Bulbourethral (Cowper's) gland abnormalities in inbred laboratory mice

Abnormalities of the bulbourethral (Cowper's) glands are rare in most strains of inbred laboratory mice. Since the glands are covered with striated muscle and because of their small size, the bulbourethral glands are often overlooked at necropsy. We review the gross and microscopic anatomy of the bulbourethral glands in laboratory mice and report in SJL/J and RBF/DnJ mice a series of anomalies of this gland that appear to be common in these strains and relatively strain specific. From 14 different inbred strains of mice that had been submitted for necropsy over a period of 4.5 years for various clinical complaints, including enlargement of the perianal region, 23.8% of SJL/J mice (27/113) and 51.2% of RBF/DnJ mice (21/41) had cystic hyperplasia of the bulbourethal glands. Furthermore 7.3% of BALB/cByJ mice (3/41) had cystic glands and 6.7% of DBA/2J mice (4/60) had enlarged bulbourethal glands, three of which (5.0%) were abscessed. All selected mice were active male breeders older than 6 months of age from production colonies at The Jackson Laboratory. Detailed examination of bulbourethral glands of retired SJL/J breeders revealed cystic glands in 83.8% (109/130) of mice. No abnormalities were found in the other inbred strains of mice investigated.     

Pelvic Hydatidosis Mimicking a Malignant Multicystic Ovarian Tumor

Echinococcosis is a multisystem disease and has propensity to involve any organ, an unusual anatomical site, and can mimic any disease process. Primary peritoneal echinococcosis is known to occur secondary to hepatic involvement but occasional cases of primary peritoneal hydatid disease including pelvic involvement have also been reported. We report here 1 such case of primary pelvic hydatidosis mimicking a malignant multicystic ovarian tumor where there was no evidence of involvement of the liver or spleen. Our patient, a 27-year-old female, was detected to have a large right cystic adnexal mass on per vaginal examination which was confirmed by ultrasonography. Her biochemical parameters were normal and CA-125 levels, though mildly raised, were below the cut off point. She underwent surgery and on exploratory laparotomy, another cystic mass was found attached to the mesentery of the small gut. The resected cysts were processed histopathologically. On cut sections both large cysts revealed numerous daughter cysts. Microscopic examination of fluid from the cysts revealed free scolices with hooklets and the cyst wall had a typical laminated membrane with inner germinal layer containing degenerated protoplasmic mass. The diagnosis of pelvic hydatid disease was confirmed and patient was managed accordingly. Hydatid disease must be considered while making the differential diagnosis of pelvic cystic masses, especially in endemic areas.     

Nosema muris n. sp., a New Microsporidian Parasite of the White Mouse (Mus musculus L.)

SYNOPSIS. A microsporidian, Nosema muris n. sp., is described from laboratory white mice in Czechoslovakia. I t differs from Nosema cuniculi (Levaditi, Nicolau and Schoen, 1923) and other Microsporidia in mice in that it develops in the omentum and heart muscle, iorming large masses of schizonts and spores. The parasite is distributed to other tissues (liver, spleen, fat, peritoneal muscles, connective tissue and brain) by infected mononudear cells, and then forms localized cysts in them. Kidney, lungs, adrenal glands, pancreas and salivary glands are not infected. The parasite can be transmitted via the placenta, by feeding on infected tissues, or by experimental injection of ascitic fluid.     

Some histochemical studies on the prostate, urethral and bulbourethral glands of the one-humped camel (Camelus dromedarius)

Synopsis The histochemical localization of carbohydrates, ribonucleoproteins (RNA), lipids, some hydrolytic enzymes, succinate and lactate dehydrogenase and acetylcholinesterase were investigated in the prostate, urethral and bulbourethral glands of the camel. These glands probably secrete carbohydrate-protein complexes. In the bulbourethral glands, they are sulphated mucopolysaccharides. RNA was seen in the cytoplasm of the prostate and urethral glands. Neutral lipids were cytoplasmic and present in moderate amounts in the prostate and urethral glands and in traces, in the bulbourethral gland. Acid phosphatase-containing granules were abundant in the prostate, moderate in the urethral glands and in traces in the bulbourethral glands. Alkaline phosphatase was observed in the apical cytoplasm of the prostate and bulbourethral glands and in the ducts of the urethral glands. ATPase and adenosine 5-monophosphatase were seen in the basal laminae and interstitial tissue. In the urethral glands, adenosine 5-monophosphatase was distributed diffusely in the cytoplasm. Succinate dehydrogenase was seen in the urethral and bulbourethral glands. Varying degrees of lactate dehydrogenase activity was observed in all the glands. Acetylcholinesterase was confined to neural elements. The pars disseminata and the urethral glands were considered as two distinct glandular zones along the pelvic urethra. The significance of these histochemical results is discussed.     

