Thyroid tumours occur in older horses, and most such tumours have been considered to be of follicular epithelial origin. However, their immunohistochemical characterization has not been investigated. The purpose of this study was to confirm a suspicion that most of these tumours are in fact parafollicular cell (C cell)-derived adenomas, and to evaluate their pathogenesis and functional state. Thyroid glands from 38 horses aged 10-29 years were evaluated, all tissue samples being examined histologically, immunohistochemically and ultrastructurally. Nodular tumour masses were found in the thyroids of 12 of 38 horses older than 10 years (31.6%), and in nine of 12 horses older than 20 years (75.0%), regardless of sex or breed. Nodular lesions were composed of solid proliferations of polygonal cells with eosinophilic granular cytoplasm. Immunohistochemically, tumour cells were positive for calcitonin and neuron specific enolase, but negative for thyroglobulin. Ultrastructurally, few if any secretion granules were found in tumour cells. On the basis of these results it was concluded that the nodular lesions were C-cell adenomas, not follicular adenomas. It was suspected that the C-cell adenomas were non-functional and unlikely to lead to calcitonin hypersecretion-related diseases.

Adenoma↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Effects of orientation, intermittent rest and vehicle cleaning during transport on development of transport-related respiratory disease in horses.

The effects of various factors on the inflammatory and stress response in horses during transportation were examined in Experiments 1 and 2, carried out in April and August, respectively. In Experiment 1, three groups (G1-G3) of four Thoroughbreds were used, and in Experiment 2, two groups (G4, G5). G1 animals were loaded into lorries with their heads facing forwards (FF) and given periods of short rest (SR) (30 min for every 4 h driven). G2 horses were loaded facing rearwards (FR) and given SR. G3 horses were FF and given periods of long rest (LR) (2 h rest for every 4 h driven). G4 horses were transported FF with hay suspended in front of them and no cleaning of faeces or urine during rest stops. G5 horses were FF and given pellets instead of hay, and the lorry was cleaned and washed at each rest stop. G4 and G5 horses were rested for 1 h after every 5 h of driving. All groups were driven a distance of 1500 km, and the total journey time was 37 h for G1 and G2, 49 h for G3, and 40 h for G4 and G5. In Experiment 1, indicators of inflammatory and stress responses tended to be highest in G1, intermediate in G2 and lowest in G3. In Experiment 2 they tended to be higher in G4 than in G5. The results suggested that increasing the rest time and cleaning the interior of the vehicle during rest stops reduced transportation stress and respiratory insults, factors that may lead to respiratory disease.

Animal Husbandry↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Effect of beta-aminopropionitrile and hyaluronic acid on repair of collagenase-induced injury of the rabbit Achilles tendon.

Collagenase was injected into the Achilles tendon of both hind legs of 10 clinically normal adult male New Zealand white rabbits. One month after induction of the injury, beta-aminoproprionitrile (BAPN) or hyaluronic acid (HA) was injected into the tendon core of the right hind leg of each rabbit, the left hind leg being left untreated. The treatment effects were evaluated by electron microscopy and analysis of the glycosaminoglycan (GAG) content of samples at 2 and 6 months post-treatment. At 2 months, collagen fibrils in tendons from both hind legs were relatively small in diameter, irregularly arranged, and interspersed with abundant active tenocytes as compared with those in normal tendon uninjured by collagenase. In the matrix, the amount of HA increased, but chondroitin-6-sulphate was eliminated. At 6 months, BAPN-treated tendons had small-diameter, regularly arranged collagen fibrils. HA-treated tendons, on the other hand, had large diameters, as well as regularly arranged collagen fibrils by comparison with non-treated tendon. The results suggest that HA, unlike BAPN, promoted healing.

Achilles Tendon↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Mechanism of action of the antitumour effect of K18.

