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Biomedical subjects

A Ellinger

Publications and source records attributed to A Ellinger.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1991

[Sudden death caused by anorexia nervosa].

Two cases of sudden unexpected death at home (girl 16 year-old, woman 26 year-old) are reported. Both persons suffered from anorexia nervosa. Morphological investigation revealed heart atrophy as well as atrophy of other organs (striped muscle, spleen, mammary glands, ovaries, skin). Also lipofuscin accumulation (myocardium, liver, spleen) was noted. Especially conspicuous was serous (gelatinous) atrophy of fatty tissue. Anorexia nervosa is a common psychiatric disorder, therefore legal consequences--especially treatment without patient's consent--have to be considered. The legal situation in Austria is discussed. Concerning the 16 year-old girl the authors think that medical malpractice and carelessness of the parents were involved.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed1990

Characterization of a DL-dityrosine-containing macromolecule from yeast ascospore walls.

We have shown previously that the outer layers of yeast ascospore walls contain dityrosine and that this amino acid is a major component of the cross-linked peptides present in the spore wall (Briza, P., Winkler, G., Kalchhauser, H., and Breitenbach, M. (1986) J. Biol. Chem. 261, 4288-4294). We now present evidence that dityrosine is located in the outermost layer and that it is in the DL-configuration. Although the proteins (peptides) of the spore wall are insoluble, the macromolecule containing dityrosine can be solubilized by partial acid hydrolysis of spore walls. Analysis of this macromolecule indicates that it contains more than 50 mol% dityrosine and a very limited number of other amino acids. Interestingly, part of the dityrosine of spore walls is present in the DL-configuration. We speculate that not only the high degree of cross-links in the outermost layer but also the D-configuration of part of the alpha-C-atoms of dityrosine could contribute to the spores' resistance to lytic enzymes.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1990

Isolation of two developmentally regulated genes involved in spore wall maturation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

During sporulation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the four haploid nuclei generated by meiosis are encapsulated within multilayered spore walls. Taking advantage of the natural fluorescence imparted to yeast spores by the presence of a dityrosine-containing macromolecule in the spore wall, we identified and cloned two genes, termed DIT1 and DIT2, which are required for spore wall maturation. Mutation of these genes has no effect on the efficiency of spore formation or spore viability. The mutant spores, however, fail to accumulate the spore wall-specific dityrosine and lack the outermost layer of the spore wall. The absence of this cross-linked surface layer reduces the resistance of the spores to lytic enzymes, to ether, and to elevated temperature. Expression of the DIT and DIT2 genes is restricted to sporulating cells, with the DIT1 transcripts accumulating at the time of prospore enclosure and just prior to the time of dityrosine biosynthesis. Both genes act in a spore-autonomous manner implying that at least some of the activities responsible for forming the outermost layer of the spore wall reside within the developing spore rather than in the surrounding ascal cytoplasm. As the DIT2 gene product has significant homology with cytochrome P-450s, DIT2 may be responsible for catalyzing the oxidation of tyrosine residues in the formation of dityrosine.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1990

[Legal and moral objections to medical research on cadavers and cadaver parts].

The interpretation of Section 190 öStGB by jurisdiction and doctrine makes medicinal research more difficult. In contrary to the ruling legal arguments an responsible scientifically research-work with corpses or parts of corpses cannot realize the facts of the case provided that the comprehension of the related laws are interpreted proper and accurate.

Autopsy↗
PubMed1989

Affinity cytochemical differentiation of glycoconjugates of small intestinal absorptive cells using Pisum sativum and Lens culinaris lectins.

We studied the subcellular localization of glycoconjugates recognized by the garden pea and lentil lectins (Pisum sativum, PSA; Lens culinaris, LCA) in mature absorptive cells of duodenum and jejunum of fasted rats. PSA and LCA are mannose-, glucose-, and N-acetyl-glucosamine-recognizing lectins that bind with high affinity to fucosylated core regions of N-glycosidically linked glycans. The binding reactions were cytochemically demonstrated in a pre-embedment incubation system using peroxidase-labeled lectins. Both pea and lentil lectins bound with constituents of nuclear envelope and endoplasmic reticulum, cisternae of the Golgi apparatus, several Golgi-associated vesicles, lysosomes, and portions of the plasma membrane. PSA and LCA label was non-homogeneous in the endoplasmic reticulum; in the Golgi apparatus the reactions were most intense in the cis and medial cisternae of the stacks. For inhibition of the intense reactions apparent in the Golgi apparatus, in lysosomes, and at the plasma membrane, considerably higher concentrations of competitive sugars were necessary than for abolition of the endoplasmic reticulum label. This indicates that endoplasmic reticulum glycoconjugates bind at low affinities with pea and lentil lectins, and that high-affinity PSA/LCA-binding glycoconjugates, which may correspond to corefucosylated N-linked glycans, predominate in cis and medial Golgi cisternae, lysosomes, and at the plasma membrane.

