Motilin-producing liver and bone metastases evidenced 14 years after resection of a rectal polyp.

A 62-year-old man with a history of a resected rectal polyp was diagnosed 14 years later with right liver and multiple bone metastases. The liver biopsy showed a malignant epithelial tumor that was positive for neuron-specific enolase immunostaining and negative for chromogranin. Electron microscopy was characteristic of that for an endocrine tumor. Most circulating hormonal peptide levels were within normal ranges and only motilin level was elevated. On the right hepatectomy, the three large metastases had a histologic picture suggestive of an endocrine tumor. Immunohistochemistry revealed in some areas numerous tumor cells expressing motilin, and a few cells were strongly positive for pancreatic polypeptide and somatostatin. The retrospective analysis of the rectal polyp showed a similar histology and immunohistochemical profile, indicating that this lesion was the primary tumor. Motilin-positive cells from one of the hepatic lesions were identified on semithin sections and further processed for electron microscopy. Neurosecretory granules were numerous in all cells. Immunoelectron localization enabled us to characterize the motilin-containing neurosecretory granules, which had a mean diameter of 168.3x38.1 nm. Although not all tumor cells were motilin-positive, a diagnosis of motilinoma for the rectal polyp and its hepatic and bone metastases was proposed.

Immunocytochemical localization of BiP to the rough endoplasmic reticulum: evidence for protein sorting by selective retention.

Immunoglobulin heavy chain binding protein (BiP) (also known as GRP 78) is a protein of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) which has been shown to be involved in post-translational processing of nascent membrane and secretory proteins. To determine BiP's location in the exocytic pathway, we localized BiP at the electron microscopic level in mouse myeloma cell lines by immunoperoxidase cytochemistry. BiP was found to be present within the cisternal spaces of the RER and nuclear envelope but was not detected in the cisternae of the Golgi complex. BiP reaction product was also found within transitional elements of the RER but was absent from smooth-surfaced vesicles found between the ER and the Golgi complex. Immunoperoxidase staining of BiP was reduced or absent in regions of a smooth ER membrane system in myelomas that contained endogenous murine retrovirus A particles. All compartments of the exocytic pathway, including the virus-containing smooth ER, stained for IgG, a secretory protein. These observations suggest that BiP is selectively retained in the cisternae of the ER and is not free to enter Golgi-directed transport vesicles. These studies suggest that BiP's subcellular localization may occur by selective interaction with component(s) of the ER.

Transferrin receptors recycle to cis and middle as well as trans Golgi cisternae in Ig-secreting myeloma cells.

The recycling itinerary of plasma membrane transferrin receptors (TFR) was charted in IgG-secreting mouse myeloma cells (RPC 5.4) by tagging surface receptors with either bound anti-transferrin receptor antibodies (anti-TFR) or Fab fragments thereof and determining the intracellular destinations of the tagged receptors by immunocytochemistry. By immunofluorescence, TFR tagged with either probe were seen to be rapidly internalized and translocated from the cell surface to the juxtanuclear (Golgi) region. When localized by immunoperoxidase procedures at the electron microscopic level, the anti-TFR-labeled receptors were detected in all cisternae (cis, middle, and trans) of the Golgi stacks as well as in endosomes and trans Golgi reticular elements. There was no difference in the routing of TFR tagged with monovalent Fab and those tagged with divalent IgG. Tagged receptors were detected in Golgi stacks of approximately 50% of the cells analyzed. The position of the labeled cisternae within a given stack was found to be quite variable with cis and middle cisternae more often labeled at 5 min and trans cisternae at 30 min of antibody uptake. The finding that recycling plasmalemmal TFR can visit all or most Golgi subcompartments raises the likely possibility that any Golgi-associated posttranslational modification can occur during recycling as well as during the initial biosynthesis of plasmalemma receptors and other membrane proteins.

Pathogenicity of cationized albumin in the dog: renal and extrarenal effects.

The effects of 21 cationized serum albumin samples of various degrees of cationization on renal function were studied in the dog. The samples were perfused intra- aortically to obtain preferential perfusion of the left kidney in 25 dogs. Standard clearance techniques were used, associated in six dogs with sieving studies of 125I-labelled polyvinylpyrrolidone (125I-PVP) and with an extensive morphological study in 15 dogs. Renal effects were observed. (a) Renal effects in left kidneys. The perfusion with weakly cationized albumin (group 1) produced moderate proteinuria associated with the deposition of cationized albumin on the anionic sites of the basement membrane. Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was unaltered. Perfusion with highly cationized samples (group 2) produced more severe proteinuria and a significant decrease in GFR. Glomerular permeability to 125I-PVP increased. Perfusion with the four samples of highest pI (group 3) was followed by anuria. (b) Renal effects in right kidneys. A retarded mild proteinuria appeared only in group 2 and group 3 animals without alteration of GFR. All the kidneys (group 1 included), with the exception of two (group 3), showed deposition of the protein in the anionic sites. The following extrarenal effects were observed essentially in group 2 and group 3 animals: erythrocyte agglutination and haemolysis, platelet aggregation and thrombocytopenia, and a decrease in plasma fibrogen level due to fibrinogen precipitation. These effects produced progressive obstruction in the glomerular capillaries, thus explaining the occurrence of anuria. The structural damage in group 2 and group 3 left kidneys bears remarkable resemblance to that observed in the fulminant form of the human so-called 'haemolytic-uraemic syndrome'. The neutralization alone of the fixed negative charges in the glomerular wall appears to produce only mild proteinuria, whereas the various extrarenal effects combine to produce more severe proteinuria associated with functional alteration and vascular obstruction.

Isolation of plasma membranes from murine ependymoblastoma and subcellular distribution of amphotericin B in this tumor.

A method for the isolation of plasma membranes from an experimental murine ependymoblastoma is described. In this procedure, 5'-nucleotidase was used as the plasma membrane marker, since cytochemical methods demonstrated that the enzyme was present on this subcellular structure only. The final plasma membrane preparation showed a 15-fold enrichment in 5'-nucleotidase activity and a 17-fold enrichment in the activity of phosphodiesterase I, another plasma membrane marker. The specific activity of beta-glucuronidase (lysosomal enzyme) was twice that of the whole homogenate, the specific activity of arylesterase (microsomal enzyme) was similar to that of the whole homogenate and succinate dehydrogenase (mitochondrial marker) was not detected. Electron microscopy of this fraction showed vesicles on which 5'-nucleotidase activity could be demonstrated. The subcellular distribution of [3H]amphotericin B per mg of protein was similar in the plasma membrane preparation and in the whole homogenate. It is concluded that, in ependymoblastoma, amphotericin B shows no selective affinity for the plasma membrane.