Morphological and functional characteristics of satellite glial cells in the peripheral nervous system.

Satellite glial cells are specialised cells that form a functional perineuronal sheath around sensory ganglion neurons. There are a large number of studies that reveal the morphological and functional characteristics of these cells. Satellite glial cells have been studied both in intact ganglions and in tissue cultures, using light and transmission electron microscopy, immunohistochemical and other methods. Satellite glial cells have polygonal form; they are mononuclear and have developed synthetic organelles, numerous receptors, adhesion molecules and ion channels, which enable them to interact with adjacent neurons, as well as transmit signals in the ganglions of the peripheral nervous system. Based on the literature data, satellite glial cells thanks to their characteristics can receive signals from other cells and react to changes in their surroundings. Previous studies have investigated the potential role of satellite glial cells in the formation of the blood-nervous tissue barrier of the peripheral nervous system, as well as in the neuropathic pain genesis. Some recent discoveries support the fact that satellite glial cells can participate in controlling of local viral infections and protecting pseudounipolar neurons from mentioned infections.

Intestinal surgery in treatment of advanced ovarian cancer--review of our experience.

INTRODUCTION: In cases of advanced ovarian cancer bowel surgery is necessary during the primary surgical procedure, in the course of the disease for recurrence or palliation of the symptoms. Treatment with maximal cytoreductive surgery followed by chemotherapy in women with advanced ovarian cancer is well established. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We retrospectivly evaluated 56 women who were surgically treated for ovarian cancer over five years (from 2004 to 2008) at the Institute of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Clinical Center of Serbia. In 56 patients, 82 intestine operations were performed, which means that in some patients more than one intestine operation was performed. We analyzed patient characteristics, tumor features, intraoperative findings, pelvic node involvement, surgical procedure performed, indications for bowel surgery, and early postoperative complications. RESULTS: In our study the majority of patients had Stage III (82%) or IV (10%) carcinoma with poor differentiation. Epithelial ovarian cancer was the most common histopathological finding (78%) in our group of patients. There were 30 cases (53%) with serous, nine (16%) with mucinous and five (9%) with endometriod tumors. Bowel surgery was indicated in 12.2% of our patients with ovarian cancer which was mostly performed to reduce the volume of the tumor (68%), while it was indicated in recurrence of the disease in 18% of women. In addition to the standard surgery procedure, which includes removal of internal genital organs, omentum minus/majus, peritoneal tumor masses, large and small bowel resection were performed. Of 56 patients most underwent small bowel surgery--43 of a total of 82 intestinal operations (52.4%). Of these we performed small bowel resection in 34 (41.5% of all intestinal operations), while ileostomy and jejunostomy were performed in nine cases (11%). There were 39 colon operations (47.6%) and most of the cases underwent rectosygmoid resection with the Hartman procedure (33 or 40.2% of all intestinal operations). Other colon operations included hemicolectomy (3 cases--3.7%), transverse colon resection (2 cases--2.4%) and pancolectomy (1 case--1.2%). According to our experience, wound infection and febrile morbidity were the most common early postoperative complications. Mortality rates in the literature vary between 0% and 8%, and anastomotic complications between 0 and 4%, which is in agreement with our results. CONCLUSION: Radical surgical procedures in treatment of ovarian cancer including multi-organ resection are necesery to achieve a minimal residual disease state prior to initiating adjuvant chemotherapy. Bowel preparation and CT/MR imaging should be performed in patients with possible malignant ovarian masses.

Intestinal surgery and surgery of urinary tract in treatment of recurrent cervical cancer--case report.

A case of a 31-year-old patient admitted to the Institute with a diagnosis of recurrent cervical cancer after radical hysterectomy and radiation therapy 12 months before. The patient had intestinal and urinary obstruction and also the tumor compressed the iliac blood vessels superficially. She underwent clinical examination, pelvic and abdominal ultrasound and multislice CT scan. A recurring tumor with a diameter of 7 cm was diagnosed. It was localized in the left parailiac and obturator region and infiltrated the left ureter, left bladder side wall, sigmoid colon and iliac blood vessels superficially. The patient had left pelvic sidewall relapse, so she underwent a palliative surgical procedure. We evacuated the complete tumor together with the infiltrated parts of the left ureter, sigmoid colon and bladder. At the end of operation left ureterocystoneostomy was performed as well as the Hartmann procedure with anus praeter insertion. There were no significant postoperative complications. After the surgical treatment of the recurrence, we suggested that the patient continue treatment of her disease with chemotherapy.

Apoptosis induced by microtubule disrupting drugs in normal murine thymocytes in vitro.

Disruption of cytoplasmic and spindle microtubules by colchicine or nocodazole increases mitotic index, but it also enhances apoptosis in isolated mouse thymocytes; the apoptotic index exceeds 20% after 4 hours of incubation with either drug (5% in controls). Apoptosis was confirmed by DNA fragmentation, and was blocked by calcium chelators and inhibitors of protein synthesis. The apoptotic effect of microtubule disrupting drugs (MDD) was directed to interphase thymocytes and was independent on MDD action on mitotic cells. However, cell death of mitotically arrested cells showed ultrastructural changes similar in many aspects to apoptosis.