Growth of colorectal liver metastases is not accelerated by intraportal administration of stem cells after portal vein embolization

INTRODUCTION

Future liver remnant volume (FLRV) is a crucial factor impacting resectability of colorectal liver metastases (CLM). In case of low FLRV, augmentation can be done by performing portal vein embolization (PVE). However, there is a risk of progression of CLM between PVE and resection. Intraportal application of autologous hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) is a possibility to accelerate the growth of FLRV. The effect of thus applied SC on CLM progression still remains unclear, though.

METHODS

63 patients underwent PVE between 2003 and 2015. In 20 patients a product with HSC was applied intraportally on the first day after PVE (PVE HSC group). HSC were gained from peripheral blood (10 patients) or bone marrow (10 patients). FLRV and volume of liver metastases (VLM) were evaluated by CT volumetry. The gained data were statistically evaluated in relation to the disease free interval (DFI), overall survival (OS), achievement of CLM resectability and progression of extrahepatic metastases. We compared the PVE HSC group with the group of patient undergoing simple PVE.

RESULTS

No significant difference in FLRV and VLM growth was observed between the study groups. The percentage of exploratory laparotomies was smaller in the group with PVE and HSC application. Patients with simple PVE had a significantly higher incidence of extrahepatic metastases during follow up. We did not observe any significant differences in DFI and OS between the groups.

CONCLUSION

HSC application did not accelerate CLM growth in comparison with PVE alone. PVE and HSC application had a higher percentage of patients undergoing liver resection and a lower incidence of extrahepatic metastases.

Portal Vein Embolization with Contralateral Application of Stem Cells Facilitates Increase of Future Liver Remnant Volume in Patients with Liver Metastases

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to evaluate the progress of future liver remnant volume (FLRV) in patients with liver metastases after portal vein embolization (PVE) with the application of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and compare it with a patients control group after PVE only.

METHODS

Twenty patients (group 1) underwent PVE with contralateral HSC application. Subsequently, CT volumetry with the determination of FLRV was performed at weekly intervals, in total three weeks. A sample of twenty patients (group 2) who underwent PVE without HSC application was used as a control group.

RESULTS

The mean of FLRV increased by 173.2 mL during three weeks after the PVE/HSC procedure, whereas by 98.9 mL after PVE only (p = 0.015). Furthermore, the mean daily growth of FLRV by 7.6 mL in group 1 was significantly higher in comparison with 4.1 mL in group 2 (p = 0.007).

CONCLUSIONS

PVE with the application of HSC significantly facilitates growth of FLRV in comparison with PVE only. This method could be one of the new suitable approaches to increase the resectability of liver tumours.

Optimisation of 20 kHz sonoreactor geometry on the basis of numerical simulation of local ultrasonic intensity and qualitative comparison with experimental results

The intensity distribution of the ultrasonic energy is, after the frequency, the most significant parameter to characterize ultrasonic fields in any sonochemical experiment. Whereas in the case of low intensity ultrasound the measurement of intensity and its distribution is well solved, in the case of high intensity (when cavitation takes place) the measurement is much more complicated. That is why the predicting the acoustic pressure distribution within the cell is desirable. A numerical solution of the wave equation gave the distribution of intensity within the cell. The calculations together with experimental verification have shown that the whole reactor behaves like a resonator and the energy distribution depends strongly on its shape. The agreement between computational simulations and experiments allowed optimisation of the shape of the sonochemical reactor. The optimal geometry resulted in a strong increase in intensity along a large part of the cell. The advantages of such optimised geometry are (i) the ultrasonic power necessary for obtaining cavitation is low; (ii) low power delivered to the system results in only weak heating, consequently, no cooling is necessary and (iii) the "active volume" is large, i.e. the fraction of the reactor volume with high intensity is large and is not limited to a vicinity close to the horn tip.

[In vitro and in vivo physicochemical study of depot formation of cinchocaine in an atelocollagen matrix]

The paper presents an introductory physicochemical study dealing with the preparation of atelocollagen felt saturated with local anesthetics, with the modelling of the release of the anesthetic from the collagen matrix in vitro, and with the checking of the corresponding analytical procedures (dc-polarography and UV-VIS spectrophotometry) for the determination of cinchocaine. The study is supplemented with experiments in vivo that confirm the usability of the new material for the depot formation of local anesthetics.

