Complete mitochondrial genome of the Amur hedgehog Erinaceus amurensis (Erinaceidae) and higher phylogeny of the family Erinaceidae

We sequenced and characterized the complete mitogenome (KX964606) of the Amur hedgehog Erinaceus amurensis to provide more data for comparative mitogenomics of the genus Erinaceus (Erinaceidae). The mitogenome of E. amurensis is a circular molecule 16,941 bp long, consisting of a control region and a conserved set of 37 genes containing 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNA genes, and two rRNA genes (12S rRNA and 16S rRNA). The mitogenome of E. amurensis is AT-biased, with a nucleotide composition of 33.9% A, 21.1% C, 32.6% T, and 12.4% G. The mitogenomes of E. amurensis and the closely related hedgehog species E. europaeus, excluding the control region (66.7%), share over 90% sequence similarity. According to the inter-generic relationship based on six mitogenomes described from five genera of Erinaceidae, the subfamilies Erinaceinae and Galericinae are strongly supported as monophyletic groups, with each genus well placed within its own subfamily. Within the subfamily Erinaceinae, E. amurensis is a sister species to E. europaeus, and the relationship between Hemiechinus and Erinaceus is strongly supported. Within the subfamily Galericinae, the clade of Hylomys + Neotetracus was sister to that of Echinosorex, with clades supported by high values. Our findings will help to understand the codon usage pattern and molecular evolution of E. amurensis, and provide insight into inter-generic relationships within the family Erinaceidae. In future studies, the inclusion of mitogenomes from other genera would greatly enhance our understanding of higher phylogeny within the Erinaceidae.

Effect of Nicardipine on Haemodynamic and Bispectral Index Changes following Endotracheal Intubation

We investigated the effect of IV nicardipine on haemodynamic and bispectral index responses to the induction of general anaesthesia and intubation. Forty patients were randomly allocated to two groups of 20 to receive normal saline or nicardipine 15 μg/kg IV 30 s after induction. Ninety seconds later, tracheal intubation was performed. Systolic blood pressure, heart rate and bispectral index were measured at baseline, 1 min after induction, pre-intubation, and every minute until 5 min after endotracheal intubation. Rate–pressure product values were calculated. In the nicardipine group, systolic blood pressure decreased compared with the control group, and heart rate increased compared with the control group. Bispectral index and rate–pressure product showed no differences between the two groups. In conclusion, the administration of 15 μg/kg nicardipine IV does not affect anaesthetic depth in response to the induction of general anaesthesia and intubation.

Amiodarone Offsets the Cardioprotective Effects of Ischaemic Preconditioning against Ischaemia/Reperfusion Injury

Both ischaemic preconditioning (IPC) and amiodarone protect against myocardial ischaemia. We examined whether a combination of IPC and amiodarone demonstrated an additive protective effect in isolated rat hearts ( n = 40). The controls (group I) were subjected to ischaemia/reperfusion injury; group II was subjected to cycles of IPC prior to ischaemia/reperfusion injury; group III was subjected to ischaemia in the presence of amiodarone (10−10 mol/l); and group IV was subjected to IPC followed by ischaemia in the presence of amiodarone (10−10 mol/l). Amiodarone produced the best preserved left ventricular end-systolic pressure and dP/dtmax, less developed ventricular stiffness, the shortest arrhythmia duration, and the smallest infarct size among the groups. All of the myocardial protective effects against ischaemia/reperfusion injury were diminished or abolished when IPC and amiodarone were applied sequentially.

Effect of Administration of Ketorolac and Local Anaesthetic Infiltration for Pain Relief after Laparoscopic-assisted Vaginal Hysterectomy

The efficacy of local anaesthetic infiltration and/or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for post-operative analgesia following laparoscopic-assisted vaginal hysterectomy (LAVH) was investigated in 83 patients, randomized into four groups in this double-blind, placebo-controlled study: group BK, local infiltration with bupivacaine and pre-incisional intramuscular (IM) ketorolac; group NN, saline local infiltration IM; group BN, local infiltration with bupivacaine and saline IM; group NK, local infiltration with saline and ketorolac IM. Post-operative pain scores were assessed at 1 h, 3 h, 6 h, 12 h and 24 h using a visual analogue scale (VAS). The major pain site, first analgesic request time and incidence of analgesic requests were also recorded. At 1 h, 3 h and 6 h after surgery, group BK patients had significantly lower VAS pain scores than group NN patients. The first analgesic request time was significantly longer in group BK than in groups NN, BN and NK. Pre-incisional treatment with ketorolac IM and local infiltration with bupivacaine reduced post-operative pain after LAVH.

Gene organization and characterization of the complete mitogenome of Hypsugo alaschanicus (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae)

We sequenced and characterized the complete mitogenome of Hypsugo alaschanicus (Vespertilionidae) to provide more data for comparative mitogenomics of the genus Hypsugo. The mitogenome of H. alaschanicus is a circular molecule of 17,300 bp, consisting of a control region and a typically conserved set of 37 vertebrate genes containing 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 tRNA genes, and two rRNA genes (12S rRNA and 16S rRNA). The mitogenome of H. alaschanicus is AT-biased, with a nucleotide composition of 34.1 A, 30.9 T, 22.4 C, and 12.6% G. In the 13 mitochondrial PCGs of H. alaschanicus, the start codon ATG is used in all PCGs, except Nd2 and Nd3 (which use ATT), and Nd5 (which uses ATA). Eight PCGs (Nd1, Cox1, Cox2, Atp8, Atp6, Nd4L, Nd5, and Nd6) use TAA as the stop codon, while the stop codon AGA occurs only in Cytb. Incomplete stop codons (T--) are used in the other four PCGs (Cox3, Nd2, Nd3, and Nd4). These findings contribute to our understanding of the nucleotide composition and molecular evolution of the mitogenomes of the genus Hypsugo, and provide more data for comparative mitogenomics and higher phylogeny in the family Vespertilionidae.

Detection and sequence analysis of the DNA repair gene RAD51 in the Korean spider Callobius koreanus (Amaurobiidae)

We identified a partial sequence (483 bp) of the RAD51 gene from the Korean spider Callobius koreanus. Sequence variation was found at one position during alignment with the human RAD51 gene sequence. This partial sequence included the region corresponding to exon 4 in the human RAD51 gene, which encodes 39 amino acids. These results show that the RAD51 gene is highly conserved between human and spiders.

