Radionuclides were deposited at forest areas in eastern parts of Japan following the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant incident in March 2011. Ectomycorrhizal (EM) fungi have important effects on radiocaesium dynamics in forest ecosystems. We examined the effect of colonization by the EM fungus Astraeus hygrometricus on the uptake of cesium (Cs) and potassium (K) by Pinus densiflora seedlings. Pine seedlings exhibited enhanced growth after the EM formation due to the colonization by A. hygrometricus. Additionally, the shoot Cs concentration increased after the EM formation when Cs was not added to the medium. This suggests that A. hygrometricus might be able to solubilize Cs fixed to soil particles. Moreover, the shoot K concentration increased significantly after the EM formation when Cs was added. However, there were no significant differences in the root K concentration between EM and non-EM seedlings. These results suggest that different mechanisms control the transfer of Cs and K from the root to the shoot of pine seedlings.
Cesium* ; Colon* ; Ecosystem ; Forests ; Fungi ; Japan ; Nuclear Power Plants ; Pinus* ; Potassium ; Radioisotopes ; Seedlings* ; Soil

No abstract available.
Animals ; Cesium Radioisotopes/analysis/chemistry ; *Environmental Exposure ; Half-Life ; Humans ; Perciformes/metabolism ; Seafood/*analysis ; Water Pollutants, Radioactive/*analysis/chemistry

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the effect and safety of transrectal 137Cs gamma-ray therapy for benign prostatic hyperplasia.

METHODSThirty cases of BPH were treated by transrectal 137Cs gamma-rays.

RESULTSAfter 6 months there was significant improvement in the maximum urine flow, IPSS and QOL (P < 0.05). But no significant changes were observed in the prostate volume and residual urine (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONTransrectal 137Cs gamma-ray therapy is safe and effective in the treatment of BPH.

Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Cesium Radioisotopes ; therapeutic use ; Gamma Rays ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prostatic Hyperplasia ; radiotherapy ; Quality of Life ; Urodynamics

The aim of this study was to estimate internal radiation doses and lifetime cancer risk from food ingestion. Radiation doses from food intake were calculated using the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and the measured radioactivity of 134Cs, 137Cs, and 131I from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in Korea. Total number of measured data was 8,496 (3,643 for agricultural products, 644 for livestock products, 43 for milk products, 3,193 for marine products, and 973 for processed food). Cancer risk was calculated by multiplying the estimated committed effective dose and the detriment adjusted nominal risk coefficients recommended by the International Commission on Radiation Protection. The lifetime committed effective doses from the daily diet are ranged 2.957-3.710 mSv. Excess lifetime cancer risks are 14.4-18.1, 0.4-0.5, and 1.8-2.3 per 100,000 for all solid cancers combined, thyroid cancer, and leukemia, respectively.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Cesium Radioisotopes/chemistry ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; *Eating ; Food Contamination, Radioactive/*analysis ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Iodine Radioisotopes/chemistry ; Neoplasms, Radiation-Induced/*etiology ; Nutrition Surveys ; Radiation Dosage ; Republic of Korea ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the results of surgical treatment for central recurrence or persistent local lesion of uterine cervical carcinoma following full-dose radiotherapy.

METHODSForty-seven patients were diagnosed having central recurrence or persistent local lesion of uterine cervical carcinoma following full-dose radiotherapy. The patients were treated surgically: extrafascial hysterectomy was performed in 37 cases, radical hysterectomy in 7, and modified radical hysterectomy in 3. Their clinicopathological features were retrospectively reviewed.

RESULTSCentral recurrence or persistent local lesion was confirmed by pathology in 36 patients, while negative in 11. For patients receiving extrafascial hysterectomy, the median survival time and 5-year survival rate were 22 months and 40.4%, while for radical hysterectomy corresponding figures were 26 months and 40.0%. The mean operation time for the extrafascial hysterectomy and the radical or modified hysterectomy was 2.5 and 3.8 hours, respectively. The mean blood loss was 272.1 and 610.0 ml, respectively. The postoperative morbidity was 21.6% for extrafascial hysterectomy and 70.0% for radical or modified hysterectomy (P = 0.007).

CONCLUSIONFor some patients with central recurrence or persistent local lesion of uterine cervical carcinoma following full-dose radiotherapy, surgical intervention may achieve long time survival. Extrafascial hysterectomy is a feasible and effective treatment for some selected patients.

Adenocarcinoma ; pathology ; radiotherapy ; surgery ; Adult ; Aged ; Brachytherapy ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; pathology ; radiotherapy ; surgery ; Cervix Uteri ; pathology ; surgery ; Cesium Radioisotopes ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hysterectomy ; methods ; Iridium Radioisotopes ; therapeutic use ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; Neoplasm Staging ; Radiotherapy Dosage ; Radiotherapy, High-Energy ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms ; pathology ; radiotherapy ; surgery ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo review the experience in the treatment of low-grade malignant endometrial stromal sarcoma.

