Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to K C Ho.
Diffusely infiltrating astrocytomas often present diagnostic difficulties. We herein correlate the radiologic and postmortem findings of a diffuse astrocytoma and conclude that recognition of abnormal bilateral and fairly symmetric enlargement and increased density of normal structures in CT scans may lead to an antemortem diagnosis of the tumor.
The safety of metrizamide in the optic nerve sheath has not been studied to our knowledge. We studied histologic changes produced by metrizamide in the optic nerve of cats with surgically created lesions simulating orbital tumors and trauma. Displacement, compression, and disruption of the optic nerve sheath were detectable by radiographing the opacified sheath. Arachnoiditis of the optic nerve sheath is unlikely from a single exposure to metrizamide in a concentration less than 300mg I/ml.
The rate of elimination of contrast media may be a factor in side effects and complications of aqueous myelography. The authors studied the effect of a previous myelogram and arachnoiditis on the elimination of aqueous contrast media from the subarachnoid space. Serum and cisternal CSF iodine concentrations were measured after experimental myelography in subhuman primates. The transfer of the aqueous contrast media from CSF to serum was slowed and the circulation with the cerebrospinal fluid into the intracranial cisterns was increased by a previous myelogram or arachnoiditis.
A new aqueous myelographic contrast media, iopamidol, was compared to iocarmate and metrizamide with respect to the risk of arachnoiditis. Macaque monkeys underwent myelography with one of the three contrast media. Twelve weeks later, the animals were restudied with myelography, then sacrificed for histologic studies of the arachnoid. Results suggest that iopamidol is safer than iocarmate and equivalent to metrizamide with respect to the risk of arachnoiditis.
This study examined the comparative effects of body height and body weight on the neuronal cell size in humans and investigated their possible mechanisms. A total of 21 cases between the ages of 20 and 40 years were studied. Data on body height, body weight, and neuropathology were obtained from autopsy records. Mean cross sectional areas of cell bodies for 30 normal neurons were determined for the motor cortex projecting to lumbar spinal cord segments (L) 1-4 (Betz cells) as well as various regions of the hippocampus. Approximate axonal length of the motor neuron studied was measured from motor cortex to L2. We found that only motor cortex neuronal cell body size was significantly proportional to body height and the respective axonal length (p < .05). The findings indicate that: 1) body height has a greater effect than body weight on the motor neuron cell size, probably because of its association with axonal length; 2) the effect is regional (motor cortex) rather than general.
Normal blood vessels are leakage proof, non-adherent to blood cell elements, and participate actively in directional blood flow. These properties rely on the shape of endothelial cells and the integrity of the endothelial cell monolayer. The often observed effects of tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF) and hyperthermia on tumour tissue are the disruption of blood flow and an increase of vascular permeability. These agents are also known to affect the cytoskeletal organization and the cytoskeleton-dependent cellular functions. We observed that TNF (100 U/ml for 60 min) or heat (43 degrees C for 60 min) treatment causes the collapse of actin filaments in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). The combined treatment of TNF and hyperthermia intensifies the change of shape and loss of actin filaments. However, these changes are reversible within 24 h. These transient changes may contribute to the dysfunction and increased leakage of the microvasculature in tumours during and after these treatments despite the fact that the viability determined by MTT assay did not show a significant interaction between TNF and hyperthermia. Radiation (5 Gy) and TNF interact to a lesser extent compared with heat and TNF on cell shape and actin filament organization in HUVEC. Heat or radiation treatment enhances the expression of ELAM-1 mRNA in HUVEC while TNF produces the strongest effect on ELAM-1 mRNA expression. Our study suggests that radiation and heat affect endothelial cells and their subsequent functions differently. Result of an interaction between heat and TNF on endothelial cells supports the common notion that the anti-tumour effect by heat plus TNF treatments may benefit due to the increased disruption of vasculature function in the tumour.
The antitumour effects of flavone acetic acid (FAA) against a broad spectrum of established experimental tumours has been demonstrated. Damage to the vasculature, which rapidly disrupts blood flow and induces haemorrhagic necrosis, is believed to be a major mechanism contributing to the observed antitumour effects. Despite these established observations, FAA has shown little effect against human tumours. However, other applications of FAA, for examples, for an extended period of treatments or in combination with other antitumour modalities, have not been sufficiently explored. In order to test the direct effects of FAA on vasculature, endothelial cells isolated from human umbilical vein (HUVEC) and bovine pulmonary artery (CPAEC) were used in this study. FAA at the concentrations of 50 to 200 micrograms/ml causes reduction in cell number (from 20 to > 30% of the cells) of HUVEC as measured by MTT assay after 1, 3, and 5 h of treatment at 37 degrees C. FAA did not produce significant effects on similarly treated human squamous cell carcinoma, cell line UM-SCC-2. After 1 h treatment of FAA at 300 micrograms/ml, a large number of HUVECs failed to react with an actin stain, NBD-phallacidin. The growth of HUVECs and CPAEC in the presence of FAA for 1-3 days was progressively reduced. The number of HUVEC treated for 3 days at the concentrations of 100, 200, and 300 micrograms/ml were reduced by 75-86% in comparison with the control culture. The experiments with CPAEC showed similar results. The inhibition of the growth of endothelial cells by FAA was enhanced when it combines with tumour necrosis factor-alpha but not with interleukin-1, interferon-gamma, heat, or radiation. We observed that FAA can initiate both immediate effects and growth inhibition on cultured endothelial cells. These results support the notion that FAA rapidly induces vasculature damage. Furthermore, cytokines such as tumour necrosis factor-alpha can enhance the toxicity of FAA on endothelial cells.
