[Stereotactic body radiation therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma: Results from a retrospective multicentre study].

Purpose: The purpose of this paper was to describe local control, overall survival, progression-free survival and toxicity of CyberKnife-based stereotactic body radiation therapy of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Material And Methods: Records of all the patients treated for hepatocellular carcinoma at the Eugene-Marquis cancer centre, Rennes and the Bretonneau hospital, Tours (France), between November 2010 and December 2016, were reviewed. Radiation therapy was performed as a salvage treatment, while awaiting liver transplantation or if no other treatment was possible.

[Documentation management: from theory to practice].

The management of the documentation is one of the key points regarding the efficacy and the performance of the quality management of health centres. It offers to all professionals the possibility to be informed on the procedures in use, leading to a pool of documents for improvement of organisations and for securing the critical steps of the patient management. In this paper, we will describe the optimal organisation of the documentation according to Haute autorité de santé (HAS) and ISO recommendations, then we will discuss in concrete terms the potential methods usable for the production of a tool well adapted to our routine practice, in order to achieve the objectives for security.

[The French preliminary experience of the use of a seed-projector for exclusive iodine 125 prostate brachytherapy: feasibility and acute toxicity].

Purpose: To analyse a new technique for prostate brachytherapy with permanent Iodine implants characterized by the use of a seed projector after a 3D dosimetric peroperative treatment planning (FIRST technique).

Patients And Method: 395 patients have been treated in France with this technique in six radiotherapy centres between November 2002 and December 2005 for a localized prostate cancer.

Results: Thirteen patients (3.

Expression of galectin 4 in the rat small intestine during postnatal development.

We determined the expression of an endogenous lectin, galectin 4, in the rat small intestine during postnatal development. The mRNA levels of galectin 4 did not change significantly between birth and adulthood. In contrast, the protein was present at higher levels after than before weaning, and the potential ligands for galectin 4 were more highly represented in the enterocyte microvilli of weaned than of suckling rats.

Expression and localization of galectin 4 in rat stomach during postnatal development.

Galectins are lectins implicated in cell-cell or cell-matrix adhesion, cell growth, the cell cycle, transcription processes, and apoptosis, and some of them are differentially regulated during pre- or post-natal development. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether the expression of galectin 4 is relevant to developmental processes during postnatal development in the rat stomach. Galectin 4 expression in the rat gastric mucosa, between birth and adulthood, was studied at the protein and mRNA levels by western and northern blotting, respectively.

Enhanced radiosensitivity of rat autochthonous mammary tumors by dietary docosahexaenoic acid.

Dietary docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which integrates into tumor cell membranes, has been reported to enhance the efficacy against tumors of cytotoxic drugs that induce reactive oxygen species (ROS). Because ionizing radiation also generate ROS, we initiated a study to determine whether dietary DHA might sensitize mammary tumors to irradiation. Mammary tumors were induced by N-methylnitrosourea (NMU) in Sprague-Dawley rats.

Changes in tumor vascularization after irradiation, anthracyclin, or antiangiogenic treatment in nitrosomethyl ureas-induced rat mammary tumors.

Purpose: Changes in tumor vascularization may be involved in tumor regression after anticancer treatments. We therefore studied the relationship between tumor vascularization and tumor response according to treatment by irradiation (RT), epirubicin (EPI), or antiangiogenic agent TNP-470 in a nitrosomethyl-ureas-induced rat mammary tumor model by measuring the changes in tumor blood flow using high-frequency Power-Doppler sonography.

Experimental Design: Mammary tumors were induced in female Sprague-Dawley rats by a single s.

Regulation of the intestinal glycoprotein glycosylation during postnatal development: role of hormonal and nutritional factors.

This review focuses on the regulation of the glycoprotein glycosylation process in small intestine and colon during postnatal development. Glycoproteins play a prominent part in intestine as mucins secreted by the goblet cells and as molecules of biological interest largely present in the microvillus membrane of the enterocytes (digestive enzymes, transporters). The age-related changes in the intestinal glycosylation control the quality of glycan chains of glycoproteins.

Glucocorticoid-induced maturation of glycoprotein galactosylation and fucosylation processes in the rat small intestine.

We determined the role of glucocorticoids in the maturation of glycoprotein galactosylation and fucosylation processes in the rat small intestine during postnatal development. Treatment of suckling rats with hydrocortisone (HC) increased activities of an O-glycan: galactosyltransferase, and of an alpha-1,2-fucosyltransferase, through transcriptional regulation of the FTB gene. The activities of a fucosyltransferase inhibitor and of the enzymes responsible for the synthesis and degradation of GDP-fucose were unaffected by the treatment, whereas a fall in the activity of alpha-L-fucosidase was observed.

