In an attempt to elucidate the pathological effects of phenol, the present study was undertaken in male Sprague-Dawley rats. The control group of animals was fed a basal diet, and potable underground water. The experimental group of animals was fed a basal diet and potable underground water containing 30ppm, 60ppm, and 1% phenol with once a week administration of dimethylnitrosamine(DMN) 10 mg/kg I.P. Each group of animals was sacrificed on the 3rd, 6th, and 9th month. The liver and gastrointestinal tract were examined light microscopically, along with transmission electron microscopic studies of the liver and scanning electron microscopic studies of the gastric mucosa. The results were as follows: 1) In the acute phenol intoxicated group, the liver showed fatty changes in the hepatocytes with mitochondrial membrane destruction and myelin figure formation. 2) In the chronic phenol intoxicated group, fatty changes in the liver were observed. In addition, there was chronic inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract, with gastric mucosal erosion and central necrosis of the hepatic lobules, especially in the high phenol contaminated water treated group. 3) As a result of the examination under the light microscope, the DMN treated group showed hyperplastic nodules and liver cell dysplasia, the degree of which was proportional to the duration of the experiment, and was more severe in the DMN + phenol treated group. 4) As a result of the examination under the electron microscope, fatty changes in the liver, pleomorphism of the mitochondria and loss or shortness of bile canalicular microvilli in the DMN + phenol treated group were more severe than in the group treated only with DMN. In summary, the results obtained by the present study indicate chronic highly concentrated phenol intoxication induce liver cell necrosis and chronic inflammatory with a hepatotoxin such as DMN.
Male ; Humans ; Animals

No abstract available.
1,2-Dimethylhydrazine* ; Carcinogenesis* ; Vitamins*

No abstract available.
Chloroform*

In an attempt to elucidate the morphologic changes of normal aging skin, the present study was undertaken in human facial and chest well skin of individuals aged from 4 months to 76 years old. Biopsied skin was studied with light microscope, scanning electron microscope, and transmission electron microscope, using both conventional and tannic acid staining. The morphologic changes in the skin were noted as follow: 1. Structurally, the aged epidermis gradually became somewhat thinner, with flattening of the dermoepidermal interface. The number of melanocytes also decreased. 2. Abnormalities of elastic fibers such as loss of oxytalan fibers were observed from age 30. It was the initial sign of the aging process of elastic fibers, followed by abnormal changes in elaunin and mature elastic fibers. The degree of facial skin abnormality was rather more severe than that of the chest wall skin. 3. In individuals more than 50 years old, the age related changes in mature elastic fibers were more severe. Transmission electron microscopically, the electron density in elastin was irregular. The elastic fibers also showed pores and irregular splitting with fragmentation. Fine granular materials were scattered near the elastin. 4. Scanning electron microscopically, the elastic fibers in young adult skin showd ribbon-like fibers aligned in the same direction. They were either cylindrical or elliptical, having smooth surface. In old skin, the elastic fibers ran in various directions, forming complicated networks. These were larger, more elliptical and more branched than those in young adult skin. In summary, histologic changes of aging are much more prominent in sun-exposed skin(facial skin) than in sun protected skin(chest wall skin). A completely different spectrum of elastic fiber abnormalities was found in individuals more than 30 years old. The result indicates that elastic fiber abnormalities are related to aging skin.
Adult ; Male ; Female ; Humans

In an attempt to elucidate the pathological changes following common bile duct ligation, the present study was undertaken in male Sprague-Dawley rats. Morphologic studies of the livers were performed at 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13 and 15 weeks after common bile duct ligation. In an attempt to clarify the relationship between the process of bile duct formation and the nature of primitive cells observable around the primitive biliary structure, light microscopic, immunohistochemical and electron microscopic studies were performed. The results were noted as follows: 1) Light microscopically, proliferation of biliary cells began in the periphery of portal areas and expanded toward hepatic lobules. In severe cases of biliary structure proliferation, hepatocytic cords and classic hepatic lobules were inconspicuous. 2) Immunohistochemically, CK-19 expression was limited to biliary structures in protal areas and proliferated biliary epithelial cells. In the serial sections of paraffin block, proliferated intrahepatic biliary structures were associated with those of portal areas. Some oval cells in the ductular hepatocytes were stained for both CK-19 and MNF 116. 3) Ultrastructurally, the proliferated biliary epithelial cells divided into three patterns: absence of lumen, formation of incomplete lumen, and formation of complete lumen. Furthermore these patterns had spectral continuity of maturation in their structures. 4) In some biliary structures, individual biliary cells pushed the basement membrane toward neighboring tissue with accompanying destruction of basement membranes, patterns of budding. Sometimes these cells and hepatocytes comprised the same lumen. In summary, the results obtained by the present study indicate that proliferated biliary structures may be derived from the preexisting intralobular or portal biliary system.
Male ; Humans

