Establishment and characterisation of a human clear cell sarcoma model in nude mice.

We have established a new experimental model of human clear cell sarcoma, UM-CCS1, using serial subcutaneous transplantation of intact tumour tissue in nude mice. The heterotransplanted nude mouse tumours retained characteristic morphological features of the primary clear cell sarcoma. Immunohistochemical analysis showed the retained expression patterns of S-100 protein, melanoma-associated antigen HMB-45 and vimentin in the xenografts as compared to the primary tumour.

Positive effect of radiotherapy and surgery on hormonally active pulmonary metastases of primary parathyroid carcinoma.

Objective: Parathyroid carcinoma is a rare cause of primary hyperparathyroidism. Surgery is the primary treatment in recurrent or metastatic disease. Radiotherapy has been used as an adjuvant to control subclinical local disease but is otherwise considered ineffective.

Clinical and histopathological features of a large parapharyngeal neurilemmoma located at the base of the tongue.

Neurilemmomas of the tongue have only been sporadically reported in the literature. Vague symptoms and limited knowledge of this kind of tumor may result in long delays before diagnosis and treatment. The rarity of the lesion in this area is the main reason why we report this case of neurilemmoma.

Limited Wegener's granulomatosis with central nervous system involvement and fatal outcome.

A 74-year-old woman was admitted to the medical department with vertigo and confusion, and suffered seizures three days later. Clinical, radiological and histopathological examination revealed limited Wegener's granulomatosis (WG) with central nervous system (CNS) involvement. Initially she was treated successfully with prednisolone and cyclophosphamide, but she relapsed after 25 months and died four weeks later.

A novel spontaneous metastasis model of human osteosarcoma developed using orthotopic transplantation of intact tumor tissue into tibia of nude mice.

Evaluation of potential new treatment strategies requires adequate experimental tumor models which resemble the clinical situation as closely as possible. The purpose of the present study was to establish a new human osteosarcoma spontaneous metastasis model using orthotopic transplantation of histologically intact tumor tissue into the tibia of nude mice. Intact tumor pieces, obtained from the 32nd serial passage of subcutaneously growing human osteosarcoma xenografts, were implanted into the proximal tibia in 31 nude mice.

Structure, growth and cell proliferation of human osteosarcoma and malignant fibrous histiocytoma xenografts in serial transplantation in nude mice.

Tumour specimens from one patient with osteosarcoma and one with malignant fibrous histiocytoma were transplanted in serial passages in nude mice. Structure, growth and cell kinetics of the xenografts were studied in order to assess the validity of the two tumour models. Cell proliferation was analysed using in vivo labelling with the thymidine analogue iododeoxyuridine (IdUrd) and the IdUrd labelling index (LI) was determined by immunohistochemistry.

Growth patterns and cell kinetics of human osteosarcoma xenografts in serial passages in nude mice analyzed by in vivo labelling with iododeoxyuridine.

A human osteoblastic osteosarcoma was transplanted in nude mice and followed in seven serial passages. Tumor cell kinetics was analyzed by in vivo labelling with the thymidine analogue iododeoxyuridine (IdUrd). Immunohistochemistry was used to measure the IdUrd labelling index.

A one-year multicenter study of efficacy and safety of a continuous, low-dose, estradiol-releasing vaginal ring (Estring) in postmenopausal women with symptoms and signs of urogenital aging.

Objective: We studied the efficacy, safety, and acceptability of an estradiol-releasing (6.5 to 9.5 micrograms per 24 hours) silicone vaginal ring (Estring) in postmenopausal women with symptoms and signs of urogenital aging during a treatment period of 1 year.

Accuracy of clinical staging in non-seminomatous testicular cancer--a single centre experience of retroperitoneal lymph node dissection.

The management of low stage non-seminomatous testicular cancer remains a controversial issue. Programs of surveillance or primary retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLND) after orchiectomy show equally good survival rates. Current focus is therefore on reduction of toxicity or side effects of the treatment while maintaining maximal prognostic safety.

Thyroid cancer: reproductive factors, previous diseases, drug intake, family history and diet. A case-control study.

