Normal Human Organs Research Articles

The distribution of cells expressing a natural killer cell marker (HNK-1) in normal human lymphoid organs and malignant lymphomas.

A murine monoclonal antibody, HNK-1, is known to react with some human leukocytes including all natural killer (NK) cells in peripheral blood. The distribution of cells reacting with this antibody (HNK-1+ cell) was studied in human peripheral lymphoid organs, consisting of five lymph nodes, two specimens of gastric mucosa with lymphoid tissue, two tonsils, one appendix, and two thymuses. Fourteen cases of malignant lymphoma (ML) were also examined. For the demonstration of HNK-1+ cells, the peroxidase-antiperoxidase (PAP) bridge method was applied to cryostat sections of these specimens. It was found that in normal lymphoid organs most HNK-1+ cells were located in lymph follicles, especially in germinal centers, and some were found in 'mixed' regions which indicate outsides of both the follicles and T-zones. Amongst the ML, large clusters of HNK-1+ cells were observed only in two cases of follicular lymphoma, although a few scattered HNK-1+ cells were noted in other ML, including five diffuse B-cell lymphomas, six T-cell lymphomas and one null cell lymphoma. The possible significance of these findings is discussed.

Giant cilia in the human organ of Corti.

Fusion of cilia, the growth of clumps of fused cilia and giant cilium formation have been studied in the normal human organ of Corti using the scanning electron microscope. These unusual forms are found mainly in the apical portions of the cochlea and appear to precede the loss of normal apical cilia which increases and extends in a basal direction with age. These changes may be due to low frequency noise damage or be a phenomenom of ageing. The mechanism of their formation is discussed in the light of recent experimental work on cell fusion.

In vitro modeling of acute salpingitis caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae

Normal human fallopian tube organ culture was used as an in vitro model to study Neisseria gonorrhoeae infections. The effects of various gonococcal colony phenotypes on morphology of the epithelium were studied by scanning electron microscopy. After 30 minutes' incubation, there was striking attachment of piliated transparent phenotypes to the epithelium; however, there was no obvious pathology. After 24 hours' incubation, there were microcolony formation, slight swelling and hyperplasia of the mucosa, and occasional focal necrosis and sloughing of ciliated cells. Tissue from acute salpingitis showed widespread destruction of mucosa, hyperplasia, and crypt formation. Duplication of these findings in vitro may require longer incubation and the addition of other host factors.

The reaction of complement fixation as a method for serologically characterizing antitissue sera

Experiments concerned with antitissular sera staged on 58 rabbits revealed the opportunity of obtaining comparable data in dynamic investigations of the antibody content. Conditions for the preparation and standardization of tissue antigens and complement titration are presented. A single injection of an extract of normal human organ tissues to immune animals does not yield an effective in vivo exhaustion of antibodies. A single or two-fold injection of blood plasma or whole blood acts in the same way.

Clonal growth in vitro of human cells with fibroblastic morphology; comparison of growth and genetic characteristics of single epithelioid and fibroblast-like cells from a variety of human organs.

A methodology has been described for reliable cultivation in vitro of dispersed fibroblastic cells obtained from normal human organs. The procedure has permitted establishment of stable cell lines from almost every sample taken, among which the following organs were represented: skin, spleen, amnion, lung, liver, bone marrow, brain, muscle, and heart. Equally good growth has been achieved with cells from embryonic or adult tissues. The methods previously developed whereby single cells plated in Petri dishes grow into isolated macroscopic colonies can successfully be applied to the plating of human fibroblastic stocks. Plating efficiencies in the neighborhood of 50 to 60 per cent are readily achieved with such strains. The resulting colonies can be picked and clonal stocks established. Fibroblastic morphology is maintained in the colonies arising from every single cell of such clonal stocks. All of the single cells from epithelioid clonal strains also maintain their integrity throughout repeated subculture. Since the difference between clonal stocks of these two types is always maintained whenever the respective single cells are plated in the same medium, regardless of the previous history of these stocks, it may be concluded that a true genetic difference exists in these cell lines. In addition to the morphological differences between epithelioid and fibroblastic cell strains, the latter have more demanding nutritional requirements for single cell growth. Thus, single cells of fibroblastic lines almost never produce colonies with high efficiency unless the growth medium which is sufficient for epithelioid cells is supplemented with embryo extract, or a cell feeder layer. Fibroblastic cells are also more resistant to tryptic digestion of the bond uniting the cells to glass surfaces. By use of differential media, growth of both fibroblastic and epithelioid cells, respectively, has been obtained, from dispersed single cells obtained by trypsinization of a specimen of human embryonic lung.

TREATMENT OF BASAL CELL EPITHELIOMA BY INJECTION OF TISSUE EXTRACTS

IN A PREVIOUS report 1 the results of treatment of basal cell epitheliomas with tissue extracts prepared from human spleen and liver were described. The small number of normal human organs available for this work limited the number of patients who could be accepted for treatment. Obviously, the immediate problem resolved itself into the location of more plentiful sources of the effective principle. In the laboratory constant emphasis has been placed on the problem of determining the nature of the principle. It is hoped that a more thorough understanding of its nature will be helpful in eventually pointing the way toward synthesis, as has been the case with some of the vitamins. Our more immediate approach, however, has been of the cut and try type, a testing of extracts of organs which were readily available. Fardon, Brotzge and Loeffler, 2 for example, in working with heterologous tissue extracts, demonstrated that