Determination of isonicotinic acid in the presence of isoniazid and acetylisoniazid. Studies on isonicotinic acid formation from isoniazid in isolated rat hepatocytes

In comparison with the hepatocytes obtained from intact rats and rats pretreated with phenobarbital or 3-methylchoranthrene, the amount of isonicotinic acid (INA) formed from isoniazid (INH) increased substantially after incubation at 37 degrees C using the pretreated hepatocytes. This suggests an oxidative pathway for INA formation from INH, apart from hydrolysis. In order to explore the exact mechanism of INA formation in the hepatocytes, an HPLC assay for INA in the presence of INH and acetylisoniazid was developed. In this assay, INA was extracted after the preparation of an ion pair with tetra-n-butylammonium hydroxide, and analysed using an ODS column and a mobile phase consisting of 0.067 M potassium dihydrogenphosphate solution-methanol (96:4, v/v). The method is simple, accurate and especially suitable for INA determination after incubation of INH in isolated rat hepatocytes.

Oxidative stress triggers tyrosine phosphorylation in B cells through a redox- and inflammatory cytokine-sensitive mechanism

Exposure to oxidants such as hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and gamma-ray irradiation has been recently shown to trigger tyrosine phosphorylation in B cells as does cross-linking surface immunoglobulin (sIg) by antigens or anti-immunoglobulins. We studied the mechanism by which H2O2 induced tyrosine phosphorylation in B cells and compared it with the mechanism utilized by sIg. Both anti-immunoglobulin M (anti-IgM) and H2O2 induced tyrosine phosphorylation through protein tyrosine kinase (PTK) activation. However, the tyrosine phosphorylation caused by H2O2 but not that induced by anti-IgM, was modulated by agents affecting cellular thiols and glutathione contents including dithiothreitol, 2-mercaptoethanol, and buthionine sulphoximine. Moreover, the tyrosine phosphorylation caused by the oxidant but not that induced by anti-IgM was markedly augmented by two inflammatory cytokines, tumour necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-1 alpha, although these agents by themselves did not stimulate PTK activity nor induce tyrosine phosphorylation. These findings demonstrate that oxidative stress but not surface IgM (sIgM) ligation triggers tyrosine phosphorylation through a mechanism that is sensitive to cellular thiols and these inflammatory cytokines.

Avoidant personality disorder and taijin kyoufu: sociocultural implications of the WHO/ADAMHA International Study of Personality Disorders in Japan

This paper discusses the characteristics of avoidant personality disorder in a cultural context based on the Japanese concept of taijin kyoufu as well as that of DSM-III-R and DSM-IV social phobia. Sixty-six patients were given the International Personality Disorder Examination and questionnaires including the Beck Anxiety Inventory. Among the 23 DSM-III-R personality disorder patients, 8 patients were diagnosed as having avoidant personality disorder. Six of them were suffering from taijin kyoufu symptoms. Among 27 ICD personality disorder patients, 22 patients were diagnosed as having ICD anxious personality disorder. All DSM avoidant patients were included in the ICD anxious group. These findings suggest that patients with avoidant personality disorder have had a long history of difficulties and share common personality problems with a milder form of taijin kyoufu, which is conceptually different from social phobia.

[A case of schistosomiasis suspected by circumoval precipitin test and diagnosed by rectal biopsy]

A forty-year-old female from Brazil was admitted to Teikyo Hospital because of easy fatigability, fullness of the abdomen and left hyochondralgia. She was anxious about Schistosoma mansoni infection, because three of her relatives died of the infection. Physical examinations revealed a tenderness at the left hypochondrium. Laboratory data showed no abnormal finding. No egg of S. mansoni was found in the stool. A circumoval precipitin test (COPT) with the serum showed a deposite around the egg. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) revealed the presence of antibody against S. mansoni in the serum. A colonoscopy showed no abnormal finding macroscopically. The rectal biopsy showed the existence of mild procitis. The diagnosis was made by finding the characteristic lateral-spined eggs in the biopsy specimens from the rectum. Treatment of 3 g of prazicantel per day for three days was started. She complained of mild nausea at the first dosing. A month later, another three-day-treatment was given. In the case where there are no eggs found in the stool, COPT and ELISA are usefull in detecting the disease, and colonoscopy is recommended in diagnosing the disease.

