A series of 24 patients with a documented diagnosis of non-Hodgkin's extranodal lymphoma (ENL) involving head and neck sites (excluding the cranial cavity) has been studied. In view of recent advances in the diagnosis of lymphoma, a retrospective histopathological review has been undertaken to place all patients in standardized classifications for morphology (the working formulation) and immunology (Kiel). This resulted in a change of diagnosis from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in four. The histopathology of these four cases, and the implication of such changed diagnoses are discussed. Of the 20 patients confirmed as having non-Hodgkin's ENL, 16 had primary ENL and four had an ENL focus secondary to disease elsewhere. Three patients in this series had an initial diagnosis made of another malignancy, but histopathological review prior to treatment changed the diagnosis to ENL. Details of presentation, pretreatment evaluation, immunohistochemistry, treatment and course have been analysed. The principal treatment policy for primary ENL has been radiotherapy. Of the 12 patients who received this treatment ten achieved a complete response (83 per cent). Eight remain free of disease at the time of writing. The role of adjuvant chemotherapy is also considered.

Combined Modality Therapy↗

PubMed1988

Effect of cyclosporine on urinary prostanoid excretion, renal blood flow, and glomerulotubular function.

The clinical usefulness of cyclosporine (CsA) in organ transplantation and autoimmune diseases is limited by its intrinsic nephrotoxicity. The mechanism of this renal impairment was examined utilizing an animal model in which male Sprague-Dawley rats were administered oral CsA in doses of 25, 37.5, and 50 mg/kg/day for 7 days and 50 mg/kg/day for 2, 4, and 7 days. Urinary thromboxane B2 (TXB2) excretion increased from 30.6 +/- 2.3 to 60.8 +/- 4.4 ng/24 hr P less than 0.001, following 48 hr of CsA dosing. In addition, a concomitant rise in proximal tubular sodium reabsorption was observed with fractional excretion of sodium decreasing from 0.502 +/- 0.091 to 0.223 +/- 0.037% P less than 0.05. Urinary prostaglandin E2 and 6-keto-prostaglandin F1 alpha excretion increased two-fold, although plasma levels of all 3 prostanoids did not vary from controls. Functional changes included decreases in the relative renal blood flow of 53% P less than 0.05, and the clearance of creatinine and urea of 46% and 42%, respectively on day 7 of treatment, while renal morphology showed severe vacuolization and necrosis confined to the proximal tubular region of the cortex. Thromboxane A2, the active precursor of TXB2, is a potent vasoconstrictor and promoter of platelet aggregation and may alter proximal tubular handling of sodium. The rise in urinary TXB2 excretion may contribute to the renal vasoconstriction leading to functional impairment and histologic injury.

Brain↗

PubMed1988

Effect of seeding density and time in culture on vascular smooth muscle cell proteins.

The purpose of this work was to determine the effect of seeding density and time in culture on quantitative and qualitative characteristics of myosin in primary cultures of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). Enzymatically dispersed VSMCs from femoral arteries and saphenous veins of adult dogs were seeded at a density of 10(3)-10(5) cells/cm2 and assayed after 7 days or at 10(5) cells/cm2 and assayed between 1 and 10 days. Myosin, actin, and total protein contents as well as electrophoretic and immunoreactive characteristics of myosin heavy chains (MHCs) were determined. Total and contractile protein contents were independent of seeding density and increased with time in culture. Freshly dispersed cells exhibited two MHCs (MHC-1 and MHC-2) but, within 24 h after culturing, only cells attached to the dish expressed a third protein band (MHC-3), which had electrophoretic mobility and immunoreactivity similar to purified platelet MHC. MHC-3 appeared before onset of cell division and, by 4 days in culture when cells were proliferating, became the dominant MHC form. Loss of MHC-1 and MHC-2 could be prevented by growing cells in a serum-free, defined media that prevented proliferation. These data indicate that seeding density does not affect myosin content, but that with time in culture expression of a MHC with characteristics similar to nonmuscle myosin occurs. Expression of MHC-3 is associated with cell attachment, whereas loss of MHC-1 and MHC-2 requires proliferation.

Actins↗

PubMed1988

Beta endorphin and dynorphin levels in rat pituitary and hypothalamus: age studies.

The content of immunoreactive (ir)-beta-endorphin, ir-dynorphin 1-17, and ir-dynorphin 1-8 was determined in hypothalamus, anterior pituitary, and neurointermediate lobe of rats 3-24 months of age. In the anterior pituitary ir-beta-endorphin showed a progressive rise with age (0.5 +/- 0.06 ng/tissue at 3 months to 1.02 +/- 0.23 at 24 months); a similar change was seen in ir-adrenocorticotropic hormone content of the same tissues. No age-related change in neurointermediate lobe ir-endorphin content was observed. In the hypothalamus, the ir-beta-endorphin content fell progressively from 3 to 18 months, but was restored at 24 months to levels indistinguishable from those at 3 months (16.2 +/- 4.3 ng/tissue compared with 11.3 +/- 4.0 at 24 months). The ir-dynorphin content did not change progressively over the age span examined, except in the case of anterior pituitary content of ir-dynorphin 1-17 which fell progressively between 3 and 18 months (from 1.65 +/- 0.15 ng/tissue at 3 months to 0.73 +/- 0.12). Radioimmunoassay following high-performance liquid chromatography analysis of extracts of the tissues showed little variation of the immunoreactive forms with age, with two notable exceptions. In the hypothalamic extracts from 24-month-old rats the ratio of the nonacetylated ir-endorphin to the acetylated ir-endorphin was lower than in equivalent extracts from 3-month-old rats. In anterior pituitary extracts from 3-month-old rats, ir-dynorphin 1-17 appeared as two peaks (putative 6K and 4K species) of approximately equal size.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Aging↗

PubMed1988