Paleopathologic diagnosis based on experimental mummification

The difficulties of diagnosis of pathologic conditions are immensely magnified when the subject of a postmortem examination has been postmortem for several hundreds to thousands of years. Artefacts of decomposition and bacterial and fungal invasion are compounded upon those of rehydration when mummified tissue is examined. As an approach to these problems, a study of the changes seen in experimentally mummified and rehydrated tissues was undertaken. Normal and pathologic tissues were studied in comparison to sections prepared from the fresh tissue. The experimentally mummified tissues were generally similar to, but somewhat better preserved than, actual human mummies. There was organ and tissue specific variability in preservation, and different classes of pathology likewise showed differential preservation. Inflammatory reactions were not very well-preserved although infecting microorganisms were easily identified. Degenerative processes such as atherosclerosis and others characterized by the accumulation of abnormal products, were well preserved, while necrosis, as in acute myocardial infarction, was not. Malignancies were particularly well preserved. The implications of these findings for previous and future mummy studies is discussed in terms of our understanding of the evolution of disease processes.     

Dental investigation of mummies from the Capuchin Catacombs of Palermo (circa 18th–19th century CE)

Within the framework of the Sicily Mummy Project, the orofacial complex of a significant sample of individuals (n = 111) from the Capuchin Catacombs of Palermo, Italy, was inspected. The heads and dentitions of the mummies were documented and the recorded findings described: the state of preservation of skeletal and soft tissues; dental pathologies such as carious lesions and alveolar bone loss; enamel hypoplasia; and ante- and post-mortem tooth loss. Despite limitations in data collection, the oral health of these mummies was assessed and the frequencies of pathologies were compared to those of similar populations. From their position within the corridors of the Catacombs, sex and social status of the mummies were also inferred, allowing the dental pathologies to be specified in the social and historical context. Most interestingly, the rate of oral health problems did not differ between the groups of the members of the Capuchin Order and the laymen of the city of Palermo, despite their different lifestyles.     

Histological analysis of undecalcified thin sections of archeological bone

Archeological bone often lends itself to histological analysis. Sections from bone samples approximately one thousand years old may show as much structural preservation as those only a few hundred years old; hence, it appears that the degree of preservation is not necessarily affected by time. Enough structure may be preserved to permit the diagnosis of metabolic disorders of bone which might go undetected by other methods. This type of analysis can be utilized to accept or reject individual remains suspected of being pathological on the basis of other, less precise diagnostic techniques.     

Preservation of proteins in mummified tissues

Protein material was extracted from the dessicated tissues of several Egyptian mummies and a frozen Eskimo. The distribution and degree of preservation of high molecular weight protein was analyzed by gel filtration, protein assays, amino acid analysis, and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The protein has undergone considerable degradation although some high molecular weight protein (C. 130,000 daltons) remains intact. Amino acid analysis of the extracted protein indicates the basic amino acids have undergone a chemical modification and may represent a point of preferential breakdown in the polypeptide chain. Atomic absorption spectrophotometry of tissue cations suggests a correlation between degree of preservation of mummified tissue and levels of sodium salts (natron) in the tissue.     

对高粱抗蚜植株形态及组织结构的观察

以BTAM428（高抗）和ICS-12B（高感）及二者杂交的F2代为试材,对其形态及组织结构进行研究。结果表明：抗感品种形态及组织结构上均有差异。在抗蚜高粱品系的气孔数目多于感蚜品系;其下表皮的表皮蜡质比感蚜的致密;维管束的直径则小于感性的。     

广西本地水牛垂体的形态学与组织学观察

本研究采用HE染色和Masson特殊染色方法对广西本地水牛垂体的形态学和组织学结构特征进行了观察分析,结果表明:广西本地水牛垂体呈卵圆形,重约1.19 g,大小约为1.43 cm×1.07 cm×0.74 cm.广西本地水牛的神经部在正中矢状面所占比例约为10%～15%.嗜酸性细胞、嗜碱性细胞的比例分别为42%和9.3%;母牛的嗜酸性细胞比例比公牛的高.观察结果揭示广西本地水牛垂体的结构与形态特征与其长期繁衍进化所处生态环境变化相适应,并与其生长、生产规律相一致.这些结果将为改良广西本地水牛提供形态学和组织学的理论依据.     

