Glucosylation of flavonol and flavanones by Bacillus cyclodextrin glucosyltransferase to enhance their solubility and stability.

Enzymatically modified isoquercitrin (EMIQ), oligoglucosyl naringenin-7-(glucose [G]), and oligoglucosyl hesperetin (H)-7-G were produced via oligoglucosylation of quercetin-3-glucose, naringenin-7-G (prunin), and H-7-G, respectively, by cyclodextrin glucosyltransferase from Bacillus macerans. The aim was to explore the oligoglucosylation and the resulting changes in physicochemical properties. Water solubility of EMIQ, oligoglucosyl prunin, and oligoglucosyl H-7-G enormously increased in comparison with that of their aglycones. Glycosylation of an aglycone generally enhances its solubility. Resistance of the aglycones to oxidative degradation by the Cu2+ ion was strongly increased by the oligoglucosylation. This is probably because oligoglucosylation may protect sensitive parts of an aglycones molecule from the Cu2+ oxidation. Only EMIQ maintained its structure during thermal treatment much longer than quercetin did. Degradation of flavonoid aglycones by ultraviolet light C irradiation at 254nm was not affected, and their antioxidant activities gradually decreased with the greater extent of oligoglucosylation.

Preliminary results of tomotherapy for treatment of inoperable recurrent non-small cell lung cancer at bronchial stump site after right pneumonectomy.

AIM OF THE STUDY: This study aimed to prospectively investigate the clinical outcomes of curative radical helical tomotherapy (HT) applied to recurrent non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) at the bronchial stump site after right pneumonectomy. After right pneumonectomy, the heart shifted right laterally. The chambers of the heart closed with a recurrent mass at the bronchial stump were the right atrium and left atrium due to right shifting of the heart. The unfavorable bronchial stump recurrent cancer-heart geometry due to a right shift of the heart might serve as a reliable predictor of cardiac morbidity for aggressive radiotherapy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The 23 patients received HT for the recurrent NSCLC at the bronchial stump site after right pneumonectomy between 2008 and 2011. The median age of the patients was 65 years (range 56-74). RESULTS: We prescribed 95% volume of the primary planning target volume (PTV) to a total dose of 69 Gy in 30 fractions, and 95% of the secondary PTV to a total dose of 54 Gy in 30 fractions with reduction of the 50% volume of the heart < 20 Gy. The median conformal index in the 23 plans was 1.21. The mean fraction of primary PTV receiving more than 95% of the prescribed dose was 97.8%. The mean V45, V50, V60 of the heart were 10.5%, 6.5%, 0.2%, respectively. The median follow-up after tomotherapy was 19.86 months. Median survival was 20 months. The 2-year OS was 39.1%. CONCLUSIONS: The relatively high dose tomotherapy alone for patients with a recurrent bronchial stump mass which was proximal to the heart demonstrated favorable clinical results without severe heart or pulmonary complications.

Feasibility and response of helical tomotherapy in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.

PURPOSE: To investigate the treatment outcome and the toxicity of helical tomotherapy (HT) in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 18 patients with 31 lesions from mCRC treated with HT between 2009 and 2013. The liver (9 lesions) and lymph nodes (9 lesions) were the most frequent sites. The planning target volume (PTV) ranged from 12 to 1,110 mL (median, 114 mL). The total doses ranged from 30 to 70 Gy in 10-30 fractions. When the α/ß value for the tumor was assumed to be 10 Gy for the biologically equivalent dose (BED), the total doses ranged from 39 to 119 Gy10 (median, 55 Gy10). Nineteen lesions were treated with concurrent chemotherapy (CCRT). RESULTS: With a median follow-up time of 16 months, the median overall survival for 18 patients was 33 months. Eight lesions (26%) achieved complete response. The 1- and 3-year local progression free survival (LPFS) rates for 31 lesions were 45% and 34%, respectively. On univariate analysis, significant parameters influencing LPFS rates were chemotherapy response before HT, aim of HT, CCRT, PTV, BED, and adjuvant chemotherapy. On multivariate analysis, PTV ≤113 mL and BED >48 Gy10 were associated with a statistically significant improvement in LFPS. During HT, four patients experienced grade 3 hematologic toxicities, each of whom had also received CCRT. CONCLUSION: The current study demonstrates the efficacy and tolerability of HT for mCRC. To define optimal RT dose according to tumor size of mCRC, further study should be needed.

Effect of jaw size in megavoltage CT on image quality and dose.

PURPOSE: Recently, the jaw size for the TomoTherapy Hi-Art II(®) (TomoTherapy Inc., Madison, WI) was reduced from 4 mm (J4) to 1 mm (J1) to improve the longitudinal (IEC-Y) resolution in megavoltage computed tomography (MVCT) images. This study evaluated the effect of jaw size on the image quality and dose, as well as the dose delivered to the lens of the eye, which is a highly radiosensitive tissue. METHODS: MVCT image quality (image noise, uniformity, contrast linearity, high-contrast resolution, and full width at half-maximum) and multiple scan average dose (MSAD) were measured at different jaw sizes. A head phantom and photoluminescence glass dosimeters (PLDs) were used to measure the exposed lens dose (cGy). Different MVCT scan modes (pitch = 1, 2, and 3) and scan lengths (108 mm, 156 mm, and 204 mm) were applied in the MSAD and PLDs measurements. RESULTS: The change in jaw size from J4 to J1 produced no change or only a slight improvement in image noise, uniformity, contrast linearity, and high-contrast resolution. However, the full-width at half-maximum reduced from approximately 7.2 at J4 to 4.5 mm at J1, which represents an enhancement in the longitudinal resolution. The MSAD at the center point changed from approximately 0.69-2.32 cGy (peripheral: 0.83-2.49 cGy) at J4 to 0.85-2.81 cGy (peripheral: 1.05-2.86 cGy) at J1. The measured lens dose increased from 0.92-3.36 cGy at J4 to 1.06-3.91 cGy at J1. CONCLUSIONS: The change in jaw size improved longitudinal resolution. The MVCT imaging dose of approximately 3.86 cGy, 1.92 cGy, and 1.22 cGy was delivered at a pitch of 1, 2, and 3, respectively, per fraction in the head and neck treatment plans. Therefore, allowance for an approximately 15% increase in lens dose over that with J4 should be provided with J1.

A dosimetric analysis of IMRT and multistatic fields techniques for left breast radiotherapy.

The purpose of this study was to analyze the dosimetric difference between intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) using 3 or 5 beams and multistatic field technique (MSF) in radiotherapy of the left breast. We made comparative analysis of two kinds of radiotherapy that can achieve improved dose homogeneity. First is a MSF that uses both major and small irradiation fields at the same time. The other is IMRT using 3 or 5 beams with an inverse planning system using multiple static multileaf collimators. We made treatment plans for 16 early left breast cancer patients who were randomly selected and had undergone breast conserving surgery and radiotherapy, and analyzed them in the dosimetric aspect. For the mean values of V(95) and dose homogeneity index, no statistically significant difference was observed among the three therapies. Extreme hot spots receiving >110% of prescribed dose were not found in any of the three methods. Using Tukey's test, IMRT showed a significantly larger increase in exposure dose to the ipsilateral lung and the heart than MSF in the low-dose area, but in the high-dose area, MSF showed a slight increase. To improve dose homogeneity, the application of MSF, which can be easily planned and applied more widely, is considered optimal as an alternative to IMRT for radiotherapy of early left breast cancer.