Formation of NaCl-type monodeuteride LaD by the disproportionation reaction of LaD2.

Previous x-ray diffraction measurements revealed the pressure-induced decomposition of an fcc LaH2.3 into H-rich and H-poor fcc phases around 11 GPa. The present neutron diffraction measurements on LaD2 confirm the formation of NaCl-type LaD as a counterpart of the D-rich LaD2+δ by disproportionation. First-principles enthalpy and lattice dynamic calculations demonstrate that the NaCl-type LaH is stabilized at high pressures and can be recovered at ambient conditions. Finding the NaCl-type LaH will pave the way for investigations on the site-dependent nature of hydrogen-metal interactions.

Non-invasive method to detect induction of CYP3A4 in chimeric mice with a humanized liver.

Chimeric mice with a humanized liver have been previously established by the transplantation of human hepatocytes to urokinase-type plasminogen activator/severe combined immunodeficiency mice. A non-invasive method to detect the induction of cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A4 was evaluated in chimeric mice with a humanized liver. Dexamethasone (DEX) was used as a probe drug to detect induction; and rifampicin was used as a model drug to induce CYP3A4. Before and after rifampicin treatment (50 mg kg(-1), intraperitoneal injection once a day for 4 days) in the chimeric mice, DEX was subcutaneously injected and the urinary excretion of 6beta-hydroxydexamethason (6betaOHD) and DEX was determined. The metabolic ratio (6betaOHD/DEX) significantly increased after rifampicin treatment. Livers from the control and rifampicin-treated chimeric mice were stained immunohistolochemically with antibodies against CYP3A4 and CYP3A5. CYP3A4 and CYP3A5 were detected in the area of humanized liver, but staining was intense for CYP3A4 and very weak for CYP3A5. Only the staining of CYP3A4 was increased after rifampicin treatment. Formation of 6betaOHD by human liver microsomes was higher than that formed by mouse liver microsomes. Metabolite formation was catalysed by both CYP3A4 and CYP3A5 and the intrinsic clearance (V(max)/K(m)) by CYP3A4 was found to be 50-fold higher than that of CYP3A5. The results of the present study indicate that estimation of the changes of the urinary metabolic ratio (6betaOHD/DEX) in the chimeric mice with a humanized liver is a very useful tool for detecting the induction of CYP3A4 by a non-invasive method.

[A case of multiple liver metastases from sigmoid colon cancer effectively treated by hepatic intra-arterial administration of levoforinate and 5-fluorouracil].

A 62-year-old female patient, who was diagnosed with sigmoid colon cancer with multiple liver metastases, was admitted to our hospital. She underwent sigmoidectomy with D3 lymph node dissection on January 31, 2000. In addition to that, she received hepatic intra-arterial infusion of levoforinate (l-LV) 250 mg and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) 500 mg for combined multiple hepatic metastases starting on postoperative day 14, and these medications were administered over 48 hours once weekly by infuser pump. The tumor diminished by 59% 2 months after the start of administration and further diminished at 4 months. PR was achieved. Cancer metastasis to the cerebellum and metastasis to the lung were detected at month 9 and month 11, respectively, but the liver metastatic tumor continued to diminish in size, ultimately becoming undetectable by CT scan at month 10. Surgery and radiotherapy were performed for the cerebellar metastasis, and intravenous administration of a combination of l-LV and 5-FU was performed systemically for the pulmonary metastatic tumor. At present, the patient receives regular outpatient treatment continuously. To our knowledge, there has been no report on the combination therapy with l-LV and 5-FU through the hepatic artery. Since good antitumor efficacy was demonstrated in the present patient, this case is described in this report together with four other cases of hepatic metastasis from colorectal cancer.

[A study of prostatic tissue levels of cefodizime (CDZM)].

