Isolation and characterization of a transposon mutant of Pseudomonas aeruginosa affecting uptake of dibenzothiophene in n-tetradecane

AIMS

Isolation and characterization of a transposon mutant of Pseudomonas aeruginosa affecting the uptake of dibenzothiophene (DBT) in n-tetradecane (n-TD).

METHODS AND RESULTS

The dsz desulphurization gene cluster from Rhodococcus erythropolis KA2-5-1 was transferred to the chromosome of P. aeruginosa NCIMB9571 using a transposon vector. A recombinant (named PARM1) was obtained which was able to desulphurize DBT in water, but not in n-TD.

CONCLUSIONS

PARM1 is a mutant deficient in a DBT transport system operational in n-TD. This transport system is independent of rhamnolipids and of the n-alkane transport system.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

Pseudomonas aeruginosa NCIMB9571 seems to have a specific system of transporting hydrophobic compounds such as DBT in oil.

Magnetic resonance imaging in the evaluating of double uterus and associated urinary tract anomalies: a report of five cases

Uterine anomalies are associated with unilateral renal aplasia. We present the MR features of five cases with 'double' uteri. The anomalies consisted of four cases of uterus didelphys and one of a complete septate uterus. All the cases with uterus didelphys also had a longitudinal vaginal septum. The MR diagnoses were confirmed with hysterosalpingography and with laparoscopy. In one case of didelphic uterus, MR images predicted the (three-dimensional helical) computer tomography (CT)-pyelographic diagnosis of renal aplasia in which the single kidney was normal. The study shows that MR is a valuable tool for the diagnosis of not only uterine anomalies but also associated anomalies in other systems.

Relaxing intraoperative natural sound blunts haemodynamic change at the emergence from propofol general anaesthesia and increases the acceptability of anaesthesia to the patient

BACKGROUND

It is known that auditory input, such as comforting music or sound, blunts the human response to surgical stress in conscious patients under regional anaesthesia. As auditory perception has been demonstrated to remain active under general anaesthesia, playing comforting sounds to patients under general anaesthesia might also modulate the response of these patients to surgical stress.

METHODS

Fifty-nine patients scheduled for laparoscopic cholecystectomy were anaesthetized with propofol general anaesthesia in combination with epidural anaesthesia. Natural sounds, chosen preoperatively by each patient as being comforting, were played to 29 patients using headphones during surgery (S group) and the remainder of the patients (n = 30) were fitted with dummy open-type headphones (N group). We compared the haemodynamic change during anaesthesia and the acceptability of anaesthetic practice between the two groups in a randomized double-blind design.

RESULTS

There were no differences in haemodynamics between the S and N groups during surgery. During the emergence from anaesthesia, the mean blood pressure and heart rate gradually increased; both parameters were significantly higher in the N group than in the S group. Postoperatively, patients in the S group perceived the experience of anaesthesia as significantly more acceptable than did those in the N group.

CONCLUSION

These findings indicate that allowing patients comforting background sounds during general anaesthesia may blunt haemodynamic changes upon emergence from general anaesthesia and increase the acceptability of the experience of anaesthesia.

[Liposarcoma of the pleural cavity; report of a case]

A 43-year-old-woman who had sever anterior chest pain visited our hospital on April 3, 2000. A well-defined abnormal shadow was seen in the middle and lower field of the right lung on chest X-ray. Computed tomography showed a large fat density mass in the right pleural cavity with a septum enhanced by contrast medium. Percutaneous needle biopsy revealed lipoma or liposarcoma. Complete resection could be done with combined resection of right lung, lpericardium, parietal pleura and diaphragm. Final histologic diagnosis was well differentiated liposarcoma. There are few reports of liposarcoma arising in the thoracic cavity, we present our case and review the 23 cases reported from the Japanese literatures.

Resonant neutral-particle emission in collisions of electrons with peptide ions in a storage ring

Electron-biomolecular ion collisions were studied using an electrostatic storage ring with a merging beam technique for singly protonated peptides (angiotensin I, II, and III). A strong neutral-particle emission at around 6.5 eV was found in addition to neutrals from recombination at low energies. The rates of the high-energy peak greatly decreased with a slight decrease in the number of amino-acid residues from angiotensin I to III. These results suggest that some peptide bonds were selectively cleaved.

