Search

This communication presents the first electron micrographs known to us of human gall bladder mucosal epithelium. These cells are typical of epithelial cells in general. They possess microvilli, terminal bars, desmosomes, membrane interdigitations, Golgi apparatus, mitochondria, granular and agranular endoplasmic reticulum, and a nucleus limited by an envelope interrupted by pores and containing one to several nucleoli. Of particular interest are the three types of granular inclusions found in the cytoplasm. These granules are discussed in the light of their possible significance, in particular their possible relation to the functioning of this epithelium in a gall bladder exhibiting cholelithiasis.

Twenty-three patients, 45 years of age or less, were studied with special reference to recurrent attacks of diverticulitis. The virulent course of diverticulitis in these patients was revealed by an operative rate of 61 per cent. Surgery was necessary for complications in 46.6 per cent subsequent to the first and only attack of diverticulitis. Nine patients had primary resections of the colon with no mortality. Staged procedures prolonged the period of recovery; an average of 50.5 days’ hospitalization was required in these cases. Diverticulitis in young persons is a progressive disease. This possibility can be eliminated by prophylactic resection, as shown in the case of the 45-year-old man with an eight-year history of severe morbidity.

When bile was excluded from the intestine of a dog there was a definite diminution of the absorption of fat. Carbohydrate utilization was not impaired. There was an increased loss of nitrogen which was independent of the amount of protein in the diet, but proportional to the bulk of the feces.

Chinese hamster cells cultured in vitro were used as a test system to investigate the radiobiological effects of 429 MeV/amu argon ions. Samples were irradiated at four positions in the depth dose profile. The first was located on the entrance plateau, the second on the ascending portion of the depth dose curve upstream from the Bragg peak, the third as close as possible to the Bragg peak, and the fourth on the ''tail'' beyond the peak. For a surviving fraction of 0.1, the relative biological effectiveness is about 2.4 for the plateau, ascending region, and the tail of the depth dose curve, and has a lower value of about 1.5 at the peak. The oxygen enhancement ratio is high, in excess of 2 in the incident plateau, and falls to about 1.3 close to the Bragg peak. Cells were irradiated with x rays or Bragg-peak argon ions at various times after synchronization with hydroxyurea. A 17-fold variation in survival through the cycle with x rays was reduced to a 2-fold variation with argon ions.

Malignant melanoma, originating from the common mole or nevus and characterized by a rapidly fatal course, is a relatively common neoplasm. According to Pack and his colleagues, 1 no person's body is without one or two nevi, and in some instances their number may exceed 100. Age is most important in consideration of the presence or absence of malignancy in these lesions. Nevi showing apparent malignant change before the onset of puberty are called prepubertal or juvenile melanomas. These lesions present a microscopic picture consistent with malignancy but are not associated with demonstrable metastasis or blood vessel invasion. It is not uncommon to encounter a histopathology report of a growing nevus in a child indicating that the tissue is microscopically malignant, but probably clinically benign. Experience has taught that a melanoma occurring prior to puberty rarely, if ever, pursues a malignant course. 2 For this reason the diagnosis of malignant

Background As a key player in suppression of colon tumorigenesis, Adenomatous Polyposis Coli (APC) has been widely studied to determine its cellular functions. However, inconsistencies of commercially available APC antibodies have limited the exploration of APC function. APC is implicated in spindle formation by direct interactions with tubulin and microtubule-binding protein EB1. APC also interacts with the actin cytoskeleton to regulate cell polarity. Until now, interaction of APC with the third cytoskeletal element, intermediate filaments, has remained unexamined. Results We generated an APC antibody (APC-M2 pAb) raised against the 15 amino acid repeat region, and verified its reliability in applications including immunoprecipitation, immunoblotting, and immunofluorescence in cultured cells and tissue. Utilizing this APC-M2 pAb, we immunoprecipitated endogenous APC and its binding proteins from colon epithelial cells expressing wild-type APC. Using Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), we identified 42 proteins in complex with APC, including β-catenin and intermediate filament (IF) proteins lamin B1 and keratin 81. Association of lamin B1 with APC in cultured cells and human colonic tissue was verified by co-immunoprecipitation and colocalization. APC also colocalized with keratins and remained associated with IF proteins throughout a sequential extraction procedure. Conclusion We introduce a versatile APC antibody that is useful for cell/tissue immunostaining, immunoblotting and immunoprecipitation. We also present evidence for interactions between APC and IFs, independent of actin filaments and microtubules. Our results suggest that APC associates with all three major components of the cytoskeleton, thus expanding potential roles for APC in the regulation of cytoskeletal integrity.