glycogen and Testicular-Neoplasms

Topics: Carcinoma in Situ; Coloring Agents; Glycogen; Humans; Iodides; Male; Neoplasm Proteins; Seminoma; Staining and Labeling; Testicular Neoplasms

Tumor-bearing rats have a high rate of postprandial hepatic glycogen synthesis by the indirect pathway that involves gluconeogenesis. This study was designed to investigate the role of glycerol as a precursor for postprandial glycogen synthesis in tumor-bearing rats. Rats bearing a Leydig cell tumor and freely fed controls were fasted overnight, then fed a 16-kJ meal with or without 50 mg of glycerol by gavage. [U-14C]glycerol (1 microCi) was also administered intragastrically, and 7 mCi of 3H2O were injected intraperitoneally. The rats were killed one hour later, and the specific activities at different positions within the glycogen glucose residues in the liver were measured. Increasing the glycerol content of the meal had no significant effect on the overall incorporation of 3H into liver glycogen or on the proportion of glycogen synthesized via pyruvate in tumor-bearing or control rats. There was no difference between tumor-bearing and control rats in the amount of glycerol incorporated into glycogen, although this was increased by the high-glycerol meal. Thus glycerol appeared to make a small contribution to postprandial glycogen synthesis in tumor-bearing and control rats.

Topics: Animals; Eating; Fatty Acids; Glycerol; Glycogen; Leydig Cell Tumor; Liver; Male; Organ Size; Rats; Rats, Inbred F344; Testicular Neoplasms; Tritium; Weight Gain

Doubling the size of a meal causes less than a two-fold increase in the thermic effect of feeding. One possible reason for this is that larger meals may be associated with a change in the pathway of postprandial hepatic glycogen synthesis from the indirect pathway, involving gluconeogenesis, to the more energetically efficient direct pathway. We have therefore investigated the effect of meal size on the relative contributions of those two pathways both in normal rats and in tumor-bearing rats, which have previously been shown to utilize the indirect pathway to a greater extent. Rats bearing a transplantable Leydig cell tumor and freely fed controls were fasted overnight and given a test meal amounting to 12 or 24 kJ of their normal diet. They were then injected with 3H2O and 14C-glycerol and killed one hour later. The total amount of 3H incorporated into liver glycogen was not affected by meal size, although it was greater in tumor-bearing rats than controls. Analysis of the 3H labelling at different positions in the glycogen glucose residues showed that the proportion of glycogen synthesized via pyruvate, which tended to be greater in tumor-bearing rats, was significantly reduced by increasing the size of the meal. Glycogen synthesis from glycerol was not affected by either meal size or tumor growth. Increasing the size of the meal increased the rate of fatty acid synthesis in both the liver and the epididymal fat pad, but not the tumor. Thus increasing the size of the meal appeared to increase the proportion of glycogen synthesized by the direct pathway from glucose in both tumor-bearing and control animals.

Topics: Animals; Blood Glucose; Carbohydrate Metabolism; Epididymis; Fatty Acids; Food; Glycerol; Glycogen; Leydig Cell Tumor; Liver; Male; Organ Size; Rats; Rats, Inbred F344; Testicular Neoplasms; Tritium

A testicular yolk sac carcinoma (YSCA) was diagnosed in a 28-day-old male Japanese black calf. Macroscopically, the abdominal cavity was filled with reddish gelatinous masses of various sizes. There were no testes in the scrotum or pelvic cavity. Histologically, the masses consisted of the tissues showing a variety of patterns; loose reticular network, pseudopapillary arrangement, festoon, solid nest, and labyrinthine pattern. Tumor cells were round to oval, with single central or polar nuclei with sharply defined nuclear borders and deeply basophilic chromatin. Tumor cells sometimes had glycogen granules, periodic acid-Schiff (PAS)-positive inclusions, or sudanophilic droplets in their cytoplasm. Hyaline matrices were found in extracellular areas and were intensely PAS positive. Immunohistochemically, most of the tumor cells and hyaline matrices had positive reactivity to anti-alpha-fetoprotein and anti-placental-alkaline-phosphatase antibodies. Positive reaction to anti-laminin antibody appeared only in hyaline matrices. This is the first case of a tumor in a domestic animal with histologic and immunohistochemical features analogous to those of human YSCA, endodermal sinus type.

