Search

The light microscopic, histochemical and electron microscopic findings in a brain biopsy of an early case of Late Infantile Amaurotic Idioty (early form of Batten-Spielmeyer-Vogt disease) are reported. Membrane bound cytoplasmic inclusion bodies are present in a small number of neurons. The morphological findings are discussed in relation to the etiology of the disease.

A case of a 5½-year-old patient with psycho-motor retardation is presented. It is studied by a cortico-subcortical biopsy of the right frontal lobe, by light and electron microscopy

The case of a young female patient suffering from Cushing's syndrome is described and discussed. Her adrenal pathology was characterized by the existence of multiple small adenomata, probably functional and independent of pituitary control. Clinically, removal of one gland followed by pituitary irradiation resulted in a disappearance of her symptomatology, except for a transient relapse coinciding with a successful pregnancy. One striking biochemical finding was a plasma cortisol binding capacity reduced to half the normal value.

SummaryA case of carcinoidosis is reported with primary tumor in the cecum. After local tumoral evolution ol many years, the Serotonine syndrome made ita appearance in the presence of hepatic metastasis.The patient underwent palliative derivation surgery because of subobstruction. After treatment with Deseril, the flushes disappeared. The radiologic evolution of the tumor was followed 11 years.

Resume 1. 1. Des dosages d'ADN-Feulgen sont effectues dans les noyaux de thyroides stimulees et inhibees chez le rat blanc a l'aide de la technique cytophotometrique. p]Des mesures separees sont effectuees dans l'appareil nucleolaire et la chromatine extra-nucleolaire. Cette derniere est balayee manuellement. Chaque noyau est egalement mesure a l'aide de la technique habituelle a ⪡ plug ⪢. Des courbes d'hydrolyse sont determinees. 2. 2. Le volume de l'appareil nucleolaire est determine. La correlation entre ce volume et la teneur en ADN-Feulgen est lineaire. 3. 3. Des courbes d'hydrolyse differentes de l'appareil nucleolaire et de la chromatine extra-nucleolaire du meme noyau sont observees. Le maximum d'hydrolyse y est influence par l'activite cellulaire. 4. 4. La teneur en ADN-Feulgen de l'appareil nucleolaire augmente de 45 %, celle de la chromatine extra-nucleolaire de 10 %, celle du noyau entier de 10 % egalement. 5. 5. L'influence de l'activite mitotique, de l'activite cellulaire et de l'erreur de distribution est discutes. 6. 6. La relation entre l'hormone trophique et le noyau cellulaire de l'organe recepteur est discutee.

In three patients with oculo-cerebro-renal syndrome (Lowe’s syndrome) renal tissue obtained by biopsy or at autopsy was studied. In all three cases the specimens were examined by light microscopy, and

1. 1. The volume and the DNA content of the cell nuclei were determined by caryometry and Feulgen cytophotometry in the different layers of the adrenal cortex of the normal rat, the untreated hypophysectomized, castrated rat and the hypophysectomized, castrated rat treated by ACTH, STH and LH. 2. 2. Nuclear DNA content shows a decreasing gradient from the zona fasciculata externa to the zona reticularis. Nuclear volume shows the same pattern except in the zona glomerulosa, where nuclear volume is nearly half the volume of this in the zona fasciculata externa. 3. 3. After hypophysectomy nuclear DNA is decreased in the zona fasciculata externa, but unchanged in the other layers. Nuclear volume is decreased in every layer. 4. 4. Treatment by ACTH normalizes nuclear DNA in the zona fasciculata externa and increases this content in the two inner layers. Nuclear volume shows similar changes. 5. 5. Treatment by STH has no influence on nuclear DNA changes induced by hypophysectomy. Nuclear volume, however, is normalized in the zona glomerulosa and increased in the other layers. 6. 6. ICSH has no influence on the nuclear DNA content, but increases nuclear volume in every layer of the hypophysis-less rat. 7. 7. These results accord with the zonation theory. They support the hypothesis of Deane and Greep, who attribute a glucocorticoid function, depending on ACTH secretion, to the cells of the zona fasciculata externa, while the cell function of the zona glomerulosa is not dependent on ACTH secretion. The cells of the zona fasciculata interna and reticularis seem to be resting cells, which can be activated by high doses of ACTH. 8. 8. The volume of the nucleus is not only dependent on cell function, but also on other factors unrelated to specific cell function such as on the STH secretion of the hypophysis.

By means of interference microspectrography the nuclear dry weight has been determined in the four layers of the adrenal cortex of a group of control rats, ACTH-stimulated and hydrocortisone-inhibited rats. In the control rats a decreasing weight gradient is noted from the zona fascicularis externa towards the reticularis. After ACTH-treatment these values are increased in such a way that in every layer we find the same value. After hydrocortisone, we find also an increase but less pronounced. By comparing these values with the nuclear volume the changes of nuclear concentration are discussed. This concentration is lowest in the zona fascicularis externa and highest in the zona glomerularis and reticularis in the control rats. ACTH-treatment has practically no influence on the nuclei of the adrenal cortex. After hydrocortisone treatment the nuclear concentration is increased in the zona fascicularis externa and also in the zona reticularis although less. The nuclear concentration in the zona glomerularis is unaffected. These observations support the hypothesis that the zona fascicularis externa is the seat of normal glucocorticoid elaboration, while the deeper layer constitutes a reserve of less active cells, which may be stimulated in order to compensate higher needs of glucocorticoids. Although these experiments do not allow a definitive conclusion about the activity of the cells in the zona glomerularis, the high concentration of the material of these nuclei suggests a low cell activity. Preliminary results of the measurements of the nuclear nucleic acid content by means of the UV spectrograph are given. They seem to corroborate the conclusion mentioned above.

