Elevated serum levels of IFN-gamma, IL-4 and TNF-alpha/unelevated serum levels of IL-10 in patients with demyelinating diseases during the acute stage.

We investigated IFN-gamma, IL-4, IL-10 and TNF-alpha in the sera of 42 patients with demyelinating diseases: multiple sclerosis (MS) (21), Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) (14), Miller-Fisher syndrome (MFS) (7) during the acute or active stage and 12 normal controls using an originally devised sensitive sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). We found elevated serum levels of IFN-gamma derived from T helper 1 (Th1) cells and of IL-4 derived from Th2 cells in MS, GBS and MFS. It has been reported in several studies that IL-4 production is increased in MS; however, there have been no reports of elevated serum IL-4 levels in MS.

Efficacy of slow-releasing anticancer drug delivery systems on transplantable osteosarcomas in rats.

New drug delivery systems for cis-diamminedichloroplatinum (CDDP) incorporated into vehicles, such as polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), fibrin glue (F.G.), alpha-tricalciumphosphate (TCP) and ethylenevinyleacetate copolymer (Polymer) were examined using a rat osteosarcoma model.

Comparison of K-ras oncogene activation in pancreatic duct carcinomas and cholangiocarcinomas induced in hamsters by N-nitrosobis(2-hydroxypropyl)amine.

The presence of K-ras point mutations in pancreatic duct carcinomas and cholangiocarcinomas induced by N-nitrosobis(2-hydroxypropyl)amine (BHP) in Syrian hamsters was investigated by single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis of polymerase chain reaction products from frozen fresh materials in order to clarify the K-ras mutation rates in those two carcinomas induced simultaneously by one carcinogen, BHP. In the examined pancreatic duct carcinomas, 10 out of 16 were positive for a mutation in codon 12 while 3 out of 12 cholangiocarcinomas demonstrated mutation of K-ras gene. G-to-A transition was detected in the second position of codon 12 in both pancreatic carcinomas and cholangiocarcinomas.

Metastatic potential of malignant fibrous histiocytoma of myxoid or giant-cell subtype in rats.

We have previously reported on the induction of rat malignant fibrous histiocytomas by 4-hydroxiaminoquinoline 1-oxide. The present study describes cell number- and time-related formation of metastatic lung nodules after i.v.