Cell viability and protein turnover in nongrowing Bacillus megaterium at sporulation suppressing temperature

In Bacillus megaterium, a temperature that suppresses sporulation (43 degrees C) only slightly exceeds both the optimum growth temperature and the temperature still permitting sporulation (40-41 degrees C). Here we show that, when cells grown at 35 degrees C and transferred to a sporulation medium, were subjected to shifts between 35 degrees C and the sporulation suppressing temperature (SST, 43 degrees C), their development and proteolytic activities were deeply affected. During the reversible sporulation phase that took place at 35 degrees C for 2-3 h (T2-T3), the cells developed forespores and their protein turnover was characterized by degradation of short-lived proteins and proteins made accessible to the proteolytic attack because of starvation. During the following irreversible sporulation phase refractile heat-resistant spores appeared at T4-T5. Protein turnover rate increased again after T2 and up to T8 60-70% prelabelled proteins were degraded. The SST suppressed sporulation at its beginning; at T3 no asymmetric septa were observed and the amount of heat-resistant spores at T8 was by 4-5 orders lower than at 35 degrees C. However, the cells remained viable and were able to sporulate when transferred to a lower temperature. Protein degradation was increased up to T3 but then its velocity sharply dropped and the amount of degraded protein at T8 corresponded to slightly more than one-half of that found at 35 degrees C. The cytoplasmic proteolytic activity was enhanced but the activity in the membrane fraction was decreased. When a temperature shift to SST was applied at the beginning of the irreversible sporulation phase (T2.5), the sporulation process was impaired. A portion of forespores lyzed, the others were able to complete their development but most spores were not heat-resistant and their coats showed defects. Protein degradation increased again because an effective proteolytic system was developed during the reversible sporulation phase but the amount of degraded protein was slightly lower than at 35 degrees C. A later (T4) shift to SST had no effect on the sporulation process.

Acid hydrolysis of 1,6-dihydro-4-amino-3-methyl-6-phenyl-1,2, 4-triazin-5(4H)-one (1,6-dihydrometamitron)

Metamitron (1) does not undergo hydrolysis at pH 1-8 and up to 5 M H(2)SO(4). The product of its two-electron reduction, 1, 6-dihydrometamitron (2), on the other hand, undergoes at pH <3 relatively fast hydrolysis. The dependence of the measured rate constant on acidity indicates that the completely protonated form (AH(2)(2+)) predominating in strongly acidic media undergoes hydrolysis slower than the species bearing one less proton (AH(+)). The latter most reactive species is present in highest concentration in solutions of pH between 0 and 2. This species is protonated on the 2,3-azomethine bond and yields as final products 2-hydrazino-2-phenylacetic acid (4) and acethydrazide (5). Kinetic, polarographic, and spectrophotometric measurements indicated for the first dissociation an average value pK(a) = -0.8, for the second pK(a) = 0.95. These observations together with the easy reduction of the 1,6-bond in metamitron (1) indicate that in nature the cleavage of metamitron may be preceded by its reduction to 1, 6-dihydrometamitron (2), which is then hydrolyzed. Thus, anaerobic, reductive conditions are likely preferable for the total microbial degradation of metamitron.

Asporogenic Bacillus megaterium mutant 27-36 degrades intrinsically short-lived proteins but fails to convert most of other proteins to a short-lived fraction

Asporogenic mutant blocked in the 0-II sporulation stage degraded pulse-labelled proteins in the sporulation medium at the same rate as the parental strain for the first two hours. The degraded fraction was mostly composed of intrinsically short-lived proteins which were degraded even after enriching the medium with amino acids and growth resumption. Proteins accessible to degradation because of nutritional shift down formed a lesser proportion of this fraction. The acceleration of protein turnover in the parent strain during the irreversible sporulation phase was not developed in the mutant. A first order kinetic model of protein degradation was used for parameter estimation. Ca(2+)-dependent intracellular serine proteinase was synthesized in an inactive form, which was activated by increasing Ca2+ concentration to 30 mM.

Population study of cell cycle in a continuous culture of Candida utilis

The mean lengths of G1, S, G2 and M phases of the cell cycle were determined on the basis of the population distribution of Candida utilis grown in a continuous culture under steady-state conditions by using an original mathematical method. The length of the G2 phase was proportional to that of G1; the length of M was effectively independent of the growth rate. The length of S was proportional to the mean number of mitochondria in the cell.

An antibiotic-overproducing mutant of Streptomyces granaticolor with impaired differentiation

A thy- tetracycline-resistant mutant of Streptomyces granaticolor was prepared by mutagenesis of the parental strain ETH 7437. The mutant exhibits a different morphology and an overproduction of granaticins. The ability to form an aerial mycelium and spores has been lost. The mutant cells have a round or an atypical shape and a thick cell wall, the membraneous system is enlarged by numerous mesosomes. Division septa are formed rarely. The mutant is more sensitive to both low and high temperature than the parental strain. The altered features are stably maintained for many generations. Ribosomal proteins of the mutant do not differ substantially from those of the original strain indicating that the mutant phenotype is not due to an alteration at the translational level.

