Mutations in a protein kinase C homolog confer phorbol ester resistance on Caenorhabditis elegans

The tpa-1 gene mediates the action of tumor-promoting phorbol esters in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. A genomic fragment that constitutes a portion of the tpa-1 gene was cloned by Tc1 transposon tagging and was used as a probe to screen a nematode complementary DNA library. One of the isolated complementary DNA clones had a nucleotide sequence that predicts a polypeptide of 526 amino acids. The predicted amino acid sequence revealed that the predicted tpa-1 protein sequence is highly similar to protein kinase C molecules from various animals, including man.

[Adriamycin, cyclophosphamide, vincristine and methotrexate combination chemotherapy of small cell lung cancer]

Twenty-two patients who had not received previous chemotherapy for small cell lung cancer were treated with a combination of adriamycin (30 mg/m2, i.v., on day 1), cyclophosphamide (500 mg/m2, i.v., on day 1, and 350 mg/m2, i.v., on day 8), vincristine (1 mg/m2, i.v., on day 1) and methotrexate (20 mg/m2, i.v., on days 1 and 8). This chemotherapy regimen was repeated at 3- or 4-week intervals. Among 20 evaluable patients, none showed complete response but 14 (70%) showed a partial response, with a median response duration of 8 weeks (range, 4-20 weeks). The median survival time for the 20 evaluable patients was 28 weeks. Toxicity included mild to moderate hematologic toxicity, alopecia and nausea and vomiting. This combination chemotherapy appears to be suboptimal for the treatment of small cell lung cancer, with no complete responses and a relatively short median survival time.

A case-control study of lung cancer in nonsmoking women

A case-control study of Japanese women in Nagoya was conducted to investigate the significance of passive smoking and other factors in relation to the etiology of female lung cancer. A total of 90 nonsmoking patients with primary lung cancer and their age- and hospital-matched female controls were asked to fill in a questionnaire in the hospital. Elevated relative risk (RR) of lung cancer was observed for passive smoking from mother (RR = 4.0; p less than 0.05) and from husband's father (RR = 3.2; p less than 0.05). No association was observed between the risk of lung cancer and smoking of husband or passive smoke exposure at work. Occupational exposure to iron or other metals also showed high risk (RR = 4.8; p less than 0.05). No appreciable differences in food intakes were observed between cases and controls.

Structure of the yeast HIS5 gene responsive to general control of amino acid biosynthesis

The nucleotide sequence of a 2.1 kb DNA fragment bearing the HIS5 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which encodes histidinol-phosphate aminotransferase (EC 2.6.1.9), has been determined. An open reading frame of 1,152 bp was found. S1 nuclease mapping indicated that the major transcription starts at position -37 from the ATG codon and the minor (approximately 20%) at -34 in both repressive and derepressive conditions. Northern analysis indicated that transcription of the HIS5 gene is under the general control of amino acid biosynthesis. The 5' noncoding region of the gene, thus far examined up to position -616, contains three copies of sequences homologous to the short repeats of the consensus sequence, 5'-AATGTGACTC-3', suggested for general amino acid control in the HIS1, HIS3, HIS4, and TRP5 at positions -336, -275 and -205. The consensus sequence closest to the open reading frame was shown to be necessary but not sufficient for general amino acid control, by examination of beta-galactosidase appearance in S. cerevisiae cells carrying various mutant HIS5 promoter regions fused to the lac'Z gene and inserted at the leu2 locus of chromosome III.

Circadian rhythm of brain susceptibility to haloperidol during chronic administration

Circadian fluctuation has been reported to exist to the effects of haloperidol after acute administration. In an attempt to clarify the viability of chronotherapy with haloperidol, the antiapomorphine effect of haloperidol after chronic administration was investigated in the present paper. Haloperidol was administered once daily at the same time for 21 consecutive days to rats which were kept under 12 hr lighting conditions with light onset at 19:30. Then the chronology of the antiapomorphine effect was investigated. The antiapomorphine effect was significantly stronger in the group treated at 19:30 than that treated at 13:30. These data agreed with the results found after the acute administration of the drug. After chronic administration, no difference was found in the plasma and brain level of haloperidol due to the time of administration. These experimental results seem to suggest that a circadian rhythm in the brain susceptibility to haloperidol exists even during chronic administration.

