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Biomedical subjects

P Alm

Publications and source records attributed to P Alm.

At least 181 records · Page 10Linked to original sources
PubMed1982

The recovery pattern of patients with vulvar melanoma treated by combined surgery and radiation therapy.

Twenty-five patients with malignant vulvar melanoma have been treated with radical vulvectomy using the warm knife-open wound technique. Following preoperative radiation therapy, dissection of the groin and, in some cases, pelvic lymphadenectomy, were performed as a second procedure. Crude five-year survival was 9/21 (approximately 43%). Patients with tumours of Clark level II--IV have been found to have a good prognosis (7/9), while those with Clark V-tumours have had an extremely poor prognosis (2/10). Prophylactic dissection of the inguinal nodes has not been found to improve the prognosis, and pelvic lymphadenectomy is considered to be inadvisable.

Adult↗
PubMed1981

Immunohistochemical evidence of peptide hormones in endocrine tumors of the rectum.

Twenty-five endocrine tumors of the rectum (rectal carcinoids) were examined immunohistochemically for various pancreatic and gut neurohormonal polypeptides. Twenty-one of the tumors were found to contain cells displaying pancreatic polypeptide (PP), glucagon, somatostatin, insulin, substance P, enkephalin or beta-endorphin immunoreactivity. At least 11 of the tumors contained more than one peptide hormone. In some of the tumors PP cells made up the major cell population, in others the glucagon cells constituted the majority. Only four of the tumors contained 5-hydroxytryptamine. Rectal endocrine tumors seem unique among gut endocrine tumors in that they may store immunoreactive enkephalin, beta-endorphin and even insulin. None of the patients displayed the carcinoid syndrome; symptoms were usually vague and uncharacteristic. In many cases the tumor was found at routine examination.

Adult↗
PubMed1981

Enkephalin-immunoreactive nerve fibers in the feline genito-urinary tract.

Besides the classical neurotransmitters acetylcholine and norepinephrine the genito-urinary tract contains also neuropeptides. The distribution of substance P- and VIP-containing nerve fibers have earlier been described. Also enkephalin-immunoreactive nerve fibers occur in the male and female genito-urinary organs of the cat. The nerves are more numerous in male than in female genital tract. The prostatic gland and vas deferens receive the largest supply. In the female genital tract the enkephalin-immunoreactive nerve fibers are regularly seen in the smooth muscle layer of the cervix. Of special interest is the rich occurrence of the enkephalin nerve fibers among th nerve cell bodies in the para-urethral and cervical ganglia supporting the view that enkephalin may play a neuromodulating role.

Animals↗
PubMed1981

A case of papillary-cystic epithelial neoplasm of the pancreas.

A 16-year-old girl presented with a left-sided abdominal mass. X-ray examination and computed tomography disclosed a well-defined tumor close to the tail of the pancreas, stretching the pancreatic branches from the splenic artery as demonstrated by arteriography. Ultrasonography suggested a partly cystic character. Cytologic fine-needle biopsy, histopathological and electron microscopical examination disclosed a cysto-papillary tumor, probably benign, and of an exocrine, ductular origin, and with pseudo-cystic areas similar to those found in adenoid cystic carcinoma of salivary glands. Immunohistochemistry did not demonstrate the presence of polypeptide hormones. The patient is without signs of tumor recurrence 18 months after operation.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1981

Outgrowth of cholinergic nerves in the rat urinary bladder either partially denervated or partially denervated and decentralized.

Unilateral excision of the pelvic ganglion caused a loss in the number of AChE-positive nerves in the rat urinary bladder both on the operated side and on the contralateral side, thus indicating a bilateral intramural distribution of cholinergic nerves derived from the pelvic nerve. In the course of the subsequent observation period (3-28 days) the AChE-positive nerves increased in number and in staining intensity and further, the nerves became ramified and twisted. Similar events were found to occur in the urinary bladder decentralized on one side and denervated on the other. The morphological findings indicate an outgrowth of cholinergic nerves by collateral sprouting. These findings are discussed in relation to previous physiological studies.

Acetylcholinesterase↗
PubMed1981

Human malignant melanoma heterotransplanted to nude mice.