雌激素受体β基因敲除小鼠子宫内膜异位症模型的建立

目的建立雌激素受体β基因敲除小鼠子宫内膜异位症模型,为进一步研究雌激素受体β基因在子宫内膜异位症发生发展过程中的作用提供平台。方法用外科手术方法对16只β基因敲除小鼠进行自体子宫移植,术后14d、21d取病灶组织进行光镜观察分析。结果建模成功率达95．8％,可形成明显囊肿,内含囊液,囊肿内壁有子宫内膜上皮细胞生长。结论应用本方法可建立稳定的子宫内膜异位症转基因小鼠模型,便于研究雌激素受体β亚型及其相关基因、蛋白在子宫内膜异位症发生发展过程中的作用机制。     

Gross and histological characterization of endometrial tissues from SLA miniature pigs with cystic endometrial hyperplasia

Cystic endometrial hyperplasia (CEH) is a uterine disorder characterized by the formation of large numbers of cysts in the endometrium. The purpose of this study was to examine and characterize cell types in the endometrium associated with the cysts and uterine glands. No apparent histological differences between CEH-involved and normal uterine columnar epithelium were found. Endometrial glands in CEH-involved and normal uteri were lined with simple or ciliated columnar epithelial cells and surrounded by lamellar connective tissue. The cyst epithelium appeared to be stretched obliquely and compressed so that both the cells and nuclei were horizontally oriented relative to the cyst lumen and were surrounded by lamellar connective tissue. Electron microgaphs revealed an abnormally high number of mitochondria in the cystic cells as compared to normal glandular cells. In conclusion, CEH is characterized by the formation of cysts which develop from the uterine glandular tissue. Epithelial cells lining the glands appeared to be distorted, possibly in response to internal pressure from increased volume due to high metabolic activity, and/or no uterine luminal opening.     

Proliferation of Pneumocystis Trophozoites in Human Lymph Nodes and in Nude Mice Lungs

Pneumocystis infection in athymic nude mice lungs showed a particularly high trophozoite to cyst ratio. A similar observation was obtained from a study of a patient with lymph node infection with Pneumocystis . Eosinophilic foamy masses in these sites were observed by light microscopy. With the electron microscope, the masses were seen to be composed of large aggregates of trophozoites. Cystic forms (precysl, cyst and empty cyst) were extremely scarce in comparison with the huge numbers of trophozoites. These cystic forms were mostly undergoing degeneration. These observations indicate that the mode of proliferation in both situations was predominantly asexual, that is, proliferation by trophozoites, suggesting that certain conditions may enhance asexual reproduction or depress the fonnation of cysts.     

Defective epidermal growth factor gene expression in mice with polycystic kidney disease

The C57BL/6J-cpk mouse has an inheritable form of polycystic kidney disease similar to the autosomal recessive disorder seen in humans. Between approximately 1 and 3 weeks of age, affected cpk mice develop numerous large cysts in the collecting tubule segment of kidney nephrons. The present study examined the ontogeny of renal and submandibular gland prepro-epidermal growth factor (preproEGF) gene expression in the cpk mouse using Northern blot hybridization and immunohistochemistry. There was a virtual absence of renal preproEGF gene expression in cystic kidneys over the 3-week postnatal period, during which time renal preproEGF mRNA and proEGF/EGF protein normally reach significant levels. PreproEGF mRNA was expressed in salivary glands of cystic mice; however, this mRNA could not be further elevated with testosterone suggesting that there are abnormalities in the regulation of the preproEGF gene in the submandibular gland, as well as in the kidney. Since renal preproEGF expression during the early postnatal period occurs when collecting duct cysts form, it is possible that a deficiency in renal proEGF or EGF contributes to the rapid development of collecting duct cysts and the concomitant renal failure in the C57BL/6J-cpk cystic mouse.     

Cystic adult ovarian granulosa cell tumor as a potential source of false negative diagnosis in ovarian cytology. A case report

BACKGROUND: Adult granulosa cell tumors (AGCT), unilocular or multilocular, with thin-walled cysts, are extremely rare. They can be erroneously diagnosed as follicular cysts by sonography and fine needle aspiration and therefore may be a source of false negative results. CASE: Laparoscopy was performed on a 29-year-old woman in whom a cystic ovarian mass, probably benign, was diagnosed by transvaginal sonography. The smears obtained from the cyst revealed a moderate amount of regular, small cells with scant cytoplasm and round to oval nuclei with finely granular chromatin without longitudinal grooves. These granulosa cells were arranged singly and in small groups. Very scarce cellular aggregates, microfollicular or rosettelike, some containing amorphous material and resembling Call-Exner bodies, were identified. Histologic study of the cystic wall confirmed the diagnosis of multilocular cystic AGCT with a microfollicular pattern. CONCLUSION: The finding of a moderate to abundant amount of regular granulosa cells, with or without nuclear longitudinal grooves, during cytologic examination of ovarian cysts considered benign by ultrasonography requires a careful search for microfollicular differentiation and Call-Exner bodies due to the rare but possible occurrence of cystic AGCT.     

