Clinical features and treatment of patients with esophageal cancer and a history of gastrectomy: a multicenter, questionnaire survey in Kyushu, Japan.

It is still controversial whether patients with a history of gastrectomy have high risk of esophageal carcinogenesis. On the other hand, the treatment strategy for esophageal cancer patients after gastrectomy is complicated. The association between histories of gastrectomy and esophageal carcinogenesis was retrospectively analyzed, and the treatment of esophageal cancer patients after gastrectomy was evaluated based on questionnaire data collected from multiple centers in Kyushu, Japan. The initial subject population comprised 205 esophageal cancer patients after gastrectomy. Among them, 108 patients underwent curative surgical treatment, and 70 patients underwent chemoradiation therapy (CRT). The time between gastrectomy and esophageal cancer development was longer in peptic ulcer patients (28.3 years) than in gastric cancer patients (9.6 years). There were no differences in the location of esophageal cancer according to the gastrectomy reconstruction method. There were no significant differences in the clinical background characteristics between patients with and without a history of gastrectomy. Among the 108 patients in the surgery group, the 5-year overall survival rates for stages I (n = 30), II (n = 18), and III (n = 60) were 68.2%, 62.9%, and 32.1%, respectively. In the CRT group, the 5-year overall survival rate of stage I (n = 29) was 82.6%, but there were no 5-year survivors in other stages. The 5-year overall survival rate of patients with CR (n = 33) or salvage surgery (n = 10) was 61.2% or 36%, respectively. For the treatment of gastrectomized esophageal cancer patients, surgery or CRT is recommended for stage I, and surgery with or without adjuvant therapy is the main central treatment in advanced stages, with surgery for stage II, neoadjuvant therapy + surgery for stage III, and CRT + salvage surgery for any stage, if the patient's condition permits.

Successful treatment of Trichosporon fungemia in a patient with refractory acute myeloid leukemia using voriconazole combined with liposomal amphotericin B.

Trichosporon fungemia is a rare and fatal fungal infection that occurs in patients with prolonged neutropenia associated with hematologic malignancies. A 21-year-old male developed Trichosporon fungemia during remission induction therapy for acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Although two courses of induction therapy failed to induce a remission of AML, combination therapy with voriconazole and liposomal amphotericin B (L-AmB) followed by monocyte colony-stimulating factor ameliorated the Trichosporon fungemia and enabled the patient to receive reduced-intensity bone marrow transplantation (BMT) from his human leukocyte antigen-A one-locus mismatched mother. The patient achieved a durable remission after BMT without exacerbation of Trichosporon fungemia. The combination therapy with voriconazole and L-AmB may therefore be useful in controlling Trichosporon fungemia associated with prolonged neutropenia after remission induction therapy for AML.

The source of the Ti 3d defect state in the band gap of rutile titania (110) surfaces.

The origin of the Ti 3d defect state seen in the band gap for reduced rutile TiO(2)(110) surfaces has been excitingly debated. The probable candidates are bridging O vacancies (V(O)) and Ti interstitials (Ti-int) condensed near the surfaces. The aim of this study is to give insights into the source of the gap state via photoelectron spectroscopy combined with ion scattering and elastic recoil detection analyses. We have made three important findings: (i) The intensity of the gap state observed is well correlated with the sheet resistance measured with a 4-point probe, inversely proportional to the density of Ti-int. (ii) Sputter∕annealing cycles in ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) lead to efficient V(O) creation and condensation of Ti-int near the surface, while only annealing below 870 K in UHV condenses subsurface Ti-int but does not create V(O) significantly. (iii) The electronic charge to heal a V(O) is almost twice that to create an O adatom adsorbed on the 5-fold Ti row. The results obtained here indicate that both the V(O) and Ti-interstitials condensed near the surface region contribute to the gap state and the contribution to the gap state from the Ti-int becomes comparable to that from V(O) for the substrates with low sheet resistance less than ∼200 Ω∕square.

Sesame lignans reduce LDL oxidative susceptibility by downregulating the platelet-activating factor acetylhydrolase.