Five different human malignant melanoma were heterotransplanted subcutaneously to nude mice. When small tissue pieces were used 3 out of 5 tumors grew. Subcutaneous injections of suspended tumor cells were also made, but all failed to take. Metastatic or infiltrative growth was never seen in the mice observed for up to 2.5 months. The successful grafts largely retained the original morphologicaL features. The three successfully transplanted tumors could all be serially transferred with 100% tumor take. In one case passage time was reduced from 40 days to 15 days. As measured with 3H-thymidine incorporation the proliferation rate increased during the passages. These changes might be due to a selection of more rapidly growing tumor cells in the nudes.

Animals↗
PubMed1980

Vasoactive intestinal polypeptide nerves in the human female genital tract.

VIP, a recently recognized neuropeptide, has been demonstrated by immunohistochemistry in nerves of the human female genital organs. Such nerves were most numerous in the isthmic part of the fallopian tube and in the cervix. They were found in smooth muscles, around blood vessels, and beneath the epithelium. Immunoreactive VIP nerve cell bodies were found in paracervical tissue, suggesting a local origin of genital VIP nerves. Besides the well-known adrenergic and cholinergic nerves, peptidergic nerves may constitute a new component in the autonomic nervous system.

Blood Vessels↗
PubMed1980

Origin and distribution of VIP (vasoactive intestinal polypeptide)-nerves in the genito-urinary tract.

VIP (Vasoactive Intestinal Polypeptide)-immunoreactive nerves were found throughout the genito-urinary tract of the cat; they were less numerous in the guinea pig and in the rat. In the cat, VIP nerves were particularly numerous in the neck of the urinary bladder and proximal urethra, in the uterine cervix and in the prostate gland. The nerves were found in smooth muscle, around blood vessels and in the connective tissue immediately beneath the epithelium. Ganglia were found below the trigonum area of the bladder, in the wall of the proximal urethra, and in paracervical tissue. VIP-immunoreactive nerve cell bodies occurred in all these ganglionic formations. These ganglia probably represent the origin of the VIP nerves of the genital tract since their removal in the female cat greatly reduced the VIP nerve supply. Transection of the hypogastric nerves had no overt effect. Transection of the cervix eliminated the VIP nerves above the level of the lesion, except those in the ovaries, supporting the view that the VIP nerves of the uterus and the oviduct are derived from a paracervical source.

Animals↗
PubMed1980

Extensive sympathetic denervation of the uterus during pregnancy as evidenced by tyrosine hydroxylase determinations in the guinea pig.

The capacity for neuronal NE synthesis in the guinea pig uterus was studied during pregnancy and postpartum utilizing animals with bilateral or unilateral pregnancies. The activity of the NE-synthesizing enzyme TH was measured in various parts of the uterus. The submandibular gland was used for comparison. During advancing pregnancy the TH activity in the fetus-containing uterine horn was progressively reduced, reaching undetectable levels at term. This change was not seen in the submandibular gland. In parallel with previous fluorescence microscopic observations on uterine adrenergic innervation, the pronounced reduction in TH activity in the fetus-containing uterine horn during progressive pregnancy is suggested to be due to degeneration of the terminal network of adrenergic nerves. In the contralateral empty uterine horn of unilateral pregnancy, the TH activity was decreased by about 90% at term, despite evidence for a relatively intact adrenergic nerve plexus. During the puerperal period the TH activity increased very slowly in the previously empty as well as the fetus-containing horns. In the latter tissue, even at 6 months after delivery, the activity was only 14% of that in uterine horns of virgin animals. In view of the marked regional heterogeneity in the changes, also related to the position and size of the conceptus, it is assumed that they are caused mainly by local humoral and probably also mechanical factors within the uterus.

Animals↗
PubMed1979

Adrenergic innervation of the human uterus. Disappearance of the transmitter and transmitter-forming enzymes during pregnancy.

