Morphological characteristics of intestinal endocrine cells in mice

Laboratory of Infectious Pathology, Research Institute of Human Morphology, Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR, Moscow. (Presented by Academician of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR N. K. Permyakov.) Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 111, No. 3, pp. 314–317, March, 1991.     

Ultrastructural characteristics and variations in human mucinous breast carcinomas

Nineteen human mucinous breast carcinomas have been studied by electron microscopy in order to investigate the variations in the fine structure of this type of tumor. All the investigated tumors are characterized by a well-developed, rough endoplasmic reticulum and prominent Golgi complexes. The majority of tumor cells contain secretory granules. Approximately 50% (9/19) of the tumors have cytoplasmic dense core granules that are morphological identical to the neurosecretory granules found in APUD-cell derived tumors. Six out of the nine tumors react positively in a Grimelius staining for light microscopic argyrophilic granules. Two of the investigated breast carcinomas contain tonofilaments that are normally regarded as characteristic of squamous epithelium. It is concluded that mucinous breast carcinomas--that to this time have been regarded as a morphological homogenous group of tumors--are ultrastructurally characterized by heterogeneity.     

乳腺癌内分泌治疗现状

内分泌治疗是雌激素受体阳性乳腺癌患的重治疗方法.随着新的内分泌药物出现,乳腺癌的内分泌治疗也取得了新的进展.目前,治疗绝经前乳腺癌患的标准用药仍是他莫昔芬,对于绝经后乳腺癌患使用芳香化酶抑制剂会获得更大的临床疗效.本文主阐述内分泌治疗在乳腺癌中的应用.     

Morphological characteristics of the stroma of thyroid cancer

The stroma of the papillary and follicular thyroid carcinoma was studied histochemically, morphometrically and electron microscopically. The functionally active vascular bed was found to have a greater length in the papillary carcinoma as compared to the follicular one. Likewise the cell infiltration and the number of fibroblasts with a high dehydrogenase activity were more pronounced in the papillary carcinoma. It is believed that these properties of the stroma are connected with the function of parenchymatous carcinoma cells.     

Morphological features of intestinal endocrine cells in experimentalEscherichia coli infection

Laboratory of Infectious Pathology, Research Institute of Human Morphology, Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR, Moscow. (Presented by Academician of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR N. K. Permyakov.) Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 111, No. 6, pp. 668–672, June, 1991.     

Surface topography and ultrastructural changes of mucinous carcinoma breast cells

Mucinous carcinoma of the breast (MCB) is histologically classified into 2 groups: (1) pure MCB and (2) mixed MCB. Pure MCB carries a better diagnosis than mixed MCB. This research relates to the cell surface topography and ultrastructure of the cells in the above cases and aims to find the differences between them, by means of two methods: scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). For the SEM examination, it was necessary to initially culture the MCB tissues and then proceed with the usual SEM method. In contrast, for the TEM technique, MCB tissues were initially fixed followed by the classic TEM method. The authors found the topography of pure MCB cases to be without nodes. The cell membrane was smooth, with numerous pores and small ruffles that covered the entire cell. The ultrastructural appearance of the same cases was with a normal cell membrane containing abundant collagen fibers. They also had many small vesicles containing mucin as well as secretory droplets. In contrast the mixed MCB had a number of lymph nodes and their cell surface topography showed stronger changes such as microvilli, numerous blebs, ruffles and many long projections. Their ultrastructure showed very long microvilli with large cytoplasmic inclusions and extracellular mucin collections, electron-dense material vacuoles, and many important cytoplasmic organelles. An important fact is that mixed MCB also contains areas of infiltrating ductal carcinoma. These cells of the cytoplasmic organelles are clearly responsible for the synthesis, storage, and secretion of the characteristic mucin of this tumor type. Evidently, this abnormal mucin production and the abundance of secretory granules along with the long projections observed in the topographical structure might be responsible for transferring tumor cells to neighboring organs, thus being responsible for metastatic disease.     

