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Biomedical subjects

A C Cordier

Publications and source records attributed to A C Cordier.

11 recordsLinked to original sources

Flow cytometric detection of erythropoietic cytotoxicity in mouse bone marrow.

Erythroblast proliferation and maturation in bone marrow are the processes leading to the formation of polychromatic erythrocytes (PE) and normochromatic erythrocytes (NE), respectively. PE contain RNA but no DNA, and can therefore be distinguished both from NE (which lack both RNA and DNA) and from nucleated cells (which contain both DNA and RNA). Cytotoxic agents that induce impairment of the maturation process change the PE:NE ratio. We have developed a simple and rapid method of determining the PE:NE ratio, based on flow cytometric analysis of formaldehyde-fixed, acridine orange (AO)-stained cells. The effects of cyclophosphamide (CP), mitomycin C (MMC), and vincristine (VC) were tested and the PE:NE ratio was evaluated over 7 days of treatment. In this study we monitored the kinetics of these compounds and were able to demonstrate both a time- and a dose-dependent effect. We detected a difference between the effects of the alkylating agents tested and those induced by the spindle inhibitor tested. Flow cytometry of fixed bone marrow samples stained with AO provides more information, better and more rapid statistical analysis, than conventional microscopic methods for counting the PE:NE ratio.

Acridine Orange

Origin of necklace particles in thymic ciliating cells.

The formation of ciliary necklaces during ciliogenesis in a thymic cyst was observed in freeze-etched replicas. The necklaces first appear as clusters of particles arranged in concentric circles on a flat area of the cell membrane. As soon as the cilium begins to grow, the particles move to the periphery.

Animals

The influence of fixation procedure, embedding medium and section thickness on morphometric data in thyroid gland.

In this study, the effects of fixation procedures, embedding medium and section thickness on stereological measurements of normal thyroid were analysed. The following conclusions were drawn: A) the use of a single section for the analysis of a lobe is sufficient if this section is located in the central part of the lobe. B) fixation and embedding with glutaraldehyde-Epon leads to a larger shrinkage than Bouin-paraplast, but the difference between the two procedures is not significant. C) osmium post-fixation reduces the shrinkage induced by glutaraldehyde and lowers the axial deformation produced by sectioning. D) Bouin's fixative and paraplast embedding induce considerable shrinkage of the interstitial tissue. The shrinkage obtained with glutaraldehyde-Epon is less. However, it is still not known whether this difference is due to the fixative, or to the embedding procedure or to both. E) only in glutaraldehyde and osmium-fixed material, embedded in Epon, can follicles and colloids be assumed to be spherical in shape without significant errors.

Animals

The thymus of Nu/+ mice.

At one month, the thymus weight of NMRI mice heterozygous for the Nu gene was lower than that of the wild type. However, the thymic structure was normal and no significant anomalies at the ultrastructurallevel could be found either in epithelial cells or in thymocytes. Stereologic data showed that the loss of weight was only due to a decrease of the lymphoid population, whereas the absolute number of epithelial cells was unmodified. Several hypotheses that could explain the reduced number of thymocytes were discussed.

Animals

Epithelial cell proliferation in thymic hyperplasia induced by triiodothyronine.

A significant hyperplasia of the thymus was induced in mice, treated with triiodothyronine during the first month of life. Stereological data showed that, in both treated and control mice, mononucleate epithelial cells were four times more numerous in the medulla that in the cortex. After triiodothyronine treatment, their absolute number in both cortex and medulla increased two-fold. The number of thymic epithelial cells could thus be regulated by thyroid hormones. The cortical volume in treated mice was also twice that of controls but medullar volume showed and increase of only fifty percent. Cortical epithelial cells increased at the same rate of the cortex volume by medullary epithelial cells grew more rapidly. In fact the medullary volume enlargement could be be explained mainly by the growth of the epithelium. Medullary lymphocytes did thus not preliferate in the same way as cortical lymphocytes after thyroid hormone administration. The recently described multinucleate epithelial cells were not modified in number and were thus insensitive to thyroid hormones.