Complete mitochondrial genome and codon usage of the Nepalese whiskered bat Myotis muricola (Vespertilionidae)

We sequenced and characterized the complete mitogenome of the Nepalese whiskered bat Myotis muricola (Vespertilionidae) to provide more data for comparative mitogenomics and codon usage in the genus Myotis (Vespertilionidae). The mitogenome of M. muricola is a circular molecule of 17,224 bp, consisting of a control region and a conserved set of 37 genes containing 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 tRNA genes, and two rRNA genes (12S rRNA and 16S rRNA). The mitogenome of M. muricola is AT-biased, with a nucleotide composition of 33.6% A, 29.7% T, 23.3% C, and 13.4% G. The total length of the 13 mitochondrial PCGs, excluding stop codons, is 11,376 bp, or 3792 amino acids. The relative synonymous codon usage (RSCU) of codons ending in A/T was generally higher than that for codons ending in G/C. The most frequently used codons are CTA(Leu) and CGA(Arg), with RSCU values greater than 2.0. The most rarely used codons, all terminating in G, are TCG(Ser), CCG(Pro), GCG(Ala), AAG(Lys), TGG(Try), CGG(Arg), and ACG(Thr), with RSCU values below 0.2. TCG(Ser) occurs only five times, and has the lowest RSCU value (0.091). These results are valuable for a better understanding of the molecular evolution of mitogenomes in the genus Myotis.

Efficacy and Safety of Trabectedin or Dacarbazine for Metastatic Liposarcoma or Leiomyosarcoma After Failure of Conventional Chemotherapy: Results of a Phase III Randomized Multicenter Clinical Trial

PURPOSE

This multicenter study, to our knowledge, is the first phase III trial to compare trabectedin versus dacarbazine in patients with advanced liposarcoma or leiomyosarcoma after prior therapy with an anthracycline and at least one additional systemic regimen.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Patients were randomly assigned in a 2:1 ratio to receive trabectedin or dacarbazine intravenously every 3 weeks. The primary end point was overall survival (OS), secondary end points were disease control-progression-free survival (PFS), time to progression, objective response rate, and duration of response-as well as safety and patient-reported symptom scoring.

RESULTS

A total of 518 patients were enrolled and randomly assigned to either trabectedin (n = 345) or dacarbazine (n = 173). In the final analysis of PFS, trabectedin administration resulted in a 45% reduction in the risk of disease progression or death compared with dacarbazine (median PFS for trabectedin v dacarbazine, 4.2 v 1.5 months; hazard ratio, 0.55; P < .001); benefits were observed across all preplanned subgroup analyses. The interim analysis of OS (64% censored) demonstrated a 13% reduction in risk of death in the trabectedin arm compared with dacarbazine (median OS for trabectedin v dacarbazine, 12.4 v 12.9 months; hazard ratio, 0.87; P = .37). The safety profiles were consistent with the well-characterized toxicities of both agents, and the most common grade 3 to 4 adverse effects were myelosuppression and transient elevation of transaminases in the trabectedin arm.

CONCLUSION

Trabectedin demonstrates superior disease control versus conventional dacarbazine in patients who have advanced liposarcoma and leiomyosarcoma after they experience failure of prior chemotherapy. Because disease control in advanced sarcomas is a clinically relevant end point, this study supports the activity of trabectedin for patients with these malignancies.

Impact of crossover and baseline prognostic factors on overall survival (OS) with abiraterone acetate (AA) in the COU-AA-302 final analysis

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Background: AA + prednisone (P) significantly increased OS, time to opiate use, and was well tolerated at the COU-AA-302 final analysis. Here we further characterize OS benefit adjusting for crossover therapy and for baseline prognostic factors. Methods: Patients (N = 1,088) were randomized 1:1 to receive AA (1 g) + P (5 mg po BID) vs P. Co-primary end points were radiographic progression-free survival and OS. Median time to events with 95% CI was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Stratified log-rank test was used to test the difference in treatment effect. Adjustment for crossover utilized the iterative parameter estimate (IPE) and impact of baseline prognostic factors was examined via the multivariate Cox proportional hazard model. Results: With a median follow-up of 49.2 months and 741 deaths (96% of required), AA + P significantly reduced the risk of death vs P (19%) and prolonged median OS (34.7 vs 30.3 months) (Table). 44% of patients initially receiving P alone subsequently received AA + P as crossover per protocol (17%) or as subsequent therapy (27%). IPE adjustment resulted in a 26% reduction in the risk of death (Table). By multivariate analysis, AA + P treatment led to a 21% reduction in the risk of death; baseline prostate-specific antigen (PSA), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), hemoglobin, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), bone metastases, and age were significant OS prognostic factors (Table). Conclusions: AA + P yielded a statistically significant improvement in OS. Greater improvement in OS was observed after adjusting for the 44% of patients originally on P who ultimately received AA + P. Adjusting for baseline prognostic factors also demonstrated an AA + P OS benefit. Clinical trial information: NCT00887198. [Table: see text]

Fabrication of nanocrystalline surface composite layer on Cu plate under ball collisions

It was demonstrated that the severe plastic deformation of a surface induced by repeated ball collisions can be effectively used for fabrication of the nanocrystalline surface composite layers. The Cu disk was fixed at the top of a vibration chamber and ball treated. Al, Zr, Ni, Co and Fe were introduced into a Cu plate as contaminants from the grinding media one after the other by 15-min ball treatment. The composite structure was formed as a result of mechanical intermixing of the components. The particle size in as-fabricated layer ranged from 2 nm to 20 nm, with average values of about 7 nm. As-fabricated layer contained non-equilibrium multicomponent solid solution based on FCC Cu crystal structure, Zr-based phase, nanosized steel debris and amorphous phase. The hardness of the as-fabricated composite was almost ten times that of the initial Cu plate.

Use of permanent marker to deposit a protection layer against FIB damage in TEM specimen preparation

Permanent marker deposition (PMD), which creates permanent writing on an object with a permanent marker, was investigated as a method to deposit a protection layer against focused ion beam damage. PMD is a simple, fast and cheap process. Further, PMD is excellent in filling in narrow and deep trenches, enabling damage-free observation of high aspect ratio structures with atomic resolution in transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The microstructure, composition, gap filling ability and planarization of the PMD layer were studied using dual beam focused ion beam, transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and electron energy loss spectroscopy. It was found that a PMD layer is basically an amorphous carbon structure, and that such a layer should be at least 65 nm thick to protect a surface against 30 keV focused ion beam damage. We suggest that such a PMD layer can be an excellent protection layer to maintain a pristine sample structure against focused ion beam damage during transmission electron microscopy specimen preparation.