An association between female sex hormones and thyroid cancer has been suggested, but the only well-established risk factor is ionizing radiation. This case-control study was designed to evaluate the association between different aetiological factors and thyroid cancer and encompassed 180 cases aged 20-70 years at the time of diagnosis in 1980-89, and 360 controls. The response rate was 92%.

A comparative multicenter study of the effects of continuous low-dose estradiol released from a new vaginal ring versus estriol vaginal pessaries in postmenopausal women with symptoms and signs of urogenital atrophy.

Objective: Our purpose was to study the efficacy, safety, and acceptability of a new estradiol-releasing (6.5 to 9.5 micrograms per 24 hours) silicone rubber vaginal ring compared with Ovesterin 0.

Medical diagnostic and therapeutic ionizing radiation and the risk for thyroid cancer: a case-control study.

The aim of this study was to investigate exposure to diagnostic and therapeutic ionizing radiation as a risk factor for thyroid cancer. This case-control study encompassed 180 women and men with thyroid cancer, aged 20-70 years at the time of diagnoses in 1980-89. From the National Population Registry 360 controls were selected.

Occupational exposures and thyroid cancer: results of a case-control study.

A case-control study on thyroid cancer concerning 180 cases and 360 controls aged 20-70 years at diagnosis was performed. Both females and males were included. Of the cases, 63% had had papillary thyroid cancer.

Instability and femoral head vitality in fractures of the femoral neck.

Sixteen patients with femoral neck fractures were studied with roentgen-stereophotogrammetric analysis (RSA) and low-field magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in addition to plain roentgenography. In six patients, these results were compared with the results of histopathologic analyses. All fractures were stabilized with two cannulated titanium screws.

Nucleolar organizer regions in uterine sarcomas.

Nucleolar organizer regions demonstrable by silver staining technique (AgNORs) are loops of nucleolar DNA transcribing to ribosomal RNA. This report quantifies AgNORs in normal endometrium and myometrium, and in leiomyomas and homologous sarcomas of the uterus. The mean AgNOR number in leiomyosarcomas was significantly higher than that in normal myometrium and that in leiomyomas, whereas no significant difference was observed between normal myometrium and leiomyomas.

Chronic achilles paratenonitis with tendinosis: an experimental model in the rabbit.

An experimental model for inducing chronic Achilles paratenonitis with tendinosis in the rabbit is presented. Thirteen rabbits were exercised in a kicking machine producing passive flexions and extensions of the ankle joint. Active contractions of the triceps surae muscles were induced by electric stimulation via surface electrodes.

Kinetics of proteoglycans and cells in growth plate of normal, diabetic, and malnourished rats.

The metabolism of proteoglycans in normal growth plate and the changes in growth plate morphology induced by diabetes and malnutrition were studied in rats. The proteoglycans had a significantly faster turnover (half-life measured with [35S]sulfate labeling: 25-30 h) than the cells in the growth plate. Morphometric studies showed significant reductions of cell number, zone height, and [3H]thymidine incorporation in growth plates from rats with untreated streptozotocin-induced diabetes compared to normal rats.

Nucleolar organizer regions in normal, hyperplastic and neoplastic parathyroid glands.

Using a one-stage silver staining technique, nucleolar organizer regions (AgNORs) were studied in paraffin sections of parathyroid glands (and in two lymph node metastases) from patients operated upon because of hyperparathyroidism or thyroid disease. The parathyroids were microscopically differentiated into normal, hyperplastic, adenomatous and carcinomatous glands. AgNORs were observed as distinct black dots of varying size and somewhat varying configuration in the nuclei of all glands.

Inhibition by acetylsalicylate of the hyperglycemic response induced in mice by sodium nitroprusside.

The injection of sodium nitroprusside (SNP) into mice induced a hyperglycemic response which was reduced by pretreatment with acetylsalicylate (ASA). The activity of glutamate dehydrogenase was significantly increased in islets from pancreases removed after SNP injection. This effect was prevented by pretreatment with ASA.