OBJECTIVE: Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidative susceptibility is recognized as a risk factor for atherosclerosis. We previously reported that the ingestion of a supplement containing sesame lignans (sesamin/episesamin) for 4 weeks reduced LDL oxidative susceptibility in humans. MATERIALS AND METHODS: To elucidate the mechanisms underlying this observation, 12-week-old New Zealand White rabbits were fed a fat/cholesterol-enriched diet (100 g/day) for 6 weeks followed by oral administration of vehicle (control) or sesame lignans (50 mg/kg) for 4 weeks with the fat/cholesterol-enriched diet. RESULTS: The results showed that the ingestion of sesame lignans prolonged LDL oxidation lag time, regardless of the existence of the anti-oxidative catechol metabolite of sesamin/episesamin in LDL. Plasma platelet-activating factor acetylhydrolase (PAF-AH) activity was significantly reduced by sesame lignans. The prolongation of LDL oxidation lag time was abolished by the addition of a PAF-AH inhibitor. The expression level of pro-inflammatory cytokines and macrophage infiltration observed in the liver following the feeding of the fat/cholesterol-enriched diet were also significantly reduced by sesame lignans. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that sesame lignans reduce LDL oxidative susceptibility by downregulating plasma PAF-AH activity via the reduction of inflammation in the liver induced by fat/cholesterol-enriched diets.

Immature platelet fraction for prediction of platelet engraftment after allogeneic stem cell transplantation.

Platelet regeneration represents an important and separate element in the engraftment process for allogeneic stem cell transplantation. Fully automated flow cytometry using blood cell counters now allows reliable quantification of reticulated platelets, expressed as the immature platelet fraction (IPF). We studied the kinetics of IPF in six patients grafted with allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT), 12 patients with bone marrow transplantation (BMT) and seven patients with cord blood transplantation (CBT). Preconditioning therapy caused an immediate and rapid fall in tri-lineage hematopoiesis. IPF rose transiently above 3% after a mean duration of 11 days post-PBSCT, 18 days post-BMT and 19 days post-CBT. This was 1, 4 and 13 days earlier than platelet engraftment, respectively. A linear correlation model showed a close association between the rise of IPF and tri-lineage engraftment after transplantation. IPF counting may thus provide an accessible measure of thrombopoietic activity, leading to early evaluation of marrow function and allowing monitoring of platelet regeneration.

Safety and efficacy of foscarnet for preemptive therapy against cytomegalovirus reactivation after unrelated cord blood transplantation.

In association with the increased use of unrelated cord blood transplantation (UCBT) in adults, numerous patients have developed cytomegalovirus (CMV) reactivation concomitant with cytopenia. Although foscarnet appears to offer similar efficacy and higher safety as a preemptive therapy against CMV infection than ganciclovir, little is known about the usefulness of foscarnet in such patients. Foscarnet was administered as preemptive therapy against CMV antigenemia in 10 UCBT recipients who were unable to receive ganciclovir due to cytopenia or poor response to ganciclovir. Fatal CMV disease developed in one patient, whereas CMV antigenemia resolved without progression to CMV disease in the remaining nine patients. Foscarnet was well tolerated without serious hematotoxicity and was not discontinued due to adverse events in any patient. Foscarnet represents a safe and effective agent for preemptive therapy against CMV infection and may offer a feasible alternative to ganciclovir in UCBT recipients.

Frequent somatic mutations in epigenetic regulators in newly diagnosed chronic myeloid leukemia.

Although tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have significantly improved the prognosis of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), the ability of TKIs to eradicate CML remains uncertain and patients must continue TKI therapy for indefinite periods. In this study, we performed whole-exome sequencing to identify somatic mutations in 24 patients with newly diagnosed chronic phase CML who were registered in the JALSG CML212 study. We identified 191 somatic mutations other than the BCR-ABL1 fusion gene (median 8, range 1-17). Age, hemoglobin concentration and white blood cell counts were correlated with the number of mutations. Patients with mutations ⩾6 showed higher rate of achieving major molecular response than those<6 (P=0.0381). Mutations in epigenetic regulator, ASXL1, TET2, TET3, KDM1A and MSH6 were found in 25% of patients. TET2 or TET3, AKT1 and RUNX1 were mutated in one patient each. ASXL1 was mutated within exon 12 in three cases. Mutated genes were significantly enriched with cell signaling and cell division pathways. Furthermore, DNA copy number analysis showed that 2 of 24 patients had uniparental disomy of chromosome 1p or 3q, which disappeared major molecular response was achieved. These mutations may play significant roles in CML pathogenesis in addition to the strong driver mutation BCR-ABL1.

Reduced-intensity unrelated cord blood transplantation for treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma: first evidence of cord-blood-versus-solid-tumor effect.