K18 is an anticancer drug for oral administration comprising about five molecules of melphalan, an alkylating drug, covalently bonded to human immunoglobulin G. This study measured the in vitro antitumour activity of K18, melphalan and immunoglobulin G on human myeloma cells (RPMI-8226) and the in vivo antitumour effects of K18 and melphalan in BALB/c nude mice bearing human lung cancer cells (LC-10). The relative tumour-inhibitory effect, in vitro, was found to be: immunoglobulin G less than K18 less than melphalan. This activity of K18 was about half the theoretical value indicating that melphalan molecules are not released easily from the conjugate. K18 showed strong antitumour activity in vivo which continued after stopping administration. On the other hand, the effects of melphalan did not continue after administration was stopped. The distribution of [125I] K18 and [14C]melphalan was examined in BALB/c nude mice 14 days after implantation of LC-10 cells. Radioactivity levels in the major organs showed a transient rapid increase followed by a gradual decline. In tumours, [14C]melphalan levels increased transiently and then decreased, whereas [125I]K18 levels persisted following intravenous administration.

Animals↗

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Detection of perfusion areas of the gallbladder vein on computed tomography during arterial portography (CTAP)--the background for dual S4a.S5 hepatic subsegmentectomy in advanced gallbladder carcinoma.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: It has been speculated that the veins of the gallbladder join the intrahepatic portal veins supplying the Couinaud's S4a-S5. This has been the theoretical ground for the resection of these 2 hepatic subsegments in advanced gallbladder carcinoma. However, no consensus has been reached on this concept. METHODOLOGY: The current study describes the non-neoplastic perfusion defects in connection with the gallbladder bed in 100 consecutive hepatic CTAP (computed tomographies during arterial portography). The suitability of S4a and S5 subsegmentectomies of the liver for advanced gallbladder carcinoma was also investigated by examining CTAP images of the branches of the portal vein involved in the perfusion defect. RESULTS: Two types of gallbladder venous perfusion were observed: 1) sphenoid distribution from the gallbladder bed into the P4a (37%), P5 (52%) and P6 (3%), and 2) perfusion into the P4 (9%) or directly into the middle hepatic vein (9%) after communicating with the hepatic hilum at the dorsal side of S4. CONCLUSIONS: These results support liver resection at S4a and S5 as the surgical approach for cases of advanced gallbladder carcinoma.

Gallbladder↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Surgical treatment and postoperative outcomes for middle and lower bile duct carcinoma in Japan--experience of a single institute.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Recently, the Japanese Classification on Cancer of the Biliary Tract was revised and adopted the new comprehensive staging that is similar to UICC's TNM classification. We should be paying close attention to the significance of newly defined extensive factors of carcinomas on the long-term prognosis. METHODOLOGY: The surgical outcome for 99 patients who underwent resected middle (Bm) and lower (Bi) bile duct carcinomas was reviewed in order to evaluate the suitability of the surgical procedures employed for their treatment, namely, standard pancreatoduodenectomy for Bi carcinoma and bile duct resection with D2 lymph node dissection for Bm carcinoma. RESULTS: The overall 5-year cumulative survival rate (operative death excluded) of Bm and Bi carcinoma patients was 37.4% and the 5-year survival rate of the patients in whom surgical curability (curA) was accomplished was 51.6%. Recently, a new prognostic factor, "t-category", which indicates the degree of pericholedochal neoplastic invasion was proposed in the 4th edition of the Japanese General Rules for Surgical and Pathological Studies on Cancer of the Biliary Tract. The 10-year survival rates by t-category were 49.1% (t1), 19.7% (t2), and 0% (t3 and t4) respectively. For Bm carcinoma, the patients undergoing bile duct resection under the condition of curA showed excellent prognoses. For Bi carcinoma, the patients fulfilling particular histological criteria, i.e., those concerning the histological depth of neoplastic invasion (m, fm, panc1a), duodenal involvement (du0, du1), vascular invasion (pv0), pericholedochal neoplastic invasion (t1), lymph node metastasis (n0), and comprehensive stage I, had good postoperative outcomes. Taking into account the fact that the metastatic rate of paragastric lymph nodes was 1.3%, the cases of panc0,1 should be operated by pylorus-preserving pancreatoduodenectomy. The overall 5-year survival rates including far-advanced cases were 39.9% in Bm carcinoma patients and 36.9% in Bi carcinoma patients. However, these postoperative outcomes are far from satisfactory. CONCLUSIONS: Therefore, we concluded that pancreatoduodenectomy and pylorus-preserving pancreatoduodenectomy with extended D3 lymphadenectomy combined with systematic multimodal therapy are indicated in each and every case of Bm and Bi carcinoma.

