[INFLUENCE OF AGGRESSION AND RELATED PSYCHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF ATHLETES IN THE FREQUENCY OF NUCLEAR VIOLATIONS IN EXFOLIATED CELLS OF THE ORAL CAVITY]

The frequency of cells with abnormal nuclear morphology (micronuclei, perinuclear vacuo-les, notches, protrusions, such as «tongue» and «broken egg») in the buccal epithelium of wrestlers on different days of the competition period was identified. The largest number of violations observed on the 3rd day after the competition. It was conducted psychological testing of athletes and it was determined 16 psychological characteristics associated with the aggressiveness of athletes. It was revealed the effect of psychoemotional state on the cytogenetic apparatus athletes. It was found associations of the dynamics of reactive anxiety athletes and frequency of nuclear aber- 327 rations. The hypothetical scheme of influence human aggression and related psychological characteristics of its genetic apparatus by neurohumoral system was constructed.

Discriminant analysis

OBJECTIVE

To present a fully worked numerical example for the derivation of a discriminant function in order to provide insight into the processing steps and origin of the function coefficients.

STUDY DESIGN

The example begins with the reduction of a set of raw data to the values needed to calculate the variance/covariance matrix. Next the inversion of the covariance matrix by pivotal condensation is carried through. This is followed by the calculation of the coefficients. All calculations are carried out on a simple hand calculator.

RESULTS

While discriminant analysis is routinely and widely used in the analysis of karyometric data, the process of deriving the discriminant function and its coefficients has not been demonstrated in detail, by a numerical example, in over 50 years.

CONCLUSION

It is clearly not practical to conduct, by hand, a discriminant analysis on data sets as commonly encountered in karyometry. However, the use of a computer algorithm without a full understanding of the processing steps has always been deeply unsatisfactory. This tutorial article should remedy that situation.

Demonstration of decreased activity of dorsal raphe nucleus neurons in depressed suicidal patients by the AgNOR staining method

BACKGROUND

Suicide and depression are closely related yet distinct phenomena. In both these phenomena, research has focused on central serotonergic system disturbances. The dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) is the main source of serotonergic innervation of limbic structures crucial for the regulation of emotionally influenced behaviour.

METHODS

The study was carried out on paraffin-embedded brains from 23 depressed patients (12 suicides and 11 non-suicides) and 26 matched controls without mental disorders. The karyometric parameters of DRN neurons were evaluated by the AgNOR silver staining method.

RESULTS

The significant effect of suicide on the nuclear area was found in the cumulative analysis of all DRN subnuclei (ANOVA, P=0.032). A decreased mean value of this parameter was observed in the suicides group versus controls (t-test, P=0.032). This effect was especially pronounced in the violent suicide victims (t-test, P=0.001), who also demonstrated a decreased AgNOR area versus controls (t-test, P=0.007). No significant effect of depression or polarity on AgNOR parameters was found.

LIMITATIONS

A major limitation of this study is relatively small case number. A further limitation is given by the lack of data on drug exposure across the whole life span.

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggest that hypoactivity of DRN neurons is a distinct phenomenon in depression, specific only for suicidal subgroup of depressed patients.

Saw palmetto alters nuclear measurements reflecting DNA content in men with symptomatic BPH: evidence for a possible molecular mechanism

OBJECTIVES

To examine the nuclear chromatin characteristics of epithelial cells, looking for an SPHB-mediated effect on nuclear DNA structure and organization. Saw palmetto herbal blend (SPHB) causes contraction of prostate epithelial cells and suppression of tissue dihydrotestosterone levels in men with symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia, but a fundamental mechanism remains unknown.

METHODS

A 6-month randomized trial, comparing prostatic tissue of men treated with SPHB (n = 20) or placebo (n = 20), was performed. At baseline, the two groups were similar in age (65 versus 64 years), symptoms (International Prostate Symptom Score 18 versus 17), uroflow (maximal urinary flow rate 10 versus 11 mL/s), prostate volume (59 versus 58 cm(3)), prostate-specific antigen (4.2 versus 2.7 ng/mL), and percentage of epithelium (17% versus 16%). Prostatic tissue was obtained by sextant biopsy before and after treatment. Five-micron sections were Feulgen stained and quantitatively analyzed using the AutoCyte QUIC-DNA imaging system. Images were captured from 200 randomly selected epithelial cell nuclei, and 60 nuclear morphometric descriptors (NMDs) (eg, size, shape, DNA content, and textural features) were determined for each nucleus. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the differences in the variances of the NMDs between the treated and untreated prostate epithelial cells.

RESULTS

At baseline, the SPHB and placebo groups had similar NMD values. After 6 months of placebo, no significant change from baseline was found in the NMDs. However, after 6 months of SPHB, 25 of the 60 NMDs were significantly different compared with baseline, and a multivariate model for predicting treatment effect using 4 of the 25 was created (P <0.001). The multivariate model had an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 94% and an accuracy of 85%.

CONCLUSIONS

Six months of SPHB treatment appears to alter the DNA chromatin structure and organization in prostate epithelial cells. Thus, a possible molecular basis for tissue changes and therapeutic effect of the compound is suggested.