We report a 69-year-old man with cytokine-resistant metastatic renal cell carcinoma treated with reduced-intensity unrelated cord blood transplantation. The patient achieved durable donor engraftment with minimal graft-versus-host disease. The patient showed regression of metastatic disease, providing the first evidence of a graft-versus-tumor effect on a solid tumor resulting from cord blood graft.

The role of salvage surgery for recurrence of esophageal squamous cell cancer.

AIM: A consensus treatment strategy for recurrent esophageal squamous cell cancer (ESCC) has not been established. The purpose of the present study was to analyse the mode of recurrence, and evaluate the role of surgical salvage treatment in recurrence of ESCC. METHODS: Recurrence was detected in 131 of 367 consecutive patients with ESCC. We retrospectively analysed the mode of recurrence and treatment for recurrence. Recurrence was divided into four types; lymph node, hematogeneous, mixed and local. Treatments were classified into four groups; chemotherapy alone (C group), radiation therapy +/- chemotherapy (R group), surgery +/- other therapy (S group), and no therapy (N group). RESULTS: Of the 131 recurrences, the number of patients with lymph node, hematogeneous, mixed and local recurrence was 43, 44, 40 and 4, respectively. The number of patients in the C, R, S, N groups was 35, 35, 24 and 37, respectively. Of the 24 patients who received surgical treatment for recurrence, the number of patients with lymph node, hematogeneous, mixed and local recurrence was 11, 6, 6 and 1, respectively. The number of lesions in hematogeneous recurrence was 2 or less. The survival rate from recurrence to death in the C, R, S and N groups was 0, 3.9, 6.7 and 0%, respectively. A statistically significant difference was found in these groups (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Salvage surgery is one of the useful treatment tools for resectable metastatic lesions. In such cases, the number of lesions, recurrent sites and effectiveness of chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy should be carefully evaluated.

Effect of late evening snack with rice ball on energy metabolism in liver cirrhosis.

OBJECTIVE: This study investigates the effects of a late evening snack (LES), of 200 kcal of rice ball, on energy metabolism in cirrhotic patients. Impaired nutritional metabolism has been associated with cirrhosis, and frequent intake of small meals may prevent early-onset starvation, and maintain nourishment in these patients. SUBJECTS: Twenty-one cirrhotic patients and 26 control subjects (Control) were recruited for this study. Patients were subsequently treated by LES (LC-LES) and by a non-LES regimen (LC-NLES). METHOD: Resting energy expenditure and respiratory quotient (RQ) were assessed by indirect calorimetry at 0830, 1130 and 1430. Blood glucose and non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) were measured just before the energy metabolism measurements. The regular diet included three major meals and LES, at 0900, 1200, 1800 and 2100, respectively. The Control and LC-NLES groups received only the major meals, whereas the LC-LES group received three meals plus 200 kcal LES for 7 days. There was no difference in the total energy intake among Control, LC-NLES and LC-LES groups. RESULTS: Respiratory quotient in LC-NLES was significantly lower than that of Control at 0830. Respiratory quotient value in LC-LES significantly elevated from that in LC-NLES. The RQ values did not differ among Control, LC-NLES and LC-LES at 2 h after the meal (1130 and 1430). Non-esterified fatty acids in LC-LES were lower than that in LC-NLES after overnight fasting. CONCLUSIONS: The ingestion of a 200 kcal rice ball LES can improve the nutritional metabolism in cirrhotic patients.

Effects of progesterone on human endometrial carcinoma cells in vivo and in vitro.

The effects of progesterone on the growth and differentiation of human endometrial adenocarcinoma cells (cell lines SNG-P and SNG-M derived from primary and metastatic tumors, respectively) were assessed in vitro and in vivo. Progesterone suppressed their growth and induced cell differentiation in vitro. The suppressive effect of progesterone was stronger in the primary tumor cells than in the metastatic ones. Progesterone produced morphologic changes such as multinucleation, multinucleolation, vacuolation, extensive Golgi apparatus, and papillary arrangement of cells. The cells were transplanted sc into nude BALB/c mice where they produced undifferentiated adenocarcinomas in untreated mice and well-differentiated adenocarcinomas in progesterone-treated ones. Progesterone reduced tumor growth and decreased transplantability in nude mice. This hormone produced no change in the distribution of the chromosome numbers or in the karyology.

Effects of 17beta-estradiol and progesterone on growth and morphology of human endometrial carcinoma cells in vitro.

