Histology and histopathology Vol.19, nº 2 (2004)

Permanent URI for this collection

Browse

Recent Submissions

Now showing 1 - 5 of 28
  • Publication
    Open Access
  • Publication
    Open Access
    Relationships between stem cells and cancer stem cells
    (Murcia : F. Hernández, 2004) Crowe, D.L.; Parsa, B.; Sinha, U.K.
    Stem cells have been shown to exist in a variety of tissues. Recent studies have characterized stem cell gene expression patterns, phenotypes, and potential therapeutic uses. One of the most important properties of stem cells is that of self renewal. This raises the possibility that some of the clinical properties of human tumors may be due to transformed stem cells. Similar signaling pathways may regulate self renewal in normal and transformed stem cells. These rare transformed stem cells may drive the process of tumorigenesis due to their potential for self renewal. There are important ramifications for clinical cancer treatment if the growth of solid tumors is at least partially dependent on a cancer stem cell population. In the cancer stem cell model, tumor recurrence may be due to the non-targeted stem cell compartment repopulating the tumor. If cancer stem cells can be prospectively identified and isolated, it should be possible to identify therapies that will selectively target these cells.
  • Publication
    Open Access
    Molecular imaging: Bridging the gap between neuroradiology and neurohistology
    (Murcia : F. Hernández, 2004) Heckl, S.; Pipkorn, R.; Nägele, T.; Vogel, U.; Küker, W.; Voigt, K.
    Historically, in vivo imaging methods have largely relied on imaging gross anatomy. More recently it has become possible to depict biological processes at the cellular and molecular level. These new research methods use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography (PET), near-infrared optical imaging, scintigraphy, and autoradiography in vivo and in vitro. Of primary interest is the development of methods using MRI and PET with which the progress of gene therapy in glioblastoma (herpes simplex virus–thymidine kinase) and Parkinson’s disease can be monitored and graphically displayed. The distribution of serotonin receptors in the human brain and the duration of serotonin- receptor antagonist binding can be assessed by PET. With PET, it is possible to localize neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) and ß-amyloid senile plaques (APs) in the brains of living Alzheimer disease (AD) patients. MR tracking of transplanted oligodendrocyte progenitors is feasible for determining the extent of remyelinization in myelin-deficient rats. Stroke therapy in adult rats with subventricular zone cells can be monitored by MRI. Transgene expression (ß-galactosidase, tyrosinase, engineered transferrin receptor) can also be visualized using MRI. Macrophages can be marked with certain iron-containing contrast agents which, through accumulation at the margins of glioblastomas, ameliorate the visual demarcation in MRI. The use of near-infrared optical imaging techniques to visualize matrix-metalloproteinases and cathepsin B can improve the assessment of tumor aggressiveness and angiogenesis-inhibitory therapy. Apoptosis could be detected using near-infrared optical imaging representation of caspase 3 activity and annexin B. This review demonstrates the need for neurohistological research if further progress is to be made in the emerging but burgeoning field of molecular imaging.
  • Publication
    Open Access
    Pathogenetic role of BCL6 translocation in B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
    (Murcia : F. Hernández, 2004) Ohno, H.
    Chromosomal translocation affecting the 3q27 band, where the BCL6 gene is localized, is one of the most common genetic abnormalities in non- Hodgkin’s lymphoma of B-cell type (B-NHL). The translocation occurs within the major translocation cluster (MTC) of BCL6, and as the result of translocation either one of the three immunoglobulin (Ig) genes or a heterogeneous non-Ig gene is juxtaposed to the coding regions of BCL6. On the other hand, somatic hypermutation involves the BCL6 gene of not only BNHL but also B-cells from normal individuals. The mutations are clustered within a region of the MTC, suggesting that a common molecular mechanism is operating for the two genetic lesions of BCL6. The Bcl-6 protein is a transcriptional repressor that is an important regulator of lymphoid development and function. The protein is preferentially expressed in germinal center (GC) B-cells of normal lymphoid tissues as well as in a variety of B-NHL subtypes derived from GC B-cells irrespective of whether the BCL6 is rearranged. Although there is no consensus on the effect of BCL6 translocation on the clinical outcome of B-NHL, many studies coincide in showing that a high-level of BCL6 expression at either or both the mRNA and protein levels is a favorable prognostic marker of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. In vitro evidence suggests that non-Ig/BCL6 translocation transiently enhances the level of Bcl-6 expression, which may perturb a molecular network that controls the differentiation of GC B-cells to Ig-secreting plasma cells, thereby predisposing the B-cells to neoplastic transformation.
  • Publication
    Open Access
    Growth performance and histological intestinal alterations in piglets fed dietary raw and heated pigeon pea seed meal
    (Murcia : F. Hernández, 2004) Mekbungwan, A.; Yamauchi, K.
    Histological intestinal villus alterations were studied in piglets fed raw (PM) or heated (HPM) pigeon pea seed meal. The trypsin inhibition rate was 99.15% in PM and 54.31% HPM. The PM and HPM were added into the basal diet (crude protein; 176.3 g.kg-1, gross energy; 4.15 kcal/g, control) at 20% and 40% levels, respectively. The diets were formulated in order to adjust protein to 180 g.kg-1 and gross energy to about 4.20 kcal/g. The feed intake was not different among groups. The daily body weight gain and feed efficiency tended to decrease with the increasing PM level, and they decreased significantly in the 40% PM group compared with the control group (P < 0.05). However, HPM groups showed a growth performance similar to the control. The villus height, cell area and cell mitosis tended to decrease with the increasing PM level, and they decreased significantly in the 40% PM group compared with the control group (P < 0.05). In HPM group, these villus height, cell area and cell mitosis were significantly higher than those of the 40% PM group (P < 0.05), and did not show a significant difference compared with the control. Compared with the duodenal villus surface of the control group, the PM groups had a smooth surface due to flat cells and the HPM group showed a rough surface due to protuberated cells. The current histological alterations of intestinal villi demonstrate that the villi might be atrophied in the piglets fed raw PM due to anti-nutritional factors, resulting in the decreased growth performance, and that heating PM might abolish such a harmful effect of the anti-nutritional factors on the villus function, resulting in a similar growth performance to the control. Raw PM could be incorporated under a level of 40%, but heated PM increases the incorporation rate up to the 40% level.