Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to O Robain.
Female rats were submitted to caloric and protein restriction 8 days before fecondation and during pregnancy. A reduction of the number of brain cells in the fetuses was evident only after the 20th day of pregnancy. This reduction appeared to be limited to glial cells, and not to affect neurons contrarily to what had previously been stated by some authors.
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Clinical, radiological, histological and biochemical aspects of two cases of cerebro-hepato-renal syndrome (CHRS) are reported. CT scan disclosed a demyelinating process and gyral abnormalities reflecting the observed neuropathological findings. Trilamellar and lamellar inclusions were found in brain astrocytes, hepatic mesenchymal and adrenal cells. The morphologic features of these inclusions are similar to those observed in childhood adrenoleukodystrophy, neonatal adrenoleukodystrophy and infantile Refsum's disease. In the two CHRS patients, increased plasma levels of very long chain fatty acids (C26:1, C26:0) and phytanic acid were in the same range as those observed in seven other instances of neonatal adrenoleukodystrophy. The presence of increased plasma levels of phytanic acid in these disorders suggests that phytanate oxidase activity is, at least, partially located in peroxisomes.
In spite of the development of modern imaging, most lesions of tuberous sclerosis (TS) remain difficult to detect before birth. Particularly, brain involvement at a fetal stage of development is poorly documented. We report three cases of fetuses examined after pregnancy was interrupted because of the detection of cardiac rhabdomyoma. In two of the three cases there were brain lesions suggestive of TS, including cortical tubers, subependymal nodules and scattered bizarre giant cells in the white matter. These observations confirm that brain lesions of TS can be present before birth; they can show, at an early period of development, an aspect quite similar to lesions described at an adult stage. The most characteristic cell abnormality is the so-called balloon cell. The majority of these cells exhibit a strong immunoreactivity with glial antibodies (GFAP, vimentin, S100). Immunoreactivity with neuronal markers (synaptophysin) is present in a small percentage of balloon cells.
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Pathological findings in four cases of hemimegalencephaly are presented. These cases demonstrated diffuse enlargement of the cortex with disappearance of horizontal layering of the neurons restricted to one hemisphere. In all cases there was marked enlargement of a high percentage of neurons. The nosological situation is discussed and is considered to be heterogeneous; cases 1-3 had cerebral lesions without lesions of the skin or viscera. In these three cases, significant glial abnormalities were found in only one. These cases and others quoted in the literature were considered to be a separate entity completely different from Bourneville's tuberous sclerosis. The aetiology of this developmental malformation remains unknown; genetic factors were not found. Case 4 was associated with a cardiac lesion and with a linear sebaceous naevus characteristic of Solomon's syndrome. Periventricular tumours resembling candlewax drippings were noted. This case, close to Bourneville's disease, could be incorporated into the framework of neuroectodermoses together with tuberous sclerosis.