百草枯所致大鼠弥漫性肺损伤的病理特点

作者选用ＳＤ大鼠进行腹腔内一次性注入百草枯２５ｍｇ／ｋｇ后，在７个不同时间点观察其肺病理组织和超微结构改变。结果显示：百草枯可引起弥漫性毛细血管内皮细胞和肺泡１型上皮细胞为主的整层气一血屏障结构的损害，主要表现为肺泡水肿、出血、透明膜形成和（或）程度不等的肺泡炎，当损伤不能完全修复时则局部终结为纤维化。     

病理性损伤因素对肾小管上皮细胞表型转化的影响

目的 :观察低血清、高糖、高蛋白刺激下肾小管上皮细胞向间叶性细胞的表型转化 ,探讨损伤的肾小管上皮细胞在肾小管间质纤维化中的作用。方法 :以体外培养的人近端肾小管上皮细胞为对象 ,分别用含低血清(0 .2mol·L-1小牛血清 )、高葡萄糖 (4.5 g·L-1)、高白蛋白 (15 g·L-1)的培养液培养 7d ,透射电镜检测细胞形态变化 ;免疫组化和Westernblot检测细胞表型改变 ,包括CK、Vimentin、α SMA、Ⅰ和Ⅲ型胶原 ,原位杂交检测Ⅰ型胶原mRNA表达 ,同时检测细胞TGFβ1蛋白表达。 结果 :低血清、高糖、高蛋白直接刺激下 ,肾小管上皮细胞出现明显形态学改变 ,包括细胞变为长梭形 ;透射电镜下细胞内线粒体明显减少 ,粗面内质网明显增加 ,并出现actin样微丝。免疫组化染色和Westernblot显示CK表达明显减弱 ,Vimentin、Ⅰ、Ⅲ型胶原、α SMA和TGFβ1表达增强。原位杂交显示Ⅰ型胶原mRNA表达增强。结论 :低血清、高糖、高蛋白可直接引起人近端肾小管上皮细胞TGFβ1表达增加 ,并发生向间叶性细胞的表型转化     

CCl4和PS两种SD大鼠模型肝纤维化进程时效关系对比研究

目的　比较CCl4 法和PS法两种肝纤维化制模方法在肝纤维化形成进程中时效关系和病理学特征。方法　采用CCl4 和PS法制作SD大鼠肝纤维化模型 ,分别观察在造模第 6、10、14、2 0周时肝脏组病学特征 ,Masson三色染色和计算机图像分析系统进行分析。结果　CCl4 法于制模第 6周即可见肝脏假小叶形成 ,于第 10周始最为典型 ;随着假小叶的形成和造模方法停止 ,肝脏病理结构变化趋于稳定 ;肝细胞脂肪变性尤为突出 ,与模型制作进程相平行。PS法于造模第 10周即造模结束时方见纤维间隔形成 ,造模虽已停止但肝纤维化进程加速完成 ,肝组织分隔严重 ,假小叶形成较多并进展到第 2 0周 ;制模自始至终 ,肝细胞未见明显脂肪变性。结论　CCl4 和PS两种制模方法在肝纤维化形成进程中所表现出的时效关系和病理特征有所不同 ,提示两种制模方法在形成肝纤维化机制方面有所不同。结合使用两种方法研究肝纤维化更为合理 ;以抗肝纤维化干预因子进行干预研究时 ,干预因子的持续时间宜延长至肝纤维化形成之高峰期或之后 ,持续时间至少 14周 ;预防和治疗用药干预研究时 ,其起始时间宜分别以造模开始前 4周和造模停止前 4周为宜     

四氯化碳、黄磷、三硝基甲苯引起肝纤维化及某些生化指标变化规律的研究

本研究分别给四组大鼠注射CCl_4、P_4、TNT及纯生油,进行亚慢性实验,在不同的时间处死动物,测定血清及肝组织NAG、CP、MAO、羟脯氨酸和肝组织病理观察。CCl_4染毒3周后就发生肝纤维化;P_4和TNT染毒12周后才发生肝纤维化。血清中NAG、CP及肝组织中NAG、羟辅氨酸含量在肝纤维化早期即有明显升高,其中血清NAG、CP与肝组织中羟脯氨酸含量有明显正相关关系。血清NAG、CP似可以用作了解肝纤维化情况的指标。     

慢性肾衰大鼠单个核细胞内游离钙浓度和白介素－1活性的变化

本文探讨了５／６肾切除术后慢性肾衰大鼠残肾纤维化的发生机理，发现术后１２０天，在残肾单个核炎性细胞浸润、残肾显著纤维化和肾功能损害的同时，残肾脂质过氧化物含量显著升高，抗氧化机制功能显著下降，钠钾ＡＴＰ酶活力显著下降，周围血单个核细胞内游离钙浓度显著升高，单个核细胞培养上清白介素－１活性增高。而摄入大量维生素Ｅ的大鼠，上述各指标有不同程度的改善，残肾纤维化显著减轻。提示残肾纤维化可能与单个核白细胞内游离钙浓度升高，进而产生白介素－１增多有关。     

