Sequential combination chemoimmunotherapy for various malignant tumors: clinical and laboratory results

A chemoimmunotherapy program designed on the bases of the results of animal experiments was designed for 139 patients with various advanced malignant tumors. The treatment regimen consisted of cyclophosphamide (CY) 200 mg intravenously on day 1, Vibrio cholerae neuraminidase (VCN) treated autologous tumor cells admixed with BCG 5 to 10 mg intradermally on day 4 and mitomycin C (MMC) 10 to 16 mg and 5-fluorouracil (FU) 500 mg intravenously on day 7, of each course. Thereafter, maintenance treatment was started on day 14 with tegafur (FT) 600 mg and immunostimulants, such as OK432, PSK or levamisole. In the group of patients with gastric carcinoma, as compared to historical control patients, this treatment significantly improved survival in those with stage III disease (p less than 0.02), stage IV disease (p less than 0.05) and recurrent or unresectable tumor (p less than 0.001). Immune reactivities as measured by PPD skin test and PHA lymphocyte blastogenesis increased slightly following the therapy. After completion of the treatment, cellular immunity to autologous tumor extract could be detected in vitro by macrophage migration inhibition technique in 12 of 42 patients. The relationship of immune reactivity before or after therapy to patient survival was examined. Analysis of survival curves according to PPD skin test showed significant prolongation of survival in patients with positive reaction as compared to those with negative response following the treatment.

A new antitumor antibiotic, stubomycin

A new antibiotic, stubomycin, was isolated from the culture broth and mycelia of Streptomyces strain No. KG-2245. Stubomycin was prepared as colorless plates and has the empirical formula C29H35NO5. The antibiotic possesses growth inhibitory activity against Gram-positive bacteria and transplantable murine tumors, such as Ehrlich carcinoma, and leukemia P388. The antibiotic also shows direct cytotoxic activity against HeLa cells in vitro.

Electron microscopic study on the amoeboid microglial cells in the roof plate of the early chick embryo brain

The amoeboid microglial cells (AM cells), which were acid phosphatase-positive histochemically, present in the rhombencephalon coated with the leptomeninges of the 8--day incubation chick embryos were investigated by electron microscopy. It was found the the AM cells occurred simultaneously in the leptomeninges, in the roof plate, and in the ventricle. Considering the distribution of the cell in these three sites along with the present author's earlier findings of ACPase reactions for the AM cells, it is highly probable that in the rhombencephalon the AM cells originate from the leptomeninges and then enter the ventricle through the roof plate.

Lymphocyte blastogenic response to autologous tumor cells pretreated with neuraminidase in patients with gastric carcinoma

The effect of Vibrio cholerae neuraminidase (VCN) treatment of tumor cells on lymphoblastic response was studied using the assay of mixed lymphocyte-tumor cell reaction in 24 patients with gastric carcinoma. Lymphoblastic responses as indicated by stimulation index were significantly augmented in cultures with autologous tumor cells pretreated with mitomycin (MMC) and VCN as compared to those pretreated with MMC alone when cultured in the presence of normal plasma (p < 0.05). In autologous plasma cultures, however, the mean stimulation index in MMC-VCN-treated cell cultures was only slightly higher than that in MMC-treated cell cultures. Accentuation of the response was not observed in any type of cultures using MMC-VCN-treated normal tissue cells. In 20 of these patients, the blastic response to nonviable frozen stored tumor cells was measured simultaneously and significant increase in blastic transformation by pretreatment of the cells with VCN was also observed in normal plasma cultures (p < 0.05). There was significant correlation between the response to nonviable frozen VCN-treated cells and to these, not frozen, viable cells (p < 0.001). These results indicate that lymphoblastic response to autologous tumor cells could be enhanced by pretreating the cells with VCN in patients with gastric carcinoma and the freezing could render the cells nonviable without interfering with the augmented immunogenicity of VCN-treated tumor cells.