This study was performed to observe the therapeutic effects of interferon-gamma(IFN-gamma) and gamma-globulin(gamma-globulin) in experimental Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia of immune suppressed mice. After 9 weeks, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole(TMP-SMZ; 10-50 mg/mouse/day), mouse IFN-gamma(5 x 10(4) units/mouse/day) and mouse gamma-globulin(20 mg/mouse/day) were administered to the mice for 3 weeks by the experimental group. The therapeutic efficacy was evaluated by body weights, histopathologic and electron microscopic findings of the lungs, and number of P. carinii cysts by Gomori's methenamine silver stain. Body weights of the mice were significantly increased in the group of combination therapy of TMP-SMZ with IFN-gamma or gamma-globulin, and in the group of TMP-SMZ treatment (p < 0.05), however, little effect was found in the group of gamma-globulin alone. Histopathologic findings of P. carinii pneumonia were much improved in the group of combination therapy of TMP-SMZ with IFN-gamma. Treatment with either TMP-SMZ or IFN-gamma significantly reduced the number of cysts in the P. carinii pneumonia, but gamma-globulin alone was ineffective. In electron microscopic findings of P. carinii pneumonia, the number of trophozoites and cysts were reduced by treatment with either TMP-SMZ or IFN-gamma, and most of the cysts were empty or containing one or two intracystic bodies. The present results suggested, that combination therapy of TMP-SMZ with IFN-gamma had synergistic effects in treatment of P. carinii pneumonia in experimental mice.
Drug-Synergism ; Drug-Therapy,-Combination ; English-Abstract ; Gamma-Globulins-administration-and-dosage ; Interferon-Type-II-administration-and-dosage ; Mice- ; Trimethoprim-Sulfamethoxazole-Combination-administration-and-dosage ; *Gamma-Globulins-therapeutic-use ; *Interferon-Type-II-therapeutic-use ; *Pneumonia,-Pneumocystis-carinii-therapy ; Gamma-Globulins ; Trimethoprim-Sulfamethoxazole-Combination ; Interferon-Type-II

No abstract available.
Education, Medical*

We induced apoptosis in normal rats by intramuscular injection of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and immunohistochemically evaluated the thymus for the TdT-mediated dUTP biotin nick end labelling on the 1st, 3rd, 6th, 9th, 15th and 21st days following the bolus intramuscular injection. The injections of 5-FU induced a greater extent of apoptosis in the thymus. In the thymus, a mild increase in apoptosis was observed 24 hours after injection. The greatest number of apoptotic cells were seen at 72 hours. The size of the thymus decreased and the cortex thinned with hypocellularity. The injection of 5-FU caused massive cell loss in the thymus. Most apoptotic cells were scattered in the cortex and lower levels of apoptosis were also observed in the medulla. After 72 hours, the level of apoptosis returned to the control level. Considering the above results, we think that 5-FU induced toxicity may be related to 5-FU induced apoptosis in normal tissue, especially the thymus.
Animals ; Apoptosis* ; Biotin ; Fluorouracil* ; Injections, Intramuscular* ; Rats* ; Thymus Gland*

No abstract available.
Meningitis, Aseptic*

Pleomorphic (undifferentated) carcinoma is a rare histologic type of carcinomas of the gallbladder and an atypical carcinoid is thought to be an intermediated type between carcinoid tumor and small cell carcinoma. Dense core "neurosecretory" granules can be found in the above mentioned tumors. We experienced a case of a double tumor of the gallbladder in a 51-year old male patient. Grossly, a large solid mass, about 5.0 cm in diameter, was found in the fundic portion and the neck portion also had a small 1.5 cm-sized polypoid mass. Microscopically, these lesions had features of pleomorphic carcinoma and atypical carcinoid, respectively. Immunohistochemically, they manifested reactivity for neuron specific enolase. Ultrastructural study revealed neurosecretory granules in the cytoplasms of tumor cells of the fundic and neck masses. Although light microscopic features of these tumor masses are quite different, we consider that these tumors represent a spectrum of neuroendocrine differentiation.
Male ; Humans