concanavalin-a and Stomach-Ulcer

A plasma cell tumor of the stomach with unusual histology is reported. Macroscopically, the tumor formed two ulcers in the gastric body, and microscopic examination revealed proliferation of plasma cells producing immunoglobulin G kappa monotypic immunoglobulin, with metastatic infiltration in some perigastric lymph nodes. Most of these plasma cells had various-sized Russell bodies in the cytoplasm; hence the tumor may be called Mott cell tumor. The Russell bodies showed a strong affinity to concanavalin A by lectin immunohistochemistry, compared with those in reactive Mott cells. In addition, Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection was proved by Gimenez stain and immunohistochemistry. The mixture of some centrocyte-like cells and presence of reactive lymph follicles with follicular colonization by tumor cells suggest that this lesion may be a variant of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma in association with H. pylori infection. The patient has shown no evidence of recurrence of the tumor after 11 years of follow up.

Topics: Antigens, Bacterial; Concanavalin A; Female; Gastrectomy; Gastric Mucosa; Helicobacter Infections; Helicobacter pylori; Humans; Immunoglobulin kappa-Chains; Middle Aged; Plasmacytoma; Stomach Neoplasms; Stomach Ulcer

The effect of electrolytic lesion of the median raphe nucleus was measured on behavioral and physiological parameters related to stress 24 h after the lesion. In of the elevated plus-maze the lesion decreased the percentage of open arm entries and tended to shorten the time spent on the open arms indicating an increase in anxiety. In contrast, the lesion markedly increased the time spent in the bright (aversive) compartment of the light-dark box and decrease in attempts to cross from the dark toward the bright compartment, an anxiolyic effect. With the exception of plasma prolactin level, which was lowered by the lesion, the physiological measures used in the present study indicate that the lesioned animals are under stress. Thus, death rate and weight loss after the surgery were higher in lesioned than in control animals. In addition, lesioned animals showed higher plasma corticosterone levels, a high incidence of gastric ulcers in the fundus and a depressed immune response to the mitogen concavaline A. These results highlight the importance of the median raphe nucleus in the regulation of stress and anxiety. They also show that behavioral and physiological measures of stress may be dissociated.

Topics: Adrenal Cortex Hormones; Animals; Anxiety; Behavior, Animal; Concanavalin A; Male; Prolactin; Raphe Nuclei; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Stomach Ulcer; Stress, Physiological; Weight Loss