Although the causal relation between radioactive iodine therapy (RIT) for Graves' disease and the subsequent occurrence of thyroid carcinoma is not definite, surgeons may be faced with the treatment of such patients. We studied the clinicopathologic features of patients with thyroid carcinoma following RIT for Graves' disease. From January 1983 to December 1991, 11 patients with thyroid carcinoma occurring 1 year or more after RIT for Graves' disease underwent surgery at Ito Hospital. These 11 patients accounted for 0.51% of 2146 surgical cases of thyroid carcinoma and 0.17% of 6419 RIT cases of Graves' disease during the period. They were all women, and their mean ages at RIT and surgery were 44.3 and 51.4 years, respectively. The administered dose of RI was 222.1 MBq and the absorbed dose 45.3 Gy on average. Total thyroidectomy was performed in two patients, subtotal thyroidectomy in three, and lobectomy in six. Bilateral modified neck dissection (MND) was added in two patients, and ipsilateral MND in seven. Histology revealed 10 papillary and 1 follicular carcinoma. The mean diameter of the tumor was 18.5 mm. Intraglandular dissemination of the tumor was noted in only one case and solid growth pattern in two. Nodal metastasis was disclosed in six cases, but in five of them only one node was involved. The present study indicated that thyroid carcinoma occurring after RIT for Graves' disease is not an aggressive variety, and thyroid lobectomy with ipsilateral MND would be sufficient as surgical treatment for such patients.

Adenocarcinoma, Follicular↗

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Microphthalmia (mi) mice display an aberrant bone trace element composition.

It has been recognized that bone trace element composition analysis provides clues when analyzing bone-related physiological conditions. Increasing numbers of bone-related genetic diseases have been identified recently. In this study, we have analyzed bone trace element composition in a genetic mutant animal model. Mutations in the mouse microphthalmia (mi) gene affect the development of a number of cell types, including melanocytes, mast cells, and osteoclasts. Previous studies have shown that different alleles of the mi locus show osteopetrosis. In order to gain insights into the effects of a particular genetic defect on bone trace element composition and bone structure, we performed bone trace element composition analysis using inductively coupled plasma atomic emissions spectrometry (ICP-AES). Marked changes in bone trace element levels were found in vertebrate bones of mi mutant mice. The implications and possible applications of bone trace element analysis will be discussed in this article.

Animals↗

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Influence of oral adsorbent AST-120 on anticonvulsive effect of zonisamide in rats.

The influence of oral adsorbent AST-120 (Kremezin) on the anticonvulsive effect and pharmacokinetics of zonisamide was investigated. Oral administration of zonisamide (50 mg/kg) blocked the appearance of the tonic extension induced by maximal electroshock seizure. This effect of zonisamide was inhibited by the oral coadministration of AST-120 (5 g/kg). In pharmacokinetics study, the serum zonisamide concentration after coadministration of zonisamide and AST-120 was significantly lower than that of single administration of zonisamide. However, the anticonvulsive effect of zonisamide was not affected by the administration of AST-120 1.5 h after zonisamide administration. In this condition, the serum zonisamide concentration was not changed. In the in vitro study, AST-120 completely adsorbed zonisamide. These findings suggest that when AST-120 is administered concurrently with zonisamide, a significant inhibition of the anticonvulsive effect of zonisamide occurs, and the decrease in serum zonisamide concentration by the adsorption effect of AST-120 is related to this phenomenon.

Administration, Oral↗

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Effect of the Slt mutant allele on the production of tissue mast cells in mice.

The effect of the Slt mutant gene on the production of melanocytes, tissue mast cells, and erythrocytes was compared with the effect of the Sl and Sld mutant genes on the same genetic background [(WB X C57BL/6)F1 mice]. Although the rank order of cell numbers was similar in these three types of cells (i.e., +/+ greater than Slt/Slt greater than Sld/Slt greater than Sl/Slt greater than Sl/Sld), the difference in the melanocytes was largest, and the difference in the erythrocytes was smallest. Since male Slt/Slt mice (on both WB and C57BL/6 backgrounds) were fertile, such mice were useful for efficient production of moderately mast-cell-deficient Sl/Slt and Sld/Slt mice.

