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The enantiomers R-(-)- and S-(+)-carvone are the organoleptic constituents in oil of spearmint and caraway, respectively. Their odor distinctiveness has been unambiguously demonstrated by chemical interconversion, independent synthesis, and resolution. Odor differences between other chiral isomers were also firmly established.

Abstract-When kaolinite undergoes percussive grinding, pronounced changes take place in its i.r. absorption spectrum even in the earliest stages of the grinding when the lattice is not yet destroyed. In this report, attention is directed to the change in the stretching bands of the hydroxyl ions. A remarkably rapid effect on the band of the intralayer hydroxyl ions has been observed and is attributed to a permanent removal of the protons from these ions. Auxiliary measurements of X-ray diffraction, thermal water loss, and DTA were used to corroborate the spectroscopic evidence for this ready prototropy.

Summary Epidemiological studies show female survival benefit in advanced metastatic melanoma. In investigating a possible mechanism for this female survival benefit, we have previously reported that the female steroid 17β-oestradiol significantly reduces invasion of a human melanoma cell line (A375-SM cells) and ocular melanoma cells through fibronectin. Neither cell type was found to possess oestrogen receptor-α. The aim of the current study was to obtain further information on the extent to which progression of cutaneous melanoma might be sex steroid sensitive by (a) examining the relationship between circulating sex steroids, sex hormone binding globulin and disease progression; (b) examining the relationship between sex steroid structure and the ability of steroids to reduce invasion of a melanoma cell line in vitro; and (c) examining the effects of sex steroids on proliferation of these cells in vitro. We report a significant reduction in circulating oestrone with disease progression in male but not female patients. Examining steroids for their ability to inhibit invasion of A375-SM cells through fibronectin in vitro, oestrogenic compounds (17β-oestradiol and oestrone) were found to inhibit invasion; in this respect, oestrone was approximately 50 times more potent than 17β-oestradiol; steroids lacking the benzene ring structure did not inhibit invasion, indeed dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) which acts as a precursor to androgenic steroids significantly enhanced invasion. Proliferation of A375-SM cells was unaffected by 17β-oestradiol, oestrone or dihydrotestosterone when cells were cultured on plastic; in contrast, all three steroids induced modest proliferation of cells when grown on fibronectin with dihydrotestosterone the most mitogenic of the three steroids. These data are consistent with sex steroids playing a role in melanoma progression.Keywords: melanoma; invasion; oestrogen; testosterone; oestrogen receptor-β 2025British Journal of Cancer (1999) 80(12), 2025-2033 © 1999 Cancer Research Campaign Article no. bjoc.1999 Received 8 September 1998 Revised 19 February 1999 Accepted 23 February 1999 Correspondence to: S Mac Neil A375-SM cell line used in this study did not possess classical oestrogen receptors (oestrogen receptor-α) nor did the majority of melanoma tumours which we investigated (Dewhurst et al, 1997, and Miller et al, 1997, respectively).In the current study we have continued investigations of sex steroid status and tumour progression for a cohort of patients with advanced metastatic disease versus appropriately aged and sexmatched controls and we have investigated to what extent the antiinvasive effect of 17β-oestradiol is specific to oestrogenic steroids.We report a modest reduction in sex hormone binding globulin and oestrone with disease progression in male but not female patients. Examining a range of steroids for anti-invasive activity, we found oestrogenic compounds (17β-oestradiol and oestrone) to inhibit invasion; steroids lacking the benzene ring structure did not inhibit invas...

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