[Phase II study of (2''R)-4'-0-tetrahydropyranyladriamycin (THP) in gastrointestinal cancer]

A phase II study of a new anthracycline, (2''R)-4'-0-tetrahydropyranyladriamycin (THP) was performed on 37 patients with gastrointestinal cancer in 6 co-operative study institutions. Twenty-five patients out of 37 were evaluable for response according to the Koyama-Saito's criteria. THP was administered weekly at doses of 10 to 30 mg/body or every 3 to 4 weeks at doses of 40 to 60 mg/body intravenously. Of the 14 patients with gastric cancer, we obtained one complete response and 3 partial responses (response rate 28.6%), and of the 6 patients with rectal cancer, we obtained one partial response (16.7%). Leukopenia of less than 3 X 10(3)/mm3 and erythrocytopenia of less than 300 X 10(4)/mm3 were seen in 48% and 26% of cases. Neither cardiotoxicity nor hair loss were seen. These results suggest that THP is useful in the treatment of patients with gastrointestinal cancer.

[The inhibitory effect of peptic ulceration on the growth of early gastric cancer]

The correlation between the growth pattern and peptic ulceration occurring in the cancer lesion was studied in early gastric cancer. Although the superficially spreading type (Super), which grows slowly, showed a high rate of being accompanied by peptic ulceration (74.0%), the deeply penetrating type (Pen), with rapid growth, had a lower such rate (Pen A- expansive type 9.7%; Pen B- infiltrative type 16.1%). Deep ulceration accompanied 32% of the Super cases, 12% of the small mucosal cases and no cases of the Pen type. The Super and small mucosal types located at the intermediate gland area had peptic ulceration more frequently than those at the other areas. The rate of the cases of peptic ulceration of undifferentiated adenocarcinoma was high in the Super and small mucosal types, and that of differentiated adenocarcinoma was 64.0% in the Super and only 33.3% in the small mucosal type. This study clarified that the growth of early gastric cancer was inhibitively influenced by peptic ulceration, which was modified by the localization and histologic type of the carcinoma.

Organelle motility in rat pituitary clonal cells. I. Dynamic movements of intracellular organelles

Intracellular organelle motion within clonal pituitary tumor cells (GH3) was observed directly with a contrast enhancement, computer-video microscope system. All particles except nuclei moved in a complex fashion. Two types of particles predominated; one large and round, the other small and elongated. We classified the movements of these particles as saltation, oscillation and slow translocation. Saltation was directional movement with velocity of the order of 1 micron/sec. Oscillation was local motion occurring within 1 micron that showed no specific direction. Its velocity was similar to that of saltation. Large particles, in particular, showed the 3rd type of movement, slow translocation. The velocity appeared to be one order slower than that of saltation. We also examined the cells with fluorescent, dark-field and electron microscopies. We concluded that the large round particles were lysosomes and the small elongated ones mitochondria. The microtubule depolymerizer, vinblastine and the microfilament depolymerizer, cytochalasin D, completely inhibited all the types of organelle movement. The mechanism and significance of these organelle movements are discussed.

Distribution of fluorescently labeled tubulin injected into sand dollar eggs from fertilization through cleavage

Porcine brain tubulin labeled with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) was able to polymerize by itself and co-polymerize with tubulin purified from starfish sperm flagella. When we injected the FITC-labeled tubulin into unfertilized eggs of the sand dollar, Clypeaster japonicus, and the eggs were then fertilized, the labeled tubulin was incorporated into the sperm aster. When injected into fertilized eggs at streak stage, the tubulin was quickly incorporated into each central region of growing asters. It was clearly visualized that the labeled tubulin, upon reaching metaphase, accumulated in the mitotic apparatus and later disappeared over the cytoplasm during interphase. The accumulation of the fluorescence in the mitotic apparatus was observed repeatedly at successive cleavage. After lysis of the fertilized eggs with a microtubule-stabilizing solution, fluorescent fibrous structures around the nucleus and those of the sperm aster and the mitotic apparatus were preserved and coincided with the fibrous structures observed by polarization and differential interference microscopy. We found the FITC-labeled tubulin to be incorporated into the entire mitotic apparatus within 20-30 s when injected into the eggs at metaphase or anaphase. This rapid incorporation of the labeled tubulin into the mitotic apparatus suggests that the equilibrium between mitotic microtubules and tubulin is attained very rapidly in the living eggs. Axonemal tubulin purified from starfish sperm flagella and labeled with FITC was also incorporated into microtubular structures in the same fashion as the FITC-labeled brain tubulin. These results suggest that even FITC-labeled heterogeneous tubulins undergo spatial and stage-specific regulation of assembly-disassembly in the same manner as does sand dollar egg tubulin.

Synergistic effect of K-18 and concomitant hyperthermia for treatment of Lewis lung carcinoma in mice

We investigated the synergistic anti-tumor effects of K-18 (conjugate of human gamma-globulin and melphalan) and concomitantly administered hyperthermia on Lewis lung carcinoma in mice. The antitumor effect of a subeffective dose of K-18 or an equivalent dose of melphalan alone was enhanced by local hyperthermia. K-18 administration demonstrated a greater potentiation for inhibition of tumor growth than that of melphalan alone. Local hyperthermia plus K-18 reduced the dose of melphalan required for tumor growth inhibition by melphalan alone. The combined application of K-18 and hyperthermia for treating cancer warrants further study.

Cleavage in a saponin model of the sea urchin egg

A cell model, in which cleavage could be induced, was obtained from fertilized sea urchin eggs by putting eggs that were in the first cleavage into a solution containing 3 X 10(-5) g/ml saponin and suitable amounts of ATP and Ca2+. The cell membrane became freely permeable to ATP and Ca2+ within 1 minute. The respective optimal concentrations of ATP and Ca2+ that advanced the cleavage furrow in this model were 2 mM and 10(-8) M. With the optimal ATP and Ca2+ concentrations, the cleavage furrow of the model advanced at a rate that differed little from that in living eggs. The cleavage furrow soon receded, however, when the concentration of ATP was decreased to less than 1 mM or increased to more than 3 mM, as well as when the concentration of Ca2+ was increased to more than 10(-7) M.

Bidirectional effects of splenectomy on the growth of syngeneic tumor in mice

The effects of splenectomy on tumor growth following inoculation with a relatively large number of cells (1 X 10(7) ) and a smaller number of cells (5 X 10(5) ) of Meth I tumor were studied. When 1 X 10(7) tumor cells were inoculated, tumor growth in splenectomized mice was depressed, while tumor in sham-operated mice grew progressively. On the contrary, when 5 X 10(5) tumor cells were inoculated, the tumor take was lower in sham-operated than in splenectomized mice. The spleen cells from mice inoculated with either a large or small number of tumor cells, showed an equally potent cytotoxic activity, but no detectable suppressor cell activity. On the other hand, the activity of immunosuppressive factor was detected in sera from mice inoculated with 1 X 10(7) tumor cells, but not in those given 5 X 10(5) cells. The effect of splenectomy on tumor growth is, thus, bidirectional, depending on the dose of tumor cells inoculated.

Combination chemotherapy enhances survival of patients with unresectable gastric cancer

Of 177 Japanese patients with a gastric cancer which could not be resected and seen at our institution during the period from 1964 to 1979, 153 were investigated with regard to the efficacy of anticancer agents, in terms of prolongation of life. The average survival time was 23 weeks in the combination chemotherapy group (57 cases), 17 weeks in the single drug chemotherapy group (42 cases) and 13 weeks in no chemotherapy group (54 cases). Three and 6 month survival rates in the overall patients were 57.1 per cent and 16.7 per cent for single drug chemotherapy group, and 37.0 per cent and 11.1 per cent for no chemotherapy group, while in the combination chemotherapy group, the rates were higher at 64.9 per cent and 29.8 per cent, respectively (combination chemotherapy vs. no chemotherapy group, p less than 0.05). In patients with peritoneal dissemination, hepatic metastasis and carcinomatous ascites, there was a significant difference in survival rates between those prescribed combination chemotherapy and those given no chemotherapy (p less than 0.05). Of 57 in the combination chemotherapy group, 6 and 9 month survival rates were 45.5 per cent and 22.7 per cent in the postoperative long-term cancer chemotherapy (PLCC) group (22 cases), such being higher than other combination chemotherapy group (35 cases), 22.9 per cent and 11.4 per cent, respectively. There was a significant difference in the survival rates between the two groups (p less than 0.05).

[Significance of splenectomy in the treatment of cancer]

With inoculation of a large amount of tumor cells, the tumor growth of splenectomized mice was depressed compared to sham operated mice. On the contrary, with inoculation of a small amount of tumor cells the occurrence of tumor was lower in sham-operated mice. The effect of splenectomy on tumor growth was bidirectional depending on the dose of the inoculate. The effect was due to the production of the immunosuppressive factor in sera obtained from mice inoculated with a large but not small amount of tumor cells. Studies for the late survivals of 113 patients who had received curative total gastrectomy with or without splenectomy revealed that the non-splenectomized group showed a significantly better late survival rate than the splenectomized group when the splenic hilar lymph nodes were not involved with cancer metastasis.