Alleles↗

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Impairment of spatial learning and hippocampal synaptic potentiation in c-kit mutant rats.

The c-kit receptor tyrosine kinase encoded by the white-spotting (W) gene is highly expressed in rat hippocampal CA1-CA4 regions. We found an impaired spatial learning and memory in homozygous c-kit (Ws/Ws) mutant rats that have a 12-base deletion in the tyrosine kinase domain of the c-kit gene and a very low kinase activity. Electrophysiological studies in hippocampal slices revealed that the long-term potentiation (LTP) induced by the tetanic stimulation (100 Hz, 1 sec) in the mossy fiber (MF)-CA3 pathway, but not in the Schaffer collaterals/commissural-CA1 pathway, was significantly reduced in c-kit mutants compared with wild-type (+/+) rats. The paired-pulse facilitation (PPF) was measured before the tetanus and after the establishment of the LTP in each slice. The initial PPF in the MF-CA3 pathway positively correlated with the amplitude of the LTP in the wild-type rats but not in the c-kit mutant rats. Furthermore, they failed to show the normal characteristics observed in the MF-CA3 pathway of +/+ rats; that is, the negative correlation between the initial PPF and the changes in PPF measured after the LTP. These findings suggest an involvement of SCF/c-kit signaling in hippocampal synaptic potentiation and spatial learning and memory.

Animals↗

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Mutant mice: a useful tool for studying the development of mast cells.

We have used various mouse mutants for studying the development of mast cells. The bone marrow origin of mast cells was shown by using giant granules of beige mice as a marker. Mast cell-deficient W/W(v) and Sl/Sl(d) mice are useful for investigation of the developmental processes. The mi locus encodes a member of the basic helix-loop-helix-leucine zipper protein family of transcription factors (MITF), and mast cells of mi/mi mice showed phenotypic abnormalities. Mast cells of mi/mi mice synthesized the mutant mi-MITF in normal amounts, and mi-MITF showed an inhibitory effect on the transcription of various mast cell-specific genes. On the other hand, mice of tg/tg possess the transgene insertional mutation in the 5' flanking region of the mi gene and do not express any MITFs. Genes whose transcription was suppressed were more numerous in mast cells of mi/mi mice than in those of tg/tg mice. The comparison between phenotypes of mi/mi mast cells and those of tg/tg mast cells gave some insights into the regulation of mast cell phenotypes by transcription factors.

Animals↗

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Regulation of development, survival and neoplastic growth of mast cells through the c-kit receptor.

Signaling through the c-kit receptor tyrosine kinase (Kit) is essential for development and survival of mast cells but not of basophils. Moreover, we recently found an activation mutation of Kit in several tumor mast cell lines.

Animals↗

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Hemodynamic responses to bilateral lesions of the nucleus tractus solitarii in spontaneously hypertensive and normotensive rats.

Systemic and regional hemodynamic responses to bilateral lesions of the nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS) were studied in alpha-chloralose-urethane anesthetized American Wistar rats (NR), Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY), and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) by microsphere methods. After NTS lesions, arterial pressure rose by virtue of increased total peripheral resistance in each strain. Cardiac output was lower in NR and WKY, but not in SHR. In all strains, vasoconstriction was nonuniformly distributed among the systemic vasculatures: hepatosplanchnic, renal, and carcass (i.e. skin, skeletal muscle, bone, fat) vascular resistances were higher, but cerebral and coronary vascular resistance remained unchanged. There were some differences, however, in regional vascular responses to NTS lesions among these strains: carcass vasoconstriction was predominant in NR; it was less evident in SHR; and the WKY responses were intermediate. These results indicate that, although systemic hemodynamic responses were similar in these strains, and the reflex inhibition of central sympathetic outflow is not evidently deteriorated in SHR, the regional hemodynamics (i.e., hepatosplanchnic and renal vasculatures) in the SHR demonstrated greater arteriolar constriction.

