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Approximately 1.6% of tumors metastatic to the ovary of nongynecologic origin are from a small bowel adenocarcinoma (SBA). However, the incidence of SBA is extremely rare (0.23 cases/100,000 people), which suggests a high frequency of ovarian metastasis, although the reason is unknown. To identify the characteristics of ovarian tumor metastasis from SBA, we reviewed 72 cases reported in the English literature, including the case presented in this report. The mean age of the patients was 46.7 yr. Solitary ovarian metastasis was observed in 67% of the cases, and ovarian metastasis was accompanied by peritoneal dissemination in 33% of the cases. Although duodenal adenocarcinoma has the highest incidence among the SBAs, jejunal adenocarcinoma, particularly that at the proximal end, is the type of SBA that most frequently metastasizes to the ovary. Among the cases of ovarian metastasis from SBA, 51% were bilateral, 33% were unilateral to the right ovary, and 16% were unilateral to the left ovary. more...

Despite its clinical importance, the mechanism of preeclampsia is unclear; however, many believe placental pathology might be related to maternal systemic disease. If this is true, a factor which mediates information from the placenta to the maternal circulation can be hypothesized. Among a variety of such reported factors, soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt1) will be the focus of this review. The hypoxic placenta, which is commonly found in preeclampsia, produces sFlt1; furthermore, animal experiments suggest its overexpression leads to preeclampsia-like symptoms. more...

We have purified and identified a 32-kDa protein interacting with the Dbl oncogene homology domain of mSos1(Sos-DH) from rat brains by glutathioneS-transferase-Sos-DH affinity chromatography. Peptide sequencing revealed that the protein is identical to a positive regulatory E subunit (V-ATPase E) of a vacuolar H+-ATPase, which is responsible for acidification of endosome and alkalinization of intracellular pH. The interaction between V-ATPase E and Sos-DH was confirmed by yeast two-hybrid assay. A coimmunoprecipitation assay demonstrated that a V-ATPase E protein physiologically bound to mSos1, and the protein was colocalized with mSos1 in the cytoplasm, as determined by immunohistochemistry. mSos1 was found in the early endosome fraction together with V-ATPase E and Rac1, suggesting the functional involvement of mSos1/V-ATPase E complexes in the Rac1 activity at endosomes. Overexpression of V-ATPase E in COS cells enhanced the ability of mSos1 to promote the guanine nucleotide exchange activity for Rac1 and stimulated the kinase activity of Jun kinase, a downstream target of Rac1. Thus, the data indicate that V-ATPase E may participate in the regulation of the mSos1-dependent Rac1 signaling pathway involved in growth factor receptor-mediated cell growth control. more...

Uterine leiomyosarcoma is an extremely malignant neoplasm with high rates of distant metastasis, and systemic chemotherapy is not particularly effective. Thus, the introduction of more active anticancer agents, or of a new drug delivery system, is urgently needed. Recently, electrochemotherapy has been introduced as a way of enhancing the cytotoxic effects of chemotherapeutic agents. This involves administering the drug in combination with electric pulses (which permeabilize tumor cell membranes and allow the drug to enter the cells). In particular, bleomycin (BLM) cannot cross the plasma membrane efficiently, but its cytotoxicity can be enhanced by electropermeabilization. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of low-voltage electroporation (EP) in combination with local BLM injection on the growth of uterine leiomyosarcoma in nude mice. Human uterine leiomyosarcoma cells (SK-LMS-1) were implanted subcutaneously into nude mice. Tumor growth in mice treated with EP (100 V/cm) plus BLM was compared with that in mice receiving BLM alone, EP alone, or no treatment (controls). Tissue BLM concentrations and histological analysis (including mitotic counts) were evaluated in tumor tissues. There was a significant reduction in tumor growth in mice that received EP with BLM. One hour after the treatment, the local BLM concentration was 10 times higher in the tumors that received EP with BLM than in those receiving only BLM. Moreover, the mitotic count was lower in the tumors that received EP plus BLM than in the controls. These results demonstrate the possible therapeutic value of low-voltage EP with BLM in human uterine leiomyosarcoma. Int. J. Cancer 88:640–644, 2000. © 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc. more...

Background.Successful pregnancies after conservative progestin treatment to young women with endometrial carcinoma have recently been reported. However, it is not known for certain whether the lesion is completely eradicated in such patients. We present a case of residual endometrial carcinoma after term pregnancy which had been treated conservatively before the pregnancy began. more...

Nerve growth factor (NGF) stimulation of pheochromocytoma PC12 cells transiently increased the intracellular concentration of reactive oxygen species (ROS). This increase was blocked by the chemical antioxidant N-acetylcysteine and a flavoprotein inhibitor, diphenylene iodonium. NGF responses of PC12 cells, including neurite outgrowth, tyrosine phosphorylation, and AP-1 activation, was inhibited when ROS production was prevented byN-acetylcysteine and diphenylene iodonium. The expression of dominant negative Rac1N17 blocked induction of both ROS generation and morphological differentiation by NGF. The ROS produced appears to be H2O2, because the introduction of catalase into the cells abolished NGF-induced neurite outgrowth, ROS production, and tyrosine phosphorylation. These results suggest that the ROS, perhaps H2O2, acts as an intracellular signal mediator for NGF-induced neuronal differentiation and that NGF-stimulated ROS production is regulated by Rac1 and a flavoprotein-binding protein similar to the phagocytic NADPH oxidase. more...