[Microviscosity of erythrocyte membranes in breast cancer patients: connection with the receptor phenotype of the tumor].

The state of the viscosity of erythrocyte membranes in breast cancer patients (68--in menopause and 32--with menstrual cycle) was studied in comparison with the content of steroid hormone receptors in the tumor tissue and the age of patients. It is showed that the less hormone dependence of the tumor the higher viscosity of erythrocyte membranes that manifested by a decrease in the coefficient of eximerization (CE) of pyrene in the protein/lipid and in particular, lipid/lipid membrane layers. Increasing CE of pyrene in lipid/lipid layer of erythrocyte membranes above 1.7 units, reflecting a decline in their microviscosity, could be considered as an additional extra-tumor criterion for identification of the tumor as of hormone dependent type.

[Family diabetes and its consequences in cancer patients].

Preliminary data are confirmed on the more rare prevalence of family history of diabetes mellitus (DM) in cancer patients, mainly females, with diabetes in comparison with diabetics without cancer pathology. Familial diabetes does not worsen additionally tumor characteristics against the same in patients with non-familial diabetes. More than that, familial diabetes in diabetics with breast cancer goes together with lesser size of tumor and demonstrates an inclination to the rarer distant metastases in breast and endometrial cancer patients. The signs of systemic DNA damage (evaluated, in particular, on the basis of 8-OH-dG serum levels) are pronounced in postmenopausal diabetic cancer patients with familial diabetes in lesser degree than in non-familial variant of DM. In toto, this allows to consider family history of DM in patients with type-2 diabetes as a particular factor of tumor growth containment, which mechanisms and causes, warrant further studies.

[Effect of neoadjuvant therapy with neovir on the level of steroid hormone receptors in endometrial cancer tissue]. / Vliiane neoad''iuvantnoi terapii neovirom na soderzhanie retseptorov steroidnykh gormonov v tkani raka tela matki.

The effects of neoadjuvant therapy with neovir, provera and their combinations on endometrial tumor morphology, progesterone (PR) and estradiol (ER) receptor levels were studied in 50 patients, aged 40-78, with primary tumors stage I-III, and without concomitant pathology. A 19-day course of neovir did not alter tumor morphological status but was followed by a significant rise in PR and ER concentrations. After neoadjuvant therapy in combination with provera, which generally lowers cytoplasmic receptor levels, mean values of receptors dropped in PR+ tumors while, in PR- tumors, they increased significantly. Our findings suggest that neovir may be used in clinic to stimulate endometrial tumor sensitivity to specific hormonal therapy, particularly, for hormone-independent neoplasia.

[Metabolic effect of tobacco smoke and "switching" the estrogen effect: mechanism of increased genotoxicity]. / Vliianie tabachnogo dyma na metabolism i "perekliuchenie" éffektov éstrogenov: mekhanizmy povysheniia genotoksichnosti.

Earlier studies demonstrated dynamic changes in the hormonal and genotoxic effects of estrogens and a decrease in estradiol concentrations and/or aromatase (estrogen synthetase) activity in the uterine tissue in rats exposed to tobacco smoke (TS) and in endometrial and breast tumor tissues of female smokers. This study was the first to reveal an elevation in the excretion of 2- and 4-hydroxyestrogens in smoking postmenopausal women receiving estrogen-replacement therapy, an increase in estrogen-2-hydroxylase activity in the breast and endometrial tumors of the smokers, and no signs of higher aneuploidy frequency in the cervicovaginal epithelium of mice exposed to TS + estrogens. Thus, it can be concluded that there are different stages of endocrine and genotoxic effects of a TS + estrogen combination which may be related to the specific mechanisms and types of hormonal carcinogenesis. A combination of estrogens and smoking induces such variants of DNA damage, which are mediated mainly through the metabolism of catecholestrogens/free radical formation and not through increased or incorrect (aneuploidy) proliferation.

[Effect of tobacco smoke on the level of estrogens and DNA in the rat uterus]. / Vliianie tabachnogo dyma na soderzhanie éstrogenov i DNK v matke krys.

Tobacco smoke induced no changes in the rat uterus weight or in oestrus cycle but decreased estradiol (E2) concentration in the uterus tissue and increased and later decreased the proliferation index and percentage of the cells in the S-phase. The data obtained suggest a phasic character of changes in the reproductive system under the effect of tobacco smoke and corroborate the concept of the role of smoking in the shifting the type of hormonal carcinogenesis from promotional to genotoxic one.

[Aromatase activity in human muscle tissue]. / Issledovanie aromataznoi aktivnosti v myshechnoi tkani cheloveka.

Activity of aromatase (estrogen synthetase) was investigated in muscle tissue of 14 women and 2 men. The method of hard water release from androgenic precursor 3H-beta-androstendione was used. In men aromatase activity in muscle tissue is lower than women. For the latter group the enzyme activity is highest after 5-10 year of menopause and in the case of increased body fat content. In the future it looks interesting to correlate muscle tissue aromatase activity level with blood estrogens concentration, prevailing type of muscle fibers and physical activity rate of probands.

[The assessment of the hormonal sensitivity of tumors of the large intestine in the adenylate cyclase test]. / Otsenka gormonochuvstvitel'nosti opukholei tolstoi kishki v adenilattsiklaznom teste.

Sensitivity of 142 human large bowel malignancies to gastroenteropancreatic hormones (VIP, glucagon and pentogastrin) and calcitonin was studied using in vitro adenylate cyclase reaction of tumor. At least 40-55% of the tumors proved hormone sensitive. Heteroresponse (reaction to calcitonin) was most characteristic for colonic tumors whereas weak reaction to VIP and glucagon-for rectal neoplasms. A certain relationship was established between adenylate cyclase reaction to hormone stimulation, on the one hand, and peculiarities of tumor (degree of cell differentiation) and the body (gender), on the other. In patients who survived over 4 years, tumor adenylate cyclase had initially been more sensitive to hormone stimulation than in those who died over that period. It is concluded that tumor adenylate cyclase reaction to hormone stimulation is quite a reliable test for evaluating hormone sensitivity of large bowel tumors and, possibly, for choosing hormonal therapy.