Intracerebral schwannoma in a child with infiltration along perivascular spaces resembling meningioangiomatosis

Schwannoma arising within brain parenchyma is a rare lesion, usually found in children. Reported herein is a case of intracerebral schwannoma in a 5-year-old boy, with a review of the English-language literature on the subject, in which 47 cases were found. Few detailed histological reviews of intracerebral schwannoma exist. The tumor had a distinctive plexiform growth pattern, and small aggregates of Schwann cells spread extensively into the surrounding brain tissue along perivascular spaces adjacent to the tumor nodule. Histological differential diagnoses included perivascular schwannosis and meningioangiomatosis. A few intratumoral axons, seen on immunostaining for neurofilament protein, were trapped at the periphery of the main lesion, but there was no evidence of intralesional axons in the multiple nodules of Schwann cell proliferations that extended into the perivascular spaces, suggesting that the lesions are neoplastic. Because Schwann cells are not a natural component of the central nervous system, the origin of intracerebral schwannomas remains unknown. The histology suggests that Schwann cells of the perivascular nerve plexus are a likely site of origin.     

Circulating levels of endothelin and atrial natriuretic factor during postnatal life

We determined plasma endothelin-1-like immunoreactivity and atrial natriuretic factor concentrations in preterm and full-term newborn infants during the first month of life. Plasma endothelin-1-like immunoreactivity levels were far greater than those of maternal blood in the newborn infants. The highest plasma endothelin-1-like immunoreactivity levels were observed on the first day of life (8.7 +/- 3.7 pmol/l) and gradually decreased with age. There was no significant difference in plasma endothelin-1-like immunoreactivity levels between preterm and full-term infants. A good correlation was observed between plasma endothelin-1-like immunoreactivity levels and atrial natriuretic factor concentrations (p < 0.01). These results suggest that circulating endothelin may regulate the cardiovascular system in the newborn period.     

Deep extension from carcinoma arising from the gingiva: CT and MR imaging features

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: CT and MR imaging are useful for evaluating the extension of carcinomas in the face and neck. We evaluated the involvement by carcinoma arising from the gingiva (ie, gingival cancer) by using CT and MR imaging. METHODS: We retrospectively examined 122 patients with squamous cell carcinoma (SCCA) in the lower (88 patients) and upper (34 patients) gingiva. Extension of SCCA into the spaces of the face and neck was evaluated with CT and MR imaging, and findings were surgically confirmed. RESULTS: Spread into the face and neck spaces occurred in 58% of patients. The buccal space was the most common site of spread, occurring in 42% of the lower and of 47% of the upper gingival cancers. Spread into the masticator space occurred from the lower gingival cancers in the molar region (20%) but not from the anterior region. Masticator space involvement from the upper gingiva was rare (4%). The retromolar triangle and buccal space immediately anterior to the ramus served as a corridor for cancer extension from the lower gingiva into the masticator space. The sublingual space (11%) was a less common site of spread from the lower gingiva. CONCLUSION: Gingival cancers spread into the masticator, buccal, and sublingual spaces depending on the primary sites in the oral cavity. An understanding of the face and neck-space anatomy is important in diagnosing cancer extension in the oral cavity gingiva and in treating patients with such disease.     

Growth of follicles of various animals following ovarian grafting under the kidney capsules of immunodeficient mice

Aim:  Various researchers have studied xenografting ovarian tissues into immunodeficient mice to accelerate the follicular growth of several mammalian species. In this study, the authors focused on the following three points in growing follicles in transplanted ovarian tissues under kidney capsules: the effects of the storage conditions of the donor ovarian tissues, the effects of donor age on the survival rates of grafted mouse ovaries, and the methods used to grow the follicles of xenografted bovine ovaries.
Methods and Results:  When ovaries stored for 0, 6, 12 or 24 h at 4°C and at room temperature were transplanted under the kidney capsules of immunodeficient mice, fewer mouse and rabbit grafts survived following 24 h storage. The survival rates of bovine grafts were relatively low for all storage times. When mouse ovaries were held for 24 h at 4°C or at room temperature, low-temperature storage effectively improved the survival rates of the grafts. Although the survival rates of grafted genital ridges containing premeiotic germ cells from fetuses and grafted ovaries from mice 0, 10, 20, 40 and 80 days after birth were similar among donors of different ages, the cleavage rate of oocytes following insemination was significantly lower in the grafts from the ovaries of 80-day-old mice. Antral follicles formed in surviving bovine ovarian grafts. Cumulus–oocyte complexes were collected from the grafted ovaries of fetuses and calves, and the oocytes reached the metaphase II stage following culture, but they did not develop to the pronuclear stage after in vitro fertilization.
Conclusion:  Our findings provide basic data on xenografting ovarian tissues into immunodeficient mice to accelerate the growth of follicles. (Reprod Med Biol 2008; 7 : 45–54)     

Urokinase-type plasminogen activator system and breast cancer (Review)

Malignant tumors have a capacity to degrade the extracellular matrix (ECM) by controlled proteolysis. One proteolytic system involved in these processes is the urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) system, which consists of uPA, uPA receptor (uPAR) and uPA inhibitors 1 and 2 (PAI-1 and PAI-2). In the past two decades, study of the uPA system in human breast cancer has yielded valuable insights. Increased levels of uPA, PAI-1 and uPAR have been reported to be associated with poor prognosis in patients with breast cancer. Furthermore, uPA and PAI-1 may be new prognostic markers for axillary node-negative patients. To date, a growing body of evidence has suggested that uPA system promotes tumor metastasis by several different mechanisms, not just by breaking down the ECM. This article is focused on reviewing the current understanding of uPA system members as prognostic markers in breast cancer, and their cellular localization and tissue distribution. Correlations of the uPA system with other informative markers of breast cancer are also discussed.     

