A trip through the signaling pathways of melanoma

Many cellular signaling pathways are involved in the development of cancer. Depending on the tumor entity, the nature as well as the mode of activation can differ. Some signaling pathways frequently show changes as all tumor cells have to fulfill some basic requirements such as independence from growth factors or insensitivity against apoptosis. In this review, the possibilities of a tumor to manipulate signaling pathways to reach these goals are exemplified based on an archetypical melanoma cell. In addition, new therapeutic options based on the knowledge of signaling pathways will be discussed.     

18F-FDG与18F-FLT PET/CT延迟显像对肺结节诊断效能的评价

目的 通过对多中心、前瞻性研究中接受了18F-脱氧葡萄糖(FDG)与18F-脱氧胸腺嘧啶核苷(FLT)延迟显像病例的分析,探讨18F-FDG与18F-FLT延迟显像对肺结节诊断的效能.方法 6个PET/CT中心,从2006年1月至2007年6月,按照统一标准,采用同机型、同一扫描条件,开展了肺结节样病变18F-FLT和18F-FDG PET/CT显像的多中心临床研究.在经确诊的55例病例中,25例患者进行了18F-FLT显像和延迟显像,34例患者进行了18F-FDG延迟显像.按常规计算延迟显像时病灶最大标准摄取值(SUVmax)及与早期显像时SUVmax相比的变化率(△SUVmax).对照临床确诊结果分析其诊断效能.采用SPSS11.0软件进行统计学处理.结果 18F-FDG延迟显像患者中,6例肺癌中5例、12例结核中9例、16例炎症或其他良性结节中9例的SUVmax较早期相升高.18F-FLT延迟显像组中,7例肺癌中3例、8例结核中3例和10例其他良性病灶中2例的SUVmax上升.经分组统计分析,不同疾病组间18F-FDG延迟显像SUVmax和△SUVmax差异无统计学意义;18F-FLT延迟显像SUVmax和△SUVmax组间差异也无统计学意义.无论18F-FDG还是18F-FLT,延迟显像的诊断效能均不如早期相.无论早期还是延迟显像,单独18F-FDG或18F-FLT显像的诊断效能均不如二者联合应用.结论 18F-FDG和18F-FLT延迟显像的SUVmax变化规律性不强,不宜单独应用于肺结节的鉴别诊断.     

原发性食管癌中胸苷磷酸化酶表达和血管生成的临床意义

目的　观察原发性食管癌中胸苷磷酸化酶 (thymidinephosphorylase,TP)的表达情况 ,探讨肿瘤组织中胸苷磷酸化酶表达、肿瘤微血管密度 (microvesseldensity ,MVD)和临床病理特征之间的关系 ,分析TP表达和肿瘤MVD的预后意义。方法　应用单克隆抗体对 6 5例食管癌标本进行免疫组化染色 ,测定TP表达及MVD。结果　TP在食管癌中的表达 (4 5 / 6 5 ,6 9.2 % )明显 (P <0 .0 0 1)高于正常食管粘膜 (4 / 2 4 ,16 .7% )。食管癌的MVD(4 5 .0 9± 8.76 )与正常食管粘膜的MVD(2 7.4 8± 8.4 4 )的差别显著 (P <0 .0 0 1)。食管癌TP阳性的MVD的均值是 (4 6 .5 3± 7.18) ,TP阴性的MVD的均值是 (4 1.85± 11.0 8) ,前者明显 (P =0 .0 4 6 ) 高于后者。食管癌的TP表达与临床病理特征无相关性 ,MVD却与肿瘤的浸润深度(P =0 .0 35 ) 及分期(P =0 .0 18) 有关 ,而且只有MVD才是食管癌的一个预后指标(P <0 .0 0 1)。结论　食管癌的TP表达与MVD密切相关。TP表达与食管癌的临床病理特征无关。MVD与肿瘤的浸润发展有关 ,同时只有MVD才是食管癌的一个预后指标     

Are thrombocyte membranes altered in Alzheimer''s disease? A morphometric and biochemical study

Morphometric analysis of thrombocytes from patients with Alzheimer's disease, from patients with multi-infarct dementia, and from young and agematched healthy control donors, did not reveal any Alzheimer-related increase in internal membranes. Biochemical analysis showed a reduced cholesterol content of thrombocyte membrane preparations from Alzheimer patients relative to age-matched controls, but not relative to multi-infarct dementia patients. Overall distribution of protein kinase C activity (PKC) between cytosol and membrane, in resting as well as in activated thrombocytes from Alzheimer patients, was similar to that in the control groups. However, both Alzheimer and multi-infarct dementia patients had lower cytosolic levels of basal kinase and PKC activities than age-matched controls, while only Alzheimer patients had lower cytoskeletal PKC activity than controls.     