The association between body composition and toxicities from the combination of Doxil and trabectedin in patients with advanced relapsed ovarian cancer

Emerging research suggests that body composition can predict toxicity of certain chemotherapeutic agents. We used data from a clinical study to investigate associations between body composition and combined DOXIL (pegylated liposomal doxorubicin; PLD) and trabectedin (Yondelis) treatment, an effective treatment for ovarian cancer that shows high interpatient variation in toxicity profile. Patients (n = 74) participating in a phase III randomized trial of relapsed advanced ovarian cancer receiving PLD (30 mg/m2) and trabectedin (1.1 mg/m2) were included. Muscle tissue was measured by analysis of computerized tomography images, and an extrapolation of muscle and adipose tissue to lean body mass (LBM) and fat mass (FM) were employed. Toxicity profile after cycle 1 was used and graded according to the National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria (version 3). Patients presented with a wide range of body composition. In overweight and obese patients (body mass index (BMI) ≥ 25 kg/m2, n = 48) toxicity was more prevalent in those with lower BMI (p = 0.028) and a lower FM (n = 43, p = 0.034). Although LBM alone was not predictive of toxicity, a lower FM/LBM ratio was the most powerful variable associated with toxicity (p = 0.006). A different pattern emerged among normal weight patients (n = 26) where toxicity was rare among patients with smaller BMI (<21 kg/m2). A clear association between both FM and LBM (primarily driven by FM) in explaining PLD plus trabectedin toxicity emerged, but only in individuals with excess body weight, with a lower ratio predicting higher exposure and risk for toxicity.

Relationship between abiraterone exposure, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) kinetics, and overall survival (OS) in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC)

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Background: Abiraterone, the active metabolite of abiraterone acetate (AA), is an effective androgen biosynthesis inhibitor for patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). We conducted a sequential exposure-biomarker-survival modeling analysis to explore the relationship between prostate-specific antigen (PSA) kinetics and overall survival (OS) and to establish the exposure response for PSA kinetics and OS in chemotherapy-naïve and -pretreated patients with mCRPC following AA administration. Methods: The exposure-PSA-survival modeling framework was based on two phase III studies, COU-AA-301 (chemotherapy-pretreated, N = 1184) and COU-AA-302 (chemotherapy-naïve, N = 1081), and included a mixed-effects tumor growth inhibition (TGI) model to describe PSA dynamics in response to AA and a Cox proportional hazards survival model to evaluate the relationship between relative risk of death and PSA dynamic end points. Results: The TGI model best described the longitudinal PSA dynamics following AA treatment. Abiraterone exposure significantly increased PSA decay rate (maximum effect of 2.72, p < 0.0001). The estimated concentration for 50% of the maximum effect (EC50) was 4.75 ng/mL. The abiraterone effect on PSA kinetics was similar in chemotherapy-naïve and -pretreated subjects, and approximately 90% of subjects had a steady-state concentration greater than the EC50. All model-predicted PSA metrics were strongly associated with OS in both populations; model-based post-treatment PSA doubling time showed the strongest association (hazard ratios approximately 0.9 in both populations). Simulations showed that the modeling framework could accurately predict the survival outcome for both studies. Conclusions: The analysis revealed a similar effect of abiraterone on PSA kinetics and association between PSA kinetics and OS in chemotherapy-naïve and -pretreated subjects, providing additional evidence for surrogacy of PSA kinetics and the use of PSA end points to indicate clinical benefit of abiraterone in subjects with mCRPC regardless of prior chemotherapy. Furthermore, the study confirmed that the recommended 1,000 mg/d dose of AA leads to adequate clinical exposure above the effective level. Clinical trial information: NCT00638690, NCT00887198.

Long-term safety and efficacy analysis of abiraterone acetate (AA) plus prednisone (P) in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) without prior chemotherapy (COU-AA-302)

5009

Background: AA, a CYP17 inhibitor, prolongs the lives of men with progressive pre- or post-chemotherapy treated mCRPC with a favorable safety profile (Rathkopf et al. ASCO-GU 2013. Abstr 5). This post hoc analysis examines the safety and tolerability of long-term treatment (≥ 24 mos) in study COU-AA-302. Methods: 1,088 pts were randomized 1:1 to AA 1000 mg + P 5 mg po BID vs placebo + P. Co-primary endpoints were radiographic progression-free survival (rPFS) and OS. Median times with 95% CI of the end points were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier (KM) method. Post hoc analysis of adverse events (AEs) was performed at pre-specified interim analysis (IA3) (55% OS events). Results: At a median follow-up = 27.1 mos (IA3): rPFS HR (95% CI) = 0.53 (0.45, 0.62), p < 0.0001 and OS was improved over P [0.79 (0.66, 0.96), p = 0.0151]; the latter did not reach the pre-specified efficacy boundary (p = 0.0035). All secondary endpoints favored the AA arm (Rathkopf et al. ASCO-GU 2013. Abstr 5). The incidence rate of selected AEs by duration of exposure is shown below (Table). There was no clinically relevant increase in the incidence rate of AEs with longer exposure using AA + P versus P alone; although pts on treatment for ≥ 24 mos may have had greater tolerability. The percentage of patients who came off study due to an AE was 8% (AA) versus 6% (P). Conclusions: The updated IA3 of COU-AA-302 in pts without prior chemotherapy confirms the delay in progression and prolongation of life with a favorable safety profile including pts treated for ≥ 24 mos with AA + P or P. Clinical trial information: NCT00887198. [Table: see text]

Updated interim analysis (IA) of COU-AA-302, a randomized phase III study of abiraterone acetate (AA) in patients (pts) with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) without prior chemotherapy

