Enzalutamide versus flutamide for castration-resistant prostate cancer after combined androgen blockade therapy with bicalutamide: the OCUU-CRPC study.

Background: Before the androgen target therapy era, flutamide was widely used for castration-resistant prostate cancer in Japan. Enzalutamide is currently the recommended treatment; however, the efficacy and safety of enzalutamide and flutamide after combined androgen blockade therapy with bicalutamide, has not been compared.

Methods: Patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer who received combined androgen blockade therapy with bicalutamide were randomly assigned to receive either enzalutamide or flutamide.

Prope tolerance to heart allografts in mice associated with persistence of donor interleukin-10-transduced stem cells.

Background: We previously reported that transduction of the human interleukin (IL)-10 gene into the total fetal liver stem cells (hIL-10-TFLs) of mice protects against their rejection in an allogeneic host. In this study, we explored the effects of these cells in two different models of organ transplantation.

Methods: Balb/c mice were sublethally irradiated before receiving skin or vascularized heterotopic heart grafts from C57Bl/6 mice.

Administration of the selective cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 inhibitor etodolac prolongs cardiac allograft survival in a mouse model.

Etodolac, a selective cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitor, is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug. COX-2 is a key factor in the progression of inflammation. Although inflammation is an essential pathologic feature of cardiac allograft rejection, the role of COX-2 in this process remains unclear.

Expression of lipoxygenase in human prostate cancer and growth reduction by its inhibitors.

The metabolism of arachidonic acid by either the cyclooxygenase (COX) or lipoxygenase (LOX) pathway generates eicosanoids, which have been implicated in the pathogenesis of a variety of human diseases, including cancer. They are believed to play important roles in tumor promotion, progression, and metastasis. Involvement of LOXs expression and function in tumor growth and metastasis has been reported in human tumor cell lines.

Urinary extracellular matrix measurement as a reliable and cost effective diagnostic tool for bladder tumors.

Although numerous markers for bladder tumor (BT) have been investigated, a more effective, less expensive test is needed. To address this issue, we examined the urinary extracellular matrix (U-ECM) measurement in urine from patients with BT, and investigated the U-ECM measurement and its correlation with tumor grade and invasion. We also investigated the U-ECM measurement to ascertain the condition of the bladder wall injured by transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TUR-bt).

The effect of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma ligand on urological cancer cells.

Peroxisome proliferator activator-receptor (PPAR)-gamma ligand induces growth arrest of cancer cells through apoptosis. In this study, we examined the effects of PPAR-gamma inhibitors on cell proliferation in renal cell carcinoma (RCC), bladder tumor (BT), and prostatic carcinoma (PC) cell lines. We investigated the inhibitory effect of PPAR-gamma ligands, troglitazone and 15-deoxy-Delta12,14-prostaglandin J2 (15dPGJ2) on RCC, BT and PC-derived cell lines using MTT assay and Hoechst staining.

Expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) in human urinary bladder carcinoma and growth inhibition by its agonists.

Recent studies have demonstrated that peroxisome proliferator activator-receptors(PPAR)-gamma is expressed in various cancer tissues and its ligand induces growth arrest of these cancer cells through apoptosis. In our study, we investigated the expression of PPAR-alpha, beta and gamma in human bladder tumor (BT) and normal bladder (NB) tissues as well as the effects of PPAR-gamma ligands. Specimens were obtained from 170 patients with BT and 20 with NB.

Expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors in human testicular cancer and growth inhibition by its agonists.

Objectives: To investigate the expression of peroxisome proliferator activator-receptor (PPAR)-alpha, beta, and gamma in human testicular cancer (TC) and normal testicular (NT) tissues, as well as the effects of the PPAR-gamma ligand. Recent studies have demonstrated that PPAR-gamma is expressed in various cancer tissues and its ligand induces growth arrest of these cancer cells through apoptosis. However, the expression of PPARs and the effects of PPAR-gamma ligand in testis have not been examined.

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) as a rapid diagnostic marker and its potential in the prevention of acute renal rejection.

Several investigators have reported that hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) may be related to the protection or reconstruction of the kidney during acute renal rejection. To address this question, we examined the relationship between HGF and acute rejection in the following two studies with rat renal transplantation models. In study 1, the relationship between serum HGF levels and acute renal rejection in iso-, allo- and allograft with cyclosporine (CsA)-treated models was examined.

Expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) in human prostate cancer.

Background: Recent studies have demonstrated that peroxisome proliferator activator-receptors (PPAR)-gamma is expressed in some cancer cells such as breast, lung, and gastric cancer, and its ligand induces growth arrest of these cancer cells through apoptosis. However, the expression and localization of PPARs in prostate have not been examined. In this study, PPARs expression was investigated in human prostate cancer (PC), prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN), benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), and normal prostate (NP) tissues.