Three transgenic mouse models which proved to develop endocrine tumours are reviewed and discussed. The neoplasms were induced through the production of the transforming oncoprotein simian virus 40 ...(SV40) large T-antigen. The SV40/metallothionein-growth hormone (MGH), the insulin/SV40 (INS/SV40) and the vasopressin/SV40 (AVP/SV40) transgenic mice models all developed endocrine tumours of pancreas mainly composed of insulin-producing B cells, with a minor PP cell component. In the pancreata of INS/SV40 and AVP/SV40 transgenic mice, non-tumour lesions (hyperplasia and dysplasia) were also described. AVP/SV40 transgenic mice presented tumour genesis in anterior pituitary too. The usefulness of transgenic mouse models in reproducing human pathology is outlined with special reference to genetically dependent tumours.
PRIMARY NEUROFIBROSARCOMA OF THE LUNG MARTINAZZI, M; SOLCIA, E; CANNIZZARO, G
Archivio "de Vecchi" per l'anatomia patologica e la medicina clinica
44
Journal Article
The endocrine cells of the chicken proventriculus were investigated by selective staining techniques, immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy. The following endocrine cell types were identified: ...1) Argyrophilic ECL-cells, of unknown function, were very numerous in the 21-day-old chick, but less numerous in the newborn chick; 2) somatostatin-producing D-cells; 3) GLI-cells producing glucagon-related peptides; 4) X-cells of unknown function; 5) BN-cells producing bombesin; and 6) relatively few 5-hydroxytryptamine-producing EC-cells. Each of these cell types show a distinct morphology, distribution and histochemical reactivity. With the exception of BN-cells, they resemble rather closely the corresponding endocrine cell types previously described in the oxyntic mucosa (EGL, D, X and EC cells) or in the intestinal mucosa (L-cells) of the mammalian gut.
The decreased availability of economic resources, opposed to the increased demand for medical assistance, requires the use of methods to assess hospital efficiency. Purpose of our study was to ...evaluate and quantify the "products" of a cardiology department, as well as the changes in time of their production, by means of a catalogue of medical acts, set up for the French health system (CdAM).
The study includes the 224 admissions occurring in October 1987 and the 209 admissions of October 1992. Medical acts were recorded for all admissions, by number of acts as well as by weight of acts; this weight (expressed as complexity/cost index or ICR) takes into account the use of resources in terms of medical staff and nursing staff, together with technical resources, for each act. In 1987 and 1992, 1736 and 1603 acts were performed respectively, corresponding to a total weight of 24308 and 32194 ICR.
The increased ICR appears to be related to an increase of invasive procedures, particularly of interventional electrophysiology and haemodynamics. By considering case mix, we observed an increment of ICR for the diagnosis of angina (from 194.3 to 227.4 ICR per patient), of arrhythmias (from 178.0 to 273.1) and of cardiomyopathy (from 95.6 to 179.7).
In conclusion, CdAM allows to evaluate the cardiologic activity also in the Italian situation; the ICR of each act permits to estimate the human and technical burden, with subsequent easy internal and external comparisons.
Application of the semithin-thin section technique indicates that the previously proposed identification of the ultrastructurally-defined K cell with the immunocytochemically-defined GIP cell is ...essentially correct. The K cell is established as a distinct entity and the way is open for an explanation of its role in the physiology and pathology of the gastroenteropancreatic system.
Coordinated studies have been carried out on the glucagon immunoreactive cells of the mammalian gastrointestinal tract (man, dog, rat), using electron microscopy, silver staining and ...immunocytochemistry. Parallel ultrastructural and immunocytochemical studies have been made with the semithin-thin serial section technique. The results indicate that while the glucagon cells of the oxyntic portion of the stomach are virtually indistinguishable from those of the pancreatic islets (A cells) those of the intestine (EG cells) are completely different. Proper identification of glucagon immunoreactive cells requires the application of morphological and silver staining techniques, at the ultrastructural level.
We present an endocrine cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix in a 21-year-old woman which we studied by histochemical, immunocytochemical, and ultrastructural methods. The tumor had a histologic ...appearance similar to an oat cell carcinoma, and carcinoma in situ changes were found in the adjacent cervical surface epithelium. Histochemistry and electron microscopy revealed argyrophil cells containing small round secretory granules; more rarely argentaffin (enterochromaffin) cells were seen with dense, elongated and pleomorphic granules and numerous undifferentiated cells with few and small granules. Our findings indicate that the different types of endocrine tumor cells have the same stem cell origin and necessitate the revision of some of the concepts of the embryogenesis of the APUD cells and their tumors. We emphasize that all undifferentiated or poorly differentiated carcinomas of the uterine cervix should be examined histochemically and ultrastructurally, particularly since their correct classification has prognostic and therapeutic implications.