The mitochondria-associated endoplasmic-reticulum subcompartment (MAM fraction) of rat liver contains highly active sphingolipid-specific glycosyltransferases.

Although most glycosphingolipids (GSLs) are thought to be located in the outer leaflet of the plasma membrane, recent evidence indicates that GSLs and their precursor, ceramide, are also associated with intracellular organelles and, particularly, mitochondria. GSL biosynthesis starts with the formation of ceramide in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), which is transported by controversial mechanisms to the Golgi apparatus, where stepwise addition of monosaccharides on to ceramides takes place. We now report the presence of GSL-biosynthetic enzymes in a subcompartment of the ER previously characterized and termed 'mitochondria-associated membrane' (MAM).

Ceramide induces activation of the mitochondrial/caspases pathway in Jurkat and SCC61 cells sensitive to gamma-radiation but activation of this sequence is defective in radioresistant SQ20B cells.

Purpose: To clarify the molecular mechanisms leading to radiation-induced apoptosis or resistance, the kinetics (1-48 h) and sequence of events triggered in response to 10 Gy irradiation were investigated in three cell lines displaying a gradient of sensitivity to 7-rays.

Materials And Methods: Ceramide levels were measured by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Mitochondrial function was evaluated in terms of transmembrane potential (delta(psi)m), reactive oxygen species (ROS) and glutathione levels analysed by flow cytometry or HPLC.

[Study of a new commercial film for high energy photon dosimetry].

Dosimetric properties of a new film, the Extended Dose Range-EDR2, manufactured by Kodak, have been studied. We have established the response of the film versus dose and compared it with that of X-OMAT V films. We found a linear response with dose, for the range from 0.

Increasing endogenous ceramide using inhibitors of sphingolipid metabolism maximizes ionizing radiation-induced mitochondrial injury and apoptotic cell killing.

To enhance the killing effects of ionizing radiation, we amplified the endogenous ceramide signal in Jurkat cell cultures using 3 different inhibitors of sphingolipid metabolism: DL-PDMP, D-MAPP and imipramine. Of the various possible drug combinations, only DL-PDMP (20 microM) + imipramine (20 microM) and DL-PDMP (20 microM) + imipramine (20 microM) + D-MAPP (5 microM) induced a major increase in ceramide levels, reaching 240% and 340% of control values, respectively, after incubation for 48 hr. With these models, we demonstrate that endogenously formed ceramide triggers time- and concentration-dependent apoptosis through induction of mitochondrial injury and activation of the caspase pathway.

Subcellular distribution and metabolic fate of exogenous ceramides taken up by HL-60 cells.

Ceramides (Cer) are key intermediates in the metabolism of sphingomyelin and are also important second messengers. We report that natural long-chain ceramides added to the incubation medium in microgram amounts are internalized in HL-60 cells as well as the short-chain analogue C2-Cer and targeted to various subcellular compartments. No significant difference was detected in the ability of HL-60 cells to metabolize exogenous Cer containing a short (acetyl) versus long (palmitoyl or oleoyl) acyl chain.

Polyamine participation in the maturation of glycoprotein fucosylation, but not sialylation, in rat small intestine.

The aim of this study was to determine the role of polyamines in the diet-related maturation of the intestinal glycoprotein glycosylation during postnatal development in the rat. The activity of alpha-2,6-sialyltransferase and the sialylated forms of glycoproteins in the intestinal brush-border membranes were found to decrease considerably after weaning, in parallel with the intestinal level of putrescine. By contrast, the activity of alpha-1,2-fucosyltransferases, the mRNA levels for two alpha-1,2-fucosyltransferase genes, FTA and FTB, and the fucosylated forms of glycoproteins all increased after weaning, in parallel with the levels of spermidine and spermine.

Proteomics analysis of cellular response to oxidative stress. Evidence for in vivo overoxidation of peroxiredoxins at their active site.

The proteomics analysis reported here shows that a major cellular response to oxidative stress is the modification of several peroxiredoxins. An acidic form of the peroxiredoxins appeared to be systematically increased under oxidative stress conditions. Peroxiredoxins are enzymes catalyzing the destruction of peroxides.

Comparison of methods used to study cell death in an adherent tumoral cell line with moderate clonogenic radiosensitivity.

