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R Greimers

Publications and source records attributed to R Greimers.

60 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

[Phenotype of thymocyte populations in C57BL/Ka mice during the development of radiation-induced lymphomas].

In C57BL/Ka mice, irradiated with 4 weekly X-ray doses of 1,75 Gy, the phenotype of thymocyte populations was analyzed with monoclonal antibodies, lectins and flow cytometry. Four successive phases were defined: a) early after irradiation, a depletion of radiosensitive cortical thymocytes with a relative enrichment for radioresistant medullary type cells; b) a regeneration phase, during which thymocytes express the cortical immature phenotype; c) a third period, with a relative increase of a population with medullary phenotype; d) a late phase, during which thymocytes with the same phenotype as lymphoma cells accumulate.

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[Proliferative response of the arterial wall in arterial hypertension: hyperplasia versus polyploidy].

Proliferation changes are along with cell hypertrophy and extracellular deposit the major components of the hypertensive structural changes in large arteries. There is still some doubt about the nature of the proliferative changes: hyperplasia or polyploidization. The aorta and the tail artery of SHR and Goldblatt one-kidney, one clip hypertensive rats (RVHR) were studied at different ages and hypertensive stages. After enzymatic dispersion, cell relative DNA content was assayed by flow cytofluorimetry and by Feulgen microdensitometry. Tissue total DNA content was assayed by fluorimetry. The increase in diploid and tetraploid cells within the hypertensive arteries was further calculated. In the RVHR, hypertension is of very rapid onset and reaches a plateau within 20 days (compared to the normotensive Wistar, systolic BP is 32 mmHg at 15 days, 52 mmHg at 40 days, 45 mmHg at 90 days). An increase in total aortic DNA content (DNA: 32 micrograms at 15 days, 31 micrograms at 40 days, 40 micrograms at 90 days) is found before the development of a significant polyploidy (polyploidy in per cent: 2.3 p. 100 at 15 and 40 days; 12.0 p. 100 at 90 days). Proliferation changes in this model appears to be hyperplasia at the acute phase and polyploidy at the chronic phase. The course of hypertension is slower and less severe in the SHR (compared to the WKY, systolic BP: 0 mmHg in 4 weeks, 17 mmHg in 8 weeks old and 33 mmHg in 35 weeks old rats).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

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[Lympho-epithelial interactions in the thymus during development of radio-induced lymphomas in C57BL mice].

In C57BL/Ka mice, leukemogenic fractionated whole-body X-irradiation induces alterations of the lymphoepithelial interactions normally found in the Thymic Nurse Cells (TNCs) and leads to the disappearance of these complexes. This phenomenon is due to the disturbances of thymic lymphopoiesis caused by modifications of bone marrow prothymocytes and of the epithelial component of TNCs.

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Organization of transcribed and nontranscribed chromatin in isolated nuclei of Zea mays root cells.

A slightly modified technique of Miller was applied to nuclei isolated from roots of germinating corn embryos. Under the conditions used, the extranucleolar chromatin was easily spread but the nucleolar chromatin often remained aggregated. The nontranscribed chromatin regions consisted of long deoxyribonucleoprotein (DNP) fibrils with the typical "beads-on-a-string" appearance of nucleosomal arrangement. When the EDTA concentration of the spreading medium was increased, linear arrangement of nucleosomes, 20 nm and 40-50 nm DNP granules were observed on the same DNP fibril. The supranucleosomal granules were also closely packed without any apparent order. Independently of the EDTA concentration, numerous non-nucleolar ribonucleoprotein (RNP) fibrils with a knobby structure were seen laterally bound to DNP fibrils. These knobby RNP fibrils (transcripts) were highly folded and appeared in "bunch-of-grapes" configurations. Each RNP knob measured 23 nm in diameter and the longest of these RNP fibrils were estimated to reach 1.5 micron. The RNP fibrils were often solitary and never exceeded 8 per 10 micron of the DNP axis. Distribution, morphology, and size of these transcripts distinguished them from the nucleolar "Christmas-tree"-like figures, which were rarely observed with our material. These non-nucleolar transcriptional units may correspond to genes coding for the heterodisperse nuclear RNA (hnRNA) and the knobs of 23 nm could be related to informofers or hnRNA particles. Up to now, the visualization of transcriptional units for higher plant tissues have never been reported.

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Cellular aspects of the pathogenesis of radiation--induced thymic lymphomas in C57 BL mice (review).

Radiation-induced thymic lymphomas in C57Bl/Ka mice are interesting models for studying the successive steps of carcinogenesis. Irradiation initiates "preleukemic" cells, which are promoted to become neoplastic. Studies in mice in which lymphoma development is inhibited by a bone marrow transplantation after irradiation suggest that radiation--induced alterations to the T cell lineage, and particularly to thymic microenvironment, are critical for the promotion of preleukemic cells. It is proposed that the lack of physiological differentiation signals within the thymus, as a result of irradiation, allows these cells to escape the normal controls of thymocyte production and pushes them towards neoplastic transformation. A disturbance in the production of cytokines may be involved, since exogenous cytokines, such as Interferon gamma or Tumor Necrosis Factor a, can inhibit radiation-induced lymphomagenesis, reproducing the effects of bone marrow transplantation. The model is thus suitable for studying the mechanisms of carcinogenesis and designing biological manipulation devoted to cancer prevention in individuals who have been exposed to oncogenic agents.

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Apoptosis during the development of radiogenic thymic lymphomas: effects of treatments inhibiting lymphoma development.

INTRODUCTION: Whole body fractionated irradiation induces thymic lymphomas in C57BL/Ka mice after a latent period during which preleukemic cells progressively transform into leukemic cells within an abnormal thymic microenvironment. A bone marrow graft or repeated cytokine injections prevent lymphoma development. We think that these treatments restore altered mechanisms controlling apoptosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Apoptosis was analyzed by flow cytometry in thymocytes from different groups of mice (control, preleukemic, prevented mice). RESULTS: The apoptotic rates did not change in freshly isolated thymocytes from different experimental groups. However, after culture, the level of apoptosis increased in preleukemic thymuses; and returned to normal value in cultured thymocytes from irradiated mice after lymphoma preventing treatments. Furthermore, thymic microenvironmental factors can control thymocyte apoptosis. CONCLUSION: We propose that after leukemogenic irradiation, there is an increase of cells with an activated suicide program, but that alterations of thymic environmental factors rescue them from apoptosis, allowing their further neoplastic transformation.

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