Estimation of glycogen levels in human colorectal cancer tissue: relationship with cell cycle and tumor outgrowth.

In this study, we quantitatively measured glycogen levels in tissue samples obtained from tumors, regions adjacent to tumor, and regions of normal colorectum to determine whether the levels were related to cell cycle and cancer growth. Glycogen levels were analyzed in relation to histopathological factors, (tumor size and stage of disease) and cell cycle progression. The glycogen level was found to be highest in the cancer tissue, lower in normal tissue, and lowest in the adjacent tissue. The difference in glycogen level between the cancer tissue and the other two regions was significant (P < 0.05). There was a negative correlation between glycogen level and tumor size, but it was not significant. The level of glycogen in cancer tissues decreased as the stage of the disease progressed, but a significant difference was not found between stages. There was a negative correlation between the glycogen level and the proliferation index. There was a positive correlation between the glycogen level and the proportion of cancer cells in G1 phase, while there was a negative correlation with S and G2M phases. Glycogen levels were highest in cancers with a high proportion of cells in G1, and decreased with progression to S phase. It may be that glycogen is utilized in the progression to S phase, and the cancer tissues are supplied with glycogen from the tumors themselves as well as their adjacent tissues. Cancer growth may be inhibited by artificial control of the glycogen level in the G1 phase of cancer cells.

The clinical significance of u-FCC, an antigen of anti-fucosylceramide antibody found in urine, in patients with gastric and colorectal carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: It has already been shown that the production of fucosylceramide, an aberrant glycolipid, is associated with neoplastic changes in human tissues. The authors of this study designed a sandwich radioimmunoassay (RIA) using a mouse monoclonal anti-fucosylceramide antibody, PC47H, designated as PC/PC RIA, and measured the level of u-FCC, an antigen of PC47H, in the urine of cancer patients. METHODS: The cohort comprised 41 patients with gastric carcinoma, 35 with colorectal carcinoma, 34 with other malignancies, 14 with cholelithiasis, 18 with gastric ulcer, and 110 healthy individuals. The u-FCC was quantified by PC/PC RIA. The cutoff value of u-FCC was obtained from the 110 healthy individuals, and the rates of positivity for gastric and colorectal carcinoma patients were evaluated. RESULTS: The rates of u-FCC positivity were 63% for patients with gastric carcinoma and 69% for colorectal carcinoma patients. The rate was only 1% (1/110) for the healthy individuals. The u-FCC value did not correlate with the values of either CA 19-9 or carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). In a combination assay of u-FCC with CA 19-9 and CEA, the positivity rates were 84% for gastric carcinoma patients and 85% for colorectal carcinoma patients. CONCLUSIONS: Gastric and colorectal carcinoma patients have significantly high levels of u-FCC in their urine compared with normal individuals.

c-Fos expression in the parabrachial nucleus after ingestion of sodium chloride in the rat.

The distribution of evoked expression of the proto-oncogene c-Fos was immunohistochemically examined in the parabrachial nucleus (PBN) of the rat after free ingestion of NaCl and some other taste solutions. C-Fos-like immunoreactive neurones (c-Fos neurones) were densely observed in the external lateral subnucleus (els), central lateral subnucleus (cls), and the central part of the medial subnucleus (ms). The finding that the number of c-Fos neurones decreased dramatically in the ms after treatment of the tongue with amiloride or after dissection of the chorda tympani suggests that the taste information of NaCl projects mainly to the ms. The functional significance of the els and cls is discussed, and it is suggested that the els is a recipient zone for general visceral inputs and the cls is concerned with palatability of the liquids ingested. The present study has proved that c-Fos immunoreactivity is a useful anatomical marker for activated neurones in the PBN during ingestive behaviour.