Randomized phase II study of cisplatin, irinotecan and etoposide combinations administered weekly or every 4 weeks for extensive small-cell lung cancer (JCOG9902-DI)

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the toxicity and antitumor effect of cisplatin, irinotecan and etoposide combinations on two schedules, arms A and B, for previously untreated extensive small-cell lung cancer (E-SCLC), and to select the right arm for phase III trials.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Sixty patients were randomized to receive either arm A (cisplatin 25 mg/m(2) day 1, weekly for 9 weeks, irinotecan 90 mg/m(2) day 1, on weeks 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9, and etoposide 60 mg/m(2) days 1-3, on weeks 2, 4, 6, 8), or arm B (cisplatin 60 mg/m(2) day 1, irinotecan 60 mg/m(2) days 1, 8, 15, and etoposide 50 mg/m(2) days 1-3, every 4 weeks for four cycles). Prophylactic granulocyte colony-stimulating factor support was provided in both arms.

RESULTS

Full cycles were delivered to 73% and 70% of patients in arms A and B, respectively. Incidences of grade 3-4 neutropenia, anemia, thrombocytopenia, infection and diarrhea were 57, 43, 27, 7 and 7%, respectively, in arm A, and 87, 47, 10, 13 and 10%, respectively, in arm B. A treatment-related death developed in one patient in arm A. Complete and partial response rates were 7% and 77%, respectively, in arm A, and 17% and 60%, respectively, in arm B. Median survival time was 8.9 months in arm A, and 12.9 months in arm B.

CONCLUSIONS

Arm B showed a promising complete response rate and median survival with acceptable toxicity in patients with E-SCLC, and should be selected for the investigational arm in phase III trials.

Cytotoxic effects of methanol, formaldehyde, and formate on dissociated rat thymocytes: a possibility of aspartame toxicity

Aspartame is a widely used artificial sweetener added to many soft beverages and its usage is increasing in health-conscious societies. Upon ingestion, this artificial sweetener produces methanol as a metabolite. In order to examine the possibility of aspartame toxicity, the effects of methanol and its metabolites (formaldehyde and formate) on dissociated rat thymocytes were studied by flow cytometry. While methanol and formate did not affect cell viability in the physiological pH range, formaldehyde at 1-3 mmol/L started to induce cell death. Further increase in formaldehyde concentration produced a dose-dependent decrease in cell viability. Formaldehyde at 1 mmol/L or more greatly reduced cellular content of glutathione, possibly increasing cell vulnerability to oxidative stress. Furthermore, formaldehyde at 3 mmol/L or more significantly increased intracellular concentration of Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) in a dose-dependent manner. Threshold concentrations of formaldehyde, a metabolite of methanol, that affected the [Ca2+]i and cellular glutathione content were slightly higher than the blood concentrations of methanol previously reported in subjects administered abuse doses of aspartame. It is suggested that aspartame at abuse doses is harmless to humans.

The enzymatic basis for the conversion of nonfucosylated to fucosylated alpha-fetoprotein by acyclic retinoid treatment in human hepatoma cells: activation of alpha1-6 fucosyltransferase

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the mechanism by which nonfucosylated alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is converted to fucosylated AFP in human hepatoma cell lines exposed to acyclic retinoid (AR), an effective drug for the secondary prevention of hepatocellular carcinoma. AR treatment (100 microM) of HepG2 and Hep3B cells significantly increased the activity and mRNA levels of alpha1-6 fucosyltransferase (alpha1-6 FucT), the enzyme responsible for the fucosylation of AFP, leading to an increase in fucosylated glycoproteins as evidenced by lectin binding measurements. Lectin immunoelectrophoresis of AFP obtained from culture media indicated that the relative percentage of nonfucosylated AFP (L1 fraction) was decreased and alpha1-6 fucosylated AFP (L3 fraction) was increased in these hepatoma cell lines after treatment with AR. The total AFP levels were, however, markedly suppressed by AR treatment, and therefore the absolute L3 fraction on the basis of the total AFP present was extremely low. These results demonstrate that AR enhances the conversion of the L1 to the L3 fraction due to the activation of alpha1-6 FucT in human hepatoma cell lines despite clinical outcome with AR treatment and the L3 fraction of AFP. Even though the dramatic decrease in AFP is the limiting factor in the synthesis of the L3 fraction and, therefore, the absolute value of fucosylated AFP is extremely low, the conversion from L1 to L3 as judged by lectin immunoelectrophoresis represents a good marker for the progress of AR treatment.

