[Study of hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy for prophylaxis of liver metastases of colorectal cancer after hepatic resection].

We examined the significance of hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (HAIC) for prophylaxis of liver metastases of colorectal cancer after hepatic resection using an implantable port. Fifty-five patients operated at the hospital from August 1988 to December 1994 were divided into two groups consisting of 23 patients with HAIC group: (HAIC (+)), and 32 patients without HAIC group: (HAIC (-)) retrospectively. The cumulative survival rates and recurrent rates of cancer free in remnant liver of HAIC (+) were improved, compared with HAIC (-). This suggests that HAIC was effective in improving the prognosis and preventing recurrence in remnant liver.

Changes of eye-blink activities during hypnotic state.

Three experiments were conducted to examine eye-blink activity during the hypnotic state. The results were as follows: (1) eye-blink rate was dramatically reduced during the hypnotic as compared to the nonhypnotic state, (2) blink-rate variability between events (for example, the task and rest period) was smaller under the hypnotic than under the nonhypnotic state, (3) decrements, after induction of hypnosis, were observed in all aspects of blink-wave attributes (amplitude, duration, slope, and area). These findings can be interpreted in terms of the facilitation of motor inhibition by hypnosis.

Antimutagenicity of extracts from crude drugs in Chinese medicines.

The antimutagenicity of extracts from crude drugs was studied by the Ames bioassay system. The crude drugs chosen were medical plants used very frequently as Chinese medicines. Each crude drug was extracted with hot water similar to the method of Chinese medical treatment. Antimutagenicity of the extract was found with 4 kinds of crude drugs, Paeoniae radix, Bupleuri radix, Hoelen and Glycyrrhizae radix. Each extract of the crude drug showed a different type of antimutagenic action from the others.

[Independence of startle elicitation from lead-stimulus inhibition in man].

In the present study, the relationship between startle elicitation and lead-stimulus inhibition was examined. The amplitude of the human startle eyeblink reflex increased linearly with increases in the intensity of reflex-eliciting noise (S2). A lead-stimulus (S1), a pip tone of 70 dB, inhibited the reflex at both conditions with lead times of 100 ms (Experiment 1) and 250 ms (Experiment 2). The amplitude of the reflex was reduced by an equal amount regardless of the intensity of S2 in both experiments. The results show that the lead-stimulus inhibition is independent of the reflex elicitation.

Distribution of eyeblink amplitude recorded by an electrode hookup: re-examination.

The present experiment was run to re-examine the distributional properties of the eyeblink amplitude elicited by a burst of 110-dB white noise, recorded by an electrode hookup as recommended in our previous report (Yamada, Yamasaki, & Miyata, 1979). 103 volunteers, 54 males and 49 females, were tested. Analysis showed that the amplitudes were distributed normally when a logarithmic transformation was performed but not when the raw scores were used. We conclude that the amplitude of the startle eyeblink reflex has a log-normal distribution property.

Purification and characterization of a proteinase from pineapple fruit, fruit bromelain FA2.

Fruit bromelain FA2, the main proteinase component of the juice of pineapple fruit, has been purified and characterized. 1. Efficient extraction of this enzyme from the crude material was possible using "Cellulosin AP," a microbial polysaccharidase preparation containing cellulase, hemicellulase, and pectinase. The enzyme was purified mainly by successive applications of anion-exchange chromatography, yielding an apparently homogeneous protein as judged by several physical, chemical, and immunochemical criteria. Properties of FA2 include: molecular weight, 31,000; isoelectric point, pH 4.6; absorbance at 280 nm of a 1% solution at pH 7.0 per cm, 19.2. 2. FA2 gave only alanine phenylthiohydantoin upon amino-terminal group analysis by the Edman procedure. Stepwise degradation yielded the amino-terminal sequence Ala-Val-Pro-Gln-Ser-Ile-Asp-Trp-Arg-Asp-Tyr-Gly-Ala. The amino acid composition of FA2 was not markedly different from that of stem bromelain, except for a much smaller lysine content and a smaller alanine content relative to glycine in FA2. FA2 contained neither amino sugars nor neutral carbohydrates as determined by several methods, so FA2 is not a glycoprotein. 3. By labeling the reactive cysteine residue (CYS) with [14C]iodoacetate, the following partial amino acid sequence has been determined. Asn-Glx-Asn-Pro-Cys-Gly-Ala-CYS.

Purification and properties of galactosyltransferase from human colostrum.

The galactosyltransferase (Uridine diphosphate-D-galactose: D-glucose 1-galactosyltransferase EC 2.4.1.22) was purified from human colostrum by chromatography on DEAE-cellulose, cellulose phosphate, sephadex G-100, and hydroxylapatite after removal of caseins by centrifugation. The final preparation showed two forms of protein on polyacrylamide disc gel electrophoresis, and both of them exhibited galactosyltransferase activity. The molecular weights of the two forms of the protein were estimated as 44,000 to 45,000 and 55,000 to 57,000 by polyacrylamide disc gel electrophoresis containing sodium dodecyl sulfate. General properties of galactosyltransferase were investigated.