Résumé
OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to investigate the incidence of placental apoptosis in pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia. METHODS: Placental samples were obtained from 15 uncomplicated third-trimester pregnancies and from 17 pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia. TUNEL (terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick end labeling) staining and electron microscopy were performed on all placental samples and identified apoptosis within the cells of the placenta. TUNEL positive stained cells were counted at each photograph(five sections were photoragphed at 1,500 magnifications for each sample). We focused on only the syncytiotrophoblast nuclei of the placenta. The number of apoptotic syncytiotrophoblast nuclei identified was expressed as a percentage of total number of syncytiotrophoblast nuclei counted. RESULTS: Quantification of apoptosis (mean+/-SD) was as follows: normal third trimester (n=15) 0.57+/- 0.47% of cells and preeclampsia third trimester (n=17) 1.41+/-0.67% of cells. The incidence of apoptosis was significantly increased in placentas from pregnancies with preeclampsia compared with normal placentas (p< 0.01). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that placental apoptosis may play a role in the pathophysiologic mechanisms of preeclampsia.
Sujets)
Femelle , Humains , Grossesse , Apoptose , Désoxyuridine , Méthode TUNEL , Incidence , Microscopie électronique , Placenta , Pré-éclampsie , Troisième trimestre de grossesse , TrophoblastesRésumé
Reactive oxygen species such as superoxides, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and hydroxyl radicals have been suggested to be involved in the catalytic action of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) to produce NO from L-arginine. An examination was conducted on the effects of oxygen radical scavengers and oxygen radical-generating systems on the activity of neuronal NOS and guanylate cyclase (GC) in rat brains and NOS from the activated murine macrophage cell line J774. Catalase and superoxide dismutase (SOD) showed no significant effects on NOS or GC activity. Nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT, known as a superoxide radical scavenger) and peroxidase (POD) inhibited NOS, but their inhibitory actions were removed by increasing the concentration of arginine or NADPH respectively, in the reaction mixture. NOS and NO-dependent GC were inactivated by ascorbate/FeSO4 (a metal-catalyzed oxidation system), 2'2'-azobis-amidinopropane (a peroxy radical producer), and xanthine/xanthine oxidase (a superoxide generating system). The effects of oxygen radicals or antioxidants on the two isoforms of NOS were almost similar. However, H2O2 activated GC in a dose-dependent manner from 100 microM to 1 mM without significant effects on NOS. H2O2-induced GC activation was blocked by catalase. These results suggested that oxygen radicals inhibited NOS and GC, but H2O2 could activate GC directly.
Sujets)
Rats , Animaux , Antioxydants/pharmacologie , Encéphale/enzymologie , Catalase/pharmacologie , Lignée cellulaire , Guanylate cyclase/métabolisme , Peroxyde d'hydrogène/pharmacologie , Macrophages/enzymologie , NADP/pharmacologie , Nitric oxide synthase/métabolisme , Bleu de nitrotétrazolium/pharmacologie , Rat Sprague-Dawley , Espèces réactives de l'oxygène/métabolisme , Transduction du signal , Superoxide dismutase/pharmacologieRésumé
Krukenberg tumor, which can account for 30-40% of metastatic cancers to the ovaries, arises in the ovarian stroma and is usually metastatic from the gastrointestinal tract, especially from the stomach. The pathognomonic feature is the presence of signet ring cells, which may be arranged in acini or appear as individual cells. We experienced a Krukenberg tumor which was bilateral and associated with left ovarian dermoid cyst. This patient was treated for a primary gastric carcinoma(Stage II) about 3 years ago. After bilateral salpingoophorectomy, she received adjuvant chemotherapy. But, she died about fow months after operation.
Sujets)
Femelle , Humains , Traitement médicamenteux adjuvant , Kyste dermoïde , Tube digestif , Tumeur de Krukenberg , Ovaire , EstomacRésumé
Primary tumors of the heart are rare in infancy and childhood and are most often benign. The most common cardiac tumors are rhabdomyoma, fibroma, and myxoma. Rhabdomyomas occur as single or usually multiple nodules embedded in chamber walls. They may remain clinically unimportant or even regress but also cause mechanical obstruction, heart failure, or arrhythmias. It is generally accepted that 50% of cardiac rhabdomyoma are associated with tuberous sclerosis. We experienced two cases of fetal cardiac tumor which were detected by prenatal ultra sound. One case was multiple cardiac rhabdomyomas diagnosed in 37 weeks of gestation. After birth, brain MRI was performed and tuberous sclerosis was diagnosed. The other case was 1.2 cm sized single hyperechoic mass in the left ventricle. Postnatal echocardiography confirmed the prenatal diagnosis.
Sujets)
Grossesse , Troubles du rythme cardiaque , Encéphale , Échocardiographie , Foetus , Fibrome , Coeur , Défaillance cardiaque , Tumeurs du coeur , Ventricules cardiaques , Imagerie par résonance magnétique , Myxome , Parturition , Diagnostic prénatal , Rhabdomyome , Complexe de la sclérose tubéreuse , ÉchographieRésumé
Uterine leiomyosarcoma is a rare malignant tumor, and distant metastasis to skull bone is very uncommon. We experienced a case of parietal skull bone metastasis from uterine leiomyosarcoma in a 52-year-old woman who had undergone simple total hysterectomy and bilateral salpingoophorectomy with the diagnosis of uterine myoma. We treated this patient with combination chemotherapy using cisplatin and adriamycin and radiotherapy after craniectomy. She is alive now without particular symptoms. We report this case with a brief review of some literatures.