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PubMed1992

Morphometry, histopathology, and tomography of cerebral atrophy in the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.

Patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) commonly display evidence of gross cerebral atrophy, but its true incidence and pathophysiology in the general AIDS population are unknown. In this study, we measured cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) spaces in 64 consecutively autopsied patients with AIDS, compared them with age-matched non-AIDS subjects, and correlated them with the microscopic neuropathology at autopsy. Thirty-seven of the patients with AIDS (58%) had a CSF space index greater than two standard deviations above the mean of the age-matched control subjects. CSF spaces were expanded the most in frontal and temporal lobes; ventricular spaces were expanded more than sulcal spaces. Regression analysis between age and the measured CSF indexes showed that practically none of the deviation in patients with AIDS could be explained by age-related atrophy. Patients with atrophy were much more likely to have human immunodeficiency virus type 1-associated histopathological changes in their brains, but the relationships were too weak to establish the microscopic cause of the atrophy. Measurement of CSF spaces in antemortem computed tomographic (CT) scans from 47 of the patients with AIDS revealed the same regional pattern of brain wasting. CT diagnosis of cerebral atrophy was strongly concordant with the postmortem diagnosis, but its severity was diagnosed slightly more conservatively at autopsy. Thus, quantitative analysis of CSF spaces in a robust sampling of patients with AIDS confirms that cerebral atrophy is a sensitive, common, and frequently subtle indication of central nervous system human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infection that may occur independently from any single specific microscopic abnormality. Its presence, severity, and regional pattern are detected with reasonable consistency using CT scanning.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1997

Morphometry of in vivo human white matter association pathways with diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging.

The precise characterization of cortical connectivity is important for the understanding of brain morphological and functional organization. Such connectivity is conveyed by specific pathways or tracts in the white matter. Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging detects the diffusivity of water molecules in three dimensions. Diffusivity is anisotropic in oriented tissues such as fiber tracts. In the present study, we used this method to map (in terms of orientation, location, and size) the "stem" (compact portion) of the principal association, projection, and commissural white matter pathways of the human brain in vivo, in 3 normal subjects. In addition, its use in clinical neurology is illustrated in a patient with left inferior parietal lobule embolic infarction in whom a significant reduction in relative size of the stem of the left superior longitudinal fasciculus was observed. This represents an important method for the characterization of major association pathways in the living human that are not discernible by conventional magnetic resonance imaging. In the clinical domain, this method will have a potential impact on the understanding of the diseases that involve white matter such as stroke, multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, head injury, and spinal cord injury.

Cerebral Cortex↗
PubMed2002

Analysis of the conducting airway system in the lung: a new method combining morphometry with mathematical modeling for airway classification.

Although the lung is structurally complex, it is suitable for morphometric analysis of the structural determinants of lung function in health and disease. Analysis of the organized branching airways has been problematic because of the need to identify and classify airways before structural characteristics of different-order branches can be determined. Airway casts have been used to identify relationships between branches, measure some structural features, and develop mathematical models that describe simply the relationships between generations. However, cast preparation destroys surrounding tissue, including the airway wall, thus precluding analysis of these structural elements. We describe a new approach using tissue sections which combines the classification of airways into Strahler order (SO) with tissue structural analysis. Lung-tissue sections are prepared, and outer (OD) and inner (ID) diameters are determined over a wide range of airways. The line equation relating log OD vs. SO is determined using measured values for SO1 (terminal bronchioles) and SO8 (first branch bronchi). Mean ODs can then be calculated for each of the other SO groups, and measurements can be classified. Calculations can be made for the mean number of branches and airway lengths (given the log linear relationship of these factors with SO and morphometrically determined volume densities for airway lumen), and for individual airway resistance and total resistances for each SO. For an example, mean data are presented for airways in the adult sheep (n = 13). The methodology presented allows identification of subtle alterations in airway structures which may be affecting selected orders of airways, with specific implications for changes in lung function.

Airway Resistance↗
PubMed1981

Histology of the canine urethra. I. Morphometry of the female urethra.

Urinary bladders and urethrae were collected from six adult and two juvenile female dogs. Five urethral regions and the neck and body of the bladder were sampled. Volume fractions for connective tissue including elastic fibers, smooth and striated muscle, and epithelium were obtained by projecting section images onto an array of points and computing the number of points overlying a tissue constituent per total points overlying the tissue section. Smooth muscle occupied approximately half the volume of the bladder wall, one-third the volume of the vesical neck, and one-fourth the volume of the proximal urethra. Striated muscle was present in the distal half of the urethra, where the total muscle coat occupied about one-third of the urethral wall volume. Smooth muscle was practically absent in the terminal urethra, where the striated urethralis muscle encircles urethra and vagina in common. Epithelial area and lumen perimeter were not significantly different along the length of the urethra except that urethral epithelium was significantly thicker adjacent to the vesical neck. In terms of histological proportions, the vesical neck was intermediate between the body of the bladder and the proximal urethra.

