Tadao Okano

DETECTION OF HBsAg IN THE PANCREAS

Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) has been reported to be present in other organs than the liver.3,9 So far as our knowledge is concerned, however, any report of cases dealing with pancreatic diseases induced by hepatitis B virus (HBV) has not been described in the English and Japanese literature. We report an autopsy case with a pancreatic lesion characterized by damage of both exocrine and endocrine epithelial cells with inflammatory response, which were immunohistochemically found to be positive for HBsAg, and electron‐microscopically to possess core‐like particles In the nucleus and cytoplasm.

Neonatal glutamate can destroy the hippocampal CA1 structure and impair discrimination learning in rats

Neonatal Wistar rats were subcutaneously injected with 0.1, 1, or 2 mg/g b.wt. of monosodium glutamate (MSG) at 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9 days after birth. The animals were observed for degeneration of pyramidal cells in the hippocampus. The histological change disappeared when the animals were concurrently injected with glutamate diethyl ester (GDEE), an antagonist of the glutamate receptor. When light-dark discrimination learning was carried out at 10 weeks old, the correct response in the acquisition period was impaired in the animals given 1 and 2 mg/g of neonatal MSG. Their retention scores were also impaired in comparison with the control animal. The behavioral impairment recovered with pre-treatment with GDEE. No significant changes were observed in the concentrations of transmitter substances, including amino acids and monoamines. These results suggest that neonatal MSG destroys the hippocampus and impairs acquisition and retention of discrimination learning through the mechanism of glutamate receptors.

Transmission and scanning electron microscopic observations of mouse adrenocortical adenoma cells (Y-1) in non-stimulated and stimulated states.

ACTH sensitive murine adrenocortical adenoma cells (Y‐1) were examined by transmission and scanning electron microscopes under non‐stimulated and stimulated conditions. They showed the ultrastructural characteristics which were fairly different from those of the original adrenocortical cells of LAF1 mice. The smooth‐surfaced endoplasmic reticulum (sER) were poorly developed, and the mitochondrial cristae showed lamellar rather than tubular or tubulo‐vesicular type. Administration of AGTH induced rounding‐up of the Y‐1 cells with slight increase in sER, but no mitochondria with vesicular inner structure appeared. The effects of dbcAMP on the morphology of the Y‐1 cells were similar to those of AGTH except that the rounding‐up occurred more rapidly and uniformly. ACTA PATH. JAP. 27: 841‐856, 1977.

Production of thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) in nontoxic thyroid tumors

Thyroid tissue specimens from 27 patients with thyroid tumors were examined for thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) by the peroxidase-labeled antibody method. The result revealed localization of T4 in 12 of the 14 follicular adenomas, in all the 8 papillary carcinomas and in 1 of the 3 follicular carcinomas studied, and of T3 in 13 of the 14 follicular adenomas, in all the 8 papillary carcinomas and in all the 3 follicular carcinomas. In the tumor tissue, the thyroid hormones were demonstrated in the colloid substance, on the luminal surface of tumor cells and in their cytoplasm. Compared with nontumorous thyroid tissue, the tumor tissue showed localization of the hormones predominantly in the cytoplasm and to a lesser extent in the colloid substance, with conspicuous variations in tissue distribution of positive areas and intensity of staining. This tendency was more marked in thyroid carcinomas. The demonstration of T4 and T3 in routine histological paraffin sections of formalin-fixed thyroid tissues in this investigation indicates potential usefulness of thyroid hormone detection by the peroxidase-labeled antibody technique. It is an effective diagnostic tool for evaluating the functional activity of thyroid tumors as well as for determining whether a malignant growth under examination originates from the thyroid.

Cardiovascular lesion of carcinoid syndrome. An autopsy case of bronchial carcinoid.

An autopsy case of a 67‐year‐old Japanese male is presented. He had been suffering from carcinoid syndrome for 5 years and showed a typical picture of carcinoid heart disease. In Japan, carcinoid heart disease is rare and we can find only four reported cases (33% of reported carcinoid syndrome). The patient had high urinary secretion of 5‐HIAA and high serum serotonin, and finally he died of heart failure and bronchopneumonia. The primary site of this carcinoid tumor was of the bronchus of the right B10c, and it had large hepatic metastases. Electronmicroscopically, the tumor cells had secretory granules measuring 1500–3500 Å in diameter. Immunohistochemically, the tumor cells were markedly positive for human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and antidiuretic hormone (ADH) and positive for serotonin, in both the primary site and hepatic metastases. Characteristic fibrous plaques were detected in the right atrium, tricuspid valve, right ventricle, and left atrium. Electron‐microscopically, the fibrous plaques consisted of smooth muscle cells and myofibroblasts surrounded by basement membrane‐like material. The abundant matrix of the fibrous plaques contained acid mucopolysaccharide, microfibrils and collagen fibers. The same fibrous plaques were also found in hepatic veins. Furthermore, retroperitoneal fibrosis was present, which showed proliferation of myofibroblasts, fibroblasts and immature mesenchymal cells.

IMMUNOHISTOLOGICAL STUDY ON THE ACTH PRODUCING ISLET CELL CARCINOMA OF THE PANCREAS

ACTH producing cells In islet cell carcinoma associated with Cushings syndrome were studied by an improved immunoperoxidase as well as immunofluorescence technique. The cells which contained ACTH antigen were distributed throughout the tumor tissue of both primary and metastatic lesions in rather small numbers. In the small cancer nests they were present in an irregular or mosaic pattern and, on the contrary, they tend to line along the margin in the larger nests. The intracytoplasmlc localization of the ACTH antigen was characteristically demonstrated in the intranuclear area of the tumor cells, closely simulating that of the argentaffin granules of the entero‐chromaffin cells. The electron microscopic observation identified membrane enclosed, cored granules,200–300 nm in diameter, present in clusters in the intranuclear area of some tumor cells, which were considered corresponding well to the ACTH positive cells in immune staining.