Ultrastructural Localization of Digitonin-Cholesterol Complex in the Adrenal Cortex

The ultrastructural localization of cholesterol was studied by digitonin reaction which has been used to identify the free cholesterol for electron microscopy. Digitonin-cholesterol complex revealed multi-layered cylindrical electron dense lamellae and concentric whorled lamellae. They were found in the cytoplasm closely attached to the plasma membrane in adrenocortical cells, and were also present in extracellular spaces around capillaries in the adrenal cortex. Some of them were present in lipid vacuoles and some of them are attached to the outer membrane of mitochondria. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that the free cholesterol is the precursor of steroid hormone in the adrenal cortex. The fact that some mitochondria were surrounded by digitonin-cholesterol complex and these complexes had a close relation with lipid vacuoles, suggested to us that cholesterol might be stored in lipid vacuoles and they might move into mitochondria for the hydroxylation and the side chain cleaving to form pregnenolone in the steroid pathway

Iron Accumulation and Presence of Hepatitis B Core Antigen in Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Hemochromatotic Liver

An autopsy case of hepatocellular carcinoma combined with hemochromatosis and hepatic cirrhosis were studied with iron accumulation and hepatitis B virus. Iron accumulation was confirmed by Prussian blue reaction. A positive reaction for hepatitis B surface antigen and hepatitis B core antigen were investigated by immunoperoxidase methods. Hepatocellular carcinoma with hepatitis B core antigen is accompanied by iron accumulation. This suggests that hepatitis B core antigen produces degeneration or collapse of genes of hepatocellular carcinoma resulting in iron metabolism disorder

Congenital Cystic Disease of the lung : An Autopsy Case

Many varieties of cysts occur in the lung : it includes not only true cysts but all lesions which mimic them. Recently congenital cystic disease of the lung has become widely observed and reported in literature. This is an autopsy case of congenital cystic disease of the lung of a new born

Immunohistochemical Characteristics of Histiocytes in Lymph Node Associated with Yellow-Brown Bodies

Yellow-brown bodies were observed in the sinusoids of lymph nodes and histiocytes. The authors confirmed immunohistochemical reactivity of alpha-1-antichymotrypsin, lysozyme, and alkaline phosphatase in non-phagocytic histiocytes, and phagocytic histiocytes which contained yellow-brown bodies. Histiocytes with yellow-brown bodies were not reacted to alpha-1-antichymotrypsin, lysozyme, and alkaline phosphatase. On the other hand, histiocytes without yellowbrown bodies were reacted to alpha-1-antichymotrypsin, lysozyme, and alkaline phosphatase

Pathogenesis of Metastatic Calcification due to Hypercalcemia in Adult T-cell Leukemia-Lymphoma

Two cases of metastatic calcification due to hypercalcemia in adult T-cell leukemia-lymphoma (ATLL)associated with osteolytic change for activation of osteoclasts are reported. These cases of serum calcium were at a high level, 16.2 and 19.4mg/dl (normal range 8.4-10.4mg/dl). In our cases, metastatic calcification was detected in the tubules of kidneys, in the pulmonary alveolar septa of lungs, in the myocardium, in the muscular layer of stomach, in the lower portion of media of aorta, in the mucosa of stomach, in the tubules of testis, and in the liver by von Kossa\u27s silver nitrate method for calcium. Scattered osteoclasts were seen around the cortex of the bone. Roentgenograms showed osteolytic change in the skull, in the bilateral ulna, in the radius, in the humerus, in the tibia, and in the fibula. Therefore, hypercalcemia in ATLL may be caused by bone resorption-stimulating factors which promote the differeniation of osteocalast cells, resulting in calcium increases in the serum

Suspected Case of Combined Immunodeficiency Autopsy Case

An autopsy case of combined immunodeficiency of 3 year 11 months old boy is presented. He had stomatitis, chronic protracted diarrhea, fever, growth retardation which are characteristic symptomes in severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID). IgA was low and IgG and IgM decreased towards the terminal stage. SK-SD skin reaction was negative and DNCB sensitized skin reaction was negative indicating the lack of delayed type of hypersensitivity. Compared to the typical case of primary immunodeficiency, the degree of abnormality of humoral and cellular immune functions is milder in this case. Autopsy revealed the remaining lymph nodes and histologically formation of lymphoid follicles was not distinct and lymphocyte depletion in thymic-dependent area was seen. These lesions varied in degrees depending on the location within the lymph nodes. Thymus weighed 2.2g and had Hassal\u27s corpuscles with calcification. These findings are somewhat different from the typical case of primary immunodeficiency. We consider this case as suspected case or borderline case of combined immunodeficiency by correlation of clinical and histopathological aspect. Generalized cytomegalic inclusion disease is this direct cause of death