[Karyometry of the tumor epitheliocytes in the dysplastic sections of serous tumors and in serous cancers of the ovaries]

With the help of Integral-2MT cytoanalyzer, the average area of nuclei and the percentage of epitheliocytes with small, medium and large nuclei at the site of dysplasia of serous cysts and serous ovarian carcinomas have been evaluated. An increase in the degree of dysplasia of tumorous epithelium is associated with an increase in the average area of nuclei and the number of cells with medium nuclei. A decrease in the degree of differentiation of serous ovarian carcinomas is accompanied by increasing percentage of cells with large nuclei. Preoperative chemotherapy does not affect this regularity.

Myocyte nuclear and possible cellular hyperplasia contribute to ventricular remodeling in the hypertrophic senescent heart in humans

OBJECTIVES

The present investigation was designed to evaluate the growth reserve capacity of the aged and senescent myocardium.

BACKGROUND

Aging affects the ability of the heart to sustain alterations in ventricular loading, and this phenomenon may be coupled with attenuation of the hypertrophic reaction of the myocardium. However, because myocyte cellular hyperplasia has been documented experimentally in the old heart, a similar adaptation may also occur in humans and play a role in this process.

METHODS

The changes in number and size of ventricular myocytes were measured quantitatively in pathologic hearts of elderly subjects. Morphometric methodologies were applied to the analysis of 13 hypertrophic hearts obtained at autopsy from patients 80 +/- 4 (mean +/- SD) years old. An identical number of nonhypertrophic hearts collected from subjects 76 +/- 7 years old were used as control hearts.

RESULTS

A 71% increase in left ventricular weight was associated with a 33% increase in average myocyte cell volume per nucleus and a 36% augmentation in the total number of myocyte nuclei in the ventricular myocardium. However, a 55% increase in right ventricular weight was the result of a 59% increase in the aggregate number of myocyte nuclei, with no change in myocyte cell volume. These cellular processes were associated with a 95% and 83% enlargement of the myocardial interstitium in the left and right ventricle, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Myocyte nuclear and possibly cellular hyperplasia appear to be the prevailing growth mechanism of the overloaded aging myocardium. Proliferation of myocyte nuclei and connective tissue accumulation are the major determinants of ventricular remodeling in the hypertrophic senescent heart.

Prognostic value of karyometric and clinical characteristics in renal cell carcinoma. Quantitative assessment of tumor heterogeneity

BACKGROUND

The variation in tumor cell differentiation within one renal cell carcinoma, also termed tumor heterogeneity, renders visual tumor grading of these carcinomas difficult. Karyometric analysis enables description of nuclear characteristics of multiple tumor areas. Hence, karyometric analysis can be used to quantify tumor heterogeneity and thus may aid in a more objective grading of renal cell carcinoma.

METHODS

In 121 patients with renal cell carcinoma (tumors in International Union Against Cancer [UICC] stages I [5 cases], II [23 cases], III [33 cases], and IV [60 cases]), clinical and karyometric features were studied to obtain routinely applicable prognostic factors. Several parts of the tumor were analyzed to obtain a measure of tumor heterogeneity. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to determine the predictive value of karyometric features independent of tumor stage and other clinical characteristics.

RESULTS

The Cox univariate regression analysis showed correlation of several clinical and karyometric characteristics with survival. Of the clinical characteristics, TNM stage, tumor size, weight reduction, and performance status were significantly associated with survival. The karyometric features, especially those measurements associated with tumor heterogeneity (e.g. differences in nuclear size or chromatin texture between tumor subpopulations) were of value in predicting prognosis. In the Cox multivariate regression analysis, the Robson and UICC stages proved to be the most powerful predictors of survival (P < 0.0001). Of the clinical features, weight reduction and performance score were the only characteristics offering additional information regarding tumor stage (P < 0.0001). From the karyometric analysis quantification of anisokaryosis in the tumor at time of diagnosis offered additional prognostic information. Moreover, the differences of karyometric features within the tumor presumably associated with tumor heterogeneity correlated with survival. Using the features from the multivariate analysis, prognostic groups could be defined.

CONCLUSION

We conclude that karyometric analysis offers a useful means for quantifying tumor heterogeneity. Multivariate Cox analysis revealed additional value of a grading system based on karyometric analysis to tumor stage. Karyometric analysis can be a useful tool for stratification of patient populations.

[The karyometric characteristics of rat lung tissue during prenatal development]

The embryonic histogenesis of tissues of mesenchymal and epithelial origin was studied in the lungs of 150 embryos of the Albino rat (from 10 to 21 days of development) by methods of morphometry. Two phases in the dynamics of the nucleus form factor were established. The first phase (10-14 days) coincides with processes of programming and determination of the cells and is completed by a separation of the muscular, connective and cartilaginous tissues from the common mesenchymal germ. The second phase (16-21 days) is characterized by the divergent development of mesenchymal derivatives and demonstrates processes of cytodifferentiation and specialization of the cells. The appearance of heterogeneity of the cell forms leads to a growth of entropy of tissue anlagen. The restriction of the entropy is achieved by the integration of structures resulting from the formation of the system of correlation connections. Their amount first grows, and when specialization begins it becomes less.

[The circadian evolution of the karyometric indices of the inner hair cells. A statistical analysis]

We have realized a statistic study about "Karyometric Index" in the hair cells of the Corti organ of the albino Wistar rat [correction of guinea pig] in thirty of these animals; after in vivo fixation. The Karyometric Index variations are a good indicator of the cellular basic functional activity. Therefore we tried to clarify if the their cells are or not resembling to other cellular types with the functional circadian circles as well as if they present it or not in their basic functionalism, as they are also included in the "Endocrine Difusse System" and the "Paraneuron" concepts.