Fibroblasts Derived From Vestibular Schwannoma Express Protumorogenic Markers

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Vestibular schwannomas (VSs), despite being histologically benign, cause significant morbidity because of their challenging intracranial location and the propensity for growth. The role of the stroma and particularly fibroblasts, in the progression of VS, is not completely understood. This study examines the profile of fibroblasts in VS.

METHODS

Seventeen patients undergoing surgical excision of VS were recruited into the study. Reverse transcription with quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was performed on VS tissue samples and fibroblast-associated molecules examined. Immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry in VS tissue were used to study the expression of fibroblast markers CD90 and podoplanin in situ. Fibroblast cultures were established from VS, and RT-qPCR analysis was performed on a panel of fibroblast markers on VS and control tissue fibroblasts.

RESULTS

Several fibroblast-associated molecules including members of galectin family and matrix metalloproteinases were found to be expressed in VS tissue on RT-qPCR analysis. In situ, expression of CD90 and podoplanin was observed in VS tissue both on immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence. RT-qPCR analysis of fibroblasts from VS and control vestibular neuroepithelium (NE) showed a higher expression of several molecules of the galectin and matrix metalloproteinases family on VS fibroblasts compared with NE fibroblasts.

CONCLUSION

This work examines fibroblasts from VS and shows qualitative differences from NE fibroblasts on RT-qPCR. Further understanding of the fibroblast function in the progression of VS will potentially unveil new targets to manage VS growth.

Stromal cell inhibition of anti-CD20 antibody mediated killing of B-cell malignancies

Introduction: The glycoengineered type II anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody obinutuzumab has been licensed for treatment in follicular non-Hodgkin lymphoma and B-CLL following clinical trials demonstrating superior outcomes to standard of care treatment. However, ultimately many patients still relapse, highlighting the need to understand the mechanisms behind treatment failure to improve patient care. Resistance to chemotherapy is often caused by the ability of malignant B-cells to migrate to the bone marrow and home into the stromal layer. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate whether stromal cells were also able to inhibit type II anti-CD20 antibody mechanisms of action, contributing to resistance to therapy. Methods: A stromal-tumor co-culture was established in vitro between Raji or Daudi B-cell tumor cells and M210B4 stromal cells in 24 well plates. Results: Contact with stromal cells was able to protect tumor cells from obinutuzumab mediated programmed cell death (PCD), antibody dependent cellular phagocytosis and antibody dependent cellular cytotoxicity. Furthermore, such protection required direct contact between stroma and tumor cells. Stromal cells appeared to interfere with obinutuzumab mediated B-cell homotypic adhesion through inhibiting and reversing actin remodelling, potentially as a result of stromal-tumor cell contact leading to downregulation of CD20 on the surface of tumor cells. Further evidence for the potential role of CD20 downregulation comes through the reduction in surface CD20 expression and inhibition of obinutuzumab mediated PCD when tumor cells are treated with Ibrutinib in the presence of stromal cells. The proteomic analysis of tumor cells after contact with stromal cells led to the identification of a number of altered pathways including those involved in cell adhesion and the actin cytoskeleton and remodeling. Discussion: This work demonstrates that contact between tumor cells and stromal cells leads to inhibition of Obinutuzumab effector functions and has important implications for future therapies to improve outcomes to anti-CD20 antibodies. A deeper understanding of how anti-CD20 antibodies interact with stromal cells could prove a useful tool to define better strategies to target the micro-environment and ultimately improve patient outcomes in B-cell malignancies.

Immigrants, Germans and national identity in the new Germany: some policy issues

"This paper considers how the role and status of Germany's diverse immigrant population has been affected by its new geopolitical situation, in particular unification, since 1989.... The paper shows how the integration prospects for Germany's older immigrant populations have been dented by the combination of economic restructuring and a huge upsurge in new types of immigration. Prominent among the latter are ethnic German resettlers (or Aussiedler), and the paper examines how these immigrants find themselves in a weak position.... The paper concludes that, although there would appear to be no major labour shortages within the economy, Germany has to develop a more extensive range of migration policies to cater for the huge demand for economically motivated migration. The alternative will inevitably be a further growth in illegal migration, which would not be helpful to the position of established immigrant populations."

