Two cases of human early pancreatic duct adenocarcinoma were presented, and ductal lesions observed histologically were compared to those induced in hamsters using a rapid-production model of pancreatic carcinoma. In human cases, direct histologic evidence was obtained to suggest that cancerous changes arose from duct epithelial cell hyperplasia, because lesions of hyperplasia and carcinoma coexisted in continuity. In hamster serial-killing studies, it was suggested that carcinoma developed through atypical ductal hyperplasia.

Adenocarcinoma↗

PubMedDate not supplied

A case of postirradiation vaginal angiosarcoma treated with recombinant interleukin-2 therapy.

Angiosarcoma of the vagina is an extremely rare neoplasm and is characterized by frequent recurrence and early metastatic spread. Although previous reports emphasized the poor prognosis of this disease, effective treatment strategies have not been adequately stated. We report a case of angiosarcoma of the vagina, in which the diagnosis was made 9 years after intrapelvic irradiation, and recombinant interleukin-2 (rIL-2) therapy could be effective to suppress the development of distant metastasis. We recommend rIL-2 therapy in combination with irradiation as a palliative therapeutic option for vaginal angiosarcoma when the tumor is inoperable or the patient refuses to undergo surgery. Although vaginal angiosarcoma is an extremely rare condition, its possibility should be borne in mind when finding a vaginal mass in a previously irradiated patient.

Antineoplastic Agents↗

PubMedDate not supplied

A case of alpha-fetoprotein-producing adenocarcinoma of the endometrium with a hepatoid component as a potential source for alpha-fetoprotein in a postmenopausal woman.

Although case reports of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP)-producing adenocarcinoma other than hepatocellular carcinoma have gradually increased in number, AFP-producing adenocarcinoma of the endometrium is very rare. The patients universally complain of abnormal vaginal bleeding. The patient presented with complaints of epigastric discomfort. No vaginal bleeding was observed. Serum AFP concentration was 453 ng/mL, and lens culinaris agglutinin-reactive AFP percentage of total AFP was increased to 67%. Radiologic imaging and endoscopy did not provide evidence of any primary carcinoma in the liver and gastrointestinal tract. To investigate the unknown origin of high AFP, Pap smear of the endometrium followed by fractional curettage was performed and revealed adenocarcinoma of the endometrium. Radical hysterectomy with pelvic lymph node dissection and partial omentectomy was performed. Histologic study showed a mixture of major AFP-negative endometrioid adenocarcinoma and minor medullary proliferation of the AFP-positive hepatoid adenocarcinoma cells with eosinophilic cytoplasm and hyaline globules. After the surgery followed by four courses of weekly carboplatin and paclitaxel administration, serum levels of AFP dropped into normal range. The possible existence of AFP-producing adenocarcinoma of the endometrium should be considered in a postmenopausal woman even if there is no vaginal bleeding, when AFP-producing tumor is clinically suspected and the imaging studies fail to confirm the diagnosis.

Carcinoma, Endometrioid↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Effect of diabetes on disposition and renal handling of cefazolin in rats.

The effects of early-stage diabetes on disposition and renal handling of cefazolin (CEZ) were investigated in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Significant increase in renal clearance was found in the diabetic rats (88%) and a strong correlation was obtained between renal and systemic clearance; however, there was no change in the volume of distribution. The results suggest that systemic clearance was increased as the result of enhancement of urinary excretion rate. Unbound fraction of CEZ in plasma was also increased by 60% in the diabetic rats and the increase may be due to the increase in glycosylated protein and plasma-free fatty acids. The filtration clearance for free drug in diabetic rats, which was estimated as glomerular filtration rate, was increased by about 1.9-fold compared to the normal rats, but the secretion clearance did not change in the two groups. Since kidney hypertrophy was observed in the diabetic rats, filtration and secretion clearance for free drug were normalized by means of kidney weight. After normalization for kidney weight, the two parameters were significantly reduced, indicating that the true kidney functions were impaired under the diabetic state. The parameters for CEZ secretion, maximum velocity and Michaelis-Menten constant, were also reduced in diabetic rats, suggesting that proximal tubule cell functions for secretion were altered in the diabetic rats. These results suggest that systemic and renal clearance was apparently increased in early-stage diabetes, whereas true kidney functions were impaired.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Therapeutic effect of CDDP and VP-16 against human bladder cancers.

In order to evaluate the anticancer effect of combination chemotherapy (CDDP and etoposide) against human bladder cancer xenografts transplanted in nude mice, we tried an experimental chemotherapy. The tumor was aseptically cut and subcutaneously transplanted into the backs of the nude mice. When the weight of each tumor reached 300 mg, CDDP (day 1; 4 mg/kg) and etoposide (day 1-5; 2 mg/kg) were given intraperitoneally as single agent or in combination and repeated every 3 weeks. The estimated weight (mg) was obtained by (larger diam. x smaller diam.2) x 1/2. A continuous significant effect was observed in CDDP combined with etoposide against bladder tumor. Therefore, these results suggest that the combination chemotherapy using CDDP with etoposide is an efficacious treatment against human bladder cancer.

Animals↗