Animals

Thyroid gland in dwarf mice: a stereological study.

Stereological methods were used to compare thyroids of dwarf mice and of their heterozygote littermates. In the thyroid of dwarf mice unorganized cellular masses, adipous tissue and ultimobranchial cysts are abundant. Follicles are small and their distribution function is unimodal. The number of cells per follicle is considerably lowered if compared with the normal. In control mice the distribution function of thyroid follicles is bimodal. These data show that origin of the thyroid anomaly in dwarf mice is due to a drastic diminution of cell divisions, probably resulting from the lack of growth hormone.

Animals

Relationship between ciliary rootlets and smooth endoplasmic reticulum.

In ciliated cells of thymic cysts in Nude mice, ciliary rootlets are constantly and closely related to smooth endoplasmic reticulum and clear vesicles. This special association suggests that this structure does not play only an anchoring role but must be involved in the general metabolism of the cilium.

Animals

Ultrastructure of the thyroid in dwarf mice.

The thyroid gland of Snell's dwarf mice consists of small follicles with flattened epithelium, partly differentiated cords and undifferentiated masses. Many adipocytes are found. The ultimobranchial cysts are well developed. Parafollicular cells are normal. In the partly organized cords, microfollicular cells are some small follicles limited by two or three cells are seen. The presence of these structures led us to think that they represent the first stages of normal folliculogenesis, described as the fusion of two adjacent unicellular microfollicles. Their further growth is the result of the coalescing of small adjacent follicles or of cellular multiplication. The presence of undifferentiated masses and partly differentiated cords, in dwarf mice, seems due to a developmental arrest rather than to aberrant development. This disorder of organogenesis is ascribed mainly to a lack of pituitary growth hormone.

Animals

Ultrastructural aspects of crystal-like inclusions in a case of IgA plasma cell proliferation.

A case of apparently benign plasma cell proliferation is described. Needle-like paracrystalline inclusions were observed in numerous plasma cells outside the cisternae of the rough endoplasmic reticulum. They had a dense protein core surrounded by a layer of carbohydrate. They were found only in plasma cells secreting IgA-kappa immunoglobulin, but did not react with labelled specific antisera. A small amount of paraprotein IgA-kappa was found in the serum but no Bence-Jones protein could be detected in the urine. These observations suggest that these plasma cells synthesize normal IgA immunoglobulin and accumulate abnormal protein in the form of paracrystalline inclusions.

Aged

Ultrastructure of the cilia of thymic cysts in "nude" mice.

The ciliary ultrastructure is studied in the ciliated cells of the thymic cysts of the "nude" mouse. The cilium is made up of two segments: the intracellular basal body and the extracellular cilium shaft. The basal body extends in a rootlet and demonstrates three annexes: basal foot, anchoring system and tonofibrillar web. The rootlet, composed of one central and nine peripheral chambers, is closely and constantly associated with smooth endoplasmic reticulum. The classical periodicity of the basal foot can be explained by its internal structure. The anchoring system binds the upper part of the basal body to the cell membrane. The cilium shaft is divided into four segments: implantation base, proximal segment, intermediate segment and tip. The details of particular structures in the implantation base and in the proximal segment are given on transverse and longitudinal sections. In the intermediate part, a peculiar desmosome-like structure, binds some doublets with the ciliary membrane. At the tip level, A tubules end up in an opaque plate and membranes are covered with several intracated cristae.

Animals

Nude mouse embryo: ectodermal nature of the primordial thymic defect.

Sterile female homozygous nude mice were rendered fertile through a graft of thymic epithelium from heterozygous littermates 3 days after birth. Homozygous nude embryos were compared with embryos age (8-18 days). In nude mice, the embryological anomaly is noticeable from the 11th day of gestation and essentially consists of a failure of the ectoderm from the 3rd branchial cleft to proliferate and differentiate into a cervical vesicle. As a result, the endoderm from the 3rd pouch degenerates into cystic formations instead of differentiating.

Animals