[A study of smoking cessation education in a multiphasic screening setting].

A study of the effectiveness of individual anti-smoking advice was conducted on male smokers visiting a human dock. The intervention group (169 male smokers) were shown photographs depicting the health hazards of smoking with an explanation by tape recorder and headphone. Controls (187 male smokers) did not receive this instruction. In the intervention group, immediately after the instruction, and in the control group, approximately 60% expressed a desire to stop or decrease their smoking. Six months later there was no significant difference in the two groups in the proportion that stated that they were not smoking (8.9% in the intervention group and 5.9% in the control group). Some subgroups in the intervention group, such as those whose smoking index was less than 400 and those who had attempted to quit smoking in the past, had significantly higher quit rates than corresponding subgroups in the controls. Smokers who restricted their smoking in certain locations such as public areas had high quit rates in both groups. Standardized quit rates were utilized, adjusted for current age, age of smoking initiation, smoking index and past experience in smoking cessation. Immediately after receiving the education, the proportion that regarded smoking as a risk factor in gastric cancer, gastric ulcer, chronic bronchitis and as having a harmful effect on the fetus, was significantly larger in the intervention group (about 50-70%) than in the controls (about 30-60%). More than 90% of each group regarded it as a risk factor in lung cancer, and about 60% in myocardial infarction.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Characterization of a cathepsin L-like enzyme secreted from human pancreatic cancer cell line HPC-YP.

Spent culture medium from the human pancreatic carcinoma cell line HPC-YP, which can propagate in a protein-free, chemically defined medium without any other supplements, was analyzed for the presence of the cysteine protease, cathepsin L. The secreted form of cathepsin L was distinguished from the lysosomal form by its increased stability at alkaline pH, by its strong thermostability, and by its larger molecular size. HPC-YP cathepsin L was still stable at pH 7.4 and at 56 degrees C after 60-min preincubation. The molecular weight of this enzyme was estimated to be 68,000, compared with a molecular weight of 29,000 for normal liver cathepsin L. By Western blot analysis, HPC-YP enzyme was found to be composed of two components, one with a molecular weight of 37,000 and the other of 31,000. This result suggests that HPC-YP enzyme in the spent medium may be a complex of the proenzyme (in the case of liver proenzyme; Mr 39,000) and the mature enzyme (in the case of liver mature enzyme; Mr 29,000). Interestingly, an intrinsic inhibitor was also separated from the spent medium by gel filtration. The molecular weight of this inhibitor was estimated to be approximately 13,000. The cathepsin L of HPC-YP proved more resistant toward leupeptin than did liver cathepsin L. On the other hand, the former was more sensitive than the latter toward the diazomethane inhibitors, Z-Phe-Phe-CHN2 and Z-Phe-Ala-CHN2. These results indicate that cathepsin L secreted from cancer cell lines may play a role in the destruction of basal lamina, invasion of tissue, and formation of metastasis.

Characterization of variant gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase produced by pancreatocholangiocarcinoma cell lines in a protein-free, chemically defined medium.

Four pancreatocholangiocarcinoma cell lines (HPC-Y1, HPC-YT, MIA PaCa-2, and HChol-Y1) were established to propagate in a protein-free, chemically defined medium. High gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGTP) activities were showed in their spent media (designated as the secreted (GGTP). Their GGTP activities in the spent media were 125, 85, 110, and 153 IU/L/mg of lyophilized spent media, whereas GGTP activities extracted from their cancer cell lines with bromelain were 105, 37, 86, and 112 IU/L/1 x 10(6) cells, respectively. The chemical characteristics of the GGTPs in the spent media from these cell lines resembled one of the GGTPs, sialic acid-rich GGTP, extracted from normal human pancreas with bromelain treatment as follows: the GGTPs secreted from the cancer cell lines bound to an anion exchange column moved fast on electrophoresis and then showed decreased electrophoretic mobility with neuraminidase treatment, showed a high affinity for concanavalin A and lentil lectin columns, and had an acidic isoelectric point. However, the elution patterns of erythroagglutinating phytohemagglutinin (E-PHA) column chromatography and thermostability tests demonstrated clear differences between the carcinoma GGTPs both in the spent media and cell lines and the sialic acid-rich GGTP of normal pancreas, namely the carcinoma GGTPs treated with neuraminidase showed affinity to E-PHA columns, and, in addition, the GGTPs in the spent media showed an apparent heat resistance at 56 degrees C. These findings indicate that the carcinoma GGTPs have a different oligosaccharide structure from that in normal pancreatic GGTPs.

Secretion of pancreatic secretory trypsin inhibitor by cultured human carcinoma cells.

Cultured human cells derived from pancreatic, gastric, duodenal, and gall bladder cancers secreted a considerable amount of pancreatic secretory trypsin inhibitor into the culture medium.

Stimulation of low density lipoprotein receptor activity by conditioned medium from a human cancer cell line.

Low density lipoprotein receptor activity in cultured rabbit aortic smooth muscle cells was enhanced by the addition of the conditioned medium derived from the serum-free culture of a human lung cancer cell line. By gel filtration, two peaks of low density lipoprotein receptor-enhancing fractions were obtained, and the molecular weights were 140,000 and greater than 850,000. These fractions also stimulated [3H]thymidine incorporation into DNA. Maximal stimulations of the low density lipoprotein receptor activity and [3H]thymidine incorporation were observed at 16 and 20 h after the addition of the conditioned medium, respectively. The apparent Km (about 10 micrograms/ml) was not changed by the addition of the conditioned medium. De novo cholesterol synthesis was also stimulated by the conditioned medium. It is speculated that certain factors released from the cancer cells affect cholesterol metabolism in normal cells.

Fatigue phenomenon of the accessory pathway.

We report documenting the "Fatigue" phenomenon in the accessory pathway of a patient with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome.

Exercise-induced cyclic episodes of S-T segment elevation in a patient with variant angina.

A unique case of variant angina is described in which cyclic S-T segment elevation was reproducibly induced by exercise. The treadmill test revealed cyclic S-T segment elevation to occur from the first minute onward, recurring with a cycle length of 2 min throughout the exercise while the work load was being increased. Similar cyclic episodes were also induced by the cold pressor test, and the ambulatory electrocardiogram demonstrated spontaneous episodes of S-T segment elevation with a similar cycle length in early mornings. Coronary arteriography revealed a fixed lesion in the mid-portion of right coronary artery with a 90% narrowing associated with coronary spasm leading to subtotal occlusion. The cyclic episodes were abolished by the administration of the calcium antagonist diltiazem. The spontaneous phasic activity of coronary arterial muscle is discussed as a possible cause or mechanism.