Effect of Cathepsine L1 on Transformation of Malignant Melanoma B16 Cells into Melanocytes.

We studied the effects of cathepsins produced by immunocompetent cells of intact mice, mice with B16 melanoma, mice with removed B16 melanoma, and mice with removed Ehrlich carcinoma on the growth of B16 melanoma. Incubation of B16 melanoma cells with cathepsins from immunocompetent cells of intact mice, mice with B16 melanoma, and mice with removed Ehrlich carcinoma did not affect tumor growth. Incubation of B16 melanoma cells with cathepsin from immunocompetent cells of mice with removed B16 melanoma was followed by complete loss of malignancy by these cells.

Conformational changes in inter-α-trypsin inhibitor heavy chain 4 activate its tumor-specific activity in mice with B16 melanoma.

It is known that blood serum proteins of tumor‑bearing mice display tumor‑specific activity. However, to date, the nature of this activity has remained elusive, and no tumor‑specific proteins have been detected in the blood serum of tumor‑bearing animals compared with those in healthy animals. The present study postulated and investigated the hypothesis that the observed tumor‑specific activity of the blood serum proteins is not associated with the appearance of novel serum proteins but with changes in the conformation of the existing ones.

Changes in the serum protein composition in mice with transplanted Ehrlich's carcinoma.

Injection of blood serum from mice with Ehrlich's carcinoma stimulates the growth of transplanted tumor, which proves the presence of tumor-specific factors in the serum. Experiments on (CBA×C57Bl/6)F1 male mice with transplanted Ehrlich's carcinoma demonstrated the appearance of new proteins in the serum, some of them are identified. The authors suggest continuing the search for tumor-associated factor by combining proteomic analytical methods and testing of identified candidate proteins for their effects on tumor growth.

Effect of a combination of extract from several plants on cell-mediated and humoral immunity of patients with advanced ovarian cancer.

The influence of a plant preparation AdMax (Nulab Inc., Clearwater, FL, USA) on immunity in ovarian cancer patients was studied. The preparation is a combination of dried ethanol/water extracts from roots of Leuzea carthamoides, Rhodiola rosea, Eleutherococcus senticosus and fruits of Schizandra chinensis.

[The oxidative stress in platelets of patients with ovary cancer as observed at chemotherapy].

Disorders in the main chains of platelet antioxidant protection were examined in 32 patients with primarily-diagnosed ovary cancer who were postoperatively receiving chemotherapy according to PC. The activity of antioxidant-protection enzymes (superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutation-S-transferase) as well as the content of malonic dialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione were examined after each course of chemotherapy. The data obtained were compared with the aggregation ability of platelets, with the content of fibrinogen and with the count of platelets.