5

Background: AA, a specific inhibitor of CYP17, blocks androgen biosynthesis and improves overall survival (OS) in mCRPC post-docetaxel (Lancet Oncol 2012;13:983-92). This pre-specified updated IA (55% total OS events) extends previous IA for COU-AA-302 evaluating clinical benefit of AA vs prednisone (P) in mildly symptomatic or asymptomatic pts with progressive mCRPC without prior chemotherapy. Methods: 1088 pts were stratified by Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (ECOG-PS, 0 vs 1) and randomized 1:1 to AA 1000 mg + P 5 mg po BID vs Placebo + P. Co-primary endpoints: radiographic progression-free survival (rPFS) and OS. Median time with 95% CI was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. The O’Brien-Fleming Lan-DeMets α-spending function was used for OS. Results: At 55% IA, OS, rPFS and secondary endpoints all favored the AA arm (Table). Median follow-up = 27.1 mos. A post hoc sensitivity multivariate analysis for OS using known prognostic factors supported primary results (HR 0.74, P = 0.0017). Grade 3/4 AEs (AA, P) (%): hypertension 4.2 vs 3.1; hypokalemia 2.6 vs 1.9; ALT↑ 5.5 vs 0.7; AST↑ 3.1 vs 0.9. Conclusions: In updated IA of COU-AA-302, improvement in rPFS (risk reduction 47%) remained statistically significant. Risk of death decreased by 21% but did not reach pre-specified efficacy boundary. Median OS for AA (35.3 mos) is the longest reported for this mCRPC population. Secondary endpoints were clinically and statistically significant; safety profile despite longer exposure remains favorable. Targeting extragonadal androgen synthesis reduces morbidity associated with disease progression in mCRPC pts without prior chemotherapy. Clinical trial information: NCT00887198. [Table: see text]

A hypothesis-generating exploratory analysis of efficacy and safety of abiraterone acetate (AA) in African American (Af Am) patients (pts) with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC)

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Background: The reported increased prostate cancer lethality in Af Ams has been attributed by some to altered androgen receptor (AR) signaling. We compared toxicity, PSA response, time-to-PSA progression (TTPP), and radiographic progression-free survival (rPFS) in Af Am vs non Af Am pts with CRPC treated with AA + prednisone (P) vs placebo + P. We hypothesized that differences in response to AA may be observed if differences in AR signaling exist in Af Ams.

Methods: COU-AA-301 is a randomized double blind study of AA (1000 mg + P 5 mg po BID) vs placebo + P post-docetaxel.

Results: TTPP, rPFS, and PSA response rate were higher with AA vs placebo. In Af Am pts, treatment emergent AEs (TEAEs) for AA vs placebo occurred in 96.4% vs 100.0% of pts (50.0% and 66.7%, respectively, grade 3/4); serious TEAEs occurred in 42.9% and 33.3% of pts (28.6% and 26.7%, respectively, grade 3/4). The safety profile of AA appears comparable between the Af Am and overall study populations.

Conclusions: Although the small number of Af Am pts in this study precludes formal conclusions regarding efficacy and safety of AA in this pt population, the overall trend suggests these pts experienced clinical benefit from AA with a safety profile comparable to the overall study population. These findings do not appear to support the hypothesis that AR signaling accounts for the increased lethality of prostate cancer seen in Af Ams. Further studies of AA in Af Am pts are planned to understand the potential benefit in this population. Additional efforts are needed to increase participation of Af Am pts in clinical trials.

[Table: see text]

Trabectedin plus pegylated liposomal doxorubicin in relapsed ovarian cancer delays third-line chemotherapy and prolongs the platinum-free interval

BACKGROUND

OVA-301 is a large randomized trial that showed superiority of trabectedin plus pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD; CentoCor Ortho Biotech Products L.P., Raritan, NJ, USA). over single-agent PLD in 672 patients with relapsed ovarian cancer, particularly in the partially platinum-sensitive subgroup [platinum-free interval (PFI) of 6-12 months]. This superiority has been suggested to be due to the differential impact of subsequent (platinum) therapy.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

a detailed analysis of subsequent therapies and survival outcomes in the overall population and in the subsets according to platinum sensitivity was therefore conducted.

RESULTS

similar proportions of patients received subsequent therapy in each arm (76% versus 77%), including further platinum-based regimens (49% versus 55%). Patients in the trabectedin/PLD arm received subsequent chemotherapy at a later time (median delay 2.5 months versus PLD arm). Overall survival from subsequent platinum was significantly prolonged in the partially platinum-sensitive disease subset (hazard ratio = 0.63; P = 0.0357).

CONCLUSION

the superiority of trabectedin/PLD over single-agent PLD in OVA-301 cannot be explained by differences in the extent or nature of subsequent therapies administered to these patients. On the other hand, these exploratory analyses support the hypothesis that the enhanced survival benefits in the partially platinum-sensitive subset might be due to an extended PFI leading to longer survival with subsequent platinum.

Trabectedin plus pegylated liposomal doxorubicin in relapsed ovarian cancer: outcomes in the partially platinum-sensitive (platinum-free interval 6-12 months) subpopulation of OVA-301 phase III randomized trial

BACKGROUND

OVA-301 is a large randomized trial that showed superiority of trabectedin plus pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD) over PLD alone in relapsed ovarian cancer. The optimal management of patients with partially platinum-sensitive relapse [6-12 months platinum-free interval (PFI)] is unclear.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

within OVA-301, we therefore now report on the outcomes for the 214 cases in this subgroup.

RESULTS

Trabectedin/PLD resulted in a 35% risk reduction of disease progression (DP) or death [hazard ratio (HR) = 0.65, 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.45-0.92; P = 0.0152; median progression-free survival (PFS) 7.4 versus 5.5 months], and a significant 41% decrease in the risk of death (HR = 0.59; 95% CI, 0.43-0.82; P = 0.0015; median survival 23.0 versus 17.1 months). The safety of trabectedin/PLD in this subset mimicked that of the overall population. Similar proportions of patients received subsequent therapy in each arm (76% versus 77%), although patients in the trabectedin/PLD arm had a slightly lower proportion of further platinum (49% versus 55%). Importantly, patients in the trabectedin/PLD arm survived significantly longer after subsequent platinum (HR = 0.63; P = 0.0357; median 13.3 versus 9.8 months).

CONCLUSION

This hypothesis-generating analysis demonstrates that superior benefits with trabectedin/PLD in terms of PFS and survival in the overall population appear particularly enhanced in patients with partially sensitive disease (PFI 6-12 months).

Trabectedin Plus Pegylated Liposomal Doxorubicin in Recurrent Ovarian Cancer

Purpose

The objective of this study was to compare the efficacy and safety of trabectedin plus pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD) with that of PLD alone in women with recurrent ovarian cancer after failure of first-line, platinum-based chemotherapy.

