nPAsym: an open-source plugin for ImageJ to quantify nuclear shape asymmetry.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The nucleus is a complex and dynamic organelle enclosing the major part of the cell's genome. A growing body of evidence suggests that changes in the shape of this organelle can influence cell activities. The other way around, altered nuclear shape may be indicative of impaired cell function. Symmetry is an important aspect of nuclear shape not receiving the attention it merits. We address this problem by presenting a software tool allowing to quantify nuclear shape asymmetry in light microscopy images. METHODS: The software named nPAsym is written in Scala and implemented as a plugin to ImageJ making possible to use it in combination with other ImageJ tools. The plugin works with 8-bit images segmented into black nuclear masks and white background. It performs a number of operations allowing to analyze multiple objects within a single image, removing some segmentation artefacts, filtering out objects incomplete and below a specified size. The feature of interest is quantified using the notion of point asymmetry. The performance of nPAsym was tested in a small-scale study comparing nuclear shapes for cells of nodular goiter, follicular thyroid adenoma and papillary thyroid carcinoma. RESULTS: We present nPAsym, the ImageJ plugin, that measures nuclear shape asymmetry. It works with digital microscopic images segmented using either a raster graphics editor or built-in ImageJ functions. nPAsym is packaged in a single .jar file and does not require installation as well as configuration. It has proved effective in distinguishing between some of the nuclear shape phenotypes. CONCLUSIONS: nPAsym is the user-friendly, platform-independent and open-source software tool allowing to quantify nuclear shape asymmetry in digital images captured from cytologic and histologic preparations. It has a potential to become useful for both experimental research and diagnostics.

Electrophoretic marker of differentiated human prostate secretory epithelial cells.

Electrophoretic analysis of primordial human prostate epithelium, glandular secretory epithelium of prostate and other human tissues revealed a marker characteristic of differentiated secretory prostate cells. Being probably neither protein nor lipid in chemical nature, this marker reacted in a peculiar way with Amido Black 10B. The marker was shown to be present in prostatic secretory substance.

Hypothalamo-hypophyseal-gonadal system in male rats and guinea pigs treated with the antiandrogen 4-nitro-3-trifluoromethylisobutyranilide.

Influence of the competitive testosterone antagonist 4-nitro-3-trifluoromethylisobutyranilide (NFBA) on the hypothalamo-hypophyseal-gonadal system in male Wistar rats and guinea pigs was studied. NFBA as well as nonlabelled testosterone diminished 3H-testosterone uptake in hypothalamus and hypophysis of castrated animals. Increase of plasma testosterone level was obtained after the antiandrogen treatment in a dose of 10 or 25 mg/kg per os during 3, 10 and 48 days. Maximal level of the hormone was noticed on the 10th day. The contents of 17-ketosteroids in testes had not changed, but the testosterone content and steroid-delta5-3beta-ol-dehydrogenase activity were high during the treatment period. After 10 days of NFBA administration increased plasma LH level was found. Increase in size and number of gonadotropocytes was revealed by histological and histochemical methods as well as Leydig cell hypertrophy. High plasma testosterone level and Leydig cell activation were obtained in guinea pigs as a result of NFBA subcutaneous injections in a dose of 10 mg/kg during 30 days. The suggestion is made that prolonged NFBA treatment produces changes in the testosterone metabolism. Short-term administration of NFBA may be used for the estimation of the hypothalamo-hypophyseal functional abilities.