[Morphologic characteristics and ATPase activity in permeabilized epididymal bull sperm]. / Morphologische Charakteristika und ATPase-Aktivität permeabilisierter epididymaler Bullenspermien.

The treatment of bull spermatozoa from epididymal cauda with 5 micrograms digitonin per microliters cells led to the destruction of the plasma membrane which was shown by electron microscopy. Structural changes of mitochondria and of the axoneme were not found. The functional intactness was maintained. The plasma membranes of hypotonically treated spermatozoa were permeable for succinate and the mitochondria showed a diminished functional intactness. For the total ATPase activity of digitonin-treated cells, mainly representing the dynein ATPase, a maximal activity of 20.3 nmol ATP x min-1 x microliters cells-1 (mean +/- S.D.; n = 8) and an apparent half saturation constant of 0.29 mM ATP were determined. The portions of Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase and mitochondrial ATPase in the total ATP-splitting activity were found to be less than 15%. In comparison to the capacity of mitochondrial ATP production, the maximal activity of ATP consuming reactions amounted to about 70%. These results support findings that the ATP turnover of spermatozoa is more limited by the ATP consumption than by the ATP production.

[Primary intracranial plasma cell granuloma. Report of two cases]. / Primäres intrakranielles Plasmazellgranulom. Bericht über zwei Fälle.

Investigation of biopsies of a suprasellar tumour in a man, 33 years of age, and a supratentorial tumour in a woman, 18 years of age, resulted in histological diagnosis of intracranial plasma cell granuloma, a rare condition. Polyclonality of the plasma cells involved in the process could be verified by immunohistochemical investigation. Chordoma was clinically assumed in the first case and meningioma in the second. Biological behaviour and dubious prognosis are discussed, with reference being made to relevant literature.

Influence of anoxia, reoxygenation, and uncoupling on survival, respiration, and trypsin-inhibiting capacity of isolated pancreatic acinar cells.

In the pathogenesis of acute pancreatitis, the events and mechanisms increasing the digestibility of the pancreatic acinar cells are widely unknown. Therefore, the possible contribution of a disturbed energy supply (provoked by anoxia or partial uncoupling) to the induction of autodigestion was studied in experiments on acinar cells isolated from the pancreas. During incubation viability, respiration under normal and maximally stimulated conditions, and trypsin-inhibiting capacity (TIC) of these cells were determined. With increasing duration of anoxia, the portion of surviving cells was strongly diminished, and the number of cells with blebs and vesicularly transformed endoplasmic reticulum was increased. Although the endogenous respiration was not influenced up to 1.5 h of anoxia, 30 min of anoxia substantially decreased the capacity of oxidative energy production. The survival curves were characterized by a self-accelerating course of cell destruction. The alteration of the cellular energy metabolism found its reflection in the decreased TIC of the cells.

[Etiology and morphology of retrocorneal membranes following microsurgical operations of the anterior eye segment]. / Zur Atiologie und Morphologie retrokornealer Membranen nach mikrochirurgischen Operationen am vorderen Augenabschnitt.

This report deals with light and electron microscopic findings in 47 corneal disks obtained in the course of keratoplasties performed for bullous keratopathy. Previous surgery had included intracapsular cataract extraction in 12 cases, intracapsular cataract extraction with implantation of iris-supported artificial lenses in 8, and keratoplasty for treatment of various conditions in 27 cases. The interval between the first operation and the keratoplasty was seven years on average in the first group and three years in the two other groups. In 34 out of 47 cases a retrocorneal membrane was found to be responsible for the keratopathy. Stromal fibroblasts as well as endothelial cells of the cornea may participate in the formation of the membrane. It is suspected that postoperative bullous keratopathy is always caused by a retrocorneal membrane, which is, however, sometimes only demonstrable by electron microscopy.

Effects of pancreatic acinar cell surface antibodies and complement on isolated rat acinar cells in vitro.