Twenty-four patients suffering from prostate hyperplasia were given venous injections of CDZM of either 1 or 2 g at specific intervals (30 min, 1, 2 and 4 hr) before surgery. Blood samples from the injected vein and tissue samples from the prostate were subsequently taken. In this study, the concentrations of CDZM in the prostate tissue (P) and in serum (S), as well as the ratio of the tissue to serum concentrations (P/S) were determined. In patients given 1 g injections, P ranged from 5.26-48.10 micrograms/g, while S ranged from 25.40-130.00 micrograms/ml and P/S ranged from 12.6-37.0%. In the patients given 2 g injections, P ranged from 9.40-49.20 micrograms/g, S ranged from 62.30-234.00 micrograms/ml and P/S ranged from 9.3-29.1%. CDZM exhibited excellent transmigration to the prostate tissue. Inflammatory bacteria present in prostatitis and urinary tract infections are generally those of E. coli, Proteus sp., but because the P range was much higher than the ratio of MIC, CDZM is expected to be useful against infections in the field of urology.

[Spindle cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder: a case report].

A 74-year-old man with spindle cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder is reported. He presented to our clinic with gross hematuria resulting in bladder tamponade. Transurethral resection (TUR) was performed in order to control severe hematuria intractable with conservative therapy. Histologically the tumor invaded the muscle layer and was composed of two components, small foci of transitional cell carcinoma and numerous spindle cells with severe atypia and then the transition was recognized between them. Immunohistochemically transitional cell carcinoma was intensely positive for cytokeratin (CK) and epithelial membrane antigen (EMA), but negative for vimentin (VIM). Moreover some parts of spindle cells were weakly stained for CK and EMA. Three months after TUR, multiple pulmonary metastases and moderate right hydronephrosis occurred and he died of respiratory insufficiency one month later.

Idiopathic sclerosing peritonitis in a man.

Idiopathic sclerosing peritonitis (ISP) is a rare condition which has been mainly reported in young adolescent women as a cause of small bowel obstruction. In these patients the small bowel is sometimes encased in a fibrous sac called an "abdominal cocoon". We describe a 62-year-old man who underwent exploratory laparotomy for ascites and abdominal mass. Laparotomy showed 5.4 l of ascites and the entire small bowel was encased in a fibrous sausage-like cocoon. The pathological findings were characteristic of sclerosing peritonitis.

[Colon cancer with macroscopic invasion into surrounding organs].

Of 195 cases of colon cancer operated on between January 1972 and April 1985, 56 (30.3%) were with macroscopic invasion into surrounding organs. Among them, 45 patients underwent combined resection of the colon and one or more adjacent organs, and in 60% of them, the tumor invasion was verified microscopically. The organ invaded most frequently was the abdominal wall (26 cases), followed by the bladder (7) and stomach (6). The operative mortality was 8.9%, and the five-year survival rate in the curative resection group was 70.9%. Even the noncurative resection group showed a significantly longer mean survival time than the nonresectable group. Combined resection should be undertaken unless the patient is seriously ill.

[Clinical experience with T-2588 in complicated urinary tract infections].

The clinical effectiveness and safety of T-2588 were evaluated in 21 patients with complicated urinary tract infections. Six hundred mg of T-2588 per day was administered orally in three divided doses for 14 days. The results were excellent in 7 cases (33.3%), moderate in 8 cases (38.1%) and poor in 6 cases (28.6%), and the effectiveness rate was 71.4%. The effectiveness rates of the single infection group and mixed infection group were 91.7% and 44.4%, respectively. The overall bacteriological eradication rate obtained was 77.1%, and those of gram-positive cocci and gram-negative rods were 62.5% and 81.5%, respectively. None of the 21 cases, had any significant side effects and abnormal laboratory findings. From the above results, T-2588 is considered to be a useful antibiotic in the treatment of complicated urinary tract infections.

[Primary diffused infiltrating (linitis plastica) type of colonic cancer--case report].

The primary diffused infiltrating type of colonic cancer is characteristically rare, and has a high rate of malignancy. A 54-year-old Japanese man was admitted to our hospital complaining of abdominal pain and decreased stools. Sigmoid colonic cancer was suspected as a result of the Ba-enema and colonic fiberscopy examination, but the biopsy results were negative. The sigmoid colon was resected extensively. Histopathologically, the cancer was diagnosed as being a signet ring-cell carcinoma of the sigmoid colon. Although the patient received postoperative chemotherapy, he died of carcinomata peritonitis 175 days after surgery.