RESUMEN
Inhaled irritants induce secretory cell hyperplasia in nasal epithelium of animals. To characterize this response histochemically it is first important to know the histochemical character and distribution of epithelial mucosubstance in the normal nasal cavity. An automated image analyzing method was used to detect and quantitate acidic, neutral, and sulfated mucosubstances in the epithelium lining the nasal and paranasal airways of eight bonnet monkeys. Tissue sections 2 micron thick from defined regions of these airways were stained with either alcian blue/periodic acid-Schiff to demonstrate acid and neutral mucosubstances or high iron diamine to demonstrate sulfated mucins. Respiratory epithelium covering maxilloturbinates had the largest volume of stainable mucosubstance per unit surface area of basal lamina, whereas the maxillary sinus epithelium had the least. There was a general anteroposterior increase in the quantity of total epithelial mucosubstance along the septal and lateral walls of the nasal cavity, and there was more acidic than neutral mucosubstance in the posterior nasal airway than in the anterior. Epithelial mucosubstance in the maxillary sinus was predominantly neutral. Therefore, we conclude that there are substantial regional quantitative differences in stainable mucosubstances in the primate nasal epithelium which must be considered when examining nasal mucosa for irritant-induced changes in epithelial mucins.
Asunto(s)
Glicosaminoglicanos/análisis , Mucinas/análisis , Mucoproteínas/análisis , Cavidad Nasal/análisis , Nasofaringe/análisis , Senos Paranasales/análisis , Animales , Epitelio/análisis , Femenino , Histocitoquímica , Macaca radiata , Masculino , Coloración y Etiquetado , Sulfatos/análisis , Distribución TisularRESUMEN
The pathologic findings are described in seven cases of allergic aspergillus sinusitis, a newly recognized form of sinusitis. Grossly, the sinuses are filled with firm, white-tan mucoid material. Microscopically this material consists of mucin-containing numerous eosinophils, sloughed respiratory epithelial cells, cellular debris, Charcot-Leyden crystals, and scattered fungal hyphae resembling aspergillus species. This histologic appearance is identical to mucoid impaction occurring in bronchi in allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis. Allergic aspergillus sinusitis and allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis may represent different manifestations of aspergillus hypersensitivity in the respiratory tract. Implications for treatment of allergic aspergillus sinusitis and a possible relationship between it and allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis are discussed.
Asunto(s)
Aspergilosis/patología , Senos Paranasales/patología , Hipersensibilidad Respiratoria/patología , Sinusitis/etiología , Aspergilosis/microbiología , Aspergillus/citología , Eosinófilos/patología , Humanos , Mucinas/análisis , Senos Paranasales/análisis , Hipersensibilidad Respiratoria/microbiología , Sinusitis/microbiología , Sinusitis/patologíaRESUMEN
Studies on the interaction of magnetic fields and biological organisms have centred on the influence of applied magnetic fields on the physiology and behaviour of organisms, including humans, and a search for magnetic sources within the organisms themselves. Evidence continues to accumulate that a wide range of organisms, from bacteria to vertebrates, can detect and orient to ambient magnetic fields (for examples see refs 2-4). Since the discovery that magnetic orientation by bacteria was due to the presence within the organism of magnetic particles of the ferric/ferrous oxide, magnetite, the search has begun for other biogenic deposits of inorganic magnetic material and ways in which the possession of such material might confer on the organism the ability to orient to ambient magnetic fields. Such magnetic material, often identified as magnetite, has been discovered in bees, homing pigeons, dolphins and various other organisms, including man. A variety of hypotheses for the use of magnetite in magnetic field detection have been proposed. We report here that bones from the region of the sphenoid/ethmoid sinus complex of humans are magnetic and contain deposits of ferric iron. The possible derivations and functions of these deposits are discussed.