A comparison of histological and immunohistochemical methods for quantifying the pathological lesions of Pick's disease

Counts of Pick bodies (PB), Pick cells (PC), senile plaques (SP) and neurofibrillary tangles (NFT) were made in the frontal and temporal cortex from patients with Pick's disease (PD). Lesions were stained histologically with hematoxylin and eosin (HE) and the Bielschowsky silver impregnation method and labeled immunohistochemically with antibodies raised to ubiquitin and tau. The greatest numbers of PB were revealed by immunohistochemistry. Counts of PB revealed by ubiquitin and tau were highly positively correlated which suggested that the two antibodies recognized virtually identical populations of PB. The greatest numbers of PC were revealed by HE followed by the anti-ubiquitin antibody. However, the correlation between counts was poor, suggesting that HE and ubiquitin revealed different populations of PC. The greatest numbers of SP and NFT were revealed by the Bielschowsky method indicating the presence of Alzheimer-type lesions not revealed by the immunohistochemistry. In addition, more NFT were revealed by the anti-ubiquitin compared with the anti-tau antibody. The data suggested that in PD: (i) the anti-ubiquitin and anti-tau antibodies were equally effective at labeling PB; (ii) both HE and anti-ubiquitin should be used to quantitate PC; and (iii) the Bielschowsky method should be used to quantitate SP and NFT.     

Glenoid labrum: preliminary work with use of radial-sequence MR imaging

The authors describe a magnetic resonance imaging method for examination of the glenoid labrum of the shoulder joint that utilizes a radial fast-imaging sequence. Seven shoulders were examined: a total of five in three healthy asymptomatic volunteers, one in a symptomatic patient not suspected of having a lesion of the glenoid labrum, and one in a patient with recurrent shoulder dislocation and surgical proof of an extensive tear of the labrum. The preliminary results suggest that this technique may advantageously demonstrate pathologic changes in the glenoid labrum and may contribute to the evaluation of the unstable and painful shoulder.     

Structure-activity relationships of a new series of retinoidal benzoic acid derivatives as measured by induction of differentiation of murine F9 teratocarcinoma cells and human HL-60 promyelocytic leukemia cells

A new group of retinoids, which are 3-alkyl and 3-alkoxy derivatives of (E)-4-[2-(5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-5,5,8,8-tetramethyl-2- naphthalenyl)-1-propenyl]-benzoic acid (TTNPB), has been synthesized. They were tested in vitro for biological activity by measuring induction of terminal differentiation in both murine F9 teratocarcinoma cells and human HL-60 promyelocytic leukemia cells. In the F9 assay, TTNPB was significantly more active (dose effective in achieving a half-maximal response, 3 X 10(-9) M) than was all-trans-retinoic acid, while the 3-methyl derivative of TTNPB was not. However, in the HL-60 assay, the 3-methyl derivative of TTNPB was more active (dose effective in achieving a half-maximal response, 2 X 10(-8) M) than was all-trans-retinoic acid, while TTNPB was less active. 3-Ethyl and 3-propyl derivatives were much less active than was all-trans-retinoic acid in both assays. These new retinoids should be useful agents for experimental studies of both cancer prevention and treatment, as well as for investigation of the mechanism of action of retinoids in the control of cell differentiation.