Microscopica acta. Supplement最新文献

In 240 autopsy cases of both sexes, aged between 19 and 88 years and with no evidence of clinically manifest bone disease, the structure of the spongy bone and the external form of the 3rd and 5th lumbar vertebrae were investigated quantitatively and morphometrically on the basis of high-contrast X-ray images of 100 mu-thick polished bone sections, using the Leitz texture analysis system. The structure of the spongy bone was analysed on the basis of the parameters volumetric density, surface density and specific surface in horizontal "fifths", the form being determined by measuring the greatest and smallest heights and widths. In the individual "fifths", the structural parameters manifest a "stepped" distribution, the highest values being in the outer, the lowest values in the middle "fifths". With increasing age, this distribution pattern flattens to differing degrees so that, in old age, only the outer"fifths"differ from the middle and inner"fifths". The form parameters of the vertebrae reveal an age-independent constant heigh and an age-dependent increase in maximum width. The vertebral bodies are subjected mainly to compressive forces and represent a compound construction of spongy bone and fluid-filled medullary cells. The inhomogeneity of the vertebral structure is the constructional equivalent of the intravertebrally regionally differing mechanical forces. Also the structure of the residual spongy bone resulting from the age-dependent remodelling process, is oriented to these mechanical forces. Despite the considerable intravertebral remodelling of structure, the form of the vertebral bodies remains largely constant. The increase in maximum width is based on an increase in the tensile forces acting upon the outer edges of the vertebral bodies consequent upon degenerative intervertebral disc changes.

Specific cell markers were revealed on fixed and paraplast embedded human tissues by the indirect immunoperoxydase methode using immunoadsorbed antibodies. Immunenzymhistology proved to be a new field for image analysis.

This report deals with morphometric investigations of muscle biopsies using a semiautomatic manual analysis system. Examples for differential diagnostic value of metric results are described: 1) Different distribution curves of muscle fibers are helpful in differentiating between two important groups of muscle diseases, chronic polymyositis and muscular dystrophy. 2) Some groups of disorders (e.g. interstitial myositis, neurogenic atrophy) may be subtyped by metric data. 3) Several diseases (e.g. myotonic dystrophy) are characterized by selective atrophy of one fiber type only in distinct muscle groups.

In quantitative morphology the estimates have the form P = S yi/ S xi if the sampling units are unequal or a special constituent of the organ serves as reference. Of interest is the bias of the ratio estimate (P): the stereological investigation of tissue sections through the ventricular wall of hearts of rats following isoproterenol damage revealed that in all cases the bias is unimportant. Therefore it is not necessary to use unbiased estimates.

The combination of microphotometer systems with different types of computers allows various possibilities of automatisation in fluorescence photometry. This paper presents several examples of automated fluorometry as testing of preparation and staining, determination of fluorescence intensity with instantanous background correction, controlling a scanning system for detection of immunofluorescence on microplates, rapid microspectroscopy of fluorescence emission, quantification of fading phenomena, help for chromosome analysis and also facilities of data correction and statistical data evaluation.