Adenomatoid Tumor of the Testis, A Mesonephric Hamartoma

Author(s):  
Raoul Fresco ◽  
Mary Chang-Lo

Confusion surrounds the nature of the “adenomatoid tumor” of the testis, as evidenced by the large number of synonyms which have been ascribed to it. Various authors have considered the tumor to be of endothelial, mesothelial or epithelial origin. There appears to be no controversy as to the stromal elements of the tumor, which consists mainly of smooth muscle and fibrous tissue. It is the irregular gland-like spaces which have given rise to the numerous theories as to its histogenesis, and even recent ultrastructural studies fail to agree on the origin of these structures.Electron microscopy of a typical intrascrotal adenomatoid tumor showed the gland-like spaces to be lined by epithelial cells (Fig. 1), rich in cytoplasmic tonofibrils and united to each other by numerous desmosomes (Fig. 2). The most salient feature of these epithelial cells was the presence on their luminal surface of numerous long and repeatedly branching microvillous structures of the type known as stereocilia (Fig. 3). These are extremely long slender cell processes which are as much as three to four times the length of those in brush borders.

2019 ◽  
Vol 53 (2) ◽  
pp. 165-172
Author(s):  
S. K. Ghosh

Abstract The cellular organizations of intestine in Lepidocephalichthys guntea (Hamilton, 1822) have been described by light as well as scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The intestine is short and straight like, marked into anterior, middle and posterior region based on mucosal folds, number and size of columnar epithelial cells and mucous cells, thickness of submucosa and muscularis layer. The mucosa of anterior intestine forms high folds, which are lined with compactly arranged columnar epithelial cells and mucous cells. In the middle intestine, folds are pointless whereas the posterior intestine is without folds. The submucosa is formed of thin layer of connective tissue, contained collagen bundles and blood capillaries, comparatively well developed in the posterior intestine. By scanning electron microscopy, outlines of the luminal surface of anterior and middle intestine is embossed with oval or rounded columnar epithelial cells contained densely packed stubby microridges. The posterior intestine has closely set longitudinal folds characterized with minute blood capillaries and columnar epithelial cells having inconspicuous microridges. Ultrastructurally, the mucosal surface of the intestine consists of mucous cells with electron dense granules and columnar epithelial cells having numerous microvilli, mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, lysosomes and Golgi body. Cellular components of the anterior and middle intestine participate in the absorption whereas the presence of enormous blood vessels and capillary net work of posterior intestine probably responsible for air breathing.


Parasitology ◽  
1988 ◽  
Vol 96 (3) ◽  
pp. 591-605 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. A. Gardner ◽  
D. H. Molyneux

SUMMARYPolychromophilus murinus, a malaria parasite of Chiroptera is reported from Myotis daubentoni in England. The vector was suspected to be the ectoparasitic Nycteribiid fly, Nycteribia kolenatii. N. kolenatii collected from wild-caught M. daubentoni were found to have oocysts on the midgut and sporozoites in the salivary glands. Wild-caught N. kolenatii were maintained on two wild-caught M. daubentoni harbouring heavy (patent) infections of P. murinus; both oocysts and sporozoites were found in these flies. The mature oocysts measured 52–71 μm in diameter. Sporozoites were straight or slightly crescentic and had a mean length of 7·4 μm. Electron microscopy of immature and mature oocysts revealed a morphology similar to that of malaria parasites. Sporozoites were also similar in structure to Plasmodium sporozoites and were found in the epithelial cells of the salivary gland and within the lumen; a cytostome was present and transverse sections revealed 21 microtubules arranged evenly around the periphery. Sporozoites were observed within the basement membrane of the salivary gland of N. kolenatii; such sporozoites appeared to be penetrating the gland, a process hitherto not described in malaria parasites. Rickettsia-like bodies were found within the cytoplasm of the epithelial cells of the salivary gland. Exflagellation of microgametocytes was achieved. An ultrastructural study of the gametocytes revealed a structure similar to that described in other Haemoproteidae. A common feature of infected erythrocytes was a projecting erythrocyte membrane. Attempts to find schizogony in impression smears and sections of tissues of two infected M. daubentoni were not successful.


Author(s):  
T. G. Sarphie ◽  
C. R. Comer ◽  
D. J. Allen

Previous ultrastructural studies have characterized surface morphology during norma cell cycles in an attempt to associate specific changes with specific metabolic processes occurring within the cell. It is now known that during the synthetic ("S") stage of the cycle, when DNA and other nuclear components are synthesized, a cel undergoes a doubling in volume that is accompanied by an increase in surface area whereby its plasma membrane is elaborated into a variety of processes originally referred to as microvilli. In addition, changes in the normal distribution of glycoproteins and polysaccharides derived from cell surfaces have been reported as depreciating after cellular transformation by RNA or DNA viruses and have been associated with the state of growth, irregardless of the rate of proliferation. More specifically, examination of the surface carbohydrate content of synchronous KB cells were shown to be markedly reduced as the cell population approached division Comparison of hamster kidney fibroblasts inhibited by vinblastin sulfate while in metaphase with those not in metaphase demonstrated an appreciable decrease in surface carbohydrate in the former.


Author(s):  
P. M. Lowrie ◽  
W. S. Tyler

The importance of examining stained 1 to 2μ plastic sections by light microscopy has long been recognized, both for increased definition of many histologic features and for selection of specimen samples to be used in ultrastructural studies. Selection of specimens with specific orien ation relative to anatomical structures becomes of critical importance in ultrastructural investigations of organs such as the lung. The uantity of blocks necessary to locate special areas of interest by random sampling is large, however, and the method is lacking in precision. Several methods have been described for selection of specific areas for electron microscopy using light microscopic evaluation of paraffin, epoxy-infiltrated, or epoxy-embedded large blocks from which thick sections were cut. Selected areas from these thick sections were subsequently removed and re-embedded or attached to blank precasted blocks and resectioned for transmission electron microscopy (TEM).


Author(s):  
John H. L. Watson ◽  
C. N. Sun

That the etiology of Whipple's disease could be bacterial was first suggested from electron micrographs in 1960. Evidence for binary fission of the bacteria, their phagocytosis by histiocytes in the lamina propria, their occurrence between and within the cells of the epithelium and on the brush border of the lumen were reported later. Scanning electron microscopy has been applied by us in an attempt to confirm the earlier observations by the new technique and to describe the bacterium further. Both transmission and scanning electron microscopy have been used concurrently to study the same biopsy specimens, and transmission observations have been used to confirm those made by scanning.The locations of the brush borders, the columnar epithelial cells, the basement membrane and the lamina propria beneath it were each easily identified by scanning electron microscopy. The lamina propria was completely filled with the wiener-shaped bacteria, Fig. 1.


Author(s):  
F.G. Lightfoot ◽  
L.E. Grau ◽  
M.M. Cassidy ◽  
G.R. Tadvalkar ◽  
G.V. Vahouny

Psyllium hydrophillic mucilloid is a natural gelling fiber consumed by a large population of our society. It is used as a bulk-producing laxative and in the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders such as “Irritable Bowel Syndrome”. The literature pertaining to the ultrastructural effects of this agent is sparse.This study documents morphological changes induced by psyllium. Animals fed a diet containing 2% psyllium for four weeks were subsequently sacrificed and processed for scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The colon contained fecal material combined with psyllium which conformed to the contour of the luminal surface. This mixture formed surface replicas of the intestinal mucosa. These replicas and their related colonic sites were processed for morphologic analysis.


Author(s):  
Julian P. Heath ◽  
Buford L. Nichols ◽  
László G. Kömüves

The newborn pig intestine is adapted for the rapid and efficient absorption of nutrients from colostrum. In enterocytes, colostral proteins are taken up into an apical endocytotic complex of channels that transports them to target organelles or to the basal surface for release into the circulation. The apical endocytotic complex of tubules and vesicles clearly is a major intersection in the routes taken by vesicles trafficking to and from the Golgi, lysosomes, and the apical and basolateral cell surfaces.Jejunal tissues were taken from piglets suckled for up to 6 hours and prepared for electron microscopy and immunocytochemistry as previously described.


Author(s):  
Ellen Holm Nielsen

In secretory cells a dense and complex network of actin filaments is seen in the subplasmalemmal space attached to the cell membrane. During exocytosis this network is undergoing a rearrangement facilitating access of granules to plasma membrane in order that fusion of the membranes can take place. A filamentous network related to secretory granules has been reported, but its structural organization and composition have not been examined, although this network may be important for exocytosis.Samples of peritoneal mast cells were frozen at -70°C and thawed at 4°C in order to rupture the cells in such a gentle way that the granule membrane is still intact. Unruptured and ruptured cells were fixed in 2% paraformaldehyde and 0.075% glutaraldehyde, dehydrated in ethanol. For TEM (transmission electron microscopy) cells were embedded in Lowicryl K4M at -35°C and for SEM (scanning electron microscopy) they were placed on copper blocks, critical point dried and coated. For immunoelectron microscopy ultrathin sections were incubated with monoclonal anti-actin and colloidal gold labelled IgM. Ruptured cells were also placed on cover glasses, prefixed, and incubated with anti-actin and colloidal gold labelled IgM.


Author(s):  
Gregory J. Czarnota

Chromatin structure at the fundamental level of the nucleosome is important in vital cellular processes. Recent biochemical and genetic analyses show that nucleosome structure and structural changes are very active participants in gene expression, facilitating or inhibiting transcription and reflecting the physiological state of the cell. Structural states and transitions for this macromolecular complex, composed of DNA wound about a heterotypic octamer of variously modified histone proteins, have been measured by physico-chemical techniques and by enzyme-accessibility and are recognized to occur with various post-translational modifications, gene activation, transformation and with ionic-environment. In spite of studies which indicate various forms of nucleosome structure, all current x-ray and neutron diffraction studies have consistently resulted in only one structure, suggestive of a static conformation. In contrast, two-dimensional electron microscopy studies and three-dimensional reconstruction techniques have yielded different structures. These fundamental differences between EM and other ultrastructural studies have created a long standing quandary, which I have addressed and resolved using spectroscopic electron microscopy and statistical analyses of nucleosome images in a study of nucleosome structure with ionic environment.


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