Phosphorylation of inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate receptor 1 during in vitro maturation of porcine oocytes.

During fertilization in mammalian species, a sperm-induced intracellular Ca(2+) signal ([Ca(2+)](i)) mediates both exit of meiosis and oocyte activation. Recently, we demonstrated in mouse oocytes that the phosphorylation levels of inositol 1,4,5 trisphosphate receptor type1 (IP(3)R1), the channel responsible for Ca(2+) release and oscillations during fertilization, changed during maturation and fertilization. Therefore, we examined the expression and phosphorylation of IP(3)R1 during in vitro maturation of pig oocytes.

Laparoscopy-assisted total gastrectomy for a case of MALT lymphoma: a case report.

A case of laparoscopy-assisted total gastrectomy with regional lymph node dissection for MALT (mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue) lymphoma is reported. The patient was a 45-year-old male with MALT lymphoma. Eradication of Helicobacter pylori as the initial therapy had failed to halt progression of the tumor.

Telomerase activity as prognostic factor in gastrointestinal stromal tumors of the stomach.

Background/aims: Although size and mitotic counts have been reliable predictors of clinical outcome, identification of gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) of the stomach with a metastatic potential through hematoxylin and eosin staining is not always accurate. Telomerase activity, often detected in malignant tumors, may have a role as a marker for high-grade malignancy.

Methodology: Immunostaining with antibodies against KIT protein, CD34, and other molecules that are relevant for evaluation of cell differentiation and proliferation was performed for 36 primary gastric submucosal tumors to confirm the diagnosis of GIST.

PGP9.5 overexpression in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Background/aims: PGP9.5 is a ubiquitin hydrolase widely expressed in neuronal tissue at all stages of neuronal differentiation and has been used as a neuroendocrine marker. Recently, it has been proved that PGP9.

Colorectal cancers with both p16 and p14 methylation show invasive characteristics.

Recent studies indicated that p16 and p14 inactivation owing to promoter methylation was important for colorectal tumorigenesis. In this study, we examined the methylation status of these genes in 86 primary colorectal cancers using methylation-specific PCR (MSP) and correlated the results with the clinicopathological features of the patients. Aberrant promoter methylation of p16 and p14 genes was detected in 43 of 86 (50%) and 25 of 86 (29%) colorectal cancers, respectively.

Molecular detection of p16 promoter methylation in the serum of recurrent colorectal cancer patients.

We previously proved that p16 promoter methylation present in the tumors of colorectal cancer patients can be detected in the serum of those same patients using methylation-specific PCR (MSP). To seek the possibility that this technique could be applied to the monitoring of cancer recurrence, we examined the p16 methylation using MSP. We detected tumor DNA in the serum of 31 of 45 (69%) patients with recurrent colorectal cancer.

A cancer-prone case with a background of methylation of p16 tumor suppressor gene.

Purpose And Experimental Design: To date, the presence of p16 gene promoter methylation associated with loss of protein expression has been demonstrated frequently in digestive tract cancers. In this study, we tested for the methylation status of p16 promoter in normal tissue specimens using the methylation-specific PCR technique to examine whether p16 methylation already existed in the background of tumors.

Results: Aberrant promoter methylation of p16 gene was detected in 1 of 40 esophageal and 1 of 69 gastric and no colorectal epithelium specimens, and these 2 specimens were derived from the same patient.

Laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy with systemic lymph node dissection for early gastric carcinoma: a review of 43 cases.

Background: Recently, laparoscopy and laparoscopy-assisted surgery have been used increasingly as less-invasive alternatives to conventional open surgery. But the use of this approach in gastric carcinoma has received little attention, possibly from the low incidence of early-stage disease in the West and the relative complexity of the surgical procedure.

Study Design: A prospective feasibility study of laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy was performed in patients with histologically confirmed gastric carcinoma located in the lower or middle third of the stomach.

Molecular detection of p16 promoter methylation in the serum of colorectal cancer patients.