The effects of 17beta-estradiol and progesterone on the rate of growth and the morphological changes of human endometrial adenocarcinoma cells were studied in in vitro culture. 17beta-Estradiol enhanced their growth and produced no cellular morphological changes at low concentrations of less than 1 microgram/ml, whereas it suppressed their growth and produced such cellular changes as enlargement of nuclei, karyorrhexis, and karyolysis at high concentrations of more than 5 microgram/ml. On the other hand, progesterone did not affect the cells at less than 1 microgram/ml, but it suppressed their growth and induced differentiation at more than 5 microgram/ml. Specific morphological changes produced by progesterone were characterized by multinucleation, multinucleolation, prominent Golgi apparatus, occurrence of vacuoles, and papillary-like arrangement of cells. These features suggested that progesterone acted directly on the endometrial carcinoma cells and induced their histological differentiation. These changes could not be detected by the adminstration of 17beta-estradiol.

Development and characterization of established cell lines from primary and metastatic regions of human endometrial adenocarcinoma.

Cell lines designated SNG-P and SNG-M were established from operation specimens of primary and metastatic regions of human endometrial adenocarcinoma. The cell lines grew well without interruption for over 13 months and were subcultivated more than 65 times. They continue to exhibit stable growth. The cultured cells appeared epithelial in shape, showing a pavement arrangement and multilayering without contact inhibition. The cytology revealed anaplastic and pleomorphic features. Upon electron microscopic observation, most of the cultured cells were characterized by highly indented nuclei with multiple large nucleoli and by desmosomal cell contact. The chromosomal number varied widely and showed aneuploidy, but the modal chromosomal number was stable at the diploid range. No marker chromosome could be identified. Both of these cell lines, SNG-P and SNG-M, were transplanted to an immune-depressed hamster cheek pouch and produced a tumor resembling the original.

Induction of maturation in cultured human monocytic leukemia cells by a phorbol diester.

Suspension cultures of a human monocytic leukemia cell line, THP-1, were treated with 0.16 to 160 nM 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA). In an original cell line, THP-1-O, cultured again from -80 degrees cryopreservation, more than 80% of the cells adhered to the glass substrate with marked morphological change within 3 hr of TPA treatment. Adherent cells became flat and amoeboid in shape, and many microvilli and flaps of the cell surface disappeared. Well-developed Golgi apparatus, rough endoplasmic reticula, and a large amount of free ribosomes were seen in the cytoplasm. On the other hand, in THP-1-R cells cultured continuously without cryopreservation for 26 months, approximately 80% of the cells adhered to the substrate 48 hr after TPA treatment. Round and ovoid shapes were kept in THP-1-R cells treated with TPA. Surface Fc receptors for immunoglobulin G were present on more than 90% of THP-1-O and THP-1-R cells and were little affected by treatment with TPA. Sixty to 70% of the TPA-treated THP-1-O and THP-1-R cells were able to phagocytize yeasts and immunoglobulin G-coated sheep erythrocytes. Less than 20% of the untreated THP-1 cells were able to phagocytize yeasts and immunoglobulin G-coated sheep erythrocytes. In histochemical staining, alpha-naphthyl butyrate esterase was enhanced after treatment with TPA. Lysozyme activity in culture supernatants was not affected by TPA treatment. When exposed to latex beads and TPA, increased 14CO2 production from [1-14C]glucose in THP-1-O cells was observed. These results indicate that, after treatment with TPA, human monocytic leukemia cells may be converted into mature cells with functions of macrophages.

Glycosylation of lipoprotein lipase in human subcutaneous and omental adipose tissues.

Human adipose tissues from the abdomen (subcutaneous), thigh (subcutaneous) and omentum were incubated for 2 h with [35S]methionine. Then glycosylation of lipoprotein lipase (LPL) was analyzed by sodium dodecylsulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) of endoglycosidase H (endo H)-digested subunits of the 35S-labeled lipase. Adipose tissues from the abdomen, thigh, and omentum all synthesized LPL subunits with Mr = 57,000 composed of two types of subunits. One type was partially endo H-sensitive yielding a product with Mr = 55,000, indicating that it had one endo H-resistant and one endo H-sensitive oligosaccharide chain. The other type of subunit was totally endo H-sensitive yielding a product with Mr = 52,000. Subcutaneous adipose tissues contained nearly equal amounts of partially and totally endo H-sensitive subunits of LPL, whereas omental adipose tissues contained mainly partially endo H-sensitive subunits of LPL.

Involvement of endogenously produced 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D-3 in the growth and differentiation of human keratinocytes.

