Tumor stem cell assay for detecting metastases of human lung cancer.

We applied a tumor stem cell assay using an enriched double-layered soft agar system for the detection of metastatic sites of lung cancer. Lung cancer colonies grew from 7 of 10 effusions cytologically positive for tumor cells and 7 of 10 bone marrow aspirates cytologically and histologically positive for tumor cells. Twenty-six of 29 bone marrow aspirates cytologically and histologically negative for tumor cells showed no colony growth. However, the remaining three bone marrow aspirates, which were obtained from patients with small cell lung cancer, formed colonies in soft agar. These results indicate that the tumor stem cell assay is useful for detecting metastatic sites of lung cancer.</p

A Major Intestinal Catabolite of Quercetin Glycosides, 3-Hydroxyphenylacetic Acid, Protects the Hepatocytes from the Acetaldehyde-Induced Cytotoxicity through the Enhancement of the Total Aldehyde Dehydrogenase Activity

Aldehyde dehydrogenases (ALDHs) are the major enzyme superfamily for the aldehyde metabolism. Since the ALDH polymorphism leads to the accumulation of acetaldehyde, we considered that the enhancement of the liver ALDH activity by certain food ingredients could help prevent alcohol-induced chronic diseases. Here, we evaluated the modulating effects of 3-hydroxyphenylacetic acid (OPAC), the major metabolite of quercetin glycosides, on the ALDH activity and acetaldehyde-induced cytotoxicity in the cultured cell models. OPAC significantly enhanced the total ALDH activity not only in mouse hepatoma Hepa1c1c7 cells, but also in human hepatoma HepG2 cells. OPAC significantly increased not only the nuclear level of aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), but also the AhR-dependent reporter gene expression, though not the nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)-dependent one. The pretreatment of OPAC at the concentration required for the ALDH upregulation completely inhibited the acetaldehyde-induced cytotoxicity. Silencing AhR impaired the resistant effect of OPAC against acetaldehyde. These results strongly suggested that OPAC protects the cells from the acetaldehyde-induced cytotoxicity, mainly through the AhR-dependent and Nrf2-independent enhancement of the total ALDH activity. Our findings suggest that OPAC has a protective potential in hepatocyte models and could offer a new preventive possibility of quercetin glycosides for targeting alcohol-induced chronic diseases

Deposition of thick, rigid and size-controlled silica particle layer on aluminum sheet for water vapor adsorption

Toward the development of a new adsorbent heat exchanger of adsorption chillers, silica-coated aluminum sheets were prepared by the combination of sol-gel and electrophoretic deposition techniques. Silica sols were synthesized by the hydrolysis of tetraethoxysilane precursor in an ethanol solution, and then a silica layer was directly formed on an aluminum sheet by electrophoretic deposition of the silica sols. The silica-coated aluminum sheets were subjected to the aging treatment in an ammonia water bath with a DC electric field. This aging treatment was found to be very effective to form rigid silica layer on aluminum sheet. It was found that the obtained layer was composed of monodisperse and spherical submicron-sized silica particles. Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) in the silica sol solution played an important role in controlling the deposited amount of silica particles as well as their sizes. The particle size increased from 0.10 to 0.83 µm with an increase in SDS concentration. For the silica-coated aluminum sheet prepared at a pH value of 10.6 and a SDS concentration of 0.05 mass%, the deposited amount reached a maximum value of 19.8 mg cm−2, which was much higher than those reported by Kishida et al. (1994). The prepared composites were evaluated for the characteristics of water vapor adsorption through volumetric experiments. The results of adsorption experiments showed that the composite with a higher silica content adsorbed a larger amount of water vapor in the relative pressure range below 0.3. © 2017 Elsevier LtdEmbargo Period 12 month

Pretreatment serum albumin concentration and lactic dehydrogenase activity as prognostic factors in patients with small cell lung cancer.

Pretreatment laboratory parameters were analyzed as prognostic factors in patients with small cell lung cancer. Serum lactic dehydrogenase activity, serum albumin concentration, PPD skin reaction, and peripheral lymphocyte count were of prognostic importance. When these factors were evaluated by multivariate analysis together with performance status and disease extent, lactic dehydrogenase and albumin were the most influential factors related to survival.</p

Bone marrow examination for detection of metastasis in patients with bronchogenic carcinoma: an evaluation of 107 patients.

As a staging procedure before treatment, examination of bone marrow from the posterior iliac crest was performed on a total of 107 patients with bronchogenic carcinoma. Among them, 11 patients (10.3%) had metastasis in the bone marrow: five of 39 adenocarcinomas, five of 33 small cell carcinomas, one of four large cell carcinomas, and none of 31 epidermoid carcinomas. Leukoerythroblastosis was found exclusively in the patients with metastasis, although the presence of tumor cells in the bone marrow did not correlate well with peripheral blood cell counts. Survival following an intensive chemotherapy in patients with bone marrow metastasis was substantially longer for those with small cell carcinoma than for those with other histologic types of bronchogenic carcinoma.</p

Combination chemotherapy for small cell carcinoma of the lung: evaluation of four-drug combination of cyclophosphamide, vincristine, methotrexate, and procarbazine.

