Expression of synaptotagmin 1 in the taste buds of rat gustatory papillae

Synapses between taste receptor cells and primary sensory afferent fibers transmit the output signal from taste buds to the central nervous system. The synaptic vesicle cycle at the synapses involves vesicle docking, priming, fusion, endocytosis, and recycling. Many kinds of synaptic vesicle proteins participate in synaptic vesicle cycles. One of these, synaptotagmin 1, binds Ca(2+) phospholipids with high affinity and plays a role in Ca(2+) regulated neurotransmitter release in the central and peripheral nervous systems. However, the expression patterns of synaptotagmin 1 in rat taste tissues have not been determined. We therefore examined the expression patterns of synaptotagmin 1 and several cell specific markers of type II and III cells in rat taste buds. RT-PCR assay showed that synaptotagmin 1 mRNA was expressed in circumvallate papillae. In fungiform, foliate, and circumvallate papillae, the antibody against synaptotagmin 1 yielded the labeling of a subset of taste bud cells and intra- and subgemmal nerve processes. Double labeled experiments showed that synaptotagmin 1 positive cells co-expressed type III cell markers, PGP 9.5, and NCAM. Intragemmal nerve processes positive for synaptotagmin 1 co-expressed PGP 9.5. Conversely, all synaptotagmin 1 expressing cells did not co-expressed type II cell markers, PLCbeta2, or gustducin. These results show that synaptotagmin 1 may play some regulatory roles in vesicle membrane fusion events with the plasma membrane at the synapses of type III cells in rat taste buds.     

CA125-producing adenocarcinoma of the seminal vesicle

A case of primary seminal vesicle carcinoma is reported. The tumor was a CA125-producing adenocarcinoma consisting of fine papillary-tubular, intricate branching or anastomosing glandular structures and was composed of small cuboidal, but occasionally hobnailed, cells with mostly clear, but occasionally granular, cytoplasm. Some tumor cells showed evidence of secretion of seromucinous materials into the interpapillary and cystic space. lmmunohistochemically, almost half of the tumor cells expressed a positive reaction with anti-CAl25, a common serological marker for ovarian epithelial carcinomas; however, no tumor cells expressed any other serological tumor markers such as carcinoem-bryonic antigen, α-fetoprotein, human chorionic gonadotropin, prostatic specific acid phosphatase, or prostatic specific antigen. The patient showed a high level of serological CA125, which fluctuated parallel with the growth, removal and recurrence of the tumor. The morphological and immunohistochemical findings suggested a close relationship between the present tumor and clear cell carcinoma of the ovary, which is thought to be of a Müllerian-Wolfian duct origin.     

Loss of membranous E-cadherin expression in pancreatic cancer: Correlation with lymph node metastasis,high grade,and advanced stage

Epithelial cadherin (E-cadherin) is a Ca²⁺-dependent cell-cell adhesion molecule that connects cells via homotypic interactions. Its function is critical in the induction and maintenance of cell polarity and differentiation, and its loss of downregulation is associated with an invasive and poorly differentiated phenotype in colon and other tumours. We have used an avidin-biotin immunoperoxidase technique to localize E-cadherin in microwave-treated, paraffin-embedded sections from 36 patients with pancreatic adenocarcinomas. E-cadherin was expressed by normal ductal and acinar cells with typical membranous staining at the intercellular junctions. Loss of normal surface E-cadherin expression was found in 19/36 (53 per cent) tumours compared to the adjacent normal ductal cells. Abnormal E-cadherin expression was found more frequently in poorly differentiated (grade III) (6/7, 86 per cent) than in well-differentiated tumours (grade I) (4/14, 28 per cent) (P=0·012). Membranous E-cadherin expression was also lost more frequently in primary tumours with lymph node (stage III) (14/23, 61 per cent) and distant metastasis (stage IV) (2/2, 100 per cent) compared with 3/11 (27 per cent) lymph node-negative tumours (stage I) (P=0·043). In conclusions, our data indicate that loss of membranous E-cadherin expression is associated with high grade and advanced stage in pancreatic cancer.     

Polyarteritis Nodosa with Atrophy of the Left Hepatic Lobe

A 73-year-old Japanese man with a history of partial gastrectomy due to gastric cancer 4 years previously was admitted because of intermittent fever. The patient developed abdominal pain, erythema, and myalgia in addition to the fever during the final clinical course, and died of acute heart failure. Autopsy disclosed atrophy of the left lobe of the liver and acute myocardial infarction. Neither metastasis nor recurrence of the cancer was observed. Small and medium-sized arteries of the visceral organs showed various stages of necrotizing vasculitis with narrowing of the lumina. The vasculitis was most prominent in the left lobe of the liver and in the heart. Narrowing of the portal vein due to portal tract inflammation in addition to vasculitis of the hepatic arteries may have induced ischemia and infarction, which had resulted in atrophy of the left hepatic lobe. Acta Pathol Jpn 42: 662–666, 1992.     

