[Effect of UFT on treatment of urological cancer--effect of UFT on treatment of invasive bladder cancer and advanced prostate cancer. Ibaraki Urological Cancer Chemotherapy Study Group].

A prospective randomized joint study was conducted to evaluate the usefulness of UFT 1) as a postoperative adjuvant therapy in patients with invasive bladder cancer who had undergone curative combination therapy with operation and/or chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy, 2) as an endocrine chemotherapy in patients with newly diagnosed stage C/D prostate cancer, for a period of 3 years from January, 1992. For bladder cancer, of 36 patients with invasive bladder cancer, clinically cured by combination therapy, 20 patients were treated with UFT as an adjuvant chemotherapy over 12 months, and they were compared to 16 patients with no adjuvant therapy. After excluding 10 inappropriate patients, 12 patients in the UFT treatment group and 14 patients with no adjuvant treatment group were observed. For prostate cancer, of 29 patients with clinically stage C/D prostate cancer, 13 were treated with endocrine therapy in combination with UFT, and 16 patients were treated with endocrine therapy alone. After excluding 7 inappropriate patients, 10 patients with endocrine chemotherapy and 12 patients with hormonal therapy were observed. The non-recurrence rate, survival rate and side effects of UFT were evaluated. In the study of bladder cancer, neither a significant difference of non-recurrent rate nor of survival rate was seen between the two groups. In the study of prostate cancer, neither a significant difference of non-recurrent rate nor of survival rate was seen between the two groups. These findings suggest UFT is less useful as an adjuvant therapy for the invasive bladder cancer and as an endocrine chemotherapy for newly diagnosed advanced prostate cancer.

Protecting spermatogenesis from damage induced by doxorubicin using the luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonist leuprorelin: an image analysis study of a rat experimental model.

BACKGROUND: This study was performed to investigate the protective effect of a luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) agonist, leuprorelin, against spermatogenetic damage caused by doxorubicin in rats. METHODS: Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 4 groups: (1) a control group, (2) a group given LHRH agonist (subcutaneous injections, total dose 9 mg/kg), (3) a group given doxorubicin (intraperitoneal injections, total dose 7.5 mg/kg), and (4) a group given both LHRH agonist (subcutaneous injections, total dose 9 mg/ kg) and doxorubicin (intraperitoneal injections, total dose 7.5 mg/kg). Evaluations were made by measuring body and testicular weights, determining Johnsen's score, and conducting DNA image analysis consisting of DNA content measurement (%1C, %2C, and %4C) by image cytometry. RESULTS: In the group given doxorubicin, the testicular weight was 1.47 +/- 0.24 mg, Johnsen's score was 4.4 +/- 1.2, and image analysis revealed %1C: 33.8 +/- 9.2, %2C: 43.9 +/- 16.3, and %4C: 5.0 +/- 4.4. In the group given both LHRH agonist and doxorubicin, the testicular weight was 1.32 + 0.23, Johnsen's score was 5.90 + 1.6, and image analysis revealed %1C: 46.9 +/- 15.0, %2C: 28.4 +/- 13.3, and %4C: 8.8 +/- 3.5. CONCLUSIONS: The significant prophylactic effect (P < 0.05) of the LHRH agonist against doxorubicin-induced spermatogenetic damage was demonstrated by Johnsen's score and image analysis (%1C, %2C, and %4C).

[Comparison of clinical effects between granisetron alone and combination of granisetron and methylprednisolone against the nausea and vomiting induced by CDDP chemotherapy--comparative study by the cross-over trial. University of Tsukuba Antiemetics Study Group].

A cross-over clinical trial was carried out to compare the antiemetic effect and safety between granisetron alone (40 micrograms/kg) and the combination of granisetron and methylprednisolone (MP: 10 mg/kg) in urological cancer patients treated with cisplatin. Forty-eight courses were given with granisetron alone and 47 courses with both granisetron and MP. The antiemetic effect of nausea and vomiting was evaluated in the acute emetic phase. during the 24 hours following the CDDP administration, and in the delayed emetic phase, 2 to 7 days after the administration. Combination therapy of granisetron and MP demonstrated a greater antiemetic effect during the 72 hours following the CDDP administration than by granisetron alone. But there was no significant difference in antiemetic effect between combination therapy and granisetron alone after the 3rd day. Combination therapy also demonstrated more efficacy in complete antiemetic effect, with no emesis and less than moderate nausea, than by granisetron alone. Both treatments showed no side effects and were safe.

The hormonal response to HCG stimulation in patients with male infertility before and after treatment with hochuekkito.

To investigate the changes in responsiveness to hCG stimulation, and the effects on sperm qualities and basal hormone levels, 63 infertile men received 7.5qr of Hochuekkito daily for 3 months (1). Sperm density (p less than 0.01) and motility (p less than 0.01) were significantly increased after the treatment (2). Serum prolactin (p less than 0.01) and estradiol (p less than 0.01) levels were significantly decreased after the treatment (3). Enhanced responsiveness of testosterone (p less than 0.05) and estradiol (p less than 0.05) excretion to hCG injection were observed in patients with oligoasthenoteratozoospermia. These results suggested that Hochuekkito corrected Leydig cell dysfunctions in some infertile men, resulting in improvements in sperm qualities.

The identification of human semen by a chemiluminescent assay of choline.

A method for proving the presence of semen has been established by utilizing chemiluminescence for an assay of choline, a nonprotein constituent of semen, and medicolegal testings were carried out to evaluate its effectiveness. The sensitivity of this method to choline was 3 nmol/ml, and as a result of assays of the choline content in semen and in several other human body fluids and secreta, the choline level in semen was found to be 10.88-26.78 mumol/ml (mean = 16.69 +/- 4.01 mumol/ml), which was markedly higher. The choline content in semen specimens from subjects with oligospermia or azoospermia was similarly as high. Although choline was also detected in samples of certain dairy products, vegetable juice, and fruit juice, whose stains are almost indistinguishable from semen to the naked eye, the choline content in these specimens was much lower than in semen. Further, even when human semen specimens were heated to 100 degrees C for 30 min and seminal stains were heated to 200 degrees C for 30 min, the choline content still retained 71.6% and 66.9% of the pre-heating value, respectively. As for specimens of semen and seminal stains that were stored at room temperature for 12 months, about 1/3 and 1/2 of the original choline level were detected, respectively. Also, the presence of intravaginal drugs was shown to have no large influence on the detection of choline. Choline even could be detected in aged seminal stains stored for 11 years, so that the presence of semen was demonstrated. Finally, the presence of semen in the vaginal contents, collected on medicolegal autopsy, could also be demonstrated by the detection of choline. Thus utilizing chemiluminescence for detecting choline is considered useful for establishing medicolegal proof of the presence of semen.

[A clinical study of 92 cases of renal cell carcinoma--statistical analysis of prognosis according to the new TNM classification].

A clinico-statistical study was made on 92 patients with renal cell carcinoma who visited us from January 1978 to November 1988. The results were as follows: 1. Seventy-eight patients were treated by radical nephrectomy, two patients by partial nephrectomy, and three patients were treated at other hospitals initially. Nine patients were underwent only conservative therapy. 3. Overall 1, 3, 5, and 10-year survival rates by Kaplan-Meier method were 81.8%, 58.0%, 55.3%, and 50.2%, respectively. 3. The 3-year survival rates according to clinical T-stage were 71.3% for 56 patients in T2, 66.8% for 16 patients in T3a, and 24.1% for 16 patients in T3b. A significant difference existed between patients in T3a and patients in T3b. It appears that the new TNM classification system is more accurate for prognosis of patients in stage T3 than that currently in use.