Patients and Methods

Women ≥ 18 years, stratified by performance status (0 to 1 v 2) and platinum sensitivity, were randomly assigned to receive an intravenous infusion of PLD 30 mg/m2followed by a 3-hour infusion of trabectedin 1.1 mg/m2every 3 weeks or PLD 50 mg/m2every 4 weeks. The primary end point was progression-free survival (PFS) by independent radiology assessment.

Results

Patients (N = 672) were randomly assigned to trabectedin/PLD (n = 337) or PLD (n = 335). Median PFS was 7.3 months with trabectedin/PLD v 5.8 months with PLD (hazard ratio, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.65 to 0.96; P = .0190). For platinum-sensitive patients, median PFS was 9.2 months v 7.5 months, respectively (hazard ratio, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.56 to 0.95; P = .0170). Overall response rate (ORR) was 27.6% for trabectedin/PLD v 18.8% for PLD (P = .0080); for platinum-sensitive patients, it was 35.3% v 22.6% (P = .0042), respectively. ORR, PFS, and overall survival among platinum-resistant patients were not statistically different. Neutropenia was more common with trabectedin/PLD. Grade 3 to 4 transaminase elevations were also more common with the combination but were transient and noncumulative. Hand-foot syndrome and mucositis were less frequent with trabectedin/PLD than with PLD alone.

Conclusion

When combined with PLD, trabectedin improves PFS and ORR over PLD alone with acceptable tolerance in the second-line treatment of recurrent ovarian cancer.

Hyperthermal neutral beam sources for material processing

Hyperthermal neutral beams have a great potential for material processes, especially for etching and thin film deposition for semiconductor and display fabrication as well as deposition for various thin film applications. Plasma-induced damage during plasma etching is a serious problem for manufacturing deep submicron semiconductor devices and is expected to be a problem for future nanoscale devices. Thermal and plasma-induced damage is also problematic for thin film depositions such as transparent conductive oxide films on organic light emitting diodes or flexible displays due to high temperature processes in plasma environments. These problems can be overcome by damage-free and low-temperature processes with hyperthermal neutral beams. We will present the status of the hyperthermal neutral beam development and the applications, especially, in semiconductor and display fabrication and introduce potential applications of thin film growing for optoelectronic devices such as light emitting diodes.

An adaptive M-wave canceler for the EMG controlled functional electrical stimulator and its FPGA implementation

Biopotential signals have been used as command and feedback signals in systems using electrical stimulation of motor nerves to restore the lost function. In order to use the voluntary electromyography (EMG) as a control signal for the functional electrical stimulation of the same muscle, it is necessary to suppress the M-wave evoked by the electrical stimulation. We present a Gram-Schmidt (GS) prediction error filter which effectively eliminates the M-wave from voluntary EMG. The GS filter has systolic array structure, so it offers advantages for the real-time processing on the field programmable gate array (FPGA). On basis of the data obtained from model for M-wave and voluntary EMG and from CNS injury patient, the proposed GS filter showed a very promising performance.

Phospho-ser 15-p53 translocates into mitochondria and interacts with Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL in eugenol-induced apoptosis

Our previous studies demonstrated that antiallergic effects of herbs such as clove and Magnoliae Flos (MF) resulted from the induction of apoptosis in mast cells. We here examined whether the antiallergic activity was caused by eugenol (4-allyl-2-methoxyphenol) which was one of major ingredients in the essential oils or extracts of numerous plants including clove and Magnoliae Flos. RBL-2H3 cells were treated with eugenol, and DNA electrophoresis, Western blotting, immunocytochemistry, confocal microscopy and immunoprecipitation were conducted. Effect of eugenol was tested using a rat anaphylaxis model. RBL-2H3 cells treated with eugenol showed typical apoptotic manifestations and translocation of p53 into mitochondria. Antisense p53 partially prevented the induction of apoptosis. Noticeably, we observed that p53 translocated into mitochondria was phosphorylated on ser 15. Phospho-ser 15-p53 physically interacted with Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL in mitochondria and its translocation into mitochondria preceded cytochrome c release and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) reduction. We also depicted that the survival of animals even after administration of the fatal dose of compound 48/80 might result from the decreased number of mast cells by eugenol pretreatment. In conclusion, eugenol induces apoptosis in mast cells via translocation of phospho-ser 15-p53 into mitochondria.

Phase III double-blind placebo-controlled study of farnesyl transferase inhibitor R115777 in patients with refractory advanced colorectal cancer

PURPOSE

To determine whether R115777 improves survival in patients with refractory advanced colorectal cancer (CRC) in a multicenter, double-blind, prospective randomized study.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Three hundred sixty-eight patients were randomly assigned to R115777 (300 mg twice daily) orally for 21 days every 28 days or placebo in a 2:1 ratio. All patients received best supportive care. The primary end point was overall survival; secondary end points were progression free survival, tumor response, toxicity, and quality of life.

RESULTS

The two treatment groups were well balanced for baseline demographics, including previous chemotherapy for advanced CRC. The median overall survival for R115777 was 174 days (95% CI, 157 to 198 days), and 185 days (95% CI, 158 to 238 days) for those patients receiving placebo (P =.376). One patient achieved a partial response in the R115777 arm. Stable disease (> 3 months) was observed in 24.3% patients in the R115777 group compared to 12.8% in the placebo arm. This did not translate into a statistically significant increase in progression-free survival. Overall, treatment was well tolerated. There was an increased incidence of reversible myelosuppression (neutropenia, thrombocytopenia), rash, and grade 1 to 2 diarrhea in the R115777 arm. There was no statistically significant difference in quality of life between arms.

CONCLUSION

Single agent R115777, given at this dose and schedule, has an acceptable toxicity profile, but does not improve overall survival compared to best supportive care alone in refractory advanced CRC.

Partial outlet obstruction of the rat bladder induces a stimulatory response on proliferation of the bladder smooth muscle cells

Outlet obstruction of the rat bladder induces hypertrophy/hyperplasia characterized by increases in bladder mass, smooth muscle content, and collagen deposition. In order to understand the mechanism of the outlet obstruction-induced hypertrophy and hyperplasia, we first determined the temporal pattern of changes in bladder mass after inducing the outlet obstruction. Histological analysis revealed that the smooth muscle cells with hypertrophy and hyperplasia, fibroblasts and connective tissue were increased in a time-dependent manner, corresponding to the temporal pattern observed in the changes in bladder mass, although the phase of changes in these tissue components was somewhat different. In order to further determine whether any proliferation-stimulatory factors were released from the bladder with obstruction in correspondence with increased bladder mass, soluble fractions were prepared from the bladders with outlet obstruction for 3-30 weeks, and their effects on proliferation of smooth muscle cells were examined. The soluble fractions prepared from the bladders at 3 to 14 weeks after obstruction slightly but significantly facilitated the proliferation of cultured smooth muscle cells, while the soluble fractions released after 20 weeks rather suppressed the proliferation. These results suggest that the initial increase in bladder mass might be in part due to the facilitated proliferation of smooth muscle cells of the bladder body induced by growth factors released into the soluble fractions, and that hypertrophy might then play a role in the increased bladder mass at later phases.