Low-dose mitomycin C, etoposide, and cisplatin for invasive vulvar Paget's disease

We report the effect of low-dose mitomycin C, etoposide, and cisplatin (low-dose MEP) therapy for three patients with invasive vulvar Paget's disease (invasive VPD) who declined radical vulvectomy and skin grafting. One patient achieved a complete response, while the other two showed partial responses (PR) without grade 3 or 4 adverse effects. The two patients with PR were undergone partial vulvectomy and inguinal lymph node dissection. All patients have no sign of recurrence for 10 months after chemotherapy. Our present results suggest that low-dose MEP is an effective and safe chemotherapy for invasive VPD and low-dose MEP may significantly improve postoperative quality of life in patients with invasive VPD by avoiding extensive vulvar resection and skin grafting.

Clinical evaluation of Ramosetron injections in the treatment of cisplatin-induced nausea and vomiting

A phase III, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was performed to examine the safety and efficacy of ramosetron in cancer patients with cisplatin-induced nausea/vomiting. Patients were divided into two groups: group R received 0.3 mg ramosetron intravenously and group P received placebo. Eighty-eight patients were enrolled, 44 in each group; 84 (43 in group R, 41 in group P) were included in the clinical efficacy analysis and 86 (44 in group R, 42 in group P) in the safety analysis. Ramosetron was significantly more clinically effective than placebo against nausea, vomiting and anorexia; 65.1% of patients in group R experienced no vomiting in the first 6 h of observation compared with 7.3% of those receiving placebo. No serious adverse reactions or significant differences in safety were observed between the groups. Based on these results, ramosetron injection is effective in the treatment of cisplatin-induced nausea/vomiting and its clinical usefulness is demonstrated here.

Low-dose mitomycin C, etoposide, and cisplatin for invasive vulvar Paget's disease

Abstract.

Watanabe Y, Hoshiai H, Ueda H, Nakai H, Obata K, Noda K. Low-dose mitomycin C, etoposide, and cisplatin for invasive Paget's disease.

We report the effect of low-dose mitomycin C, etoposide, and cisplatin (low-dose MEP) therapy for three patients with invasive vulvar Paget's disease (invasive VPD) who declined radical vulvectomy and skin grafting. One patient achieved a complete response, while the other two showed partial responses (PR) without grade 3 or 4 adverse effects. The two patients with PR were undergone partial vulvectomy and inguinal lymph node dissection. All patients have no sign of recurrence for 10 months after chemotherapy. Our present results suggest that low-dose MEP is an effective and safe chemotherapy for invasive VPD and low-dose MEP may significantly improve postoperative quality of life in patients with invasive VPD by avoiding extensive vulvar resection and skin grafting.

Selection of peptides that bind to the core oligosaccharide of R-form LPS from a phage-displayed heptapeptide library

To characterize common sites within the core oligosaccharide of the R-form lipopolysaccharide (LPS), we screened peptides from a phage-displayed heptapeptide library by using the most truncated form of R-LPS, Re-LPS (S. Typhimurium SL1165) as a ligand. After three rounds of biopanning/amplification and subsequent screening by phagemid enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), we selected three distinct clones that bind to the ligand LPS. We characterized the binding sites of the three clones by ELISA and thin-layer chromatography immunostaining and found that the three clones bind the two Re-LPSs (SL1165 and S. Minnesota Re595) and Rb2-LPS. In addition, one of the clones also bound to S-form LPS (S. Enteritidis). Current data show that those clones bind to common carbohydrate structure(s) expressed in the core oligosaccharides of those LPS samples.

Metabolic gene polymorphism frequencies in control populations

Using the International Project on Genetic Susceptibility to Environmental Carcinogens (GSEC) database containing information on over 15,000 control (noncancer) subjects, the allele and genotype frequencies for many of the more commonly studied metabolic genes (CYP1A1, CYP2E1, CYP2D6, GSTM1, GSTT1, NAT2, GSTP, and EPHX) in the human population were determined. Major and significant differences in these frequencies were observed between Caucasians (n = 12,525), Asians (n = 2,136), and Africans and African Americans (n = 996), and some, but much less, heterogeneity was observed within Caucasian populations from different countries. No differences in allele frequencies were seen by age, sex, or type of controls (hospital patients versus population controls). No examples of linkage disequilibrium between the different loci were detected based on comparison of observed and expected frequencies for combinations of specific alleles.