The hepatic extracellular matrix

The unique nature of the hepatic extracellular matrix (ECM) is predicted by the special configuration of the space of Disse. Whereas other epithelial organs have two basement membranes (BM) and a substantial ECM interposed between endothelial and epithelial cells, the liver lobule has no BM and only an attenuated ECM, consisting mostly of fibronectin (FN), some collagen type I, and minor quantities of types III, IV, V, and VI. This configuration, together with the abundant fenestrations and gaps of the sinusoidal endothelial cells, seems ideally suited to facilitate the rapid bidirectional exchange of macromolecules normally taking place between plasma and hepatocytes. During organogenesis, the liver anlage is vascularized by continuous capillaries with BM, but by day 13.5 of development (in the rat) the vessels in the immediate proximity of hepatocytes become fenestrated, lacking specialized junctions and BM, suggesting that the hepatocytes produce signals capable of modulating the endothelial phenotype. In regeneration, hepatocyte proliferation precedes vascular proliferation resulting in the formation of hepatocyte clusters that, temporarily, lack sinusoids. Eventually, vascular proliferation follows and the normal hepatocyte-vascular relationships are restored. During this period laminin synthesis by Ito cells is prominent. As soon as hepatocytes become stable, secretion of the sinusoid phenotype-maintaining factors resumes and laminin synthesis and secretion terminates. The interplay between extracellular matrix and liver cells is essential for normal homeostasis and its modification results in derranged hepatic function.Parts of this editorial have been adapted from: A. Martinez-Hernandez, P.S. Amenta. Morphology, localization and origin of the hepatic extracellular matrix. In: Zern MA, Reid L (eds) Extracellular matrix: chemistry, biology, and pathology with emphasis on the liver. Marcel Dekker, New York, (in press)     

Immunohistochemical characterization of fibroblast subpopulations in normal peritoneal tissue and in peritoneal dialysis-induced fibrosis

Peritoneal fibrosis is one of the most common morphological changes observed in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) patients. Both resident fibroblasts and new fibroblast-like cells derived from the mesothelium by epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition are the main cells involved fibrogenesis. In order to establish markers of peritoneal impairment and pathogenic clues to explain the fibrogenic process, we conducted an immunohistochemical study focused on peritoneal fibroblasts. Parietal peritoneal biopsies were collected from four patient groups: normal controls (n=15), non-CAPD uremic patients (n=17), uremic patients on CAPD (n=27) and non-renal patients with inguinal hernia (n=12). To study myofibroblastic conversion of mesothelial cells, -smooth muscle actin (SMA), desmin, cytokeratins and E-cadherin were analyzed. The expression of CD34 by fibroblasts was also analyzed. Fibroblasts from controls and non-CAPD uremic patients showed expression of CD34, but no myofibroblastic or mesothelial markers. The opposite pattern was present during CAPD-related fibrosis. Expression of cytokeratins and E-cadherin by fibroblast-like cells and -SMA by mesothelial and stromal cells supports that mesothelial-to-myofibroblast transition occurs during CAPD. Loss of CD34 expression correlated with the degree of peritoneal fibrosis. The immunophenotype of fibroblasts varies during the progression of fibrosis. Myofibroblasts seem to derive from both activation of resident fibroblasts and local conversion of mesothelial cells.Manuel López-Cabrera and Rafael Selgas contributed equally to the article.     

The Histological Basis of Frank’s Sign

Frank’s sign is a diagonal crease of the ear lobe, supposedly related to cardiac pathology, and has strongly been associated with coronary artery atherosclerosis. A total of 45 consecutive adult patients referred for autopsy in a one-and-a-half-year period were extensively studied. Samples from both the ear lobes were obtained for histopathology, as well as cardiac samples from all four cardiac compartments. When compared patients with Frank’s sign and those without it had no statistical difference in age (p = 0.0575). There was however a statistically significant increased cardiac weight (p = 0.0005), left ventricular wall thickness (p = 0.0002), and right ventricular wall thickness (p = 0.0043). Histopathology obtained from the ear lobes revealed myoelastofibrosis in an arterial vessel, located at the base of the crease, diffuse fibrosis, and Wallerian-like degeneration, with eosinophilic inclusions in the peripheral nerves. These changes suggest a time-related progression of the crease-associated changes. Our data suggest a significant correlation between the morphological changes of the myocardium and the presence of the ear lobe creases, with arterial myoelastofibrosis, Wallerian-like degeneration in peripheral nerves and deep tissue fibrosis found in the base of the crease.