Identification of a putative target for Rho as the serine-threonine kinase protein kinase N

Rho, a Ras-like small guanosine triphosphatase, has been implicated in cytoskeletal responses to extracellular signals such as lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) to form stress fibers and focal contacts. The form of RhoA bound to guanosine triphosphate directly bound to and activated a serine-threonine kinase, protein kinase N (PKN). Activated RhoA formed a complex with PKN and activated it in COS-7 cells. PKN was phosphorylated in Swiss 3T3 cells stimulated with LPA, and this phosphorylation was blocked by treatment of cells with botulinum C3 exoenzyme. Activation of Rho may be linked directly to a serine-threonine kinase pathway.

Protein kinase N (PKN) and PKN-related protein rhophilin as targets of small GTPase Rho

The Rho guanosine 5'-triphosphatase (GTPase) cycles between the active guanosine triphosphate (GTP)-bound form and the inactive guanosine diphosphate-bound form and regulates cell adhesion and cytokinesis, but how it exerts these actions is unknown. The yeast two-hybrid system was used to clone a complementary DNA for a protein (designated Rhophilin) that specifically bound to GTP-Rho. The Rho-binding domain of this protein has 40 percent identity with a putative regulatory domain of a protein kinase, PKN. PKN itself bound to GTP-Rho and was activated by this binding both in vitro and in vivo. This study indicates that a serine-threonine protein kinase is a Rho effector and presents an amino acid sequence motif for binding to GTP-Rho that may be shared by a family of Rho target proteins.

ACE inhibition prevents and reverses L-NAME-exacerbated nephrosclerosis in spontaneously hypertensive rats

Chronic nitric oxide inhibition exacerbates hypertension and nephrosclerosis in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs). In this study, we determined whether angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibition could prevent or reverse the systemic, renal, and glomerular hemodynamic alterations and the pathological changes of nephrosclerosis. Four groups of 20-week-old SHRs were studied: group 1, untreated controls; group 2, treated with N omega-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME, 50 mg/L for 3 weeks); group 3, L-NAME cotreated with quinapril (3 mg.kg-1.d-1 for 3 weeks); and group 4, L-NAME for 3 weeks followed by quinapril for 3 weeks (same doses). The results of this study demonstrated that both cotreatment (group 3) and posttreatment (group 4) with quinapril reduced mean arterial pressure (186 +/- 9 and 192 +/- 9 mm Hg, respectively, compared with group 2 SHRs, 221 +/- 5 mm Hg) and total peripheral resistance index associated with significant reductions in afferent and efferent arteriolar resistances; nephrosclerosis pathological scores; and urinary protein excretion (all at least P < .01). ACE inhibition also significantly increased stroke index, single-nephron glomerular filtration rate, and ultrafiltration coefficient compared with the L-NAME SHRs. Most notable were the findings that cotreatment with quinapril completely prevented the renal glomerular hemodynamic alterations with reduced glomerular capillary hydrostatic pressure and efferent arteriolar resistance compared with both the untreated and the L-NAME-treated SHRs (all at least P < .01). Posttreatment with quinapril also reversed the glomerular injury (subcapsular, -83%; juxtamedullary, -56%) and arteriolar (-87%) injury scores obtained from renal biopsy specimens (P < .005 and P < .0001, respectively). These changes were associated with decreased periarteriolar fibronectin and increased afferent arteriolar alpha-smooth muscle actin deposition (immunohistochemistry). These data, therefore, demonstrate that ACE inhibition not only prevents but also reverses L-NAME-exacerbated severe nephrosclerosis in SHRs, as indicated by improved systemic, renal, and glomerular hemodynamic changes, proteinuria, and histological alterations.

