Age-dependent and iron-independent expression of two mRNA isoforms of divalent metal transporter 1 in rat brain

The DMT1(Nramp2/DCT1) is a newly discovered proton-coupled metal-ion transport protein. The cellular localization and functional characterization of DMT1 suggest that it might play a role in physiological iron transport in the brain. In the study, we evaluated effects of dietary iron and age on iron content and DMT1 expression in four brain regions: cortex, hippocampus, striatum, substantia nigra. Total iron content in all regions was significantly lower in the low-iron diet rats and higher in the high-iron diet rats than that in the control animals, showing that dietary iron treatment for 6-weeks can alter brain iron levels. Contrary to our expectation, there was no significant alternation in DMT1(+IRE) and (-IRE) mRNA expression and protein content in all brain regions examined in spite of the existence of the altered iron levels in these regions after 6-weeks' diet treatment although TfR mRNA expression and protein level were affected significantly, as was expected. The data demonstrates that expression of DMT1(+IRE) and (-IRE) was not regulated by iron in these regions of adult rats. The lack of response of DMT1 to iron status in the brain suggests that the IRE of brain DMT1 mRNA might be not really iron-responsive and that DMT1-mediated iron transport might be not the rate-limiting step in brain iron uptake in adult rats. Our findings also showed that development can significantly affect brain iron and DMT1(+IRE) and (-IRE) expression but the effect varies in different brain regions, indicating a regionally specific regulation in the brain.     

实验性肺水肿大鼠血浆中内皮素、一氧化氮含量的变化以及硝普钠、川芎嗪对其的影响

在肾上腺素所致大鼠肺水肿实验中，发现其血浆中内皮素（ET－1）明显升高，一氧化氮（NO）稍有增高，但ET－1的增幅远远大于NO的增幅，动物均在15min内死亡。ET的增高与儿茶酚胺的升高有密切关系。经硝普纳（NP）、川芎嗪（TMP）预防后，ET－1与NO基本恢复正常，趋于平衡，动物长期存活。提示：肺水肿时NO相对于ET－1明显降低，NP、TMP可对NO与ET的平衡起调节作用。     

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.     

间变性大细胞淋巴瘤形态学及免疫表型观察

目的：探讨间变性大细胞淋巴瘤（ALCL）的形态学和免疫表型特征。方法：对6例ALCL和2例弥温性大B细胞淋巴瘤（DLBCL）进行形态学和免疫组织化学染色（ABC法）观察。结果：6例ALCL中，普通型2例、淋巴组织细胞型2例、ALK－变型2例，均可见单型性或多形性的标志性大细胞。普通型和ALK－变型大细胞沿淋巴窦内生长，而淋巴组织细胞型大细胞则呈散在分布；2例DLBCL形态上颇似ALCL；6例ALCL均为T细胞，CD30＋，儿童患者共同表达ALK＋和EMA＋，年长者则ALK－和EMA－。2例DLBCL均为B细胞，ALK＋、CD30－和EMA－。结论：不论何型ALCL，均可见CD30＋的标志性大细胞，淋巴窦内生长多见于普通型和ALK－变型。ALCK均为T细胞，儿童常有ALK和EMA共同表达，年长者则ALK和EMA－。DLBCL的免疫表型不同于ALCL。     

Serum neopterin for early assessment of severity of severe acute respiratory syndrome

Neopterin and C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations were determined in serum samples from 129 severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) patients and 156 healthy blood donors. In the patients with confirmed SARS, an early neopterin elevation was detected already at the day of onset of symptoms and rose to a maximum level of 45.0 nmol/L 3 days after the onset. All SARS patients had elevated neopterin concentrations (>10 nmol/L) within 9 days after the onset. The mean neopterin concentrations were 34.2 nmol/L in acute sera of SARS patients, 5.1 nmol/L in convalescent sera, and 6.7 nmol/L in healthy controls. In contrast, the mean CRP concentrations in both acute and convalescent sera of SARS patients were in the normal range (<10 mg/L). Serum neopterin level in SARS patients was associated with fever period and thus the clinical progression of the disease, while there was no significant correlation between the CRP level and the fever period. Serum neopterin may allow early assessment of the severity of SARS. The decrease of neopterin level was found after steroid treatment, which indicates that blood samples should be collected before steroid treatment for the neopterin measurement.     

