Prophylactic effect of rikkunshito, an herbal medicine, for chemotherapy-induced nausea in thoracic cancer patients receiving carboplatin-based chemotherapy.

Rikkunshito has been shown to improve upper gastrointestinal symptoms and anorexia. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether rikkunshito improves chemotherapy-induced nausea in thoracic cancer patients receiving carboplatin (CBDCA)-based chemotherapy. A retrospective before-and-after comparison study was conducted in patients with thoracic cancer receiving the first cycle of CBDCA-based chemotherapy. Among 61 eligible patients, 34 received standard antiemetic therapy with a combination of 5-hydroxytryptamine-3 receptor antagonist and dexamethasone from September 2012 and June 2013 (standard group), while the other 27 received the standard antiemetic therapy plus oral rikkunshito from July 2013 and December 2014 (rikkunshito group). The rates of no nausea showed no significant difference between the standard and rikkunshito group (Overall phase: 64.7 % for standard group vs 74.1 % for rikkunshito group, p = 0.579). Subgroup analysis indicated that, in female patients, the rates of no nausea in rikkunshito groups was significantly higher than in standard group (overall phase: 44.4 % vs 100 %, p = 0.034). Rikkunshito did not demonstrate an additional prophylactic effect on standard antiemetic therapy for nausea in patients with thoracic cancer receiving CBDCA-based chemotherapy, but showed a prophylactic effect of nausea in female patients.

Indoor flow datasets of two-layered cross-ventilation models by particle image velocimetry and hot wire anemometry.

This data article provides temporally and spatially high-resolution datasets of the indoor velocity fields for cross-ventilation models of two-layered simplified buildings separated by a second floor at the middle height with an opening using wind-tunnel experiments. The datasets are based on the research article entitled "Quantifying natural cross-ventilation flow of a two-layered model used for terraced houses in tropical zones by particle image velocimetry" by Ali et al. [1]. Two cases are considered based on the positions of the inlet and outlet openings on each floor. The measurements were conducted using hot-wire anemometry (HWA) with 10,000 Hz and particle image velocimetry (PIV) with 1000 Hz for a sufficiently long period to determine reliable statistics of the mean, variances, and covariances. In addition, the article provides the instantaneous datasets of two velocity components determined by PIV for the cross-ventilation models. The datasets can be used for both computational fluid dynamics (CFD) validation and further investigation of turbulent flow nature of the multi-layer cross ventilation flow.

HER2/neu antisense targeting of human breast carcinoma.

Overexpression of the HER2/neu oncogene is observed in approximately 30% of human breast carcinoma specimens. HER2/neu overexpression is a negative prognostic factor in breast cancer patients. Cancer cells that overexpress HER2/neu may also be less sensitive to chemotherapy. In order to further define mechanisms by which HER2/neu overexpression drives neoplastic cell growth and chemoresistance, antisense oligonucleotides (ODNs) have been utilized to selectively down-regulate HER2/neu expression in human breast cancer cells. Such antisense ODNs suppress HER2/neu mRNA and protein levels in a dose-dependent, sequence-specific manner. Down-regulation of HER2/neu expression in HER2/neu overexpressing breast cancer cells inhibits cell cycle progression in G0/G1 and results in apoptotic cell death. In tissue culture studies, combined treatment of HER2/ neu overexpressing breast cancer cells with HER2/neu antisense ODNs and conventional chemotherapeutic agents results in synergistic inhibition of cancer cell growth and activation of apoptotic cell death mechanisms. These studies have been extended to demonstrate synergistic antitumor effects following systemic treatment with antisense ODNs plus doxorubicin in nude mice bearing human breast carcinoma xenografts. Collectively these findings demonstrate that HER2/neu overexpression stimulates anti-apoptotic cell survival mechanisms and suggest that HER2/neu antisense ODNs may be of use in cancer therapeutics.

Synergistic antitumor effects of HER2/neu antisense oligodeoxynucleotides and conventional chemotherapeutic agents.