[A quadriplegic patient with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) who responded well to corticosteroids and intravenous immunoglobulin therapy]

We report an elderly patient with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) presenting with complete quadriplegia who responded well to the treatment. A 74-year-old woman was transferred to our hospital from a hospital for the elderly patients. The patient had a history of progressive limb weakness over three years, and has been quadriplegic for the last six months. The patient was unable to move her extremities, but neither respiratory nor bulbar dysfunction was observed. Deep tendon reflexes were absent. Glove and stocking type sensory disturbance was noted. Nerve conduction studies showed slowed motor and sensory conduction velocities with diminished compound muscle action potentials (CMAP). Abnormal temporal dispersion and conduction blocks were also demonstrated. Cerebrospinal fluid examination revealed an elevated protein level of 78 mg/dl with normal cell counts. The patient was diagnosed as having CIDP. She was treated with methylprednisolone pulse therapy and oral prednisolone, followed by high dose intravenous immunoglobulin treatment. Significant recovery occurred during the first week, and she became able to walk four months later. Motor nerve conduction velocity (MCV) and CMAP were also improved. It is suggested that CIDP must be considered in patients with quadriplegia of unknown etiology: such patients may be seen in hospitals for elderly patients.

A study of the combination of gemcitabine hydrochloride (LY188011) and cisplatin in non-small-cell lung cancer: 3-week schedule

BACKGROUND

It has been reported that the combination of gemcitabine (LY188011; GEM) and cisplatin (CDDP) in a 4-week schedule showed a high response rate for patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but GEM could not be administered on day 15 because of increased myelosuppression in many patients. The present study was performed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of GEM and CDDP in a 3-week schedule.

METHODS

Patients with unresectable NSCLC without prior chemotherapy were enrolled. We administered 1000 mg/m2 of GEM on days 1 and 8, and 80 mg/m2 of CDDP on day 1. The feasibility of the combination therapy was confirmed in 8 patients, and then 20 more patients were enrolled, to evaluate the efficacy and safety of this combination therapy for all 28 patients.

RESULTS

The response rate was 42.9% (12/28) and the median survival time was 12.6 months. Neutropenia, leukopenia, anemia, thrombocytopenia or lymphocytopenia of grade 3 or higher were observed as hematological toxicity, and anorexia, nausea, fatigue, or vomiting of grade 3 were the nonhematological toxicities, but most of these toxicities were of grade 2 or less. For GEM and CDDP, 89% and 91% of the scheduled doses, respectively, were administered.

CONCLUSION

This is the first study of the combination of GEM and CDDP with a 3-week schedule in Japan, and the results showed a low level of myelosuppression, high dose intensity, and high response rate, similar to the results reported in other countries. Accordingly, the combination of GEM and CDDP with a 3-week schedule may be a promising regimen for the treatment of NSCLC in Japan.

[An electrophysiological study of ropivacaine on excised cervical vagus nerves of rabbit]

Ropivacaine, a new long acting local anaesthetic of amide type is structurally related to mepivacaine and bupivacaine. This study was designed to compare the in vitro potency and neurotoxicity of ropivacaine with those of other commercially available local anaesthetics using an isolated rabbit vagus nerve model. Ropivacaine dose-dependently suppressed the evoked compound action potentials of A beta nerve and C nerve components. Minimum concentration of ropivacaine for producing complete suppression of the compound action potentials of all components was 0.008%. Electron microscopic observation showed that ropivacaine did not destroy any peripheral nervous structures in concentrations up to 0.75%. When the neurotoxic effect of ropivacaine was compared, in terms of risk ratio (clinically used concentration/concentrations producing 2 hr irreversible block), with that of commercially available local anesthetics, the rank oder was dibucaine, tetracaine, lidocaine, bupivacaine and ropivacaine.

Clinicopathologic and immunohistochemical features and microsatellite status of endometrial cancer of the uterine isthmus

To clarify the clinicopathologic, molecular, and immunohistochemical characteristics of uterine isthmic endometrial cancer (UIE), we examined 13 cases of UIE and compared them with 33 cases of endometrial cancer of the uterine corpus (UCE) with respect to clinicopathologic factors, the expression of p53, the estrogen receptor (ER) and the progesterone receptor (PR) status, DNA ploidy, and microsatellite instability (MSI). Five (38.4%) of the UIE patients had stage I, two (15.4%) had stage II, and six (46.2%) had stage III disease (FIGO 1988). Myometrial invasion was confirmed in 92.3% of the UIE patients, and these patients had a higher (p < 0.05) frequency of > 50% myometrial invasion (46.2%) than the patients with UCE (15.2%). Moreover, the UIE patients had a higher frequency of positive peritoneal cytology (p < 0.05) and pelvic lymph node metastases (p < 0.05). No UIE tumors exhibited MSI, and the tumors in these patients had a higher expression of p53 (p < 0.01), a lower expression of ER (p < 0.05) and PR (p < 0.05), and a higher frequency of DNA aneuploidy (p < 0.01) than the UCE tumors. These findings suggest that the UIE is clearly different from UCE in the clinicopathologic, immunohistochemical features, and microsatellite status.

