[Evaluation of effective neo-adjuvant chemotherapy (FLEP therapy) in the treatment of advanced gastric cancer].

Ten patients with non-resectable gastric cancer were subjected to a neo-adjuvant chemotherapy (FLEP therapy), consisting of 4 drugs (leucovorin and 5-FU i.v., CDDP and etoposide i.

Ethanol-induced focal cell necrosis via microcirculatory disturbance in the perfused rat liver.

In the perfused rat liver, infusion of ethanol induced an initial increase in portal pressure which is an indicator of vasoconstriction and a subsequent increase in lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) release, which is an indicator of cell damage in a dose-dependent fashion. Simultaneous infusion of sodium nitroprusside, a potent vasodilator, (100 microM) inhibited the increases in portal pressure and LDH release. Focal hepatocellular necrosis evidenced by trypan-blue stained cell nuclei were localized in midzonal and pericentral area of the liver lobules at 60 min after ethanol load.

Conformational modification enhances myasthenogenicity in synthetic peptide of acetylcholine receptor alpha-subunit.

The induction of myasthenia gravis depends on linked recognition of antigenic sites of acetylcholine receptor (AChR) by B-cells and T-cells. The former is conformationally restrained, and the latter is under the MHC class II restriction. We synthesized an artificially formed peptide (model peptide) by coupling the alpha 190-195 selected as B-cell site and cholinergic binding site and the alpha-107-116 selected as T-cell site and agretope with the intervening chain segment aligned as Asn-Pro-Gly-Gly (NPGG) to adopt beta-turn conformation.

[Digital subtraction angiography for congenital heart disease].

From January 1988 to May 1989, ten infant patients (15 times) with congenital heart disease were studied by digital subtraction angiography (DSA) pre and/or postoperatively. The diagnoses of the patients include total anomalous pulmonary venous return (TAPVR), transposition of great arteries, patent ductus arteriosus with pulmonary hypertension, giant hemangioma of the left leg, asplenia (two cases), tetralogy of Fallot (two), and tricuspid atresia (two). Two newborn patients (TAPVR, giant hemangioma) were in critical condition preoperatively, but were diagnosed precisely and nonivasively by DSA.

Papilloma of renal pelvis in childhood.

A papilloma in the renal pelvis of a five-year-old girl is reported. The transitional cell tumors of the renal pelvis in the pediatric age group are reviewed, and this is found to be the first case of a benign papilloma in childhood. We believe this pathologic entity should be included in the differential diagnosis of hematuria in a child.

[Usefulness of combining a immunological fecal occult blood test (latex method) with a chemical test (guaiac method)].

A combination tests, using the latex and guaiac methods, has been carried out in 123 patients with a gastrointestinal disease and in 38 controls. The latex method was positive in 8% of the 38 controls, in 84% of 32 colorectal carcinoma patients, in 42% of 24 colonic polyp patients, in 22% of 9 gastric carcinoma patients, and in 22% of gastric ulcer patients in an active phase of their illness, whereas the guaiac method was positive in 39%, 81%, 58%, 78%, and 89% in the same order, respectively. From the above, a combination of both methods was found useful for the screening of hemorrhage in the gastrointestinal tract.

[Evaluation of the anti-ulcer drugs using image analysis technology: effect of aldioxa containing preparation on the experimental gastric ulcer in rats].

Direct measurements under a microscope have been employed to evaluate experimental gastric ulcers, but the following problems have been left unsettled: it takes too much time, and much experience is required to perform accurate, objective measurements. The present study demonstrates the usefulness of image analysis technology for evaluating anti-ulcer drugs. With this newly developed method, the region of gastric mucosal injury can be automatically and/or mechanically chosen on the basis of three different factors: intensity, hue and purity.

Papillary hyperplasia of the pancreas.

We report the first case of surgically resected pure papillary hyperplasia of the pancreas. Interestingly, it was not associated with chronic pancreatitis or pancreatic cancer. Histologic and immunohistochemical features are described, with a review of the literature on papillary hyperplasia of the pancreas.

Antigen-dependent and -independent proliferative T-cell populations in the peritoneal exudate cells of immunized mice.

In vitro proliferative responses of T lymphocytes in the peritoneal exudate cells of C3H/HeN(Iak) mice immunized with horse red blood cells (HRBC) were examined by determining the uptake of tritiated thymidine [( 3H]TdR) into the cells. Although the cells showed a basal proliferative response in the absence of antigen, addition of specific antigen increased the response sharply. Both the basal response and that stimulated by antigen disappeared if the cells had been previously treated with complement and anti-Iak antibody (AIak), anti-MAC-1 antibody (AMAC-1) or anti-Thy-1 antibody, but not anti-Ig antibody.