METHODSThe data of 41 patients with low-grade malignant endometrial stromal sarcoma surgically treated between 1982 and 2004 were reviewed. Statistical analysis was carried out using chi(2) and Kaplan-Meier life table.

RESULTSOf these 41 patients, 24 suffered from irregular vaginal bleeding, and 30 had been diagnosed to have leiomyoma before treatment. Thirty patients but 11 underwent surgical management with uterus removed. Thirty-three patients received postoperative adjuvant therapy including radiation and/or chemotherapy. The 5-year and 10-year actuarial survival was 87. 5% and 77. 8%, respectively. Eighteen patients (43. 9%) developed recurrent disease, most of which in the pelvis. The mean time to recurrence was 31 months (range 6 to 78 months) with the median time of 26 months. The recurrent rate was 66.7% for patients whose ovarian function was reserved versus 37. 5% for those without reservation. Patients who received adjuvant therapy had a lower recurrent rate (30. 3%) than those who did not (87. 5%). The recurrent rate of the patients treated with postoperative adjuvant radiation was 32. 3% (10/31) versus 80% (8/10) for those patients without. The 5-year actuarial survival rate of patients with recurrent disease was 71. 8%.

CONCLUSIONLow-grade malignant endometrial stromal sarcoma has a good prognoses though dwarfed by higher late recurrence after initial treatment. Postoperative adjuvant radiation is helpful to reduce local recurrence. Endometrial stromal sarcoma;

Adult ; Aged ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; therapeutic use ; Brachytherapy ; methods ; Cesium Radioisotopes ; therapeutic use ; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant ; methods ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Endometrial Neoplasms ; pathology ; therapy ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hysterectomy ; methods ; Kaplan-Meier Estimate ; Lung Neoplasms ; secondary ; therapy ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; Prognosis ; Radiotherapy, Adjuvant ; methods ; Retrospective Studies ; Sarcoma, Endometrial Stromal ; secondary ; therapy

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of HER2/neu overexpression on the wild p53 gene expression, cell proliferation and sensitivity to gamma-irradiation via phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway in human breast cancer cell MCF7.

METHODSLipofectin-mediated gene transfection method was used to transfer HER2/neu into MCF7 cells. Expression of HER2/neu, p53, Akt and p-Akt protein after PI3K pathway inhibitor LY294002 treatment was determined by Western blot. Cell proliferation and cell surviving fraction after gamma-irradiation treatment were assayed by MTT.

RESULTSEighteen of HER2/neu stably transfected MCF7 cell clones were established, one of them was HER2/neu overexpressing. HER2/neu overexpressing MCF7 cells showed higher p-Akt expression and lower p53 expression than those of parental MCF7 cells, which could be abrogated by LY294002. HER2/neu overexpressing MCF7 cells had higher proliferation rate and lower sensitivity to gamma-irradiation than those of parental MCF7 cells, which could be opposed by LY294002.

CONCLUSIONOverexpression of HER2/neu induces reduced expression of wild-type p53 protein, relatively high cell proliferation and low sensitivity to gamma-irradiation in breast cancer cell MCF7 by activating PI3K/Akt pathway, which may contribute to therapeutic resistance in some breast cancer patients with wild-type p53 gene status.

Breast Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Cesium Radioisotopes ; Chromones ; pharmacology ; Female ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Genes, erbB-2 ; Humans ; Morpholines ; pharmacology ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases ; antagonists & inhibitors ; metabolism ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt ; metabolism ; Radiation Tolerance ; Receptor, ErbB-2 ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Signal Transduction ; Transfection ; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of Shuanghuang Shengbai granule on mice leukopenia induced by ip cyclophosphamide (CTX) or radiation.

METHODMice leukopenia models were induced by ip CTX or radiation, and then treated with Shuanghuang Shengbai granule per oral. The peripheral hemogram, thymus index, spleen index, bone marrow nucleated cell (BMNC) and colony forming unit-spleen (CFU-S) were detected. The bone marrow cell differentiation was examined. The pathological slices of bone marrow were observed.

RESULTShuanghuang Shengbai granule could increase the WBC, BMNC, CFU-S of model mice significantly; Shuanghuang Shengbai granule could make the granulocyte and erythrocyte index recovered to normal level and it could also protect the bone marrow hemotopoietic microenvironment from the harm of radiation.

CONCLUSIONShuanghuang Shengbai granule has apparent leukogenic function.

Animals ; Bone Marrow ; ultrastructure ; Bone Marrow Cells ; drug effects ; pathology ; radiation effects ; Cell Count ; Cesium Radioisotopes ; Cyclophosphamide ; Drug Combinations ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Erythrocyte Count ; Granulocytes ; drug effects ; pathology ; radiation effects ; Leukocyte Count ; Leukopenia ; chemically induced ; pathology ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred ICR ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Random Allocation ; Stem Cells ; drug effects ; pathology ; radiation effects ; Whole-Body Irradiation