Effects of denervation,immobilization and cachexia on fibre size in the anterior tibial muscle of the rat

Summary The effects of denervation, immobilization and cachexia on the size of the various histochemical fibre types were studied in the anterior tibial muscle of male Wistar rats aged 60–100 days. Denervation was induced by unilateral sectioning of the sciatic nerve, immobilization by a plaster cast on one hindlimb and cachexia by restriction of food intake.In the anterior tibial muscle of the normal rat, three fibre types can be identified by myofibrillar ATPase stain after alkaline preincubation. These fibres were called dark (D-fibres), intermediate (I-fibres) and light fibres (L-fibres), respectively. The I-fibres correspond to the fast-twitch type 2 fibres and the L-fibres to the slow-twitch type 1 fibres. The D-fibres have intermediate characteristics, but they probably belong to the type 2 group.The three fibre types reacted differently to denervation, immobilization and cachexia. Denervation caused progressive atrophy of the D- and I-fibres and almost no change of the L-fibres. Immobilization caused minor reduction in size of the D- and I-fibres during the first days and no change thereafter, whereas the L-fibres showed transitory hypertrophy. Cachexia, on the other hand, resulted in progressive atrophy of all three fibre types but a predominant affection of the D- and I-fibres. The different susceptibilities of the various fibre types suggest different mechanisms for atrophy of muscle in these three conditions.     

Macrophages in peripheral nerves

Summary The cellular content of the endoneurium in peripheral nerves of normal adult rats was studied. Endoneurial cells with high light-microscopical activity of acid phosphatase were usually located close to blood vessels or near the perineurium. Cells with the ultrastructural appearance of macrophages showed the same distribution and accounted for 2–4% of the endoneurial cell nuclei profiles. These cells rapidly endocytosed carbon particles after endoneurial administration of colloidal carbon in vitro.     

In vitro culture observations on neurinoma induced experimentally in the rat by ethylnitrosourea

Summary Five neurinomas of the Vth cranial nerve, produced experimentally in rats by ethylnitrosourea, were cultivatedin vitro: they show a great resemblance with the human neurinomas. It must be emphasized that the resemblance is evident also in cultures of tumours which are characterized histologically by poor differentiation and by high invasiveness.The morphological and histochemical characteristics are described. In one case a mixed cell population developed in the same culture, with a neurinomatous and an oligodendroglial features. This finding is discussed in relation to tumour differentiation, regression and association with oligodendrogliomas. Particular attention is paid to the possibility of Gitterzellen transformation on the grounds of their morphological and histochemical behaviour.The research was partially supported by the Italian National Council for Research (CNR), Rome.     

大鼠实验性胃溃疡期间胃窦粘膜上皮及幽门腺的组织化学和放射自显影研究

用成年雄性Wistar大鼠16只,分为溃疡组和对照组,后者又分为盐水组和空白组。在实验性胃溃疡术后4、6、10和21天取胃窦粘膜,经体外培养,~3H-TdR摻入,在放射自显影前后,分别进行PAS反应与醛复红、Alcian蓝(pH2.5)及HE染色,观察胃窦粘膜上皮和幽门腺细胞标记指数、细胞百分率及组织化学变化。正常大鼠胃窦粘膜上皮和幽门腺细胞标记指数为10.03±0.40、细胞百分率为95.73±0.26。溃疡组术后6、10和21天粘膜上皮和腺细胞标记指数增高,与对照组相比有高度显著性差异。21天时新生上皮和腺细胞标记指数增高,与空白组相比,也有高度显著性差异。溃疡组细胞百分率在6天增加,与空白组相比有显著性差异;其中21天与4天和6天相比,均有高度显著性差异。新生粘膜上皮和腺细胞的PAS反应、醛复红和Alcian蓝染色呈强阳性或阳性。本研究的结果提示,实验性胃溃疡自愈期间,胃窦粘膜和新生粘膜上皮及腺细胞增殖活跃,分泌粘液的功能旺盛。上述变化对溃疡局部的修复具有重要作用。     

Variability of histochemical and morphometric data from needle biopsy specimens of human quadriceps femoris muscle

Duplicate needle biopsies from the lateral portion of quadriceps femoris muscle from 20 young, healthy males were investigated morphometrically and histochemically. Mean results showed both the size and occurrence of the three main fibre types present to be similar to values obtained from a survey of the literature. However, considerable variations in the proportions of fibre types (coefficients of variation 30-40%) and significant (P less than 0.001) differences in fibre size between individuals were common. Within individuals, comparisons of samples taken at a reference site in the right thigh with samples obtained from deeper, more proximal or contralateral sites also often showed significant differences in fibre size. These results suggest caution is necessary when interpreting apparent changes in such values derived from subsequent biopsies of individuals.     

