Effects of an organosilicon compound on the tubular apparatus of rat kidney. A histological and enzyme histochemical report.

Male adult Wistar rats were treated for 8 weeks with an organosilicone [2,2-dimethyl-4-(chloromethyl)-1,3-dioxa-2-silacyclopentane] employing two different dosages (25 and 50 mg/kg body weight i.p. daily) and the changes in the tubular apparatus of the kidney were investigated employing histological and enzyme-histochemical methods. The effects, more pronounced at the higher dosage, were the following: The brush borders of the proximal tubules were stuck together and disintegrated; only few epithelial cells remained intact showing a decreased activity of nonspecific esterases and the increase of beta-hydroxybutyric acid dehydrogenase. The nuclei of most of the epithelial cells in the distal tubules were dislocated towards the enlarged lumen and the cytoplasma showed a decrease of nonspecific esterases and an increase of beta-hydroxybutyric acid dehydrogenase. The collagen fibers in the walls of the collecting tubules were dislocated and disintegrated with a discontinuous border of Mg2+-ATPase; the nuclei of the epithelial cells were pyknotic, the cytoplasma showed an increase of beta-hydroxybutyric acid dehydrogenase. The induced changes were partially reversible after a recovery period of 8 weeks.

Biochemical and histochemical studies on the pituitary-testicular axis in obese (C57Bl/6J-ob/ob) mice.

Male C57Bl/6J-ob/ob mice (4 months old) and their homozygous lean controls were compared with respect to pituitary LH secretion and functional parameters of purified Leydig cells in vitro. Compared with controls, obese mice showed reductions in the following parameters: Plasma testosterone levels (reduced by 57%), hCG-stimulated testosterone formation in vitro (by 31%), conversion of progesterone to androgens by Leydig cells (by 39%), and GnRH-stimulated LH secretion (by 26%). Lipid accumulation and a 37% decrease in naphthylesterase activity in the Leydig cells as well as hyperplasia of pituitary gonadotrophs were observed histochemically in obese mice. The changes in testicular endocrine function in obese mice are interpreted as consequences of pituitary dysfunction.

Anti-thyroid activity of purified thymus gland extract in male Wistar rats.

The effect of a purified bovine thymus gland extract (Dr. Kurt Mulli, GmbH, Hamburg, West Germany) was studied in 12-week old male Wistar rats on the following: thyroid weights and morphology, T3-T4 serum levels, thyroid lactic dehydrogenase, ATP-ase, acid phosphatase, and non-specific esterase activities. Thymus extract was administered intramuscularly daily for 21 days at doses of 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 ml/kg. Measurements were made on day 3, 7, 14 and 21 of treatment. Thyroid histology and enzyme activity were studied only on 21-day specimens. Thymus extract significantly decreased average thyroid gland weights in a dose-dependent manner irrespective of treatment duration. T3 serum levels were consistently lower in thymus-treated rats irrespective of treatment dose or duration. Changes from control levels were not statistically significant due to large standard deviations. T4 serum levels were significantly lower than control levels in rats treated with thymus extract for 14 and 21 days. Histology of thyroids from 21-day treated animals revealed a marked reduction in both thyroid follicle size and colloid content with an increase in connective tissue, resorption vacuoles and hyperemia. Histochemical study of thyroid enzyme activity showed lactic dehydrogenase increase in follicle epithelial cells, acid phosphatase increase in follicle epithelial cells and decrease in interstitium, ATP-ase increase in granular storage area and non-specific esterase increase in follicle epithelial cell. The data suggest the presence of an unidentified specific anti-thyroid factor(s) in the thymus gland extract.

Enzyme histochemical studies on the pathological changes in human Sertoli cells.

Two forms of human Sertoli cell disorders were characterized enzyme histochemically from the testicular biopsy material of infertile and subfertile patients. Sertoli cell asthenia: a slight injury of the Sertoli cell with exfoliation of individual germ cells; marked by the rarefaction of reaction zones of thiamine pyrophosphatase (TPPase) and a decrease in lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). Sertoli cell insufficiency: severe Sertoli cell damage with the formation of a "puff" and a heavy exfoliation of germ cells (dislocation of Sertoli cell nucleus and cytoplasm along with the related germ cells into the lumen of seminiferous tubule); marked by a heterogeneous activity pattern of TPPase, the disappearance of LDH, maintenance of a slightly weakened activity of alkaline phosphatase, and an increase of acid phosphatase. In the case of Sertoli-cell-only syndrome, the high prismatic Sertoli cells showed strong acid phosphatase activity with scattered weak TPPase reaction, whereas the flat or cube-like Sertoli cells exhibited weak acid phosphatase activity with only one small round reaction zone of TPPase in each cell. In addition, the frequency of the occurrence of Sertoli cell asthenia, Sertoli cell insufficiency, and Sertoli-cell-only syndrome is reported, and its correlation with the andrological diseases discussed.

