Yozo Iida

Carcino-fetal proteins and gastric cancer

SummaryAlthough several investigators have reported serum α-fetoprotein positive gastric cancer with or without metastasis to the liver, its site of production is still unclear. We studied on the site of α-fetoprotein synthesis in our cases which showed remarkably high level of serum α-fetoprotein, and clarified the presence of αfetoprotein producing gastric cancer by means of direct immunofluorescent technique. However, we also knew the hepatocytes adjacent to the metastatic lesions could also synthesize α-fetoprotein, although these hepatocytes were not known whether under regeneration or degeneration. Through this study, the other carcinofetal proteins such as carcino-placental alkaline phosphatase and CEA were examined using the sera or tumor tissues. Our results will support the idea that cancer is the disease of cell differentiation.

Proceedings of the 19th autumn meeting from October 18 to 20, 1977-Nara, Japan

The first step in the formation of bile acids is 7uhydroxylation of cholesterol. Subsequently 7ahydroxycholest-4-en-3-one is formed, which is a common precursor of the two primary bile acids, cholic acid and chenodeoxycholic acid. 5,BCholestane-3~t , 7a -d io l , a p recursor of chenodeoxycholic acid is formed from the A4-3-keto intermediate by a pathway which involves the reduction of the keto group and the saturation of the double bond but not a hydroxylation at C-12, while a pathway involving the 12a-hydroxylation of the A4-3-keto intermediate leads to the formation of 5flcholestane-3~, 7a, 12a-triol, which is a precursor of cholic acid. The C2~-bile alcohol intermediates , 5flcholestane-3a, 7t~-diol and 5,g-cholestane-3tz, 7t~, 1 2 ~ t r i o l , a r e t h e n t r a n s f o r m e d i n t o chenodeoxycholic acid and cholic acid by the degradation of the side chain which entails an moxidation followed by fl-oxidation. Chenodeoxycholic acid is also formed by a number of different pathways differing only with respect to the stage of nuclear transformation at which oxidation of the side chain is initiated. A number of cholestanepolyols such as 5flcholestane-3ct, 70t, 12ct, 25-tetrol are accumulated in the bile and feces of patients with cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis. No 26-hydroxylated bile alcohols are accumulated. The results suggest that there exists an alternative pathway of cholic acid biosynthesis involving the 25-hydroxylated bile alcohol as an intermediate. (2) Analytical methods of bile acids in biological materials