Clinicopathological evaluation of immunohistochemical Ki-67 and endothelial nitric oxide synthase expression in intracranial ependymoma

Purpose: To analyze the association between Ki-67 and eNOS expression with the pathological grades of patients with intracranial ependymomas, and to determine its value in distinguishing the progression of the disease. Methods: A clinicopathological study was undertaken in 82 patients with intracranial ependymomas. Tissue samples, obtained by tumour resection, were divided into three groups: low-grade, mid-grade and high-grade ependymomas. Tissue samples obtained from 15 patients with brain contusion were used as control. Immuno-histochemical staining was performed to analyze the association between Ki-67 and eNOS expression with various tumour grades. The cell proliferating marker Ki-67 was assessed by positive cell count. The levels of eNOS positive expression were evaluated as slight, moderate and intense. Results: 48 of 82 cases (58.54%) expressed Ki-67 protein. Expression of Ki-67 and eNOS was negative in all control samples. Positive cell rates were 2.65±0.83 % in the low-grade, 9.63±0.08 % in the mid-grade, and 28.41±0.71 % in the high-grade ependymoma groups. In low-grade ependymomas there were 8 and 12 cases that expressed eNOS slightly or moderately. In the mid-grade ependymoma group eNOS was expressed moderately in 10 cases and intensely in 15. In the high-grade group 20 cases showed intense positive expression of eNOS. The Ki-67 positive cell counts for slight, moderate and intense eNOS expression were 2.20, 6.07 and 22.25, respectively. Conclusion: Ki-67 and eNOS expression in intracranial ependymoma tissue was associated with the histopathological grade and malignant degree

Comparative embryotoxicity of phenanthrene and alkyl-phenanthrene to marine medaka (Oryzias melastigma)

Alkylated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (alkyl-PAHs) are the predominant form of PAHs in oil, comprising 85-95% of total PAHs. However, little attention has been paid to these chemicals in ecological risk assessment of marine oil spill. A comparative study of the toxic effects of phenanthrene and retene (7-isopropyl-1-methylphenanthrene, an alkyl-phenanthrene) on the early life stage of marine medaka (Oryzias melastigma) was conducted. Results showed that retene was significantly more toxic than phenanthrene, and marine medaka could be more sensitive to retene than some freshwater fishes. Retene had a higher excretion rate than phenanthrene during the larvae stage. Both of compounds resulted in developmental malformation of marine medaka embryos, with phenanthrene affecting on peripheral vascular system and yolk sac, while retene affecting on cardiac tissues. The toxicity of phenanthrene might be mainly related to its anesthetic effects, and that of retene might be related to the CYP1A-mediated toxicity of its metabolites. ? 2014 Elsevier Ltd

A linguistic enclave: Translation and language policies in the early people's Republic of China

10.1177/0097700408330013Modern China355467-49