Advanced cancer with situs inversus totalis associated with KIF3 complex deficiency: report of two cases.

Situs inversus totalis (SIT) is a relatively rare congenital anomaly, occurring at an incidence of 1 in 10 000-50 000 live births. Although there are some case reports of SIT with the presence of cancer, there are few reports on the relationship between SIT and cancer. However, the recent phylogenetic investigations of this condition suggest that this may be linked to the development and progression of cancer on the molecular level. The key elements are one of the intracellular motor proteins, the KIF3 complex, and the cell-adhesion factors N-cadherin and beta-catenin. We herein present the cases of advanced gastric cancer and lung cancer with SIT, and review the relationship between SIT and the development and progression of cancer.

Beneficial effect of tomato juice drinking on anti-mutagenicity of saliva.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of tomato juice drinking on the antimutagenicity of saliva. METHODS: Subjects were 22 healthy male university students. They were divided into tomato group and control group. The tomato group drank tomato juice for 10 days. The anti-mutagenicity of saliva was measured using the umu test. RESULTS: In the tomato group, there was a significant increase in the inhibiting capacity of saliva on the mutagenicity of AF-2 after tomato juice drinking for 10 days. This increase was, however, temporary. In the control group, there was no such change in the inhibiting capacity of saliva. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest the significant effect of tomato juice drinking on the anti-mutagenicity of saliva. In addition, lycopene may have played an important role in its mechanism.

Inhalation toxicokinetics of p-dichlorobenzene and daily absorption and internal accumulation in chronic low-level exposure to humans.

Inhalation toxicokinetics of p-dichlorobenzene ( p-DCB) in humans was evaluated, and the amounts of daily absorption and internal accumulation were estimated in order to obtain fundamental data for the risk assessment of chronic low-level exposure in the general population. Seven male subjects continuously inhaled about 2.5 ppm of p-DCB vapor for 1 h, and the concentration-time courses of p-DCB in their exhaled air and serum and of urinary 2,5-dichlorophenol (2,5-DCP), a major metabolite of p-DCB, were examined. The toxicokinetics of p-DCB was evaluated on the basis of the time courses using a linear two-compartment model. The amounts of p-DCB absorbed daily and the internal accumulation in chronic low-level exposure were extrapolated using the estimated toxicokinetic parameters. p-DCB was transferred from inhaled air to the body with a constant high absorption rate during exposure. The major route for elimination from the body was urinary excretion followed by metabolism, not exhalation. However, during 9-11 h after the start of exposure, the fraction of p-DCB excreted in urine was only 5-16% of the amount absorbed. Furthermore, most of the absorbed p-DCB seemed to be distributed rapidly to the tissues, such as fat, according to toxicokinetic analysis. Consequently, p-DCB seems to require a long time to be completely eliminated from the body. The amounts of daily absorption and internal accumulation were extrapolated to average 0.27 mg/day and 2.9 mg, respectively, in the subjects exposed chronically to 1 ppb of p-DCB. The amount absorbed daily agreed approximately with that extrapolated from rats which inhaled p-DCB in our previous study.

Daily lifestyles and anti-mutagenicity of saliva.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relation between lifestyle and the antimutagenicity of saliva. METHODS: Subjects were 52 healthy female university students. The collection of the saliva samples and the lifestyle measurements were carried out for them. The anti-mutagenicity of the saliva was measured using the umu test. RESULTS: With regard to the lifestyle items, only "nutrient balance" tended to contribute positively to the inhibiting capacity of the saliva on the mutagenicity of AF-2. In addition, there was a significant inverse correlation between the score of 7 other items and the inhibiting capacity of the saliva (r=-0.32; p<0.05). We also found a significant relation between their tea and/or coffee consumption and the inhibiting capacity of the saliva. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that the inhibiting capacity of saliva worked to decrease mutagen levels that were enhanced by poor lifestyle. In addition, "nutrient balance" may contribute to the inhibiting capacity of the saliva independent of 7 other items. With regard to the tea and/or coffee consumption. further studies should be carried out.

A further note on the sampling device for the anti-mutagenicity of saliva.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to compare the anti-mutagenicity of Salivette and test-tube sampling saliva. In addition, the relation between the inhibiting and pH-buffering capacities of saliva was investigated. METHODS: Subjects were 52 healthy female university students. The collection of saliva samples was carried out using 2 sampling devices; test-tube and Salivette. The anti-mutegenicity of the saliva was measured using the umu test. RESULTS: The inhibiting capacity of Salivette-saliva was significantly lower compared with that of testube-saliva (p<0.01,t test). However, there was a significant correlation between them (r=0.35; p<0.05). In addition, there was a significant correlation between the inhibiting and pH-buffering capacities of saliva (r=-0.36; p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that both the Salivette and the test-tube may be appropriate as saliva-sampling devices. In addition, they suggest that the bicarbonates might inhibit the anti-mutagenicity of saliva, or that the activity of substances related to the anti-mutagenicity of saliva might be dependent on pH.