Equivocal colonic carcinogenicity of Aloe arborescens Miller var. natalensis berger at high-dose level in a Wistar Hannover rat 2-y study.

A 2-y carcinogenicity study of Aloe, Aloe arborescens Miller var. natalensis Berger, a food additive, was conducted for assessment of toxicity and carcinogenic potential in the diet at doses of 4% or 0.8% in groups of male and female Wistar Hannover rats. Both sexes receiving 4% showed diarrhea, with loss of body weight gain. The survival rate in the 4% female group was significantly increased compared with control females after 2 y. Hematological and biochemical examination showed increase of RBC, Hb, and Alb in the 4% males. The cause of these increases could conceivably have been dehydration through diarrhea. AST and Na were significantly decreased in the males receiving 4%, and Cl was significantly decreased in both 4% and 0.8% males. A/G was significantly increased in the 4% females, and Cl was significantly decreased (0.8%) in the female group. Histopathologically, both sexes receiving 4% showed severe sinus dilatation of ileocecal lymph nodes, and yellowish pigmentation of ileocecal lymph nodes and renal tubules. Adenomas or adenocarcinomas in the cecum, colon, and rectum were observed in 4% males but not in the 0.8% and control male groups. Similarly, in females, adenomas in the colon were also observed in the 4% but not 0.8% and control groups. In conclusion, Aloe, used as a food additive, exerted equivocal carcinogenic potential at 4% high-dose level on colon in the 2-y carcinogenicity study in rats. Aloe is not carcinogenic at nontoxic-dose levels and that carcinogenic potential in at 4% high-dose level on colon is probably due to irritation of the intestinal tract by diarrhea.

Antioxidant effects of flavonoids used as food additives (purple corn color, enzymatically modified isoquercitrin, and isoquercitrin) on liver carcinogenesis in a rat medium-term bioassay.

To clarify the effects of purple corn color, enzymatically modified isoquercitrin (EMIQ), and isoquercitrin (IQ), registered as natural food additives in Japan, on liver carcinogenesis in vivo, a medium-term bioassay was employed. A total of 100 male F344 rats were divided into 5 groups; groups 1 to 4 were given a single intraperitoneal injection of diethylnitrosamine (200 mg/kg b.w.) on day 1. From weeks 2 to 8, they were administered basal diet purple corn color, EMIQ, or IQ as containing test chemicals at doses of 1.0% (groups 1 and 5), 0.1% (group 2), 0.01% (group 3), or 0% (group 4) (experiments 1, 4, and 5). All rats were subjected to two-thirds partial hepatectomy at week 3 and were sacrificed at week 8. Purple corn color exerted no significant modifying effects on GST-P positive foci, preneoplastic foci, development in the liver. However, serum of rats treated with purple corn color provided evidence of antioxidant power significantly by potential antioxidant (PAO) test in vivo (experiment 2). And microarray analyses showed purple corn color to induce RNA expression such as P450 (cytochrome) oxidoreductase, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, and phospholipase A2 (experiment 3). Higher doses of EMIQ or IQ with strong antioxidant power in vivo by PAO test treated groups were correlated with smaller numbers of GST-P positive foci, with Spearman's rank correlation coefficients of P= 0.002 and P= 0.049, respectively (experiments 4 and 5). Therefore, the tested food additives may be effective as antioxidants in vivo and have chemopreventive potential against liver preneoplastic lesion development.

Promotion potential of madder color in a medium-term multi-organ carcinogenesis bioassay model in F344 rats.

