[Relationship between location and nipple discharge of breast cancer and its clinical significance]

The relationship between the location and the discharge of breast cancers in 50 cases was analyzed from May 1980 to May 1989. Those lesions were located beneath the areolae or near the areolae. Ductograms and cytology were very useful in the diagnosis. Most of them (72.7% and 69.2% respectively) belonged stage I. Five-year survival was 100% and 92.6% respectively. But those located far away from areola tended to become bigger and bigger, and invaded the large ducts. So the nipple discharge appeared. Most of them (69.2%) were in stage III. Five-year survival was 52.8%. The prognosis of this group was poorer than that of the former group.

Ezrin-calpain I interactions in gastric parietal cells

Gastric ezrin, a membrane-cytoskeletal linker with sequence homology to talin and erythrocyte band 4.1, has been associated with the remodeling of parietal cell apical membrane that occurs with adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP)-dependent protein kinase stimulation. Here we examine the interrelationship between parietal cell ezrin and Ca(2+)-dependent protease activity. Addition of Ca2+ to sonicated gastric gland preparations rendered a relatively selective proteolysis of the 80-kDa ezrin, accompanied by the appearance of a 55-kDa breakdown product. Ca(2+)-dependent proteolysis of ezrin was blocked by E64, a cysteine protease inhibitor, or calpastatin, indicating calpain as the responsible protease. Degradation of ezrin in intact gastric glands was achieved by varying extracellular [Ca2+] and [ionomycin]. Ezrin degradation in situ was rapid and relatively selective, although Ca(2+)-dependent degradation of some spectrin-like bands was also observed. The effect of activated calpain I on parietal cell function was assessed by probing the secretory response to histamine stimulation using [14C]aminopyrine uptake, along with parallel measurements of calpain activity, over a wide range of ionomycin. Activation of calpain, as evidenced by loss of parietal cell ezrin, was correlated with decreased AP uptake by stimulated gastric glands, supporting a role for ezrin in the oxyntic secretory process. The calpain-ezrin interaction established here, and the similarities of calpain with talin and erythrocyte band 4.1, suggest a common feature to this family of ezrin/band 4.1/talin proteins that have been implicated in membrane-cytoskeletal association.

Tumor-necrosis factor can enhance radio-antibody uptake in human colon carcinoma xenografts by increasing vascular permeability

Marked differences in the tumor uptake of a 125I-labeled monoclonal antibody (MAb) directed against carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) were observed in 4 serially transplanted human colorectal carcinomas in nude mice. A comparative study showed that elevated values of measurable tumor vascular parameters, such as permeability, blood flow and blood volume, correlated better with high MAb tumor uptake than the concentration of target antigen in the tumor. In an attempt to modify the vascular parameters and to determine if this could increase antibody uptake by the tumor, rhTNF alpha (TNF) was injected i.t. or i.v. and antibody localization experiments were performed immediately thereafter. Results showed that the permeability of the tumor vessels increased 8 to 10 fold 1 hr after i.t. injection of TNF as compared to control tumors injected with saline. Tumor uptake of 125I-labeled anti-CEA MAb, was 3 times higher 2 hr after i.v. injection and still 27% higher 22 hr later, as compared to results from controls. Intravenous injection of TNF simultaneously with the 125I-labeled anti-CEA MAb also resulted in a 2-fold increase in tumor uptake 4 hr after injection, but the increase was no longer significant 24 hr after injection. Interestingly after i.v. injection of TNF, the MAb concentration in the blood and other normal tissues, such as liver, kidneys, lungs and heart was decreased, resulting in significantly higher ratios of tumor to normal tissue. Taken together the results demonstrate that injection of TNF can increase tumor vascular permeability and improve radio-antibody uptake. This raises the possibility of increasing the radiation dose delivered by antibody to the tumor in the course of radioimmunotherapy.

Surgical approaches for improving the operating results of primary liver cancer

The purpose of this study was to retrospectively analyse the results of 1102 primary liver cancer (PLC) patients who underwent liver resection in the past thirty years and to research some effective approaches for improving the longterm effect of PLC treatment. Ninety five percent were hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), 85.2% with cirrhosis of hepatitis and 25.6% with tumor equal to or smaller than 5 cm in diameter. The mortality rate (MR) within 1 month after operation was 1.8%, the operative MR was 8.8% before 1977 and only 0.4% after that. The total 5-year survival rate (SR) was 28.4% while in the group of small tumor (less than or equal to 5 cm), it was 75.0%. Our experience is as follows: (1) Early diagnosis and early resection of PLC is the key point for improving the operative result of long-term survival. In 282 cases of small cancer, tumor resection rate was 90.0%. Of 48 cases with tumor equal to or smaller than 3 cm in diameter, the 5-year SR was 83.3%. (2) Rehepatectomy for recurrent liver cancer is an important approach for improving the surgical result. In our series, recurrent rate within 5 years postoperation was 72.3% in larger tumor group and 34.5% in small tumors. There were 78 cases undergoing reoperation in a total number of 170 times of rehepatectomy with 54.7% of 5-year SR, after the 1st operation and 34.6% after the 2nd one. (3) For unresectable large tumors, two-stage operation is an important development in liver surgery. We had 26 cases of such patients with 60.0% of 5-year SR. (4) Improvement of operating techniques plays an important role in reducing postoperative complications, lowering operative mortality and obtaining better operative result. (5) Postoperative comprehensive treatment is also important for solidating operative effect and preventing tumor recurrence.