In this study, we investigated the possibility that cultured keratinocytes from normal human adult skin produce 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D-3 (1,25(OH)2D3, a biologically active form of vitamin D-3) from 25-hydroxyvitamin D-3 [25(OH)D3], and that 1,25(OH)2D3 endogenously produced by keratinocytes is involved in the self regulation of their growth and differentiation. To determine whether 1,25(OH)2D3 is produced from 25(OH)D3 by skin keratinocytes, 25(OH)[3H]D3 was added to keratinocyte cultures and incubated for 1 h and 5 h. The intracellular and extracellular metabolites were analyzed by three chromatographic systems. The three chromatograms revealed that the major metabolite produced from 25(OH)D3 was 1,25(OH)2D3. Most of the 1,25(OH)2D3 endogenously produced from 25(OH)D3 remained within the cells. To examine the time course of 1,25(OH)2D3 production, the amount of 1,25(OH)[3H]D3 was measured at 15 min, 1 h, 5 h and 10 h, being at a maximum 1 h after the addition of 25(OH)D3. These data indicate that keratinocytes rapidly convert 25(OH)D3 to 1,25(OH)2D3 and that 1,25(OH)2D3 is not released into the medium. To determine whether endogenously produced 1,25(OH)2D3 is involved in the regulation of growth and differentiation of normal human keratinocytes, we examined the effects of 1,25(OH)2D3 and 25(OH)D3 on their growth and differentiation. Keratinocyte growth was inhibited to 52.6% and 23.4% by 10(-8) M and 10(-7) M 1,25(OH)2D3 and to 80.5% and 23.9% by 10(-8) M and 10(-7) M 25(OH)D3, respectively. Differentiation of these cells was evaluated by quantifying the number which express involucrin, a precursor protein of cornified envelope. The population of involucrin expressing cells (differentiated cells) increased from 6.2% to 14.5% by 2.5.10(-7) M 1,25(OH)2D3, and to 11.8% by 2.5.10(-7) M 25(OH)D3. These results clearly indicate that 25(OH)D3 is as effective on human keratinocytes as 1,25(OH)2D3 in inhibiting growth and inducing differentiation, although to a slightly lesser extent than 1,25(OH)2D3. The possibility that the effect of 25(OH)D3 is mediated through binding to the 1,25(OH)2D3 receptor can be excluded, since a competitive binding assay revealed that the affinity of 25(OH)D3 for the 1,25(OH)2D3 receptor in a cytosolic extract of keratinocytes was 100-times lower than that of 1,25(OH)2D3. Thus, these results suggest that 1,25(OH)2D3 endogenously produced in keratinocytes from 25(OH)D3 is involved in the regulation of their growth and differentiation in vitro.

Cloning and sequencing of the gene cluster encoding two subunits of membrane-bound alcohol dehydrogenase from Acetobacter polyoxogenes.

The membrane-bound alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) from Acetobacter polyoxogenes NBI1028 is composed of a 72 kDa subunit and a 44 kDa cytochrome c subunit. The amino acid sequences of the two regions of the 72 kDa subunit were determined to prepare oligonucleotides for the purpose of amplification of a DNA fragment corresponding to the intermediate region by the polymerase chain reaction. A 0.5 kb DNA fragment thus amplified was used as the probe to clone a 7.0 kb PstI fragment coding for the whole 72 kDa subunit. Nucleotide sequencing and immunoblot analysis revealed that the cloned fragment contained the full structural genes for the 72 kDa and the 44 kDa subunits and they were clustered with the same transcription polarity. The predicted amino acid sequence of the gene for the 72 kDa subunit showed homology with that of the 72 kDa subunit from ADH of A. aceti and those of methanol dehydrogenase from methylotrophic bacteria. The 72 and 44 kDa subunits contained one and three typical haem binding sequences, respectively.

Elevated circulating level of ghrelin in cachexia associated with chronic heart failure: relationships between ghrelin and anabolic/catabolic factors.