内分泌和化疗对乳腺肿瘤患者干细胞的影响

BACKGROUND:Tumor stem cells are the root of cancer recurrence and metastasis, so clinical researches should focus on the effects of different treatments on tumor stem cells. OBJECTIVE:To explore the effects of endocrine therapy and chemotherapy on stem cells in patients with breast cancer. METHODS:After recovery and cultivation of estrogen receptor-positive human breast cancer cell lines MCF-7, passage 3 cells in logarithmic phase were selected and divided into three groups containing control, estradiol and estradiol with tamoxifen groups. The estradiol group was divided into three subgroups: 10^-7, 10^-8 and 10^-9 mol/L estradiol was added into the medium, respectively; the estradiol with tamoxifen group was divided into three subgroups: 10^-7, 10^-8 and 10^-9 mol/L estradiol with 10^-6 mol/L tamoxifen were added into the medium, respectively. The same amount of absolute ethyl ethanol was added into the medium of control group. Fifteen female patients with late recurrence and metastasis of breast cancer received chemotherapy as recurrence and metastasis group. Another 15 healthy volunteers were selected as healthy control group. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The proportion of CD44⁺CD24^-/low cell subsets in the estradiol and estradiol with tamoxifen groups was significantly higher than that of the control group (P < 0.05), and the proportion of CD44⁺CD24^-/low cell subsets in the estradiol group was significantly higher than that of the estradiol with tamoxifen group at the same concentration (P < 0.05). The proportion of CD44+CD24-/low cell subsets had no significant differences among groups at 10 and 20 days of culture (P < 0.05). The proportion of CD44⁺CD24^-/low cell subsets significantly increased in MCF-7 cells after 24-hour intervention with different chemotherapy drugs. But only the proportion of CD44⁺CD24^-/low cell subsets in the paclitaxel and doxorubicin groups was significantly higher than that of the control group after 20-day intervention (P < 0.05). Besides, the proportion of CD44⁺CD24^-/low cell subsets in the peripheral blood of healthy volunteers was significantly lower than that of the recurrence and metastasis group (P < 0.05). Among 15 patients with late recurrence and metastatic of breast cancer, 9 had stable disease, 5 had partial remission, 1 had failed chemotherapy and cancer progression. Moreover, the proportion of CD45^-CD44⁺CD24^-/low cell subsets in the peripheral blood of patients sensitive for chemotherapy was significantly lower than that before treatment (P < 0.05). In conclusion, both endocrine therapy and chemotherapy exert a certain effect on the CD44⁺CD24^-/low cell subsets of breast cancer positive for estrogen receptor. Given that CD44⁺CD24^-/low cell subsets in MCF-7 cells resist chemotherapy drugs, the proportion of CD45^-CD44⁺CD24^-/low cells in the peripheral blood of patients sensitive for chemotherapy is decreased.     

Metastatic chordoma of the breast: an extremely rare lesion mimicking mucinous cancer

Metastases in the breast are rare, with metastatic chordoma being one of the rarest. To our knowledge, only one such case has previously been published in the literature. We report a case of a 74-year-old woman who presented with a palpable lump in her right breast. The lump was mammographically suggestive of mucinous breast cancer because it was a solitary, small, circular, and moderately dense lesion yielding abundant mucoid aspirate. The tumor resembled mucinous carcinoma upon histologic and immunohistochemical examination: it had a mucinous stroma, and the tumor cells strongly expressed epithelial markers. However, the patient had previously undergone surgery for a recurrent sacral chordoma. In addition to the clinical history, the presence of typical physaliferous cells expressing neither estrogen receptors nor cytokeratin 7, but staining positively for S-100 protein, allowed the proper diagnosis. Although extremely rare, metastatic chordoma may represent a challenge in the differential diagnosis of breast lesions. Discriminating metastases of mucin-producing tumors in the breast from primary mucinous carcinomas is important with regard to the striking difference in prognosis of these lesions.     

Morphological characteristics of Lugaro cells of the cerebellar cortex

Two types of Lugaro cells--fusiform and triangular--were found at different levels of granular layer in the sections of cat cerebellar cortex, stained with silver nitrate using Golgi-Kopsch method. Their processes are oriented horizontally, vertically or obliquely to the folium axis, while their axons never leave the limits of cerebellar cortex, therefore these cells should be considered as interneurons. The processes of Lugaro cells have very large spatial expansion, due to which these cells form numerous axosomatic and axodendritic connections with all the neurons and fibers of the cerebellar cortex. Structural and topographic characteristics of Lugaro cells, as well as the peculiarities of their contacts with the other cells of cerebellar cortex, in combination with the data on their neurotransmitter content, indicate that these cells play the role of inhibitory interneurons.     