Animals↗

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[Treatment of metastatic seminoma by chemotherapy.: an experience].

PURPOSE: To describe the outcome of chemotherapy using cisplatin-based regimen, and experimental combination with carboplatin and ifosfamide to treat advanced seminoma. METHODS: From 1981 to Jan. 1999, 15 patients with Stage IIA, IIB, IIIA or IIIC metastatic seminoma and one patient with lung disease, who suffered a relapse of his primary mediastinal lesion were treated. Three of these patients had relapsed, following surveillance for Stage I testicular cancer, and another had received prophylactic radiotherapy to the retroperitoneal lymph nodes in advance. The first patient's regimen consisted of cisplatin and cyclophosphamide. Since 1983, cases have been treated with the same regimen as that used to treat non-seminomatous germ-cell tumors; cisplatin/vinblastine/bleomycin (PVB); cisplatin/vinblastine/actinomycin D/cyclophosphamide/bleomycin (VAB-6); cisplatin/etoposide/bleomycin (BEP). From 1993, six patients with non-bulky metastatic seminoma participated in a trial involving 3 courses of carboplatin (400 mg/m2) and ifosfamide (2,000 mg/m2, 3 days). RESULTS: Of the entire group, 10 patients (62.5%) achieved a CR after chemotherapy alone. Four cases who received radiation, following chemotherapy, produced CR. Surgical resection of residual tumors were performed on 2 patients. Resected tumors were fibrous and no evidence of malignancy. All those individuals who participated in this study, are alive and disease-free today, from 11 months to 18 years. Carboplatin and ifosfamide demonstrated only mild toxicity, during a 4-week cycle, with subjects being treated on an outpatient basis. CONCLUSION: As expected, the type of chemotherapy we used, to treat non-seminomatous germ-cell tumors proved to be highly effective for seminomatous types, as well. Carboplatin and ifosfamide performed well and safe, in the treatment of non-bulky metastatic seminoma. Comparative studies of long-term treatment results and QOL, using either radiotherapy or low-toxicity chemotherapy for Stage IIA disease should be undertaken.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Diagnosis and prognosis of early gastric cancer: the experience in Japan.

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Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Origin of the marrow cells in bones induced by implantation of osteosarcoma-derived bone-inducing factor in mice.

Bone marrow cells (10(7)) of beige mice were injected into 800-rad-irradiated normal (C57BL/6 - +/+ or -bgJ/+) mice. After establishment of chimerism, bone formation including bone marrow was induced by implantation of the bone-inducing substances extracted from the murine osteosarcoma. The origin of marrow cells was investigated by observing giant granules of beige (C57BL/6-bgJ/bgJ, Chediak-Higashi syndrome) mice, as a marker for the origin of the cells. The marrow cells in the induced bones were of the beige type. These results indicate that the induced bone marrow cells are not the progeny of undifferentiated mesenchymal cells in situ, but that of hemopoietic stem cells circulating in the peripheral blood.

Animals↗

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Androgen receptor system in androgen-independent mouse tumor developed from androgen-dependent Shionogi carcinoma 115.

An androgen-independent spindle-shaped cell tumor (NHD) formed from androgen-dependent medullary Shionogi carcinoma (SC115) in DS mice was examined. Although NHD tumors transplanted in female or male mice exhibited almost the same growth speed, the cytosol of this tumor was found to contain an androgen receptor which was similar in binding characteristics to SC115 tumor. Although significant amounts of specific binding sites for testosterone and 5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone were found in the SC115 nuclei as well as in the NHD nuclei shortly after the injection of 3H-testosterone, the androgens in the NHD nuclei disappeared rapidly. The androgen-independency of this tumor may be attributed to a rapid dissociation of the androgen-receptor complexes from NHD nuclei.

Animals↗