Meta-analysis of correlation between the CYP1A2 -3860 G > A polymorphism and lung cancer risk.

The aim of this meta-analysis was to assess the association between a polymorphism (-3860 G > A) in the cytochrome P450 1A2 (CYP1A2) gene and lung cancer susceptibility. Relevant studies were retrieved from the PubMed and EMBase databases, and additionally evaluated for conformance with the inclusion criteria. The odds ratios (ORs) and their 95% confidence intervals (95%CIs) in all selected studies were used to assess the relationship between the CYP1A2 -3860 G > A polymorphism and lung cancer risk. The data was pooled using Stata v.11. Six studies, comprising 1168 lung cancer patients and 1598 controls, were included in this meta-analysis. We found no correlation between the CYP1A2 -3860 G > A polymorphism and lung cancer risk in any of the models (AA vs GG: OR = 4.79, 95%CI = 0.03-702.67; GA vs GG: OR = 1.33, 95%CI = 0.74-2.39; dominant model: OR = 1.41, 95%CI = 0.69-2.90; recessive model: OR = 4.07, 95%CI = 0.04-368.35). Moreover, we observed no statistically significant association between CYP1A2 -3860 G > A and lung cancer susceptibility when stratified by the ethnicity of the sample populations, sample size, and study quality, except in a low-quality study. Our findings indicated that the -3860 G > A polymorphism in CYP1A2 might not be a risk factor for lung cancer.

Homozygous deletion of the human insulin receptor gene results in leprechaunism.

Homozygous inactivation of a gene, as is frequently performed to generate mouse models, provides an opportunity to elucidate the role that the gene plays in normal physiology. However, studies of human disease provide direct insight into the effect of inactivating mutations in man. In this investigation, we have identified a one year-old boy from a consanguineous pedigree who is homozygous for deletion of the insulin receptor gene resulting in leprechaunism. Contrary to previous predictions, the complete deletion of the insulin receptor gene is compatible with life.

Phase II trial of combretastatin A4 phosphate, carboplatin, and paclitaxel in patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer.

BACKGROUND: A previous dose-escalation trial of the vascular disrupting agent combretastatin A4 phosphate (CA4P) given before carboplatin, paclitaxel, or both showed responses in 7 of 18 patients with relapsed ovarian cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with ovarian cancer that had relapsed and who could start trial therapy within 6 months of their last platinum chemotherapy were given CA4P 63 mg/m(2) minimum 18 h before paclitaxel 175 mg/m(2) and carboplatin AUC (area under the concentration curve) 5, repeated every 3 weeks. RESULTS: Five of the first 18 patients' disease responded, so the study was extended and closed after 44 patients were recruited. Grade ≥2 toxic effects were neutropenia in 75% and thrombocytopenia in 9% of patients (weekly blood counts), tumour pain, fatigue, and neuropathy, with one patient with rapidly reversible ataxia. Hypertension (23% of patients) was controlled by glyceryl trinitrate or prophylactic amlodipine. The response rate by RECIST was 13.5% and by Gynecologic Cancer InterGroup CA 125 criteria 34%. CONCLUSIONS: The addition of CA4P to paclitaxel and carboplatin is well tolerated and appears to produce a higher response rate in this patient population than if the chemotherapy was given without CA4P. A planned randomised trial will test this hypothesis.

Leaching of amylose from wheat and corn starch.

Wheat starch gave a 21% yield (based on starch) of amylose (AM) when leached at 3% solids under mild agitation, and at a heating rate of 10 degrees C/min to 95 degrees C followed by holding at least 10 min. Annealing wheat starch prior to leaching at 95 degrees C or using a heating rate of 1 degrees C/min during leaching, increased AM yield from 21% to 23% at 3.0% starch solids, and 8% to 16% at 4.5% starch solids. At 0.5% solids, almost all wheat AM (29% of starch) was solubilized into the continuous phase at 95 degrees C, but only one-half of the lipid in the starch co-leached with AM. Corn starch behaved similarly to wheat starch during leaching below 1.5% starch solids, while at 3.0% almost 40% more AM was obtained from wheat than corn starch. Wheat AM molecules isolated by leaching were larger than those obtained by crystallizing its n-butanol complex, and they gave a different size-distribution as evidenced by high-performance size-exclusion chromatography. A triangular phase diagram was useful in depicting the overall process of leaching AM from starch. The critical concentrations of wheat (5.4%) and corn (5.2%) starches were determined using phase diagrams.

Biphasic effects of pu-chung-i-chi-tang on sedation and excitation.

The biphasic effects of Pu-Chung-I-Chi-Tang (PCT) on sedation and excitation in acute treatment or after one-week consecutive treatment were studied. The results indicated that PCT produces sedation in acute treatment and excitation after one-week consecutive treatment. The sedative mechanism of PCT in acute treatment might be due to an increase in serotonergic activity and a decrease in dopaminergic activity. However, the excitatory mechanism of PCT after one-week consecutive treatment might involve the increase in dopaminergic activity and the decrease in serotonergic activity.

[Studies on oncogene and its products of human nasopharyngeal carcinoma].

Oncogene of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) by means of external origin DNA transfection experiment and its gene products by immunohistochemical method have been studied. These DNAs were isolated from human primary poorly differentiated NPC tissues and were transfected into NIH/3T3 mouse fibroblasts to induce the foci of the morphologically transformed cells in the culture, while DNAs of normal placenta tissues failed to do so. The DNAs were extracted from the primary and secondary transformed cells to analyse human sequence with human Alu sequence probe. The human sequence has been detected in the DNAs of the primary and secondary transformed foci cells, while none of the human sequence was detected in the DNAs of the control. The results indicated that human transforming sequences had been integrated into transformed cells. The malignant properties of the transformed foci cells were evidenced by tumorigenic experiment of nude mice. The transformed foci cells were inoculated subcutaneously in the nude mice and induced fibrosarcoma in vivo. The tumorigenic rate was 87.5%. It was further demonstrated that DNAs from human NPC possessed carcinogenicity and induced malignant transformation. The primary result revealed that the transforming gene of NPC may be homologue to Ha-ras oncogene. The expression of Ha-ras gene products-p21 has been studied in human NPC tissues. The primary results showed a positive expression of p21 in human NPC tissues by immunohistochemical method. The positive rate was 90.4%.