Morphological characteristics of cultured olfactory bulb cells

Cultured olfactory bulb cells from embryonic mice had ultrastructural characteristics similar to those of many cell types in the intact adult mouse olfactory bulb. Identified cultured cells included mitral/tufted cells, granule cells, short-axon cells, and fibrous and protoplasmic astrocytes. Cultured neurons were found as individual cells, clusters or aggregates. Clusters consisted of a loose array of neurons that appeared to be densely interconnected by neuntes. However, few neurites or fascicles emanated from clusters to adjoining areas. Aggregates consisted of many small, usually rounded, neurons piled on top of one larger neuron, or on more than one, with typically many neuntes and fascicles projecting to adjacent aggregates, clusters or individual neurons. Neurites of cultured olfactory bulb cells were well developed, and some were several millimeters long. Synapses were very prominent in these cultures, especially in aggregates, clusters, and fascicles. Electron-lucent, dense-core, and coated vesicles were present. Polarity, shape, and length of the long axis (size) of 815 cultured neurons, identified by positive anti-microtubule-associated protein 2 staining, were documented. Cultured neurons varied in size from 9 to 27 μm, with an average size of 16 μm. Elliptical bipolar (35%), triangular multipolar (21%), and round unipolar (15%) were the most common polarity/shape combinations found in culture. Multipolar, triangular, triangular multipolar, and elliptical bipolar cells increased in size with increasing age of culture. The relative proportions of triangular, multipolar, elliptical multipolar, and triangular multipolar cells decreased, whereas the relative proportions of round, unipolar, and round unipolar cells increased with increasing age of culture. These changes in population subtypes and cell size may indicate continued differentiation and maturation of cultured neurons.     

Morphological characteristics of cultured olfactory bulb cells

Cultured olfactory bulb cells from embryonic mice had ultrastructural characteristics similar to those of many cell types in the intact adult mouse olfactory bulb. Identified cultured cells included mitral/tufted cells, granule cells, short-axon cells, and fibrous and protoplasmic astrocytes. Cultured neurons were found as individual cells, clusters or aggregates. Clusters consisted of a loose array of neurons that appeared to be densely interconnected by neurites. However, few neurites or fascicles emanated from clusters to adjoining areas. Aggregates consisted of many small, usually rounded, neurons piled on top of one larger neuron, or on more than one, with typically many neurites and fascicles projecting to adjacent aggregates, clusters or individual neurons. Neurites of cultured olfactory bulb cells were well developed, and some were several millimeters long. Synapses were very prominent in these cultures, especially in aggregates, clusters, and fascicles. Electron-lucent, dense-core, and coated vesicles were present. Polarity, shape, and length of the long axis (size) of 815 cultured neurons, identified by positive anti-microtubule-associated protein 2 staining, were documented. Cultured neurons varied in size from 9 to 27 m, with an average size of 16 m. Elliptical bipolar (35%), triangular multipolar (21%), and round unipolar (15%) were the most common polarity/shape combinations found in culture. Multipolar, triangular, triangular multipolar, and elliptical bipolar cells increased in size with increasing age of culture. The relative proportions of triangular, multipolar, elliptical multipolar, and triangular multipolar cells decreased, whereas the relative proportions of round, unipolar, and round unipolar cells increased with increasing age of culture. These changes in population subtypes and cell size may indicate continued differentiation and maturation of cultured neurons.     

Morphological characteristics and distribution patterns of epithelial cells in the cytological diagnosis of gastric cancer.

The morphological features of epithelial cells in gastric biopsy touch smears from 296 cases (248 benign, 48 malignant) were retrospectively reviewed. By subjective criteria no single purely morphological characteristic could be identified that was consistently capable of separating benign from malignant specimens. The value of cell distribution patterns in diagnosis was therefore objectively analysed in the 231 adequate specimens (190 benign, 41 malignant). A score of over 20% for single epithelial cells was found to have a sensitivity of 95.1% and specificity of 99.5% in the diagnosis of carcinoma. Quantitative analysis of cell distribution pattern is a simple test, which does not require special equipment, yet can be helpful in the interpretation of gastric cytology.