2，4-D诱导的花生体细胞胚发生的组织学研究

花生成熟胚胚叶在MS附加 2 0mg/L 2 ,4_D的培养基上诱导 2 0d后 ,转移至无激素培养基MS0 继续培养 ,可获高频体细胞胚发生。组织学观察表明 ,体细胞胚起源于胚叶上表皮及表皮下数层细胞 ,这些细胞脱分化形成细胞质浓厚、细胞核大的胚性细胞团 ,胚性细胞团继续分裂形成体细胞胚。体细胞胚的发育过程经历球形胚、心形胚、鱼雷胚、子叶胚四个时期     

Effect of fasting in the digestive system: Histological study of the small intestine in house sparrows

In birds and mammals the metabolic response to fasting has been studied and can be characterized by three consecutive phases reflecting metabolic and physiological adjustments. An effective way to minimize energy expenditure during food scarcity is to decrease the mass of the organs. As the digestive system is metabolically expensive to maintain, the small intestine and the liver are the most affected organs. We evaluated the effects of phase III starvation on the mass of the different organs and histological parameters on house sparrows, a small non-migrant bird. In a short period of time (34 h) we observed a larger reduction in the digestive organ mass when compared to the mass of the body and non-alimentary tissues. Furthermore, the intestinal mass was proportionally more reduced than its length and nominal surface area. A reduction on the intestinal mucosal layer also resulted in a shortening of villus (length and thickness) and crypt depth. Moreover, the morphology of the enterocytes changed from cylindrical to cubical, suggesting that the surface exposed to the lumen was conserved. This may indicate an adaptive response to the moment of refeeding. The nominal surface area/body mass remained constant in both groups and several histological parameters were reduced, suggesting that starving induces the atrophy of the small intestine. However, the goblet cells were conserved after fasting indicating a protective tendency.     

Maternal mortality in pre-Columbian Indians of Arica, Chile

A study of female mummies representing seven pre-Columbian Andean populations of Arica, Chile, dating from 1300 B.C. (Azapa phase) to A.D. 1400 (Gentilar phase), disclosed that 18 (14% of the total) had died from childbirth-complicated death (CCD). The majority of these individuals appear to have died during puerperium, three of them without complete delivery. Higher rates of CCD were found in the earlier cultural phases (1300 B.C.-A.D. 600) after which the maternal mortality rate decreased. The precise causes of this mortality are not known, but septic conditions, acute diseases, and cultural practices relating to birth are implicated.     

Antioxidants protect against increased risk of atherosclerosis induced by exposure to cigarette smoke: Histological and biochemical study

Background and objectivesThis study aimed to assess the dose-dependent effect of antioxidants in protection against cardiovascular changes induced by exposure to cigarette smoke.Design and settingThis was an experimental study, conducted at King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University.Materials and methodsThis study was carried out on 57 male albino rats divided into nine groups. Rats of experimental groups were exposed to cigarette smoke from a total of 100 cigarettes per week for four weeks in a specially designed chamber. The antioxidants used (vitamin C, E, and B-carotene) were administrated at low (9, 7.2, and 0.27 mg/day) and high doses (18, 14.4, and 0.54 mg/day), respectively, through gastric feeding tubes. The lipid profile was estimated, and the carotids and heart were removed, weighed, and then processed, and the carotid intima-media thickness was measured. Statistical analysis was performed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences.ResultsThe lipid profile was significantly improved in all groups treated with low or high doses of antioxidants after or during the exposure to cigarette smoke. Improvement was marked in the group treated with a high dose of antioxidants.The histological changes, as well as the intima-medial thickness of the carotid artery induced by exposure to cigarette smoke, have been improved by treatment with antioxidants (at either low or high doses), either after or during exposure to cigarette smoke. Improvement was marked in the group treated with a low dose of antioxidant. Treatment with antioxidants could not improve degenerated cardiac muscle fibers, while they could reduce the thickness of the branches of the coronary vessels.ConclusionThese results indicated that antioxidants ameliorated the cigarette smoke contribution to atherosclerosis, but they could not completely reverse the changes induced by cigarette smoke. Simultaneous intake of antioxidants could ameliorate the cigarette-smoke-induced changes apart from those of the heart.     

