Solid and cystic tumor (SCT) of the pancreas in an adult man

Solid and cystic tumor (SCT) of the pancreas predominantly occurs in women, and the occurrence in men is extremely rare. We experienced a male case of SCT. A 38-year-old man was admitted with the complaint of upper abdominal pain. CT scan showed the presence of a mass in the head of the pancreas. The mass was composed of high density areas and low density areas. Ultrasonograms revealed the mass being composed of high echoic areas and low echoic areas. The mass was hypovascular on angiography. SCT was suspected and pancreaticoduodenectomy was performed. The cut surface of the tumor showed mainly cystic degenerative areas containing dark red hemorrhagic materials. Microscopically, there were solid areas in the periphery and pseudopapillary areas in the center. No metastasis was found in the removed lymph nodes. The tumor cells were not stained by Grimelius' silver stain. The tumor cells were positive for alpha-1-antitrypsin (AAT) and neuron-specific enolase (NSE). Pancreatic hormones such as insulin, glucagon, and somatostatin were all negative. Electron micrograph showed that tumor cells were rich in mitochondria. Zymogen granules and neurosecretory granules were not detected. Estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) were both negative.

Changes in calcium content of the liver during hepatic ischemia-reperfusion in dogs

Alteration of calcium metabolism in cells has been thought to be one of the main factors in ischemia-reperfusion injury. Serial changes in the tissue calcium content of the liver and the correlation between calcium level and liver injury were investigated. Experimental dogs were divided into two groups and subjected to hepatic ischemia of different duration: 60 min in Group A and 120 min in Group B, followed by reperfusion. Serum alanine aminotransferase, as an indicator of liver injury, was more elevated in Group B than in Group A. There was no change in hepatic calcium content during ischemia in either group. Immediately after reperfusion, there was no change in hepatic calcium level in Group A, whereas in Group B it was markedly elevated. The peak value occurred 30 min after reperfusion and gradually decreased thereafter, but did not return to pre-ischemic levels during the observation time. Plasma calcium concentrations in hepatic venous blood were markedly decreased in Group B 30 min and 60 min after reperfusion. These results suggest that calcium accumulation in the liver during the early reperfusion period may be one of the mediators of hepatic injury. To elucidate the mechanisms for elevation of calcium in hepatic tissue, serum malondialdehyde, a product of lipid peroxidation, was measured in hepatic venous blood. No elevation of serum malondialdehyde was observed in either group, indicating that the increases in calcium may not be due to oxidative stress. Serum mitochondrial aspartate aminotransferase and electron microscopic findings were used as indicators of mitochondrial injury.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Immunoelectron microscopic localization of carcinoembryonic antigen in gastric adenocarcinoma cell lines

The distribution of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) in human gastric adenocarcinoma cell lines (HPE-GAC-3 cells and HPE-GAC-2 cells) was determined immunohistochemically by indirect peroxidase-labeled antibody method at the light and electron microscopic levels. In GAC-3 cells that proliferated as non-adherent single cells, CEA was located in the perinuclear spaces, the endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, vesicles, multivesicular body (MVB) and entire plasma membrane. Membrane CEA was shown to be internalized into MVB in GAC-3 cells. In GAC-2 cells that form an acinus, CEA was predominantly present along the microvilli of the luminal surface and in glycocalyceal bodies, the vesicles which bud from the microvilli into the lumen. These results suggest that in poorly differentiated cancer cells CEA is transported over the entire cell surface, retained on the membrane and accumulated into the cell by way of the MVB, but in well differentiated cancer cells the newly synthesized CEA is rapidly and predominantly transported to the luminal surface and rapidly released from the membrane into the lumen by way of the glycocalyceal body.

