Impact of Light Shielding on Photo-Degradation of Dacarbazine during the Preparation Process.

Dacarbazine (DTIC) is converted to the photo-degradation product 4-diazoimidazole-5-carboxamide (Diazo-IC) by light. Diazo-IC production is often responsible for the pain reactions observed during peripheral intravenous infusion of DTIC in clinical settings. Although light shielding during infusion decreases the photo-degradation of DTIC, its usefulness for the preparation of DTIC has not yet been fully clarified.

Spatial distributions of and diurnal variations in low molecular weight carbonyl compounds in coastal seawater, and the controlling factors.

We studied the spatial distributions of and the diurnal variations in four low molecular weight (LMW) carbonyl compounds, formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, propionaldehyde, and glyoxal, in coastal seawater. The samples were taken from the coastal areas of Hiroshima Bay, the Iyo Nada, and the Bungo Channel, western Japan. The formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, and glyoxal concentrations were higher in the northern part of Hiroshima Bay than at offshore sampling points in the Iyo Nada and the Bungo Channel.

Intraoperative Neural Mobility and Postoperative Neurological Recovery in Anterior Cervical Decompression Surgery: Evaluation With Intraoperative Sonography.

Study Design: A study using intraoperative sonography (IOS) was conducted for evaluating neural mobility in anterior cervical decompression surgery.

Objectives: To analyze decompression status and mobility of the spinal cord and the nerve root during anterior cervical decompression and to clarify its relevance to the postoperative neurological recovery.

Summary Of Background Data: Several papers introduced the usefulness of IOS assessments; however, there have been no reports systematically evaluating the neural mobility in anterior cervical decompression surgery.

Lipid rafts serve as signaling platforms for Tie2 receptor tyrosine kinase in vascular endothelial cells.

The Tie2 receptor tyrosine kinase plays a pivotal role in vascular and hematopoietic development. The major intracellular signaling systems activated by Tie2 in response to Angiopoietin-1 (Ang1) include the Akt and Erk1/2 pathways. Here, we investigated the role of cholesterol-rich plasma membrane microdomains (lipid rafts) in Tie2 regulation.

Involvement of MDR1 function in proliferation of tumour cells.

Mdr1 is a multi-drug-resistance protein, a member of the adenosine triphosphate-binding cassette family of drug transporters. Mdr1 is expressed in wide variety of cells and limits absorption of toxicants into the body or tissue; however, it is also expressed in many cancer cells and can render tumour cells resistant to many anti-cancer drugs. Mdr1 is well studied as a multi-drug resistance transporter, but little is known regarding its other role in tumour cells.

EphB4 overexpression in B16 melanoma cells affects arterial-venous patterning in tumor angiogenesis.

EphB4 receptor and its ligand ephrinB2 play an important role in vascular development during embryogenesis. In blood vessels, ephrinB2 is expressed in arterial endothelial cells (EC) and mesenchymal supporting cells, whereas EphB4 is only expressed in venous ECs. Previously, we reported that OP9 stromal cells, which support the development of both arterial and venous ECs, in which EphB4 was overexpressed, could inhibit ephrinB2-positive (ephrinB2+) EC development in an embryonic tissue organ culture system.

Rapid and highly sensitive determination of low-molecular-weight carbonyl compounds in drinking water and natural water by preconcentration HPLC with 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine.

The aim of this research was to develop a simple procedure for a highly sensitive determination of low-molecular-weight (LMW) carbonyl compounds in drinking water and natural water. We employed a preconcentration HPLC system with 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNPH) for the determination of LMW carbonyl compounds. A C-18 reverse-phase preconcentration column was used instead of a sample loop at the sample injection valve.

Preventive effects of a water-soluble derivative of chroman moiety of vitamin E on lipid hydroperoxide-induced cell injuries and DNA cleavages through repressions of oxidative stress in the cytoplasm of human keratinocytes.

ChrCrx (6-hydroxy-2, 5, 7, 8-tetramethyl-chroman-2-carboxylic acid) is a water-soluble analog in which 4', 8', 12'-trimethyltridecyl chain is deleted from an alpha-tocopherol molecule known as a hydrophobic antioxidant. Cell viability of human skin epidermal keratinocytes HaCaT was lowered by treatment with tert-butylhydroperoxide (t-BuOOH) of 50 microM for 48 h, designated as a subacute cytotoxicity, which was prevented by previous administration with ChrCrx in a dose-dependent manner as estimated by mitochondrial function-based WST-1 assay and cell morphological microscopy. In contrast an acute cytotoxicity due to treatment with t-BuOOH as dense as 200 microM for a period as short as 2 h could be also prevented with ChrCrx that was administered before and after, but was eliminated during, treatment with t-BuOOH.