Surface directed pancreatic acinar cell antibodies raised by immunization of rabbits with suspensions of viable isolated rat acinar cells were utilized to study immune cytolytic processes as a model of in vitro pancreatic injury. The antibodies produced were bound to rat pancreatic acinar cell surface determinants and significantly damaged freshly separated acinar cells by immune cytolytic mechanisms. Addition of complement accelerated the cytolytic effects on the target cells in a dose-dependent manner. The decline of acinar cells was dependent only on the presence of the immune cytolytic potential and not on the number of already damaged cells. Morphologic changes in the cells induced by the agents applied were revealed by both transmission and scanning electron microscopy. The presented experimental model seems a valuable tool for further investigations at the cellular level into the contribution of primarily occurring acinar cell injury in triggering the subsequent pathophysiological mechanisms initiating autodigestion of the pancreatic gland in the pathogenesis of acute pancreatitis.

An optimized procedure for isolation of rat pancreatic acinar cells.

A simple and inexpensive procedure is described which allows reproducibly the isolation of rat pancreatic acinar cells. Using only small quantities of commercially available collagenase without addition of any further protease, a cell population consisting of about 95% of acinar cells can be obtained within about 95 min. Cell yield is 40% as calculated on a dry weight basis. Enzyme activities measured within final suspensions of isolated cells are: amylase, 1.17 +/- 0.27 amylase units.(mg d.w.)-1; lipase, 23.78 +/- 6.02 nkat.(mg d.w.)-1 and alanine aminotransferase, 0.895 +/- 0.236 nkat.(mg d.w.)-1. Isolated cells are morphologically intact as seen by electron microscopy and retain their viability for more than 3 h, even when incubated at 37 degrees C without any substrate and protease inhibitor, as revealed by their ability to exclude trypen blue. Therefore, acinar cells isolated in this manner may prove useful for investigations at cellular level into pathogenetic mechanisms underlying pancreatic diseases.

[Electron microscopy studies of cilia of the bronchial tree in children with chronic bronchopulmonary diseases]. / Elektronenmikroskopische Untersuchungen der Zilien des Bronchialbaumes von Kindern mit chronischen bronchopulmonalen Erkrankungen.

The results of an ultrastructural analysis of cilia in 30 children at the age of 11 month to 16 years are presented. Children with marked symptoms of chronic bronchitis were consciously chosen for examination. One group of 15 children was suffering from chronic bronchitis with bronchiectases. No bronchiectasis was found in the second group of 15 children with chronic bronchitis. Specific changes were more evident in the first group, whereas nonspecific changes were of equal frequency in both groups. Only in 3 patients of group I generalized specific defects could be demonstrated. In these cases mucociliary clearance was nearly not present. Ultrastructural changes of cilia in children with chronic nonspecific lung diseases enclose a wide spectrum. Compared to it generalized structural defects are rare and only in 3 cases of our study demonstrable (negative selection of a bronchological centre).

Morphological and biochemical characterization of pancreatic acinar cells from guinea pig.

For elucidation of pathogenesis of acute pancreatitis an evaluation of the "intactness of cellular metabolism" of the acinar cells is an important question. To this end single acinar cells were isolated from guinea pig pancreata and studied at morphological and biochemical levels. The presented procedure generally results in suspensions with more than 85 percent intact exocrine cells which maintain their typical arrangement of the zymogen granules in the apical region during isolation procedure. The cellular content of amylase, lipase, and ALAT was determined. The measurement of parameters of cellular energy metabolism was regarded as essential for determination of functional intactness of the pancreocytes. The oxygraphically measured span between unstimulated respiration and that after maximal stimulation by uncoupling was used to characterize the load capacity of cellular energy metabolism.

[What is established in the immotile cilia syndrome?]. / Was ist gesichert beim Syndrom dysmotiler Zilien?