[A case of advanced gastric cancer remarkably responding to preoperative UFT-E therapy]

We here reported a case of advanced gastric cancer remarkably responding to preoperative short-term UFT-E chemotherapy. UFT-E was orally administered preoperatively for about a month to the patient with type 2 advanced gastric cancer. After the chemotherapy the cancer was found to be remarkably decreased in size and denatured. The amount of residual cancer cells was limited by histopathological examination following the operation and diagnosed as Grade 3 based on the criteria of histological evaluation of chemotherapy for cancer. We continued to administer UFT-E postoperatively and the patient is still alive without symptoms.

Acute pancreatitis induced by hypercalcaemia associated with adult T-cell leukaemia: a case report

A 44 year old Japanese woman with adult T-cell leukaemia (ATL) was admitted to Kyushu University hospital to receive a course of alpha-interferon treatment. She experienced a sudden onset of hypercalcaemia and epigastric pain associated with an increase in the level of pancreatic enzymes. Her serum parathyroid hormone related protein level was above normal although her high sensitive PTH level was within the normal range. Ultrasonography and computed tomography (CT) of the abdomen showed enlargement of the pancreas with indistinct margins and massive accumulation of extrapancreatic fluid. Cullen's sign was observed. A few days after the onset of acute pancreatitis, the serum amylase level increased to 3400 IU/L, and the serum calcium level fell to 4.2 mg/dL from 13.3 mg/dl. Her fasting blood glucose level increased to 242 mg/dL. Although the first episode of pancreatitis appeared to respond to treatment, she experienced a second episode of pancreatitis accompanied by an elevation of the serum calcium level. These findings suggest that acute pancreatitis was caused by hypercalcaemia associated with ATL.

Homozygous deletions of the CDKN2/p16 gene in dural hemangiopericytomas

While most authors currently classify dural-based hemangiopericytoma (HPC) as a distinct entity rather than as a subtype of meningioma, the histogenesis of HPC has long been debated. We have recently shown that meningiomas contain frequent mutations of the neurofibromatosis 2 gene, while HPCs do not, suggesting that HPC is genetically distinct from meningioma. In the present study, we evaluated a series of 31 dural HPCs (including 3 pairs of primary and recurrent tumor) and 26 meningiomas for alterations in the cell-cycle regulatory genes CDKN2/p16 and p53. Homozygous deletions of the CDKN2/p16 gene were detected using a comparative multiplex polymerase chain reaction assay in 7 of 28 primary HPCs (25%), but in only one of 26 meningiomas (P = 0.03). Among the HPCs with recurrence, 1 pair of 3 had a homozygous CDKN2/p16 deletion. The 1 meningioma with a CDKN2/p16 deletion was a meningothelial meningioma, without atypical or malignant features. Single-strand conformational polymorphism analysis of all three exons of CDKN2/p16 and exons 5-8 of p53 revealed no mutations in either HPCs or meningiomas. These results illustrate that homozygous deletions of CDKN2/p16 occur in HPCs and suggest that alterations of the p16-mediated cell-cycle regulatory pathway may underlie the formation or progression of some HPCs. The data also provide further genetic evidence that HPC is not a subtype of meningioma.

[Retroperitoneal laparoscopic nephrectomy: initial 2 cases]

Two patients with nonfunctioning kidney were treated with retroperitoneal laparoscopic nephrectomy. The working space in the retroperitoneum was created by balloon dissector consisted of surgical glove and rigid nephroscope. The balloon dissector inserted to retroperitoneal space was inflated with 500-600 ml normal saline. After removal of the balloon dissector, 4 trocars were inserted to the retroperitoneal space. In these two cases, the kidney were removed successfully without any complication. The operating time was 165 min and 219 min, respectively.

