vasoactive-intestinal-peptide and Adenocarcinoma--Mucinous

The endocrine cells in intraductal papillary-mucinous neoplasms (IPN) of the pancreas have rarely been investigated. In the normal pancreatic ducts of normal pancreases (n = 5) there were a few endocrine cells: argyrophil in 5 (100%), chromogranin A in (100%), pancreatic polypeptide (PP) in 3 (60%), and insulin in 7 (20%). These endocrine cells were scattered, and located in the basal portions of pancreatic ducts. In IPN of the pancreas (n = 9), there were many endocrine cells: argyrophil in 7 (78%), argentaffin in 8 (89%), chromogranin A in 8 (89%), PP in 7 (78%), serotonin in 7 (78%), insulin in 4 (44%), and gastrin in 5 (56%). In invasive ductal adenocarcinoma of the pancreas (n = 6), many endocrine cells were also detected: argyrophil cells in (67%), chromogranin A in 3 (50%), insulin in 3 (50%), glucagon in 4 (67%), and somatostatin in 3 (50%). In positive cases, endocrine cells were situated under or among the neoplastic cells and the proportion of endocrine cells in IPN was less than 5% of the total neoplastic cell population. These data show that normal pancreatic ducts contain endocrine cells and that IPN frequently contain argyrophil, argentaffin, chromogranin A, and hormone-containing endocrine cells. These data also suggest that endocrine differentiation occurs during neoplastic transformation and progression of IPN of the pancreas.

Topics: Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous; Adenoma; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast; Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating; Chromogranin A; Chromogranins; Enterochromaffin Cells; Female; Gastrins; Glucagon; Histocytochemistry; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Insulin; Male; Middle Aged; Pancreatic Neoplasms; Pancreatic Polypeptide; Serotonin; Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide

The effects of combined administration of vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) and the ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) inhibitor, 1,3-diaminopropane (DAP), on development of colon tumors induced by azoxymethane (AOM), on ODC activity of the colon wall, and on the labelling index of colon epithelial cells were investigated in inbred Wistar rats. Rats received weekly subcutaneous injections of AOM for 10 weeks and subcutaneous injections of VIP every other day and drinking water containing DAP (2.5 milligrams) ad libitum until the end of the experiment at week 45. Administration of VIP significantly increased the incidence of colon tumors at week 45. It also resulted in significant increases in colon ODC activity and in the labelling index during administration of AOM, but not after its cessation. Administration of both DAP and VIP significantly reduced the enhanced colon carcinogenesis by VIP. The DAP significantly attenuated the VIP enhancement of colon ODC activity and of the labelling index during AOM administration. These findings indicate that ODC inhibition attenuated enhancement of colon carcinogenesis, and suggest that enhancement of colon carcinogenesis by VIP may be mediated through its polyamine biosynthesis.

Topics: Adenocarcinoma; Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous; Adenoma; Animals; Azoxymethane; Colonic Neoplasms; Diamines; Male; Ornithine Decarboxylase; Ornithine Decarboxylase Inhibitors; Random Allocation; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide

Three to 5% of breast carcinomas are argyrophilic, including some which are mucinous and thus "composite", whereas there are no argyrophilic cells in normal breast nor in benign breast pathology. This raises the problem of the origin and type of these argyrophilic cells. We carried out a histologic and immunohistochemical study in 4 such cases of mucoid tumors containing at least 50% argyrophilic cells. Two of these tumors presenting node involvement were also studied immunohistochemically. The histologic study showed colloid and intragalactophoric proliferation areas in cell cases and some endocrine areas in 2 out of 4 cases. Argyrophilic cells were present in all of these areas. True mucoargyrophilic amphicrine cells were found primarily in colloid areas. None of these tumors were argentaffin. Immunohistochemical study was performed by the PAP method using antibody directed against VIP, ACTH, PP, somatostatin, bombesin, calcitonin, gastrin, prolactin and GH. Three out of four tumors were positive with VIP. Moreover one of them contained ACTH cells and a metastasis of this tumor contained bombesin cells. No tumor was positive with the other anti-sera tested. This study is related to the rare series in the literature which report secretion of ACTH, catecholamins, bombesin, gastrin, VIP, PP, somatostatin, prolactin, etc. The number of cases reported to date remains too low to show a significant prognostic difference between amphicrine tumors and other mammary carcinomas.

Topics: Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous; Breast Neoplasms; Chromaffin System; Enterochromaffin Cells; Female; Humans; Immunoenzyme Techniques; Lymphatic Metastasis; Peptides; Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide

A total of 87 surgical cases of gastric carcinoma including 3 carcinoid tumors were investigated with the methods of silver reaction and immunoperoxidase stain for 8 different brain-gut hormones. Argyrophil (AP) cells were demonstrated in 38 cases (44%), argentaffin (AF) cells in 18 (21%) and endocrine cells in 13 (14%). The occurrence of endocrine cells had no relation with histological types. Glicentin cells were demonstrated in 10 cases, somatostatin in 7, motilin in 3, beta-endorphin in 2 and gastrin in one. Endocrine cells appeared generally in small numbers except one carcinoid tumor which had numerous somatostatin cells. No single cell positive for more than two kinds of hormones could be demonstrated. Two undifferentiated carcinomas looking like carcinoid tumors had argyrophil cells and endocrine cells of either somatostatin or beta-endorphin. These results suggest that carcinoid-like carcinoma or endocrine cell carcinoma may lie on the intermediate state between carcinoma and carcinoid tumor.

Topics: Adenocarcinoma; Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous; Adult; Carcinoid Tumor; Endorphins; Female; Gastrins; Gastrointestinal Hormones; Glucagon; Histocytochemistry; Humans; Male; Microscopy, Electron; Middle Aged; Motilin; Proglucagon; Protein Precursors; Somatostatin; Stomach Neoplasms; Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide; Vasopressins