Shigetaro Sotomatsu

Electron microscopic observations of the so-called granuloma glutaeale infantum

Electron microscopic observation of the so‐called granuloma glutaeale infantum revealed that the granulomatous lesion was composed of neutrophils, lymphocytes, eosinophils, plasma cells, mast cells, histocytes, giant cells, and newly‐formed microvasculatures. The giant cells were classified into three types: in the first type the cells had widely enlarged endoplasmic reticulum: in the second type, the cells phagocytized erythrocytes; in the third type, the cells had vesicles and granules and were similar to histiocytes. Some newly‐formed microvasculatures lacked basal lamina and their lining by endothelial cells was sometimes incomplete.

Organ culture of adult human skin; effect of culture temperature.

In the organ culture of adult human skin, long‐term preservation of cultured epidermis was obtained when the culture temperature was shifted from 37°C to 32°C. The epidermal cell kinetics were compared for both culture temperatures using the findings of mitotic rate, mitotic distribution and autoradiographic labelling index with tritiated‐thymidine (3H‐TdR). As a result, it appeared that a lowered culture temperature controlled the cell cycle in vitro to maintain long‐term, active epidermal proliferation.

ORGAN CULTURE OF ADULT HUMAN SKIN

Proliferation and differentiation of the epidermis in organ culture of adult human skin by the sponge matrix method were studied histologically and autoradiographically, and the following results were obtained: 1) On the first day of culture, mitotic figures were already observable in the epidermis. The outgrowth of epidermal cells at the margins of the explants started. On the second day, there was transformation to a zone that will be referred to as the newly formed stratum corneum in the upper epidermis. 2) On the third and fourth days, the increased growth of epidermal cells caused thickening of the epidermis. Simultaneously, Malpighian cells progressively differentiated into a cornified layer. 3) On and after the fifth day, the basospinous cell layer was reduced in thickness in most of explants. On the ninth and tenth days, DNA synthesis in the basal layer was still obvious, although the epidermis showed a thickness of only one or two cells overlaid with a large number of horny layers. 4) In the culture medium supplemented with corticosteroid, the epidermal growth was slightly depressed with lessened formation of stratum corneum in the early stages of culture as compared with the explants cultured in the basic medium. The reduction of the basospinous layer was scarcely notable after the fifth day. Even after 10–11 days, epidermal cells were well preserved and their stratified squamous architecture was less disorganized. It seemed that corticosteroid could prolong the survival of adult human skin in vitro.

Rabbit Zosteriform Eruption Induced by Intra‐arterial Inoculation of Herpes Simplex Virus, Type 1

Seventeen rabbits were inoculated with 0.1 ml of herpes simplex virus (HSV), type 1, Miyama strain (105,75 TCID50/0.1 ml), via the auricular artery; twelve of them developed zosteriform eruptions (ZE) on the skin. Seven rabbits treated with control medium showed no eruptions. This phenomenon was significant (P<0.01).

Electron microscopic observations on the lesions of herpes zoster with topical application of interferon.

The lesions of herpes zoster in three patients were investigated electron microscopically before and after topical application of interferon.