[Seasonal changes in the adenosine triphosphatase activity in the germinal cysts of the testis of the common frog Rana temporaria. An enzyme histochemical study]. / Jahreszeitliche Veränderungen der Adenosintriphosphatase-Aktivität in den Germinalcysten des Testis vom Grasfrosch Rana temporaria. Eine enzymhistochemische Studie.

Calcium activated ATP-ase was studied enzymohistochemically in the testis of the common frog Rana temporaria during an annual reproduction cycle. The enzyme activity was localized in the follicle cells of the cyst wall, in the mature Sertoli cells, in germ cells and in the lamina propria of the seminiferous tubules. The maximum activity was recorded during the hibernation period, the cyst formation and the late maturation phase. The lowest activity was observed during the phases of spermiation and maturation of primary spermatocytes. The intensity of the ATP-ase reaction can be correlated with the seasonal changes during the spermatogenetic cycle of Rana temporaria. The role of ATP-ase in the permeability processes across the cyst wall, in the contractility of Sertoli cells and myoid cells of the lamina propria as well as in the release of sperms has been discussed.

[Comparative histological and histochemical studies on the "spleen-ovary" in the rat (Lipschütz) following administration of FSH and spleen extract]. / Vergleichende histologische und histochemische Untersuchungen am "Milzovar" der Ratte (Lipschütz) nach Applikation von FSH und Milzextrakt.

On the basis of the "Lipschuetz-ovary" model the rat ovary is cystically altered. -- In such an ovary the effect of a spleen extract (Solcosplen) and FSH (Anternon) were compared with histological and histochemical methods. -- With bothe the substances could be observed a diminution of the cystic degeneration.

Enzyme histochemical, biochemical and metabolic effects of Solcoseryl in connection with its radioprotective capability.

The lethal irradiation with gamma-rays (LD 100/30) of adult mice at ambient temperature of 32.5 degrees C heavily alterates the pattern of LDH in liver. In close correspondence with the radioprotective effect of Solcoseryl on the survival rate of irradiated mice -- which amounts to 100% as compared with 40% survival of solely heat adapted animals -- Solcoseryl normalizes the LDH distribution both histochemically and biochemically. Since Solcoseryl alone generally enhances enzyme activity the normalization observed is obviously attributable to an intrinsically regulatory property of this natural compound.

The action of Solcoseryl on two glycolytic enzymes of several organs of the irradiated mouse.

The blood extract Solcoseryl (SO), when administered daily in i.p. injection to mice adapted to ambient temperature of 32.5 degrees C enhances within a period of 5 days the activities of the enzymes LDH and G-6-PDH of liver, kidney, testes and thymus in an oscillatory way. The changes of enzyme activity resulting from whole body irradiation with gamma-rays and exhibiting mostly a tendency towards diminution are abolished and the activities restored to values lying in between those obtained with sole SO treatment or irradiation alone, respectively, when following irradiation SO is again applied for a period of 3 days.

[Enzyme-histochemical behaviour of the tanycyte ependyma in the III. ventricle of the rat with thiamin deficiency (author's transl)]. / Das enzymhistochemische Verhalten des Tanycytenependyms im III. Ventrikel der Ratte bei Thiaminmangelernährung.

The influence of experimental thiamine deficiency in rats on enzyme-histochemical parameters was carried out in the diencephalon. The degree of thiamine deficiency was measured by the activity coefficient of transketolase in the red blood cells. The alpha-ETK of thiamine deficient animals was 1,45 +/- 0,36, of equal-fed animals 1,04 +/- 0.04 and of control animals 1,08 +/- 0,04. We got the following results: Lactatdehydrogenase, acid phosphatases and thiamine pyrophosphatase did not indicate any difference in enzyme activity between the groups of control, equal-fed and thiamine deficient rats. However, the enzyme activity of nonspecific lysosome-bound esterases in the tanycyte ependyma and in the investigated nuclear regions (nucleus supraopticus, ncl. paraventricularis, ncl. ventromedialis) of the thiamine deficient animals was significantly decreased in comparison to control and equal-fed animals. The possibility of a restriction of the hypophyseal-adrenal-cortex-system is discussed, since the results are similar to those obtained with bilaterally adrenalectomized rats.