ABO blood groups in Peruvian mummies. I. An evaluation of techniques.

Blood groups of Peruvian mummies of known origin were determined by three different methods: agglutination-inhibition, induction of antibody production and mixed cell agglutination. The three techniques gave identical results, but the last two were useful in establishing the presence of H (O) antigen, while the first technique would not. The results indicate the presence of A, B, AB and O blood groups in America prior to known European contact. This suggests the need for a revision of concepts of blood groups in the American Indian.     

Histological assessment of cellular half-life in tissues in vivo

The assessment of cellular half-life is of fundamental importance for cell biology and biomedicine. Here, we show that cellular half-life in tissues can be histologically measured under steady state conditions in vivo by analyzing the loss of 5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine (BrdU)-labeled cells over time after withdrawal of long-term BrdU labeling. To achieve efficient continuous cell labeling, we implanted BrdU-containing subcutaneous slow-release pellets into 12-month-old male Fischer 344 rats, delivering BrdU at a dose of 75 mg/kg per day over 1 (n = 20) or 3 weeks (n = 20). Four to five rats each were killed directly after the labeling or 1, 3, and 7 weeks post-labeling. Cellular half-life after withdrawal of BrdU was analyzed by nonlinear regression analysis of the labeling index, using a model of one-phase exponential decay. We initially validated our technique in the duodenum, where we determined a half-life of 2.4 days for crypt cells. Next, we applied this method to other tissues, and found a half-life of 2.2 weeks for cardiac endothelial cells, and of 5–6 days for pancreatic duct cells. In conclusion, we believe that this novel approach is an important step forward in the histological assessment of cellular half-life.     

Histological investigation of walnut cotyledon fragments for a better understanding of in vitro adventitious root initiation

Summary Rapid formation of adventitious roots by walnut cotyledon fragments in vitro was traced by light microscopy. It was shown that this plant model is characterized by two major developmental processes: a) confined elongation of the cotyledon petiole caused by a limited number of cell divisions and b) formation of a morphogenetic zone around each initially wounded vascular bundle within 36 h after detachment of the embryonic axis. During the first phase of development, granular storage protein bodies dissolved, and starch grains were deposited mainly in the distal portion of the cotyledon fragments. Rapidly, new globular protein bodies were formed, and phenolic inclusions accumulated in the vacuoles of epidermal and subepidermal cells and of individual cells close to the vascular bundles. Each adventitious root was found to be in continuity with a single vascular bundle of the cotyledon petiole. A short auxin treatment suppressed the formation of large roots and induced numerous tiny rootlets dispersed all over the surface of the cotyledons.Abbreviations IBA indole-3-butyric acid     

3560例白带显微镜镜检法和阴道炎五联法检测结果比较分析

目的 探讨阴道炎五联检法与显微镜镜检法在白带常规检测中的应用比较及阴道炎五联检卡在白带检测中的应用价值.方法 3560例妇科门诊患者的白带同时用阴道炎五联检法和显微镜镜检法进行检测.结果 阴道炎五联检法与显微镜镜检法在白带常规检测中清洁度判断、乳酸杆菌、滴虫以及细菌性阴道病方面差异均无统计学意义(P＞0.05).在真菌的检测方面差异有统计学意义(P＜0.05).结论 阴道炎五联检卡操作简便、灵敏度高、专业的软件分析、结果科学准确,是白带检测较为理想的方法.     

