Topographical distribution of lactate dehydrogenase activity in human clear eye lenses and in lenses with different types of senile cataract: a histochemical investigation.

BACKGROUND: Homogenates of human clear lenses show an age-dependent reduction of enzyme activities. Topographical patterns of enzymes in clear and cataractous lenses can be visualized by histochemistry. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Human lenses were characterized by slit-lamp investigations as bearing different types of senile cataracts. Subsequently, lenses were removed by intracapsular extraction. Clear human lenses served as controls. Bovine lenses served to standardize freeze-cutting and incubation for lactate dehydrogenase histochemistry. RESULTS: Bovine lenses show a sharp demarcation between the enzyme reaction of cortical fibers bearing cell nuclei and the non-reacting deeper fibers not exhibiting cell nuclei. Clear human lenses, lenses with deep supranuclear cortical cataracts, and lenses with nuclear cataracts exhibit the same borderline. However, in lenses with a subcapsular cortical cataract only the epithelium and a very thin layer of the most superficially located fibers show positive enzyme reactions. CONCLUSION: In growing clear human and bovine lenses, independent of age, the more peripherally located cortical fibers bearing cell nuclei exhibit strong enzyme-histochemical reactions. More centrally located lens areas lacking cell nuclei increase in volume in an age-dependent manner. These lens regions do not exhibit enzyme activities detectable by our histochemical technique. Therefore the lens areas free of histochemical reaction product become larger with increasing age, whereas the peripherally located lens fibers apparently do not change their enzyme activities with age. Thus, homogenates of total lenses show age-dependent reductions of enzyme activities, although enzyme activities remain at a physiological level in cortical lens fibers with recognizable cell nuclei. In lenses with immature supranuclear cortical and (particularly) in lenses with black nuclear cataracts, cortical fibers still can exhibit high enzyme activities. Unexpectedly, also ruptured and broken fibers in immature deep supranuclear cortical cataracts show strong enzyme activities. In contrast, in lenses with (incipient) subcapsular cortical cataracts only the most superficially located lens fibers exhibit some enzyme activity.

[Ultrastructural changes in skeletal muscle in polymyalgia rheumatica]. / Ultrastrukturelle Veränderungen in der Skelettmuskulatur bei Polymyalgia rheumatica.

Skeletal muscle from 21 patients with clinical confirmed polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) were examined electronmicroscopically. The changes were classified according to 15 ultrastructure criteria. The focal changes have a regressive character and, while they are nonspecific, the systematic assessment of all criteria produced a characteristic pattern in which the ultrastructural picture of skeletal muscles provided a certain profile in cases of PMR. The functionally most important ultrastructural change concerns the mitochondria. Deposition and deformation of crystals result in mitochondrial changes which are structurally definable and are harmful to cell respiration. They are compensated by new formation and accumulation of mitochondria. Comparative analysis of regressive skeletal changes and of processes in the region of the media of the muscular arteries demonstrates analogous morphological changes which point to a common harmful and overlying systemic process in PMR and giant cell arteritis. Changes in the ultrastructure of the kind and degree described cannot be explained by inflammatory or noninflammatory arterial occlusions.

Survival of frog striated muscle after pressure cooling.

Electronmicroscopical studies and functional tests (isometric contractibility) were performed in frog biceps muscle after treatment with elevated hydrostatic pressure at room temperature and at various temperatures below 0 degrees C. 700 bar pressure for 15 min. at room temperature caused rigor and damage to the sarcomers and mitochondria. 500 bar pressure for 15 min. and cooling to -17 degrees C resulted in solid freezing connected with severe damage to the muscular tissue and loss of any function. 518 bar pressure and cooling to -7 degrees C allowed good preservation of the ultrastructure and survival of the muscular tissue.

[Electronoptical, morphometric and histochemical studies on skeletal muscles of patients with polymyalgia rheumatica]. / Elektronenoptische, morphometrische und histochemische Untersuchungen der Skelettmuskulatur von Patienten mit Polymyalgia Rheumatica.

1. Skeletal muscle biopsies from 21 patients with polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) were examined morphometrically, histochemically, and by electron microscopy. 2. Ultrastructural changes in the PMR specimens have been classified according to 15 criteria including nucleus, myofilaments, mitochondria, T-system, glycogen deposition, lipid, lipofuscin and myelin figures. 3. The described focal muscle changes are of regressive character and nonspecific in themselves. 4. The described recording of these criteria shows an extraordinarily high incidence of skeletal muscle changes in PMR. This constellation of characteristics gives a distinctive profile to the ultrastructural picture of the skeletal musculature in PMR. 5. The most important ultrastructural changes concern the mitochondria. Crystalline inclusions and deformations lead to structural changes of the mitochondria which threaten the breathing of the cells. This, however, is compensated by the reproduction and accumulation of the mitochondria. 6. A similar analysis of the regressive muscle changes and the processes in the field of muscular artery media shows morphological analogies pointing to an identical systemic process in PMR and arteritis gigantocellularis. 7. Ultrastructural changes of this kind cannot be explained by inflammatory or noninflammatory arterial occlusions. The same applies to the light microscopic muscle findings. 8. Minor type II fiber atrophy and some moth-eaten and whorled fibers were demonstrated histochemically. These findings are not specific to PMR, being found in skeletal muscle diseases of varying origin.

Ultrastructural examination of the skeletal muscles in polymyalgia rheumatica.

Skeletal muscle biopsies of 13 patients with polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) were examined systematically with the electron microscope. Ultrastructural changes in the PMR specimens have been classified according to 14 criteria including nucleus, myofilaments, mitochondria, T-system, as well as glycogen deposition, lipid, lipofuscin, and myelin figures. The described muscle changes are of both regressive and progressive character and non-specific in themselves. The systematic recording of these criteria shows an extraordinaryly high incidence in PMR. This constellation of characteristics gives the ultrastructural picture of the skeletal musculature in PMR a definite profile. Similarities with the changes in other muscular diseases suggest that in PMR also neurogenous mechanisms may play a pathogenetic role.

[Comparison between ambulatory or stationary treatment systems for patients with rhematoid arthritis with reference to the development of the family situation]. / Vergleich des ambulanten und des Kurbeha ndlungs-systems für chronische Polyarthritiker im H inblick auf die Entwicklung der familiären Situation.

UNLABELLED: The evaluation of a detailed questionaire which was issued to 44 German female rheumatoid arthritis patients (family mothers) who underwent "Kur" treatment courses and a comparable group of Dutch patients who had ambulatory treatment only shows little advantage to the "Kur" system). The "Kur" patients had adjusted somewhat better to their illness and had retained more easily the extra-familial social contacts. In contrast, statistically significant advantages were clearly evident in the Dutch ambulatory treatment programm: 1. Over-all reduction in "feeling ill" 2. Reduced stress in association with the objectively reduced joint mobility 3. Reduced stress in association with pain 4. The support of the patient by immediate family members and other relatives is generally better 5. Better patient support possibilities by family friends 6. Reduced negative effects on family life 7. Reduced disruptive effects in relationships between the patients and their husbands and children 8. Higher degree of satisfaction with physicians and the treatment. IN CONCLUSION: Even if national behavioral differences are taken into consideration, the ambulatory system as practiced in Holland seems to hold significant advantages to the "Kur" system.