Journal of Cytology & Histology

The sinu-atrial node (SAN) is one of the impulse conducting system of the camel heart. Anatomically, it lies beneath the epicardium, at the cranial end of the terminal sulcus, near the junction between the superior vena cava to the lateral wall of the right atrium and the right auricle. Histologically, SAN is located in the subepicardial layer of the terminal crest and can be identified as a mass of specialized and modified cardiac myocytes. Moreover, it appeared elongated in shape and bent oblong. SAN appears strongly similar to the general structure of the glands where, it is formed of two parts; the stroma and the parenchyma. The stroma is consisted of a fibrous connective tissue capsule that is completely investing the SAN from all sides. From the capsule, thin connective tissue septa or trabeculae are extending to inside the node, dividing the later into lobes. These lobes form the SAN head or the SAN body. From this body, the SAN arms processes take their way out. These arms are considered the internodal and interatrial pathways to the different sites in the right and left atria. So, the SAN head with arms giving the octopus likeappearance for the node. The parenchyma is consisted of three different types of specialized and modified cardiac myocytes; the perinuclear clear zone cells (“P” cells), the transitional cells (“T” cells) and the atrial Purkinje like cells or Purkinje like conducting cells.

Aim and Objective: The main aim of this study is to categorize, type, grade of soft tissue tumors & correlate it with Ki-67 proliferative index.
Material and Methods: The present study was conducted in the Department of Pathology, PGIMS, Rohtak. The study group comprised of excised 44 cases of STT (soft tissue tumors) specimens. Tumor grade was assigned based on the FNCLCC (Fédération Nationale des Centers de Lutte Contre le Cancer) grading system. According to the Ki-67 index the patients were divided into two groups: high index group (>50/10HPF) and low index group (<50/10HPF). These grades were correlated with proliferative activity using Ki-67 index.
Results: Out of 44 soft tissue tumors in our study 12 (27.27%) were diagnosed as benign and 32 (72.72%) were diagnosed as malignant soft tissue tumors. Average size of benign tumors was 4.50 cm and that of malignant tumors was 10.33 cm. Maximum number of soft tissue tumor were located in the extremities i.e.10 (22.72%) in upper extremity and 24 (54.54%) in the lower extremity. The commonest site affected was thigh (18.2%). Out of the 32 cases of (STS) soft tissue sarcomas, 15 (46.87%) were Grade 2, 13 (40.63%) were Grade 3 and 4 (12.5%) were Grade 1. MPNST (malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor) had the largest number of cases with Grade 3 (31.3%). All the benign STT had low Ki-67 index, while the Ki-67 index was low in 12 STS and high in 20 STS. The size as well as grade of the tumors showed a significant correlation with Ki-67 index.
Conclusion: Grading based on assessment of morphologic variables is one of the most important factors for predicting the prognosis of the patients with STS. Therefore, it should be a part of the pathology report and should be adapted to the modern management of patients.

Alcoholic hepatotoxicity is a worldwide major cause of death. The objectives of the present study are to evaluate qualitatively as well as to a less extent quantitatively the protective effects of zinc on acute alcoholic hepatotoxicity. Forty five adult male albino rats were equally divided into three groups. Group I, the ‘control’ one while group II, ‘ethanol-treated’ was received ethanol with a total accumulative dosage of 15 g/kg/36 hours (10 g/kg/day) by three equally divided gavages of 5 g/kg/12 hours each, to simulate acute alcohol intoxication or quadruple bingedrinking among humans. Group III, ‘zinc/ethanol-treated’ was received an intraperitoneal injection of zinc sulfate as 5 mg/kg/day for three days before ethanol administration. Qualitative histological and histochemical parameters were undertaken by using hematoxylin and eosin, iron hematoxylin, periodic acid-Schiff and detectors for the activity of succinic dehydrogenase and ATPase. Also some quantitative morphometric parameters were utilized. Ethanol-treated animals showed loss of normal architecture of hepatic lobules, high cellular degeneration and fatty changes, increased apoptosis, marked mitochondrial affection, inflammatory infiltration in portal space and sinusoids, depletion of glycogen content and decrease in the activity of succinic dehydrogenase and ATPase. Zinctreated animals showed ameliorative changes as mild cellular degeneration, proportionally less apoptosis, mild mitochondrial affection, almost no inflammatory infiltration, mild decrease of glycogen content and mild decrease of succinic dehydrogenase activity while ATPase activity was rendered normal. These results conclude that Zinc is an essential hepatoprotective agent against alcoholic hepatotoxicity. Zinc is qualified to be the first essential and the modest trace element in the map of prophylaxis and management of liver diseases. Finally, the classical histological, histochemical and morphometric techniques are fair enough to explore the big picture of these effects.

