Treatment of carcinoma of the bronchus by interstitial irradiation. A study of 198 patients

One hundred and ninety-eight patients suffering from inoperable carcinoma of the bronchus who have been treated with interstitial irradiation at the Brompton Hospital are reviewed. It has been found that the quality of life of these patients may be improved by this form of treatment and that their life span is increased by it, though not to a statistically significant length, as compared with patients given either radiotherapy or no treatment at all. The advantages over radiotherapy are discussed.

Bacteriophage S13: a 7th gene

Genetic complementation tests of ochre-type suppressible mutants of bacteriophage S13 have revealed a seventh gene. A mutation of this gene has no significant effect on synthesis of the phage replicative form DNA, but like five other phage genes it prevents the appearance of single-stranded DNA. With the new gene, it seems likely that approximately 70 to 100 percent of the phage genes are accounted for.

Some observations on 'autoregulatory escape' in cat intestine

1. ;Autoregulatory escape' (Folkow, Lewis, Lundgren, Mellander & Wallentin, 1964a) in which intestinal blood flow escapes from the constrictor influence of splanchnic nerve stimulation, was investigated in the cat. Measurements were made of intestinal blood flow, movements and portal venous pH and oxygen content.2. ;Autoregulatory escape' was observed with sympathetic nerve stimulation and noradrenaline infusion. It did not occur during haemorrhage.3. The recovery of flow during noradrenaline infusion could not be explained by changes in intestinal motility or loss of effect of noradrenaline due to changes in portal venous hydrogen ion concentration.4. During a noradrenaline infusion there was a reduction in oxygen consumption associated with a fall in blood flow. During the period of ;autoregulatory escape', however, oxygen consumption increased. The significance of these observations is discussed.

The metabolism of steroids by tissue from normal and neoplastic rat breast

The metabolism of oestrone, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHA) and testosterone by normal mammary gland tissue from pregnant rats and by dimethylbenzanthracene (DMBA)-induced mammary tumours has been investigated.

Oestradiol was the only compound regularly formed from oestrone. DHA was mainly converted to androst-5-ene-3β,17β-diol (Δ5-androstenediol), but another compound with the characteristics of an hydroxylated derivative of DHA was also formed. These tissues also had Δ4-5α-hydrogenase, 3-oxosteroid reductase and 17β-hydroxysteroid oxidoreductase activities when testosterone was used as substrate. Hormone-dependent and -independent tumours had higher enzyme activities towards oestrone and testosterone than had normal mammary tissue from pregnant rats. This difference cannot be accounted for solely by the difference in the cellularity of these tissues. The production of oestradiol by the hormone-dependent tumours was related to the growth rate of the tumour. No similar relationship was found for the metabolism of testosterone. Evidence is presented that hormone-independent tumours might be able to metabolize more oestrone than dependent tumours of similar growth rates.