[Interleukin-3 therapy in patients with aplastic anemia refractory to prior therapies]

A therapeutic trial of interleukin-3 (IL-3) was carried out in four patients with aplastic anemia refractory to the prior therapies. Daily subcutaneous doses of 2.5, 5.0 or 7.5 micrograms/kg was given for 7 or 14 days. In a patient who had co- and immediate boost-administration of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) and/or erythropoietin (Epo) and another who had sequential administration of G-CSF and Epo two weeks after IL-3, definite hematological response was obtained during the course after IL-3. In one patient, moderate to severe side effects consisting of facial edema, conjunctival bleeding, chills and fever, were observed after two days' administration of IL-3. Co- or sequential administration of other hemopoietic factor(s) may be essential in IL-3 therapy for aplastic anemia.

[The estrogen-induced changes of estrogen receptor in seminal vesicle of immature castrated rat]

We have already reported that estrogen treatment given to immature castrated rats caused proliferative changes in both collagen and smooth muscle in the seminal vesicles of immature rats detected by light microscopy. Herein, we studied the estrogen-induced changes in estrogen receptor (ER) in the seminal vesicles of immature castrated rats by means of enzyme immunoassay, an immunohistochemical method and RT-PCR, to clarify the mechanism of estrogen induced proliferation of collagen and smooth muscle. Immature rats (3 weeks old) were castrated and left untreated for 3 weeks and then injected subcutaneously with estradiol-17 beta (E2-17 beta, 5 micrograms/day) for 7 days before they were killed. The nuclear ER content per gland, mg tissue and mg protein in the seminal vesicles of castrated rats increased markedly compared with those of non-treated rats. Castration also enhanced ERmRNA expression. The immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated the obvious tissue distribution by which the nuclear ER positive cells were densely distributed in the periglandular stroma. The nuclear ER contents per gland, mg tissue and mg protein in the seminal vesicles of estrogen-treated castrated rats were greater than those in castrated rats. Estrogen treatment further enhanced ERmRNA expression in the castrated rats. The immunohistochemical studies demonstrated that the nuclear ER positive cells appeared among the glandular epithelial cells, basal cells and the peripheral stromal cells, in addition to the periglandular stromal cells. These findings suggest that ER is related to the estrogen induced proliferation of collagen and smooth muscle in the seminal vesicles of immature castrated rats.

CDKN2/p16 or RB alterations occur in the majority of glioblastomas and are inversely correlated

p16 is involved in a cell cycle regulatory cascade that includes cyclin-dependent kinase 4 (cdk4), cyclin D1, and pRb (retinoblastoma). Alterations of each of these components have been described in primary human glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) or in GBM cell lines. Because perturbation of any component in this pathway may have similar oncogenic effects, we studied the relationship between abnormalities of CDKN2/p16 and RB, the two commonly involved tumor suppressor genes, in 55 astrocytic gliomas (42 GBMs, 8 anaplastic astrocytomas, and 5 astrocytomas). By using comparative multiplex PCR, homozygous deletions of the CDKN2/p16 gene were detected in 24 GBMs (57%) and in 2 anaplastic astrocytomas. Two additional GBMs and one anaplastic astrocytoma had allelic loss of chromosome 9p, as assessed by microsatellite polymorphisms flanking the CDKN2/p16 region. Single-strand conformation polymorphism and DNA sequencing analysis of all three coding exons of CDKN2/p16 revealed a frameshift mutation (four-bp deletion) in one of the three GBMs that had lost the remaining 9p allele. Allelic loss of chromosome 13q at the RB gene, RB gene mutations, or loss of pRb expression was noted in 14 GBMs (33%) and 2 anaplastic astrocytomas. Thirty-six of 42 GBMs (86%) had alterations of either CDKN2/p16 (n = 22), RB (n = 10), or both (n = 4); these two genetic changes, however, were relatively exclusive (P = 0.003). Furthermore, of the six GBMs without either CDKN2/p16 or RB gene abnormalities, one case had CDK4 gene amplification. These data indicate that the vast majority of GBMs probably have inactivation of the p16-cdk4/cyclin D1-pRb pathway. The findings also provide corroborative evidence that CDKN2/p16 and RB are the critical glioma tumor suppressor genes on chromosomes 9p and 13q, respectively.

