Spontaneous telangiectatic osteosarcoma in a rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta).

Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common type of bone cancer, especially in young. Telangiectatic osteosarcoma (TO) is a rare variant of OS, and hence, its occurrence, presentation, and prognosis are poorly understood. A 4-year-old female rhesus monkey presenting lameness and swelling was examined for a mass on the right humerus. Radiography revealed fracture and disorganized structure of bone tissue. Histopathological examination revealed malignant neoplasm composed of anaplastic osteoblasts, which invaded the bone marrow and surrounded blood-filled cysts in the epiphysis and diaphysis forming septa. Cytogenetic analysis showed aneuploid cells, supernumerary AgNORs, and a marker fragment. The neoplasm was diagnosed as TO. To our knowledge, the occurrence of TO and its cytogenetic analysis were reported for the first time in non-human primates.

Sexual dimorphism in the squirrel monkey, Saimiri sciureus (Linnaeus, 1758) and Saimiri ustus (I. Geoffroy, 1844) (Primates, Cebidae) / Dimorfismo sexual em micos-de-cheiro, Saimiri sciureus (Linnaeus, 1758) e Saimiri ustus (I. Geoffroy, 1844) (Primates, Cebidae)

Causes and implications of sexual dimorphism have been studied in several different primates using a variety of morphological characters such as body weight, canine length, coat color and ornamentation. Here we describe a peculiar coat color characteristic in the squirrel monkey that is present only in adult females over five years old and which increases with age. Neither males nor young animals manifest this phenomenon, which is characterized by a spot of black hairs located anteriorly to the external ear (pinna). This characteristic could be used to discriminate adult females of Saimiri sciureus in the wild without the need of capture techniques.

As causas e implicações do dimorfismo sexual têm sido estudadas em diferentes espécies de primatas utilizando uma variedade de características morfológicas tais como peso corporal, comprimento de caninos, coloração do pelo e ornamentação. Este trabalho descreve uma característica peculiar da coloração do pelo em micos-de-cheiro, que está presente somente em fêmeas adultas após cinco anos de idade e que se acentua com a idade. Nem machos nem animais jovens manifestam esse fenômeno, que se caracteriza por uma mancha de pelos pretos localizada anteriormente à orelha. Esta característica poderia ser usada para discriminar fêmeas adultas de Saimiri sciureus na natureza sem necessidade de técnicas de captura.

Metabolism of fibrinogen in children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.

The metabolism and in vivo kinetics of fibrinogen were studied using homologous 125I-labelled fibrinogen in 21 children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL). Ten patients were undergoing induction therapy, 11 children were in complete remission on maintenance therapy. Results in the patients undergoing induction therapy were: plasma fibrinogen levels were normal in all except one patient, the plasma fibrinogen pool was elevated in six cases, seven patients had a shortened fibrinogen half-life and increased fractional catabolic rate for fibrinogen. The absolute catabolic rate for fibrinogen was elevated in six cases. This shortened fibrinogen half-life together with the correcting effect of heparinisation on the fibrinogen turnover indicated that fibrinogen was consumed by chronic disseminated intravascular coagulation. Inhibition of the fibrinolytic system with epsilon-aminocaproic acid in five patients had no influence on the fibrinogen half-life in three of them but resulted in its prolongation in two patients. All except two children in complete remission had normal fibrinogen levels. Six patients had elevated plasma fibrinogen pools and in all of the cases survival and fractional catabolic rate of fibrinogen were normal. The absolute catabolic rate for fibrinogen was normal in eight, elevated in three of the patients. This observation indicates that fibrinogen synthesis remains accelerated in some cases of ALL in complete remission, but the cause of this is not known.

Carcinogenicity of halogenated olefinic and aliphatic hydrocarbons in mice.