Hidrotic Ectodermal Dysplasia with Ichthyosiform Erythroderma-like Skin Changes -An Autopsy Case-

We present an autopsy case of 30-day-old female infant who had hidrotic ectodermal dyplasia with ichthyosiform erythroderma-like skin changes and low value of migration test of neutrophils. At the time of birth she had the abscence of hairs, eyelashes, eyebrows, dystrophic nails, erythema and hyperkeratosis with scales on whole body. Autopsy revealed the presence of eccrine glands and hyperkeratosis of the epidermis, thymic involution and papillary proliferation of squamous epithelium in esophagus and vagina. Aspiration pneumonia is the immediate cause of her death. The co-existence of ectodermal dysplasia and ichthyosiform-skin changes in this case provide an opportunity to study the relationship between congenital dysplasia and ichthyosiform erythroderma in their development. It might also be possible to correlate that relationship on common ground of immunological insufficiency

Histochemical Nature of Eosinophilic Globules in Pheochromocytoma of Adrenal Medulla

Eosinophilic globules were observed in 7 out of 11 cases of pheochromocytoma of the adrenal medulla. All of these globules were present in the cytoplasm, and were round and eosinophilic, measuring 3 μm to 30 μm in diameter. These globules were periodic acid Schiff (PAS) -positive with and without diastase predigestion, phosphotungstic acid hematoxylin (PTAH) positive, acid fuchsin positive, and autofluorescent under ultraviolet illumination. These findings were very similar to the eosinophilic globules of yolk sac tumor, hepatocellular carcinoma, Kaposi\u27s sarcoma, and alpha-l-antitrypsin deficiency in light microscopy and histochemistry. They were not stained with Grimelius\u27s method for argyrophil reaction, and Fontana-Masson\u27s method for argentaffin reaction. It might be suggested that eosinophilic globules in pheochromocytoma of the adrenal medulla were not related to the chromaffin secretory granules and these globules were glycoprotein

Analysis of mRNA expression for steroidogenic enzymes in the remaining adrenal cortices attached to adrenocortical adenomas.

DESIGN AND METHODS: We have recently demonstrated that the adrenal cortices attached to aldosterone-producing adenoma (APA) contained microscopic subcapsular micronodules suggestive of active aldosterone production. In this study, we used in situ hybridization to investigate the mRNA expression of steroidogenic enzymes in the adrenal cortices attached to cortisol-producing adenoma (CPA) and clinically silent adenoma (non-functioning adenoma; NFA), in addition to APA. RESULTS: Microscopic subcapsular micronodules, which were several hundreds of micrometers in size and spheroid in shape, were observed in the cortices attached to CPA and NFA, as well as APA, at high frequency. Most of the cortical nodules in zona fasciculata to zona reticularis showed a suppressed steroidogenesis in the cortices attached to adenoma, but some expressed intensely all necessary steroidogenic enzyme mRNAs for cortisol synthesis. CONCLUSIONS: It is thus necessary to keep in mind, on the occasion of subtotal adrenalectomy, that lesions with the potential to later develop into functional adrenocortical nodules may be present in other parts of the ipsilateral or contralateral adrenal cortices

ULTRACYTOCHEMICAL LOCALIZATION OF DEHYDROGENASE IN THE RAT ADRENAL CORTEX

The ultracytochemical localization of 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3β-HSD) and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) was investigated in cells of the rat adrenal cortex using copper ferrocyanide. After incubation in a 3β-HSD medium, final reaction products of copper ferrocyanide were observed in the cytoplasmic matrix near the smooth endoplasmic reticulum (SER) and in the intracristal spaces of mitochondria of the fascicular zone and reticular zone. No deposits appeared in the Golgi apparatus or nuclei. Cells of the glomerular zone were devoid of enzyme activity. The final reaction products of copper ferrocyanide of the G6PD activity were found mainly in the cytoplasmic matrix in the vicinity of the plasma membrane of the fascicular zone. Some cells of the glomerular zone demonstrated the same reaction products in the cytoplasmic matrix. This finding was consistent with the fact that G6PD is a cytoplasmic enzyme. The result of our ultracytochemical study on the localization of 3β-HSD activity has not always been in accord with the biochemical data in cell fraction reporting that most of the 3β-HSD activity is associated with the microsomal fraction