Spinal projections to the cerebellar nuclei in the cat

Summary Projections from the spinal gray matter to the cerebellar nuclei in the cat have been studied using Nauta's silver technique. Following unilateral section of the ventrolateral cord at the cervical level, heavy degeneration is seen in the nucleus medialis on both sides. Scanty degeneration is present bilaterally in the nucleus interpositus. The degeneration is most intense on the contralateral side. Scanty degeneration is also present bilaterally in subnucleus medialis parvicellularis (SMP) (Flood and Jansen, 1961). No degeneration is seen in nucleus lateralis. Following unilateral section of the dorsolateral cord at the cervical level, scanty degeneration is present bilaterally in nucleus medialis and nucleus interpositus anterior. The degeneration is more pronounced ipsilaterally and is also seen in SMP on both sides. No degeneration is present in nucleus lateralis. Fibers from the ventral and dorsal spinocerebellar tracts (VSCT and DSCT) terminate bilaterally in nuclei medialis and interpositus, with the VSCT as the most important connection.     

Neutrophil and endothelial cell activation in the vasa vasorum in vasculo-Behçet disease

AIM: The aim of this study was to analyse the immunopathological mechanisms of vasculo-Beh?et disease, which were also compared to cases of Takayasu's arteritis and inflammatory aneurysm to evaluate differences in inflammatory mechanisms. METHOD AND RESULTS: We reviewed six cases of vasculo-Beh?et disease, four of Takayasu's arteritis and seven inflammatory aneurysms which underwent surgical repair. Immunohistochemical studies were performed on paraffin-embedded tissue using a labelled streptavidin-biotin method, as was in-situ hybridization for Epstein-Barr virus. Microscopically, neutrophils and lymphocytes accumulated around the vasa vasorum. Neutrophils were prominent as compared to Takayasu's arteritis and inflammatory aneurysm. Elastic fibres were not severely destroyed. Endothelial cells (ECs) of most vasa vasorum expressed HLA-DR. The number of vasa vasorum around which inflammatory infiltrating cells were observed in vasculo-Beh?et disease was significantly greater than in inflammatory aneurysms and Takayasu's arteritis (P < 0.001). The cytokines IL-1alpha, TNF-beta and IFN-gamma were expressed in neutrophils and lymphocytes which were distributed around vasa vasorum, as well as neutrophils adherent to HLA-DR positive ECs. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that vasculo-Beh?et disease should be classified as a neutrophilic vasculitis targeting the vasa vasorum. Aneurysm formation may be related to degeneration of arterial wall caused by inflammation of the vasa vasorum.     

Management of foreign tourists' diseases at the American Hospital in Neuilly

More and more foreign tourists are being treated at the American Hospital of Paris. The main reasons for this are the presence of a 24 hour medical and dental emergency service, in addition to the availability of MRI, CT scan and comprehensive laboratory facilities. The hospital is multidisciplinary, where short stay hospitalizations are the rule. English is the second most commonly used language. There is a permanent Japanese language service for Japanese patients. Qualitative data is presented concerning the management of patients according to specialty and nationality. American and Japanese patients admitted to the hospital in 1997 are surveyed according to their mean age, reasons for admission and appropriate specialty as well as mean length of stay noted. The greatest number of hospitalizations in decreasing order and according to nationality are as follows: American, Japanese, Moroccan Egyptian and Saudi Arabian. The consultations and hospitalizations of Japanese patients between 1990 and 1997 are compared.     

Glucagon-induced somatostatin release from perifused rat hypothalamus: calcium dependency and effect of cysteamine treatment

Somatostatin (SRIF) release from rat hypothalamus was investigated in vitro with a perifusion system. Glucagon (1 microM) and high potassium concentrations (56 mM) stimulated SRIF release in a calcium-dependent manner. Pretreatment of the rat with cysteamine (30 mg/100 g body weight, 7 h earlier) significantly reduced SRIF release from the hypothalamus in glucagon- and high potassium-stimulated states as well as in the basal state. SRIF release from rat hypothalamus was also stimulated by both dibutyryl cyclic AMP (1 mM) and theophylline (3 mM). These results suggest that glucagon, acting in a calcium-dependent manner and possibly through the adenylate cyclase-cyclic AMP system, stimulates SRIF release from rat hypothalamus and that cysteamine treatment reduces releasable SRIF in the hypothalamus.     