Continuous, alternate and double crop systems on a Vertisol in subtropical Australia

Three cropping systems using 5 crop species were compared over a 10-year period on a cracking clay soil (Vertisol) in the sub-humid subtropics of eastern Australia. The 3 cropping systems were continuous (the same crop every year), alternate (the same crop every second year) and double (a winter and summer crop in the one year). There were 2 cereal crops (sorghum and wheat) and 3 grain legumes (chickpea, green gram and black gram). The effect of cropping system was measured in terms of grain and protein yields and changes in soil organic carbon (surface 0-10 cm) and nitrogen concentrations. Summer and winter rainfall was below average in 8 and 5 years out of 10, respectively. Grain yield of cereal monocultures was about twice that of legume monocultures. The potential for double cropping, despite the generally below-average rainfall, was clearly shown with the highest grain and protein yields coming from the combination of green gram (summer) and wheat (winter). Averaged over 10 years, wheat yield (1460 kg/ha. year) was identical in the continuous and alternate cropping systems. Sorghum yields were marginally higher with alternate cropping (1340 kg/ha. year) than continuous cropping (1050 kg/ha. year). With double cropping, average wheat yields were 1081 and 698 kg/ha when combined with green and black gram, respectively. Black gram gave half the average yield of either green gram or chickpea (about 300 v. 600 kg/ha). This was attributed to the indeterminate nature of the crop in an environment with variable rainfall and to the detrimental effect of above-average rainfall during harvest time. Soil nitrogen and carbon levels, with initial values of 0.22 and 2.96%, were reduced at the end of 10 years by 16 and 27% respectively. Their rate of decline did not differ between cropping systems.

Effect of delayed film wrapping and waxing on the shelf life of avocado fruit

Film wrapping and waxing are both known to extend the shelf life of harvested avocado fruit. However, the effect of delays in film wrapping and waxing on shelf life has not been reported. Early, mid, and late season avocado cv. Hass fruit were wrapped in 'Glad Wrap' or waxed in 'Avocado and Passion-fruit Wax' at intervals of up to 96 h after harvest. Compared with untreated control fruit, both wrapping and waxing delayed softening and colour change at 22�C by about 50%. Loss in fruit weight during ripening was reduced more by wrapping than by waxing. Delaying wrapping or waxing by up to 48 h after harvest was not associated with consistent differences in shelf life. There was, however, significant (P<0.05) shortening of both time to colour and time to soften if treatment was delayed to 96 h. Accordingly, wrapping or waxing avocado fruit is advisable within 48 h of harvest to realise maximum treatment benefits. Early colouring within 3-4 days of harvest, but not early softening, was characteristic of late season fruit.

Opening the frontier: recent spatial impacts in the former inner-German border zone

The authors examine the 1989 removal of the frontier region (Zonenrandgebiet) along the eastern border of the former Federal Republic of Germany. "The paper examines the socio-economic impacts on the North Bavarian section of the Zonenrandgebiet, which is characterized by its dispersed industrial base and lack of higher-order urban centres. Evidence is presented of rapid upturns in population growth and economic activity, together with a large inflow of commuters from the former East Germany and Czechoslovakia, following frontier opening. Traffic, environmental pressures and living costs have also increased. Both positive and negative impacts are strongest in districts contiguous with the former frontier. Long-term development prospects hinge on its newly-gained centrality within Germany. Substantial local benefits are anticipated...,but they are unlikely to induce a major reshaping of the German space-economy; this will be dominated by the rivalry between the largest metropolitan centres." (SUMMARY IN FRE AND GER)

Maximising the cost-efficiency of assay procedures

Cortisol concentrations were measured in cattle plasma and pig muscle juice samples obtained from groups of animals slaughtered at different abattoirs. Statistically significant (P < 0·001) differences were obtained for between-abattoir comparisons for both the cattle and pig samples. Cortisol concentrations were determined using a radio-immunoassay kit. In accordance with the instructions, assays were performed in duplicate. An analysis of variance indicated that the use of a single determination on more samples, instead of duplicate determinations of fewer samples, would have led to an important increase in accuracy for detecting differences between means. It would have been more cost-efficient to collect additional samples and perform one assay only on each sample.

