Fumio Hirao

IMMUNOTHERAPY OF CANCER WITH CELL WALL SKELETON OF MYCOBACTERIUM BOVIS-BACILLUS CALMETTE-GUÉRIN: EXPERIMENTAL AND CLINICAL RESULTS

Adjuvant and antitumor activities of CWS prepared from cells of mycobacteria, nocardia, and corynebacteria were examined. Oil-attached CWS of M. bovis BCG (BCG-CWS) stimulated the generation of cell-mediated cytotoxic effector cells in mice. Tumor growth was suppressed in mice inoculated intradermally with a mixture of oil-attached CWS and living tumor cells. Systemic and specific tumor immunity was demonstrated in mice in which tumor growth was suppressed. Tumor growth was also suppressed by oil-attached CWS of BCG or N. rubra in autochthonous autografts of spontaneous mammary adenocarcinoma and methylcholanthrene-induced fibrosarcoma in mice. The intravenous injection of oil-attached BCG-CWS prevents the appearance of lung cancer in rabbits by the instillation of chemical carcinogens. It was also shown that treatment with oil-attached BCG-CWS was able to elevate the immunologically depressed state of tumor-bearing mice to a normal level, as determined by a cell-mediated cytotoxicity assay that empolyed chromium release as the standard. Preliminary results suggest that oil-attached BCG-CWS is useful as an immunotherapeutic agent for both lung cancer and for malignant melanoma, leukemia, Hodgkins disease, and other neoplastic diseases and that this agent operates without any significant complications.

Primary lung cancer producing alpha‐fetoprotein: A case report

A case of primary lung cancer that produced both alpha‐fetoprotein (AFP) and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) is presented. Alphafetoprotein in the supernatant of tissue extract from the primary lesion amounted to more than 40 μg/ml, and its exact origin from tumor tissues was confirmed by the immunofluorescent study. We suppose that since the lung is one of the foregut derivatives it is not unlikely for lung cancer cells to produce AFP as well as CEA. Cancer 47:926–929, 1981.

Effect of Nocardia rubra cell-wall skeleton treatment on tumor formation in two-stage chemical carcinogenesis of mouse skin

SummaryIn two-stage chemical carcinogenesis of mouse skin, Nocardia rubra cell-wall skeleton (N-CWS), a potent immunopotentiator, was injected SC at various times. The dorsal skin of C57BL/6 male mice (about 10 cm2) was painted with 20 μg 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA) in 0.1 ml acetone when the animals were 11 weeks old (initiation). Seven weeks later, they were painted with 2.5 μg 12-0-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate (TPA) in 0.1 ml acetone twice weekly for 30 weeks (promotion). The timing of N-CWS treatment was important. N-CWS treatment before initiation reduced the incidence of skin tumor and the mean number of skin tumors per mouse most effectively. It is speculated that the antitumor activity of N-CWS may be composed of at least two mechanisms, being achieved through the enhancement of immunological surveillance and through changes in the metabolism of chemical carcinogens.

EXPERMIMENTAL AMYLOIDOSIS INDUCED BY 20‐METHYLCHOLANTHRENE IN RABBITS†

In the course of repeated intrabronchial application of 20‐methylcholanthrene to the rabbits, many of them were found to die from uremia with nephrotic syndrome. Approximately 60 % of animals, 3 months or longer under the experiment, showed swollen kidneys with the glomerular tufts deposited with amyloid and tubules dilated with hyaline casts. These lesions in the kidneys as well as in the liver, spleen and adrenals seen in 24 rabbits were consistent with systemic amyloidosis. Autofluorescence similar to that of 20‐methylcholanthrene was observed in the unstained frozen sections of the kidney at the site of amyloid deposition. Amyloidosis developed only in one rabbit of each group which received either intrabronchial application of 4‐nitroquinoline N‐oxide or intravenous administration of 20‐methylcholanthrene. Experimental procedures for inducing amyloidosis and pathogenesis of experimental amyloidosis were discussed.

EXPERIMENTAL NEPHRNSCLEROSIS INDUCED BY 20-METHYLCHOLANTHRENE

Incidentally we have observed a peculiar type of renal disease among the rabbits having received repeated application of 20-methylcholanthrene on the bronchial mucosa for the purpose of experimental induction of bronchogenic carcinoma. This disease is characterized by albuminuria, hypercholesteremia, and death resulting from uremia. There have been some experimental studies on nephrosclerosis secondary to experimental diabetes, whereas little have been known about the one secondary to chemical carcinogen treatment. This paper will present the experimental results of the nephrosclerosis and amyloidosis caused by the intrabronchial 20-methylcholanthrene application in rabbits.

A case of small cell carcinoma of the lung with metastasis to the stomach.

胃転移が生前に発見され, 化学療法により一度完全寛解した肺小細胞癌の1例を報告する.症例は64才男性, 胸痛, 咳, 血疾を主訴に来院した.胸部X線写真にて右肺門部に腫瘤影があり, 喀痰細胞診, 気管支鏡下生検にて小細胞癌と診断された.便潛血反応が陽性で, 進行性の貧血があり, 上部消化管透視を行った所, 胃腫瘍が発見された.胃内視鏡下生検にて小細胞癌と診断された.化学療法により胃転移は消失し, 2年2ヶ月生存した.