Duchenne muscular dystrophy and myotonic dystrophy in the same patient

We report on the first patient identified with myotonic dystrophy and Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). The family of the propositus had a strong history of myotonic dystrophy, and there was an intrafamilial pathological expansion of the responsible CTG repeat between the mildly affected mother (160 repeats; normal 27 repeats) and her more severely affected son (650 repeats), and his sister (650 repeats). The propositus was an isolated case of Duchenne muscular dystrophy with marked dystrophin deficiency in muscle biopsy. The patient was still ambulatory post age 16. Myotonic dystrophy could interfere to some extent with the progression of Duchenne dystrophy. However, other interpretations are possible. Twelve percent of dystrophin revertant fibers as observed by immunohistochemistry could be sufficient to ameliorate typical DMD clinical severity, or the patient may present a somatic mosaic. The pathophysiological interactions of these two unlinked disorders are discussed at the clinical and histopathological levels. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

激活素A对免疫细胞活性的影响

观察了激活素Ａ对小鼠Ｔ／Ｂ淋巴细胞增殖和ＮＫ细胞毒活性的影响。结果表明，激活素Ａ在１０ｎｇ／ｍｌ条件下，对体外培养的Ｔ／Ｂ淋巴细胞增殖和ＮＫ细胞毒活性有明显的促进作用，与对照组比较具有明显的统计学差异（Ｐ〈０．０５），信号传递系统的研究表明，激活素Ａ有协同ＰＫＣ信号传递系统刺激物ＴＰＡ的促细胞增殖效应，并能促进Ｃａ＾２＋载体Ａ２３１８７的作用，上述资料提示，激活素Ａ可能是通过增加细胞钙离子浓度，激     

Salvage of pyrimidine nucleosides by Trichomonas vaginalis

Trichomonas vaginalis is incapable of de novo pyrimidine biosynthesis because it cannot incorporate bicarbonate, aspartate or orotate into its pyrimidine nucleotides or nucleic acids. The organism can salvage exogenous cytidine greater than uridine greater than uracil and thymidine, and incorporate them into the nucleotide pool. A portion of cytidine is converted to CMP, CDP and CTP by cytidine phosphotransferase and nucleotide kinases. Some cytidine and most of uracil are, however, converted first to uridine by cytidine deaminase and uridine phosphorylase respectively; uridine is then incorporated into UMP, UDP and UTP by uridine phosphotransferase and nucleotide kinases. The two phosphotransferases, found mainly in the non-sedimentable fraction of T. vaginalis, provide the main avenue of pyrimidine salvage. No significant levels of pyrimidine phosphoribosyl transferase or nucleoside kinases can be detected in the extract. T. vaginalis has no appreciable dihydrofolate reductase or thymidylate synthetase; it grows normally in millimolar concentrations of methotrexate, pyrimethamine, or trimethoprim, and cannot incorporate labels from exogenous uracil or uridine into DNA. It has an enzyme thymidine phosphotransferase in the sedimentable fraction which converts thymidine to TMP. Thymidine salvage in T. vaginalis is thus totally isolated from the rest of the pyrimidine salvage.     

乳酸脱氢酶同工酶LD1/LD2比值测定在急性心肌梗塞诊断中的意义

目的与方法:用琼脂凝胶电泳法测定乳酸脱氢酶(LDH)同工酶LD1/LD2比值.结果:表明,急性心肌梗塞(AMI)组44例平均1.0464士0.2947,非心肌梗塞组35例平均0.7690±0.1333,二者比较差异显著.首次血清的敏感性为47.7%(21/44),特异性为97.1%(34/35).并与发病后不同时间LDH.CK-MB,GOT做了比较,探讨其对AMI的诊断价值.结论:本文亦表明LDH同工酶的测定可弥补心电图对AMI诊断上的不足.     

Thymidine transport in hepatocytes

Thymidine transport and phosphorylation were investigated in isolated rat hepatocytes and AS 30 D hepatoma cells. In contrast to hepatoma cells, hepatocytes exhibited a minimum of thymidine phosphorylation due to a 100-fold smaller thymidine kinase activity. In hepatocytes thymidine is transported by two transport systems: a specific concentrative high affinity system and an unspecific non-concentrative low affinity system. In hepatoma cells only the low affinity system could be detected. A single dose of 20 or 50 mg diethylnitrosamine/kg body weight induced in hepatocytes a remarkable increase of thymidine kinase activity and a decrease of the transport by the high affinity system. Thymidine transport and phosphorylation by hepatocytes are considered to be sensitive markers for early recognition of toxin-induced liver regeneration.

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Zusammenfassung Thymidintransport und -phosphorylierung wurden in isolierten Rattenhepatozyten und AS 30 D-Hepatomzellen untersucht. Hepatozyten wiesen im Gegensatz zu Hepatomzellen aufgrund einer 100fach niedrigeren Thymidinkinaseaktivität eine äußerst niedrige Thymidinphosphorylierungsrate auf. In Hepatozyten wurde Thymidin durch zwei Transportsysteme aufgenommen: ein spezifisches, konzentratives high affinity System und ein unspezifisches, nichtkonzentratives low affinity System. In ATP-freien Hepatomzellen konnte nur das low affinity System nachgewiesen werden. Eine einmalige Dosis von 20 bzw. 50 mg Diäthylnitrosamin/kg Körpergewicht bewirkte in Hepatozyten einen Anstieg der Thymidinkinaseaktivität und eine Verminderung des Thymidintransports über das high affinity System. Thymidintransport und -phosphorylierung in Hepatozyten erwiesen sich als sensitives System zur frühen Erkennung beginnender Leberregeneration nach toxischer Vorschädigung.