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Biomedical subjects

T Ohnuma

Publications and source records attributed to T Ohnuma.

At least 163 records · Page 9Linked to original sources

Lessons from the study of induced alterations in amino acids in patients with cancer.

The sensitivity of the neoplastic cell to amino acid deprivation shows considerable variation. The responsiveness of human leukemic cell cultures to L-asparaginase indicates that those of T cell origin are much more sensitive to the action of this L-asparagine-depleting enzyme than those of B cell origin. A cautionary note is raised concerning amino acid analogs. Minor changes such as substituting selenium for sulfur to make seleno-L-methionine rather than L-methionine may lead to considerable differences in their respective metabolic polls in vivo. A systemic survey of amino acid requirements of human neoplasms is desirable before designing new analogs.

Amino Acids↗

Phase I study with neocarzinostatin: tolerance to two hour infusion and continuous infusion.

Neocarzinostatin (NCZ), an acidic polypeptide antibiotic, was given to 47 patients with cancer and leukemia, and tolerance to two schedules, a single dose given as a 2 hour infusion and a continuous infusion over 5 days was investigated. Immediate reactions, including fever, chills, rigor, hypertension and mental confusion, were dose-limiting for the 2 hour infusion schedule, occurring at 3000 U/m2 and higher. Continuous administration for 5 days eliminated the immediate reactions and then hematological toxicity--often prolonged leukopenia and thrombocytopenia--became dose-limiting. Other toxicities of NCZ at both dose schedules included anemia, fever and chills, anorexia, nausea and vomiting, hepatic dysfunction, azotemia, hypophosphatemia, aminoaciduria, stomatitis, phlebitis and/or cellulitis at the venous infusion site and pruritus. Patients with solid tumors who had received little or no prior chemotherapy and had good bone marrow reserve tolerated up to 6000 U/m2/24 hours X 5 days. One patient with previously treated acute myelocytic leukemia was induced into a good partial remission lasting 10 weeks.

Adolescent↗

Differential chemotherapeutic susceptibility of human T-lymphocytes and B-lymphocytes in culture.

After previous work from this laboratory revealed that asparaginase was 800-2,000 times more inhibitory against human T-lymphocytes in culture than against B-lymphocytes, a similar further study of 13 chemotherapeutic and immunosuppressive agents was done. Cytosine arabinoside and 5-fluorouracil also had differential inhibitory activities on human T- and B-cells in culture. On the basis of the dose producing 50% inhibition of viable cell growth on day 5, cytosine arabinoside had 45-80 times more inhibitory activity against T-cells than against B-cells. In contrast to asparaginase and cytosine arabinoside, 5-fluorouracil had 10-20 times more inhibitory activity against B-cells. The rest of the chemotherapeutic and immunosupressive agents tested had minor or no differential activity. These findings indicated that T-cell response to asparaginase and cytosine arabinoside and B-cell response to 5-fluorouracil may be exploitable for the differential immunosuppressive effects presumed to be active in vivo. In addition, such differential responses may predict differential tumor cell behavior against these chemotherapeutic agents by T- and B-cell neoplasms in vivo.

Antineoplastic Agents↗

cis-Dichlorodiammineplatinum(II) and adriamycin treatment of advanced ovarian cancer.

Treatment with a combination of adriamycin (ADM) and cis-dichlorodiammineplatinum(II) (DDP) has been evaluated in 24 patients with advanced ovarian cancer. Twenty patients had received prior chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy. Objective remissions were seen in ten patients. The usual toxic manifestations of ADM and DDP were observed. It is concluded that the combination is effective therapy for ovarian cancer. Further investigation of this combination versus single agents is warranted.

Adult↗

L-asparagine requirements of human T-lymphocytes and B-lymphocytes in culture.

The characterization of two human T-lymphocyte lines revealed that they required exogenous L-asparagine for cell growth, whereas all four B-cell lines studied were L-asparagine independent. T-cells were 800-2,000 times more sensitive to Escherichia coli L-asparaginase than were B-cells. The cytotoxic effects of a high concentration of L-asparaginase on B-cells were not related to the hydrolysis of L-asparagine but were due to heat-labile and heat-resistant substances in the enzyme. The findings were consistent with reports that L-asparaginase is effective in suppressing cellular immunity and inducing remission in patients with acute lymphocytic leukemia, mainly a non-B-cell disease. Thus these cell lines provide in vitro models for the study of a nutritional approach to chemotherapy or immunotherapy.

