An experimental study of the impact of cancer on nitrogen metabolism and wound healing.

In Wistar rats bearing a Walker-256 carcinoma flank tumor, a standard skin wound was inflicted on the backs of the animals. Nitrogen intake and nitrogen balance measures were obtained. The standard wound did not promote tumor growth. Wound contraction in tumor-bearing animals was not different from that in tumor-free animals. Tumor-bearing rats had anorexia, lower nitrogen intake and a tendency to lower their nitrogen balance. These findings suggest that both cancer and wound healing are privileged metabolic events, having as a consequence sacrifice of the host.

The role of surgery in the treatment of primary gastric lymphoma.

The present retrospective study of 23 patients with primary gastric lymphoma had the objective of determining the role of surgical treatment on survival. All patients were submitted to gastric resection with regional lymph node removal. Nine patients (39.1%) received supplementary treatment (chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy). According to the Kiel classification, the most frequent histological type was the centroblastic (29.1%), and most patients (60.9%) had a low-grade lymphoma. According to the Ann Arbor classification, modified by Musshoff and Schmidt-Vollmer, stages were IE in 52.1%, II1E in 8.7%, II2E in 13.1%, and IV in 26.1% of the cases. Mean survival was 29.3 months. The variables that influenced survival rates were age, advanced stage tumor, and receiving postoperative adjuvant therapy. Analysis of our cases suggests that complete lesion resection along with adjacent lymph nodes, and supplementary postoperative treatment is the best approach for a resectable primary gastric lymphoma.

[Bacteriology of the bile in cholecystopathies. Radiological association]. / Bacteriologia da bile em colecistopatias. Associação radiológica.

A clinicobacteriological survey was undertaken in 55 patients undergoing biliary surgery, because of chronic and acute cholecystitis. Some radiological preoperative and operative aspects were analised in order to detect any relation of these aspects with biliary tract infection. The bile cultures were positive in 34,5% and 20,0% for aerobes an anaerobes microorganisms respectively. The microorganisms most frequently isolated were Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella, Bacteroides sp and Clostridium sp, as aerobian and anaerobian. The statistical analysis showed significance between the presence of bacteria in the biliary tract and pathological operative cholangiography. It had not significance with the radiological preoperative aspects.

[Chronic digestive loss of plasma proteins evaluated with 51Cr-albumin in Billroth I and II gastrectomized patients]. / Perdas digestivas crônicas de proteínas plasmáticas avaliadas com albumina 51Cr em gastrectomizados à Billroth I e II.

The digestive clearance of albumin 51Cr was determined in patients submitted to gastrectomy due to peptic ulcer, 6 to 18 months after surgery. Patients were of both sexes, with ages varying from 24 to 70 years. Reconstruction after resection was according to Billroth I and II techniques (groups B and C). The group of control (group A) presented no digestive illness. Each group was represented by 10 individuals. The mean value and respective standard derivation for each group was respectively: Group A: 16,4 +/- 4,6; Group B: 22,0 +/- 8,1; Group C: 35,8 +/- 14,4. Comparing the mean values according to the Tukey test, significance was observed at the alpha = 0.05 level between A and C groups and B and C ones.

[Gastric epithelioid leiomyoma (leiomyoblastoma). Analysis of a case and review of the literature]. / Leiomioma epitelióide gástrico (leiomioblastoma). Análise de um caso e revisão da literatura.

The authors report a case of gastric epithelial leiomyoma (leiomyoblastoma). Macroscopically, such tumors resemble leiomyoma, with a biological behavior between leiomyoma and leiomyosarcoma. A review of the medical literature indicates that gastrointestinal bleeding is the most usual manifestation. Gastrointestinal seriography and endoscopy are the most utilized diagnostic exams. The endoscopic biopsy, many times, is unable to confirm the malignant or benign nature of the tumor. It is emphasized the importance of identifying the potentially malignant tendency of the tumor, indicated, mainly, by histology and mitotic counting. The treatment is surgical and consists of local or gastric resection, according to the neoplastic localization, its extension, infiltration, biological nature and the presence of multiple tumors. In the case reported, the patient was operated in urgency because of hemoperitoneum and the source of bleeding was a neoplastic vessel in the anterior wall of the antrum, which was not resected at that time. Later on, a biopsy of the gastric tumor performed during a routine surgery disclosed the real nature of the disease. Once the histopathological diagnostic was made and its potential malignant evolution detected the patient was re-operated. A partial gastrectomy with removal of the antrum was performed. Now, the patient has been asymptomatic with no evidences of metastasis after 30 months of the diagnostic.

