Search

We measured the concentrations of butyltin (BT) and phenyltin (PT) compounds in blubber, liver, lung, and muscle of seven stranded killer whales ( Orcinus orca) collected from Rausu, Hokkaido, Japan. BTs in blubber ( n = 6), liver ( n = 4), lung ( n = 1), and muscle ( n = 4) of adult whale were in the range of 37–90, 385–676, 15, and 26–53 μg kg−1 wet weight, respectively. Concentrations of PTs in blubber, liver, lung, and muscle were <1 to 58, <1 to 14, 7 and <1 to 4 μg kg−1 wet weight, respectively. Detected frequencies of PTs were low in all tissues. Higher percentages of monobutyltin (MBT) in blubber, lung, and muscle were observed, while the percentage of dibutyltin (DBT) was high in liver. Detected frequencies of triphenyltin (TPT) were highest among tissues. Total BT concentrations in blubber and liver of a whale calf were lower than those in adult whales. MBT and DBT in the liver of the calf were the same (42%). MBT in blubber was the dominant compound among BTs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Determines the total concentration of total tin and butyltin compounds in the liver of cetaceans collected from Japanese coastal waters. Role of anthropogenic butyltins in the view of total tin accumulation in higher tropic organisms; Comparison of the total tin and butyltin concentration in coastal and offshore species.

The reduction in lymph node dissection using sentinel node (SN) identification in patients with lung cancer is associated with several difficulties, compared with similar procedures in patients with breast cancer or melanoma. To overcome the difficulties of SN identification in lung cancer, several topics have been reported in Japan. In this study, the following topics regarding SN identification in lung cancer patients will be introduced: (1) devices for SN identification using a radioisotope tracer; (2) movement of Tc-99 tin colloid after injection; (3) characteristics of patients in whom SNs could not be identified; (4) results of ex vivo SN identification; (5) reliability of in vivo SN identification; (6) algorithm for reducing mediastinal lymph node dissection; (7) SN identification using SPECT/CT; (8) differences in SN identification between large and small radioisotope particles; (9) size of metastatic and nonmetastatic mediastinal lymph nodes in non-small cell lung cancer; (10) SN navigation segmentectomy for clinical stage IA non-small cell lung cancer; and (11) lymphatic flow at segmental lymph nodes., (Copyright 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: To test the reliability of sentinel lymph node identification in non-small cell lung cancer, sentinel nodes were localized with a radioactive colloid in patients undergoing surgery., Methods: Forty-six patients with non-small cell lung cancer undergoing curative resection with mediastinal lymph node dissection were examined. The day before surgery, technetium-99m ((99m)Tc) tin colloid was injected into the peritumoral region. At operation, the radioactivity of the lymph nodes was counted with a handheld gamma counter before (in vivo) and after (ex vivo) dissection. Lymph nodes with an ex vivo radioactive count more than 10 times the background value were identified as sentinel nodes. The correlation between the in vivo and ex vivo results was examined., Results: Lymphoscintigraphy revealed that it took longer than 6 hours for sufficient (99m)Tc tin colloid to reach the sentinel nodes. Sentinel nodes could be identified in 40 patients (87%). Patients whose sentinel nodes could not be identified had a significantly lower ratio of forced expiratory volume in 1 second to forced vital capacity than did those with identifiable sentinel nodes (P =.03). No false-negative sentinel nodes were detected in 14 patients with N1 or N2 disease (0%). In the hilar lymph node stations, the lobar lymph nodes were most frequently identified as sentinel nodes (as often as 85% of the time). Fourteen patients (35%) had sentinel nodes in the mediastinum, the distribution of which depended on the lobe. In vivo and ex vivo counting showed 88% concurrence for the identification of sentinel nodes in mediastinal lymph node stations., Conclusion: The identification of sentinel nodes with (99m)Tc tin colloid is a reliable method of establishing the first site of nodal metastasis in non- small cell lung cancer. Sentinel nodes could be hardly identified in patients with a low ratio of forced expiratory volume in 1 second to forced vital capacity because of such conditions as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In vivo identification of sentinel nodes in the mediastinum could be useful approach to guide mediastinal lymph node sampling or dissection.