A medium-term multi-organ carcinogenesis bioassay in rats was conducted to assess any possible tumor promoting effects of madder color extracted from the root of madder. Male F344 rats were divided into 5 groups of 20 each. All rats of groups 1 to 4 were given DMD treatment, consisted of multicarcinogens, N-nitrosodiethylamine (DEN), N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU), and N-bis (2-hydroxypropyl) nitrosamine (DHPN), for 4 wk, while group 5 served as untreated control without carcinogens. The animals were then administered a basal diet containing madder color at doses of 5.0% (group 1), 2.5% (group 2 with 0.75% additional dextrin), or 0 (groups 3 with 1.5% additional dextrin, 4 without dextrin and 5) for the following 28 wk (total 32 wk). The total amount of dextrin in groups 1 to 3 diets was adjusted to 1.5% by extra dextrin because madder color powder contained dextrin. Key organs were observed histopathologically and glutathione S-transferase placental form (GST-P) positive foci of the liver were quantified. In the liver, 5.0% and 2.5% treated groups showed statistically significant dose-related increases in both number and area of GST-P positive foci, number: 2.81 +/- 0.90 and 1.96 +/- 0.93 (groups 1 and 2), area: 0.99 +/- 2.49 and 0.37 +/- 0.77, as compared with control, number: 0.87 +/- 0.72, area: 0.06 +/- 0.06 (group 3). In the kidneys, incidences (and numbers) of adenoma treated with 5.0% and 2.5%, 47.4% (0.20 +/- 0.24), and 47.4% (0.13 +/- 0.15) (groups 1 and 2) were significantly increased compared to control, 0% (0) (group 3). In conclusion, madder color demonstrated significant tumor promoting effects in the liver and kidneys in the DMD model.

Ascitic fluid cytology of adenosarcoma of the ovary: a case report.

Extrauterine adenosarcoma is very rare and originates in the ovary, adnexa, or myometrium. Cytologic study of ascites is very important to determine clinical staging of malignant ovarian tumors and provide adequate therapy for recurrence. The cytomorphologic features of adenosarcoma have been only rarely described. A 77-yr-old woman visited a hospital with a complaint of lower abdominal pain for 1 mo. A tumor originating from the right adnexa in the pelvis, and involving the rectum, was found in surgery. In the ascitic fluid cytology, a few dispersed tumor cells with large cytoplasm and nuclei were oval-shaped, with nuclear invagination. The chromatin was finely granular; one or two nucleoli were conspicuous. To our knowledge, this is the fifteenth reported case of adenosarcoma of the ovary, and there have been no prior reports describing the cytological features of ascitic fluid cells in adenosarcoma of the ovary.

Intrathyroidal branchial cleft-like cyst in chronic thyroiditis.

An extremely rare case of intrathyroidal branchial cleft-like cyst is reported. A 71-year-old man complained of a growing mass in the right lateral neck. A cystic mass in the upper lobe of the right thyroid was demonstrated by ultrasonography and computed tomography. The surgical specimen revealed a cystic mass with dense fibrous capsule, 22 x 20 x 10 mm in size. Microscopically, the cyst walls and the surrounding thyroid tissue contained severe lymphoid cell infiltration with lymphoid follicle. Squamous epithelium lined the cyst wall. Immunohistochemically, squamous epithelium was positive for keratin, cytokeratin 19, carcinoembryonic antigen, and epithelial membrane antigen, but negative for calcitonin and chromogranin A. The patient is currently well with no evidence or recurrence for 43 months.

Sarcomatoid hepatocellular carcinoma with chondroid variant: case report with immunohistochemical findings.

A case of sarcomatoid hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with a chondroid variant in a 72-year-old woman is reported. Histologically, the tumor consisted of typical HCC of adult type, with an adenocarcinoma-like structure and a sarcomatoid component containing multinodular chondroid foci. Transition from carcinoma to sarcomatoid component was observed. The cells containing mucus were extremely few in adenocarcinoma-like structures. Immunohistochemically, other than typical HCC, some of the chondroid cells, adenocarcinoma-like cells and sarcomatoid cells were positive for alpha-fetoprotein.

Polymorphous low-grade adenocarcinoma of submandibular gland origin.

A case of polymorphous low-grade adenocarcinoma (PLGA) in the submandibular gland is reported. A 72 year old woman presented with a 5 year history of a gradually expanding tumor in the submandibular region. The surgical specimen revealed a relatively well demarcated tumor, 35 x 35 x 20 mm in size. Macroscopically, necrosis and hemorrhage were not seen in the solid tumor. Histologically, the tumor growth pattern was variable, composed of tubular, papillary, solid, trabecular and cribriform structures. Immunohistochemically, some tumor cells were positive for epithelial membrane antigen (EMA), S-100 protein, keratin, and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). Electron microscopically, prominent microvilli projected into the luminal spaces, and basal lamina and hemidesmosomes were seen in the tumor cells adjacent to the connective tissues. The submandibular gland is an extremely rare location for PLGA. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first case of its kind reported in the English literature.