Expression of an artificial polypeptide with a repeated tripeptide glutamyl-tryptophanyl-lysine in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

AIMS

Artificial genes, which encode 48 or 64 repeats of a tripeptide, glutamyl-tryptophanyl-lysine have been cloned to the yeast expression vector pAM82 containing the PHO5 promoter and expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae AH22.

METHODS AND RESULTS

When the yeast cells harbouring recombinant plasmids pALTG6-2 and pALTG4-4 were derepressed in Burkholder minimal medium (Toh-e, A., Ueda, Y., Kakimoto, S.I. and Oshima, Y. (1973) Journal of Bacteriology113, 727-738) containing low phosphate (0.03 g l-1 KH2PO4 and 1.5 g l-1 KCl), the expression was the highest after 24 h induction and the artificial polypeptides were synthesized to about 10% (pALTG6-2) and 14% (pALTG4-4) of the total cell protein.

CONCLUSIONS

The artificial polypeptides produced in yeast were made to react with the rabbit antiserum against the polypeptide purified from Escherichia coli and found only in the pellet fraction of cell lysates, indicating the formation of inclusion body. Artificial polypeptide consisting of Glu-Trp-Lys may be useful as partial supplement in food and feeds.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

The production of single cell enriched with homopolymers of an essential amino acid in yeast might be an important tool of supplementing cereal diets and feed grain rations and could be used as means for improvement of the amino acid profile of single cell protein and production of pharmaceutical peptides.

Redox factor-1: an extra-nuclear role in the regulation of endothelial oxidative stress and apoptosis

The rac1 GTPase promotes oxidative stress through reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, whereas the DNA repair enzyme and transcriptional regulator redox factor-1 (ref-1) protects against cell death due to oxidative stimuli. However, the function of ref-1 in regulating intracellular oxidative stress, particularly that induced by rac1, has not been defined. We examined the role of ref-1 in vascular endothelial cell oxidative stress and apoptosis. Ref-1 was expressed in both the cytoplasm and nuclei of resting endothelial cells. Cytoplasmic ref-1 translocated to the nucleus with the oxidative trigger hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R). Forced cytoplasmic overexpression of ref-1 suppressed H/R-induced oxidative stress (H(2)O(2) production), NF-kappaB activation, and apoptosis, and also mitigated rac1-regulated H(2)O(2) production and NF-kappaB transcriptional activity. We conclude that inhibition of oxidative stress is another mechanism by which ref-1 protects against apoptosis, and that this is achieved through modulation of cytoplasmic rac1-regulated ROS generation. This suggests a novel extra-nuclear function of ref-1.

A new enzymic method for the isolation and culture of human bladder body smooth muscle cells

Cultured cells of the human urinary bladder smooth muscle are useful for investigating bladder function, but methods for culturing them are not well developed. We have now established a novel enzymic technique. The smooth muscle layer was separated out and incubated with 0.2% trypsin for 30 min at 37 degrees C. The samples were then minced and incubated with 0.1% collagenase for 30 min and centrifuged at 900 g. The pellets were resuspended in RPMI-1640 medium containing 10% fetal calf serum (FCS) and centrifuged at 250 g. The smooth muscle cells from the supernatant were cultured in RPMI-1640 containing 10% FCS. The cells grew to confluence after 7-10 days, forming the "hills and valleys" growth pattern characteristic of smooth muscle cells. Immunostaining with anti-alpha-actin, anti-myosin, and anti-caldesmon antibodies demonstrated that 99% of the cells were smooth muscle cells. To investigate the pharmacological properties of the cultured cells, we determined the inhibitory effect of muscarinic receptor antagonists on the binding of [3H]N-methylscopolamine to membranes from cultured cells. The pKi values obtained for six antagonists agreed with the corresponding values for transfected cells expressing the human muscarinic M2 subtype. Furthermore, carbachol produced an increase in the concentration of cytoplasmic free Ca2+ an action that was blocked by 4-diphenylacetoxy-N-methylpiperidine methiodide, an M3 selective antagonist. This result suggests that these cells express functional M3 muscarinic receptors, in addition to M2 receptors. The subcultured cells therefore appear to be unaffected by our new isolation method.

Cephalometric and physiologic predictors of the efficacy of an adjustable oral appliance for treating obstructive sleep apnea

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether any physiologic or cephalometric parameters could be used to predict the efficacy of an adjustable mandibular advancement appliance for treating obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Forty-two male and 5 female patients with OSA were recruited on the basis of baseline polysomnography with a documented Apnea and Hypopnea Index (AHI) greater than 15 per hour. Repeat polysomnography was performed with the appliance in place. Baseline cephalometry was performed for each patient, and follow-up cephalometry was completed for 19 of the subjects. The subjects were divided into 3 groups on the basis of the degree of change in the AHI with oral appliance therapy: good response (> 75% decrease in AHI), moderate response (25% to 75% decrease in AHI), and poor response (< 25% decrease in AHI). Patients with a good response were younger and had smaller upper airways. In a linear regression analysis, the change in AHI (%) was associated with physiologic (age and body mass index), cephalometric (overjet, height of the maxillary molars, vertical height of the hyoid bone), and airway variables. However, changes in either overbite or overjet were not related to changes in any of the polysomnographic variables for the 19 subjects. A stepwise regression analysis revealed a better treatment response with the adjustable mandibular advancement appliance in patients who were younger and had a lower body mass index, a longer maxilla, a smaller oropharynx, a smaller overjet, less erupted maxillary molars, and a larger ratio of vertical airway length to the cross-sectional area of the soft palate.

