The adrenal glands were first described in 1552 by the Italian anatomist Bartolomeo Eustachi in his Opuscula Anatomica as ‘‘glandulae renis incumbentes’’ (glands lying on the kidney) [1], but their function remained controversial for the next 300 years [2]. The adrenal have a dual origin (Fig. 2.1a, b), i.e. the cortex arises from mesoderm whereas the medulla has a neuroectodermal origin [2]. T...

The present transmission electron microscopy (TEM) study was designed to investigate whether mesothelial cells of mice diaphragmatic, parietal and mesenteric peritoneum are actively coupled to the mechanisms involved in the transerosal absorption of albumin gold complexes (Alb-Au). Five albino mice were injected intraperitoneally with 0.5 ml of a suspension of Alb-Au. In three animals, in vivo ...

Gastrointestinal cancers metastasize into the peritoneal cavity in a process controlled by peritoneal mesothelial cells (HPMCs). In this paper we examined if senescent HPMCs can intensify the progression of colorectal (SW480) and pancreatic (PSN-1) cancers in vitro and in vivo. Experiments showed that senescent HPMCs stimulate proliferation, migration and invasion of SW480 cells, and migration ...

Neoplastic transformation of mesothelium is commonly associated with exposure to asbestos and gives rise to malignant mesothelioma, an aggressive disease that has proved particularly refractory to conventional anti-cancer therapies. The Wnt signaling pathways play key roles in fundamental processes, which include both development and homeostasis. The importance of these pathways in tumorigenesi...

Nodular histiocytic/mesothelial hyperplasia (NHMH) is a very rare condition. It generally thought to be associated with repeated mechanical or chemical stimulation. This study reported NHMH papillary growth pattern in the ovary following high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) treatment for uterine leiomyoma and adenomyosis. A 48-year-old female, who had history of undergoing HIFU 7 times aden...

The precise embryological origin and development of hepatic stellate cells is not established. Animal studies and observations on human fetuses suggest that they derive from posterior mesodermal cells that migrate via the septum transversum and developing diaphragm to form submesothelial cells beneath the liver capsule, which give rise to mesenchymal cells including hepatic stellate cells. Howe...

OBJECTIVE To analyze gene expression of localized peritoneal tissue structures in a rodent model of peritoneal fibrosis. METHODS Female Sprague Dawley rats were treated with an intraperitoneal injection of an adenovirus expressing active transforming growth factor-beta or control adenovirus. Four and 7 days after infection, animals were sacrificed and frozen sections of parietal peritoneum we...

Fiber-shaped particles of potassium octatitanate (tradename TISMO; chemical formula K2 O·6TiO2 ), which are morphologically similar to asbestos particles, were shown to induce severe proliferative reactions in the pleural mesothelium in a previous experiment carried out over 21 weeks. The present study aims to determine whether these fibers induce malignant mesotheliomas in rodents, and to exam...