BACKGROUND: Ghrelin is a novel growth hormone (GH)-releasing peptide, isolated from the stomach, that may also cause a positive energy balance by stimulating food intake and inducing adiposity. We sought to investigate the pathophysiology of ghrelin in the cachexia associated with chronic heart failure (CHF). METHODS AND RESULTS: Plasma ghrelin was measured in 74 patients with CHF and 12 control subjects, together with potentially important anabolic and catabolic factors, such as GH and tumor necrosis factor (TNF-alpha). Patients with CHF were divided into two groups, those with cachexia (n=28) and those without cachexia (n=46). Plasma ghrelin did not significantly differ between all CHF patients and controls (181+/-10 versus 140+/-14 fmol/mL, P=NS). However, plasma ghrelin was significantly higher in CHF patients with cachexia than in those without cachexia (237+/-18 versus 147+/-10 fmol/mL, P<0.001). Circulating GH, TNF-alpha, norepinephrine, and angiotensin II were also significantly higher in CHF patients with cachexia than in those without cachexia. Interestingly, plasma ghrelin correlated positively with GH (r=0.28, P<0.05) and TNF-alpha (r=0.31, P<0.05) and negatively with body mass index (r=-0.35, P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Plasma ghrelin was elevated in cachectic patients with CHF, associated with increases in GH and TNF-alpha and a decrease in body mass index. Considering ghrelin-induced positive energy effects, increased ghrelin may represent a compensatory mechanism under catabolic-anabolic imbalance in cachectic patients with CHF.

Characterization of the calcium-sensitive voltage-gated delayed rectifier potassium channel in isolated guinea pig hepatocytes.

The voltage-dependent K+ channel was examined in enzymatically isolated guinea pig hepatocytes using whole-cell, excised outside-out and inside-out configurations of the patch-clamp technique. The resting membrane potential in isolated hepatocytes was -25.3 +/- 4.9 mV (n = 40). Under the whole-cell voltage-clamp, the time-dependent delayed rectifier outward current was observed at membrane potentials positive to -20 mV at physiological temperature (37 degrees C). The reversal potential of the current, as determined from tail current measurements, shifted by approximately 57 mV per 10-fold change in the external K+ concentration. In addition, the current did not appear when K+ was replaced with Cs+ in the internal and external solutions, indicating that the current was carried by K+ ions. The envelope test of the tails demonstrated that the growth of the tail current followed that of the current activation. The ratio between the activated current and the tail amplitude was constant during the depolarizing step. The time course of growth and deactivation of the tail current were best described by a double exponential function. The current was suppressed in Ca(2+)-free, 5 mM EGTA internal or external solution (pCa > 9). The activation curve (P infinity curve) was not shifted by changing the internal Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i). The current was inhibited by bath application of 4-aminopyridine or apamin. alpha 1-Adrenergic stimulation with noradrenaline enhanced the current but beta-adrenergic stimulation with isoproterenol had no effect on the current. In single-channel recordings from outside-out patches, unitary current activity was observed by depolarizing voltage-clamp steps whose slope conductance was 9.5 +/- 2.2 pS (n = 10). The open time distribution was best described by a single exponential function with the mean open lifetime of 18.5 +/- 2.6 ms (n = 14), while at least two exponentials were required to fit the closed time distributions with a time constant for the fast component of 2.0 +/- 0.3 ms (n = 14) and that for the slow component of 47.7 +/- 5.9 ms (n = 14). Ensemble averaged current exhibited delayed rectifier nature which was consistent with whole-cell measurements. In excised inside-out patch recordings, channel open probability was sensitive to [Ca2+]i. The concentration of Ca2+ at the half-maximal activation was 0.031 microM. These results suggest that guinea pig hepatocytes possess voltage-gated delayed rectifier K+ channels which are modified by intracellular Ca2+.

Expression of p21WAF1/Cip1 in the p53-dependent pathway is related to prognosis in patients with advanced esophageal carcinoma.

The proteins p53 and p21 are important components that regulate G1-S transition through the cell cycle. We immunohistochemically investigated p53 and p21 expression in 111 patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. We also evaluated whether the expression of either of these proteins is a prognostic factor according to the p53-dependent and -independent pathways. The positive rates of p53 and p21 expression were 42.8 and 43.2%, respectively. Clinicopathological findings according to p53 and p21 expression did not differ significantly. The 5-year-survival rates between p21 positive and negative expression did not differ significantly in the p53-positive group. In the p53-negative group, the 5-year-survival rate of patients with p21-positive expression was 22.9%, which was significantly better than that of patients with p21-negative expression (12.7%; P<0.05). Multivariate analysis revealed that p21 expression in the p53-dependent pathway was an independent prognostic factor. Accordingly, the prognostic values of p21 expression between the p53-dependent and -independent pathways differed. Examination of p21-positive expression in the p53-dependent pathway will help to estimate the favorable prognosis of patients with advanced esophageal carcinoma.