Cribriform-morular variant of papillary carcinoma: the sporadic counterpart of familial adenomatous polyposis-associated thyroid carcinoma. A case report with clinical and molecular genetic correlation

The increased incidence of thyroid carcinomas in familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) patients is well recognised. These thyroid neoplasms display distinctive clinicopathological features and generally show good prognostic outcome. Recently, unusual sporadic tumours that share the morphological features of FAP-associated thyroid carcinomas have also been described. In this report, we document a case of a thyroid tumour in a previously well, 46-year-old female. Histology revealed a circumscribed neoplasm composed of tubular, papillary, cribriform and solid areas. The pseudostratified columnar tumour cells showed occasional nuclear grooves and rare nuclear inclusions. Immunohistochemistry showed positive staining with antibodies to cytokeratin AE1/AE3, oestrogen and progesterone receptor proteins. Focal immunoreactivity was also noted with antibodies to thyroglobulin, epithelial membrane antigen, 34betaE12 and cytokeratin CK7. The absence of polyps on colonoscopy and germline mutation in the adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) gene provides evidence that this tumour represents the sporadic counterpart of FAP-associated thyroid carcinoma. The patient is well with no evidence of disease 7 months following resection of the tumour. The differential diagnoses and molecular genetics of this unusual tumour are discussed.     

Custom step wedge blocking using dynamic multileaf collimation for parametrial pelvic boost irradiation following brachytherapy for carcinoma of the cervix

Carcinoma of the cervix is typically treated with a combination of intracavitary brachytherapy and external beam radiation. The external beam dose is delivered with whole pelvis fields followed by split fields that protect midline organs at risk (bladder and rectum) while treating the parametria. Three approaches have been developed to shield midline structures: a simple rectangular block, a block customized to a single brachytherapy isodose line, and a step wedge filter constructed to conform to multiple brachytherapy isodose lines. A customized step wedge filter has the potential to produce a more homogeneous dose distribution but has not achieved widespread use due to labor intensive construction. We have developed a simple, novel method to produce a custom midline step wedge using dynamic multileaf collimation (dMLC). A comparison of film measurements in a phantom with the dose calculated by a commercial treatment planning system demonstrated agreement within 3% or 3 mm. The technique requires delivery times comparable to conventional techniques.     

Validation of target volume and position in respiratory gated CT planning and treatment

The capability of a commercial respiratory gating system based on video tracking of reflective markers to reduce motion-induced CT planning and treatment errors was evaluated. Spherical plastic shells (2.8-82 cm3), simulating the gross target volume (GTV), were placed in a water-filled body phantom that was moved sinusoidally along the longitudinal axis of the CT scanner and the accelerator for +/- 1 cm at 15-30 cycle/min. During gated CT imaging, the x-ray exposure was initiated by the gating system shortly before the end of expiration (so that the imaging time would be centered at the end of expiration); it was terminated by the scanner after completion of each slice. In nongated CT images, the target appeared distorted and often broken up. GTVs volume errors ranged 16%-110% in axial scans, and 7%-36% in spiral scans. In gated CT images, the spheres appeared 3 and 5 mm longer than their actual diameters (volume errors 2%-16%), at the respective respiration rates of 15 and 20 cycles/min. At 30 cycles/min the target appeared 1 cm longer, and volume error ranged 25%-53%. During treatment, gating kept the beam on for a duration equal to the CT acquisition time of 1 s/slice. The difference in positional errors between gated CT and portal films was 1 mm, regardless the size of residual motion errors. Because of the potential of suboptimal placement of the gating window between CT imaging and treatment, an extra 1.5-2.5 mm safety margin can be added regardless of the size of residual motion error. For respiratory rates > or = 30 cycles/min, the effectiveness of gating is limited by large residual motion in the 1 s CT acquisition time.