Histological analysis of somatic embryogenesis in Brazilian cultivars of barley, Hordeum vulgare vulgare, Poaceae

 Histological analysis was performed aimed at elucidating the origin and the developmental process of somatic embryos of two Brazilian cultivars of barley (Hordeum vulgare vulgare), 'MN-599' and 'A-05'. The observed site of somatic embryo origin (SSEO) could originate from a superficial callus cell, possibly indicating a unicellular origin, or from epidermal and subepidermal callus cells, representing a multicellular origin. A fold, the somatic embryo scutellum that subsequently develops into a cotyledonary leaf, indicates the somatic embryo differentiation. The somatic embryos also showed a growth increase of the primary root and, occasionally, a delay in root development. A possible alternative pathway for the origin of somatic embryos is suggested, in which a SSEO forms a clump of somatic embryos. Received: 4 June 1998 / Revision received: 28 August 1998 / Accepted: 7 December 1998     

Determination of optimal rehydration,fixation and staining methods for histological and immunohistochemical analysis of mummified soft tissues

During an excavation headed by the German Institute for Archaeology, Cairo, at the tombs of the nobles in Thebes-West, Upper Egypt, three types of tissues from different mummies were sampled to compare 13 well known rehydration methods for mummified tissue with three newly developed methods. Furthermore, three fixatives were tested with each of the rehydration fluids. Meniscus (fibrocartilage), skin, and a placenta were used for this study. The rehydration and fixation procedures were uniform for all methods. The stains used were standard hematoxylin and eosin, elastica van Gieson, periodic acid-Schiff, and Grocott, and five commercially obtained immunohistochemical stains including pancytokeratin, vimentin, alpha-smooth-muscle-actin, basement membrane collagen type IV, and S-100 protein. The sections were examined by transmitted light microscopy. Our study showed that preservation of the tissue is dependent on the quality and effectiveness of the combination of the rehydration and fixation solutions, and that the quality of the histological and histochemical stains is dependent on the tissue quality. In addition, preservation of the antigens in the tissues is dependent on tissue quality, and fungal permeation had no influence on the tissue. Finally, the results are tissue specific. For placenta the best solution combination was Sandison and solution III (both fixed with formaldehyde) while results for skin were best with Ruffer I (using formaldehyde and Schaffer as fixatives), Grupe et al. (using formaldehyde as a fixative) and solution III (in combination with formaldehyde and Bouin fixatives). Ruffer II (using formaldehyde as a fixative) and solution III (in combination with Schaffer fixative) gave the best results for fibrocartilage.     

The mylohyoid bridge of pre-Columbian Peruvians

The frequency of expression of the mylohyoid bridge was studied in the skeletal remains of 122 Pre-Columbian Peruvians. The incidence in this population was found to be 17.6% as compared to an incidence of 15.4% found in a similar size sample population of American Negroes and a 16.1% incidence in a population of American Whites from the Terry Collection. No significant differences as to the incidence of the mylohyoid bridge were found as to the side of occurrence or between deformed and undeformed crania. A mylohyoid bridge was found in a younger individual (6 years) than had previously been reported. Females showed a significantly higher incidence of this trait in all three populations studied. A similar incidence of the mylohyoid bridge in Pre-Columbian and Mongoloid peoples adds support to the theory of a Mongoloid origin of these people. The mylohyoid bridge is considered to be a significant genetic marker which along with other such markers could be of value in population studies.     

Dermatophyte species,microscopic and cultural examination

The dermatophytes Epidermophyton floccosum, Microsporum canis, Trichophyton mentagrophytes var. interdigitale, T. rubrum, and T. verrucosum were compared with respect to the direct microscopic examination of a clinical material and the number of colonies obtained by culture.It was found that the results of microscopy as well as of culture depended to a marked extent upon which species were the cause of the mycosis.The extremes were E. floccosum and T. mentagrophytes var. interdigitale which showed 7.5 % and 32.5 % isolates with negative microscopic findings and 45.5 % and 5.0 % isolates with 10 colonies.