Ryuji Kaneko

New superselective intra-arterial infusion via superficial temporal artery for cancer of the tongue and tumour tissue platinum concentration after carboplatin (CBDCA) infusion

We developed a new technique of superselective intra-arterial chemotherapy for tongue cancer using a modified (1.35 mm) angiographic catheter. The catheter was confirmed to be inserted into the lingual artery by the new technique. We measured the platinum concentrations in resected tumour tissues after infusion of carboplatin (CBDCA) at 20 mg/m2 over 30 min from 30 min before tumour resection in 12 patients with cancer of the tongue (6 patients: superselective intra-arterial infusion; 6 patients: conventional intra-arterial infusion). The mean platinum concentration in tumour tissue was 10.5 +/- 1.2 micrograms/g wet, which was more than twice higher than, and significantly different from, 4.3 +/- 3.8 micrograms/g wet by the conventional intra-arterial infusion method. This new superselective intra-arterial infusion method allows direct infusion of the anticancer agent into the artery supplying the tumour and is expected to become a new therapeutic modality for cancer of the tongue.

Curative treatment of central hemangioma in the mandible by direct puncture and embolisation with n-butyl-cyanoacrylate (NBCA)

Management of central hemangioma in the mandible is difficult because of the abundant vascular network in this region. One of the most common signs of these patients, especially in the mixed dentition period, is hypermobility of the teeth with spontaneous hemorrhage from the surrounding gingival sulcus. Various therapeutic modalities have been considered, but surgery is the most frequently used. In cases of a large extensive lesion, however, intralesional injections of sclerosing agents have often been successful. A case of central hemangioma of the mandible with arteriovenous malformations in a 10-year-old girl is reported. She was treated with direct injection of an embolic material, n-butyl-cyanoacrylate, which brought satisfactory results. Preoperative embolisation of feeder vessels with Gelfoam and Avitene soaked in thrombin together with this direct injection is a safe treatment modality that is as effective as surgery.

Hsp40, a possible indicator for thermotolerance of murine tumour in vivo

The relationship between Hsp40/Hsp70 synthesis and the development of thermotolerance was investigated using mouse squamous cell carcinoma in vivo. To examine the thermotolerance, tumours were heated at 44 degrees C for 30 min as conditioning heating. After various intervals they were heated again at 44 degrees C for 90 min as challenge heating. The tumour response to heat was evaluated by the growth delay. Thermotolerance rapidly developed with increasing interval and reached a maximum at 12 h interval. Subsequently, thermotolerance gradually decayed and almost disappeared at 120 h interval. Under this condition, synthesis of Hsp40/Hsp70 increased after conditioning heating, reached a maximum at 12 h interval, then gradually decreased thereafter within 120 h. The kinetics of accumulation and decay of both Hsp40 and Hsp70 were very similar. The extent of thermotolerance was well correlated with the relative amount of Hsp40/Hsp70. These results obtained in vivo were very similar to those in vitro (Kaneko et al. 1995). Our findings suggest that Hsp40 could be a useful indicator of the degree of thermotolerance in addition to Hsp70 in vivo as in vitro.

Heat-shock protein 40, a novel predictor of thermotolerance in murine cells.

We have investigated the relationship between the synthesis of hsp-40, recently identified as a mammalian homologue of DnaJ protein, as well as hsp-70 and the development of thermotolerance in cells of the mouse squamous cell carcinoma line SCCVII. Thermotolerance as determined by clonogenic survival was induced not only by prior heating at 44 degrees C for 30 min but also by prior treatment with 100 microM sodium arsenite for 1 h and 5 micrograms/ml prostaglandin J2 for 4 h. These treatments concomitantly induced both hsp-70 (p72, inducible form) and hsp-40. The extent of thermotolerance correlated well with the relative amount of hsp-70 and hsp-40. These results suggest that hsp-40 is a good predictor of thermotolerance in addition to hsp-70.