On collagen fibril diameter distributions

Distributions of collagen fibril diameters, measured from electron micrographs, are compared using some of the common measures of the mean of the distribution. The role of mixture distributions in modelling these distributions is considered and a method of fitting such distributions to data observed in the form of histograms is described. The method is illustrated with six pairs of fibril diameter distributions used in assessing age and structural changes in various collagen samples from different species of animal. The extent of changes in diameter distributions is assessed in terms of the estimated means, variances and mixing proportions for the component distributions of the histograms in each pair.

Asymmetrical pudendal nerve damage in pelvic floor disorders

Differences in the left and right pudendal nerve terminal motor latencies have been observed in patients with pelvic floor disorders. Until now the mean value of the left and right pudendal latencies has been used as the index of pudendal neuropathy. In 22 patients of a group of 156 patients studied the pudendal nerve terminal motor latency was abnormally raised on one side only. These patients are thought to have pudendal neuropathy whether or not the mean value of the left and right pudendal latencies is also raised. This observation may have therapeutic implications.

Fitting mixture models to grouped and truncated data via the EM algorithm

The fitting of finite mixture models via the EM algorithm is considered for data which are available only in grouped form and which may also be truncated. A practical example is presented where a mixture of two doubly truncated log-normal distributions is adopted to model the distribution of the volume of red blood cells in cows during recovery from anemia.

Is paradoxical contraction of puborectalis muscle of functional importance?

Paradoxical contraction of the puborectalis muscle during simulated defecation straining (anismus) has been cited as a cause of constipation. The functional specificity of this phenomenon was evaluated in 79 patients, 50 with constipation, 21 with idiopathic perineal pain, and eight with solitary rectal ulcer syndrome. Electromyogram evidence of paradoxical puborectalis contraction was observed in 38 (76 percent), ten (48 percent), and four (50 percent) of these patients, respectively. All patients with solitary rectal ulcer syndrome had difficulty defecating; defecation was normal in all patients with perineal pain. These observations suggest that paradoxical contraction of the puborectalis muscle is not a specific finding, and that it is not the sole cause of constipation in patients with anismus.

Relation between perineal descent and pudendal nerve damage in idiopathic faecal incontinence

In 60 patients with idiopathic anorectal incontinence, without neurological disease, there was a significant relationship, shown by regression analysis, between the pudendal nerve terminal motor latency and the extent of perineal descent during straining (r 0.59; p less than 0.001), and the plane of the perineum on straining (r -0.61; p less than 0.001). These data are consistent with the suggestion that perineal descent can lead to stretch-induced damage to the perineal nerves in this condition.

The cellular and metabolic organization of ovine subcutaneous adipose tissue

The cellular organization and lipogenic capacity ([14C]acetate incorporation per l06 cells) of sections, parallel to the skin, of subcutaneous adipose tissue from the rump, shoulder and brisket regions of fat sheep were studied. Adipocytes from the brisket (134 �m in mean diameter; 1.35 nl in mean volume) were smaller than those from the shoulder (213 �m; 4.77 nl) or rump (202 �m; 4.69 nl). Furthermore, cells from the brisket incorporated significantly less [I4C]acetate than those from either the shoulder or rump, which were not significantly different in lipogenic capacity. The frequency distributions of diameters of cells from the rump and shoulder were predominantly normal, but those of brisket cells were positively skewed. Adipocytes were larger and lipogenesis was greater in sections closer to the skin than in sections closer to the muscle for each region. This gradient of cell size and lipogenic capacity indicates that ovine subcutaneous adipose tissue is not homogeneous but is organized in structure and metabolism.

Compensatory growth in sheep

Some attributes of the body composition of Dorset Horn x Merino wethers, which were either continuously grown or subjected to one or two periods of starvation-weight loss, realimentation and compensatory growth, were studied. Periods of restricted feed intake were imposed when liveweights were either below (23 kg) or above (43 kg) the level generally regarded as a mature liveweight (c. 31 kg) for such sheep. Loss of liveweight resulted in different responses in the meat of immature and mature animals. The meat from immature sheep was depleted of fat, whereas that from mature sheep increased in fat content. Loss of fat from the meat of immature sheep was associated with both atrophy and hypoplasia of the subcutaneous adipose cells, but in mature sheep there was atrophy without hypoplasia of these adipose cells. Although the greatest loss of fat was from the meat, proportionately more fat was lost from the offal, particularly in mature sheep. The amount of protein in the carcass meat was similar in control, starved, or realimented sheep of the same body weight. During the first few days of realimentation the sheep consumed three to four times as much food per day as during the starvation periods; the apparent digestibility of the food was increased from 53–68% to 80–90%; liveweight gain was 500–600 g/day, and there were increases in fat, water and protein in the meat of realimented animals. Sheep which had been starved and realimented, either once or twice, rapidly achieved liveweights equal to those of continuously grown animals and were similar to them in both body and meat composition.