Hydrochlorothiazide Increases Efferent Glomerular Arteriolar Resistance in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats

BACKGROUND: Micropuncture studies were performed to determine the intrarenal hemodynamic effects of two conventional antihypertensive agents, hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) and hydralazine (HYDR) alone and in combination. METHODS AND RESULTS: Male spontaneously hypertensive and normotensive Wistar Kyoto rats (19 weeks old) were treated for 3 weeks with vehicle (control), HCTZ (80 mg/kg/d), HYDR (5 mg/kg/d), or combined therapy (HCTZ 30 mg/kg/d and HYDR 2 mg/kg/d). Each treatment significantly reduced arterial pressure while effective renal plasma flow, glomerular filtration rate and single nephron glomerular filtration rate were unaffected by any treatment in either strain. In spontaneously hypertensive rats HCTZ decreased single nephron plasma flow (111 +/- 8 to 84 +/- 4 nL/min; P <.05) but, despite this reduction, glomerular pressure remained unchanged (51.4 +/- 0.7 to 52.1 +/- 0.8 mmHg) attributable to increased efferent glomerular resistance (1.58 +/- 0.14 to 2.11 +/- 0.12 10 U; P <.05). By contrast, HYDR increased single nephron plasma flow (to 147 +/- 8 nL/min; P <.01) and decreased efferent glomerular resistance (to 1.09 +/- 0.09 U; P <.05). Combined treatment produced responses similar to HCTZ when used alone, thereby nullifying the beneficial efferent glomerular resistance effects: single nephron plasma flow +/- fell (to 89 +/- 7 nL/min; P <.05) and efferent glomerular resistance increased (to 2.05 +/- 0.17 U; P <.05). In Wistar Kyoto rats, HCTZ and combined treatment had no effect. HCTZ alone induced glomerular ischemia that was associated with efferent glomerular arteriolar constriction in these spontaneously hypertensive rats. CONCLUSIONS: These findings provide a possible explanation for the lack of improved renal target-organ damage in controlled multicenter trials employing thiazide diuretics.

Collateral vessels assessed by myocardial contrast echocardiography in patients with coronary artery lesions after Kawasaki disease

Using myocardial contrast echocardiography (MCE), coronary arteriography, and thallium-201 myocardial imaging (TMI), we examined the characteristics and the role of collateral vessels in 35 patients with coronary artery lesions after Kawasaki disease. The male/female ratio was 25:10. The patients' ages are examination ranged from 1.0 to 20.3 years (mean, 10.8 years). The age at onset of Kawasaki disease ranged from 0.3 to 11.6 years (mean, 2.6 years). The coronary artery lesions were: dilated lesions without coexistent stenotic lesions in 5 patients (14%), localized stenosis with less than 50% narrowing in 5 patients (14%), localized stenosis with 50% or more narrowing in 4 patients (11%), and obstructive lesions, such as occlusion and/or segmental stenosis, in 21 patients (60%). In the group with no stenotic lesions and the group with less than 50% localized stenosis, the perfusion area of the right coronary artery was 32.6 +/- 8.4% and that of the left coronary artery was 76.3 +/- 7.9%. The total perfusion area of the right and the left coronary arteries was 108.9 +/- 2.6%, which value was inversely correlated with age at examination (r = 0.716, P = 0.020). In the group more than 50% localized stenosis, an increase in overlap areas detected by MCE, where a perfusion defect was seen on TMI, was not found, except in 1 patient with 99% stenosis. In the patients with obstructive lesions development of collateral channels was better in the perfusion area of the occluded right coronary artery than in that of the occluded left coronary artery, and well developed collateral channels were significantly correlated with good wall motion. We conclude that overlapping perfusion occurs in younger rather than in older children without stenotic coronary systems, and this may contribute to the food development of collateral circulation in infants and young children with coronary artery lesions after Kawasaki disease.