Bile Duct Neoplasms↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[A case of flutter-like oscillation with anti-GD1a antibody after acute infection].

We report a 31-year-old woman presenting flutter-like oscillation after acute infection. Ten days after low fever and diarrhea, she presented transient, horizontal and pendular ocular oscillation. This abnormal eye movement was diagnosed as flutter-like oscillation (FLO). Other neurological findings were normal. Cerebrospinal fluid was normal. Brain MRI revealed no particular abnormalities. Serum titers for anti-GD1a antibody were elevated. After treatment with steroid (1,000 mg/day methylprednisolone DIV), the FLO disappeared.

Acute Disease↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Interleukin-10 induction after combined resection of liver and pancreas.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Recently in Japan, combined resection of liver and pancreas is being performed in cases of advanced biliary neoplasms. As we previously reported, in the rat model of combined resection of the liver and pancreas, the potential for liver regeneration after this operation was decreased compared to that after hepatectomy only. Moreover, non-parenchymal cells play an important role in the production of inhibitory factors for liver regeneration. The anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10, downregulates the release of TNF-alpha, and affects the progressive regeneration of the hepatic parenchyma. To investigate the role of IL-10 and TNF-alpha in hepatic regeneration in the rat, we measured the levels of IL-10 and TNF-alpha in the conditioned medium of non-parenchymal cells stimulated with portal plasma. We also investigated the concentration of IL-10 and TNF-alpha in the portal plasma after combined resection of the liver and pancreas. METHODOLOGY: Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were used. Rats were divided into 3 groups: group I underwent 70% partial hepatectomy only (Hx), group II underwent 70% partial pancreatectomy only (Px) and in group III both procedures were used, Hx plus Px (HPx). Portal plasma was harvested at 1, 3, 6, 12 and 24 hours after surgery and was used to stimulate the culture medium of non-parenchymal cells. Cytokine concentrations in the plasma and in the conditioned medium were measured by ELISA. Northern blot analysis for IL-10 mRNA was performed on liver, pancreas, kidney, lung and spleen at 1, 3 and 6 hours after surgery. RESULTS: The level of IL-10 released by non-parenchymal cells stimulated with HPx portal plasma was 154.1 +/- 20.3 pg/mL and significantly higher than when stimulated with Hx portal plasma, which was 100.1 +/- 6.4 pg/mL (P < 0.05) during the first hour. Also, the level of TNF-alpha released by Kupffer cells stimulated with HPx portal plasma was 86.6 +/- 13.4 pg/mL, significantly less than when stimulated with Hx portal plasma, which was 138.7 +/- 15.1 pg/mL (P < 0.005) during the first hour. Furthermore, the plasma levels of IL-10 in the HPx group remained significantly higher than those of the other groups from 6 hours up to 12 hours. In northern blot analyses, higher IL-10 mRNA expression were detected in the spleen and moderately high levels in the liver at 1 and 3 hours after HPx, in contrast to those after Hx. CONCLUSIONS: IL-10 expression is induced in the spleen and liver remnant just after HPx. IL-10 released by the spleen and liver might downregulate TNF-alpha production, thereby inhibiting the liver regeneration.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Factor analysis as to influences of systemic hypertension on Bcg.

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Adult↗