Secretory carcinoma is a very rare and distinctive type of low-grade breast carcinoma, initially termed “juvenile breast cancer”, but it is now known to occur in adults of both sexes. It is the only epithelial tumor of the breast characterized by specific translocation. In adults, it is potentially more aggressive than in children.
We report a case of an indolent breast tumor in a 66-years-old woman. The patient presented with a locally advanced mass in the right breast. She had radical mastectomy with axillary node dissection. Grossly, the mass was circumscribed, measured 50 × 35 mm, with a white glistening cut section. Microscopic examination revealed the classical features of secretory carcinoma with microcystic and solid patterns with abundant intra and extracellular PAS-positive secretory material. The tumor cells showed abundant amphophilic and clear cytoplasm with mildly atypical nuclei. Mitotic figures were infrequent. The axillary node dissection was free of tumor. The patient is disease free after a follow-up period of 12 months.
Secretory carcinoma is a very rare type of breast carcinoma and is uncommon in adults. Despite their good behavior, the prognostic factors and the therapeutic management are non-consensual. The majority of patients usually remain free of disease after surgical excision.

Deposition of arsenic in mice through groundwater is well documented but little is known about the histological changes of organs by the metalloid. Present study was designed to evaluate arsenic-induced histological alterations in kidney, liver, thoracic artery and brain of mice which are not well documented yet. Swiss albino male mice were divided into 2 groups and treated as follows: Group 1: control, 2: arsenic (sodium arsenite at 10 mg/kg b.w. orally for 8 wks). Group 2 showed marked degenerative changes in kidney, liver, thoracic artery, and brain whereas Group 1 did not reveal any abnormalities on histopathology. We therefore concluded that arsenic induces histological alterations in the tested organs.

Although the pathogenesis of androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is poorly understood, recent studies suggest that compromising the integrity of the follicular bulge area and or sebaceous gland may play a role. This study was designed to evaluate the role of follicular bulge stem cells in AGA. Twenty patients with AGA (17 males and 3 females) with a mean age of 24.05 ± 1.6 were the subjects of this study. A 4 mm punch biopsy specimen was obtained from both occipital skin and frontal affected area of scalp of each patient and embedded in paraffin. Tissue sections were immunostained using the Cytokeratin 15(CK 15) Ab-1 mouse monoclonal antibody. Cytokeratin 15 immunoreactivity was observed both in the frontal and occipital skin biopsies in the follicular bulge region and outer root sheath in all 20 AGA patients (100%). This study suggests that follicular stem cells in the bulge region are not the target in AGA. Further studies using other stem cell markers are recommended to clarify the role of follicular stem cells in AGA pathogenesis.

Galactoceles are benign cystic lesions generally occurring during pregnancy and lactation. Fine needle aspiration yields milky fluid that is often both diagnostic and therapeutic. Galactoceles are non-infective due to sterile environment and have no access to the outer environment. Crystallisation of the milky fluid takes place very rarely.

