C-cell hyperplasia in sporadic and familial medullary thyroid carcinoma

Context: C-cell hyperplasia (CCH) is characterized by increased mass of C-cells and has been identified as a precursor condition for medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC). Varying proportion of MTCs is associated with CCH in different studies. This could be due to the lack of uniformity of the definitions and techniques used to identify CCH in these studies. Aims: This study aims to study the occurrence, clinicopathological, and immunohistochemical features of CCH in MTC diagnosed during a 22-year period at a tertiary care center in North India and to review the available literature on CCH. Materials and Methods: Eighty-seven consecutive cases of MTC were included in the study. Histological evaluation for the presence of CCH and neoplastic CCH was performed. Confirmation of CCH was done by immunohistochemistry for calcitonin and chromogranin. The presence of neoplastic CCH was correlated with clinical factors and prognostic factors. Results: Of 87 cases of MTC included in the study, 71 (82%) patients were sporadic and 16 (18%) had familial MTC. Neoplastic CCH was seen in 12 (75%) familial and in 9 (13%) sporadic MTC. Patients with familial MTC were more frequently associated with neoplastic CCH than sporadic MTC (P < 0.001), were younger (P < 0.001), and had more often bilateral and multifocal tumors (P < 0.001). However, there was no significant difference in mean survival time and progression-free survival in patients with and without CCH. Conclusion: CCH, though more common in familial MTC, can also be seen in sporadic tumors. CCH is not associated with patient survival and disease progression.

Metastatic thyroid C-cell carcinoma in a beagle dog / 대한수의학회지

An adult beagle dog was presented with a cervical mass detected by palpation and computed tomography. Fine needle aspirates revealed numerous epithelial cells with plasmacytoid appearance and frequent naked nuclei. Histologically, the mass consists of multiple packets of neoplastic cells and extensive areas of necrosis and fibrosis. Neoplastic cells were also found in submandibular lymph nodes. Immunohistochemistry showed that neoplastic cells were positive for calcitonin and negative for thyroglobulin. Based on these findings, the cervical mass was diagnosed as thyroid C-cell carcinoma. Almost one year after the surgical excision, the dog remains healthy without any symptom of recurrence or metastasis.

Cordycepin induces apoptosis in human neuroblastoma SK-N-BE(2)-C and melanoma SK-MEL-2 cells.

In this study, the effect of cordycepin (3’-deoxyadenosine), a major component of Cordyceps militaris, an ingredient of traditional Chinese medicine was investigated for the first time on apoptotsis in human neuroblastoma SK-N-BE(2)-C and melanoma SK-MEL-2 cells. Cordycepin significantly inhibited the proliferation of human neuroblastoma SK-N-BE(2)-C and human melanoma SK-MEL-2 cells with IC50 values of 120 mM and 80 mM, respectively. Cordycepin treatment at 120 mM and 80 mM, respectively, induced apoptosis in both cells and caused the increase of cell accumulation in a time-dependent manner at the apoptotic sub-G1 phase, as evidenced by the flow cytometry (FCM) and annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) analyses. Western blot analysis revealed the induction of active caspase-3 and poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase (PARP) cleavage by cordycepin treatment. These results suggest that cordycepin is a potential candidate for cancer therapy of neuroblastoma and melanoma.

Preliminary identification of the mutant human embryonic lung fibroblast Z-HL_(16)C cell strain / 基础医学与临床

Objective To study the characteristics of Z-HL_(16)C cell strain mutated from the human embryonic lung fibroblasts(HL).Methods Morphology observation,chromosome cytogenetics,tumorigenesis in nude mice,and the sensitivity to virus were examined.Results As a transformed cell strain,the Z-HL_(16)C showed polygon shapes liking epithelium;the number of chromosome was sub-triploid or hyper-triploid,and the structures of 30%～40% chromosomes were abnormal.The incidence of its inoculation in nude mice was 100%,and the pathological studies proved its tumorigenesis.The cytopathic effects of many kinds of viruses were observed in Z-HL_(16)C cell strain.Conclusion The Z-HL_(16)C is one of the cancer cell strains transformed from HL cells.

Effects of Ionizing Radiation and Cisplatin on Peroxiredoxin I & II Expression and Survival Rate in Human Neuroblastoma and Rat Fibroblast Cells / 대한방사선종양학회지

