 23 patients whose disease was in stages I or II. Values for 45 patients tested at end of radiotherapy decreased to about 50% of pretreatment values; however, patients with advanced lesions experienced greater decreases (to 24% to 50%) than patients with localized lesions (to 71% to 84%). Patients with advanced lesions usually received radiation to larger areas than patients with localized lesions; therefore, the extent of decline in laboratory values was most likely dependent on volume of tissue treated.

Concanavalin A↗

PubMed1976

A follow-up evaluation of a summer health career program for minority students.

In an effort to attract minority students to health careers, a special summer education health career experience was developed. A matched comparison group design was utilized to determine the value of this program. Data were collected on both the participants and a matched comparison group three months before and six months after the program. Differences on most of the measures were not significant; however, there was a significant difference on stability of first career choice, indicating that a special summer program can and does have an effect on the participants. The study makes it clear that program effects cannot be assumed unless a follow-up evaluation is undertaken.

Career Choice↗

PubMed1976

A formative and summative evaluation model for special educational programs.

During the past two decades the problems of recruiting minority students into careers in the health fields have been addressed by many educators and various special study groups. Recent efforts by schools of medicine and allied health sciences to find viable solutions to the problem have facilitated implementation of career exploration and study-skills programs. Although the focus and sophistication of evaluation designs vary substantially among educational programs of this type, all share some common problems. The positions taken by the authors is that evaluation, both during and at the end of a program, is an essential aspect of the program and that the use of a systematic evaluation model is central to this effort. Data are presented which illustrate the utility of a systematic evaluation model when applied in a realistic test situation (an operational program for minority students). Several advantages of using this model are discussed.

Career Choice↗