ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Rhabdoid colorectal carcinoma (RC) is a rare lesion localized to the proximal colon of patients with a mean age at diagnosis of around 70 years. This tumor shows an aggressive behavior with an overall survival period shorter than 12 months. The diagnostic hallmark is the presence of rhabdoid cells. Alterations in chromatin remodeling (SMARCB1) and in the centrosome structure (CROCC) are reported in RC usually BRAFmut and MSI-H. RKO intestinal neoplastic cells culture (BRAFmut, SMARCB1wt, MSI-H) with CROCC knockdown exhibit rhabdoid features and develop prominent projections from the edge of the cell. METHODS: Here, we investigated two cases of CROCCmutSMARCB1wt RC by scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM, TEM). RESULTS: TEM confirmed the diagnostic presence of intermediate cytoplasmic filaments and nucleolar margination. SEM showed cellular protrusions (lamellipodia) in the intercellular spaces not evident at light microscopy. CONCLUSIONS: These protrusions CROCC-related might represent the pathogenetic mechanism underlying the rhabdoid aggressive behavior, independently of tumor staging. To our knowledge, the SEM technique was applied in the study of this neoplasm for the first time.
Subject(s)
Adenocarcinoma/ultrastructure , Colorectal Neoplasms/ultrastructure , Cytoskeletal Proteins/genetics , Rhabdoid Tumor/ultrastructure , Adenocarcinoma/genetics , Adenocarcinoma/pathology , Aged , Colorectal Neoplasms/genetics , Colorectal Neoplasms/pathology , Female , Humans , Microscopy, Electron , Pseudopodia/pathology , Pseudopodia/ultrastructure , Rhabdoid Tumor/genetics , Rhabdoid Tumor/pathologyABSTRACT
It is well known that Parkinson's disease is characterized by a variety of non-motor symptoms. A gustatory deficit is hypothesized to be one of them although few and only cross-sectional studies are available. The aim of our pilot study was to prospectively investigate the taste function in Parkinson's disease patients after some years from the first evaluation (mean follow-up 4.35 ± 0.49 years; time range 3.5-5.6 years). A group of 26 patients was re-examined (16 males and 10 females; mean age 70.9 ± 8.4 years, range 54-88 years). Taste function was assessed in one session, by means of the Whole Mouth Test (WMT) and Taste Strips Test (TST). Olfaction was also evaluated with the Sniffin' Sticks Identification Test (SST). All these tests are commercially available (Burghart Company, Germany). All patients were able to understand and complete the procedure. Although scores decreased over time, no significant difference was found between global taste scores of first and second evaluation, neither comparing every single taste quality (WMT: p = 0.234, Mann-Whitney U test; TST: p = 0.747, Mann-Whitney U test; McNemar chi-square in the range of 0-1.455). These results confirm a persistent but slight and stable taste impairment, in patients with Parkinson's disease. Future studies on a much larger sample of patients are certainly required.
Subject(s)
Parkinson Disease/physiopathology , Taste , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Disease Progression , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Pilot Projects , Prospective StudiesABSTRACT
The morphology and the functionality of the murid glandular complex, composed of the submandibular and sublingual salivary glands (SSC), were the object of several studies conducted mainly using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Using a 4.7 T scanner and a manganese-based contrast agent, we improved the signal-to-noise ratio of the SSC relating to the surrounding anatomical structures allowing to obtain high-contrast 3D images of the SSC. In the last few years, the large development in resin melting techniques opened the way for printing 3D objects starting from a 3D stack of images. Here, we demonstrate the feasibility of the 3D printing technique of soft tissues such as the SSC in the rat with the aim to improve the visualization of the organs. This approach is useful to preserve the real in vivo morphology of the SCC in living animals avoiding the anatomical shape changes due to the lack of relationships with the surrounding organs in case of extraction. It is also harmless, repeatable and can be applied to explore volumetric changes occurring during body growth, excretory duct obstruction, tumorigenesis and regeneration processes. 3D printing allows to obtain a solid object with the same shape of the organ of interest, which can be observed, freely rotated and manipulated. To increase the visibility of the details, it is possible to print the organs with a selected zoom factor, useful as in case of tiny organs in small mammalia. An immediate application of this technique is represented by educational classes.