PURPOSE: This study investigated the influence of irradiation and cisplatin on PrxI & PrxII expression and on their survival rates (SR) in SK-N-BE2C and Rat2 cell lines. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The amount of PrxI & PrxII production with or without N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) pretreatment was studied using a western blot after 20 Gy irradiation to determine the degree of inhibition of ROS accumulation. In addition, the amount of PrxI & PrxII production after cisplatin and after combination with cisplatin and 20 Gy irradiation was studied. The SRs of the cell lines in SK-N-BE2C and Rat 2 cells, applied with 20 Gy irradiation only, with various concentrations of cisplatin and with the combination of both, were studied. The 20 Gy irradiation-only group and the combination group were each subdivided according to NAC pretreatment, and corresponding SRs were observed at 2, 6, 12 and 48 hours after treatment. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the amount of PrxI in SK-N-BE2C increased up to 60 minutes after irradiation and slightly increased after irradiation with NAC pretreatment 60 minutes. It did not increase in Rat2 after irradiation regardless of NAC pretreatment. PrxII in SK-N-BE2C and Rat2 was not increased after irradiation regardless of NAC pretreatment. The amounts of PrxI and PrxII in SK-N-BE2C and Rat2 were not increased either with the cisplatin-only treatment or the combination treatment with cisplatin and irradiation. SRs of irradiation group with or without NAC pretreatment and the combination group with or without NAC pretreatment were compared with each other in SK-N-BE2C and Rat2. SR was significantly high for the group with increased amount of PrxI, NAC pretreatment and lower the cisplatin concentration. SR of the group in SK-N-BE2C which had irradiation with NAC pretreatment tended to be slightly higher than the group who had irradiation without NAC pretreatment. SR of the group in Rat2 which had irradiation with NAC pretreatment was significantly higher than that the group which had irradiation without NAC pretreatment. Compared to the combination group, the irradiation-only group revealed statistically significant SR decrease with the maximal difference at 12 hours. However, at 48 hours the SR of the combination group was significantly lower than the irradiation-only group. CONCLUSION: PrxI is suggested to be an antioxidant enzyme because the amount of PrxI was increased by irradiation but decreased pretreatment NAC, a known antioxidants. Furthermore, cisplatin may inhibit PrxI production which may lead to increase cytotoxicity of irradiation. The expression of PrxI may play an important role in cytotoxicity mechanism caused by irradiation and cisplatin.

Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor down-regulates rat thyroid C cells / 医学研究生学报

Objective:To investigate the influence of the granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor(GM-CSF) on rat thyroid parafollicular cells(C cells).Methods: A total of 48 healthy SD rats were randomly and equally divided into a control group,a low dose group(GM-CSF 10 ?g/kg?d-1) and a high dose group(GM-CSF 50 ?g/kg?d-1).The latter two groups were treated by intraperitoneal administration of GM-CSF at their respective doses for 7 days,and then the thyroid parafollicular cells were stained by immunohishtochemical streptavidin-peroxidase(S-P) technique and their number counted.Results: The number of C cells was(67.43 ? 13.73)in the high dose group,significantly smaller than that of the low dose group(85.97 ? 20.12)(P

HISTOLOGICAL AND HISTOCHEMICAL CHANGES OF THE RABBIT THYROID GLAND DURING EXPERIMENTAL PEPTIC ULCER: Ⅱ. The Parafollicular Cells / 解剖学报

The histological and histochemical changes in the C cells of the rabbit thyroid during experimental peptic ulcer were studied. Acetylcholinesterase was used as the marker enzyme to identify C cells. Forty-nine adult male rabbits were randomly divided into three groups: 1. In the experimental peptic ulcer group, 24 animals were induced to develop peptic ulcer by injecting 0.15 ml/kg of 40% acetic acid into the submucosa of the stomach after laparotomy under aseptic conditions. 2. In the saline control group, 18 animals were injected with 0.15ml/kg of normal saline into the submucosa of the stomach after laparotomy. 3. In the normal control group, 7 rabbits were raised under the same conditions as groups 1 and 2 without any treatment. Thyroid glands were removed at different time intervals (1-28 days) after the operation. The right thyroids were prepared for cryostat sections and subjected to enzyme histochemical studies. The left thyroids were fixed in Carnoy's fluid and subjected to histological and other histochemical studies. The findings were as follows.In the C cells from the normal control group, the reactions of acetylcholinesterase, nonspecific esterase and acid phosphatase were rather strong. Acetylcholinesterase can be taken as a specific marker enzyme for C cells. The reactions of thiamine pyrophosphatase, succinate dehydrogenase, lactate dehydrogenase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and ribonucleic acid were weak which suggested that normal C cells were a at a lower state of functional activity. In the saline control group, the histochemical changes showed that the C ceils were in an active functional state during the early period of the experiment, which may possibly reflect the response of C cells to the operation stress and wound healing. In the experimental peptic ulcer group, the reactions of acetycholinesterase, nonspecific esterase, acid phosphatase, succinate dehydrogenase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, thiamine pyrophosphatase and ribonuclic acid of the C cells in the experimental peptic ulcer group were stronger than those of the saline control group 7-28 days after the operation. These histochemical changes of C cells duting this period may suggest that the C cells were active in function and perhaps participated in the regulatory activities of the organism during its recovery from the disease. In none of the three groups did the C cells show any conspicuous histological and morphological changes at any time in the experiment.

HISTOGENESIS OF THE HUMAN THYROID GLAND / 解剖学报

Thyroid glands from 80 human fetuses, 7～31 weeks in gestational age were obtained to study the morphological development of thyroid glands by histochemical, immunohistochemical and TEM techniques. During 7～8.5 weeks the glands composed mostly of epithelial cell cords and abundant glycogen were seen in the cytoplasm of the cells. Some follicles and small accumulations of colloid in the center of the follicles appeared at 12～12.5 weeks and less glycogen was found in the cells. C cells were distributed mainly in the posterior region of the upper pole of both lobes, they usaually occurred singly or in small groups. During intrauterine life, C cells occupied three positions. They are found between follicular cells, between follicular cell and basement membrane and between follicles. But they are situated predominantly in the follicular wall. Three morphological variants were found in the human fetal C cells: (1) spherical or oval cells, (2) polygonal or pyramidal cells (3) cells with a cytoplasmic process. Developing C cells seem to have few secretory granules by TEM and argyrophilic reaction in semithin sections.