The uterine adrenergic transmitter is in many animal species dramatically reduced during pregnancy, probably leading to a functional denervation near term. In order to clarify whether similar changes also occur in the human uterus, the adrenergic innervation of the isthmic myometrium during nonpregnant and pregnant conditions was analyzed by fluorescence histochemistry for demonstration of adrenergic nerves, and by quantitative measurements of norepinephrine and its synthesizing enzymes, tyrosine hydroxylase and dopa decarboxylase. At term pregnancy all fluorescent adrenergic nerves in the myometrium had disappeared, and the norepinephrine concentration had been reduced to almost zero. Parallel to this the activities of tyrosine hydroxylase and dopa decarboxylase were markedly reduced. By contrast, the activity of the acetylcholine-synthesizing enzyme, choline acetyltransferase, was unchanged, indicating that the adrenergic system was selectively affected. The results confirm that the adrenergic nerves in the human uterus, like those in uterine horns of laboratory animals, undergo fundamental changes in the course of pregnancy. This probably reflects entirely different conditions for a sympathetic influence on the myometrium during the last two trimesters of pregnancy compared to the non-pregnant situation.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

Pregnancy-induced alterations in the turnover rate of 3H-noradrenaline formed from 3H-tyrosine in guinea-pig uterus.

The rate of noradrenaline (NA) turnover in the non-pregnant and pregnant guinea-pig uterus was determined after the administration of the labelled precursor, tyrosine. Endogenous NA was determined fluorimetrically. In non-pregnant animals the turnover of 3H-NA was slower in the uterine horns (t1/2 = 10 h) and cervix (t1/2 = 9 h) than in the reference organ, heart (t1/2 = 6 h). During pregnancy (60-65 days post coitum) endogenous NA in the heart increased in pace with tissue weight gain; yet, in the uterus there was a drastic reduction, down to zero levels. 3H-NA turnover increased significantly in the cervix, no 3H-NA formation remained in the uterine horn (a situation resembling that following 6-hydroxydopamine induced sympathectomy of non-pregnant animals), and the turnover was unaltered in the heart. The observations confirm the general idea, illustrated by the results in the heart, of a functional adaptation with a constant neuron-target relationship during increased physiological demands. They also confirm that a very peculiar and complex neuron-target relationship develops in the uterus during pregnancy--involving functional and structural denervation of the adrenergic nerve plexus in the uterine horn, whereas an increased activation might explain the changes in neuronal NA and its turnover in the cervix.

Adrenergic Fibers↗
PubMed1979

Uptake and metabolism of [3H]norepinephrine in uterine nerves of pregnant guinea pig.

Myometrial tissue slices from virgin, pregnant (uni- or bilateral pregnancy), and puerperal animals were incubated in media containing [3H]norepinephrine ([3H]NE), and the neuronal and extraneuronal uptake was estimated. The metabolic fate of [3H]NE was elucidated by the chromatographic separation of [3H]NE, [3H]normetanephrine and 3H-labeled acid metabolites. An early and extensive reduction in both total and neuronal uptakes occurred in the myometrial regions surrounding the fetuses, and at term pregnancy no neuronal [3H]NE uptake at all was found in tissue slices from the fetus-containing horns. Concomitantly, the fraction of unchanged [3H]NE decreased with a corresponding increment in its metabolites. Similar changes, though less extensive, also occurred in the empty horn in unilateral pregnancy. The total amount of neuronal uptake in the cervix seemed unchanged compared to virgin animals. Earlier and present data support the following suggestion that in uterine horns harboring fetuses, an extensive axonal degeneration occurs; in those devoid of fetuses (unilateral pregnancy), the nerve terminals are to a great extent structurally intact, but functionally damaged. Recovery of the pregnancy-induced impairment of the adrenergic nerve plexus is slow and incomplete.

Adrenergic Fibers↗
PubMed1978

Ultrastructural evidence for adrenergic nerve degeneration in the guinea pig uterus during pregnancy.

In the guinea pig myometrium, the adrenergic nerves selectively demonstrated at the ultrastructural level after treatment with 5-OH-DA, show varying degree of degeneration during pregnancy. The changes are more extensive in a late gestational stage (40-45 days) than in an early one (20-25 days), and are particularly evident in the uterus overlying the conceptus as compared to the regions between the fetuses. Scattered degenerative changes were also observed in myometrial specimens from virgin animals, but probably reflect the normal continuous turnover of axons.

Adrenergic Fibers↗