Continuous measurement of 13C16O2 production from [13C]pyruvate by intact liver mitochondria: effect of HCO3-

We have measured continuously the production of mass 45 CO2(13C16O2) from 13C-labeled pyruvate in a guinea pig liver mitochondrial suspension and simultaneously the O2 consumption at 37 degrees C and pH 7.4. The reactions took place in a closed 3-ml volume, stirred, thermoregulated chamber separated from the ion source of a mass spectrometer by a gas-permeable membrane that permitted recording the mass peaks of any gas dissolved in the reaction mixture with a response time as fast as 3 s. If the pyruvate was labeled on C-2, no 13C16O2 was formed, even after 1 h, indicating that C-2 and C-3 were not metabolized in the citric acid cycle. We found that production of 13C16O2 was five times greater in the presence of 25 mM HCO3- than in its absence. A probable mechanism of this CO2/HCO3- effect is carboxylation of pyruvate to oxaloacetate, which would react with acetyl CoA to form citrate and with NADH to form malate, thus removing two major inhibitors of pyruvate dehydrogenase. We conclude that CO2/HCO3- has a potent and hitherto unappreciated regulatory effect on liver pyruvate dehydrogenase.

A novel phosphatidylserine-binding peptide motif defined by an anti-idiotypic monoclonal antibody. Localization of phosphatidylserine-specific binding sites on protein kinase C and phosphatidylserine decarboxylase

A monoclonal anti-idiotypic antibody, Id8F7, previously shown to bind to a phosphatidylserine (PS)-specific binding site on protein kinase C (PKC) has been used to identify a 12-amino acid consensus sequence shared by PKC and phosphatidylserine decarboxylase (PSD). The 14-amino acid synthetic peptide derived from the corresponding region of PSD (amino acids 351-364 of the enzyme from Chinese hamster ovary cells) bound effectively and specifically to PS, and that derived from rat PKC gamma (amino acids 227-240) bound weakly but specifically to PS. Analysis of binding of Id8F7 to various synthetic peptides revealed that the consensus sequence motif, FXFXLKXXXKXR, is responsible for the interaction with both Id8F7 and PS. The results suggest that the conserved amino acid residues represent a basic structural motif for the specific interaction with PS, and the corresponding regions of PKC and PSD form the PS-specific binding sites of these enzymes.

Identification of Schizosaccharomyces pombe gene psk1+, encoding a novel putative serine/threonine protein kinase, whose mutation conferred resistance to phenylarsine oxide

We have identified a novel putative protein kinase-encoding gene from Schizosaccharomyces pombe (Sp), designated psk1+, by using a highly conserved amino acid (aa) sequence motif to design amplification of DNA fragments using PCR. The putative translation product of psk1+ contains 436 aa, with a molecular mass of 49,317 Da. A single psk1+ was identified by genomic Southern blot analysis, and the genomic mapping indicated that psk1+ was localized in Sp chromosome III. Growth of wild-type Sp cells was inhibited by 0.5 microM phenylarsine oxide, a protein tyrosine phosphatase inhibitor, but psk1- cells were relatively resistant to this drug.

Molecular cloning and characterization of a new member of the RAC protein kinase family: association of the pleckstrin homology domain of three types of RAC protein kinase with protein kinase C subspecies and beta gamma subunits of G proteins

cDNA clones encoding the third member of the RAC protein kinase family, termed RAC-PK gamma, were isolated from a rat brain cDNA library. The deduced amino acid sequence of RAC-PK gamma was highly related to those of previously identified family members, RAC-PK alpha and beta, that have a pleckstrin homology domain and a protein-serine/threonine kinase catalytic domain at the amino- and carboxyl-terminal regions, respectively. Northern blot analysis indicated that RAC-PK gamma was expressed abundantly in brain and testis. Specific activities of RAC-PK alpha, beta, and gamma purified from transfected COS-7 cells were similar when measured by using myelin basic protein as a phosphate acceptor. Analysis using fusion proteins of glutathione S-transferase revealed that the pleckstrin homology domain of the three subtypes of RAC-PK associate with both protein kinase C subspecies and beta gamma subunits of G proteins. These results suggest that the pleckstrin homology domains of RAC protein kinase family could associate more than one protein to regulate the activity and/or intracellular distribution of this enzyme family by different ways.