Aging↗
PubMed1981

Histology of the canine urethra II. Morphometry of the male pelvic urethra.

Urinary bladders and pelvic urethrae were collected from six adult and two juvenile male dogs. Within two vesical and six urethral sampling regions, volume densities were estimated for smooth and striated muscle, connective tissue and elastic fibers, stratum cavernosum, luminal epithelium, and prostate. The neck had significantly less smooth muscle and more connective tissue than the body of the bladder. In the prostatic urethra, smooth muscle was associated principally with trabeculae surrounding prostate lobules. Smooth muscle was sparse superficially in the prostatic capsule and practically absent in relation to the mid-prostatic urethra. Thus there was no mechanism for active closure of the middle prostatic urethra, and elastic fiber density was correspondingly high in this region. The smooth muscle sphincter needed to maintain urinary continuence and prevent semen reflux was primarily the vesical neck. Caudal to the body of the prostate, striated muscle comprised more than 40% of the urethral wall. Juvenile and adult postprostatic urethrae were similar except for a decreased quantity of stratum cavernosum in the pups.

Aging↗
PubMed1984

Fluorescence microscopic morphometry of functioning blood vessels and adrenergic nerves in myocardium.

The purpose of this study was to quantify the percent volume of actively functioning blood vessels in five dogs subjected to ligation of the left anterior descending artery and to localize catecholamine-containing nerve terminals in the same tissue blocks. Radioactive microspheres were injected to determine the extent of flow reduction in the ischemic zone. After 1 or 3 hr of occlusion, thioflavin-S (0.125 ml/Kg of a 4% solution) was injected intravenously 15 sec prior to removal of the heart. Tissue samples were reacted with paraformaldehyde to visualize catecholamine-containing nerve terminals prior to embedding in paraffin. The percent volume of blood vessels labeled with thioflavin-S was quantitated in tissue sections using a point-counting technique in which a small dot from a video screen was projected through an image-projecting tube and moved by computer control over the image of the fluorescent tissue. In the nonischemic zone, the mean blood flow determined by the microsphere technique was 1.29 ml/min/g +/- 0.48 (SD), and the mean volume percent of thioflavin-labeled vessels was 12.67 +/- 3.30. In the ischemic and border zone areas, there was wide range of flow reduction, and there was a significant correlation between the blood flow measured with microspheres and the percent volume of thioflavin-labeled blood vessels (R = 0.80, P less than 0.001). In the nonischemic zone, both blood vessels and catecholamine-containing nerve terminals were visible; however, in the ischemic zone, few labeled vessels were seen, although nerve terminals were often present.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Anatomy↗
PubMed1984

Morphometry of the functional and regressing corpus luteum of the guinea pig.

A morphometric study of functional and regressing corpora lutea (CL) of guinea pigs (n = 5 per day) was performed on days 9, 12, and 16 of the estrous cycle. On day 9 the functional CL contained congruent to 750,000 cells, which included 565,200 +/- 56,700 (S.D.) endothelial cells or pericytes and 137,300 +/- 7,700 luteal cells. Between days 9 and 12 the only significant change suggesting the onset of regression was a reduction in vascular luminal surface area. During this time the number of luteal cells per CL increased to 204,400 +/- 34,800 (P less than .05), with an accompanying reduction in luteal cell volume from 19.8 +/- 1.8 to 14.4 +/- 2.4 pl/cell (P less than .01). The increase in cell numbers was explicable by cell division, with mitotic indices of 0.83% and 0.97% on days 9 and 12, respectively. Luteal volume was unaltered. Between days 12 and 16, the mean volume of a single CL fell from 3.98 +/- 0.2 to 1.42 +/- 0.3 mm3 (P less than .01) and luteal cell volume was reduced to 5.3 +/- 1.1 pl/cell (P less than .01). Between these 2 days the number of endothelial cells per CL fell from 539,900 +/- 75,500 to 144,400 +/- 63,300 (P less than .01), with an accompanying reduction in vascular luminal surface area and in the volume occupied by vascular lumina. The total number of luteal cells per CL was not reduced significantly. It was concluded that luteal cell numbers in the guinea pig increase up to the time of onset of luteal regression, and that during regression up to day 16, shrinkage of luteal cells is the major cause of loss of luteal volume. During regression, endothelial cell loss occurs much more rapidly than loss of luteal cells.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Morphometry of postnatal development in the porcine lung.