Animals↗

Pharmacological and therapeutic efficacy of daunomycin:DNA complex in mice.

The pharmacological and therapeutic effects of the daunomycin (DNM):DNA complex were compared with those of free DNM in mice. A complex formation between dnm and DNA (1:11.7, w/w) resulted in a 79% decrease in DNM complex was dialyzable. The DNM fluorescence was completely recovered from the complex in 0.3 N HCl and 50% ethanol solution, and a short contact with biological tissues studied did not quench DNM fluorescence after extraction. The plasma fluorescence (DNM equivalent) 5 min after the i.v. injection of DNM:DNA complex at a dose of 20 mg/kg was 60-fold higher than that of an equivalent amount of free DNM. The complex was cleared for plasma with an initial half-life of 20 min. In spite of an initally higher blood generally similar except in liver and spleen, where DNM equivalent were significantly higher than those of free DNM. The uptake of DNM:DNA into L1210 cells in vitro was low and, at 1 hr, was about one-twentieth of that from DNM. Treatment of DBA/2 mice bearing i.p. L1210 leukemia transplant (initial cell number, 10-3) with DNM:DNA complex resulted in identical increases in life-span as occurred with free DNM. When routes of cell transplant and treatment were different, no therapeutic advantage of DNM:DNA over DNM was seen.

Animals↗

Gel entrapped L-asparaginase: kinetic behavior and antitumor activity.

L-Asparaginase from Escherichia coli was immobilized by entrapment in a gel based on poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) with an activity as high as 730 I.U./g of dry gel. The apparent Michaelis constant for these gels was similar to that of the free enzyme. At 37 degrees C the immobilized enzyme had a half-life of more than 40 days, in vitro. The gel was freeze-dried, crushed and sieved to pass a 38 mum screen, giving a median particle size of 12 mum. C3H mice were injected intraperitoneally with 40 I.U. of L-asparaginase; the peak plasma activity after 4 hours was only 0.9 I.U. for the gel entrapped enzyme compared to a peak activity of 5.0 I.U. after 2 hours for the native L-asparaginase. Ninety percent of the plasma enzyme activity for the gel entrapped case was sedimentable at 21,000 X g, indicating a small leakage of the enzyme from the gel; the clearance for the enzyme activity in plasma had an initial half-life of 13 hours in contrast to a half-life of 2 hours for the native preparation. After intraperitineal injection of 5.0 I.U. into C3H mice, plasma L-asparagine fell to undetectable levels for 4 days and reappeared by day 8 for both the native and immobilized enzymes. Subcutaneously transplanted 6C3HED murine lymphoma was inhibited by 35, 78 and 100% after single intraperitoneal injections of immobilized L-asparaginase of 2, 4 and 8 I.U., respectively, as compared to 36, 53 and 86% for the native enzyme by the 14th day. Body weight changes after receiving immobilized L-asparaginase were essentially similar to those of animals receiving a comparable dose of native enzyme. These results indicate that while most of the immobilized L-asparaginase remains at the injection site, it produces a significant plasma L-asparagine depression and antitumor acitivity comparable to that of the native preparation without major toxicity.

Animals↗

Enzymes in cancer. Asparaginase from chicken liver.

1. A procedure for partial purification of asparaginase from chicken liver is presented. 2. The bulk of the enzyme is located in the soluble fraction of chicken liver. 3. Molecular weights of chicken-liver asparaginase and of the guinea-pig serum enzyme, estimated by gel filtration, were 306000 and 210000 respectively. The Michaelis constants (K(m)) at 37 degrees and pH8.5 were 6.0x10(-5)m and 7.2x10(-5)m respectively. 4. At 50 degrees the chicken-liver enzyme was moderately stable, some activity being lost by aggregation; in dilute electrolyte solutions the activity rapidly diminished. 5. The anti-lymphoma effect of guinea-pig serum in mice carrying the 6C3HED tumour was confirmed. Chicken-liver asparaginase also showed an effect but in this case the enzyme preparation had to be administered repeatedly. 6. Guinea-pig serum asparaginase was stable for several days in mouse blood, after intraperitoneal injection, whereas chicken-liver asparaginase rapidly disappeared. 7. Aspartic acid beta-hydrazide was shown to be a competitive inhibitor of chicken-liver asparaginase with K(i) approx. 5.6x10(-4)m. In mice it produced an anti-lymphoma effect, as reported previously.

Amidohydrolases↗