Primary hyperparathyroidism was investigated using the presence of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) from the immunohistochemical viewpoint with an anti-bFGF antibody in hyperplastic parathyroid glands of patients with multiple endocrine neoplasia type I (MEN-I) and of patients with non-MEN. The results corresponded well with the data from the DNA analysis. Twenty-five hyperplastic parathyroid glands from 11 patients with MEN-I and 38 glands from 20 patients with non-MEN primary hyperparathyroidism were stained immunohistochemically according to the avidin-biotin-peroxidase complex procedure. When 50% or more of the cells appeared uniformly stained, it was judged positively stained. In addition, 18 hyperplastic parathyroid glands from patients with MEN-I patients and 24 hyperplastic parathyroid glands from non-MEN patients were also analyzed for DNA using flow cytometry. The ratio of positively stained hyperplastic parathyroid glands was 72% in MEN-I patients and 18% in non-MEN patients. The difference between the two groups was significant (p < 0.01). The nodules consisted of oxyphilic cells in 7 of 25 hyperplastic parathyroid glands from MEN-I patients and in 10 of 38 hyperplastic parathyroid glands from non-MEN patients, and all the cells were positive for bFGF. There was no significant correlation between bFGF staining and the DNA ploidy pattern. bFGF possibly plays a role in the development of parathyroid gland hyperplasia, especially in MEN-I patients. The increase of oxyphilic cells may be correlated with the expression of bFGF.

Fibroblast Growth Factor 2↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Maternal inheritance of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase activity in mice.

The RR mouse strain has unique restriction fragment patterns of mitochondrial DNA and shows lower activity of cytochrome c oxidase in fresh liver mitochondria than do C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice after nine weeks of age. In reciprocal F1 crosses between RR and the other two strains, the activity of crosses from RR mothers was lower than that in reciprocal crosses, although both F1 crosses had values intermediate between those of the parental strains. Cross-nursing tests demonstrated that strain differences probably are determined before or immediately after birth. Successive backcrossing was performed in order to transfer mitochondrial DNA from one strain to the nuclear background of another strain, and after eight and 10 generations, the cytochrome c oxidase activities of the backcross lines were compared with those of the maternal and paternal strains. The activity of the backcross line that started with C57BL/6 or BALB/c females and was successively backcrossed to RR males was still higher than that of RR. Similarly, the line that started with RR females and was backcrossed to C57BL/6 or BALB/c males showed lower activity than that of the paternal strain. These observations suggest that part of the strain difference of cytochrome c oxidase activity is transmitted by mitochondrial DNA, although our evidence does not exclude the possible involvement of other maternally transmitted components.

Aging↗