BACKGROUND: The HER2/neu oncogene is overexpressed in a substantial fraction of human tumors. HER2/neu overexpressing tumors may be intrinsically resistant to chemotherapy. The present study examined the ability of antisense-mediated downregulation of HER2/neu expression to enhance the antitumor effects of conventional chemotherapeutic agents against human tumor cells that overexpress HER2/neu. METHODS: The effects of HER2/neu antisense oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs) on the growth inhibitory and proapoptotic activity of several distinct chemotherapeutic agents were examined in vitro. In vivo effects of HER2/neu antisense ODNs in combination with doxorubicin hydrochloride were assessed by examining the growth of human tumor xenografts implanted into nude mice. RESULTS: The proliferation of tumor cell lines that overexpress HER2/neu was inhibited by antisense ODNs in combination with conventional chemotherapeutic agents in an additive or synergistic fashion. Such combination therapy also demonstrated synergistic activation of apoptosis. HER2/neu antisense ODNs in combination with doxorubicin hydrochloride demonstrated synergistic antitumor effects in vivo as well. CONCLUSIONS: Downregulation of HER2/neu expression can enhance the sensitivity of human cancer cells, which overexpress HER2/neu to the cytotoxic effects of chemotherapy. Antisense ODNs targeting the HER2/neu gene may play a role in cancer therapy.

Ab initio inter-radical potential for p-phenylenediamine radical cation dimer.

Ab initio molecular orbital calculations were carried out to investigate the inter-radical interaction of the paired p-phenylenediamine radical cations in the singlet state. After initial optimization of the dimer in the parallel sandwich (D2h) and parallel displaced (Cs) configurations at the B3LYP/6-31G* theoretical level, the MP2/6-31G* and B3LYP/6-31G* single energies of the dimer were calculated as a function of the inter-radical distance R. The depths of the potential minima near R = 3.2 A were estimated to be in the order of the hydrogen bonding energy, assuming that the electrostatic contribution between the cations is canceled out by the attractive contributions due to the counter anions on the aspect of a simple electrostatic model. This can be related to the indications of the cation dimer formation in solution in the presence of counter anions at a low temperature reported previously in the literature by resonance Raman and electronic absorption spectra. The inter-radical (Raman active) frequencies of the dimer were calculated, one of which corresponds to the reported value at 161 cm(-1) observed in the resonance Raman spectrum in ethanol at 200 K by Yokoyama and Maeda (Chem. Phys. Lett. 48 (1977) 59).

[Percutaneous absorption of drug from alpha-olefin oligomer gel bases].

The percutaneous absorption of drug from the alpha-olefin oligomer (alpha-OL) gel base prepared by using palmitate of dextrin (Rheopearl KL) as a gelling agent was investigated by using the abdominal skin of rats in vivo. The 20, 30, 40 and 50 alpha-OLs with average molecular weights of 288, 380, 440 and 535, respectively were used in this study. The flurbiprofen (FP) was selected as a model drug. The percutaneous absorption of FP from the alpha-OL gel base was observed to be influenced by the molecular weight of alpha-OL. The percutaneous absorption profiles of FP from 40 and 50 alpha-OLs gel bases were almost the same. On the other hand, the absorption of FP from 30 alpha-OL gel base was significantly higher than those of 40 and 50 alpha-OLs gel bases. Furthermore, the percutaneous absorption of FP from 20 alpha-OL gel base was observed to be the highest in the test gel bases. In order to establish the reason for the differences in the percutaneous absorption of FP from 20, 30, 40 and 50 alpha-OLs gel bases, the apparent partition ratios of FP between water and four different alpha-OLs were determined as a parameter of the affinity of FP for the vehicle. Consequently, it has become apparent that the partition ratio exerts an influence on the percutaneous absorption of FP from the alpha-OL gel bases.

[A case of an intrapulmonary lymph node indistinguishable from carcinoma of the lung by CT].

A 64-year-old female was referred to our hospital for further examination of a coin lesion, 8 mm in diameter, superimposed on the right ninth posterior rib. CT revealed a nodule, close to the minor fissure, with spiculation, which seemed to be connected with the pulmonary vein. Since the bronchofiberscopic examination revealed no histological diagnosis, the exploratory thoracotomy was performed. The nodule was found to be a 10 x 7 x 5 mm black mass located subpleural at the minor fissure. Histologically, it was recognized as a lymph node with anthracosis and silicotic nodules.