Amelanotic malignant melanoma arising in an ovarian cystic teratoma: a case report

BACKGROUND

Malignant melanoma arising in a cystic teratoma is extremely rare. We report the clinicopathologic and cytopathologic features of an amelanotic malignant melanoma arising in an ovarian cystic teratoma.

CASE

A 55-year-old woman presented with an asymptomatic right ovarian mass, showing features of cystic teratoma according to preoperative computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. The resected teratoma was suspected to include a nonepithelial malignancy in a touch preparation from a solid component. The tumor showed immunoreactivity for Melan-A, S-100 and HMB-45 in the absence of melanin granules, which established the diagnosis of amelanotic malignant melanoma arising in an ovarian cystic teratoma.

CONCLUSION

Cytopathologic findings from touch preparations and immunohistochemical staining are useful for the diagnosis of amelanotic malignant melanoma arising in an ovarian cystic teratoma.

The Purple leaf (Pl) locus of rice: the Pl(w) allele has a complex organization and includes two genes encoding basic helix-loop-helix proteins involved in anthocyanin biosynthesis

The Purple leaf (Pl) locus of rice (Oryza sativa L.) affects regulation of anthocyanin biosynthesis in various plant tissues. The tissue-specific patterns of anthocyanin pigmentation, together with the syntenic relationship, indicate that the rice Pl locus may play a role in the anthocyanin pathway similar to the maize R/B loci. We isolated two cDNAs showing significant identity to the basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) proteins found in the maize R gene family. OSB1 appeared to be allelic to the previously isolated R homologue, Ra1, but showed a striking difference at the C-terminus because of a 2-bp deletion. Characterization of the corresponding genomic region revealed that the sequence identical to a 5'-portion of OSB2 existed approximately 10-kb downstream of the OSB1 coding region. OSB2 lacks a conserved C-terminal domain. Restriction fragment length polymorphism analyses using an F(2) population indicate that both genes co-segregate with the purple leaf phenotype. A transient complementation assay showed that the anthocyanin pathway is inducible by OSB1 or OSB2. These results suggest that the Pl(w) allele may be complex and composed of at least two genes encoding bHLH proteins.

A change in microsatellite instability caused by cisplatin-based chemotherapy of ovarian cancer

To clarify the mechanism of acquired CDDP resistance in ovarian cancer, we compared the microsatellite instability (MSI) by the amplification of 10 microsatellite loci and immunohistochemical detection of hMSH2 and hMLH1 expression between the primary resected tumours and the secondary resected residual tumours after 5 or 6 courses of CDDP-based chemotherapy in the 24 cases of ovarian cancer. Of the 24 primary resected tumours, 9 (37.5%) showed MSI (7 cases of MSI-L, 2 cases of MSI-H), while 15 (72.5%) were microsatellite stable tumours (MSS). The primary tumours also had MSI in the residual tumours after CDDP-based chemotherapy. However, all of the cases with MSS in the primary resected tumours exhibited MSI (2 cases were MSI-L, and 13 cases were MSI-H) in the residual tumours after CDDP-based chemotherapy (P< 0.001). Furthermore, 11 (73.3%) of these cases which changed from MSS to MSI also had a change in the expression of hMLH1 from positive to undetectable (P< 0.001). Our data suggest that tumour MSI changes during CDDP-based chemotherapy, and that the loss of hMLH1 expression is one of the factors that has the greatest effect on this transformation.

Sweet's syndrome associated with encephalitis

The involvement of the central nervous system (CNS) in Sweet's syndrome (acute febrile neutrophilic dermatosis) is rare. We report a 47-year-old woman who presented with acute encephalitis and was subsequently diagnosed as having Sweet's syndrome. She developed altered consciousness following fever and erythematous skin plaques in the extremities. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) examination disclosed neutrophilic pleocytosis without decreased glucose level. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed abnormal signal intensity lesions in the basal ganglia and the hippocampus. Skin biopsy revealed a dense dermal infiltration of neutrophils, which is compatible with Sweet's syndrome. Treatment with acyclovir and antibiotics failed, but the subsequent corticosteroid therapy was effective. Awareness of neurological complication in Sweet's syndrome may avoid unnecessary empiric therapy for meningoencephalitis and will lead to a successful treatment with corticosteroids.