Tubulopapillary mammary carcinoma in a brown bear (Ursus arctos)

A 28-yr-old, nulliparous female brown bear (Ursus arctos) at the Karacabey Ovakurusu Bear Sanctuary presented with an enlargement of the mammary gland. Three other nodules were also noted in the proximity of the mammary gland and over the vulva. Clinical, hematologic, ultrasonographic, and radiologic examinations were performed; the enlarged mammary gland was removed and the other masses were also excised. Histopathologic examination revealed tubulopapillary carcinoma of the mammary gland, and the other masses were diagnosed as epidermoid cysts. This is the first reported case of tubulopapillary mammary carcinoma accompanied by epidermoid cysts in a bear.     

Fine needle aspiration of the pancreas. A five-year experience

Forty fine needle aspiration (FNA) biopsies of the pancreas were performed on 37 patients with a radiologic suspicion of malignancy; 32 aspirations were guided by ultrasound, 2 were guided by CT, and 6 were obtained intraoperatively. A pathologist read a rapid-stained smear of the initial aspirate as the procedure was performed and triaged specimens for routine cytologic, cell block and ultrastructural study in solid lesions plus carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) assay and amylase study in cystic lesions. Purulent material was studied by gram staining and culture. The overall sensitivity in the series was 81%, with a specificity of 100%. No complications were noted. Ultrastructural examination improved the diagnostic accuracy in two cases. Assays for CEA and amylase in "cyst fluids" differentiated true cysts and cystadenocarcinoma from pseudocysts. Maximum utilization of the material aspirated was useful in diagnosing the etiology of solid and cystic pancreatic masses.     

Comparative analysis of the male reproductive accessory glands of bats Noctilio albiventris (Noctilionidae) and Rhynchonycteris naso (Emballonuridae)

In eutherian mammals, the male reproductive accessory glands (RAGs) comprise the prostate, bulbourethral glands, ampullary glands, and the seminal vesicles. Their composition, anatomy and function vary widely between species. This study aimed to characterize histologically and compare the RAGs of bats. The RAGs of Noctilio albiventris (Noctilionidae) and Rhynchonycteris naso (Emballonuridae) were studied using anatomical and histological methods, and were reconstructed three dimensionally. The RAGs of N. albiventris and R. naso are composed of a compact glandular complex that surrounds the urethra and a pair of bulbourethral glands, which are extra‐abdominally located in the inguinal region. In both species, the glandular complex is composed of two well‐defined prostatic regions (ventral and dorsal). The ventral region showed an atypical epithelium (holocrine), where no obvious cellular limits were observed, and PAS‐positive secretion. The dorsal region had a pseudostratified cuboidal epithelium, with basal and secretory cells, and PAS‐negative secretion. Noctilio albiventris also had urethral glands (Littre glands) surrounding the urethra, however, R. naso had only muscles. Both species had bulbourethral glands, with simple columnar epithelium and PAS‐positive secretion. In conclusion, the RAGs of N. albiventris and R. naso comprised a pair of bulbourethral glands and an intra‐abdominal complex, composed of a prostate with two different regions (ventral and dorsal), while the ampullary glands and seminal vesicles were missing in both species. This morphology was more closely related between N. albiventris and R. naso, and to species of the family Phyllostomidae than to families Molossidae and Vespertilionidae. J. Morphol. 277:1459–1468, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Sarcocystis found in the skeletal muscle of common squirrel monkeys

Abnormally enlarged muscle fiber cells of ring form were incidentally detected in transverse sections of muscles of the common squirrel monkey during microscopic investigation of the composition of muscle fibers. Longitudinal sections showed slender capsule-like cysts in the sarcoplasm. Detailed examination revealed these cysts to be those ofSarcocystis. Among the three types of muscle fiber cells that compose the skeletal muscle, staining with Sudan black B revealed that this parasite selectively infested type II white fibers with a large diameter and a high glycogen content.     