Results of neurilemoma treatment: a review of 78 cases

Between 1984 and 1994, a total of 78 patients underwent surgery for neurilemoma of the trunk or extremities. The incidence according to the involved nerve was analyzed and the follow-up results and complications after surgical treatment were reviewed. The median nerve was most frequently involved among 15 different nerves. Marginal excision was performed in 70 (90%) patients, incisional biopsy in 6 (8%), and wide excision in 2 (2%). Postoperative complications were paresthesia in 7 patients. There was no recurrence or malignant transformation until the average 47 months of follow-up. In most patients, marginal excision was sufficient to prevent local recurrence and did not impair nerve function significantly.

Identification of muscarinic receptor subtypes of cultured smooth muscle cells and tissue of human bladder body

BACKGROUND

Muscarinic receptor subtypes of cultured smooth muscle cells from the human bladder body were investigated by the receptor binding assay method. The result was compared with that obtained from the human bladder body tissue to confirm whether the receptor subtypes of the cells are not changed after several passages of cell culture.

METHODS

Inhibitory effects of various muscarinic antagonists on the binding of [3H]-N-methylscopolamine ([3H]-NMS) to membrane preparations obtained from cultured smooth muscle cells from the fourth subculture of the human bladder body were compared with those prepared from the human bladder body tissue and cells expressing human muscarinic receptor subtypes.

RESULTS

Binding-inhibition constants (pKi) for atropine, pirenzepine, methoctramine, 4-diphenylacetoxy-N-methylpiperidine methiodide (4-DAMP), oxybutynin and propiverine obtained from membrane preparations of cultured smooth muscle cells were 8.91, 6.35, 8.24, 8.53, 7.29 and 5.61, respectively. pKi values of these muscarinic receptor antagonists against the membrane preparation of human bladder body tissue were 9.08, 6.66, 8.05, 8.79, 7.53 and 6.04, respectively. pKi values of cultured smooth muscle cells and tissue from human bladder body were correlated closely with those of insect cells expressing the cloned human M2 receptor subtype.

CONCLUSION

The binding affinities for various muscarinic receptor antagonists of cultured human smooth muscle cells were maintained through the fourth subculture and it was suggested that the M2 receptor subtype is predominantly expressed in cultured smooth muscle cells of human bladder body as well as in tissue of the human bladder body.

Effects of isoproterenol and butylscopolamine on the friction between an artificial stone and the intraureteral wall in anesthetized rabbits

PURPOSE

We evaluated the effects of the nonselective beta-adrenoceptor agonist isoproterenol and the nonselective muscarinic antagonist butylscopolamine on ureteral wall tension, namely friction between an artificial stone and the intraureteral wall, in anesthetized rabbits.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The relaxing effect of the drugs on the KCl induced tonic contraction was examined in isolated rabbit ureters. The effect of the drugs on the applied force needed for the artificial stone to pass at a constant speed through the ureter, called sliding force, was evaluated in anesthetized rabbits.

RESULTS

In a concentration dependent manner isoproterenol but not butylscopolamine reduced the KCl induced contraction in isolated ureter (mean pD2 7.35 +/- 0.06). Intravenous administration of 1 and 10 microg./kg. isoproterenol significantly decreased the friction between the artificial stone and intraureteral wall in anesthetized rabbits with sliding force at 15 minutes after drug administration decreased by 54.5% and 63.6%, respectively. In contrast, 100 and 1,000 microg./kg. butylscopolamine intravenously had no evident effect on ureteral wall tension.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results strongly suggest that ureteral smooth muscle relaxation by beta-adrenergic stimulation reduces ureteral wall tension, thereby, diminishing mechanical effects impeding the movement of a ureteral stone down the ureter.

Bilateral sudden deafness as a prodrome of anterior inferior cerebellar artery infarction

BACKGROUND

Acute ischemic stroke in the distribution of the anterior inferior cerebellar artery is known to be associated with hearing loss, facial weakness, ataxia, nystagmus, and hypalgesia. There have been few reports on bilateral deafness and vertebrobasilar occlusive disease. Furthermore, previous reports have not emphasized the inner ear as a localization of bilateral deafness.

OBJECTIVE

To describe the presentation of acute ischemic stroke in the distribution of the anterior inferior cerebellar artery as sudden bilateral hearing loss with minimal associated signs.

DESIGN AND SETTING

Case report and tertiary care hospital.

PATIENT

A 66-year-old man with diabetes mellitus developed sudden bilateral deafness, unilateral tinnitus, and vertigo 7 days before the onset of dysarthria, facial weakness, and ataxia. T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging scans showed hyperintensities in the right lateral pons and right middle cerebral peduncle and a possible abnormality of the left middle cerebellar peduncle. A magnetic resonance angiogram showed moderately severe stenosis of the distal vertebral artery and middle third of the basilar artery. The patient's right limb coordination and gait improved steadily over several weeks, but there was no improvement in hearing in his right ear.

CONCLUSIONS

The relatively isolated onset of deafness as well as the severity and persistence of the hearing loss led us to conclude that the hearing loss in this case was likely due to prominent hypoperfusion of the internal auditory artery, with labyrinthine infarction as the earliest event. Vertebrobasilar occlusive disease should be considered in the differential diagnosis of sudden bilateral deafness.

Distribution and hydrodynamic model of the Keumdong oil spill in Kwangyang Bay, Korea

Oil concentrations in the seawater, seabed sediments, and shoreline sediments were measured from the samples collected 165 days after the Keumdong oil spill accident, which had occurred in Kwangyang Bay of the South Sea, Korea in September 1993. Distribution patterns of the concentrations in the seabed and shoreline sediments have allowed us to hindcast the transport and fate of the spilled oil. Overall, the patterns agree better with the southward (seaward) surface water circulation than with the northward (landward) bottom water circulation over the region. Rapid, initial dispersal of the spilled oil to the south and its subsequent grounding onto the intertidal seabed sediments, as well as onto the shorelines, appear to have made ineffective the subsurface oil transport by the bottom current.

Structural basis of caspase inhibition by XIAP: differential roles of the linker versus the BIR domain

The inhibitor of apoptosis proteins (IAPs) represent the only endogenous caspase inhibitors and are characterized by the presence of baculoviral IAP repeats (BIRs). Here, we report the crystal structure of the complex between human caspase-7 and XIAP (BIR2 and the proceeding linker). The structure surprisingly reveals that the linker is the only contacting element for the caspase, while the BIR2 domain is invisible in the crystal. The linker interacts with and blocks the substrate groove of the caspase in a backward fashion, distinct from substrate recognition. Structural analyses suggest that the linker is the energetic and specificity determinant of the interaction. Further biochemical characterizations clearly establish that the linker harbors the major energetic determinant, while the BIR2 domain serves as a regulatory element for caspase binding and Smac neutralization.