[Evaluation of repeated hepatic dearterialization combined with intra-arterial infusion chemotherapy of unresectable primary or secondary cancer of the liver]

Repeated hepatic dearterialization combined with intra-arterial infusion chemotherapy was performed in 29 patients with unresectable primary or secondary cancer of the liver. Partial Response (PR) was obtained in 4 cases (1 hepatocellular carcinoma and 3 gastric secondaries), when evaluated by measuring the regression rate radiologically. The most remarkable effect was found in those with metastases from gastric cancer. A satisfactory result was not obtained for hepatocellular carcinoma with liver cirrhosis because of frequent associated complications. A strategy to modulate the resistance of tumors to ischemia and anticancer drugs should be considered in order to obtain a better clinical result by this method.

Xenotransplantation of alpha-fetoprotein-producing gastric cancers into nude mice. Characteristics and responses to chemotherapy

Three human alpha-fetoprotein (AFP)-producing gastric cancers (AFPGC) were xenotransplanted into the lateral abdominal wall of nude mice. Two tumors were established and passed over ten generations. These tumors retained their ability to secrete AFP and their characteristic hepatoid features microscopically. Serum levels of AFP in the mice were elevated as the tumors grew. Through serial transplantation, the degree of differentiation was not altered. Neither local invasion nor distant metastasis were encountered during the observation periods. Both strains had an aneuploid pattern of DNA by flow cytometric examinations. The responses of these tumors to five chemotherapeutic agents were investigated using various doses. The high AFP-titer strain (AFPGC-2) showed a marked regression or suppression of tumor growth after administration of both mitomycin C (MMC) and cisplatin (CDDP). The low-titer strain (AFPGC-1) had substantial sensitivity only to MMC. The growth of both tumors was not suppressed by 5-fluorouracil, doxorubicin, or epirubicin. These findings suggest that the characteristics of AFPGC are preserved in the xenograft model of nude mice. In addition, MMC and CDDP may be active to some extent against this rare, but highly malignant cancer.

Xenotransplantation of alpha-fetoprotein-producing gastric cancers into nude mice. Characteristics and responses to chemotherapy

Three human alpha-fetoprotein (AFP)-producing gastric cancers (AFPGC) were xenotransplanted into the lateral abdominal wall of nude mice. Two tumors were established and passed over ten generations. These tumors retained their ability to secrete AFP and their characteristic hepatoid features microscopically. Serum levels of AFP in the mice were elevated as the tumors grew. Through serial transplantation, the degree of differentiation was not altered. Neither local invasion nor distant metastasis were encountered during the observation periods. Both strains had an aneuploid pattern of DNA by flow cytometric examinations. The responses of these tumors to five chemotherapeutic agents were investigated using various doses. The high AFP-titer strain (AFPGC-2) showed a marked regression or suppression of tumor growth after administration of both mitomycin C (MMC) and cisplatin (CDDP). The low-titer strain (AFPGC-1) had substantial sensitivity only to MMC. The growth of both tumors was not suppressed by 5-fluorouracil, doxorubicin, or epirubicin. These findings suggest that the characteristics of AFPGC are preserved in the xenograft model of nude mice. In addition, MMC and CDDP may be active to some extent against this rare, but highly malignant cancer.

Role of MLC serum inhibitory factors in high MLC-reactive kidney transplant recipients pretreated with donor-specific blood transfusion (DST)

In order to clarify the beneficial effect of donor-specific blood transfusions (DST) on kidney allograft survival, sera from 16 patients treated with DST were studied using the mixed lymphocyte culture (MLC) serum inhibition test. The results demonstrate that MLC inhibitory factors could be induced in the serum of the recipients after the completion of DST, and that these factors are directed against cells of the recipient but not against cell from the donor. Regarding the correlation with rejection episodes and clinical outcome, a significant improvement in renal transplant survival and reduction in rejection episodes was observed when MLC inhibitory factors were present in post-DST sera. These data suggest that such factors may contain antibodies directed against recognition sites on T lymphocytes, e.g., anti-idiotypic antibodies, and be associated with prolonged graft survival of living-related, high MLC-reactive one-haplotype-mismatched kidney.