Concentric sclerosis (Baló): Morphometric and in situ hybridization study of lesions in six patients

Brain tissues from 6 patients with concentric sclerosis (Baló) were examined by in situ hybridization, immunocytochemistry, morphometry, and histological methods. The patients were 24 to 48 years old and had progressive cerebral symptoms and signs that lasted 15 to 100 days. Large demyelinative lesions, most frequent in the frontal white matter, contained alternating bands of demyelinated and partly myelinated white matter that were arranged in concentric or mosaic patterns. In the areas of demyelination, axons were relatively well preserved and there were perivascular inflammatory infiltrates. In 2 specimens, lesions contained regions with the characteristic appearance of actively demyelinating multiple sclerosis plaques. Oligodendroglial densities were highest in normal-appearing white matter, lower in partially myelinated areas, and lowest in demyelinated areas, which also contained many hypertrophic astrocytes closely associated with oligodendroglia. Messenger RNA levels for myelin-related proteins followed the same pattern; they were lowest in demyelinated areas, higher in partially myelinated areas, and highest in normal-appearing white matter beyond lesion margins. Our findings suggest that concentric sclerosis is a variant of multiple sclerosis, that oligodendroglial loss is important in the pathogenesis of demyelination, and that partially myelinated areas probably represent stages of ongoing myelin breakdown rather than remyelination of previously demyelinated areas.     

Study of pyogenic granuloma of the oral cavity]

Pyogenic granuloma is one of the diseases sometimes seen in otorhinolaryngology clinics. The clinical features of this disease are understood to be that the lesion is located in the oral cavity in the majority of cases that its causative agent is usually discovered and that it most likely grows as a malignant tumor. However, the entity of pathological diagnosis has not been established. Thirty-one cases of oral pyogenic granuloma, including 16 males and 15 females, are reported in this paper. The granuloma was located most frequently at the tongue, followed, in order, by the gingiva, buccal mucosa, hard palate, lip and oral floor. The period between the patient's first visit to our clinic and the onset of his/her complaint was variable. It was relatively shorter in those cases with the lesion at the gingiva or tongue as compared to other locations. The size of the lesion was smaller than 10 x 10 mm. We classified the pathological features into three patterns; granuloma type, hemangioma type, and intermediate type. Many cases of lesions located at the back of the tongue, buccal mucosa, or hard palate were of the hemangioma type, while many cases of lesions located at the top of the tongue, gingiva, or oral floor were of the granuloma type. We have the impression that pyogenic granuloma could be one of the purulent changes associated with benign oral tumors.     

Protective effect of Re-LPS antiserum on experimental multiple system organ failure.

This study examines the possible beneficial effect of Re-LPS (F515) antiserum on experimental multiple system organ failure (MSOF) in rabbits. The results showed that the plasma LPS level was significantly decreased, and it took a shorter period to clear up LPS in experimental than in control rabbits after receiving Re-LPS antiserum. Pretreatment with antiserum can markedly improve the function of the liver, lungs, kidneys, blood and gastrointestinal tract. The MSOF incidence in the group of rabbits receiving immune sera was only 11.2% and the survival rate was raised by about 40.0%. The results suggest that early passive immunotherapy may neutralize gut-derived endotoxin, inhibit endotoxin-induced mediators release and prevent development of severe complications due to sepsis. It is therefore postulated that LPS core antiserum may provide a prophylactic effect on the development of experimental MSOF.

     

Effect of (+/-)-, (+)- and (-)-gossypol on the lactate dehydrogenase-X activity of rat testis

The effect of (+/-)-, (+)- and (-)-gossypol on testicular lactate dehydrogenase-X (LDH-X) was studied in vitro and in vivo. It was found that racemic gossypol and the two optical enantiomers had similar inhibitory effects on rat testicular LDH-X in vitro. However, neither racemic gossypol nor the enantiomers exhibited an inhibitory effect on testicular LDH-X in vivo. It is concluded that inhibition of testicular LDH-X is not likely to be the mechanism of the antifertility action of gossypol. The inhibition of testicular LDH-X in vitro by all three preparations of gossypol is probably non-specific.     

The expression of nuclear estrogen receptor and its relation to cytoplasmic estrogen receptor in breast cancer]

Sixty specimens of breast cancer were assayed with ER-monoclonal antibody by immunocytochemical staining. Twenty-nine (48.33%) were nuclear estrogen receptor positive (ERn+). The number of ERn+ cancer cells decreased in the following sequence: mucinous carcinoma, invasive lobular carcinoma, invasive ductal carcinoma, and papillary adenocarcinoma. Two apocrine carcinomas were ERn-. ERn+ rate was higher in patients over 60 years of age (P less than 0.05). The amount of ERn+ cells was much greater in cancer cells than in the surrounding benign epithelial cells. This phenomenon may indicate that malignant cells are more hormone-dependent than benign cells. The results of immunocytochemical staining and steroid binding assay were compared. By immunocytochemical staining, twenty-four of fifty-seven cases (42.11%) were ERn+ and ERc+. Sixteen cases (28.07%) were ERn- and ERc-. This study showed that in a number of breast cancers ERs were positive in both cytoplasms and nuclei and the concordant rate was 70.18%. In the remaining cases 13 (22.81%), ERs were positive in the cytoplasm, and in 4 cases (7.02%) positive in nuclei only. Additionally, fifty-two out of 60 cases were assayed by 3H-estradiol and 3H-R5020 by means of steroid binding assay. Twenty-seven cases of them (51.92%) showed ERc+ and PRc+, and seventeen cases (32.69%) were ERc- and PRc-. Their correspondent rate was 84.61%.     

呼出气氢测定试验对飞行人员乳糖酶缺乏症的研究

对66名汉族飞行人员进行乳糖呼出气氢测定试验,乳糖吸收不良的发生率为83.3％,其中乳糖不耐受者占34.6％;与一般汉族人群无明显差别。对10名确定为中度以上乳糖吸收不良的飞行人员进行250ml鲜牛奶的试验结果,有50％呼出气氢含量在正常范围,并无一例出现胃肠道症状。提示较长期食用牛奶未能使乳糖酶缺乏状态发生改变,但每日食用适量牛奶属合理营养。     

Divergent expression and localization of aquaporin 5, an exocrine-type water channel,in the submandibular gland of Sprague-Dawley rats

By Western blot analysis, the expression level of aquaporin (AQP) 5 in the submandibular gland (SMG) was found to be different among individual rats of the Sprague-Dawley (SD) strain. Such differences were observed for AQP5 but not for AQP1 and consequently the SD strain was divided into two groups, one expressing a high level of AQP5 and the other a low one. The difference in average intensity of expression between the two groups was more than twofold. Immunohistochemical analysis of the SMG demonstrated that the AQP5 protein was localized in the basal and apical/lateral plasma membrane of acinar cells in rats expressing the high level of AQP5. In the rat expressing the low level, however, this channel protein was localized strongly in the apical/lateral plasma membrane, but only very weakly in the basal membrane of the acinar cells. Such a diverse localization of AQP5 was confirmed by Western blotting as well. Breeding between brother and sister was repeated for two times within high expressers and low expressers to obtain the third generation progenies (F2); the AQP5 level of the SMG in the third generation (F2 rats) from high expressers was significantly higher than the F2 from low expressers. Our present study suggests the existence of genetic variation in the expression of a water channel protein, AQP5, in rats.