[Clinical studies of cefoxitin for the treatment of respiratory tract infections (author's transl)]

A total of 42 patients who were suffering from respiratory tract infections were treated with cefoxitin, and the following results were obtained. 1. Out of 32 patients clinically evaluated, excellent or good responses were observed in 30 patients (94%). 2. Presumed causative organisms were isolated in 14 patients. The organisms were eradicated in 11 patients and the eradication rate was 79% (11/14). The number of the organisms decreased or unchanged in 1 patient each. In other 1 patient the pathogenic agent was replaced with other agents during the course of treatment. 3. As for the side effects, skin eruption was observed in 3 patients. One patient received drugs other than cefoxitin concomitantly that might have caused the eruption. Another patient had an allergic history to many antibiotics. In 4 patients slight elevations of S-GOT and S-GPT were observed but improved soon after the completion of cefoxitin treatment. In 1 patient an elevation of serum creatinine was observed but this was not attributed to the administration of cefoxitin. 4. From the results stated above, cefoxitin is considered to be a safe and effective antibiotic which can be one of the first-choice antibiotics for the treatment of respiratory tract infections.

[Studies on circadian susceptibility rhythm to haloperidol (author's transl)]

Rats were given haloperidol in a variety of doses and time combinations and the sedation period were then measured. A clear-cut daily fluctuation in the sedative effect was observed, and the pattern of fluctuation differed depending on the dosage. In an attempt to elucidate the mechanism of this phenomenon, haloperidol was administered at two different times between which there was a significant difference in the sedation period. No difference was found. Thus it is presumed that daily fluctuation in the sedative effect of haloperidol may be ascribed not to the daily fluctuation in the levels of absorption, excretion, metabolism, or distribution of this drug, but rather to the daily fluctuation at the level of catecholamine receptors in the brain. There was a daily fluctuation in the antiapomorphine effect of haloperidol in a variety of doses and time combinations, and the pattern of fluctuation almost equaled that of the sedative effects of haloperidol. The daily fluctuation of the sedative effect is probably due to effects of circadian rhythm in brain dopamine receptors.

Animal model of depression. III. Mechanism of action of tetrabenazine

A study was undertaken to gain an understanding of the biochemical mechanism whereby tetrabenazine (TBZ) produces a sedative effect on the locomotor activity of rats. Rats injected with L-5-hydroxytryptophan (L-5-HTP, 30 mg/kg), the immediate precursor of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), showed the characteristic bison appearance, pitosis, and catalepsy normally observed after injecting TBZ (30 mg/kg). The treatment of rats with low doses of L-5-HTP (9 mg/kg) plus TBZ (2 mg/kg) significantly decreased locomotor activity, whereas low doses of either one of these drugs given alone had no significant effect on locomotor activity. The level of 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) was elevated in the brain of rats sacrificed 3 hr after treatment with low doses of either L-5-HTP or TBZ alone. Treatment of rats with p-chlorophenylalanine to inhibit the synthesis of 5-HT had an inhibitory effect on the duration of sedation following an injection of TBZ (30 mg/kg). The results of the biochemical and pharmacological studies as reflected by changes in locomotor activity were interpreted to indicate that the sedative action of TBZ was due to an excess of functional 5-HT.

Chronopharmacological study of neuroleptics. II. Circadian susceptibility rhythm to chlorpromazine

In order to study differences in the effect of the neuroleptics due to time of administration, rats were administered chlorpromazine (CPZ) in a variety of combinations of dose and time and the sedation period was measured. There was daily fluctuation in the sedative effect and the pattern of fluctuation differed according to dosage. A similar study under the condition of reversed light and dark gave a reversed curve of the daily fluctuation, showing that the rhythm of light and dark controls the fluctuation externally. In an attempt to elucidate the mechanism of these phenomena, CPZ was administered at two different times, between which there was a significant difference in the sedation period, and time-course changes in plasma and brain concentration of the drug and its metabolites were measured. No difference was found. These results are interpreted as indicating that the phenomena could arise at the level of amine-receptor activity in the brain. In addidtion, daily fluctuation due to time of administration was noted in lethality.