Topics: Alkaline Phosphatase; alpha-Fetoproteins; Animals; Cattle; Cattle Diseases; Cytoplasmic Granules; Endodermal Sinus Tumor; Extracellular Matrix; Glycogen; Immunohistochemistry; Laminin; Lipids; Male; Periodic Acid-Schiff Reaction; Testicular Neoplasms

Increased energy expenditure in cancer cachexia may be associated with increased postprandial glycogen synthesis via an indirect pathway involving gluconeogenesis. The possible beneficial effect of acipimox, a nicotinic acid analogue that suppresses lipolysis and may also inhibit gluconeogenesis, were therefore examined. Rats bearing a transplantable Leydig cell tumor and freely fed controls were fasted overnight, then given a test meal with or without 10 mg of acipimox. The meal included 200 mg of [1-13C]glucose, and the rats were injected simultaneously with 7 mCi of 3H2O and 1 microCi of [14C]glycerol. The rats were killed one hour later. The rate of incorporation of 3H2O into hepatic glycogen was increased in the tumor-bearing rats and suppressed by acipimox. Positional analysis of the tritium incorporated into glycogen indicated that a greater proportion of the glycogen was synthesized via pyruvate in the tumor-bearing rats. Acipimox tended to reduce this proportion, although the effect was not statistically significant. Neither tumor growth nor acipimox significantly affected the proportion of 13C incorporated into different positions in the glycogen glucose. Glycogen synthesis from glycerol tended to decrease when lipolysis was suppressed by acipimox, although the statistical significance of this effect was marginal. Fatty acid synthesis in liver and adipose tissue was reduced in tumor-bearing rats, but acipimox had no effect. It is concluded that acipimox does suppress gluconeogenesis and glycogenesis in the postprandial state, but it does not normalize all the metabolic abnormalities observed in cancer cachexia.

Topics: Animals; Blood Glucose; Cachexia; Gluconeogenesis; Glucose; Glycerol; Glycogen; Hypolipidemic Agents; Leydig Cell Tumor; Lipids; Lipolysis; Male; Pyrazines; Rats; Rats, Inbred F344; Testicular Neoplasms

The aim of this electron microscopic study was to analyze and compare aspects of various histologically distinct seminoma variants including the classical form (11 cases), anaplastic seminoma (1 case) and seminoma with syncytiotrophoblastic giant cells. Sub-microscopic features of these seminoma types are essentially the same; these various seminoma forms can not be electron microscopically distinguished. Although the cytoplasmic structures of the tumor cells varied, the most striking feature was a high glycogen content. Three types of seminoma cells could be distinguished on the basis of the relation between glycogen accumulation and cytoplasmic organelles: 1. tumor cells with plentiful glycogen and scant organelles, 2. tumor cells packed with organelles including RER, mitochondria and Golgi-apparatus but with finely dispersed glycogen, 3. tumor cells with numerous free ribosomes but few organelles and little glycogen. Glycogenosomes are described here for the first time as distinct organelles in seminoma cells, suggesting a disturbed carbohydrate metabolism. Another typical finding was a network of fine filaments measuring about 4 to 6 nm which probably correspond to actin. By interweaving in all directions they produce a felt-like meshwork on the inner-side of the cell membrane. Based on the composition of the seminoma cell cytoplasm with its collection of special organelles including lamellae annulatae, chromatoid bodies and crystalline structures resembling Lubarsch crystals, the tumor cells may be interpreted as neoplastic germ cells related to the so-called atypical germ cells of the testis.