[Body composition changes in cancer: an experimental study]. / Alterações da composição corpórea no câncer: estudo experimental.

With the aim to study body composition changes in tumor bearing rats submitted to different nutritional conditions, Wistar rats were separated in three diet groups: regular chow, aproteic diet and regular chow after three weeks of aproteic diet. Afterwards the animals were divided in two subgroups: Waler 256 carcinossarcoma bearing rats and tumor free controls. After the sacrifice body composition measurements by the carcass analysis method were performed. Tumor bearing rats presented significant waste of total body fat, body cell mass and increase of Na/K ratio without relation to the nutritional regimen. From this data we conclude that Walker 256 carcinosarcoma causes protein caloric malnutrition even in already depleted rats. After adequate refeeding, body composition rebuilding was obtained in tumor bearing malnourished rats.

[Effects of parenteral nutrition on tumor growth: experimental aspects]. / Efeitos da nutrição parenteral sobre o desenvolvimento tumoral: aspectos experimentais.

There still exist controversies about the effect of parenteral nutrition on cancer growth. For elucidation of this question the development of Walker 256 carcinosarcoma in rats submitted to parenteral nutrition (PN) was studied. Thirty-five Wistar rats were randomly distributed in three groups: OT group (11), tumor-bearing animals always under oral feeding for 14 days; PC group (14), tumor free animals under PN for 7 days; PT group (10), tumor-bearing rats under PT for 7 days. PT solution contained 15% glucose, 3% aminoacids and essential micronutrients. Body and tumor weight (in OT and PT groups) were evaluated daily. Carcass weight was obtained by the difference between the body and tumor weight. The rats of the PC group had an initial body weight loss that became stabilized afterwards at a lower plateau level. The rats of the PT group also presented an initial body weight loss recovered progressively afterwards. This difference is probably due to tumor mass expansion in PT animals, since PT rats carcass weight remained similar to that of body weight in PC group. The tumor growth has shown no difference between the oral and parenteral feeding groups, particularly when tumor weight/carcass weight ratio was considered. It is concluded that parenteral nutrition does not favor tumor growth in detriment to carcass weight development.

[Influences of antitumoral chemotherapy on body composition and nitrogen balance: experimental study]. / Conseqüências da quimioterapia antitumoral sobre a composição corpórea e o balanço nitrogenado: estudo experimental.

An experimental study was carried out with the purpose to examine the 4-epidoxorubicine (4-EPI) action on malignant tumor development and its repercussion on nutritional conditions of the host. Cancer and chemotherapy can generate malnutrition. In order to study the nutritional repercussions, 48 host Wistar rats were divided into 5 groups: Group C: 12 control rats; Group T: 5 rats bearing Walker-256 carcinosarcoma; Group TE: 11 rats given 4-epidoxorubicine (4-EPI) EV simultaneously with tumor implantation; Group T6E: 8 rats given 4-EPI 6 days after the tumor implantation; Group E: 11 rats given only 4-EPI. Tumor and carcass weight and nitrogen balance (by measuring total nitrogen ingested and excreted) were determined daily; the animals were sacrificed on the 20th day of the experiment and material was collected for determination of body composition parameters. A variance analysis was made and the differences were considered to be significative at p less than 0.05. A loss of food during a period following the 4-EPI injection was reflected by carcass weight loss. The accumulated nitrogen incorporation was lower in Groups TE and T6E in the periods of 0-5 days, 0-14 days, and 0-20 days. As for body composition it was verified that free fat solids and total body fat were reduced in Groups T ant T6E when compared to group C. However, 20 days after the use of 4-EPI there were no significative changes in the body composition. In rats bearing Walker-256-carcinosarcoma 4-EPI was effective.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Restaging of colorectal cancer based on the identification of lymph node micrometastases through immunoperoxidase staining of CEA and cytokeratins.

The present study was performed to identify tumor cells in lymph nodes from colorectal adenocarcinomas considered free of disease by the classic hematoxylin-eosin stain, based on the detection of the carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and cytokeratins in neoplastic epithelial cells. For this purpose, 603 lymph nodes from 46 lesions were stained by the peroxidase-antiperoxidase technique. Tumor cells were detected in 22 nodes from 12 patients, mainly in the subcapsular sinuses, permitting a restaging of these patients into two groups: those now considered to have metastatic disease and those free of metastases. However, the 5-year follow-up showed no statistical differences in survival between the two groups.