The cervical facet joints of 20 cadavers were studied systematically with MR, CT, cryomicrotomy, and histologic sections to determine the anatomic changes that occur with age. Uniform layers of cartilage and subarticular cortical bone characterize the cervical facet joints in cadavers under 20 years of age. Most adult cervical facet joints have only a discolored or microscopically thin layer of cartilage and have irregularly thickened subarticular cortical bone. The appearance of the cervical facet joints changes significantly with aging.
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MR imaging after IV gadolinium-DTPA administration has demonstrated contrast enhancement in traumatized lumbar intervertebral disks. To characterize the morbid anatomy that correlates with the contrast enhancement, we developed a canine model of traumatized intervertebral disks. Diskectomy was performed with a nucleotome and the spines were imaged biweekly with MR and Gd-DTPA. The spines were studied at necropsy, and their anatomic abnormalities correlated with contrast enhancement detected by MR imaging. Our preliminary results indicate that contrast enhancement occurs where granulation tissue develops in traumatized intervertebral disks.
To correlate the MR appearance of the disk with its fibrous structure, we studied the lumbar intervertebral disks in 10 cadavers with MR, CT, cryomicrotome anatomic sections, and, in selected disks, with histologic and dried sections. In MR images the predominantly fibrous tissues such as Sharpey's fibers had a low signal intensity while the fibrocartilagenous tissues with a mucoid matrix in the intervertebral disk had a high signal intensity. In the equator of the adult disk was a well-defined fibrous plate that contained collagenous, elastic, and reticular fibers with little ground substance. This plate appeared to develop progressively from the periphery of the nucleus toward the center, starting in the second decade of life. The fibrous plate was also distinguished as a lower signal intensity in the MR images.
A 42-year-old woman with an 18-year history of suprasellar tumor, treated by repeated radiation therapy and surgery, was found to have both a craniopharyngioma and subependymoma of the third ventricle. The case is unique in that well documented subependymomas have not been reported in this location. Furthermore, only a few cases of subependymoma have been reported to be accompanied by a primary tumor of the central nervous system other than an ependymoma. Potential causative factors for this seemingly reactive subependymoma are briefly discussed.
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Clinical reports have suggested that myelography and laminectomy may produce more arachnoiditis than myelography alone. The effect of experimental lumbar myelography and laminectomy on arachnoiditis in monkeys was studied. Arachnoiditis was as severe after myelography alone as after myelography and laminectomy. Minimal arachnoiditis was found myelographically and histologically after myelography with metrizamide 300 mg l/ml, and severe arachnoiditis was found after myelography with iophendylate whether or not laminectomy was performed. Laminectomy alone produced insignificant arachnoid changes. Experimental myelography preceding laminectomy did not increase the risk of arachnoiditis.
In 1900 Taylor and Haughton described a technique to define a line on the scalp directly above the central (rolandic) fissure. The Taylor-Haughton line was used to identify the central fissure in computed tomography (CT) images. Radiopaque catheters are placed on the scalp on either side of the Taylor-Haughton line prior to CT imaging. The accuracy of the Taylor-Haughton line for identifying the central fissure was also investigated in cadaver brains. The Taylor-Haughton line provides a good approximation of the location of the rolandic fissure.
Myelography was performed in 16 monkeys using either metrizamide or iohexol, a new nonionic aqueous contrast medium. Eight of the animals received almost five times the recommended clinical dose of contrast medium per unit of body weight; the other eight received the equivalent of a high clinical dose. The severity of resultant arachnoiditis 12 weeks later was evaluated by repeat myelography and by histologic study of the arachnoid. No animals had severe arachnoiditis. Two of the four animals examined with the higher dose of metrizamide had moderate arachnoiditis and one had mild arachnoiditis; with the lower dose of metrizamide, two of four animals had mild arachnoiditis. No significant evidence of arachnoiditis was seen in any of the eight animals examined with iohexol.
PURPOSE: To measure the effect of contrast medium dose, time elapsed since injection, and maturity of epidural scar tissue on the enhancement of scar tissue in MR imaging. METHODS: We imaged 12 beagle dogs with MR at 10 to 60 days after lumbar laminectomy, and at necropsy we obtained exactly correlating histologic sections. Contrast enhancement of scar tissue at 2, 15, 40, and 60 minutes after 0.1 and 0.3 mmol of paramagnetic contrast medium per kilogram was measured. Contrast enhancement was analyzed with respect to the dose of contrast medium, the time of imaging, and the maturity of scar tissue. RESULTS: Epidural scar tissue enhanced more intensely at 2 and at 15 minutes than at 40 or at 60 minutes. Consistently greater enhancement was observed with the dose of 0.3 mmol/kg than with the dose of 0.1 mmol/kg. Regions of loosely organized scar tissue enhanced less intensely and less quickly than did more organized scar tissue. CONCLUSION: Contrast enhancement in scar tissue can be heightened by increasing the dose of contrast medium from 0.1 to 0.3 mmol/kg and by obtaining images within 15 minutes of injection.