Hamartoma ; congenital ; pathology ; Humans ; Mesoderm ; Mouth ; Mouth Diseases ; congenital ; pathology

Adult ; Female ; Hemangioma ; pathology ; Humans ; Mesoderm ; pathology ; Placenta ; pathology ; Placenta Diseases ; pathology ; Pregnancy ; Young Adult

A growing body of evidence indicates that epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of human peritoneal mesothelial cells (HPMC) may play an important role in the development and progression of peritoneal fibrosis during long-term peritoneal dialysis (PD) leading to failure of peritoneal membrane function. Here, we review our own observations and those of others on the mechanisms of EMT of HPMC and suggest potential therapeutic strategies to prevent EMT and peritoneal fibrosis during long-term PD. We found that high glucose and H2O2 as well as transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) induced EMT in HPMC and that high glucoseinduced EMT was blocked not only by inhibition of TGF-beta1 but also by antioxidants or inhibitors of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK). Since MAPKs are downstream target molecules of reactive oxygen species (ROS), these data suggest that high glucose-induced generation of ROS and subsequent MAPK activation mediate high glucose-induced EMT in HPMC. We and others also observed that bone morphogenetic protein-7 (BMP-7) prevented EMT in HPMC. Glucose degradation products (GDP) were shown to play a role in inducing EMT. Involvement of a mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) in TGF-beta1-induced EMT has also been proposed in cultured HPMC. A better understanding of the precise mechanisms involved in EMT of HPMC may provide new therapeutic strategies for inhibiting peritoneal fibrosis in long-term PD patients.
Epithelial Cells/*pathology ; Fibrosis ; Humans ; Mesoderm/*pathology ; Peritoneal Dialysis/*adverse effects ; Peritoneum/*pathology

Mesenchymal hamartoma of the chest wall is a rare tumor with about 53 reported cases in the English literature. We reviewed six chest wall mesenchymal hamartomas in four patients, including two cases with multiple lesions, with specific focus on the radiologic and pathologic correlation. All cases occurred in neonates or infants with ages ranging from seven hours to seven months. They were diagnosed with plain chest radiographs (n=6), ultrasonography (n=2), chest CT scan (n=6), whole body bone scan (n=2) and MRI (n=3). All cases except a small one without cystic change showed the typical features of mesenchymal hamartoma radiographically and pathologically. Radiologically they were well-circumscribed masses with solid and cystic components with multiple fluid-fluid levels in association with single or multiple rib destruction or change. The CT scan showed the typical findings of chest wall hamartoma, and the MR showed heterogeneous signal intensities of the mass on T1- and T2-weighted images. The MR also revealed more concisely a secondary aneurysmal bone cyst formation with multiple fluid-fluid levels on the T2-weighted image. Microscopically, they showed alternating areas of cartilaginous islands and primitive appearing mesenchymal proliferation, which corresponded well with the solid component on the radiologic findings. The areas of bone formation and blood-filled cystic spaces matched the calcified or ossified densities and the cystic components, respectively. A small case without cystic change showed peculiar radiological and pathological findings resembling an osteochondroma. In conclusion, mesenchymal hamartoma of the chest wall in infancy is quite rare and sometimes can be misdiagnosed as malignancy due to the bone-destroying radiographic appearance and the highly cellular and mitotically active microscopic features, unless the radiologists and pathologists are aware of the characteristic clinical, radiological, and pathological findings. Imaging studies can usually make a correct diagnosis with good correlation to the pathologic findings.
Female ; Hamartoma/ultrasonography ; Hamartoma/radiography*e ; Hamartoma/pathology* ; Human ; Infant ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Mesoderm/ultrasonography ; Mesoderm/radiography ; Mesoderm/pathology ; Radiography, Thoracic ; Thoracic Neoplasms/ultrasonography ; Thoracic Neoplasms/radiography* ; Thoracic Neoplasms/pathology* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