Pilot trial of a combination comprising of consecutive oral administration of UFT, and two-divided administration of CDDP in non-small cell lung cancer

A pilot study of a combination therapy comprising of consecutive oral administration of UFT, and two-part divided administration of CDDP was undertaken in patients with inoperative non-small cell lung cancer, based on the synergistic effects of CDDP and 5FU. UFT was administered orally at a dosage of 400 mg/m2 for two consecutive weeks (Day 1-Day 14) and CDDP was administered twice by intravenous infusion, once on Day 4 and again on Day 8. The unit dose of CDDP was increased sequentially, from 40 mg/m2 in step 1, to 50 mg/m2 in step 2, and then to 60 mg/m2 in step 3, with safety being confirmed during the process. The numbers of patients registered for each dose level were 3, 3, and 20, respectively. Evaluation of toxicities could be conducted for all the patients except one. No toxicities of grade 3 or higher were observed in step 1 or 2. There was no problem with continuous administration of UFT. The following toxicities of grade 3 or higher were observed in step 3: leukocytopenia in 2 patients; reduction of the hemoglobin count in 1; decrease in creatinine clearance in 2; anorexia in 3; and nausea and vomiting in 3. Bone marrow suppression was mild and transient. Renal failure and digestive symptoms, which were proved to be transient and treatable by symptomatic treatment, were also observed. The step 3 administration was effective in 8 (47.1%) of the 17 patients with measurable lesions (95% CI: 23-71%). In conclusion, since it was determined that the dose employed in step 3 should be recommended and that it could be expected to exhibit antitumour effects with mild bone-marrow suppression, a large scale phase II study should be conducted in no prior treatment non-small cell lung cancer.

Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunts: midterm results in 28 patients

This paper reports the clinical and procedural results of 28 consecutive TIPS procedures in 25 males and three females with a mean age of 48 years. All patients had cirrhosis with portal hypertension and varices. Twenty-two patients had recurrent bleeding. Shunts were completed in 26 of 28 patients, and no death was associated with the procedure. Portal vein pressure was reduced from 3.98 +/- 0.24 KPa before shunting to 2.40 +/- 0.16 KPa after shunting. Doppler US revealed that the maximum blood flow velocity in the main portal vein increased from 14.0 +/- 4.5 cm/sec to 48.0 +/- 16.5 cm/sec. Shunt patency was determined by color Doppler US in 20 patients. Shunt stenosis was found in five patients and occlusion in one, and these findings were confirmed by angiography. Ascites disappeared in six of eight cases, and varices disappeared completely in 11 patients and abated greatly in 12 patients two months after TIPS. Rebleeding occurred in three cases (occlusion, 1; stenosis, 2) during a mean follow-up time of 6.5 months. One of these cases was successfully redilated. The initial results suggest that TIPS is a safe and effective method of portal decompression and that the key to portal vein puncture is to understand the three-dimensional relationship between the hepatic and portal veins.

[Indication of neobladder replacement in patients undergoing radical cystectomy for bladder cancer]

Neobladder replacement has become an important procedure in the patient undergoing radical cystectomy for invasive bladder cancer. It yields postoperatively excellent quality of life in these patients. The indications of the patients selection have not been established, since long-term clinical results have not been presented and some issues such as urethral recurrence of the original disease, growth of the cancer from the neobladder made of the gastrointestinal tract and influences arising from orthotopic micturition are still unclear. We reviewed the reports describing neobladder replacement in the patients undergoing cystectomy for the bladder cancer. At present the criteria of patients selection described by most authors can be summarized as follows, (1) male patients, (2) patients having an available gastrointestinal tract for reconstructing the neobladder, (3) patients having a good renal function and liver function and could tolerate for the surgery and (4) patients with no evidence of disease in their urethra and prostate (direct invasion of the disease). As to carcinoma in situ within the bladder, some authors included their indication and the others contraindication.