Relationship between histologic changes and inflammatory markers in chronic rhinosinusitis.

The present study aimed to elucidate the relationship between histologic changes and inflammatory markers in chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). Inflammatory markers of CRS, including eosinophil and neutrophil counts, the eosinophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, and the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, were investigated in tissues and peripheral blood. Inflammatory markers were evaluated according to the histologic changes of stromal edema, stromal fibrosis, and basement membrane (BM) thickening. Among 92 patients with CRS who underwent pathologic examinations, stromal edema, stromal fibrosis, and BM thickening were identified in 84.8%, 25.0%, and 53.3% of patients, respectively. Stromal edema and BM thickening were observed more frequently in CRS with nasal polyps than in CRS without nasal polyps (P = 0.001 and P = 0.001, respectively). Tissue inflammatory markers differed according to the presence of histologic changes in tissues. In peripheral blood, however, only the eosinophil count differed according to BM thickening. Patients with two or more histologic changes had higher tissue eosinophil-to-lymphocyte ratios (P = 0.008) and eosinophil counts (P = 0.002) compared with subjects with no or one histologic change. Conversely, the tissue neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and neutrophil count were higher in patients with no or one histologic change than in patients with two or more changes. Collectively, tissue inflammatory markers may be correlated with histologic changes in CRS. However, serum inflammatory markers have a limited ability to predict histologic changes in patients with CRS.

Histology-based profile of inflammatory mediators in experimentally induced pulpitis in a rat model: screening for possible biomarkers.

AIM: To profile molecular changes in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced experimental pulpitis in a rat model and explore the feasibility of a molecular-based diagnostic strategy for pulpitis. METHODOLOGY: Seventy-three maxillary incisors of Sprague-Dawley rats were used to establish pulpitis models with LPS. Inflammatory grading was performed in four equal sections of the pulp divided from the injured site to the root apex. An antibody array was used to compare the expression of 67 molecules between control pulp and inflamed pulp 12 and 72 h after LPS application. The levels of differentially expressed molecules in the control and inflamed pulp (collected at 3, 6, 9, 12, 24 and 72 h after LPS treatment) were examined via ELISA, and correlations between inflammatory scores and molecule expression were assessed. The molecule distributions in the pulp were investigated by immunofluorescence staining. Data were analysed with paired t-test, one-way anova, Kruskal-Wallis tests, and Spearman's and Pearson's correlations with significance set at P < 0.05. RESULTS: Polymorphonuclear neutrophils were observed in the injured site 3 h after LPS stimulation. Inflammatory infiltration peaked at 12 h and was limited to the injured site with osteodentine deposition at 72 h. Thirteen molecules were significantly differentially expressed between the control and LPS-injured pulp. ELISA validated that tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) expression dramatically peaked at 12 h (compared with other time points, P < 0.05) and returned to baseline at 72 h. The TIMP-1 concentration was strongly correlated with inflammation severity in the apical three-quarters of the pulp, and the strongest correlation was found in the lower-middle quarter (r = 0.786, P < 0.001). Immunofluorescence staining revealed that in the apical three-quarters of the pulp, TIMP-1 expression was significantly higher in the 12 h group than in the control and 3, 6, 24 and 72 h groups (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: This study provides a molecular profile of LPS-induced pulpitis in a rat model. TIMP-1 had a strong positive correlation with the severity of dental pulp inflammation, verifying the feasibility of applying biomarkers to identify specific pathological conditions in pulpitis.

Effect of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on lumbar intertransverse fusion in rabbits / 中南大学学报(医学版)

Objective To observe the effect of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy on lumbar intertransverse fusion in rabbits. Methods Twenty-eight healthy adult female rabbits underwent lum-bar intertransverse fusion at L5～6 with autogenous iliac bone graft. They were randomly assigned into an HBO group and a control group (n=14). Rabbits were killed 6 weeks after the operation for surgical inspection, X-ray, bone density measurement and histologic analysis. Results The fusion rate of the HBO group evaluated by surgical inspection, and radiologic examination in a blind fashion significantly increased compared with that of the control group (P<0.05). Qualitative histologic as-sessment showed increased bone formation and bone maturity in the HBO group compared with the control group. Conclusion Hyperbaric oxygen therapy could improve the fusion rate of lumbar inter-transverse fusion in rabbits.

Age-related Histological Changes of Human Lacrimal Gland in Koreans

PURPOSE: We examined histologic changes of 20 samples of the lacrimal gland of Koreans which were taken from 10 cadavers. METHODS: We took 20 samples of lacrimal gland from those of 4 men and 6 women and then fixed with 4% formaldehyde. We examined histologic changes of the sections under a light microscope after hematoxylin-eosin stain. RESULTS: In histologic examinations of tissue from 20 lacrimal glands, acini of abnormal lacrimal gland which were seen in the aged showed diffuse acinar atrophy, periductial fibrosis, periacinar fibrosis, and periductal chronic inflammatory cell infiltration which is composed of columnar or cuboidal epithelial cells. Abnormal lacrimal finding was relatively more diffuse with aging but fatty infiltration was present relatively irrespective of age. CONCLUSIONS: In histologic examination of tissues from cadavers, histologic changes of abnormal lacrimal gland with aging in Koreans were acinar atrophy, diffuse periacinar fibrosis, periductal fibrosis, interlobular ductal proliferation, and periductal chronic inflamm- atory cell infiltration.

