EXFOLIATIVE CYTOPATHOLOGY OF ALVEOLAR RHABDOMYOSARCOMA

Exfoliative cytopathology of alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma is presented. A 34-year-old male was found to have alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma of the retroperitoneum at autopsy. Ascites was recognized in the course of this disease. Cytological features in the ascites were characterized by relatively small-sized ovoid cells observed singly or in loose clusters. The neoplastic cells possessed small amount of rather vesicular cytoplasm and an eccentric nucleus. The nucleus characteristically revealed multiple deep indentations in the nuclear membrane, a few prominent eosinophilic nucleoli and finely granular or evenly distributed chromatin pattern. These cytological findings, especially the nuclear features, might be useful to differentiate alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma from other neoplasms which consist of relatively small-sized ovoid cells even if the striated muscle origin cannot be confirmed by immunoperoxidase staining.     

Methods for culture ofBombyx mori wing discs

Summary A culture method forBombyx wing discs is described. Grace's insect medium,Bombyx hemolymph, and moderate doses of ecdysterone (0.02 to 0.1 µg/ml) were necessary for complete imaginal differentiation ofBombyx wing discs. This procedure is useful for understanding ecdysteroid action on insect imaginal differentiation and metamorphosis.     

The effect of exhaustive exercise on the antioxidant enzyme system in skeletal muscle from calcium-deficient rats

 The aim of the current study was to elucidate the synergism of dietary calcium restriction and exhaustive exercise in the antioxidant enzyme system of rat soleus muscle, and to investigate the involvement of neutrophils in exercise-induced muscle damage. Forty-eight male Wistar rats were assigned to the following groups: control (C) or calcium-restricted [1 month (1 M) or 3 months (3 M)]. Each group was subdivided into acutely exercised or non-exercised groups. Soleus muscle from each rat was analysed to determine the levels of antioxidant enzymes [Mn-superoxide dismutase (SOD), Cu,Zn-SOD, glutathione peroxidase (GPX), and catalase (CAT)]. Dietary calcium restriction resulted in calcium deficiency and upregulated the antioxidant enzymes examined except GPX. Conversely, exhaustive exercise significantly decreased GPX and CAT, but not SODs activities in the calcium-restricted (1 M and/or 3 M) rats. Contents of immunoreactive Mn-SOD and Cu,Zn-SOD were only increased in the 3 M rats. During calcium restriction, the mRNA expression of both forms of SOD showed initial upregulation, followed by downregulation. Exhaustive exercise significantly increased the mRNA expressions only in the 3 M rats. Moreover, exhaustive exercise markedly increased myeloperoxidase activity in soleus muscles from the 1 M and 3 M rats compared with the C rats, and significantly enhanced the ability of neutrophils to generate superoxide in the 3 M rats. The results demonstrate that dietary calcium restriction upregulates certain antioxidant enzyme activities in rat soleus muscle, indicating an enhanced resistance to potential increases in intracellular reactive oxygen species. The results also suggest that exhaustive exercise may cause oxidative damage in soleus muscle of calcium-deficient rats through the activation of neutrophils. Received: 4 August 1997 / Received after revision: 29 September 1997 / Accepted: 26 November 1997     

The numerical aberrations of chromosome 7 detected by fluorescence in situ hybridization in human breast cancers

The relationship between the numerical aberrations of chromosome 7 in interphase cells and the clinicopathological behavior of breast tumors was investigated in 51 touch imprinted preparations of breast tumors. Using fluorescence in situ hybridization with a chromosome 7-specific DNA probe, the fluoresceinisothiocyanate (FITC) spots mean and the representative copy number of each breast tumor were examined. The FITC spots mean (2.34) of 40 breast cancers increased compared with that of 11 benign lesions (1.98) (P < 0.02). The FITC spots mean tended to increase with the advancing stage and tumor size of the breast cancer. The FITC spots mean in the case with metastasis was also of a higher value than that without metastasis (P < 0.01). Furthermore, the existence of trisomy or over-trisomy of the copy number was related to the advancing stage and tumor size (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01, respectively). These findings suggest that the FITC spots mean and polysomy of the number of chromosome 7 may be highly predictive for breast tumor aggressiveness.     

The adaptational strategies of the hindlimb muscles in the Tenrecidae species including the aquatic web-footed tenrec (Limnogale mergulus).