Histochemical and biochemical aspects of corpora amylacea

Summary By histochemical as well as by chemical evidence it has been shown that CA from human brain contain a glycogen-like substance, to which phosphate-and sulphate groups are bound.In this study the CA have been studiedin situ and after isolation. The CA were obtained from formaldehyde fixed tissue, which by histological reactions was shown to be rich in these bodies. First the tissue was defatted with chloroform-methanol. Then the defatted tissue was repeatedly digested with papain and the CA were isolated after each proteolytic treatment by centrifugation in 2 M sucrose. The purified CA contained up to 80% of a glycogen-like substance, 1.1% phosphate and 0.72% sulphate.The histochemical reactions such as PAS, PAS-dimedone, Best's carmine, toluidin blue and uranyl nitrate, as well as the effect of treatment with -amylase, DNase and hyaluronidase on these colour reactions are in agreement with the results of the chemical analysis. All reactions on lipids, nucleic acids and sialic acid were negative. Protein, which by chemical analysis was found to amount to about 5%, was hardly detectable by histological reactions.     

淋巴因子增强小鼠腹腔巨噬细胞功能的组织化学研究

以3％硫代乙醇酸钠培养基刺激,获取C57BL/6小鼠腹腔巨噬细胞(Mφ),在含有两种不同浓度(3％、50％)的粗制淋巴因子的培养基中培养24小时后,分别观察测定Mφ的组织化学变化及对P815肥大细胞瘤细胞的抑制生长作用。结果显示,在Mφ对瘤细胞增殖的抑制作用增强的同时,酶活性增强非常显著,细胞代谢旺盛,表现为AcP、NsE、LDH、SDH和β-G酶活性高度增强,PAS反应明显减弱。未经淋巴因子作用的Mφ,则无上述显著变化。本文表明,组织化学反应的结果,可作为评价淋巴因子对Mφ代谢作用变化的指征。     

Ultrastructure of myocardium in the hurler syndrome

Summary Cardiac tissues obtained at post mortem examination of eight patients with the Hurler syndrome, who ranged in age from 5 to 23 years, were examined by histochemical methods and electron microscopy. Extensive myocardiocytic vacuolization and increased interstitial fibrous tissue were noted by light microscopy in all hearts. The cytoplasmic (perinuclear) vacuoles contained Luxol-fast-blue-positive substance. At the ultrastructural level, abnormal cytoplasmic organelles were present within the myocardiocytes in all patients. These organelles were of three types: zebra bodies (ZB), membranous cytoplasmic bodies (MCB) and granulomembranous bodies (GMB). As ZB and MCB are believed to represent the morphological counterpart of accumulated gangliosides, these substances rather than glycosaminoglycans appear to be stored within myocardiocytes of patients with the Hurler syndrome. The accumulation of gangliosides and the consequent damage to the myocardial substratum probably contributes to the clinically evident cardiac disease, so often observed in the patients with this disorder.Supported in part by grants-in-aid T.3-11 and 3-3 from the Ontario Heart Foundation, No. 766 from the Ontario Mental Health Foundation, Toronto, and a Special Research Fund, University Hospital, London, Ontario, CanadaPresented in part at the Annual Meeting of the Canadian Association of Pathologists, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada, June 16–20, 1979Recipient of a Medical Research Council of Canada Fellowship, 1978–1980     

Succinic and malic dehydrogenase histochemical activities in cerebral,cerebellar and neostriatum sections incubated in presence of d-amphetamine

Summary The action of d-amphetamine on the histochemical activities of succinic and malic dehydrogenases in sections of cerebral cortex, cerebellum, and neostriatum has been studied.Meldola blue was used as an exogenous electron carrier in the histochemical reactions.The results have demonstrated that d-amphetamine increases the activity of the enzymes studied.