Growth and differentiation of mitochondria in the regenerating rat adrenal cortex.

Diameters of the circular profiles of spherical mitochondria in parenchymal cells of the zona fasciculata in rat adrenal cortex were measured for intact controls and for the regenerating adrenal cortex on electron micrographs recorded at random. The diameter data were then processed by Bach's method which deals with the sphere size distribution. The structural parameters of the mitochondria were computed with the aid of an electronic computer. The total number of mitochondria in all the parenchymal cells of the zona fasciculata were calculated. The surface area of the inner mitochondrial membrane was then determined stereologically. Biochemical parameters were obtained for the protein, the phospholipid, and the cytochrome P-450 content, per averaged mitochondrion. The number of cytochrome P-450 molecules contained in the inner membrane was determined in terms of the unit surface area and of the unit amount of phospholipid. These correlated biochemical and stereological parameters have led to the following conclusions. (a) The genesis of the mitochondria after the adrenal enucleation is almost completed within 10 days. (b) During the period of mitochondrial proliferation, the mitochondria are small in size and also immature both in the structure and in the function of their inner membrane, (c) These small and immature mitochondria grow through an increase of the phospholipid and protein, and this increase is accompanied by expansion of the area of the membrane surface, (d) An enrichment of the inner membrane with cytochrome P-450 molecules occurs, thus indicating the differentiation of adrenocortical mitochondria. The process of membrane differentiation is not tightly coupled with that of membrane growth.

Microsatellite alterations in adenoma and differentiated adenocarcinoma of the stomach.

In order to elucidate the significance of the adenoma-carcinoma sequence in gastric carcinogenesis from a genetic point of view, we examined microsatellite alterations (replication error and loss of heterozygosity) on chromosomes 2p (D2S123), 3p (D3S1317), 5q (D5S409), 9p (IFNA), and 13q (D13S153) as well as p53 gene mutations in 13 adenomas and 23 differentiated adenocarcinomas including 8 early carcinomas of the stomach. Replication error was detected in only one of the adenomas (8%, 1/13) at the D5S409 locus and in none at the other loci, and loss of heterozygosity was also an infrequent event found in one adenoma (14%, 1/7 informative cases) at D5S409 and in none at the other loci. A p53 gene mutation was detected in one (8%, 1/13) of the adenomas. Thus, microsatellite alterations and p53 gene mutations are rare events in adenomas. In differentiated adenocarcinomas, replication error was detected in 4 (17%, 4/23) at single or multiple loci, and loss of heterozygosity was observed frequently at D3S1317 (25%, 3/12), D5S409 (67%, 6/9), and IFNA (26%, 5/19). Mutations in the p53 gene were detected in 9 (39%, 9/23) of the differentiated adenocarcinomas. Microsatellite alterations on several chromosomes and mutations in the p53 gene were frequent in differentiated adenocarcinomas, even those at an early stage. These results suggest that the adenoma-carcinoma sequence is relatively rare in gastric carcinogenesis, and that the majority of differentiated adenocarcinomas of the stomach may develop through a de novo pathway.

Intravascular malignant lymphomatosis manifesting clinically as bilateral sudden hearing loss and cytomegalovirus encephalitis.

A 49-year-old man developed bilateral sudden hearing loss followed by cerebral infarction and cytomegalovirus (CMV) encephalitis. Autopsy confirmed intravascular malignant lymphomatosis (IML). A literature review indicates that hearing loss can be the initial manifestation of IML and also that CMV infection is more than an opportunistic infection and may participate in the cognitive manifestations in IML.

Superselective continuous arterial infusion chemotherapy through the superficial temporal artery for oral cavity tumors.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: High-dose intraarterial chemotherapy with repeated one-shot infusion may be useful for treating head and neck tumors. We evaluated the efficacy of superselective continuous arterial infusion chemotherapy administered via a coaxial catheter system and compared the results with those of subselective catheterization for treatment of oral cavity tumors. METHODS: Forty-nine consecutive patients with tumors of the oral cavity (clinical stage I, 12 cases; stage II, 19 cases; stage III, six cases; stage IV, 12 cases) were treated by arterial infusion chemotherapy. After a guiding catheter was advanced into the superficial temporal artery, superselective catheterization was performed using a coaxial system microcatheter. Superselective catheterization was accomplished in 34 cases, and was unsuccessful in 15, owing to difficulties in performing catheterization or to multiple feeding arteries. In the latter cases, the tip of the catheter was placed near the origin of the feeding arteries (subselective catheterization). RESULTS: Thirty (88%) of 34 patients had a complete response to superselective arterial infusion chemotherapy and two (6%) had a partial response. Twelve (80%) of 15 patients had a complete response to subselective arterial infusion chemotherapy and three (20%) had a partial response. Local recurrence was more frequent after subselective treatment (13%) than after superselective (6%) treatment. CONCLUSION: Superselective continuous arterial infusion chemotherapy may be suitable for local control of oral cavity tumors, with a low rate of recurrence.

