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

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

Histoautoradiographical and Electron Micro-Scopical Studies of the Prenatal Adrenal Medulla in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rat

The histoautoradiography and fine structure of the adrenal medulla in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rat (SHR, Okamoto and Aoki) was examined in the prenatal stage. The labeling index of the fetal adrenal medulla in SHR was 10±1.38 on the 20th day of gestation and became lower on the 22nd day of gestation. This tendency was consistent with the decrease of mitotic index. The autoradiographical grain count per labeled cell on the 20th day of gestation didn\u27t differ from that on the 22nd day of gestation. These results indicate that the generation time of the adrenal medullary cell in SHR became more longer on successive day of gestation. However, there was no significant difference of the histology and histoautoradiography between SHR and control. Ultrastructurally, most of medullary tissue on the 20th day of gestation were composed of the intermediate cells containing many intermediate granules. These granules increased in number during the fetal life. In most of the adrenal medullary cells, the fine structure was similar to that observed in the control group. These findings suggest that the difference of cell proliferation and cell differentiation in the adrenal medullary cells between SHR and control appears after birth, because the significant difference in the medullary cells of both groups has previously reported in the adult rats

AN ELECTRON MICROSCOPICAL STUDY OF THE ADRENAL MEDULLA IN SPONTANEOUSLY HYPERTENSIVE RATS, PARTICULARLY ON CATECHOLAMINE-GRANULES IN SECRETING CELLS

Recently it has been stressed that catecholamines play a significant role in the pathogenesis of hypertension in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats (Okamoto and Aoki) (SHR). In this report electron microscopical observation in male SHR was made on the adrenal medulla through the processes of the hypertension. The mild hyperfunctional state of norepinephrine-secreting cells in the initial stage of hypertension was expected on the feature of increased population of norepinephrine-secreting cells, its prominent Golgi complex and rough-surfaced endoplasmic reticulum and increased degranulation in the cell. Moreover, it may be assumed a certain functional change of epinephrine-secreting cell system on the base of increased population of dark epinephrine-secreting cells which are regarded as premature cells

HISTOCHEMICAL OBSERVATIONS ON NODULAR PORTIONS IN ADRENAL CORTEX OF AGING RATS

Nodular portions of the adrenal cortex in the aging rats were examined histochemically. From the observations on lipid distribution and histological feature, the cortical nodules were classified into the following three types: 1) Type I consists of the compact cells containing no or scanty fine granules of lipid. 2) Type II consists of the large cells containing moderate amounts of small of middle sized granules of lipid. 3) Type III consists of the cells with vacuolated cytoplasm and abundant lipid droplets. In the nodule of Type III, increased activity of secondary alcohol dehydrogenase was usually consistent. On the other hand, histochemical activities of the enzyme tended to more variable in Type I and Type II. The possible relations of these nodules including few transitional forms were considered