Acetylglucosamine↗
PubMed1989

Pathophysiology of the ciliated epithelium of the respiratory mucosa in humans. Disorders of ciliogenesis.

If we want to interpret morphological alterations of the ciliated epithelium of the respiratory tract, we have to consider the physiological differentiation of ciliated cells and cilia. For this, we suggest a system in which disorders are distinguished at three distinct arrest levels of the ciliary development: (1) Disorders in the production of procentrioles (secondary centrioles) lead to partial or total aplasia of the ciliary apparatus. (2) Disorders in the development of kinetosomes from secondary centrioles result in a reduced number of cilia and malformations of ciliary components. (3) Disorders in the outgrowth of cilia result in morphological abnormalities of the peripheral ciliary shaft (i.e., immotile cilia syndrome). We suppose that at all three arrest levels hereditary factors may be important, whereas at levels 2 and 3 exogenous influences may cause these alterations too. Correlation between morphology and clinical status is made difficult by conditions of auxiliary mechanisms, like cough, which compensate the mucociliary dysfunctions. For the purpose of morphometric evaluation of the biopsies we established a method of light microscopical semiquantitative analysis of brush biopsies. The regenerative power of the ciliary apparatus with respect to these frequently observed abnormalities is discussed.

Cilia↗
PubMed1989

[Euthanasia. A legal evaluation].

Passive euthanasia, but also active indirect euthanasia is under observation of some assumptions in Austrian law unpunished. To find the dogmatic arguments to exclude any liability there are several ways. The preference is given to that ways, which are paraphrased by positive law. Possible abuse of euthanasia should lead to a permanent discussion including other branches of science.

Austria↗
PubMed1988

Chemical composition of the yeast ascospore wall. The second outer layer consists of chitosan.

In a preceding paper (Briza, P., Winkler, G., Kalchhauser, H., and Breitenbach, M. (1986) J. Biol. Chem. 261, 4288-4294), we reported the presence of dityrosine in the outer layers of yeast ascospore walls. Both outer layers seen in electron micrographs of yeast ascospore walls are sporulation-specific. Here we show that the second of these two outer layers consists of chitosan. In intact spores, it is shielded from staining with primulin by the outermost layer. However, in purified spore walls, the second layer is brightly stained by primulin, and hydrolysates of such preparations contain about 10% glucosamine relative to spore wall dry weight. The spore wall material staining with primulin is resistant to chitinase, but readily degraded by treatment with HNO2. Acetylation prior to HNO2 treatment completely prevents its degradation. A partial acid hydrolysate of spore walls contains predominantly soluble poly-beta-(1,4)-glucosamine as determined by 13C NMR spectroscopy. By these criteria, the glucosamine polymer of yeast ascospore walls is chitosan. As spore walls treated with alkali lack the inner layers but contain chitosan and as chitosan is not exposed at the surface of the spore, we conclude that it is localized in the second outer layer of the spore wall.

Chitin↗
PubMed1988

Ultrastructural and immunohistochemical characteristics of lipid-rich carcinoma of the breast.

Five cases of lipid-rich carcinomas of the breast were investigated ultrastructurally and immunohistochemically for alpha-lactalbumin (ALA), lactoferrin (Lfr) and human milk fat globule membrane antigen (HMFG-2). Staining for ALA and Lfr showed intensive reaction on nearly all of the tumour cells whereas immunoreaction for HMFG-2 revealed positivity in single cells. All tumours were negative for steroid receptor content. Ultrastructurally the tumour cells showed numerous intracytoplasmic non-membrane bound lipid droplets which were often found within autophagocytic vacuoles. Neither rough endoplasmic reticulum nor Golgi complexes showed any sign of lipid synthesis. Extrusion of lipid droplets and extracellular lipid deposition was not observed. In conclusion, our findings do not justify the consideration of lipid-rich carcinoma of the breast as a clearly defined group of tumours with specific secretory activity. Therefore, the term lipid-rich carcinoma should be used in preference to lipid-secreting, unless there is evidence of active lipid secretion.

Aged↗
PubMed1988

Localization of fucosyl residues in cellular compartments of rat duodenal absorptive enterocytes and goblet cells.