[Variation of the fibular part of the plantar aponeurosis among present-day Japanese]

The plantar aponeurosis consists of the tibial and fibular parts. It is already known that the form of the fibular part markedly varies according to individuals. However, there have been few anatomical observations on this variation and none have statistically analysed it. This paper is concerned with the variation of the fibular part of the aponeurosis. Observations were carried out by dissecting thirty-nine present-day Japanese cadavers. The variations observed were classified into four types according to the Loth's method. It was clarified by means of the Chi-square test that the percentage of the medial fibre bundle is significantly higher in present-day Japanese than in Europeans, that is up to 20.5%. It was also found that the top portion of the medial fibre bundle, if it exists, is the origin of a part of the transverse head of the adductor pollicis muscle and the flexor digiti minimi brevis muscle in some cases.

[Anatomical quantification of the tibial part of the plantar aponeurosis]

The metrical analysis of the anatomical characteristics is important because of its objectiveness. As it is concerned with the organs belonging to the locomotor system, the metrical method of the bones has already been systematized by Martin (1928), whereas the same kind of method for use on other organs remains undeveloped. The author aims to establish the metrical method of the plantar aponeurosis. The method for measuring the tibial part of the aponeurosis developed in this paper is sufficiently applicable for obtaining its principal anatomical characteristics. The results show that the tibial portion of the plantar aponeurosis becomes statistically significantly wider and thinner in its anterior part, and that the thickness of the tibial portion of the aponeurosis in the anterior part is larger on the right side than on the left side.

[Adjuvant chemotherapy for aged patients with gastric carcinoma]

The effectiveness of postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy on aged patients (more than 70 years old) with resectable gastric carcinoma was examined in our Department. Of the 178 patients, 75 patients received the drugs on various regimen and 103 patients had no chemotherapy a control group). No significant difference was noted in patient characteristics of age, sex and curability. In advanced gastric carcinoma such as stage III and IV, a significant increase in long-term survival after surgery was obtained with combination chemotherapy or immunochemotherapy compared with the control group (P less than 0.05). On the other hand, there was no significant difference in a survival rate of the patients with stage I and II.

Serial determinations of carcinoembryonic antigen for early detection of recurrent gastric cancer

In attempts to predict the recurrence of gastric cancer, postoperative changes in serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels are monitored in our clinic by radioimmunoassay (Dainabot, Japan). Recurrences are suspected when serum CEA levels are 4 ng/ml, in the postoperative period. Out of 34 patients in whom there were increases in serum CEA, 18 were confirmed to have a recurrence and 15 of these 18 patients were assessed accurately by serial postoperative levels of CEA, two patients died of a recurrence after elevation of serum CEA levels. Thus, recurrence was predicted in 17 out of 34 patients (50 per cent) and in 12 out of 17 patients there was a metastasis to the liver. In 14 out of 34 patients there are no signs of recurrence 9 to 25 months after serum CEA elevations.

Postoperative long-term cancer chemotherapy (PLCC) extends life-span of non-curatively resected patients with stage IV gastric cancer

Postoperative long-term cancer chemotherapy (PLCC) with a combination of Mitomycin-C, Tegafur and PSK (an immunostimulant) was applied to non-curatively resected cases with stage IV gastric cancer (invading the adjacent organs and/or with metastasis to the liver, peritoneum, and/or distant lymph nodes). This approach has a significant life-prolongation effect. The two-year survival rate was 16.8 per cent in the PLCC group, such being higher than 6.7 per cent and 1.7 per cent in MMC and no chemotherapy groups (p less than 0.05). 50 per cent survival periods in those with liver metastasis were 8.3 months in the PLCC group, such being longer than 5.2 and 2.8 months in MMC and no chemotherapy groups (p less than 0.002) respectively. Combination therapy of PLCC and intra-arterial infusion of 5-FU through the proper hepatic artery prescribed for 8 patients with liver metastasis resulted in a 3-month prolongation of 50 per cent survival periods, compared with PLCC alone (p less than 0.05). In those with peritoneal dissemination the rate was 10.5 months in the PLCC group, that is longer than 6.5 months in the MMC group (p less than 0.02). In cases of invasion to other organs plus distant lymph node metastasis, the time was 11.0 in PLCC and 7.0 months in MMC groups (p less than 0.05). Thus, PLCC is a palliative approach for non-curatively resected carcinoma of the stomach.

Rheological properties of echinoderm eggs during cell division

Mechanical properties of the cell before and during cleavage in sea urchin eggs (a typical equal symmetrical cytoplasmic division) and polar-body formation (a typical unequal cytoplasmic division) are reviewed with special reference to the mechanism of cell division. Both in sea urchin eggs and starfish oocytes, the tension at the cell surface gradually increases before the onset of cytoplasmic division. The tension gradually decreases during division in starfish oocytes and in some sea urchin eggs. Some other sea urchin eggs display two peaks of the tension, one just before the onset of division and the other during division. The cleavage furrow is formed by the active contraction of a layer formed in the equatorial cortex of the cell in sea urchin eggs and of a ring-shaped layer formed in the cortex around the animal pole of the cell in starfish oocyte.