Effects of sodium nitroprusside on blood glucose concentration, B-cell morphology and islet glutamate dehydrogenase activity in mice.

Mice injected with sodium nitroprusside (NaNP) exhibited a marked, transient hyperglycemia and enhanced activity of glutamate dehydrogenase in the pancreatic islets. Ultrastructurally, the islet B-cells of NaNP-treated mice showed expanded granular endoplasmic reticulum, prominent Golgi complex, increased amount of secretory granules, mitochondrial enlargement and vacuolation, and mitochondrion-secretory granule complexes. Stereological analyses disclosed increased volume of endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi complex and mitochondria, and increased number of secretory granules in the B-cells 1 h after the injection of NaNP.

Alloxan diabetogenicity: determinants of potentiation, protection and B-cell selectivity.

Compounds with a reported in vivo and in vitro effect on the diabetogenicity of alloxan were studied with regard to the uptake of calcium in mouse islet mitochondria, with the aim of obtaining information on the susceptibility and selectivity of alloxan toxicity. A strong correlation was found between the uptake of calcium in mouse islet mitochondria, which is believed to be associated with the activation of oxidative enzymes involved in energy production and secretion of insulin, and the protection afforded by the injection of D-glucose, D-mannose, L-leucine and glucagon, and by the in vitro administration of cyclic AMP, L-glutamine and L-leucine. The effect of D-glucose was abolished by D-mannoheptulose.

Structural beta-cell changes and transient hyperglycemia in mice treated with compounds inducing inhibited citric acid cycle enzyme activity.

An initial transient hyperglycemia was seen in mice injected with asparagine, fluoroacetate, hydroxylamine, or malonate plus methionine, whereas an initial triphasic blood glucose response and a transient "secondary" hyperglycemia were exhibited in those injected with hydroxylamine plus arsenite, and a delayed hypoglycemia was observed in those treated with fluoroacetate or arsenite. The glucose-induced insulin secretion was significantly decreased in isolated pancreatic islets incubated with hydroxylamine plus arsenite. Light and electron microscopy, pyroantimonate technique, and X-ray microanalysis disclosed mitochondrial damage, degeneration, and necrosis among the beta-cells in the islets of mice injected with hydroxylamine plus arsenite.

Mitochondrial changes and associated alterations induced in mice by streptozotocin administered in vivo and in vitro.

Isolated mouse liver mitochondria incubated with streptozotocin showed decreased rate and extent of Ca2+ uptake, and, dependent on the concentration of streptozotocin and the addition of alpha-ketoglutarate, glutamate, fluorocitrate or guanosine 5'-triphosphate, the retention of Ca2+ was either increased or decreased. Similar observations were made in liver mitochondria incubated with succinyl-CoA. In mitochondria isolated from the kidneys and islets of mice injected with streptozotocin, with and without additional injections of glucose and/or glucagon, the rate and extent of Ca2+ uptake were reduced and the release of accumulated Ca2+ was stimulated.

NADP-linked dismutation and concentrations of citrate, cytosolic free Ca2+ and phosphoenolpyruvate in islet B-cells stimulated with glucose.

B-cells stimulated with glucose showed enhanced activities of NADP-isocitrate dehydrogenase, aconitase, ATP-citrate lyase and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxy-kinase, elevated cytosolic [NADPH]/[NADP+] ratio, and increased concentrations of glucose 6-phosphate, 6-phosphogluconate, citrate, phosphoenolpyruvate and cytosolic free Ca2+. Phosphoenolpyruvate induced release of Ca2+ accumulated in isolated mitochondria. Glucose is suggested to stimulate a cytosolic NADP-linked dismutation and synthesis of citrate, associated with increased cytosolic free Ca2+ concentration.

Long-term effects of surgery for normocalcaemic hyperparathyroidism.

A retrospective study of the long-term effects of surgery for normocalcaemic hyperparathyroidism in 82 patients is presented. The median postoperative follow-up time was 96 months. In most of the patients recurrent renal calculi had been the main preoperative symptom, and intermittent peaks of hypercalcaemia were recognized in more than 50% of them.