Assays based on the molecular detection of genetic changes in serum have been shown as potential diagnostic tools for colorectal cancer. We examined the methylation status of p16 in colorectal cancers using methylation-specific PCR (MSP). Forty-four of 94 (47%) cancer DNA exhibited abnormal promoter methylation of p16 gene while no corresponding normal DNA exhibited such methylation.

Molecular detection of circulating esophageal squamous cell cancer cells in the peripheral blood.

Purpose And Experimental Design: To detect surgically resectable tumors earlier and improve the prognosis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients, we examined deltaNp63 expression that was specific for squamous cell carcinoma in blood samples obtained from 43 esophageal cancer patients.

Results: Seventeen of 33 (52%) patients with primary esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and 6 of 10 (60%) patients with postoperative recurrent squamous cell carcinoma had detectable deltaNp63 expression in their peripheral blood using deltaNp63-specific reverse transcription-PCR. Furthermore, deltaNp63 is a more sensitive marker compared with other commonly used tumor markers such as squamous cell carcinoma-associated antigen and carcinoembryonic antigen.

Effect of transfection with human interferon-beta gene entrapped in cationic multilamellar liposomes in combination with 5-fluorouracil on the growth of human esophageal cancer cells in vitro.

When human esophageal cancer cells were transfected with the human interferon-beta (hIFN-beta) gene entrapped in cationic multilamellar liposomes, the growth of all cancer cells tested was suppressed in a dose-dependent manner. The 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) of the hIFN-beta gene entrapped in the liposomes ranged from 16 to 176 ng plasmid DNA/ml culture medium. Among the 10 cell lines examined, NUEC3, NUEC4, TE-3 and WSSC cell lines were highly susceptible to transfection with this gene entrapped in the liposomes.

Phase II study of paclitaxel with 3-h infusion in patients with advanced gastric cancer.

Background: To increase the options for agents for gastric cancer chemotherapy, we performed a phase II clinical trial on the use of a 3-h infusion of paclitaxel to confirm its efficacy and the feasibility of its use in patients with advanced gastric cancer.

Methods: Thirty-two (32) patients with measurable metastatic gastric cancer were enrolled in this study. Seventeen patients (53%) had received prior chemotherapy for metastatic disease, 4 patients (13%) had adjuvant chemotherapy alone, and 11 patients (34%) were chemotherapy-naive.

Evaluation of the histoculture drug response assay as a sensitivity test for anticancer agents.

Purpose: To investigate whether the effects of anticancer agents are able to be predicted, the results of sensitivity tests on anticancer agents were compared with the results of preoperative chemotherapy.

Methods: Biopsies were taken from 25 patients with esophageal cancer and 10 with gastric cancer, before chemotherapy, and the drug sensitivity was determined after culturing for 1 week. The chemotherapy consisted of low-dose cis-diamino-dichloroplatinum + 5-fluorouracil, and its clinical effect was determined after 3 or 5 weeks.

Quantitative detection of CEA expressing free tumor cells in the peripheral blood of colorectal cancer patients during surgery with real-time RT-PCR on a LightCycler.

We applied novel real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) with a LightCycler for quantitative detection of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) mRNA expressing tumor cells in the peripheral blood of colorectal cancer patients. Analysis of peripheral blood samples from 99 potentially curative colorectal cancer patients revealed a significantly higher mean CEA mRNA value in post-operative bloods (18.71) than in pre-operative blood (1.

Modification of adriamycin pharmacokinetics by direct electric current in rats.

Adriamycin (ADR, doxorubicin), a drug having cardiotoxicity, is electrically charged as a cation in blood. We therefore investigated whether iontophoresis caused by direct electric current (DC; 50 microA, 90 min) would cause systemic modification of ADR pharmacokinetics. Cathode and anode were placed into a right kidney and muscles of the abdominal wall, respectively, in six Donryu rats.

PGP9.5 as a marker for invasive colorectal cancer.

Purpose And Experimental Design: We proved recently that PGP9.5-negative pancreatic cancer patients had significantly better survival rates compared with those who were PGP9.5 positive, and PGP9.