Three-dimensional reconstruction of the anal striated musculature in a human fetus.

Conflicting opinions in the recent literature indicate that the morphological organization and function of the anorectal continence organ has, up to now, not been clearly understood. But a clear imagination of the spatial arrangements of this compound muscle system is of clinical relevance for the pediatric surgeon performing reconstructive surgery. We analyzed 18-microm sections of the pelvic region of 4 human fetuses in order to describe the individual components of this muscle complex. A series of 630 Azan-stained sections was the base for the computer-assisted 3D reconstruction of the levator ani and the external sphincter complex in a male human fetus (14th week p.c.). In this context, special attention was paid to the intermediate muscle layer of the puborectalis which develops ventrally from the funnel-shaped levator ani and joins the tripartite ring system of the sphincter muscle dorsally. Our findings lead to a clear imagination of the spatial arrangement of this intermediate layer and characterize the anorectal muscle complex as an integrated ensemble in which the puborectalis holds a key position.

Relations between IL-3-induced proliferation and in vitro cytokine secretion of bone marrow cells from AML patients.

The influence of IL-3 on the bone marrow cells of 53 patients with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) was investigated after 72 h suspension in cultures by analysing the proliferation of blasts and the secretion of cytokines. The titres of IL-1beta IL-6, TNF-alpha and IL-3 were measured in the supernatants of these cultures with ELISA tests. Comparing the percentage of cells in S-phases of control cultures and cultures with IL-3, the leukaemias were divided into two growth pattern groups: IL-3-insensitive (n=19) and IL-3-sensitive (n=34) leukaemias. The IL-3-insensitive AML cells show a greater ability for autonomous growth, first by the increase of S-phase in the control culture compared with the S-phase in vivo (P=0.0486) and second, by the higher constitutive secretion (control culture) of IL-1beta P =0.0004), IL-6 ( P =0.0395) and TNF-alpha P=0.0005). The IL-3-induced secondary cytokine secretion is also different in the two growth pattern groups. Whereas in the IL-3-insensitive AML cells a moderate increase of IL-1beta (1.48-fold increase) was present, in the IL-3-sensitive AML cells a 4.72-fold increase of IL-1beta 2.71-fold increase of IL-6 and 11.81-fold increase of the TNF-alpha titre could be detected. Overall, the data show an inverse correlation between the ability of AML cells to respond to IL-3 with increase of an S-phase and the constitutive secretion of IL-1beta, II-6 and TNF-alpha. A further effect of IL-3 is the induction of secondary cytokine secretion in the bone marrow of IL-3-sensitive growing AML cells.

Flow cytometric DNA quantification in immunophenotyped cells as a sensitive method for determination of aneuploid multiple myeloma cells in peripheral blood stem cell harvests and bone marrow after therapy.

The simultaneous measurement of DNA content and myeloma-related antigens (B-B4 or CD38) by flow cytometry is proposed as a method for the detection of aneuploid plasma cells in peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) harvests and in bone marrow after therapy. In 30 patients with initially detected aneuploid myeloma cells we evaluated the bone marrow after therapy and in eight of these patients 23 PBSC harvests were analyzed. In 13 of 23 PBSC harvests aneuploid myeloma cells were detectable (range: 0.02-0.63%). In the bone marrow of the 30 patients aneuploid plasma cells were detectable in all samples after chemotherapy (range: 0.12-35.70%) and after autologous PBSC transplantation in two of three patients (0.21% and 0.03%). Furthermore the relationship between diploid and aneuploid plasma cells can be evaluated. In the PBSC harvests the percentage of aneuploid plasma cells is significantly lower than that of diploid plasma cells (P=0.006). In contrast, in bone marrow the aneuploid plasma cells are predominant in most patients even after therapy (24 of 30 patients; P=0.0055). In the case of initially detected aneuploid myeloma cells, a contamination with malignant cells can be estimated with a simple flow cytometric method in PBSC harvests and in bone marrow after therapy.

[Rupture of the Achilles tendon. Causes and late results after surgical management]. / Achillessehnenrupturen. Ursachen und Spätergebnisse nach operativer Versorgung.

In a retrospective study 143 cases of surgically treated Achilles tendon ruptures were evaluated. The patients most commonly were male and between 31 and 40 years old. The majority of ruptures were sport injuries, mostly caused by indirect violence. The histological examination of the tendon very frequently revealed degenerative changes. 55 patients with unilateral Achilles tendon rupture were postoperatively evaluated by clinical examination and sonography. Because of the excellent functional and cosmetical results surgery remains the appropriate treatment of Achilles tendon rupture.

[Sonographic assessment of gliding characteristics and gliding bed of the Achilles tendon following surgery]. / Die sonographische Beurteilung von Gleitverhalten und Gleitlager operierter Achillessehnen.

A bilateral comparative ultrasound evaluation of 55 patients 1-10 years after unilateral Achilles tendon rupture showed that glide was reduced by varying degrees in the tendon in a dynamic evaluation. Disturbed tendon glide was often the cause of persistent disability. In the evaluation of the glide characteristics it was helpful to allocate patients to three categories, structural changes in the tendon bed also being taken into consideration. According to this classification, 56% of the Patients had either good or only slightly reduced glide characteristics, whilst 42% demonstrated severe reductions. It was striking that it was not so much alterations in the tendon itself, but rather changes in the tendon bed that had the more deleterious effects on glide characteristics.

[The influence of object sort and early experience on the discrimination learning in domestic chickens]. / Der Einfluss von Objektart und früher Erfahrung auf die Diskriminationsleistungen von Haushühnern (Gallus domesticus).

Main subject of the reported investigation is the question in which way the acquisition of a conditional discrimination is modified on the one hand by the kind of objects presented, on the other hand by early experience. 40 newly hatched chickens grew up either with all the wooden eggs or cubes used for training and test, or without these objects, or in a 'natural' (enriched) environment. The results prove an influence of the kind of objects--cubes are discriminated twice or three times as fast as wooden eggs--but no effects of the different environments on acquisition (number of trials for reaching learning criterion). Results are discussed under aspects of species-specific constraints on learning.