Seminoma Arising from Intra-abdominal Cryptorchidism with Ipsilateral Renal Agenesis: A Rare Association.

Unilateral renal agenesis is usually asymptomatic and may be found incidentally during examination for other causes. The incidence of testicular tumors arising from cryptorchidism is well established, but if it is coexistent with ipsilateral renal agenesis, the diagnosis and management becomes a challenge. Only three cases of such association have been reported in literature so far. This association has to be kept in mind when dealing with a case of testicular tumor arising from abdominal cryptorchidism, so that the function of the other kidney can be assessed before surgery, and protection given to it in the event of using radiotherapy in an adjuvant setting.

Angiogenesis by human melanoma and breast cancer cells.

The induction of new vasculature is essential for tumor growth and survival. Through studies of the angiogenic properties of human breast cancer and melanoma cell lines by implantation in rabbit cornea, results show that both breast tumor and melanoma cells produce an angiogenic factor. Melanoma cells had approximately twice the activity compared to breast tumor cells. Initiation of angiogenesis by 1 X 10(6) melanoma cells occurred in 3 days, reached maximum at 7 days, and resolved in 21 days. Implantation of 2 X 10(6) breast tumor cells initiated angiogenesis in 6 days, reached maximum in 10 days and resolved in 24 days. The difference in the time of angiogenic induction may be related to the aggressiveness of each tumor type.

Prevention by mild irritants of gastric necrosis produced in rats by sodium taurocholate.

Acidified sodium taurocholate, 80 mmol given orally to rats, produced extensive gastric lesions within 1 hr. A variety of milk irritants (0.15--0.35 N HCl; 10--25% ethanol; 5 mmol of acidified taurocholate) given orally 15 min before 80 mmol of taurocholate protected the stomach in a dose-dependent manner. This phenomenon is called "adaptive cytoprotection." The mild irritants are believed to elicit the endogenous formation of prostaglandin (PG) by the gastric mucosa; these PGs would prevent gastric injury through their cytoprotective property. Results with indomethacin, an inhibitor of the enzyme (PG cyclooxygenase) that transforms arachidonic acid into PG, supports this conclusion. Indomethacin given subcutaneously or orally 75 min before the mild irritants blocked their protective effect, presumably by preventing the formation of PG by the stomach. Endogenous PG may be formed continually by the stomach in response to the various "irritants" normally present in the lumen, such as foodstuffs at a wide range of pH and temperatures, exogenous agents such as alcohol and drugs, as well as bile refluxing from the duodenum. This biosynthesis of PG may be a physiological phenomenon that explains why the stomach remains intact in spite of being bathed with noxious agents.