An 81-year-old man underwent bronchoscopy to investigate the cause of his dyspnea symptoms. A benign natured mass was observed in the bronchus and was excised. The pathology examination revealed a fibroepithelial polyp. He has been asymptomatic since the simple bronchoscopic excision. A fibroepithelial polyp is a benign tumor with a mesodermal origin. It is commonly found in the skin, urogenital area and chest, but is extremely rare in the respiratory system. We report a case of a fibroepithelial polyp in the bronchus, which was treated with a bronchoscopic excision, with a brief review of the relevant literature.
Aged, 80 and over ; Bronchi ; Bronchoscopy ; Dyspnea ; Humans ; Mesoderm ; Pathology ; Polyps* ; Respiratory System ; Skin ; Thorax

Renal dysplasia is a developmental disorder of the renal parenchyma involving anomalous differentiation. It is characterized by persistent metanephric ducts surrounded by primitive mesenchyme, fetal or immature glomeruli, fetal or immature tubules, interstitial fibrosis, and dysontogenic metaplasia involving tissues such as cartilage. Renal dysplasia has been rarely reported in rats. Here, we observed a small left kidney in a rat used in a short-term repeat toxicity study. The rat showed no clinical signs throughout the study. All parameters, including those reflecting kidney functions, were normal upon hematological examination and urinalysis. Grossly, the kidney was small (5 x 8 mm) and its surface appeared normal. Histological examination revealed that the cortex and medulla were poorly demarcated and contained immature/atrophic glomeruli, immature renal tubules, and mesenchymal cells. The cortex contained immature glomeruli, atrophic glomeruli with cystic dilatation of Bowman's capsular space, and some atypical tubules. Primitive metanephric tubules in the medulla were larger in diameter than normal collecting ducts, lined by a tall columnar epithelium with pale cytoplasm and basal nucleus, and surrounded by loose mesenchymal cells. Occasional tubules contained pale eosinophilic homogenous material in the lumen. Thus, this was diagnosed as a case of renal dysplasia on the basis of histologic features and is the first reported case of renal dysplasia in Sprague Dawley rats.
Animals ; Cartilage ; Cytoplasm ; Dilatation ; Eosinophils ; Epithelium ; Fibrosis ; Kidney ; Mesoderm ; Metaplasia ; Pathology ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Urinalysis

Endothelium, Vascular ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition ; Humans ; Hypertension, Pulmonary ; physiopathology ; Lung ; blood supply ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Mesoderm ; pathology ; physiopathology

Animals ; Cell Differentiation ; Epithelium ; pathology ; Humans ; Kidney Diseases ; etiology ; Mesoderm ; pathology ; Protein-Serine-Threonine Kinases ; chemistry ; physiology ; Signal Transduction

The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays physiologic roles in the embryogenesis, wound healing, and tissue regeneration. In terms of pathological direction, it causes organ fibrosis, cancer development, progression, metastasis, and chemoresistance. Recently, the underlying mechanism of EMT and many kinds of EMT regulators have been identified. Pharmaceutical treatment strategies which target EMT pathway could be applied for the prevention of tissue fibrosis and cancer progression. In the field of gastroenterology, profuse evidences have been collected about the critical roles of EMT in cancers of the gastrointestinal tract, liver, and pancreas and hepatic fibrosis. However, EMT varies widely among cancer types, and much remains to be identified about the main regulators of EMT in a specific disease. In this review, we present recent research results regarding the roles of EMT in cancers and organic fibrosis, especially in the area of gastroenterology.
Biological Markers/analysis ; Cell Transformation, Neoplastic ; *Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition ; Epithelium/pathology ; Gastrointestinal Neoplasms/etiology/*pathology ; Humans ; Mesoderm/pathology ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Neoplastic Stem Cells/pathology

This paper presents an unusual solid mesenchymal hamartoma of the liver (MHL) in adult. A well defined solid mass in the left lobe of the liver was found in a 57-year-old female. Preoperative radiologic examinations demonstrated solid mass with multifocal calcifications abutting the gallbladder. By light microscopy, the lesion was composed of dense fibrous stroma with hyalinization, bile ducts and thick-walled vessels without hepatocytes. The solid and hyalinized mesenchymal component would suggest an unusual degenerative change representing a burnt-out MHL.
Case Report ; Female ; Hamartoma/surgery ; Hamartoma/radiography ; Hamartoma/pathology* ; Human ; Liver Neoplasms/surgery ; Liver Neoplasms/radiography ; Liver Neoplasms/pathology* ; Mesoderm/pathology ; Middle Age ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed