Granulocyte collagenase and cathepsin B in patients with cancer of digestive organs.

Investigation of granulocyte collagenase and cathepsin B activities in 53 patients with cancer of various digestive organs revealed that total collagenase, active collagenase and cathepsin B activities were found to be higher than normal. The mean total collagenase activity in patients with cancer of the stomach, pancreas or liver was significantly higher than control values. The mean active collagenase activity in patients with cancer of the colon or liver was also significantly higher than control values.

Plasma carcinoembryonic antigen and acinar cell carcinoma of the pancreas.

Seventeen patients with histologically proven pancreatic cancers were studied in order to clarify the relationship of histologic types to plasma carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) values. Two cases with marked elevation of plasma CEA values having 6100 ng/ml and 2500 ng/ml, respectively, disclosed histologically acinar cell carcinoma and mixed acinar and ductal cell carcinoma, respectively. Despite of massive hepatic metastases, the other 15 cases with ductal cell carcinoma, including 3 cases with cystadenocarcinoma, adenoacanthoma, and undifferentiated pancreatic cancer, respectively, showed normal or very modest elevation of plasma CEA values.

Collagenase activity in the granulocytes of patients with various liver diseases.

Studies were conducted on collagenase activity on peripheral granulocytes of patients with various liver diseases. Total collagenase activity increased significantly in chronic active hepatitis (CAH) and in liver cirrhosis (LC), and, in these disorders, it correlated with the extent to which hepatic fibrosis has progressed. Active collagenase activity increased in CAH, but no differences from normal controls were found in other liver diseases.

The target portion of acetaminophen induced hepatotoxicity in rats: modification by thiol compounds.

In order to determine the target portion of acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity, 750 mg per kg of body weight of acetaminophen was administered to male Wistar strain rats with or without the pretreatment of thiol compounds. In the liver, glutathione content decreased throughout the observation periods, and glutathione S-transferase initially, and later adenosine triphosphatase decreased, followed as elevations of aminotransferases and ornithione carbamoyltransferase in serum. The pretreatment of thiol compounds could not restore hepatic enzyme activities, but partially hepatic glutathione content and serum enzyme elevations.

Effect of prostaglandin inhibition by indomethacin on renal function in alcoholic versus non-alcoholic cirrhotic patients.

The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of inhibition of renal prostaglandin synthesis on renal function in 11 patients with alcoholic cirrhosis and 11 with non-alcoholic cirrhosis. After indomethacin administration to the 11 alcoholic patients, the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and effective renal plasma flow (RPF) decreased significantly (p less than 0.05), but were found to decrease more significantly in the non-alcoholic cirrhosis group.

Mechanism of the protective action of thiol compounds in ethanol-induced liver injury.

The protective action of cysteine or mercaptopropionylglycine (MPG) in acute ethanol-induced liver injury has been investigated in the rat. Cysteine accelerated clearance of ethanol and acetaldehyde from blood and liver and prevented an increase in hepatic content of triglyceride and serum ornithine carbamoyl transferase activity. MPG accelerated clearance of ethanol and acetaldehyde less efficiently but prevented an increase in these variables to the same degree.

Effects of phenobarbital on unconjugated bilirubin clearance, gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase and urinary d-glucaric acid in patients with Gilbert's syndrome.

Plasma unconjugated bilirubin kinetics, gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase (GGT) and urinary excretion of d-glucaric acid were determined in 7 patients with Gilbert's syndrome, before and after phenobarbital treatment. The clearance of unconjugated bilirubin from plasma was significantly improved after treatment (p less than 0.005).

Hepatic collagenolytic cathepsin in patients with chronic liver disease.

Human hepatic collagenolytic cathepsin consisted of a major component having a molecular weight of 25 000 and a minor one of 35 000; the former is indistinguishable for cathepsin B in its enzymatic properties. Hepatic collagenolytic cathepsin increased in chronic active liver disease in proportion to hepatic hydroxyproline content. The ratio of collagenolytic cathepsin to hepatic hydroxyproline content remained within the normal range in chronic hepatitis, but decreased significantly in cirrhosis.