Fast and high-resolution MR sialography using a small surface coil

PURPOSE: To establish a fast and high-resolution MR sialographic technique that provides fast and high-resolution imaging. MATERIALS AND METHODS: MR sialography was performed on a 1.5-T MR imager using a small (47-mm) surface coil. We determined appropriate sequence parameters, and then applied the technique to the salivary glands of 143 patients with xerostomia (including those with Sj?gren's syndrome or hyperlipidemia) or salivary gland inflammation. We compared the high-resolution MR sialography with conventional x-ray sialography in the patients with xerostomia to evaluate the effectiveness of the MR sialography technique. RESULTS: We found that a single-shot, single-slice MR sialography (TR/TR/number of signal acquisitions [NSA] = 8000 msec/1000 msec/6) using a small surface coil provides excellent duct images that are clinically feasible with fast (imaging time of 56 seconds) and high-resolution images. An alternative three-dimensional MR sialography technique provided better details of the branches at the expense of imaging time. The MR sialography technique using a small surface coil depicted effectively the ductal changes in the salivary glands in patients with or without Sj?gren's syndrome, reflecting the severity of the diseases. CONCLUSION: We conclude that MR sialography can be performed using a fast and high-resolution sequence.     

Side-to-side linking of myocardial cells in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: whole heart microscopic observation with tangential sections

By cross-section or longitudinal section, it is difficult to investigate longitudinal features of myocardial cells in the whole heart. Here, introducing the use of tangential sections to obtain longitudinal aspect of myocardial cells in any part of myocardium, the authors evaluated myocardium in the left ventricle in 10 normal hearts and four hearts with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Tangential sections were obtained by peeling the superficial layer of myocardium. After peeling the whole surface, secondary deep layer was peeled. These procedures were repeated more than five times through the wall. Intercalated discs (ICD) were observed immunohistochemically with anti-N-cadherin and antidesmoplakin. In normal hearts, myocardial cells were cut longitudinally and ran parallel in tangential sections. They linked end-to-end with simple and regular ICD with average lengths of 120-130 microm and average sarcomere numbers of 56-65. In HCM hearts, many myocardial cells were cut almost longitudinally running approximately parallel in tangential sections. Myocardial cells frequently showed side-to-side linking characterized by skewed ICD, indistinct ICD counterparts, and longitudinally arranged ICD. Two young HCM hearts had circle-shaped ICD and vacuole-like structures highlighted by immunostaining for N-cadherin, which were actually extracellular structures comparable with irregular side-to-side linking. It is considered that side-to-side linking of myocardial cells is a characteristic microscopic feature in HCM rather than myocardial disarray.     

Antidepressant-elicited changes in gene expression: remodeling of neuronal circuits as a new hypothesis for drug efficacy

Although antidepressants have been used clinically for more than 50 years, no consensus has been reached concerning their precise molecular mechanism of action. Pharmacogenomics is a powerful tool that can be used to identify genes affected by antidepressants or by other effective therapeutic manipulations. Using this tool, others and we have identified as candidate molecular targets several genes or expressed sequence tags (ESTs) that are induced by chronic antidepressant treatment. In this article, we review antidepressant-elicited changes in gene expression, focusing especially on the remodeling of neuronal circuits that results. This refocusing motivates our hypothesis that this plasticity represents the mechanism for drug efficacy, and thus a causal event for clinical improvement. Defining the roles of these molecules in drug-induced neural plasticity is likely to transform the course of research on the biological basis of antidepressants. Such detailed knowledge will have profound effects on the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of depression. Consideration of novel biological approaches beyond the "monoamine hypothesis" of depression is expected to evoke paradigm shifts in the future of antidepressant research.     

MR microscopy of the parotid glands in patients with Sjogren's syndrome: quantitative MR diagnostic criteria

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: MR imaging of the salivary glands has been applied to the diagnosis of Sjogren's syndrome; however, the diagnosis remains qualitative. We sought to establish and evaluate quantitative MR imaging criteria for the diagnosis of Sjogren's syndrome. METHODS: MR imaging with a 47-mm microscopy coil was performed in 83 patients with xerostomia (55 patients with Sjogren's syndrome, 28 without Sjogren's syndrome). MR images were obtained by T1-weighted and fat-suppressed T2-weighted imaging and by MR sialography of the parotid glands. MR imaging findings of the parotid glands in Sjogren's syndome included increases in fat areas and decreases in intact lobule areas. These MR images were morphometrically analyzed for the diagnostic criteria. RESULTS: MR imaging with a microscopy coil demonstrated well the details of the damaged parotid glands in patients with xerostomia. Quantitative MR imaging of fat, intact gland lobule, and number of sialoectatic foci significantly and highly correlated with severity of disease. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis demonstrated that quantitative MR imaging yielded high diagnostic ability in differentiating patients with xerostomia who have Sjogren's syndrome from those without Sjogren's syndrome, with areas under the ROC curve of 0.94 for fat area, 0.98 for intact lobule area, and 0.91 for number of sialoectatic foci. The best cutoff points by quantitative MR imaging were each associated with high sensitivity and specificity, and, when used in combination, yielded 96% sensitivity and 100% specificity. CONCLUSION: Quantitative MR imaging effectively differentiated the parotid glands in patients with xerostomia who have Sjogren's syndrome from those without the syndrome and provided criteria for staging the gland disease.