Topics: Adult; Cytoplasm; Dysgerminoma; Glycogen; Histocytochemistry; Humans; Male; Microscopy, Electron; Middle Aged; Organoids; Testicular Neoplasms; Testis

Two cases of occult seminoma were observed which showed left-sided lymph node metastases without clinically demonstrable testicular tumors. The peculiar histology of the lymph node metastases, namely PAS-positive tumor cells with clear cytoplasm together with a granulomatous stromal reaction, was highly suggestive of seminoma. Despite lack of testicular enlargement in both cases, a left-sided orchiectomy was done. Histologically, intratubular seminomas were found which confirmed the original diagnostic suspicions derived from the morphology of the lymph node metastases. It is concluded, therefore, that in the case of lymph node metastases with the above-mentioned structure, occult seminoma should always be taken into consideration. Because of the modern beneficial therapeutic implications, detection of occult seminoma is very important.

Topics: Adult; Dysgerminoma; Epithelium; Glycogen; Granuloma; Histiocytes; Humans; Lymphatic Metastasis; Lymphocytes; Male; Periodic Acid-Schiff Reaction; Testicular Neoplasms

The ultrastructural effects of a Leydig cell tumour of the testis on nontumorous testicular tissue have not yet been reported. Described here are the electron microscopic findings in the nonneoplastic testicular tissue of a patient with a feminizing testicular Leydig cell neoplasm. Serial studies were carried out over a period of 31/2 years prior to removal of the tumour. The overall general picture was characterized by progressive degeneration of Leydig cells, cells of the germinal series and Sertoli cells. Concomitantly, there was increasing thickening and fibrosis of the tubular walls. Cytoplasmic focal accumulations of glycogen, increasing with the duration of the disease, were conspicuous in many spermatogonia. All of these alterations are nonspecific and are attributable to adverse endocrine effects introduced by the oestrogen-secreting tumour. They were present bilaterally and were more prominent on the tumour-bearing side. Attention is drawn to the role of artifacts, fixation technique and degenerative processes in the production and appearance of certain ultrastructural findings, such as 'light' and 'dark' cells, myelin figures, membranous whorls and focal glycogen accumulations.

Topics: Adult; Androgen-Insensitivity Syndrome; Glycogen; Humans; Leydig Cell Tumor; Male; Testicular Neoplasms; Testis; Time Factors

Topics: Adult; Aged; Cell Nucleus; Collagen; Fallopian Tube Neoplasms; Female; Glycogen; Glycosaminoglycans; Histocytochemistry; Humans; Hyaluronic Acid; Male; Mesothelioma; Microscopy, Electron; Middle Aged; Mucins; Mullerian Ducts; Reticulin; Testicular Neoplasms; Urogenital Neoplasms; Uterine Neoplasms

Topics: Adult; Cell Differentiation; Cytoplasm; Dysgerminoma; Endoplasmic Reticulum; Glycogen; Humans; Male; Microscopy, Electron; Ribosomes; Testicular Neoplasms; Testis

Topics: Adult; Basement Membrane; Cell Nucleolus; Desmosomes; Dysgerminoma; Glycogen; Humans; Inclusion Bodies; Male; Microscopy, Electron; Organoids; Testicular Neoplasms; Thymoma; Thymus Gland; Thymus Neoplasms

Topics: Adenocarcinoma; Child, Preschool; Glycogen; Humans; Infant; Lipids; Male; Mucins; Neoplasm Metastasis; Testicular Neoplasms

Topics: Alkaline Phosphatase; Cadmium; Electron Transport Complex IV; Fibrosarcoma; Glycogen; Humans; Lactates; Male; Methylcholanthrene; Neoplasm Transplantation; Neoplasms; Nitrogen; Pharmacology; Rats; Research; RNA; RNA, Neoplasm; Testicular Neoplasms; Toxicology

Topics: Glycogen; Humans; Kidney Neoplasms; Male; Neoplasms; Testicular Neoplasms; Testis; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms