Fine Structural Classification of Chromophobe Adenomas of the Human Pituitary Gland

Author(s):  
K. Kovacs ◽  
E. Horvath

Chromophobe pituitary adenomas arise from adenohypophysial cells and fail to exhibit cytoplasmic staining with conventional acid or basic dyes by light microscopy. The aim of the present work was to study the electron microscopic features of these tumors, to separate them into distinct entities and to correlate their fine structural appearances with secretory activity.Among 48 surgically removed various pituitary adenomas 30 tumors were found which, based on the tinctorial characteristics of the cytoplasm, corresponded to chromophobe adenomas. For electron microscopic investigation pieces of these tumors were fixed in 2.5 per cent glutaraldehyde in Sorensen's buffer, post fixed in 1 per cent osmium tetroxide in Millonig's buffer, dehydrated in graded ethanol and embedded in Epon 812. Ultrathin sections were stained with uranyl acetate and lead citrate.By electron microscopy it was possible to separate chromophobe adenomas into 3 distinct entities: 1) adenomas consisting of sparsely granulated growth hormone cells (7 cases).

Author(s):  
P.W. Coates ◽  
E.A. Ashby ◽  
L. Krulich ◽  
A. Dhariwal ◽  
S. McCann

The morphologic effects on somatotrophs of crude sheep hypothalamic extract prepared from stalk-median eminence were studied by electron microscopy in conjunction with concurrently run bioassays performed on the same tissue samples taken from young adult male Sherman rats.Groups were divided into uninjected controls and injected experimentals sacrificed at 5', 15', and 30' after injection. Half of each anterior pituitary was prepared for electron microscopic investigation, the other half for bioassay. Fixation using collidine buffered osmium tetroxide was followed by dehydration and embedment in Maraglas. Uranyl acetate and lead citrate were used as stains. Thin sections were examined in a Philips EM 200.Somatotrophs from uninjected controls appeared as described in the literature (Fig. 1). In addition to other components, these cells contained moderate numbers of spherical, electron-dense, membrane-bound granules approximately 350 millicrons in diameter.


Author(s):  
E. Horvath ◽  
K. Kovacs ◽  
L. Stefaneanu ◽  
N. Losinski

Human pituitary corticotropins have unique morphologic markers: bundles of type-1 filaments, measuring approximately 70 A in width and representing cytokeratin. The extreme ring-like accumulation of type-1 filaments, known as Crooke's hyalinization, signals functional suppression of the corticotropins and occurs in endogenous and exogenous glucocorticoid excess, caused by ACTH-secreting pituitary adenoma, glucocorticoid secreting adrenocortical tumor, ectopic ACTH-syndrome and administration of pharmacologic doses of glucocorticoids. Cells of autonomous corticotroph adenomas usually do not show Crooke's hyalin change. A minority of these tumors, however, retains sensitivity to the negative feed-back effect of elevated blood glucocorticoid levels and display typical Crooke’s change.In the present study pituitary corticotropins in various phases of Crooke's hyalinization were investigated in patients with glucocorticoid excess of various origin, applying histology, immunocytochemistry, count of argyrophilic nucleolar organizer regions (AgNOR), and transmission electron microscopy.


Author(s):  
Charlotte L. Ownby ◽  
Robert A. Kainer ◽  
Anthony T. Tu

One of the significant changes induced by the injection of rattlesnake (Crotalidae) venom is hemorrhage. Since crotaline antivenin does not prevent such local tissue damage, a more effective treatment of snakebite is needed. To aid in the development of such a treatment the pathogenesis of venom-induced hemorrhae was investigated.Swiss-Webster white mice were injected intramuscularly with Western diamondback rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox) venom. Two minutes after the injection, muscle tissue was obtained by bioosy from the thigh and fixed in 6% glutaraldehyde in Milloniq's phosphate buffer (DH 7.4, 2 hrs., 4°C). After post-fixation in 2% osmium tetroxide in Milloniq's phosphate buffer (pH 7.4, 1hr., 4°C) the tissue was dehydrated routinely in ethanol and embedded in Epon 812. The thin sections were stained with uranyl acetate in methanol and lead citrate then observed with either a Zeiss EM 9A or an Hitachi HS-8 electron microscope.


