Jane Wass

Inhibitory effect of norcantharidin on K562 human myeloid leukemia cells in vitro

Mylabris, the dried body of the Chinese blister beetle, has been used as a Chinese medicinal for over 2000 years. Its active constituent, cantharidin, has antitumor properties and causes leukocytosis. Norcantharidin (NCTD), the demethylated form of cantharidin, is easier to synthesize and is less toxic. NCTD irreversibly reduced the clonogenic efficiency of parental and drug-resistant K562 sublines, with drug-resistant sublines showing greater susceptibility to NCTD than parental cells. NCTD inhibited DNA synthesis by blocking cells at the G2/M phase of the cell cycle. The data suggest that NCTD may be suitable in the treatment of drug-resistant leukemia.

Flow cytometric and karyotypic analysis of a primary small cell carcinoma of the prostate: a xenografted cell line

A human small cell undifferentiated carcinoma of the prostate, xenografted in nude mice, was analyzed both cytogenetically and by DNA flow cytometry. The DNA content of the line indicated its stability on serial passage, and was consistent with the cytogenetic findings. The banded karyotype was hypodiploid with nonrandom losses of chromosomes #6, #7, #10, and #13. Structural rearrangements involved chromosomes #1 and #2, and there were three unidentified markers. The findings were compared with those described in other types of prostatic carcinoma.

Significance of secondary cytogenetic changes in patients with Ph-positive chronic granulocytic leukemia in the acute phase

The karyotypic abnormalities in 29 patients in the acute phase of Ph-positive chronic granulocytic leukemia are described. Of 18 Giemsa banded samples, 11 showed one or more of the typical additional abnormalities found in the acute phase, namely +Ph, +8, or i(17q). Survival data from these patients was combined with three published series providing 135 patients and the effect of one, two, or three of these abnormalities tested. The prognosis was significantly worse in patients with two or more additional abnormalities, compared with those with one or none. Analysis of the subset of patients with only one additional abnormality [+Ph or +8 or i(17q)] suggested a worse prognosis in those with +8 than in those with +Ph or i(17q), although the differences were not significant. There also was a trend for patients in whom all metaphases showed abnormalities in addition to the Ph chromosome to have a worse prognosis than those in whom some or all metaphases contained the Ph only. However, this trend just failed to reach a 5% level of significance.

Malignant melanoma: analysis by DNA flow cytometry

&NA; The DNA content of 14 primary and 111 secondary melanomas was determined by flow cytometry. Aneuploidy was detected in 67% of samples. The frequency with which aneuploid cells were found was similar in primary and metastatic melanomas and, in the metastatic group, for melanotic and amelanotic tumours. Aneuploid diversity was marked with a wide variation in DNA content between tumours. Serial biopsies were performed in 14 patients, and in 10 there was discordance in DNA profiles between first and subsequent biopsies. Tumour biopsies taken from different sites at the same time also showed discordance in 3 of 5 cases. These features highlight the degree of cellular heterogeneity in malignant melanoma.

Features of squamous and adenocarcinoma in the same cell in a xenografted human transitional cell carcinoma: Evidence of a common histogenesis?

SummaryUltrastructural features of squamous differentiation have been found in adenocarcinomatous cells in a xenografted line (UCRU-BL-17) established in nude mice from a primary human bladder transitional cell carcinoma (grade III, stage T4) with a tetraploid DNA component. The line has been characterized by light and electron microscopy, flow cytometry and immunocytochemistry. The initial xenograft showed predominantly adenocarcinomatous differentiation with mucin secretion, whilst the subsequent passages also contained cells showing squamous differentiation. A xenograft subline established from a cell culture of the initial xenograft shows the emergence of a population of cells with near triploid DNA, which are less differentiated, grow more quickly, show decreased expression of carcinoembryonic antigen, and a change in the distribution of staining with peanut lectin from cell surface to cytoplasm. These lines offer an unusual opportunity to study the histogenetic relationships between the histological subtypes of bladder cancer.

Characterization of a New Human Bladder Cancer Cell Line, Ucru-BL-28

A new human bladder cancer cell line, UCRU-BL-28 has been established and characterized from a relapsed, cisplatin resistant, grade II, stage T4 tumor. This line is tumorigenic in nude mice and reflects the pathology of the original tumor. The morphology, the expression of tumor-associated antigens and EGF receptors, and the ability to grow both in an anchorage independent manner and in the absence of serum is explored. The BL-28 line has 71-74XXY chromosomes, with del 5q, der(9) and i(19q). Further studies on the molecular basis of bladder cancer, chemosensitivity to cisplatin, growth factor production and tissue invasion are under way.

Translocation (Y;1)(q12;q21) in acute leukemia

This report documents one patient with myelodysplasia evolving into acute leukemia who showed a t(Y;1) translocation confirmed by in situ hybridization. Most of the q arm of the Y chromosome was translocated to an additional q arm of chromosome 1, resulting in trisomy 1q. To our knowledge only four other cases with this t(Y;1) have been reported.