Warthin''s tumour: unusual vs. common morphological findings in fine needle aspiration biopsies

Fine needle aspiration biopsies (FNA) of 47 Warthin's tumours confirmed by histology were re-evaluated for cytomorphological findings. The majority of aspirates (37/47) contained a typical background with proteinaceous substance and cell debris, along with cellular elements represented by oncocytic, lymphoid, and mast cells with degranulated cytoplasm. Uncommon cellular findings were true squamous cells (1/47), atypical cells with vacuoles (1/47), osteoclastic giant cells (1/47), epithelioid cells (1/47), mast cells with preserved granules in cytoplasm (3/47), and siderophages (4/47). Uncommon findings in the background were corpora amylacea-like structures and homogeneous bright red droplets. Squamous cells and atypical cells with vacuoles caused diagnostic difficulties in distinguishing a Warthin's tumour from a squamous cell or mucoepidermoid carcinoma. However, other unusual cellular and background findings were not worrying; therefore, they are merely regarded as a curiosity in the cytomorphological appearance of the tumour.     

Respiratory activity of Acholeplasma laidlawii cells and its role in the active transport of carbohydrates]

The respiratory activity of the Acholeplasma laidlawii cells was studied in order to elucidate a possible mechanism of coupling of transport with energy. The respiration of the cells is stimulated by ethanol, glucose, NADH, lactate, and pyruvate. The substrates of the Krebs cycle have no effect on the respiration. The respiratory activity, stimulated by ethanol and glucose, is inhibited by the inhibitors of the respiratory chain, SH reagents, and the inhibitors of glycolysis. The results of experiments with inhibitors suggest that the respiratory chain in the A. laidlawii cells is reduced and terminated by flavoprotein. This is confirmed by the results of spectroscopic analysis of cytochromes. Respiration coupled with phosphorylation did not play any important role in the active transport of carbohydrates. Probably, the energy, necessary for the transport of carbohydrates, is supplied by the substrate phosphorylation. This explains the activation of respiration by glucose, which is so sensitive to arsenate. The respiration of the A. laidlawii cells is not stimulated by some carbohydrates (fructose, 3-O-methyl-D-glucose).     

Influence of ionic strength of incubation medium on the release of some enzymes from rat liver mitochondria.

Influence of ionic strength of incubation medium on the release of adenylate kinase (AK), isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) and glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) from intact and injured rat liver mitochondria has been studied. It has been found that raised ionic strength (mu equal 0.16-0.32) has increased the release of GDH and AK activities - IDH to a lesser degree - for mitochondrial preparations only with damaged inner membrane. Treatment of mitochondria with potassium chloride solution of definite ionic strength has permitted to detect the alteration of these organelles occurring in vivo and in vitro.     

Transport properties of membrane vesicles fromAcholeplasma laidlawii

The glucose transport system of membrane vesicles isolated from Acholeplasma laidlawii is saturable, with a Km of 21.2 mum and V of 0.68 nmol min-1 (mg protein)-1. The process is pH-dependent and a break occurs in the Arrhenius plot at 15 degrees C. Exogenous substrates did not stimulate glucose transport probably due to their inability to penetrate into membrane vesicles. 3-O-Methylglucose and 6-deoxyglucose competitively inhibited glucose transport. Maltose inhibited transport of glucose noncompetitively. These sugars also elicited glucose efflux from preloaded membrane vesicles.     

Transport properties of membrane vesicles fromAcholeplasma laidlawii

A new procedure for the isolation of membrane vesicles from Acholeplasma laidlawii cells is described. The membrane vesicles are completely free from contaminations of whole cells and cell debris and represent a homogeneous fraction as shown by electron microscopy, Ficoll density-gradient centrifugation, and titration on agar plate. Absence of cytoplasmic contaminations was confirmed by double-labelling of membranes with 3H-oleic acid and 14C-uridine, as well as by distribution of specific marker enzymes of membranes and cytoplasm. On the basis of light-scattering and electron microscopy, the vesicular nature of these membranes was established. The vesicles had the same orientation as intact cells (absence on membrane vesicles of ATPase and NADH dehydrogenase activities, localized in the inner surface of membrane). The respiratory activity of the membrane vesicles was low and was not stimulated by exogenous substrates, the respiratory chain of the vesicles being reduced and terminated by flavoproteins. The ability of membrane vesicles to take up carbohydrates was shown.     

Water in the Avian Egg Overall Budget of Incubation

The loss of mass in eggs during incubation was examined andevidence is presented to show that this is essentially due toloss of water. The mean fraction of water lost by diffusionthroughout incubation is 0.150 ± 0.025 S D per gram ofegg and 0.162 ± 0.026 S D per gram of egg content for81 species. The water fraction of fresh eggs and of hatchingeggs was examined in 32 species divided according to maturityat hatching, and found to be very similar within each category(83% in altricial 83% in semi-altricial 78% in semi-precocial72% in precocial eggs). The 11% difference between the altricialand precocial categories is statistically significant. Duringincubation, dry matter is metabolized increasing the water fractionwhich is further increased by metabolic water production. Hence,water loss during incubation is mandatory if the relative watercontent of an egg at the end of incubation is to remain essentiallythe same as at the beginning. Equations are developed whichallow one to estimate the difference between diffusive waterloss and the total water loss in altricial and piecocial eggscaused by additional water loss during pipping and hatching.     

Gas Exchange of the Avian Egg Time, Structure, and Function

Data are presented for oxygen consumption water loss duringincubation water vapor conductance of the shell and pore numberof avian eggs and the way in which these values relate not onlyto egg mass but also to incubation time. It is proposed thatall these functions are proportional to the product of egg massand rate of development where the latter is defined as the inverseof incubation time. These interrelationships account at theend of incubation for similar O₂ and CO₂ tensions in the airspace of eggs utilization of calories (0.5 kcal g^–1) andwater loss (15 g g^–1)     

The influence of a low- and high-frequency electromagnetic fields on seeds

It was shown that the exposure of seeds in the rest phase to a low-frequency pulse electromagnetic field leads to substantial changes in seed physiology during germination. The changes at the physiological level in sprouting seeds depend not only on the frequency of the external EMF and its power characteristics but also on the kind of seeds. Low- and high-frequency electromagnetic fields are able to produce a biostimulation effect; however, the mechanisms of its appearance are different in their nature. The biochemical studies of seeds after EMF treatment in the modes resulting in expressed biological effects showed an increase in the activity of alpha-amylase, which testifies an increase in the gibberellin output and in the activity of the hydrolytic enzyme sour phosphatase. The response of seeds to EMF treatment demonstrates the possibility of electromagnetic control of growth processes.     

Immunomodulating and anti-tumor action of extracts of several mushrooms

Aqueous extracts from fruit bodies and mycelia of various higher Basidiomycetes were studied in search for reliable biological effects. In vitro and in vivo experiments were conducted. The results showed that the aqueous extracts demonstrated various types of marked biological actions: an increased production of reactive oxygen forms by neutrophil cells of human peripheral blood; a significant mitogenic activity in a wide range of concentrations; stimulation on production of inflammatory cytokines interleukine 1-beta and interleukine-8 by peripheral blood cells; a decrease in both average tumor size in mice with transplanted melanoma B16 and a manifestation of tumorous intoxication; and a prolongation in the survival rate of such mice.