Urothelial carcinoma of the urinary bladder with a component of acinar/tubular type differentiation simulating prostatic adenocarcinoma

We report a case of an 83-year-old man with a high-grade carcinoma of the urinary bladder who underwent cystoprostatectomy. The invasive carcinoma showed mixed, morphologically distinct patterns consisting of conventional high-grade urothelial carcinoma, glandular differentiation resembling enteric type adenocarcinoma, and acinar/tubular type differentiation, morphologically similar to Gleason grade 3 prostatic adenocarcinoma. Immunohistochemical studies revealed the acinar/tubular component of the tumor to be negative for prostate-specific antigen and prostatic acid phosphatase, but positive for cytokeratin 7, cytokeratin 20, high molecular weight cytokeratin (34 beta E12), and thrombomodulin, consistent with origin from the bladder rather than the prostate. Although bladder carcinomas composed of mixed morphologic patterns are not uncommon, to our knowledge, the presence of acinar/tubular type features simulating prostatic adenocarcinoma in such tumors has not been described elsewhere.     

CA125-producing adenocarcinoma of the seminal vesicle

A case of primary seminal vesicle carcinoma is reported. The tumor was a CA125-producing adenocarcinoma consisting of fine papillary-tubular, intricate branching or anastomosing glandular structures and was composed of small cuboidal, but occasionally hobnailed, cells with mostly clear, but occasionally granular, cytoplasm. Some tumor cells showed evidence of secretion of seromucinous materials into the interpapillary and cystic space. lmmunohistochemically, almost half of the tumor cells expressed a positive reaction with anti-CAl25, a common serological marker for ovarian epithelial carcinomas; however, no tumor cells expressed any other serological tumor markers such as carcinoem-bryonic antigen, α-fetoprotein, human chorionic gonadotropin, prostatic specific acid phosphatase, or prostatic specific antigen. The patient showed a high level of serological CA125, which fluctuated parallel with the growth, removal and recurrence of the tumor. The morphological and immunohistochemical findings suggested a close relationship between the present tumor and clear cell carcinoma of the ovary, which is thought to be of a Müllerian-Wolfian duct origin.     

Variable Regions 1 and 2 (VR1 and VR2) in JSRV gag Are Not Responsible for the Endogenous JSRV Particle Release Defect

Jaagsiekte sheep retrovirus (JSRV) is a betaretrovirus causing ovine pulmonary adenocarcinoma, a transmissible lung tumor of sheep. A very closely related endogenous retrovirus (enJSRV) occurs as 15 to 20 copies in the genome of all sheep, and is not known to be linked to pathogenesis. We previously localized a particle release defect of the full-length endogenous-derived expression construct pCMV2enJS56A1 to the amino-terminal region of gag that incorporates the two variable regions VR1 and VR2, which harbor the main sequence differences between endogenous and exogenous JSRV in this part of gag. Here, we tested the hypothesis that either or both of these variable regions are responsible for the observed particle release defect in enJS56A1. We found that the PPPPPPPS motif of the exogenous VR1 is neither necessary nor sufficient for particle release. Furthermore, the precise substitution of VR1 and VR2 in the exogenous JSRV expression plasmid pCMV2JS ₂₁, using their enJS56A1-derived counterparts, did not abrogate the ability of the resulting constructs to release particles. The particle release defect of enJS56A1 is therefore not determined exclusively by either VR1 or VR2. These results point to a small number of amino acids lying outside of VR1 and VR2 that may be responsible for the particle defect of enJS56A1 Gag.     

Barium blocks cell membrane and tight junction conductances inNecturus gallbladder epithelium

The site and concentration dependence of the blocking effect of Ba²⁺ onNecturus gallbladder epithelium has been investigated. A new approach was used which combines time-dependent electrical cell coupling analysis with intermittently performed measurements of transepithelial and apparent intracellular impedance. From the coupling pulse data the sum of apical and basolateral membrane conductances is obtained, which is then held constant during fitting of the impedance data. This combination technique yields more reliable estimates of apical and basolateral membranes resistances (R _a,R _bl) and of tight junction resistance (R _j) than our previous impedance analysis technique. Using the new approach we have found that luminal Ba²⁺ concentrations between 0.5 and 1.0 mmol/l increaseR _a with saturation-type kinetics without affectingR _bl andR _j, while higher luminal Ba²⁺ concentrations progressively increaseR _j. Corresponding effects were observed under serosal Ba²⁺. The results validate the new impedance analysis approach and demonstrate that millimolar concentrations of Ba²⁺ block tight junction conductances. Accordingly, Ba²⁺ can no longer be considered a tool to exclusively alter cell membrane resistances in epithelia.     