We have determined the subcellular distribution of fucosyl residues in rat duodenal absorptive enterocytes and goblet cells, using the binding affinity of the lectin I of Ulex europaeus (UEA I). In absorptive enterocytes, UEA I-lectin gold complexes were detected at the brush border and at the basolateral plasma membrane; pits of the plasma membrane were labeled, as were small vesicles, multivesicular bodies, lysosomes, and the Golgi apparatus. In the Golgi stacks, about half of the cisternae showed gold marker particles: accessible fucosyl residues were sparse in the cis subcompartment, the cismost cisterna mostly remaining negative; more intense label was found in medial cisternae; reactions were concentrated in the trans and transmost Golgi subcompartments. Cisternae, tubules and vesicles located at the trans Golgi side were the most constantly and intensely stained Golgi elements. In goblet cells, mucin granules and trans Golgi cisternae were labeled. Rarely, UEA I-gold bound to cisternae of the medial subcompartment; the cis subcompartment remained unstained. In part, UEA I-gold particles were restricted to dilated portions of the transmost Golgi cisterna and to secretory granules.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

The Golgi apparatus in the acinar cells of the developing embryonic pancreas: I. Morphology and enzyme cytochemistry.

The Golgi apparatus of pancreatic acinar cells of rat embryos was studied during development from day 13 through day 20 of gestation. The morphological and enzyme cytochemical patterns varied characteristically in the course of cell differentiation. A pronounced system of "rigid lamellae" characterized the area near the trans face of the Golgi stacks in the protodifferentiated and early phases of the differentiated states; by contrast, "rigid lamellae" were sparse in the terminal period of gestation. Reaction product of acid phosphatase labeled the "rigid lamellae" in the protodifferentiated state, was extended across the majority of the stacked cisternae in the early differentiated state, but was restricted to the trans side again in the later periods of cell differentiation. The early phase of the differentiated state was characterized by the tight association of the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi cisternae on the trans side; the close spatial relationship of the two compartments was lessened after production of secretion granules had started. The findings are in line with those of recent studies on the Golgi organization in some other types of cells in different functional states, and they present the embryonic pancreatic tissue as another model for demonstrating the high flexibility of the Golgi complex. In agreement with the patterns previously found in the absorptive cells of the small intestine, the present results show that the close associations of the endoplasmic reticulum and cisternae of the trans Golgi side predominate in the early stages of cell differentiation.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

The Golgi apparatus in the acinar cells of the developing embryonic pancreas: II. Localization of lectin-binding sites.

The reaction patterns of the Golgi apparatus following staining with the lectins concanavalin A (ConA), Ricinus communis I agglutinin (RCA I), and Helix pomatia lectin (HPA) were studied in the pancreas acinar cells of rat embryos in the course of cell differentiation from day 13 through day 20 of gestation. The binding reactions were localized by means of pre-embedment incubation of 10-microns-thick cryosections of pancreas tissue, prefixed in a mixture of 4% formaldehyde/0.5% glutaraldehyde, using horseradish peroxidase for electron microscope visualization. ConA, which preferentially binds to alpha-D-mannosyl residues, consistently stained the cisternae of the cis Golgi side. The majority of the stacks also showed ConA staining of medial cisternae. The reaction of the trans side was variable; in each stage of development, the cisternae of the trans Golgi side either were devoid of labeling or appeared intensely stained. The reactions obtained with RCA I, which recognizes terminal beta-D-galactosyl residues, changed in the course of cell differentiation; in the protodifferentiated and early differentiated states, the system of "rigid lamellae," located at the trans side of the Golgi stacks, was intensely labeled, but became unreactive after production of secretion granules had started, the reaction then being restricted to the stacked saccules. In regard to the Golgi stacks in each of the developmental stages, RCA I binding sites either were confined to the trans cisternae, or, in addition, were found distributed across elements of the medial and cis compartments.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Glycocalyceal bodies--a marker for different epithelial cell types in human airways.

The surface epithelium of the mucosa of the nose, sinus maxillaris, trachea and bronchi of the human respiratory tract has been investigated with respect to surface differentiations, glycocalyx and glycocalyceal bodies. The luminal surface mainly is formed by ciliated, undifferentiated, and secretory cells; occasionally metaplastic epithelial regions, composed of flattened squamous cells are found. Ciliated cells as well as differentiating progenitor cells, recognizable by branched, microvillus-like surface differentiations - 'cytofila' which on mature ciliated cells are interposed between the cilia, exhibit a delicate glycocalyx. On the contrary, secretory, undifferentiated, and metaplastic squamous cells possess unbranched microvilli of different length and diameter, and exhibit a prominent glycocalyx of varying, individual expression. These latter cell types, in healthy control persons as well as in patients suffering from different diseases, showed glycocalyceal bodies. By means of the high number of investigated samples, more than 350, the occurrence and distribution of glycocalyceal bodies could be defined more exactly: in all investigated regions of the human respiratory tract--nose, sinus maxillaris, trachea, and bronchi--glycocalyceal bodies were found at the apical surface of undifferentiated cells, secretory cells, and metaplastic squamous cells; ciliated cells and their differentiating progenitor cells never showed glycocalyceal bodies; glycocalyceal bodies were found likewise in healthy control persons as well as in patients suffering from different diseases of the airways.