Our objective was to compare different methods for studying programmed cell death in adherent H460 non-small lung cancer cells of moderate clonogenic radiosensitivity. The major effect of gamma-radiation was found to be the release of cells from the substratum. The different methods gave complementary and unexpected information: a) with the TUNEL method, a few non-apoptotic cells were found in the culture medium; b) with the flow cytometry after propidium iodide labeling, some hypodiploid cells which remained attached to the substratum were apoptotic, as demonstrated by the effect of a caspase inhibitor; c) with the annexin V labeling, the detached cells were demonstrated either necrotic or very late apoptotic; d) the mitochondria transmembrane potential (deltapsim), measurements demonstrated that the mitochondria were implicated in cell death induced by gamma-radiation.

[Adenocarcinomas of the distal esophagus and cardia. Anatomy and volume of irradiation].

The esophagus is divided into four regions: cervical esophagus, intrathoracic esophagus with upper, mid and lower thoracic portion. Cancer may occur on each of these regions. Computed tomography of the thorax and superior abdomen and endoscopic ultrasound are necessary for reliable staging.

Calcium-binding properties of the mitochondrial channel-forming hydrophobic component.

A hydrophobic, low-molecular weight component extracted from mitochondria forms a Ca2+-activated ion channel in black-lipid membranes (Mironova et al., 1997). At pH 8.

[Gross tumor volume and clinical target volume: esophageal tumors].

The oesophagus is divided into four regions: cervical oesophagus, and intrathoracic oesophagus with an upper, mid- and lower thoracic portion. Cancer may occur on each of these regions. Computed tomography of the thorax and superior abdomen and endoscopic ultrasound are necessary for reliable staging.

Palmitic and stearic acids bind Ca2+ with high affinity and form nonspecific channels in black-lipid membranes. Possible relation to Ca2+-activated mitochondrial pores.

A mitochondrial hydrophobic component that forms Ca2+-induced nonspecific ion channels in black-lipid membranes (Mironova et al., 1997) has been purified and its nature elucidated. It consists of long-chain saturated fatty acids--mainly palmitic and stearic.

Temporal relationships between ceramide production, caspase activation and mitochondrial dysfunction in cell lines with varying sensitivity to anti-Fas-induced apoptosis.

To clarify the chronology of events leading to anti-Fas-induced apoptosis, and the mechanisms of resistance to this death effector, we compared the response kinetics of three tumour cell lines that display varying sensitivity to anti-Fas (based on levels of apoptosis), in terms of ceramide release, mitochondrial function and the caspase-activation pathway. In the highly sensitive Jurkat cell line, early caspase-8 activation, observed from 2 h after treatment, was chronologically associated with an acute depletion of glutathione and the cleavage of caspase-3 and poly-ADP ribosyl polymerase (PARP), followed by a progressive fall in the mitochondrial transmembrane potential (Delta(psi)m), between 4 and 48 h after treatment. Ceramide levels began to increase 2 h after the addition of anti-Fas (with no increase during the first hour), and increased continuously to 640% of control cells at 48 h.

Dietary spermidine and spermine participate in the maturation of galactosyltransferase activity and glycoprotein galactosylation in rat small intestine.

This study considered the role of dietary polyamines in the maturation of intestinal glycoprotein galactosylation during postnatal development. In the rat small intestine, O-glycan: beta-1,3-galactosyltransferase and N-glycan: beta-1,4-galactosyltransferase are, respectively, involved in the glycan chain biosynthesis of mucins and of glycoproteins in the brush border membranes. Their activities increase significantly at weaning, in parallel with a rise in the intestinal content of spermidine and spermine (as determined by high performance liquid chromatography) and in proportion to the polyamine increase in food intake.

Phospholipids reacylation and palmitoylcoa control tumour necrosis factor-alpha sensitivity.

From the hypothesis that in TNF-alpha-resistant cells the activity of mitochondrial phospholipase A2 could be reversed by a lysophospholipid acyltransferase, we report that the mitochondrial reacylation of phosphatidylcholine as phosphatidylethanolamine was considerably higher in C6 (TNF-alpha-resistant) than in WEHI-164 (TNF-alpha-sensitive) cells. TNF-alpha did not modify the phospholipids' reacylation in C6, while in WEHI-164 it was increased several-fold. These results suggest that TNF-alpha is not sufficient to restore the barrier permeability in sensitive cells, but may be enough to explain the absence of permeability change in resistant cells.