[Ifosfamide chemotherapy ineffective for advanced pancreatic carcinoma].

Ifosfamide chemotherapy was studied in 20 patients with advanced pancreatic carcinoma. It was administered at a dose of 1.2-1.5 g/body/day for 5 consecutive days every 3-4 weeks, and the patients treated over 2 courses were registered in our trial. Eleven patients had not received prior chemotherapy. Results achieved were as follows: PR in one patient, NC in 9 patients, and PD in 10 patients. The response rate was 5% and the median survival time was 17 weeks. Toxic effects included anorexia (80%), nausea and vomiting (65%), alopecia (20%), mental disturbance (20%), granulocytopenia (20%), thrombocytopenia (5%), and no renalurological disturbance. We concluded that ifosfamide was not effective for chemotherapy of advanced pancreatic carcinoma.

[Analysis of clinical effects of a concurrent CDDP/5-FU therapy on inoperable colon cancer].

The mechanisms of synergic effects on cancer cells, the rational dose schedules resulting from these action mechanisms, and actual clinical results for inoperable colon cancer patients by a concurrent CDDP/5-FU therapy, are described. We analyzed the clinical results on the basis on the literature dealing with concurrent CDDP/5-FU therapy for inoperable colon cancer patients. This analysis suggested that some modified dose schedules of CDDP and 5-FU for inoperable colon cancer patients made no difference in response rates, survival times or adverse effects. Concurrent low-dose CDDP/5-FU therapy for inoperable colon cancer patients is now awaited in Japan.

Effects of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors on mitochondrial respiration in ischaemic dog hearts.

1. Effects of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitors, pravastatin and simvastatin, on the myocardial level of coenzyme Q10, and on mitochondrial respiration were examined in dogs. 2. Either vehicle (control), pravastatin (4 mg kg-1 day-1), or simvastatin (2 mg kg-1 day-1) was administered orally for 3 weeks. First, the myocardial tissue level of coenzyme Q10 was determined in the 3 groups. Second, ischaemia was induced by ligating the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) in anaesthetized open chest dogs, pretreated with the inhibitors. After 30 min of ischaemia, nonischaemic and ischaemic myocardium were removed from the left circumflex and LAD regions, respectively, and immediately used for isolation of mitochondria. The mitochondrial respiration was determined by polarography, with glutamate and succinate used as substrates. 3. Simvastatin significantly decreased the myocardial level of coenzyme Q10, but pravastatin did not. 4. Ischaemia decreased the mitochondrial respiratory control index (RCI) in both groups. Significant differences in RCI between nonischaemic and ischaemic myocardium were observed in the control and simvastatin-treated groups. 5. Only in the simvastatin-treated group did ischaemia significantly decrease the ADP/O ratio, determined with succinate. 6. The present results indicate that simvastatin but not pravastatin may cause worsening of the myocardial mitochondrial respiration during ischaemia, probably because of reduction of the myocardial coenzyme Q10 level.

[Radioactive nuclides in the marine environment--distribution and behaviour of 95Zr, 95Nb originated from fallout].

To investigate behaviour of 95Zr, 95Nb in the marine environment, various samples have been collected and measured by means of Ge(Li) gamma-ray spectrometry and/or radiochemical analysis during a period from 1974 to 1982 at coastal area of Tokai-mura, Ibaraki prefecture. Concentration of the nuclides in seaweeds increased remarkably after atmospheric nuclear detonation by P.R. of China, and the activity ratio between the nuclides changed by time was not fit well by the transient decay equation. Concentration variation in sea water was smaller than that in sea weeds, and the minimum change in sea sediment. Increase of concentration in these environmental samples was observed in chronological order of sea water, sea weeds then sediment after detonations, suggesting that the uptake of the nuclides by these sea weeds from sea water is faster than that via root. Observed concentration factors on the nuclides by sea weeds were calculated from the observed concentrations in sea water and sea weeds. Maximum values on 95Zr and 95Nb were 2110, 2150, respectively for Ecklonia cava and Eisenia bicyclis.

Plutonium and radiocerium contents in shallow sea sediment collected off shore in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan.

The contents of 239, 240Pu and 144Ce in shallow water sediment were measured by means of chemical separation and alpha spectrometry on 239, 240Pu and beta counting on 144Pr . The samples were collected in 1977 and 1980 at off shore of Ibaraki Prefecture for comparison of pre- and after operation of Tokai spent fuel reprocessing plant. The ranges and mean values of 239, 240Pu and 144Ce contents determined in the samples are 0.02 approximately equal to 2.85 Bq/kg-dry (0.55 approximately equal to 77 pCi/kg-dry) with mean values of 0.93 Bq/kg-dry (25 pCi/kg-dry) in 1977 and 0.52 Bq/kg-dry (14 pCi/kg-dry) in 1980 for 239, 240Pu , and 0.67 approximately equal to 19.5 Bq/kg-dry) (18 approximately equal to 526 pCi/kg-dry) with mean value of 5.44 Bq/kg-dry (147 pCi/kg-dry) in 1977 and 1.59 Bq/kg-dry (43 pCi/kg-dry) in 1980 for 144Ce, respectively. These values showed no environmental accumulation of the nuclides by the operation was detected. The contents of two nuclides showed strong correlation each other in the samples. The inventory of 239, 240Pu in the sediment was estimated to be 43.7 MBq/km2 (1.18 mCi/km2) from core samples analyses in 1977, which is almost the same with the reported value of cumulative fallout 239, 240Pu in Tokyo.

Deposition of 241Am and 239+240Pu at Tokai, Ibaraki Prefecture.

In order to estimate the fallout amounts of transuranium elements, monthly deposits have been collected at Tokai, Ibaraki Prefecture, during the period from October 1978 to March 1980, and were analyzed both on 241Am and 239+240Pu also on major surface soil components, SiO2 and Al2O3. Major soil matrices contents in the deposits suggested that 5.1% of the observed 239+240Pu deposition was contributed by resuspension from ground deposit with wind-blow, on the other hand, much greater contribution of 10.3% of 241Am was by the resuspension. Fallout amounts exclude resuspension of 241Am and 239+240Pu throughout the period were estimated to be 11.0 and 212 mBq/m2 (0.30 and 5.73 pCi/m2) respectively and annual values were 10.0 and 166 mBq/m2 . y) (0.27 and 4.49 pCi/m2 . y), respectively in 1979. Activity ratios of 241Am/239+240Pu changed widely. The average value of 0.066 was calculated from total amounts of each nuclides.

Fallout 239Pu, 240Pu and 90Sr in surface-air in Ibaraki-Prefecture, Japan.

Measurements of 239, 240Pu and 90Sr were performed on air-dust samples collected by means of filtration with cellulose-asbestos filter at Ibaraki prefecture, Japan during 1974 to 1979. The ranges of 239, 240Pu and 90Sr content determined in these samples are 0.041-1.9 microBq/m3-air (1.1-52 aCi/m3-) and 2.3 87 microBq/m3-air (0.062-2.3 fCi/m3) respectively. The activity ratios of 239, 240Pu/90Sr are found to be in a range between 0.008 to 0.026 with a mean value of 0.017. General trend on time variation of the content of 239, 240Pu and 90Sr in the surface air was in similar pattern each other. The content of these nuclides increased after the Chinese nuclear test explosions, and also in spring seasons with the exception of a few cases.