[Studies on As2O3-induced rabbit hypothermia and brain monoamines (author's transl)]

It has been suggested that hypothermia induced in rabbits by As2O3 3 mg/kg (i.v.) depends mostly on the blocking of the thermo-regulatory center. The relationship between hypothermia induced by As2O3 and brain monoamine levels in rabbits was investigated. To clarify the mechanism of the hypothermia, the influence of pretreatment with several agents on As2O3-induced hypothermia and on monoamine levels in the hypothalamus was examined. The core temperature was measured by inserting the thermister probe into the rectum and noradrenaline(NA), 5-hydroxytryptamine(5-HT) and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid(5-HIAA) levels in the hypothalamus were estimated fluorometrically. Pretreatment with p-chlorophenylalanine(PCPA), alpha-methyl-p-tyrosine(alpha-MPT) or 5-hydroxytryptophan(5-HTP) did not inhibit the hypothermia induced by As2O3 but did decrease NA levels in the hypothalamus. On the contrary, pretreatment with barbital sodium, pheniprazine, 1-DOPA and 1-tyrosine significantly inhibited the hypothermia or exhibited the hyperthermia. As2O3-induced hypothermia in rabbits was followed by a decrease in NA levels and an increase in 5-HT levels in the hypothalamus. On the other hand, when the hypothermia induced by As2O3 was inhibited by pretreatment with barbital sodium, pheniprazine, 1-DOPA and 1-tyrosine, both NA and 5-HT levels in the hypothalamus were significantly increased. These results suggest that As2O3-induced hypothermia is due to a decrease in NA levels and inhibition of the hypothermia is due to an increase in NA levels, in the rabbit hypothalamus.

Cellular hypersensitivity to autologous tumor extract in patients with breast carcinoma

The indirect macrophage migration inhibition technique was used to study cellular hypersensitivity to autologous tumor extract in relation to the progress and prognosis of breast carcinoma. Cellular immune response, evidenced by production of a macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), was noted preoperatively in 21 of 63 patients (33 per cent). This reactivity was used at the time of surgery to determine the grade of the primary tumor, lymph node involvement and the stage of the disease according to the TNM system. The five-year survival rate was 76 per cent for patients whose lymphocytes responded preoperatively and 54 per cent for patients whose lymphocytes did not respond, indicating that this assay may be valuable in detecting cellular immune response to breast carcinoma and in evaluating the immunological status of patients.

The effect of zinc ions on fertilization of mouse ova in vitro

The fertilization rate of mouse gametes in a Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate medium was 60%. The rate fell to 0% when 250 micron-ZnCl2 was added, but MgCl2, CaCl2, MnCl2, FeCl2, and CuCl2 (each at 250 micron) had no effect. The inhibitory effect of Zn2+ was not evident if the spermatozoa or eggs were preincubated with Zn2+ or if previously capacitated spermatozoa were used. The Zn2+ is thought to act by interference with capacitation.

A case report of surgical repair of traumatic rupture of the pericardium and diaphragm

A 55 year-old male with traumatic rupture of the pericardium, diaphragm and spleen, and with crush of the pancreas was successfully operated upon. The diagnosis of rupture of the diaphragm was done on the chest X ray on admission, and the rupture of the pericardium was diagnosed at the time of laparotomy and thoracotomy. The ruptured spleen and the crushed pancreas tail were removed, and the ruptured pericardium and diaphragm were closed successively.

Effects of autologous plasma from patients with malignant tumor on macrophage migration inhibition with tumor extract

By the use of the indirect migration inhibition technique blocking or inhibitory effect of autologous plasma on the production of migration inhibitory factor (MIF) from lymphocytes contacted with autologous tumor extract was studied in 45 patients with malignant tumor. When autologous plasma was added to the lymphocyte culture incubated with autologous tumor extract in 44 of these patients, inhibition of migration was completely abrogated in 9 of these patients whose lymphocytes produced MIF when cultured in plasma-free medium. MIF activity was not abolished when autologous plasma was added to the supernatant of lymphocyte culture incubated with autologous tumor extract. Inhibition of migration was not affected by the addition of allogeneic plasma from a normal subject to the lymphocyte culture. In 15 patients, MIF was not produced when lymphocytes were cultured with autologous plasma alone. These results appeared to indicate that autologous plasma of patients with malignant tumor might block or inhibit the production of MIF from lymphocytes contacted with autologous tumor extract.

Clinical and pathophysiological evaluation of esophageal and reconstruction using gastric tube and pedicled colon segment

Pathophysiological and nutritional conditions were compared after esophageal reconstruction in 15 patients with a gastric tube and in 12 patients with a pedicled colon segment for the treatment of esophageal cancer. There was no significant difference in the postoperative nutritional index, iron and vitamin B12 metabolisms. On the other hand, the long gastric tube from the greater curvature of the stomach used as an esophageal substitute retained some secretory functions of both exocrine and endocrine although the effect of truncal vagotomy may have to be taken into consideration.