Experimental Neoplastic Formation in Embryonic Chick Brains

Development ◽  
1960 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 20-23
Author(s):  
Bengt Källén

In mammalian teratology, a malformation consisting of ‘overgrowth’ of the neural tube has been described by, among others, Patten (1952, 1957) and Ariëns Kappers (1956, 1957). Sjodin (1957) thought it to be a post-mortem effect and not a true malformation. The present author (1955) demonstrated that a similar malformation could be produced in the rostral part of the brain of chick embryos by operations at somite stages on the rostral end of the rhombencephalon which damaged underlying notochordal structures. Bergquist (1959 a, b) has discussed this problem further. The overgrowth is made up of an excessive proliferation in the neural epithelium with a reduced cell differentiation, giving rise to only a thin layer of migrated cells but to a marked development of neural epithelium in 4- to 5-day embryos. The vesicles of the hemispheres and mesencephalon are strongly folded, and Bergquist (1959c) has produced evidence that the folding is due to the accumulation of mitoses along the ventricular lining of the vesicles.

Development ◽  
1959 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 122-127
Author(s):  
Harry Bergquist

Patten (1952) described ‘a curious distortion of the central nervous system’ in human embryos measuring 5, 7, 12·5, 20, and 30 mm. in length, as well as in some pig embryos. The malformation was called ‘overgrowth of the neural tube’. Instead of the indecisive word ‘overgrowth’ the present writer suggests the more exact term ‘hypermorphosis’ should be used for this malformation. Patten described it in the following way: ‘the neural tube epithelium had started to grow wildly so that it became folded, and refolded on itself, as if it was crowded into a cranial space fairly normal in size and shape’. The phenomenon was most distinctly developed in the rostral part of the neural tube. In some cases the cranial cavity was expanded by the process, giving rise to a high-crowned skull. In other cases an encephalocoel was formed. In later papers (1953, 1957) Patten discussed this phenomenon further.


Author(s):  
Karl Zilles ◽  
Nicola Palomero-Gallagher

The pre- and post-natal development of the human nervous system is briefly described, with special emphasis on the brain, particularly the cerebral and cerebellar cortices. The central nervous system originates from a specialized region of the ectoderm—the neural plate—which develops into the neural tube. The rostral part of the neural tube forms the adult brain, whereas the caudal part (behind the fifth somite) differentiates into the spinal cord. The embryonic brain has three vesicular enlargements: the forebrain, the midbrain, and the hindbrain. The histogenesis of the spinal cord, hindbrain, cerebellum, and cerebral cortex, including myelination, is discussed. The chapter closes with a description of the development of the hemispheric shape and the formation of gyri.


Development ◽  
1960 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 69-72
Author(s):  
Harry Bergquist

The present paper is intended as a continuation of preceding publications (Bergquist, 1959 a, b) on possible causes of the phenomenon of ‘overgrowth’ (Patten, 1952) in the brain of the chick embryo. Reference should be made to these publications for the relevant literature. In these earlier investigations, it was observed that the mitotic rate in the altered portions of the neural tube seemed higher than in the normal regions, and that the hemispheres and tectum opticum showed marked folding. The first aim of the present investigation was to compare the volumes of the hemispheres in normal chick embryos and in corresponding stages of embryos with overgrowth, the study being confined to the distinctly evaginated portions of both hemispheres. The embryos measured consisted of those used in the previous work. The surface areas of sections through the walls of both hemispheres were determined planimetrically.


Author(s):  
M.R. Richter ◽  
R.V. Blystone

Dexamethasone and other synthetic analogs of corticosteroids have been employed clinically as enhancers of lung development. The mechanism(s) by which this steroid induction of later lung maturation operates is not clear. This study reports the effect on lung epithelia of dexamethasone administered at different intervals during development. White Leghorn chick embryos were used so as to remove possible maternal and placental influences on the exogenously applied steroid. Avian lung architecture does vary from mammals; however, respiratory surfactant produced by the lung epithelia serves an equally critical role in avian lung physiology.