Hepatocellular carcinoma with chondrosarcomatous variation. A case report and review of the literature

An autopsy case of hepatocellular carcinoma with a sarcomatous component in a 63-year-old woman was described. A massive tumor measuring 15 X 15 X 10 cm almost replaced the left lobe of the liver and extended to the right atrium of the heart. Histologically the tumor was a typical hepatocellular carcinoma of adult type, except in the central portion where there was gradual replacement of the carcinoma by spindle-shaped atypical cells with areas of chondrosarcomatous tissue. Some of the spindle cells were immunohistochemically positive for keratin, and the sarcomatous component was not found in the metastatic foci of liver and lungs. Reported cases of mixed hepatic tumor of adults in the literature were reviewed, and discussion was made concerning the nosology of the present tumor.     

CORRELATION BETWEEN GLYCOCONJUGATE EXPRESSION AND FUCOSYLTRANSFERASE ACTIVITY IN HUMAN COLORECTAL CARCINOMA

Using the surgically extirpated specimens from 9 patients with colorectal carcinoma, fucosyltransferase activities in the carcinoma tissue and the normal mucosa were measured and were compared with the hlstochemical findings of glycoconjugates which were shown by staining with lectins reacting with blood group antigens and related substances. The fucosyltransferase activities of the carcinoma tissue were well correlated with the overall findings of lectin stainings after neuraminidase treatment. The more intense the carcinoma tissue was stained, the higher the fucosyltransferase activity was shown. However, there were marked differences in the fucosyltransferase activities by the portions measured, depending upon the relative amount of carcinoma tissue and Interstitial tissue; in the invasive portion with less carcinoma tissue, the activity was generally low in comparison with that in the surface area where carcinoma tissue was rather abundant. Thus, the morphological and lectin hlstochemical finding are of paramount importance for the eveluation of glycosyltransferase activity in human colorectal carcinoma.     

Possible role of hepatocyte growth factor in regeneration of human peritoneal mesothelial cells

Human peritoneal mesothelial cells (HPMCs) play an important role in peritoneal functions. During long term peritoneal dialysis, it has been reported that HPMCs are damaged by high glucose solution via the signal of transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta1 produced by HPMCs. In this study, we focused on the effect of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), known as an anti-fibrotic and anti-TGF-beta1 agent, on HPMCs damaged by high glucose solution. HPMCs were isolated from specimens of the omentum from nonuremic patients after informed consent had been obtained. After confirming adhesion for 6 hours, 100 microL of DMEM with 0.5%FCS were added at different concentrations (D-glucose; 6, 30 mM) with or without HGF (10, 30, 100 ng/mL) for 48 hours. We examined the effects of a high concentration of glucose and then focused on following four critical points: 1) the production of HGF from HPMCs exposed to a high concentration of glucose, 2) the expression of c-Met on HPMCs, 3) the viability of those cells, and 4) matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase-2 (TIMP-2). The following significant changes are described herein: high glucose solution and TGF-beta1 i) decreased HGF production from HPMCs and ii) up-regulated expression of c-Met on HPMCs, and addition of HGF iii) restored viability of HPMCs damaged by glucose, iv) suppressed TGF-beta1 production by HGF, and v) induced up-regulation of MMP-2 and decreased TIMP-2 production by HPMCs. Levels of HGF decreased by high concentrations of glucose in the peritoneal cavity may induce the loss of HPMCs and thereby result in peritoneal fibrosis. These results suggest that HGF is an effective agent in the regeneration of peritoneal membrane damaged by high glucose solution.     

Functional morphology of the pineal gland in young chickens

One and two-month-old chickens were killed at mid light and mid dark under the experimental photoperiod (LD 12: 12). The pineal glands of the young chickens are composed of parenchymal cells and large follicles, presenting a tubulofollicular arrangement. The sensory-like pinealocytes are pear-shaped and have a cilium with 9 + 0 axial configuration projecting into the lumen. Their cytoplasm has cell organelles, small granulated vesicles about 100 nm in diameter and synaptic ribbons. The concentric lamellar complexes like myelin sheaths are frequently observed in the follicular lumen. The secretory-like supporting cells have irregular-shaped microvilli and some granulated vesicles about 200 nm in diameter in the vicinity of the apical surfaces. Occasionally, a few nerve cells are found in the pineal parenchyma. It was found that the sensory-like pinealocytes of the young chickens have many mitochondria, well-developed Golgi complexes and large lysosomes in solid type in the light period, whereas they have a few cell organelles and somewhat smaller rod-like lysosomes with some vacuoles in the dark period. On the other hand, the sensory-like pinealocytes have more synaptic ribbons in the dark period than in the light period.