Bruising in cattle transported over long distances

The relative susceptibility of cattle of different sexes to bruising was examined in five trials. In each trial there were three groups of cattle--bullocks, cows and mixed (bullocks and cows). The weight of bruised tissue trimmed from the carcases of the cows was significantly greater than that trimmed from the carcases of bullocks. The amount of bruising in cows, but not in bullocks, increased with increase in duration of journey. There was no evidence to suggest that differences in carcase weight or temperament, or "riding" of cows in oestrus were major contributing factors to the different levels of bruising.

The duration of latent infection and functional immunity in droughtmaster and hereford cattle following natural infection with Babesia argentina and Babesia bigemina

Tne Droughtmaster and 9 Hereford cattle were born in an enzootic babesiasis area and became naturally infected with Babesia argentina and B.bigemina during a 3 year period. They were then kept free of cattle ticks (Boophilus microplus) for the remainder of the experiment. Annually for the next 3 years their individual infection status with Babesia was determined by sub-inoculation of blood into splenectomised calves. At the end of this period the functional immunity of all cattle was challenged by blood inoculation of heterologous strains of B. argentina and B. bigemina. Infection with B. argentina persisted in all Herefords for 2 years and in 7 for 3 years after they had been freed of B. microplus. The number of Droughtmasters with detectable B. argentina infection progressively declined, and at the end of 3 years only 2 of 10 were still infected. No Herefords were shown to be infected with B. bigemina following 1 year's freedom from B. microplus but latent B. bigemina infection of at least 2 year's duration was demonstrated in one of the Droughtmasters. A marked degree of resistance was apparent in all cattle when they were challenged with an heterologous strain of B. argentina. There were no differences between the response to challenge of the Herefords and Droughtmasters nor between the reactions of cattle which had apparently naturally sterilised B. argentina infection and those which were still infected. The heterologous strain of B. bigemina produced parasitaemia in the majority of animals but only minimal fever and anaemia resulted with no significant differences between the breeds.

Studies of sexual dimorphism and other variation in nine species of Australian mullets (Pisces : Mugilidae)

The nature of sexual dimorphism and other variation is examined in nine Australian mullets on the basis of external measurements. Some degree of sexual dimorphism is shown to be present in all species. In one species a form of variation unrelated to sex appears in the adults. Sexual dimorphism is expressed principally through relative variation in the placement of selected fins and the anus along the body axis. The possible prediction of sex for further individuals is considered together with implications for aquaculture.

Erythrocyte adenosine triphosphate levels in cattle infected with Babesia argentina

Erythrocyte adenosie triphosphate (ATP) was estimated in 60 Droughtmaster cattle. The mean was 0.76 mumole/g haemoglobin; standard deviation +/- 0.18; range 0.41-1.45. ATP values were log normally distributed. Repeatability of ATP estimations was confirmed using 10 Hereford cattle. Animal variation in the estimates was double the sampling variation. No significant correlation between susceptibility to B. argentina and ATP was observed in 25 Droughtmaster and 5 Hereford cattle.

The utilization by beef cattle of sugarcane supplemented with animal protein, plant protein or non-protein nitrogen and sulphur

When sugarcane was chopped, supplemented with meat meal or the tropical legume Leucaena leucocephala and fed to Droughtmaster steers, they gained liveweight at the rate of 0.61 kg day-1. When non-protein nitrogen and sulphur were used as the supplement, animals lost liveweight initially but later gained liveweight at 0.52 kg day-1. The improvement was brought about by evenly distributing the supplement in the ration and by ensiling the treated feed for at least 24 hours. Cattle consumed approximately 71 g OM/kg LW0.75/day and digested 57.9 per cent of the diet when the protein source was L. leucocephala, 64.4 per cent when it was meat meal and 66.2 per cent when it was urea and sodium sulphate. The differences in digestibility were associated with differences in retention time of the diets in the rumen.