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The purpose of this study was to determine whether esterification of dehydroepiandrosterone with aspartate (DHEA-aspartate) could reduce peroxisomal proliferation induced by DHEA itself, without loss of antiosteoporotic activity. Female Sprague-Dawley rats were ovariectomized, then DHEA or DHEA-aspartate was administered intraperitoneally at 0.34 mmol/kg BW 3 times a week for 8 weeks. DHEA-aspartate treatment in ovariectomized rats significantly increased trabeculae area in tibia as much as DHEA treatment. Urinary Ca excretion was not significantly increased by DHEA or DHEA-aspartate treatment in ovariectomized rats, while it was significantly increased by ovariectomy. Osteocalcin concentration and alkaline phosphatase activity in serum and cross linked N-telopeptide type I collagen level in urine were not significantly different between DHEA-aspartate and DHEA treated groups. DHEA-aspartate treatment significantly reduced liver weight and hepatic palmitoyl-coA oxidase activity compared to DHEA treatment. DHEA-aspartate treatment maintained a nearly normal morphology of peroxisomes, while DHEA treatment increased the number and size of peroxisomes in the liver. According to these results, it is concluded that DHEA-aspartate ester has an inhibitory effect on bone loss in ovariectomized rats with a marked reduction of hepatomegaly and peroxisomal proliferation compared to DHEA.

The purpose of this study is to characterize and compare the ultrastructural changes occurring during the in vivo cultivation of corneal epithelium on amniotic membrane (AM) at several different time points. Corneal burn patients (n=7) with a corneal epithelial defect and severe limbal damage were selected. Initially, AM transplantation with limbal autograft was performed at the acute stage of corneal burn to reconstruct the damaged ocular surface. One to six (mean interval; 3.3+/-1.2) months later, the central part of AM containing an in vivo expanded corneal epithelium was excised and retransplanted in adjacent lesions. The excised epithelium with AM was examined by electron microscopy and immunohistochemical study. By electron microscopy, one and two months after expansion, cultivated epithelium on AM showed an undifferentiated epithelium and an incomplete basement membrane (BM). But, after three months, the cultivated epithelium began to differentiate into a multilayered epithelium with a continuous BM with increased hemidesmosomes. These findings were further confirmed by immunohistochemical study, that cytokeratin K3 was expressed in the cultivated corneal epithelium and newly formed BM was partially positive of collagen IV at three months. At least 3 months may be needed for the proliferation and differentiation of in vivo cultivated corneal epithelium on AM.

This case reports muellerianosis of the urinary bladder, showing glandular lesions made up of endocervical type glands, in a 36-yr-old woman. The patient presented with lower abdominal discomfort and pain on voiding. The patient had undergone two Cesarean sections 5 yr and 3 yr earlier. On a pelvic ultrasonography, a well-circumscribed mass, 2.2x0.8 cm in dimension, was found with luminal polypoid projection in the posterior wall of the urinary bladder. The patient had a transurethral resection of the bladder mass. Histologically, the tumor was composed of irregularly shaped glands lined by endocervical mucous epithelium in the muscularis propria of the urinary bladder. Some glands exhibited cystic dilatation and contained mucinous secretions. The glands elicited no desmoplastic tissue reaction. The intraluminal mucin often contained polymorphonuclear leukocytes. The glands were mostly lined by tall columnar and bland looking mucous cells with mucin secretion. The ciliated cells were rarely observed. No endometrial component is noted. It would be appropriate to designate this lesion as "Muellerianosis of the urinary bladder, endocervicosis type". Awareness of the lesion and attention to its typical histologic features should facilitate its crucial distinction from adenocarcinoma.

Transglutaminase (TGase) isoenzymes are involved in the process of the differentiation and cornification of keratinocytes in the epidermis. This study investigates the presence and localization of three TGase isoenzymes to elucidate the nature and differentiation status of the squamous epithelium in human aural cholesteatoma. Twenty cholesteatoma specimens were used. The presence and localization of three TGase isoenzymes were studied by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry. mRNA expression of three TGase isoenzymes were detected in the tested cholesteatomas with variable levels. The immunohistochemical staining patterns of three TGase isoenzymes showed variations within specimens, relating to keratinizing activity. TGase K is the most abundant among three isoenzymes. Keratinizing epithelium of cholesteatoma have similar expression profiles of TGase isoenzymes with those of epidermis of the skin. Other areas, particularly those showing non-keratinizing epithelium, showed weak immunostaining of TGase E and C, suggesting its different maturation status from keratinizing epithelium. The results of this study indicate that epithelium of cholesteatoma undergoes same direction of maturation and differentiation characteristics as the epidermis of skin, evidenced by similar expressions of TGases both in mRNA level and immunohistochemistry.

Though leiomyosarcoma usually occurs in the gastrointestinal tract and uterus, it rarely occurs in the wall of large veins and arteries. We present a case of primary leiomyosarcoma arising in the great saphenous vein of the left inner thigh and spreading for some extent along the vein in a 54 year old female. Diagnosis was confirmed by desmin stain and electron microscopy. Postoperative course was fine. This is the first report of this in Korean literature.

Herein reported is a case of congenital malignant melanoma in a premature male baby from a 25-year-old healthy mother who was found to have hydramnios at the 29th week of gestation. The pregnancy was interrupted because of a large posterior neck mass detected by ultrasonography. The large neck mass of the baby was a malignant melanoma involving deep dermis and subcutaneous tissue. The skin over the mass showed a large area of pigmentation with hairs and the pigmentation involved the occipital scalp and posterior neck. Microscopically, the tumor cells were monotonous and showed polygonal and epithelioid appearance with prominent nucleoli indicative of malignant melanoma of a minimal deviation variety. Neither junctional components nor benign dermal nevus cells were noted. There were no distant metastasis or underlying leptomeningeal melanosis. This tumor is presumed to have developed from either preexisted congenital giant pigmented nevus with loss of benign components or de novo origin.

Clear cell sarcoma of the kidney (CCSK) is a highly malignant childhood tumor, distinguished from classic Wilms' tumor by its propensity to metastasize to the skeletal system. Authors described a case of CCSK from a 3-year-old boy in the right kidney, showing various histologic features, such as classic, epithelioid, trabecular, neurilemmoma-like, cystic and entrapped collecting tubular pattern. Ultrastructurally epithelial differentiation was absent. Immunohistochemically, none of the intrinsic tumor cells showed positive staining with the antibodies against the keratin, S-100 protein, carcinoembryonic antigen, vimentin, desmin and myoglobin, suggesting primitive mesenchymal cell in origin.