Morphology and morphometry of the reproductive organs in prepubertal and postpubertal male pigs exposed to di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate before puberty: Precocious development of bulbourethral glands

In a split-litter design experiment, male piglets were exposed orally three times weekly to 300mg/kg of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) or placebo between three and seven weeks of age. The effects on the reproductive organs were examined immediately after the exposure at seven weeks of age in one sub-group, and postpuberally at nine months of age in the other. Morphological features of testes were unaffected at either age group; there were no differences (p>0.05) between the treatments in number of Sertoli cells (as identified by immunostaining with GATA-4 antibodies), percent area of Leydig cells (as detected by 3beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase histochemistry), or incidence of germinal epithelial lesions (histopathology of H&E-stained (hematoxylin and eosin) sections). Three of the seven DEHP-treated animals in seven-week-old group had bulbourethral glands at a stage of maturation far more advanced than that of controls. While there were no obvious differences in the cellular composition between the treatment groups in nine-month-old animals, the bulbourethral glands were heavier (p<0.05) in DEHP-treated boars. Collectively, these features indicate that adolescent exposure to DEHP induces precocious maturity of bulbourethral glands in pigs with persistent effects lasting into adulthood.     

Lectin histochemistry of the boar bulbourethral glands

The present study describes, for the first time, the glycosidic content of boar bulbourethral glands using lectin histochemistry. Fourteen horseradish peroxidase- or digoxigenin-labelled lectins with different carbohydrate specificities were used in samples obtained from 3 healthy Landrace boars. The results obtained indicate that endpiece and duct cells synthesize and secrete mainly O-glycoproteins with alpha- and beta-D-N-acetylgalactosamine, beta-D-galactose-beta(1-->3)-D-N-acetylgalactosamine, D-N-acetylglucosamine and neuraminic acid residues. Glycoproteins secreted by bulbourethral glands have a role in the protection and lubrication of the urethra. In addition, they may be also involved in the regulation of the sperm metabolic activity and in the maintenance of the structural integrity of acrosomal and plasma membranes.     

Noncontrast computed tomography in the diagnosis of tumors of the major salivary glands

Non-contrast computed tomography (CT) of the major salivary glands was made in 127 patients, which revealed 95 space-occupying lesions (88 intraglandular and 7 extraglandular ones). Pleomorphic tumors of the parotid glands are solitary, round, high-density (29.6 +/- 4.2 HU) masses with well-defined, smooth margins. Salivary cysts were characterized by the presence of a dense capsule; the density of cyst contents was 8.0 +/- 2.0 HU. Salivary lipomas had a characteristic tomographic pattern due to the presence of adipose tissue; the lipoma density was -108.3 +/- 7.8 HU. Malignant parotid tumors were characterized by the presence of higher-density masses with irregular shapes and ill-defined, indistinct margins. Benign submandibular gland tumors had no well-defined margins that separated the tumor from the gland; the density of a tumor matched that of the parenchyma; the mean tumor size was 3.6 +/- 1.3 cm; there was an increase in the sizes of the gland as compared to those of the contralateral gland, as well as a displacement of the adjacent soft tissues. Malignant submandibular gland neoplasms tumors were characterized by the presence of inhomogenous lower-density masses with irregular shapes. Enlarged paraglandular lymph nodes were observed. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of native CT in diagnosing space-occupying lesions of the salivary glands were 97.6, 96.4, and 97.6%, respectively.     

Cystic renal neoplasia following conditional inactivation of apc in mouse renal tubular epithelium

Alterations in Wnt/beta-catenin signaling have been linked to abnormal kidney development and tumorigenesis. To gain more insights into the effects of these alterations, we created mice carrying a conditional deletion of the Apc tumor suppressor gene specifically in the renal epithelium. As expected, the loss of Apc leads to increased levels of beta-catenin protein in renal epithelium. Most of these mice die shortly after birth, and multiple kidney cysts were found upon histological examination. Only rarely did these animals survive to adulthood. Analysis of these adults revealed severely cystic kidneys associated with the presence of renal adenomas. Our results confirm an important role for proper regulation of Wnt/beta-catenin signaling in renal development and provide evidence that dysregulation of the pathway can initiate tumorigenesis in the kidney.     

Vaccination with Staphylococcus aureus fibrinogen binding proteins (FgBPs) reduces colonisation of S. aureus in a mouse mastitis model

Abstract A mouse mastitis model was used to study the effect of vaccination with fibrinogen binding proteins and collagen binding protein from Staphylococcus aureus against challenge infection with S. aureus . The mice vaccinated with fibrinogen binding proteins showed reduced rates of mastitis compared with controls. Gross examination of challenged mammary glands of mice showed that the glands of mice immunized with fibronogen binding proteins developed mild intramammary infection or had no pathological changes compared with glands from control mice. Histopathological examination of tissue sections from challenged glands showed that most glands from mice vaccinated with fibrinogen binding protein developed disseminated necrosis or had no pathological changes. A significantly reduced number of bacteria could be recovered in the glands from mice immunized with fibrinogen binding proteins as compared with controls. In a similar study, immunization of mice with collagen binding protein did not induce protection against challenge infection with S. aureus .