Reduced cardiotoxicity and preserved antitumor efficacy of liposome-encapsulated doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide compared with conventional doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide in a randomized, multicenter trial of metastatic breast cancer

PURPOSE

To determine whether Myocet (liposome-encapsulated doxorubicin; The Liposome Company, Elan Corporation, Princeton, NJ) in combination with cyclophosphamide significantly reduces doxorubicin cardiotoxicity while providing comparable antitumor efficacy in first-line treatment of metastatic breast cancer (MBC).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Two hundred ninety-seven patients with MBC and no prior chemotherapy for metastatic disease were randomized to receive either 60 mg/m(2) of Myocet (M) or conventional doxorubicin (A), in combination with 600 mg/m(2) of cyclophosphamide (C), every 3 weeks until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Cardiotoxicity was defined by reductions in left-ventricular ejection fraction, assessed by serial multigated radionuclide angiography scans, or congestive heart failure (CHF). Antitumor efficacy was assessed by objective tumor response rates (World Health Organization criteria), time to progression, and survival.

RESULTS

Six percent of MC patients versus 21% (including five cases of CHF) of AC patients developed cardiotoxicity (P =.0002). Median cumulative doxorubicin dose at onset was more than 2,220 mg/m(2) for MC versus 480 mg/m(2) for AC (P =.0001, hazard ratio, 5.04). MC patients also experienced less grade 4 neutropenia. Antitumor efficacy of MC versus AC was comparable: objective response rates, 43% versus 43%; median time to progression, 5.1% versus 5.5 months; median time to treatment failure, 4.6 versus 4.4 months; and median survival, 19 versus 16 months.

CONCLUSION

Myocet improves the therapeutic index of doxorubicin by significantly reducing cardiotoxicity and grade 4 neutropenia and provides comparable antitumor efficacy, when used in combination with cyclophosphamide as first-line therapy for MBC.

Schizophrenic delusions in Seoul, Shanghai and Taipei: a transcultural study

In this transcultural study of schizophrenic delusions among patients in Seoul, Shanghai and Taipei, we discovered that both the frequency and content of delusions differed among the three groups; and that these differences could perhaps be explained by varying sociocultural and political situations. Delusional themes that are sensitive to sociocultural or political situations include guilt, love/sex, religion, somatic damage, economy/business and politics. Delusions regarding longevity, love/sex, dysmorphophobia/dysosmophobia, religion or supernatural matters, and espionage/spy stories were most frequent in Seoul patients. Those in Taipei predominantly had delusions about possession, religion or supernatural matters, hypnotism, and mass media/computers. Shanghai patients often had delusions of poisons, being prickled by poisoned needles, their brain and viscera extracted and being a family member of political authorities.

[A case of squamous cell carcinoma of the bladder that was successfully treated with multidisciplinary therapies]

A 45-year-old man with hematopyuria detected at another hospital visited our department for further examination. Endoscopic examination revealed a disintegration abscess between the bladder neck and prostatic urethra. Transurethral biopsy demonstrated squamous cell carcinoma of the bladder. He received 40 Gy of radiation combined with M-VAC (methotrexate, vinblastine, dovorubicin cisplatin) chemotherapy. Pathologically, a complete response was found when he underwent total cystourethrectomy. There has been no sign of recurrence for one and a half years postoperatively.

A convenient method for oxidation of organophosphorus pesticides in organic solvents

Since organophosphorus pesticides can be oxidized to oxons in vivo and in the environment and their determination based on inhibition of cholinesterases can be more sensitive after their oxidation to oxons, development of an efficient method for their in vitro oxidation is important for their toxicological and analytical studies. This study demonstrated that treatment of organophosphorus pesticides with 10 molar excess bromine in acetonitrile is a rapid and efficient method for their oxidation. For the nine organophosphorus pesticides tested, the reaction was complete within a few seconds. All reactions gave the respective oxons as single major product, except that of fenthion, which gave two major products, the respective oxon and another product from further oxidation of the oxon. The yields of the oxons were 82-100%. The inhibitory power of the pesticides on acetylcholinesterase before and after oxidation was measured and, for all pesticides tested, the power after oxidation was much higher than that before oxidation. Inhibition calibration curves for both unoxidized and oxidized forms of fenitrothion and parathion were obtained. The sensitivity of the detection of these pesticides was much higher after oxidation.

Existence of a beta3-adrenoceptro and its functional role in the human ureter

PURPOSE

We tried to determine the beta-adrenoceptor (AR) subtypes distributed in the human ureter and to clarify their functional role in ureteral relaxation.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

1) Effects of beta-AR agonists on either spontaneous or KCl-induced contractions of the human ureter and the antagonism by beta-AR antagonists on isoprenaline (a non-selective beta-AR agonist)-induced effects were evaluated in vitro. 2) Displacement by beta-AR antagonists of [3H]-dihydroalprenolol binding to a membrane preparation derived from human ureteral smooth muscle was evaluated. 3) A reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction assay was performed to determine the expression of the mRNA for beta1-, beta2- and beta3-ARs in human ureteral smooth muscle.

RESULTS

1) Isoprenaline and procaterol (a beta2-AR agonist) concentration-dependently suppressed both spontaneous and KCl-induced contractions of the human ureter. The beta3-AR agonists, CGP-12177A and CL-316243, also suppressed these ureteral contractions, but dobutamine (a beta1-AR agonist) had little relaxing effect. The rank order of relaxing potency for the catecholamines was isoprenaline > adrenaline > noradrenaline. ICI-118,551 (a beta2-AR antagonist) only partially antagonized the isoprenaline-induced relaxation. 2) Propranolol (a non-selective beta-AR antagonist) and ICI-118,551 concentration-dependently displaced [3H]-dihydroalprenolol binding to the membrane with Ki values of 1.5 x 10-9 M and 6.3 x 10-9 M, respectively, while metoprolol (a beta1-AR antagonist) was less effective in this assay. 3) beta1-, beta2- and beta3-AR mRNAs were all expressed in human ureteral smooth muscle.

CONCLUSION

The present results provide the first evidence that the beta3-AR subtype is distributed in human ureteral smooth muscle and that it, and beta2-AR, mediate the ureteral relaxation induced by adrenergic stimulation.