Forty-one patients with small cell carcinoma of the lung were treated with a four-drug combination of cyclophosphamide, vincristine, methotrexate, and procarbazine. The response rate was 68% (28 responded among 41 patients), with 10 complete responses (24%) and 18 partial responses (44%). The median survival time from the initiation of chemotherapy was 11 months for patients with limited disease and 8 months for those with extensive disease. Patients who achieved complete response survived significantly longer than those who did not; the median survival time for complete responders was 14.5 months, compared to 8.5 months for partial responders and 6 months for non-responders. Myelosuppressive toxicity remained within acceptable limits, with 5% incidence of leukocytopenia (less than 1,000/microliter) and 7% incidence of thrombocytopenia (less than 50,000/microliter) following the first course of the regimen.</p

A variant Philadelphia chromosome (Ph1) positive chronic myelocytic leukemia.

A rare case of variant Philadelphia (Ph1) chromosome positive [46, XX, t (9; 22) (q34; q11), inv (9) (9q22; 22q13)] chronic myelocytic leukemia (CML) was described. The patient, 73 years old female, was hospitalized to our hospital because of leukocytosis. Hematological findings corresponded to those of CMLs. However, this case lacked hepatosplenomegaly. Southern blot analysis using a 3 breakpoint cluster region (bcr) probe revealed a bcr rearrangement. The patient has been in the chronic phase for sixteen months without treatment. Clinical and chromosomal changes are under observation in order to get accumulate data for a pathophysiological analysis of variant Ph1 positive CMLs.</p

A human T cell leukemia virus type-I carrier with recurrent thrombocytopenia and various autoantibodies.

A 34-year-old woman infected with human T cell leukemia virus type-I(HTLV-I) with recurrent thrombocytopenia and various autoantibodies is described. The platelet counts fluctuated between 1.3 x 10(4)/microliters and 14.8 x 10(4)/microliters without any medical treatment, and thrombocytopenia improved with a decrease of platelet-associated IgG (PA-IgG). Autoantibodies such as rheumatoid factor, antinuclear factor, anti-Sm, anti-RNP and anti-SSA antibodies were also recognized. Marker analysis of peripheral mononuclear cells showed an increase in the proportion of CD 25+ cells, CD 3+ HLA-DR+ cells, CD4+ HLA-DR+ cells and CD8+ HLA-DR+ cells. The recurrent thrombocytopenia and development of various autoantibodies in this HTLV-I carrier are speculated to be due to the alteration of B cell functions by T cells infected with HTLV-I.</p

Studies of the treatment of pulmonary epidermoid carcinoma Part 2. Thermochemotherapy in human epidermoid carcinoma cells in culture

The effectiveness of hyperthermia in combination with anticancer drugs on EBC-1 cell line established from a patient with pulmonary epidermoid carcinoma was investigated. Anticancer drugs tested in the present study were adriamycin, bleomycin, cisdichlorodiammineplatinum (II) and mitomycin C. EBC-1 cells were incubated with the drug for one hour at 37°C or at elevated temperature (41°C, 42°C and 43°C). The enhancement of cytotoxicity by hyperthermia was found in combination with all of the drugs. The degree of enhanced cytotoxicity was positively elated to the temperature in combinations with adriamycin and bleomycin. Especially, a synergic enhancement of cytotoxicity was found with the combination of hyperthermia and bleomycin. The present study showed that the combination of hyperthermia and anticancer drugs produced potential cytotoxicity on EBC-1 cells in vitro, and may provide useful information for the clinical trials in the future

Studies of the treatment of pulmonary epidermoid carcinoma Part 1. Sensitivity to various anticancer drugs against human pulmonary epidermoid carcinoma xenograft in the hamster

Chemotherapy is the only therapeutic modality applicable to patients with advanced pulmonary epidermoid carcinoma (PEC). However, the results of chemotherapy to PEC remain unsatisfactory. It is very important to have an accurate knowledge of the sensitivity of anticancer drugs against PEC in order to establish a successful chemotherapy. The in vivo sensitivity of 12 anticancer drugs was investigated using PEC cell line (EBC-1) xenografts in hamsters. In the present study, adriamycin, ifosphamide, mitomycin C, methotrexate and cisdichlorodiammineplatinum (II) showed antitumor activity against EBC-1 cells, but the other 6 drugs (ACNU, bleomycin, 5-fluorouracil, neocarzinostatin, procarbazine and vincristine) have no antitumor activity against EBC-1 cells. These results suggest that combination chemotherapy with 3 or 4 drugs with antitumor activity in the present study may be effective to PEC