For the first time in 1975 ultrastructural defects of the sperm tail and the cilia of the respiratory tract were recognized as causing male sterility and chronic bronchitis. A spectrum of ultrastructural defects leading to a restricted mucociliary clearance and chronic bronchitis was found by further investigations. Whereas genetically determined primary structural defects appear generally, secondary ciliary changes caused by chronic infections are found sporadically and not bound to a fixed pattern. Congenital and acquired specific ciliary alterations in the tubulin-dynein-system should be distinguished from nonspecific acquired alterations. A summary of the presently known ultrastructural changes is illustrated by findings of the authors.

[Morphological studies of the Leydig cells in impaired fertility]. / Morphologische Untersuchungen der Leydig-Zellen bei gestörter Fertilität.

The histological results of 242 testicular biopsies in the period from 1974 to 1983 were evaluated with special consideration of the Leydig cells. Normal spermatogenesis was found in 9.5% of cases, hypospermatogenesis with and without maturation arrest in 76.4%, also Sertoli-cell-only and Klinefelter's syndrome in 11.6% and 2.5% respectively. Frequently an increase as well as a decrease of Leydig cells were observed in cases with pathological findings in these biopsies. In patients with Klinefelter's syndrome only an increase of Leydig cells could be seen. Ultrastructural investigations have shown that there were degenerative alterations of nucleus and cytoplasm in the Leydig cells of pathological biopsies, which could not be seen with light microscopy. In one patient with Klinefelter's syndrome needle-like crystalloid inclusions of unknown genesis were found in cytoplasm.

[Morphologic and histochemical studies of the development of chloroquine-induced storage disease in the semilunar ganglion of the rat]. / Morphologisch-histochemische Untersuchungen zur formalen Genese der Chloroquinspeicherdystrophie im Ganglion semilunare der Ratte.

Intralysosomal storage of polar lipids can be induced in rats by treatment with Chloroquine, which belongs to cationic amphiphilic compounds. The drug accumulates in lysosomes of cells of the peripheral nervous system and interferes with the catabolism of polar lipids. As a consequence the lysosomes are transformed into bodies which are characterized by an internal lamellated pattern. The lipids stored in the neuron cells are phospholipids. The purpose of the present study was to check up the chronological development of the structural and lipid histochemical alterations within neuron cells. A significant enlargement of perikarya was observed after treatment of 94 d. A moderate increase of lysosomes and phospholipids was noticed after 82 d. Some typical foam-cells were seen after a period of 250 d. Moreover, a special mitochondrial alteration was observed, which could express close correlations between phospholipid metabolism and damaged parts of mitochondria.

[Relation between lipofuscin content and organelle density in pyramidal cells of laminae III and V of area 10 (Brodmann) of the cerebral frontal lobe of humans of different ages]. / Beziehungen zwischen dem Lipofuszingehalt und der Organellendichte in den Pyramidenzellen der Laminae III und V der Area 10 (Brodmann) des Lobus frontalis cerebri von Menschen unterschiedlicher Altersstufen.

The areal portion of the lipofuscin granules and mitochondria contained in ultrathin sections, the length of rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER) and the numerical density of ribosomes were determined in the pyramidal cells of layers III and V of area 10 (Brodmann) of the frontal brains of six newly died persons of different ages. This revealed considerable differences in lipofuscin contents and numerical density of organelles between the pyramidal cells and greater values, on an average, for the pyramidal cells of layer III. The comparison of averages for the single brains did not show the continuity nor the age dependence of changes but rather the individual variability of these processes. The expected decrease of the density of organelles with increasing lipofuscin contents was found more frequently only at extremely high values of lipofuscin contents. It becomes evident that even under the conditions of lipofuscin accumulation the permanently necessary physiological renewal of cell structures involved in metabolism is guaranteed over a longer period of time and that their full performance is almost completely unimpaired during this phase.

Meningioma of lung: first report with light and electron microscopic findings.