[Estrogen and progesterone receptors in laryngeal carcinoma]

The existence of hormone receptors on or within neoplastic tissue has potential diagnostic, therapeutic, and prognostic importance. It has now been demonstrated in many reports that cancers of the breast and prostate often express hormone receptors and can be controlled by hormone manipulation. The fact that larynx is a target organ for androgenic steroids has long been known. The question of whether laryngeal carcinoma expresses hormone receptors has been a matter of interest. We adopted the fluorescent hormone conjugate method to measure the estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) in 25 patients with laryngeal cancer. Our findings indicated that in 25 samples of laryngeal cancer 48% were ER positive, and 68% were PR positive. Cells of the laryngeal cancer not only contain ER and PR but also have relationship between the presence of receptors and the degree of histologic differentiation. Low differentiated cancers are inclinable to contain low level receptors. From this initial survey it appears that the hormone receptors could play an important role in the cancer of larynx. The presence of receptors in some laryngeal carcinoma implicates that these tumors are possibly hormone sensitive.

Enhancement of thymic recovery after cyclosporine by recombinant human growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor I

Correlation of thymic changes with the development of CsA-associated syngeneic graft-versus-host disease (sGVHD) suggested that the development of tolerance depends on the prompt regeneration of the thymus after stopping CsA. Accordingly, we have tested recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) and recombinant human insulin-like growth factor I (rhIGF-1) to determine if they accelerate reconstitution of the rat thymus after CsA-induced involution. After 14 days of CsA, the thymus has marked medullary involution but normally recovers fully in 6 weeks. In this study, LEW rats were injected with vehicle, rhGH, or rhIGF-1 for 21 days after stopping CsA and were examined. The vehicle-treated rats showed partial recovery with respect to Hassall's corpuscles, class II antigen expression, medullary size, medullary dendritic cells (DC), and T cell maturation. The mature thymocytes were predominantly CD8+ T cells. Both rhGH and rhIGF-1 induced significant thymic enlargement compared with the vehicle-treated rats. They also both significantly enhanced regeneration with respect to Hassall's corpuscles. The mature thymocyte population had significantly greater CD4+ cells. In addition, rhIGF-1 induced a significant improvement in the medullary size and medullary DC. While the medullae of a normal thymus are in intimate contact with cortical class II antigen, after CsA the cortex adjacent to the medulla is primarily class II antigen negative. RhGH significantly increased the class II antigen in the deep cortex while rhIGF-1 demonstrated a trend toward greater expression in this region (P = 0.06). We conclude that rhGH and rhIGF-1 accelerate thymic regeneration post-CsA. Further studies are now indicated to establish the potential for these factors to enhance the development of antigen-specific tolerance.

[Relation between the levels of estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor and clinicopathological status in human endometrial carcinomas]

Estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) assays were performed by direct fluorescent histochemical methods in 20 endometrial carcinomas and 9 endometria of para-carcinomas. ER + and PR + were found in the patients who had not received chemotherapy and/or radiotherapies. In 4 adenosquamous carcinomas, the contents of ER and PR of adenocarcinoma components were higher than those of squamous carcinoma components. Blocking tests proved the specificity of ER and PR for estradiol and progesterone respectively. The levels of ER and PR in endometria of para-carcinomas were higher than those in carcinomas. There were higher levels of ER and PR in early clinical stage than in advanced stage, in cases free from cervical involvement than in cases cervical involvement, and in well differentiated carcinomas than in poorly differentiated carcinomas. ER and PR contents did not correlate with the depth of myometrial invasion or menopausal status. In the patient group followed up for half a year or more, 4 patients with high-level ER and PR had a good response to 17 alpha-progesterone caprate. The patients with ER + and PR + had a longer survival period than those with ER- and PR-. Our results indicated that the assay of ER and PR might be valuable for predicting the response to endocrine therapy and prognosis for patients with endometrial carcinoma.

[Antiarrhythmic effect of Oenanthe javanica (Bl.) DC. injection]

The antiarrhythmic effect of Shuiqin (Oenanthe javanica) injection was studied in rats. An injection of 3 ml/kg iv could significantly antagonize the arrhythmias induced by aconitine and BaCl2, and decrease the rates of ventricular fibrillation and death induced by CaCl2. The results suggest that Shuqin injection has a significant antiarrhythmic effect on experimental rats.

A New Minor Saponin from the Leaves of Panax ginseng

Seventeen compounds were isolated from the leaves of PANAX GINSENG C. A. Meyer. Among them, a new minor saponin was established as 3beta,6alpha,12beta-trihydroxy-dammar-20(22), 24-diene-6- O-alpha- L-rhamno-pyranosyl-(1-->2)-beta- D-glucopyranoside ( 2). Fourteen compounds were identified as 20( R)-protopanaxadiol ( 1), 20( R)-protopanaxatriol, ginsenoside-Rh (3), 20( R)-ginsenoside-Rh (2), 20( S)-ginsenoside-Rh (2), ginsenoside-Rh (1), -Rg (3), -Rg (2), -Rg (1), -Re, -Rd, -Rc, -Rb (2), -Rb (1); the others are still under investigation.

[Separation of 20(S)-ginsenoside-Rg2 and its 20(R) epimer by reversed phase low pressure column (Rp-18) chromatography]

20(S)-Ginsenoside-Rg2 and its 20(R) epimer were successfully separated using reversed-phase low pressure column (Rp-18) chromatography. The method has proved very convenient and rapid.