Functional oromandibular reconstruction using a sternum pectoralis major osteomyocutaneous composite flap.

A case in which a partial defect of the mandible and an extensive defect of the adjacent soft tissue were reconstructed by using a composite osteomusculocutaneous flap of the pectoralis major with sternal bone, is presented.

[An anatomo-clinical case of sequelae of acute encephalopathy. Infantile spasm with hypsarrhythmia]. / Observation anatomo-clinique d'une séquelle d'encéphalopathie aiguë. Spasme infantile avec hypsarythmie.

Clinico-pathological studies of West syndrome are rather rare. A case of sequelae of acute encephalopathy which involved a nine-month-old boy with post-mortem data is reported. Birth and postnatal development had been normal until the onset of illness. Laboratory examinations ruled out bacterial or viral meningo-encephalitis and metabolic disorders. After the recovery from a coma lasting several days, spastic quadriplegia, severe mental retardation and intractable epileptic attacks were present. The latter were made of tonic spasms and myoclonic seizures. EEG records showed hypsarrhythmia. Neuropathological examination revealed almost symmetrical bilateral cystic cavities in the pontine tegmentum and lateral nuclei of both thalami. The corpus callosum was very thin. No finding suggested a congenital anomaly. In a search of the pathological basis for infantile spasms, this case was compared with the published data. It would appear that the lesions of the pontine tegmentum play a significant role in the pathogenesis of hypsarrhythmia or infantile spasms.

Simultaneous determination of FUC and PGM1 by isoelectric focusing.

This paper describes a simple procedure for the simultaneous detection of FUC and PGM1 in semen, seminal stains, dental pulps and hair roots after separation by isoelectric focusing using Ampholine pH 5-7. The gel plate was first stained for FUC using an agarose overlay with a buffer of pH 7.5. After reading the FUC types, the FUC overlay was removed and replaced with an agarose overlay for PGM. The results show that the method is useful in medicolegal individualization of seminal stains and teeth when only small samples have to be examined.

[Therapeutic analysis of autopsy findings in oral cancer].

Thirty-four autopsied patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma were analyzed by multiple regression analysis. The following results were obtained. 1) The suggested metastatic spread was from the highest count of oral cancer patients with metastases in lung to lower key organs, reflecting the cascade theory. 2) Multiple regression analysis revealed that local recurrence was significantly related to the treatment method, indicating that multidisciplinary treatment would be needed. 3) Multiple regression analysis indicated that mediastinal lymph node metastasis was significantly related to both the age of the patient and the stage of cancer development. 4) Multiple regression analysis showed that distant metastasis was significantly related to both the stage and the spleen weight. 5) There were many patients with the pulmonary metastases undergoing irradiation which ranged from 40Gy to 60Gy on the primary tumor. 6) Results showed that immunotherapy tended to control pulmonary metastases.

Bio-sorption of acidic gelatine hydro-gels implanted in the back tissues of Fisher's rats.

Recent advance in tissue engineering therapy requires new scaffold materials. Acidic gelatine powders (10 wt%) were, thus, dissolved in water, were or were not cross-linked, and freeze-dried. After sterilization, prepared small sponges were implanted in 7-week-old Fisher's rats' subcutaneous tissues for up to 2 weeks. Sponges absorbed body fluid and changed into hydro-gels in vivo. Non-cross-linked hydro-gels were absorbed within 3 days, while cross-linked hydro-gels were eliminated after 7 days' implantation. Histological observations revealed that the common captivation process was mild while granulocytes and macrophages were encountered. Because acidic gelatine sponges can accommodate various basic growth factors, it can be speculated that prepared sponges might be used as short-time hydro-gel scaffolds and growth-factor carriers.

Peripheral calcifying epithelial odontogenic tumor.