The effect of papaine on the time course of the end-plate current

Papaine is known to detach cholinesterases from the synaptic cleft. It could be expected that this would result in an increase of the amplitude and half-time of the end-plate current. Thus, the effect of papaine on the end-plate current should be similar to the effect of anticholinesterase methanesulfonyl-fluoride.The end-plate current was recorded in frog skeletal muscle at various levels of membrane potential, before and after papaine was added to the bath.The effect of papaine was an increase of the half-time of the end-plate current, similarly as after treatment of the muscle by methanesulfonylfluoride.It seems that both papaine and methanesulfonyl-fluoride have a similar mechanism of action. In either experimental condition hydrolysis of transmitter is decreased or abolished, which results in an increase of the half-time of the end-plate current.This work was supported by the Research Community of Slovenia     

Scanning electron microscopy of teeth in dominant osteogenesis imperfecta: Support for genetic heterogeneity

Scanning electron microscopic studies were performed on 25 deciduous and permanent teeth from members of 7 kindreds with dominant nonlethal osteogenesis imperfects (OI). Two families had normal teeth on clinical and radiological examination; five familes had blue or brown opalescent teeth with specific radiologic findings. Enamel surfaces and prism organization were normal on all teeth. On fractured surfaces, the dentin tubules of normal teeth from patients with OI were evenly distributed and coursed regularly to the dentin-enamel junction. Opalescent teeth had few tubules and those present were short, narrow, and tortuous. Dentin calcification fronts of normal teeth were composed of many nodules with regularly spaced openings on their surfaces. Calcification fronts of opalescent teeth were composed of irregularly spaced, small nodules, which varied greatly in size and the nodules lacked tubule openings on their surfaces. The results of this study support the concept that at least two dominant forms of OI exist – one in which all individuals with IO have normal teeth, and the other in which all with OI have blue or brown opalescent teeth with characteristic changes on SEM.     

Dynamics of the junction between the medulla and the cervical spinal cord: An in vivo study in the sagittal plane by magnetic resonance imaging

Summary Sagittal sections of the brain-stem made by MRI reveal differences in the angle formed by the medulla and the cord. In order to study the normal mobility of this region of the CNS during flexion and extension of the head, sagittal MRI studies were made in the sagittal plane in 18 young volunteers. The volunteers were in dorsal decubitus with the cervical spine first flexed and then extended, with the movement localized to the cranio-cervical junction as far as possible. T1-weighted sequences were used, with body coils in 16 cases and surface coils in two. Measurements were related to global cranio-cervical range of movement, movement at the craniocervical junction and spino-medullary movement. Variations in the depth of the free space in front of the medulla, pons and spinal cord during movement were also noted. We also checked for downward shift of the lower part of the 4th ventricle and modification of the shape of the ventricle during flexion-extension. The global range of cranio-cervical movement was between 31 and 100° (average 63°). The range between the cranium and C1C2 was 4 to 39° (average 19°) and the spino-medullary range was from 1 to 32° (average 14°). During flexion, the free space narrowed in front of the pons 11 times, in front of the medulla 14 times and in front of the cervical cord 11 times. There was a downward shift of the lower part of the 4th ventricle during flexion in 4 cases but no change in shape was noted. Though this study is open to criticism from several aspects, it may be concluded that variations of the spino-medullary angle in the sagittal plane during flexion-extension do occur, that they are closely correlated with movements at the cranio-cervical junction, and that the spino-medullary junction moves forward during flexion.

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Dynamique de la jonction bulbomédullaire et de la moelle cervicale: Étude in vivo dans le plan sagittal en imagerie par résonance magnétique

Résumé Dans le but d'étudier la mobilité normale de la jonction bulbomédullaire durant la flexionextension de la tête, nous avons exploré en IRM dans le plan sagittal 18 jeunes volontaires. L'appareil Magniscan 0,15 Tesla a été utilisé avec des séquences de spin écho courtes, 16 fois en antenne corps et 2 fois en antenne de surface. Dans les limites de notre méthodologie, le secteur global de mobilité cervico-céphalique varie de 31 à 100° (moyenne 63°), le secteur de mobilité O-C1C2 varie de 4 à 39° (moyenne 19°), le secteur de mobilité bulbomédullaire varie de 1 à 32° (moyenne 14°). Lors de la flexion, l'espace libre diminue 11 fois devant la protubérance, 14 fois devant le bulbe et 11 fois devant la moelle cervicale. La partie basse du V4 s'abaisse dans 4 cas en flexion. Aucune modification de la forme du V4 n'a pu être notée. Bien que cette étude soit critiquable à bien des égards, nous pouvons affirmer: que les variations de l'angle bulbomédullaire dans le plan sagittal durant la flexion-extension de la tête sont effectives; qu'elles sont étroitement corrélées à celles de la charnière cranio-rachidienne; que durant le mouvement de flexion, la jonction bulbomédullaire se déplace en avant.

     

Profilin-mediated food-induced allergic reactions are associated with oral epithelial remodeling

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