[A study of CDDP in the treatment of patients with gastric and esophageal cancers, with special reference to the evaluation of renal functions before and after CDDP administration].

Although CDDP has been widely used for cancer chemotherapy in recent years, the problem is that it causes a renal dysfunction as a side effect. As briefly reported here, we have currently used this drug for the treatment of stomach esophageal cancers as a part of multidepartmental therapy, and obtained a finding on the therapeutic usefulness, particularly for monitoring the renal function before and after administration. The subjects were 6 patients with stomach and 11 with esophageal cancer given CDDP at the dose of 50 mg 2 courses, in principle, a single course per week. Blood transfusion was carried out in an amount of 1,000 ml before administration, 2,500 ml on the day of treatment and 1,000 ml for 3 days after administration. When the effects of CDDP on urinary BUN, Na, K, Cl, Mg, NAG, beta 2 microglobulin, Ccr and FENa levels were measured for the determination of renal functions before and after administration, NAG and beta 2 microglobulin levels were conceivably found to be useful indices.

Allospecific CD4+, Th1/Th2 and CD8+, Tc1/Tc2 populations in murine GVL: type I cells generate GVL and type II cells abrogate GVL.

Donor CD4+ and CD8+ T cells mediate graft-vs.-leukemia (GVL) responses in the allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (alloBMT) setting. To evaluate the role of functional T cell subsets in the mediation of GVL, alloreactive donor CD4+ (Th1/Th2) and CD8+ (Tc1/Tc2) T cells of defined cytokine phenotype were generated by in vitro culture. A leukemia/transplantation model (B6 into B6C3F1; 1050 cGy host irradiation) was established using the bcr/abl-transfected myeloid leukemia line, 32Dp210 (P210; H-2k). Leukemia control mice (1X10(4) P210 cells per recipient) died at day 12.0 post-BMT. Recipients of the CD4+, Th1-type or CD8+, Tc1-type populations were conferred a survival advantage (death at 20.7 and 23.5 days post-BMT, respectively). In contrast, the CD4+, Th2-type population did not mediate GVL (death at 12.3 days). Furthermore, cell mixing experiments demonstrated that the Th2 subset abrogated both Th1- and Tc1-mediated GVL. The CD8+, Tc2 population, which secreted type II cytokines and lysed the P210 leukemia target in vitro, mediated GVL in some experiments; interestingly, the magnitude of Tc2-mediated GVL was inversely related to the level of interleukin-10 (IL-10) secreted in vitro by the Tc2 population. These studies therefore indicate that alloreactive T cells of type I phenotype maximally generate GVL, and that type I/type II interactions are an important consideration for allogeneic transplantation in the setting of leukemic hosts.

Measurement of thyroid iodine by CT.

For evaluation of thyroidal iodine kinetics and thyroid nodules, we carried out quantitative in vivo measurement of thyroid iodine concentration by CT. Neuron activation analysis of iodine content was conducted on 48 thyroid fragments without calcification operatively obtained from 18 patients who had undergone CT of the thyroid without contrast enhancement. The CT attenuation values were obtained from the regions of interest in the CT image that corresponded to the analyzed fragment. When iodine concentration in the thyroid tissue was greater than 0.02 mg/g, the CT values correlated linearly with the iodine concentrations in thyroid nodules, thyroids with diffuse thyroid disease, and normal thyroids. The relationship is represented by the following formula: iodine concentration (mg/g) = (CT value-65)/104. The relationship between iodine concentration and CT value in diffuse thyroid disease, thyroid nodules, and normal thyroids was not significantly different.

Development of "Standards for the Evaluation of Hospital Infection Control Policies and Procedures, the Second Version".

The Japan Society for Quality in Health Care (JSQua) created "Standards for the Evaluation of Hospital Infection Control Policies and Procedures, the First Version" in 1998 and carried out third-party surveys. Through the experience of those surveys, we revised the standards and created a second version in 1999. The surveyors felt that in using the second version of the standards it would be easier to evaluate the quality of hospital care and that these standards would be more widely applied.