This is the first report of a primary meningioma of the lung. The lesion was present at least 4 years prior to its operative removal. The 59-year-old patient is still healthy 2 1/2 years after operation. All examinations, including computed tomography, failed to detect another primary tumor. Light and electron microscopic findings are identical to those in endotheliomatous meningioma. The relations to the so-called minute pulmonary chemodectomas and the probable histogenesis are discussed.

[A Lead-containing lipomelanosis of the human nucleus dentatus cerebelli]. / Die Metallolipomelanose des Nucleus dentatus cerebelli des Menschen. Licht- und elektronenmikroskopische, histochemische, atomabsorptions-spectrometrische und neutronenaktivierungsanalytische Untersuchungen sowie Elektronenstrahl-Mikroanalyse.

A case of a rare pigmentation of nucleus dentatus and stratum granulare cerebelli was investigated with microscopical and histochemical methods such as atom absorption and neutron activation analysis. The histochemical results of the analysis suggest that the pigment may belong to the group of melanin. The prepigments are rich in chromolipoids. The concentration of copper, zinc, iron and lead is increased. The larger content of lead has to be regarded as the very pathological symptom in the human cerebellum.

[The significance of "slight proteinuria"]. / Zur Wertigkeit der "geringen Proteinurie".

It is reported on renal biopsies in 67 patients with "slight proteinuria", 39 of whom were at an age of younger than 20 years. In 53 patients the cause of the "slight proteinuria" is a mesangio-proliferative glomerulonephritis, where in 2 cases severe changes with sclerosis were proved. Thus by way of addition the necessity of a renal biopsy is emphasized for the clarification of the cause also of a "slight proteinuria".

[Electron microscopic morphometric examinations on the lipofuscin content of pyramidal cells of laminae III and V in area 10 (Brodmann) of the frontal lobe of humans of various ages]. / Elektronenmikroskopisch-morphometrische Untersuchungen über den Lipofuscingehalt der Pyramidenzellen der Laminae III und V in der Area 10 (Brodmann) des Lobus frontalis cerebri des Menschen in verschiedenen Altersstufen.

The lipofuscin contents in pyramidal cells of laminae III and V in area 10 (Brodmann) of the frontal brain from 6 men who recently died at different ages without any neurological or psychiatric symptoms were investigated by electronmicroscopic-morphometric methods. The results of this investigation actually do reveal an increase of the lipofuscin with age, but also demonstrate to what extent this process is subject to individual variability. Great differences in the accumulation of the lipofuscin exist among the cells within the same cytoarchitectonic layer. On the other hand wide correspondence between the mean values of both laminae can be stated.

[Comparative morphological and functional studies on infertility of males (author's transl)]. / Vergleichende morphologische und funktionelle Untersuchungen bei Infertilität Mannes.

Male infertility is common. It usually is attributable to impaired maturation of germinal cells. The causes are related to the following factors: 1. Defective development of the gonadal ridge; 2. Abnormality of chromosomes; 3. Disorders in pituitary function; 4. Exogenous effects; 5. Unknown aetiology. -- Differentiation is difficult between those causes which often cannot be discovered at all. Therefore, assessment of male infertility is undertaken with reference to findings obtained from seminal, histological, immunological, cytogenetic, and hormonal tests as well as from electron microscopy.

[Monitoring of the clinical and morphological course of glomerulonephritis]. / Bioptische und klinische Verlaufskontrollen bei Glomerulonephritis.

It is reported on the clinical and morphological course of 50 patients with glomerulonephritis. The period of observation extended from 6 months to 10 years. The judgment of the clinical and morphological course was done on the basis of the laboratory findings or by means of the control biopsy. In the period of observation 36 patients were treated with different medicaments, whereas 14 patients were observed without treatment. A positive success of the therapy could not be recognized in the group of patients described the clinical and morphological course in the patients is described and the author adopts a definite attitude to the necessity of control biopsies.