Cell Differentiation↗
PubMed1986

Colchicine-induced tubular, vesicular and cisternal organelle aggregates in absorptive cells of the small intestine of the rat. II.--Endocytosis studies.

Administration of the antimicrotubular agent colchicine to adult rats (0.5 mg/100 g of body weight for 6 hr) induces formation of extended aggregates of tubular, vesicular, and cisternal organelles in the absorptive cells of the small intestine. The phosphatase reaction pattern (thiamine pyrophosphatase, acid phosphatase, acid trimetaphosphatase) suggests that the majority of them belongs to the lysosomal system (Ellinger and Pavelka, 1984). The present study extends these findings and examines the uptake and fate of intravenously injected horseradish peroxidase (HRP) at the basal and lateral cell surfaces and of intraluminally applied HRP at the apical cell surface. HRP, applied to control animals and animals pretreated with colchicine, was internalized at both apical and basolateral cell surfaces of the absorptive cells, and delivered into endosome-like vesicles, multivesiculated bodies (mvbs), dense bodies (dbs), and in several instances into Golgi cisternae. Following intraluminal application, evidence was obtained for the transport of HRP across the cell; in contrast, intravenously applied HRP was never detected at the apical cell surface. Colchicine pretreatment did not stop the uptake of HRP, which was rapidly sequestered to the clustered tubules, vesicles, and cisternae, as well as to the mvbs and dbs. After longer intervals, the portion of HRP-reactive tubules, vesicles, and cisternae within the clusters increased: 60 min after HRP-administration all of them contained HRP-activity. These results indicate that the colchicine-induced clustered organelles are recipients of endocytic materials internalized at the apical as well as at the basolateral cell surface.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

RCA I-binding patterns of the Golgi apparatus.

The distribution in the Golgi apparatus of binding sites for the galactose-specific Ricinus communis I lectin (RCA I) was studied in differently specialized cells, including goblet cells and absorptive enterocytes of the rat small intestine as well as acinar cells of the rat embryonic pancreas and submandibular gland. For the purpose of localizing the binding reactions, a pre-embedment method using horseradish peroxidase for electron microscopic visualization, and a post-embedding technique making use of the colloidal gold system were employed. The reactions obtained, localizing cell constituents which contain saccharides with terminal or internal beta-D-galactosyl residues, labeled diverse Golgi subcompartments. The goblet cells showed intense RCA I staining of the cisternae of the trans side of the Golgi stacks. The reaction was weak in the medial cisternae and the cis side of the stacks mostly was devoid of label. In the absorptive cells, in addition to the RCA I reaction of trans Golgi elements, binding sites for this lectin were concentrated in the stacks' medial section. In the embryonic acinar cells, accessible galactosyl residues were either confined to the trans and/or medial cisternae, or distributed across elements of all the stacked saccules. In the latter stacks, the reactions mostly were weak in the cis cisternae and increased in intensity towards the trans side. As regards the respective labeling patterns, similar percentages were calculated for the early and late stages of development: they were approximately 62% for the pattern which showed RCA I label limited to trans/medial cisternae and approximately 38% for the "cis-to-trans"-distributed RCA I reaction.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Post-embedding localization of glycoconjugates by means of lectins on thin sections of tissues embedded in LR white.

A simple post-embedding technique for the electron microscopical detection of lectin-binding sites using thin sections of tissues embedded in the resin LR White is described. With this technique, no prior etching of the sections is necessary. The cellular fine structure is well preserved and permits close correlation of the labelling to distinct cellular compartments. After mild aldehyde fixation (4% formaldehyde and 0.5% glutaraldehyde for 30 min), enterocyte brush border, vesicles and lysosomes as well as goblet cell Golgi apparatus and mucin are intensely stained after 30-60 min. The hydrophilia and penetrability of LR White is shown by the formation of oxidized diaminobenzidine reaction product arising from horseradish peroxidase-conjugated lectins. The precipitate not only covers the surface of the sections but is also formed within the resin, as is revealed on cross-sections through thin and semithin sections. The addition of 0.2 M solutions of the appropriate inhibitory sugars prevented staining, which indicates a specific binding. Examples are given of the binding of gold-, ferritin- and peroxidase-conjugated lectins for the purpose of detecting glycoconjugates in various intracellular compartments.

3,3'-Diaminobenzidine↗