1. The process of healing in the rabbit ear chamber has been investigated in detail by correlating light microscopy, mainly in vivo , and electron microscopy. 2. During healing new vessels are formed from existing vessels by a process of sprouting and anastomosis, with subsequent remodelling of the loops so formed. 3. The fundamental process in the formation of vessels by sprouting is the mitotic division of existing endothelium, during which it retains its characteristic properties. 4. Blood vessel sprouts are composed of strands of tightly apposed cells formed in continuity with the walls of existing vessels. The subsequent canalization of such strands takes place extra-cellularly by a series of events largely as described by Billroth (1856). 5. The endothelium of recently formed vessels has a fine structure which distinguishes it clearly from that of more mature vessels. Certain features of this structure are compatible with a secretory activity by the endothelium during the formation of new vessels. 6. Evidence was obtained that in the course of differentiation of recently formed vessels fibroblast-like cells are incorporated into vessel walls to become adventitial cells, and that adventitial cells may undergo conversion to vascular smooth muscle cells. 7. Lymphatic endothelium exhibits properties during regeneration that confirm the specificity of this form of endothelium. 8. Cells with the characteristic fine structure of fibroblasts were frequently found in mitosis. The fibroblasts in the regions of active fibrogenesis had a highly developed cisternal form of endoplasmic reticulum. Vesicles and corresponding caveolae identifiable in such fibroblasts may provide a communication between the endoplasmic reticulum and the sites of fibrogenesis at the external surfaces of the cells. 9. Cells sharing characteristic features of fine structure formed a series which grouped together the monocyte, macrophage and foreign body giant cell. 10. Highly fibrillary intracytoplasmic tracts were found in both fibroblasts and macrophages. These tracts were equated with the fibroglial fibres of light microscopy. 11. ‘ Clear spaces ’ in advance of the growing fringe of blood vessels were temporary structures lined by a pavement of mesothelium-like cells. 12. No evidence was found of the formation of primitive mesenchymal tissue during healing in the mammal.


1960 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 335-338 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shimon Klein ◽  
B. Ginzburg

To study the effect of EDTA on cell wall structure and the reversal of this effect by uranyl ion, thin sections of pea root tips were examined in the electron microscope. EDTA is known to facilitate separation of the cells in root tips. When sections of fixed and embedded EDTA-treated roots are floated on a uranyl-acetate solution, a loose network is revealed that would seem to be cellulose. Incorporation of uranyl into the roots, if it occurs prior to fixation, brings about recementation of the cells. After such treatment, a marginal darker area and a median brighter one can be observed in the wall, and the whole structure appears more compact again. Comparison of the results of the various treatments suggests that cellulose-cementing material is dispersed throughout the entire wall, and that its distribution parallels that of cellulose.


Author(s):  
G. Ilse ◽  
K. Kovacs ◽  
N. Ryan ◽  
T. Sano ◽  
L. Stefaneanu ◽  
...  

Germfree state and food restriction have been shown to increase life span and delay tumor occurrence in rats. We report here the histologic, immunocytochemical and electron microscopic findings of adenohypophyses of aging, male Lobund-Wistar rats raised at Lobund Laboratories. In our previous study, the morphologic changes in the adenohypophyses of old rats have been extensively investigated by histology, immunocytochemistry and electron microscopy. Lactotroph adenomas were frequent in Long-Evans and Sprague-Dawley rats, whereas gonadotroph adenomas were frequent in Sprague-Dawley and Wistar rats.Male Lobund-Wistar rats were divided into four groups: 1) conventional, which were raised under normal non-germfree environment and received food ad libitum; 2) germfree-food ad libitum; 3) conventional environment-food restricted and 4) germfree-food restricted. The adenohypophyses were removed from 6-month-, 18-month- and 30-month-old rats. For light microscopy, adenohypophyses were fixed in formalin and embedded in paraffin.


Author(s):  
John R. Palisano

Although confronting cistemae (CC) have been observed in a variety of tumor cells and normal fetal rat, mouse, and human epithelial tissues, little is known about their origin or role in mitotic cells. While several investigators have suggested that CC arise from nuclear envelope (NE) folding back on itself during prophase, others have suggested that CC arise when fragments of NE pair with endoplasmic reticulum. An electron microscopic investigation of 0.25 um thick serial sections was undertaken to examine the origin of CC in HeLa cells.


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