The hindlimb muscles in four species of Tenrecidae (Oryzoryctinae: Talazac long-tailed tenrec and web-footed tenrec, Tenrecinae: lesser hedgehog tenrec, and streaked tenrec), were examined macroscopically. The weight ratios of the muscles to the body in the oryzoryctinid species are larger than those in Tenrecinae, since the Oryzoryctinae species have an obviously smaller body from the evolutionary point of view. It can be primarily pointed out that the adaptation of the body size is different between the two subfamilies, and secondarily, that functional adaptation to locomotion is complete within each subfamily. The weight data and the morphological findings demonstrate that the web-footed tenrec possesses an extraordinary large M. semimembranosus in comparison to the Talazac long-tailed tenrec in their weight ratios. This muscle may act as a strong flexor motor in the knee joint during the aquatic locomotion of the web-footed tenrec. Since the other muscles of the web-footed tenrec are similar to those of the Talazac long-tailed tenrec regards weight ratio data, we think that the web-footed tenrec may have derived from a terrestrial ancestor such as the long-tailed tenrecs. In Tenrecinae the streaked tenrec is equipped with larger Mm. adductores, M. semimembranosus and M. triceps surae than the lesser hedgehog tenrec. This species is adapted to fossorial life derived from non-specialized ancestors within the evolutionary lines of the spiny tenrecs.     

Pulmonary synovial sarcoma with polypoid endobronchial growth: a case report, immunohistochemical and cytogenetic study

A rare case of primary pulmonary synovial sarcoma with polypoid endobronchial growth in a 42-year-old Japanese woman is described. Left upper sleeve lobectomy was performed for the polypoid tumor measuring 2.5 cm in the left major bronchus and the patient was treated with adjuvant chemotherapy. Three years later, a recurrent tumor was discovered. Microscopically, this tumor was characterized by a proliferation of oval to spindle-shaped cells arranged in sheets and fascicles and covered by the thin normal bronchial epithelium. Immunohistochemically, tumor cells were positive for vimentin, and focally positive for pancytokeratin recognized by AE1/AE3, cytokeratin 7 and epithelial membrane antigen. A chimera gene, SYT-SSX1, was detected. Recently, primary pulmonary synovial sarcoma is an increasingly recognized clinical entity; however, most of these tumors present as a parenchymal mass. The present case is a unique example of primary synovial sarcoma of endobronchial polypoid type. This case suggests that pulmonary synovial sarcoma might originate from bronchial submucosal stromal tissue.     

Crystal Growth in Poly(L‐lactide) Thin Film Revealed by in situ Atomic Force Microscopy

Direct visualization of crystal growth in poly(L ‐lactide) thin films was carried out by using a temperature‐controlled atomic force microscopy (AFM). At the initial stage of crystallization, edge‐on lamellar crystals have nucleated and elongated. Subsequently, the edge‐on lamellar crystals showed S‐shaped morphology and changed their orientation from edge‐on manner to flat‐on one. The curvature of edge‐on lamellar crystal has been discussed in terms of inclination and distortion of polymer chains in the crystal. In addition, mechanism on the formation of flat‐on crystal from edge‐on lamellae was proposed as derivative growth on the basis of in situ AFM observation of crystal growth and enzymatic degradation.

     

Diversity of Hepatitis G Virus within a Single Infected Individual

The extent of population diversity among GB virus C (GBV-C)/hepatitis G virus (HGV) within a persistently infected individual (Iw) was investigated by sequence analysis of multiple clones generated from polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-amplified products of cDNA analogous to fragments of 5 non-coding region (5NC), envelope region 1/2 (E1/E2) and non-structural region 3 (NS3) of viral genome. Although nucleotide substitutions were more common in coding regions than in the 5NC region, there was no region corresponding to the hypervariable region of hepatitis C virus in the E1/E2 region. Transition substitution exceeded transversion by 7 to 12-fold, and 79.4% of substitutions were synonymous. This bias against substitutions producing amino acid replacements and the use of Pfu DNA polymerase with an error rate 10 times lower than the observed frequency of substitution, suggests that most substitutions were not artefactual. This data suggests that individual genomes of HGV within an infected individual may differ from each other at 0.23–0.84% nucleotide position and at 0.42–0.61% amino acid position.     

The molecular analyses of hematological malignancies--lineage specific classification and its clinical implications

Cells from 203 children with leukemia/lymphoma were analyzed by the FAB (French-American-British) system using a broad panel of markers such as immunological marker studies, Southern blot and Northern blot analyses to establish a lineage specific classification of childhood leukemia. Phenotypically, they were divided into B-lineage (62.6%), T-lineage (9.8%), non-lymphoid (14.3%) and uncertain lineage (13.3%). Two B-lineage ALL cells and two T-lineage ALL cells studied did not show immunoglobulin (Ig) or T-cell receptor (TCR) gene rearrangements, respectively. Therefore, those four cases were excluded from the final classification. The uncertain lineage leukemia, which includes undifferentiated leukemia and mixed lineage leukemia, were further subclassified at the DNA and RNA levels. The definitions of B-lineage and T-lineage cells, incidence of dual genotypes or spillover, heterogeneity of undifferentiated leukemia, and a new classification for mixed lineage leukemia were discussed.