Effect of black-pigmented Bacteroides gingivalis on cytotoxic activity of linolenic acid against mouse macrophages.

The effects of sonicates of black-pigmented Bacteroides gingivalis (Bg-sonicates) on the cytotoxicity of linolenic acid (LA) against mouse macrophages were examined. Treatment of macrophages with LA alone or in combination with Bg-sonicates resulted in the release of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) from the cells. This observation suggests the cytotoxicity of LA.

Hemodynamic study of occlusion of the splenic vein caused by carcinoma of the pancreas.

The most common cause of occlusion of the splenic vein is pancreatic disease, such as pancreatitis or carcinoma of the pancreas. As compared with benign causes, carcinoma of the pancreatic body or tail may readily involve not only the splenic vein, but also, eventually, the splenic artery. Therefore, the clinical features of occlusion of the splenic vein may be profoundly altered according to the nature of the underlying causes.

A monoclonal antibody, KM10 reactive with human gastrointestinal cancer and its application for immunotherapy.

A monoclonal antibody, KM10 (IgG1) was produced by fusing spleen cells from a human gastric cancer cell (MKN45)-primed BALB/c mouse with the murine myeloma cell line X63-Ag8-653. The antibody reacted strongly with the plasma membrane of human gastrointestinal carcinoma. Sections of the malignant and benign tissues were tested with immunoperoxidase.

Identification of benidipine hydrochloride metabolites in rats and dogs.

A study of the metabolism of [14C]-(+/-)-(R*)-2,6-dimethyl-4-(m-nitrophenyl)- 1,4-dihydropyridine-3, 5- dicarboxylic acid (R*)-1-benzyl-3-piperdidinyl ester, methyl ester hydrochloride (14C-benidipine hydrochloride, 14C-KW-3049) revealed as major metabolic pathways oxidative N-dealkylation, hydrolysis of the ester moiety, dehydrogenation of the 1,4-dihydropyridine ring, hydroxylation of the methyl group and decarboxylation in rat and dog. Rat and dog showed similar metabolic pathways, but some quantitative differences were found between rat and dog.

Renal cell carcinoma with solitary contralateral adrenal metastasis.

We report on 2 cases of renal cell carcinoma with solitary contralateral adrenal metastasis which was demonstrated six months and one year, respectively, after radical nephrectomy. Pulmonary metastases developed six months after adrenalectomy in 1 patient; the other patient is alive without any evidence of disease twenty-two months after adrenalectomy.

Myasthenogenic significance of synthetic alpha-subunit peptide 183-200 of Torpedo californica and human acetylcholine receptor.

Synthetic peptides of the Torpedo californica and human acetylcholine receptor alpha-subunit, Gly183-Asp200, were studied. Both peptides bound alpha-bungarotoxin to a significant extent, and inhibited toxin-binding with Torpedo or human acetylcholine receptor. The human peptide was, however, less potent than the Torpedo peptide.

[Clinical study on the effect of chemotherapy in the treatment of pancreatic cancer].

The effect of chemotherapy in the treatment of pancreatic cancer was evaluated on the basis of prognosis in 299 patients treated at the Kobe University Hospital and the Interhospital Cooperative Study Group for Multidisciplinary Approaches to Treatment of Pancreatic and Biliary Cancer. One hundred forty-three patients with pancreatic cancer were treated with a number of chemotherapeutic agents, while ninety-eight patients did not receive any chemotherapy. There were no significant differences in clinical characteristics between the two groups.

[A monoclonal antibody, KM10 reactive with human gastrointestinal cancer].

A monoclonal antibody, KM10 (IgG1) was produced by fusing spleen cells from a human gastric cancer cell-primed BALB/c mouse with the murine myeloma cell line X63-Ag8-653. The antibody reacted strongly with the plasma membrane of human gastro-intestinal carcinoma. Sections of both malignant and benign tissues were tested with immunoperoxidase.

Experimental studies on fluosol DA administration in acute pancreatitis.

Therapeutic use of the perfluorochemical emulsion, Fluosol DA, in acute pancreatitis was experimentally discussed in view of maintaining the local blood flow and oxygen supply in the pancreas to avoid further aggravation of pancreatitis. Acute pancreatitis was induced by deoxycholate injection into the pancreatic duct in adult mongrel dogs. Fluosol DA or 6% hydroxyethylstarch (HES) solution as control was transfused at 20 ml/kg/hour for the first 3 hours.