Effects of Progesterone Treatment on the Squamous or Morular Metaplasia Associated with Endometrial Hyperplasia

During evaluation of follow-up curettage of endometrial hyperplasia after progesterone treatment, we have noticed that the foci of squamous or morular metaplasia are persistent or even markedly increased after the hyperplastic glands have all disappeared. These observations have led us to study the histological changes of squamous or morular metaplasia in the hyperplastic endometrium after progesterone treatment and to examine the changes of estrogen receptors(ER) and progesterone receptors(PR) to find out, if there is any pathogenetic role of progesterone administration on the squamous or morular metaplasia. Squamous or morular metaplasia was associated in 21 cases (13.5 %) out of 156 endometrial hyperplasia during the study periods and all of them were associated with complex hyperplasia, but not associated with simple hyperplasia. At follow-up curettage after progesterone treatment, squamous metaplasia newly appeared in 3 cases(20 %), markedly increased in 4 cases(26.7%), persisted in 4 cases(26.7%) and decreased in 4 cases(26.7%), even after hyperplastic glands have all disappeared or were markedly decreased. On immunohistochemical staining, metaplastic foci showed ER- and PR- in 13 cases (87 %) in contrast to the surrounding endometrium and the remaining 2 cases showed minimal ER+ and PR+ confined to several nuclei. Intensity or staining pattern of ER and PR in metaplastic foci were not changed with progesterone treatment. In the background endometrium, intensity of glandular ER+ and PR + was higher than that of the stroma at the initial curettage, however, progesterone treatment predominantly down-regulated glandular ER+ more than stromal ER+. Increment or persistence of squamous metaplasia along the progesterone treatment seemingly would implicate hormonal influences as playing a significant role in the formation of squamous or morular metaplasia and the absence of cellular receptors for these hormones in the metaplastic foci may suggest qualitative changes in the receptors.

Neurophysiologic and Histologic Changes Following Injection of Morphine , Meperidine and Pentazocine on Sciatic Nerve of Rabbits / 대한마취과학회지

Intraspinal(intrathecal, epidural) narcotics administration had been widely used and well estabilished for pain control. The action mechanism of intraspinal narcotics has been well defined, and meperidine and pentazocine have been reported to be used as a sole agent for spinal anesthesia. The authors have already reported good loeal anestheticlike effets of meperidine and pentazocine clinically in patients scheduled for various surgeries, followed by experimen- tal evaluation of toxic effects of two drugs on the sciatic nerve of rats and dogs. This investigation was primarily undertaken to examine the difference in neurophysiological action between meperidine and morphine and also to evaluate early histological changes on aciatic nerve of rabbits within one week after injection of the each narcotics. Adult Korean rabbits were chosen as experimental animals because it is easy to observe neurophysiological activity with responses and to avoid of manipulating trauma. The rabbits were anesthetized using ketamine 10 mg/kg intramuscularly. The sciatic nerve of the rabbits was exposed and stimulated by a nerve stimulator to observe myoneural response as a control and then injected with 0.1% morphine 0.2 mg(Group I), 0.5% meperidine 10 mg(Group 2) and 0.3 % pentazocine 6 mg(Group 3). The sciatic nerve was stimulated for 20 minutes at 5 minutes interval and gait changes were carefully observed in the recovery room to see the myoneural activity, A specimen was taken at 4 and 24 hours, and 1 week after injection. The results were as follows, When the sciatic nerve was stimulated by a nerve stimulator, the normal muscle twitch was observed clearly in Group I with the morphine injection. However, in Group 2 with meperidine and Group 3 with pentazocine injection, muscle twitching decreased gradually and finally disappeared about after 10 minutes, Complete motor paralysis ceased after 60 minutes and muscle reaction returned to normal about 90 minutes after injection, Therafter, myoneural complications were not noticed in the 3 groups for a period of I week. All specimens of the 3 groups were inyestigated under light and with electron microscopic examination and they revealed mild vacuolziations scattered in axons of myelinated and unmyelinated nerves of some of the specimens but these were not significant. As a result of this investigation, we concluded that neurophysiologically, meperidine and pentazocine have local anesthetic-like effect, such as motor paralysis, but not with morphine, and neurohistologically, the above three norcotics have no significant toxic effects on nervous tissues.

The Effect of Testicular Torsion on the Contralateral Testis in Rats; Histologic Changes and its Reversibility

Unilateral torsion of the testis was experimentally induced in Sprague-Dowley rats by an incision in the scrotum and manual rotation of the testis. The testes remained torted for 3 or 24 hours and then were released by detorsion or orchiectomy. Histologic changes were evaluated 2 weeks and 4 weeks post torsion episode in order to answer the following questions:(1) Does the duration of testicular torsion affect the degree of histologic change in the contralateral testis? (2) Does the treatment of the torted testis influence the contralateral testis histologically? (3) Are there any histologic differences according to the duration of the follow-up in each group? The results indicate that when a torted testis was kept in place for at least 24 hrs, then was a marked decrease in spermatogenesis, but even this histologic change disappeared 4 weeks later. In conclusion a torted testis may present a liability to the patient's contralateral testis, but this phenomena is temporal.