Neuronal histamine inhibits methamphetamine-induced locomotor hyperactivity in mice

Mianserin (5-20 mg/kg), like chlordiazepoxide (2.5-10 mg/kg), inhibits the shock-induced suppression of drinking (SSD) in rats. However, in contrast to chlordiazepoxide, the effect of mianserin is not blocked by the benzodiazepine antagonist, Ro 15-1788 (10 mg/kg). Although mianserin does not inhibit [3H]diazepam binding in vitro it has now been found to enhance [3H]flunitrazepam binding to mouse whole brain in vivo at 10-100 mg/kg p.o. These results suggest that mianserin does influence central benzodiazepine receptors, but the mechanism by which it does so differs from that of chlordiazepoxide.     

Topographical projections from the thalamus to the putamen in the cat

Thalamic projections to the putamen (Put) in the cat were studied by the retrograde horseradish peroxidase method. Major thalamic projections to the Put originate from the midline and intralaminar nuclear regions including the centre médian-parafascicular complex (CM-Pf). The other thalamic projections to the Put arise mainly from the suprageniculate nucleus (Sg), magnocellular division of the medial geniculate nucleus (MGm), caudomedial part of the lateroposterior nucleus (LP) and ventrolateral part of the ventromedial nucleus (VM). The VM projects to the rostral Put, while the posterior thalamic regions (Sg, MGm, LP) project to the caudal Put.     

T cell immunity and primary biliary cirrhosis

T lymphocytes play a pivotal role in the autoimmune response in primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC). Recent studies have shown that there is overlapping in the PDC-E2-specific T and B cell epitopes. In addition, helper T and cytotoxic T cell epitopes all contain a shared peptide sequence. In addition, recognition of exogenous antigens including bacterial antigens by autoantigen-specific T cell and the mechanism of molecular mimicry provide a clue to clarifying the pathogenesis of PBC. Furthermore, the findings that autoantigen-immune complexes cross present and also that the presentation of autoantigen is of a higher relative efficiency, define a unique role of autoantibodies in the pathogenesis of the autoimmune disease. The mechanism of immune-mediated bile duct damage in PBC, including the possible role of T cell-mediated cytotoxicity and molecular mimicry is discussed.     

Kappa-type light chain crystal storage histiocytosis.

An autopsy case of systemic histiocytosis with excessive deposition of kappa-type light chain crystals was reported in a 58 year-old man who had consistently showed kappa-type light chain paraproteinemia, Bence Jones proteinuria and hypogammaglobulinemia for about 10 years until his death. However, no bony destruction was found by repeated X-ray examinations. At autopsy, extensive hyperplasia of crystal-storing histiocytes was observed in the bone marrow, spleen, liver, lymph nodes, interstitial tissues of visceral organs and loose connective tissues. In the bone marrow and some other tissues, mild proliferation of plasmocytoid cells containing small crystals were found. Histochemically the crystals positively stained with various methods for amino acids and proteins, especially with Weigerts' method for fibrin. Ultrastructurally intralysosomal crystal deposition was confirmed in the storage histiocytes and derivation of the crystals from Golgi's sacculi in the plasmocytoid cells was suggested. Biochemically the crystals were regarded as mainly consisting of dimers of a variable half of light chain immunoglobulin and immunochemically and immunohistochemically reacted to anti-kappa type light chain serum. Such a generalized storage histiocytosis may be secondarily induced by immunoglobulin synthesized in plasmocytoid cells.     

Cytokeratin expression in normal human thymus at different ages

Subsets of thymic epithellal cells were examined Immuno-histochemically to determine whether or not their pheno-types change during thymic growth and at early involution in terms of cytokeratin (CK) expression. Five monoclonal antibodies specific for CK4, CK8, CK13, CK18 and CK19 were used and applied for 16 neonatal, three Infantile and one adult thymus speeimen, which had been obtained at autopsy, that were normal macroscopically and microscopicaily. CK4, CK8, CK13, CK18 and CK19 were expressed simultaneously in the cortex, medulla and subcapsular area with the exception of CK4, which showed expression on the adult thymus. Light and electron microscopy showed that CK8 and CK19 expression was overlapped. Thus, It was thought that CK8 and CK19 formed complexes in the cytoplasm of thymic epithelial cells. The Immunoreactivity to CK4, CK13 and CK18 were attenuated or disappeared In the subcapsular area during the early involution stage. Interestingly, two patterns of CK18 expression were observed in the neonatal and Infantile thymus tissues, which Indicated that the thymic microenvironment was changeable even under normal conditions.