The blood pressure lowering effect of herbal-rich diet is a necessary dietary lifestyle measure now included the guidelines for the management of arterial hypertension. Flavonoids represent a major class of plant polyphenolics, they have antioxidant effects and show a wide range of pharmacological activities. This study was to clarify the antihypertensive effect of the flavonoid extracted from the Origanum vulgare. Forty five adult male albino rats were classified into three main groups as follows: group I: control. Group II: hypertension was induced by ligation of left renal artery. Group III: hypertension was induced and given OV as 100 mg/kg body weight daily for eight weeks. Blood samples were collected and cardiac sections were stained with H&E and immunohistochemical staining for caspase 3 and Bcl-2. The body weight of control, hypertensive and treated hypertensive groups showed a significant weight gain. Significant increase in creatinine and cholesterol in untreated in contrast to other groups. There was significant reduction of blood pressure (BP) on using OV in contrast to other groups. The hypertension group induced myocardial abnormalities as disruption, vacuolation, inflammation and wide separation of cardiac muscle fibers. Myocyte apoptosis were significantly decreased with OV compared with other groups. Caspases 3 and Bcl2 immunostaining in OV-treated rats were significantly decreased compared with other groups. The supplementation of OV herbetic extract (flavonoid) in hypertensive rats partially prevented such occurred changes, suggesting its possible protective effect against the risk of the progression of cardiovascular diseases during hypertension.

This study investigated the impact of two pesticides namely: Methiocarb and Chlorpyrifos against the biochemical and histological aspects of the helicid land snail, Helicella vestalis at Sharkia Governorate, Egypt. The activities of three vital enzymes, total protein (TP) and total lipid (TL) were laboratory tested. These enzymes were Aspartate amino transaminase (AST), Alanine amino transaminase (ALT) and Alkaline phosphatase (ALP). Results showed that all tested pesticides lead to increase the activity of AST, ALT and ALP in the tissue homogenate of the digestive gland of the land snail Helicella vestalis. On the other hand, the levels of total protein and total lipid were increased after treatment with all tested pesticides. In general, the two pesticides were significantly affected on the activities of enzymes, total lipid and total protein compared with control when applied against the tested snails. Meanwhile, many histological changes were observed in the digestive gland of H. vestalis after exposure to sublethal concentrations of both Methiocarb and Chlorpyrifos. These alterations included severe tubular disruption, vaculation, nuclear pyknosis and necrosis of tubules. Moreover, this study revealed that Chlorpyrifos was much more toxic to the tested snail than Methiocarb.

Chordomas are known by primary malign tumors that have formed from primitive notochord remains and exhibit different epithelial properties. Morphologically these cells have distinct borders; the nucleus displays a monotony and blandness. It was found few cases of pleomorphism, atypia, anaplasia and hipercromatic nuclei. Vacuoles were seen in the cytoplasm. This study was realized during January 1995 until June 2005, with 22 surgeries of chordomas and intraoperative crush. The background was dirty with myxoid appearance, myxoid matrix growing in sheets or cord and had vacuoles showed more evidence of physaliferous cells. Chondroid chordoma showed vacuolated cells as well as other cells with eosinophilic cytoplasm and myxoid background. Single cells were observed only in two cases and high cellularity was observed in 8(42%) cases. Two cases were frank errors, only one had a partial correlation. The percentage of mistakes was 30% and our diagnosis accuracy was 70%. The correlation with clinical details and radiological findings were helpful in improving the accuracy rate. There was no differentiation between cytomorphological features smear of intracranial tumours and the sacrococcygeal location. Intraoperative analysis of chordomas could be helpful to have a good diagnosis and to have a better surgical resection.

Lip squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) may develop from a potentially malignant disorder known as Actinic cheilitis (AC). The p21-activated kinases (PAKs) are possible targets for cancer therapeutics. The LSSC and AC samples were analyzed by immunohistochemistry in order to detects endogenous levels PAKs group I (PAK1 and PAK2) and group II (PAK4, PAK5 and PAK6) only when they were in phosphorylated form (active). Keratinocytes of the basals stratum showed intense staining for phosphoPAKs 1/2, while the most superficial cells of the stratum spinosum and the surface layer showed moderate immunostaining for PAKs 4/5/6 phosphorylated in the epithelium adjacent to injured area. AC did not immunoexpress actives PAKs 1/2 and PAKs 4/5/6. LSSC did not immunoexpress phosphoPAKs 1/2, but some degenerating cells and cells in the necrotic area showed intense staining. Our results suggest that PAKs 1/2 not participate in the regulation of AC and LSCC pathogenesis, while PAKs 4/5/6 are involved in the regulation of cell death in LSCC.