Alveolar regions of normal pig lungs (newborn to 60-day-old) were characterized morphometrically to provide a basis for comparison in future investigations of porcine respiratory diseases. Endotracheal installation of fixative was done to expand the lungs uniformly at total capacity. Differential effects of lobar variations were determined by stratified random sampling of lung lobes. A stereologic study was done by point and intersection counts on electron micrographs. At birth, the lungs were remarkably well developed. Relative alveolar and capillary surface densities and air-blood tissue barrier thicknesses were at adult levels. In allometric regressions, volumes and surfaces of lung components regressed directly to lung volume, but monoexponentially (to the 3/4 power) with body weight. In the first postnatal week, however, relative volume densities of cellular interstitium in septal tissue and of capillary lumina in parenchyma increased at statistically significant levels. Composition of lung parenchyma and septa was changed, although without statistically significant direct impact on parameters related to gas exchange. Type II pneumocytes had increased nuclear to cytoplasmic volume ratios in 7- to 14-day-old pigs, probably reflecting cell activation and increased surfactant production. Age (postnatal lung growth) created the most substantial variance of results; interanimal variation in pigs of the same age was less important and no consistent lobar variations were seen.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Effects of advancing age on the central response of rat facial neurons to axotomy: light microscope morphometry.

Following axotomy, the regrowth of peripheral axons takes longer in older individuals than in young ones. The present study compares central responses of facial motor neurons to a crush injury of the facial nerve in 3-month-old and 15-month-old male rats sampled through 28 days post-crush (dpc). Neuronal somata, nuclei, and nucleoli were measured in 30 microns brain stem sections within subdivisions of the facial nucleus that contain the cell bodies responsible for the movement of the vibrissae. The temporal patterns of change in the size of the three structures were interpreted with reference to the re-establishment of functional connections, i.e., the return of voluntary vibrissae activity, which is delayed by 4 days in the older animals relative to the younger ones. There was no age-related difference in the pattern of somal swelling and recovery, nor was there an age-related difference in the response of nuclei and nucleoli to axotomy through 4 dpc. Both nuclei and nucleoli increased in size in animals of both age groups, but after 4 dpc in the older animals nuclear enlargement was prolonged and the nucleolar increases were less robust compared to the younger animals. The greatest age difference appeared with the re-establishment of functional connections. In the 3-month-old animals, the resumption of whisker activity coincided with vigorous transient increases in the sizes of nuclei and nucleoli; in the 15-month-old animals, there was little nuclear response to functional recovery and a comparatively small increase in nuclear sizes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Aging↗
PubMed1990

Morphometry and frequency of afferent synaptic terminals in the rabbit dorsal-lateral geniculate nucleus.

Morphological and morphometric features of the retinal synaptic terminals (RLP) and cortical synaptic terminals (RSD) were analyzed in the alpha E sector of the rabbit dorsal-lateral geniculate nucleus (dLGN). A methodological approach was selected which allowed us to determine volume of the neuropil and elsewhere record variations in the size and distribution of the two types of terminals found in the three zones (superior, middle, and inferior) from up to down into which the alpha E sector of the dLGN was divided. After obtaining an isotropic, uniform, and pseudorandom (IUR) sample, the terminals were examined on the basis of a set of morphometric parameters. An analysis of these data showed the retinal terminals (RLP) to be more numerous and to occupy a greater total area of the neuropil in the dorsal (superior) zone of the nucleus, whereas the number and total area occupied by cortical terminals (RSD) did not vary in the superior, middle, and inferior zones. Upon comparing the two types of terminals, the RLP were larger and more widely distributed, the greatest differences between the two appearing in the dorsal (superior) zone of the dLGN.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Effects of maternal bilateral ureteral ligation on the development of the proximal tubule of the kidney in fetal rats: morphometry and electron microscopic study.

Development of the proximal tubule in the fetal kidney was studied following ligation of both ureters of pregnant rats. The ligation was performed on days 15, 17, 19, and 21 of gestation and autopsy followed 24 hours after each operation. On fetal days 20 and 22, the proximal tubular length per unit volume (1 mm3) of whole kidney of the fetuses from the ligated mothers was significantly increased, while the ratio of total glomerular volume to total proximal tubular volume was remarkably decreased when compared to that of the fetuses from the non-ligated mothers. Apical vacuoles in proximal tubular cells were increased by the ligation on fetal days 20 and 22. These findings suggest that maternal bilateral ureteral ligation accelerates the growth and differentiation of the proximal tubule in fetal kidney, when the fetal kidney is functional in urine production.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Morphometry and magnetic resonance imaging of the human brain in normal controls and Down's syndrome.