A series of 15 halogenated hydrocarbons of industrial and environmental importance were tested for carcinogenicity by chronic administration by one or more routes in Ha:ICR Swiss mice. Not all compounds were tested by the four routes of administration used. Allyl chloride, 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane, and vinylidene chloride were active as skin tumor initiators in the two-stage carcinogenesis assays; phorbol myristate acetate was used as a promoter. 1,2-Dibromoethane was the only compound that induced a significant incidence (p less than 0.05) of skin papillomas, skin carcinomas, and lung tumors by repeated skin application. 1,2-Dichloroethane, 1,1,2,2-tetrabromoethane, and 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane induced lung and/or stomach tumors by repeated skin application. Two compounds showed sarcomagenic activity by sc injection; they were cis-1,3-dichloropropene and 2-chloropropanal. By intragastric intubation, 1-chloropropene and 2-chloropropanal induced significant numbers of stomach tumors. Vehicle, no-treatment, and positive control groups were included in these tests. The following compounds were also tested by one or more of the four routes but were inactive by the criteria used; i.e., they showed P = 0.05 or greater than 0.05: trichloroethylene, tetrachloroethylene, hexachlorobutadiene, chloroacetaldehyde, 1-chloropropene oxide (cis and trans), and trichloroethylene oxide.

Cocarcinogenic and tumor-promoting agents in tobacco carcinogenesis.

A series of 21 tobacco smoke components and related compounds werere applied to mouse skin (50 female ICR/Ha Swiss mice/group) three times weekly with a low dose (5 mug/application) of benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P). The test compounds were of five classes: aliphatic hydrocarbons, aromatic hydrocarbons, phenols, and long-chain acids and alcohols. The following compounds enhanced remarkably the carcinogenicity of B[a]P: catechol, pyrogallol, decane, undecane, pyrene, benzo[e]pyrene, and fluoranthene. The following compounds inhibited B[a]P carcinogenicity completely: esculin, quercetin, squalene, and oleic acid. Phenol, eugenol, resorcinol, hydroquinone, hexadecane, and limonene partially inhibited B[a]P carcinogenicity. Six of the 21 compounds were also tested as tumor promoters im two-stage carcinogenesis. No direct correlation existed between tumor-promoting activity and cocarcinogenic activity. The cocarcinogens pyrogallol and catechol did not show tumor-promoting activity. Decane, tetradecane, anthralin, and phorbol myristate acetate showed both types of activity. Structure-activity relationships and possible modes of action were described.

Carcinogenic activity of di- and trifunctional alpha-chloro ethers and of 1,4-dichlorobutene-2 in ICR/HA swiss mice.

Four bifunctional and one trifunctional alpha-chloro ethers were tested for carcinogenicity. These compounds were bis-1,2-(chloromethoxy)ethane (Compound I), bis-1,4-(chloromethoxy)butane (Compound II), bis-1,6-(chloromethoxy) hexane (Compound III), bis-1,4-(chloromethoxy)-p-xylene (Compound IV), and tris-1,2,3-(chloromethoxy)propane (Compound V). trans-1,4-Dichlorobutene-2 (Compound VI) was tested along with the five alpha-chloro ethers. All six compounds were tested in female ICR/Ha Swiss mice for 502 to 569 days, depending on survival, by skin application or s.c. and i.p. injection. There were 30 or 50 mice/group. The i.p. and s.c. injections were given once weekly at 0.1 or 0.3 mg of compound dissolved in 0.05 ml tricaprylin for Compounds I to V and 0.05 mg/0.05 ml tricaprylin for Compound VI for the duration of the tests. The skin applications, three times weekly, were at doses of 0.3 or 1.0 mg/0.1 ml cyclohexane for the alpha-chloro ethers and 1.0 mg/0.1 ml acetone for Compound VI. Vehicle and no treatment controls were carried out together with the test compounds. Significance values (p) were calculated for all the compounds tested. Three compounds, I, IV and V, gave notable tumor incidences by all three routes of administration. Compounds II, III, and VI were either inactive by one or more routes of administration or gave low tumor yields.