1989 ◽  
Vol 28 (03) ◽  
pp. 88-91
Author(s):  
J. Schröder ◽  
H. Henningsen ◽  
H. Sauer ◽  
P. Georgi ◽  
K.-R. Wilhelm

18 psychopharmacologically treated patients (7 schizophrenics, 5 schizoaffectives, 6 depressives) were studied using 99mTc-HMPAO-SPECT of the brain. The regional cerebral blood flow was measured in three transversal sections (infra-/supraventricular, ventricular) within 6 regions of interest (ROI) respectively (one frontal, one parietal and one occipital in each hemisphere). Corresponding ROIs of the same section in each hemisphere were compared. In the schizophrenics there was a significantly reduced perfusion in the left frontal region of the infraventricular and ventricular section (p < 0.02) compared with the data of the depressives. The schizoaffectives took an intermediate place. Since the patients were treated with psychopharmaca, the result must be interpreted cautiously. However, our findings seem to be in accordance with post-mortem-, CT- and PET-studies presented in the literature. Our results suggest that 99mTc-HMPAO-SPECT may be helpful in finding cerebral abnormalities in endogenous psychoses.


1938 ◽  
Vol 124 (837) ◽  
pp. 446-450

Experiments already described (Murray 1938) led to the inference that the cells of the chick embryonic heart lose potassium in potassium-free media. The experiments here described provide direct evidence of this. The hearts were dissected out of 2 ½-3 day chick embryos and placed in the solution PC (Table I) until they had started to beat. They were then thoroughly washed, and were allowed to lie for 5 min. (2 min. in Exp. 1) in the last wash. This last wash is called control A. The solutions used for washing were from the same flasks as the experimental solution. After their passage through control A the hearts were transferred to 2 c.c. of the experimental solution in a Jena watch-glass. After various times in this the hearts were discarded and both the experimental solution and control A were collected. If the experiment extended over more than 1 day the experimental solution and control A were used over again day by day until all the hearts in the experiment had passed through them. The use of control A was necessary for two reasons: ( a ) to show that potassium was not still being washed out of the intercellular spaces at the end of washing ( b ) in experiments lasting over several days the washing solution was fresh each day, but the experimental solution was of course not changed. Hence any small amount of potassium being carried over from the last wash would accumulate in the experimental solution because of the daily increment and might seriously affect the result; but by leaving the hearts for several minutes in the last wash (control A) and by not changing it for fresh on successive days, any such increase would be detected in that solution. In addition to control A, a daily sample (control B) was taken from the same flasks as the solutions used for washing. Details of the solutions are given in Table I ; a phosphate buffer was always used.


2008 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 180-188 ◽  
Author(s):  
CP Gilmore ◽  
JJG Geurts ◽  
N Evangelou ◽  
JCJ Bot ◽  
RA van Schijndel ◽  
...  

Background Post-mortem studies demonstrate extensive grey matter demyelination in MS, both in the brain and in the spinal cord. However the clinical significance of these plaques is unclear, largely because they are grossly underestimated by MR imaging at conventional field strengths. Indeed post-mortem MR studies suggest the great majority of lesions in the cerebral cortex go undetected, even when performed at high field. Similar studies have not been performed using post-mortem spinal cord material. Aim To assess the sensitivity of high field post-mortem MRI for detecting grey matter lesions in the spinal cord in MS. Methods Autopsy material was obtained from 11 MS cases and 2 controls. Proton Density-weighted images of this formalin-fixed material were acquired at 4.7Tesla before the tissue was sectioned and stained for Myelin Basic Protein. Both the tissue sections and the MR images were scored for grey matter and white matter plaques, with the readers of the MR images being blinded to the histopathology results. Results Our results indicate that post-mortem imaging at 4.7Tesla is highly sensitive for cord lesions, detecting 87% of white matter lesions and 73% of grey matter lesions. The MR changes were highly specific for demyelination, with all lesions scored on MRI corresponding to areas of demyelination. Conclusion Our work suggests that spinal cord grey matter lesions may be detected on MRI more readily than GM lesions in the brain, making the cord a promising site to study the functional consequences of grey matter demyelination in MS.


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