Transfer of liposome-encapsulated plasmid DNA to Bacillus subtilis protoplasts and calcium-treated Escherichia coli cells

Protoplasts of Bacillus subtilis 168 trpC2 str and cells of Escherichia coli SK 1590 after treatment with calcium chloride were transformed to tetracycline resistance with the recombinant plasmid pUN82 entrapped in the reverse phase evaporation liposomes. Frequency of transfer was 4 X 10(-4)% in B. subtilis and 8 X 10(-6)% in E. coli.

New bacteriophage-like particles in Corynebacterium glutamicum

Three new phage-like particles (CG1, CG2, and CGK1) were isolated from Corynebacterium glutamicum CBII. Particles CG1 and CG2 are DNA phages with long, noncontractile tails, CGK1 is a killer particle according to electron microscopy. A heat-stable low-molecular-weight bacteriocidal substance affecting various coryneform bacteria was observed to be joined to the killer particle CGK1.

Biochemical characterization and visualization of plasma membrane-DNA-protein complexes from Bacillus subtilis

Subcellular fractions containing plasma membranes with bound DNA and associated proteins were isolated from two different cultures of Bacillus subtilis 168 growing exponentially at different rates. Differences in the contents of individual between the dissociated complexes, established electrophoretically, can be explained by dynamic binding of the proteins to DNA, resulting in a control of DNA, resulting in a control of DNA replication. Electron microphotographs of isolated complexes display, in addition to unit membranes, associated filamentous structures in different arragement. Patterns obtained after treating the complexes with nucleases suggest a polydeoxyribonucleotide character of the filamentous structures.

Morphogenesis and ultrastructure of Claviceps purpurea during submerged alkaloid formation

Criteria for morphogenetic and ultrastructural distinction between conidia and chlamydospores of a submerged culture of Claviceps purpurea (Fr.) Tul. are described. Both the hyphae of the sphacelia (asexual) stage and the conidia contained granular cytoplasm. Cytoplasmic invaginations in vacuoles were transformed to electron-opaque bodies and disintegrated prior to germination. The budding of conidia had basipetal succession. The chlamydospores were formed by rounding up the terminal cells of filamentous hyphae. Homogeneous nonvacuolized cytoplasm with lipid droplets and lipid-forming bodies was characteristic of young chlamydospores. Cristate mitochondria did not appear in the chlamydospores before the alkaloid production phase. Simultaneously a specific organelle in the chlamydospores, a dense body, appeared to absorb intracellular lipids and form large deposits of phospholipid material. No germination of chlamydospores was observed. The ultrastructural pattern described for chlamydospores was also observed in hyphae with reduced proliferation during the alkaloid production phase.

Cytochemical localization of polysaccharides in Claviceps paspali ultrastructure during submerged fermentation of alkaloids

Morphological characteristics of two types of elements in the submerged mycelium of Claviceps paspali are described. Distribution of polysaccharides in the cell wall and cytoplasm was cytochemically determined at the ultrastructural level. Polysaccharide deposition into the cell walls was proportional to the increase in the alkaloid yield. In the cytoplasm, on the other hand, the presence of polysaccharide grains indicated an absence of alkaloid synthesis.

The ultrastructure of Entamoeba histolytica

The ultrastructure of the trophozoite of Entamoeba histolytica cultivated in vitro on artificial media is described from electron-microscope studies made by the authors and from other published accounts. The authors point out that the description does not present a complete picture of the trophozoite of this species of amoeba since no detailed studies of the dysenteric form in infected host organs have yet been made and that nothing is known about the ultrastructure of cysts and the process of cyst formation, maturation and germination.The cytoplasm is confined by a 3-layered cytoplasmic membrane and contains many different organelles: subpellicular dark bodies, ribosomes, helical aggregates of ribosomes, osmiophilic lipoid granules, short dark tubular bodies of unknown origin and function, food vacuoles and some very small vacuoles thought to be lysosomes. Neither mitochondria nor a Golgi apparatus could be found. In the nucleus, the chromatin material is accumulated around the periphery and the nucleolus is centrally situated. The nuclear envelope is a double-layered membrane with numerous pores. Some groups of button-like particles were seen within the nucleus and it is thought that they are probably symbiotic virus-like particles.Some comparisons are made with the ultrastructure of other amoebae, both parasitic and free-living, and some further lines of study are suggested.