A new powerful stereological tool for exact quantification of brain structures on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans was used. Applying Cavalieri's principle, unbiased estimation of volume can be obtained. The method was applied to estimate the volume of different brain structures from normal controls. Data were used for comparison with data obtained by analyzing the brains of persons with Down's syndrome. A normalization procedure based on volume of cranial cavity is introduced and its advantages discussed, as is the coefficient of error as an indicator for the precision of the measurement.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Morphometry and histoenzymology of the hamster tenuissimus and its muscle spindles.

Muscle spindles and extrafusal fibers in the tenuissimus muscle of mature golden Syrian hamsters were studied morphologically and quantitatively using several light microscopic techniques. Muscle spindles were identified in serial-transverse frozen-sections of whole muscles stained with hematoxylin and eosin. Five tenuissimus muscles were examined from origin to insertion, and the locations of individual receptors were plotted in camera-lucida reconstructions. Spindles were found in proximity to the main neurovascular bundle in the central core of each muscle. A range of 16-20 receptors was noted per muscle. The mean muscle spindle index (the total number of spindles per gram of muscle weight) was 503 and the average spindle length was 7.5 mm. Oxidative enzyme and myosin adenosine-triphosphatase (ATPase) staining profiles were also evaluated in the intrafusal and extrafusal fibers in each muscle. Even numbers of type I and type IIA extrafusal fibers were distributed homogeneously throughout all muscle cross-sections. Histochemical staining patterns varied along the lengths of the three intrafusal fiber types. Nuclear chain fibers possessed staining properties similar to the type IIA extrafusal fibers and exhibited no regional variations. Bag1 fibers displayed staining variability, particularly when treated for myosin ATPase under acid preincubation conditions. Some spindles were isolated under darkfield illumination and then either treated with 7-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diazole (NBD)-phallacidin to detect filamentous actin by fluorescence microscopy, or prepared for conventional scanning electron microscopy (SEM). By fluorescence microscopy, a registered actin banding-pattern was observed in the sarcomeres of the intrafusal fibers, and variations in the intensity of banding were noted amongst different fibers. SEM revealed punctate sensory nerve endings that adhered intimately to the surfaces of underlying intrafusal fibers in the equatorial and juxtaequatorial regions. By transmission electron microscopy (TEM) these endings appeared crescent-shaped and were enveloped by external laminae. Each profile contained numerous mitochondria and cytoskeletal organelles. The high spindle density observed in this muscle suggests that the hamster tenuissimus may function in hindlimb proprioception.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Ultrastructure and morphometry of the urethral glands in normal, castrated, and testosterone-treated castrated male mice.

Recent studies of the urethral glands in the male mouse and rat have suggested that they are testosterone-dependent glands that may be potential sites for secretory immunity in the male genital tract. In the present study we describe the ultrastructural features of these glands in normal mice and provide quantitative data on the sizes of the acinar cells and their organelles in sham-, oil-, and testosterone-treated castrated mice. Acinar cells in urethral glands from normal mice contain numerous secretory granules, prominent Golgi complexes, elongated mitochondria, and an abundance of rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER) with large and dilated cisternae, all of which are features characteristic of secretory cells. In some acinar cells the cisternae of the RER were filled with closely packed, unbranched, straight, tubular structures that were oriented parallel to one another, that radiated from aggregates of dense material, or that were randomly arranged. In other acinar cells the cisternae of the RER showed a network of branching and anastomosing vesicular-like structures whose limiting membranes were occasionally seen in continuity with the membranes of the RER. Secretory acini showed large, unbranched tubules in the acinar lumen. When cut at right angles the large tubules exhibited a distinct fuzzy outer coat with fine projections radiating outwards. The ultrastructure of the acinar cells and the presence of tubules in the lumen suggests that they are engaged in secretion of a tubular protein. Morphometric analysis of acinar cells in the urethral glands showed that the mean volumes of nuclei, cytoplasm, secretory granules, vacuoles, and mitochondria were significantly reduced in castrated mice in comparison to either normal or testosterone-treated castrated mice. This confirms earlier observations that the urethral glands are targets of testosterone.

Animals↗