A clinico-pathological description of a case of von Hippel–Lindau’s disease associated with syringomyelia is presented. The similarities in histology between the syringomyelia and the cerebellar cyst

DURING THE Congress held by the German Association of Laryngologists in 1911, W. Brunings presented a series of patients suffering from unilateral recurrent laryngeal paralysis. He had injected hard paraffin (melting point 46 C) in the paralyzed vocal chords by means of a special syringe. The technical intervention presented no problems, the postoperative period was uneventful, and the functional results were very good. Despite these good clinical results, there were some disadvantages to this method which developed consequently. In fact, the injected paraffin caused a chronic foreign body reaction which ultimately resulted in a paraffinoma. Moreover, the product did not remain static and what was even more serious, resulted in embolism. Similarly, paraffin injections into the posterior pharyngeal wall for the improvement of velopharyngeal closure in instances of cleft palate proved to be of no use; the paraffin generally descended, sometimes even as far as the mediastinum. Although it

Le theme de la presente discussion se rapporte a la croissance, c’est-a-dire a un accroissement de matiere vivante qui peut se manifester par des augmentations volumetriques et ponderales de la cellule ou de certains de ses organites, comme par l’accroissement de la teneur en certains composants particuliers. Envisage necessairement sous l’angle de la cytochimie, cette etude entre done dans le cadre de la cytochimie quantitative. Nous nous limiterons ici a la discussion de resultats, les methodes etant etudiees dans d’autres sections de ce Congres. Mais nous nous limiterons egalement a l’etude de la croissance interphasique, c’est-a-dire celle qui se fait en dehors de la division cellulaire. Une distinction nettement tranchee est cependant impossible. A cote de «triggers» plus specifiques, la croissance interphasique peut etre un facteur determinant preparatoire a la division. Cette croissance peut en outre etre correlee a certaines activites physiologiques. Nous pouvons cependant eliminer les reduplications d’ADN et de proteines nucleaires directement liees a la preparation de la mitose. Au cours des phenomenes envisages, il s’agira avant tout de synthese d’acides nucleiques (ADN et ARN) et de proteines. Dans l’etat actuel de nos connaissances ces composants paraissent les plus importants, peut-etre parce que nous connaissons peu de chose des autres. On peut envisager ces syntheses dans divers organites, mais egalement dans divers materiels: unicellulaires, cultures de tissu, oocytes, organes de metazoaires Afin de ne pas exclure artificiellement les importantes interactions entre les divers elements de la cellule nous proposons de classer les communications selon le materiel usage, en reservant une derniere section a des observations de croissance pathologique.

Biometrical and histochemical changes in extra- and intrafusal muscle fibres were determined in twenty adult rats during denervation and re-innervation. The right sciatic nerve was severed and at regular intervals the denervated gastrocnemius, soleus and peroneal muscles were examined and compared with the corresponding muscles of the non denervated limb. Although the extra- and intra-fusal muscle fibres show the same histochemical changes, the atrophy of the intra-fusal muscle fibres is insignificant compared with the atrophy of the extra-fusal muscle fibres in the denervation phase. This could be explained by the small size of the intra-fusal fibres and the increased fluid resorption of the spindle. In the re-innervation phase the same histochemical changes occur in both types of muscle fibres.

ALTHOUGH a certain number of exceptions have been revealed in tissues which show increased mitotic or physiological activity1–3, it has been shown that as a rule the deoxyribonucleic acid content of the interphasic nuclei of tissues of a given species corresponds to a constant equilibrium value, which is double that of the deoxyribonucleic acid content of the spermatic nuclei of the same species. Consequently, at each mitotic division, synthesis of deoxyribonucleic acid must take place in order that the quantity of this substance should be restored in the nuclei of the daughter cells at a ‘normal’ level. Histophotometric measurements have shown that, contrary to classic opinion, this synthesis takes place in the interkinetic phase and not during mitosis. According to some authors, this occurs immediately before mitosis4–7, so that the content reaches double that of the normal value: after division each nucleus of the daughter cells receives also a normal content. According to other authors1,8–11, synthesis occurs soon after mitotic division when nuclei of the daughter cells which receive only half of the normal content restore the latter.

RECENTLY, it has been claimed that the deoxyribonucleic acid content of the interphasic nuclei in the different tissues corresponds, for a given species, to a value which is double that for the deoxyribonucleic acid content of the spermatic nuclei of that same species. Nevertheless, some exceptions were observed, namely, by L. Lison and J. Pasteels, J. Govaert, C. Leuchtenberger and A. Schrader1, and lead to the hypothesis that this ‘theoretical diploid value’ would only be an equilibrium value, from which the deoxyribonucleic acid content would vary more or less widely as a function of the cell activity.