Most of the calcifying epithelial odontogenic tumors (CEOT) are central lesions of the jaws, but the CEOT occurs infrequently on the gingiva. A cases of peripheral CEOT arising in the right upper molar gingiva of a 31-year-old Japanese woman is presented. A direct communication between the overlying gingival epithelium and the tumor was found by examination of serial sections. As a result, it was thought that one of the sources of peripheral CEOT might be gingival epithelium with potential proliferative activity.

Localized oral amyloidosis: ultrastructural and immunohistochemical study.

An histopathological, ultrastructural and immunohistochemical study of localized amyloidosis in the floor of mouth of a 58-year-old male in good health is reported. The lesion was composed of nodular deposits of amyloid surrounded by fibroblastic or histiocytic cells, and metaplastic ossification was seen in some deposits. Ultrastructural findings disclosed typical amyloid fibrils with felt-like structure. Closely connected with the amyloid deposits were cells with active histiocytic or fibroblastic appearance. Their cytoplasm contained amyloid fibrils. At the outermost area of the amyloid deposits, bundles of amyloid fibrils projected from these cells into amyloid deposits. Amyloid protein of the present case did not react to any antisera using anti-AA, anti-A lambda, anti-A kappa and anti-prealbumin antisera. It can be assumed that histiocytes or fibroblasts play an important role in local amyloid formation, however, the nature of amyloid fibril protein in the present case is unknown.

Long-standing luxation of the mandible. Report of a case and review of the Japanese literature.

A case of a long-standing bilateral forward luxation of the temporomandibular joint is presented. A 79-year-old woman with a luxation of 2 month's duration was treated by the so-called Fink's method. In addition, 18 cases of prolonged luxation of the mandible reported in the Japanese literature are reviewed with respect to several clinical items.

Histological study on norethynodrel treated rat ovary.

PIP: In an attempt to disclose the antiovulatory mechanism of norethynodrel, a progestational compound having slight estrogenic action, a histological study of treated rat ovaries was made. 4 test animals were injected daily for 14 days with 1 mg of norethynodrel in .3 ml sesame oil. All were killed 24 hr after the last injection. Ovaries of treated rats showed follicular degeneration (cystic atresia), interstitial cell degeneration, and cellular hypertrophy of lutein cells. Immature follicles did not show remarkable changes. Findings suggest that norethynodrel may cause hypersecretion of luteotrophic hormone (LTH) and hyposecretion of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) from the hypophysis. Also noted was that secretion of 20-alpha-OH-P decreased greatly with norethynodrel, but the progesterone level showed no change, suggesting that ovarian interstitial cells may synthesize 20-alpha-OH-P from sterol precursors not involving progesterone. The antiovulatory mechanism may depend on direct or indirect interference with the biosynthesis of 20-alpha-OH-P.^ieng

Mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis induced in rats by a lentil lectin and its antibodies.

Experimental glomerulonephritis was induced in rats to investigate the consequence of the antigen-antibody interaction on the surface of glomerular endothelial cells (GENs). A lectin, Lens culinaris hemoagglutinin (LCH), was first planted in the left kidney by isolated perfusion of a left kidney, and then the circulation was reestablished. Rabbit anti-LCH antibodies were injected from the tail vein 3 minutes after the recirculation of the left kidney, and acute glomerulonephritis ensued. Fifteen minutes after the injection, rabbit immunoglobulin G (IgG), rat C3, and LCH were observed exclusively on the surface of GENs. Accumulation of platelets was prominent. Three hours later, the immune deposits were seen in the subendothelial space, and the polymorphonuclear cells were the dominant infiltrate in the glomeruli. Up to the seventh day, immune deposits were seen in the subendothelial space, and the widening of this area was increasingly observed. Fourteen days later, immune deposits containing rat IgG were observed in the subepithelial area, but they were only occasionally seen in the subendothelial space and in the mesangial area. No crescent formation was seen at day 14, but the mesangial area was expanded, with an increased number of cells. The number of nuclei in the cross-section of a glomerulus increased after the induction of glomerulonephritis, but the number of leukocyte common antigen-positive cells (infiltrating cells) decreased gradually from day 4 to day 14. The staining of Thy-1.1, a marker of mesangial cell, was markedly enlarged in the glomerulus at day 14. These data suggest that mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis can be induced by the antigen-antibody interaction on the surface of GENs.

Median rhomboid glossitis associated with amyloid deposition.

There are some controversies over the pathogenesis and clinical features of median rhomboid glossitis. A case of median rhomboid glossitis associated with amyloid deposition was presented. Clinically there was no organ involved in amyloid other than the tongue. It was suspected that median rhomboid glossitis occurred first and that amyloid was induced later.