Phase II study of the combination of gemcitabine and nedaplatin for advanced non-small-cell lung cancer.

We examined the efficacy and safety of the combination of gemcitabine and nedaplatin in patients with untreated advanced non-small-cell lung cancer. Thirty-four patients (24 men and 10 women) with a mean age of 69 years (range, 39-75 years) were treated every 3 weeks with gemcitabine (1,000 mg/m(2) on days 1 and 8) and nedaplatin (100 mg/m(2) on day 1). Four patients had stage IIIB disease and 30 patients had stage IV disease. None of the 33 patients achieved a complete response, but 10 achieved a partial response, for a response rate of 30.3% (95% confidence interval, 15.6-48.7%). One patient could not be evaluated for response because only one course of chemotherapy had been administered due to grade 3 eruption. The median survival time was 9.0 months (range, 1-17 months). Grades 3-4 hematological toxicities included leukopenia in 47% of patients, neutropenia in 62%, thrombocytopenia in 56%, and anemia in 44%. Grades 3-4 nonhematological toxicities included nausea and vomiting in 6% of patients, diarrhea in 3%, and hepatic dysfunction in 9%. There were no treatment-related deaths. The dose intensities were 89.6% and 86.7%, respectively, of the planned doses of gemcitabine and nedaplatin. Our results suggest that the combination of gemcitabine and nedaplatin is an acceptable treatment for patients with previously untreated advanced non-small-cell lung cancer.

Antioxidative activity and protective effect against ethanol-induced gastric mucosal damage of a potato protein hydrolysate.

Antioxidative activity and protective effect against ethanol-induced gastric mucosal damage of potato protein hydrolysate (potato peptides, Po-P) were studied in vitro and in vivo. The Po-P obtained by proteolysis with Amano P and pancreatin inhibited linoleic acid oxidation either by 83%, at its coexistent 0.005% in a ferric thiocyanate assay system or by 32% at its coexistent 0.0002% in a beta-carotene decolorization assay system. Meanwhile Po-P were orally administered to male Wistar rats at doses of 12.5-100 mg/kg of body weight (BW) 30 min prior to ethanol injection. Consequently the ethanol-induced gastric damage was significantly reduced in a dose-dependent manner in the Po-P administered rat. The highest effect was observed in the group dosed with 100 mg Po-P/kg BW; the inhibition ratio was 69.6%. The extent of antioxidation or protection against ethanol-induced gastritis was quite similar to those of the respective peptides from casein, corn protein and ovalbumin, suggesting that the potato protein hydrolysate could serve as a useful food ingredient in practical eating habits.

Intracellular reactions affecting 2-amino-4-([(11)C]methylthio)butyric acid ([(11)C]methionine) response to carbon ion radiotherapy in C10 glioma cells.

PURPOSE: The response of 2-amino-4-([(14)C]methylthio)butyric acid ([(14)C]Met) uptake and [(125)I]3-iodo-alpha-methyl-l-tyrosine ([(125)I]IMT) uptake to radiotherapy of C10 glioma cells was compared to elucidate the intracellular reactions that affect the response of 2-amino-4-([(11)C]methylthio)butyric acid ([(11)C]Met) uptake to radiotherapy. METHODS: After irradiation of cultured (3 Gy) or xenografted C10 glioma cells (25 Gy) using a carbon ion beam, the accumulation of [(14)C]Met and [(125)I]IMT in the tumors was investigated. The radiometabolites in xenografted tumors after radiotherapy were analyzed by size-exclusion HPLC. RESULTS: [(14)C]Met provided earlier responses to the carbon ion beam irradiation than [(125)I]IMT in both cultured and xenografted tumors. While [(125)I]IMT remained intact in xenografted tumor before and after irradiation, the radioactivity derived from [(14)C]Met was observed both in high molecular fractions and intact fractions, and the former decreased after irradiation. CONCLUSION: The earlier response of [(11)C]Met uptake to tumor radiotherapy could be attributable to the decline in the intracellular energy-dependent reactions of tumors due to radiotherapy.