Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0154059 (Esophagus)
 2,950 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Fas (CD95/Apo-1) receptor (FasR) is a cell-surface receptor that mediates apoptotic cell death upon triggering by Fas ligand (FasL). We sought to determine whether normal human esophageal epithelial cells express FasL and/or FasR and whether their localization is consistent with a role in the turnover of normal esophageal epithelium. Normal esophageal epithelium was immunohistochemically positive for FasL in upper prickle cell layers and in mature squamous cells, but the proliferative basal layer was negative. FasL mRNA was detected in the same epithelial cell layers by in situ hybridization. Co-localization of FasL mRNA and protein therefore confirmed that FasL expression is induced in esophageal epithelial cells as they reach terminal differentiation. FasR was immunohistochemically detected throughout the esophageal epithelium. Positive TUNEL (terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling) staining confirmed cell death of the FasL and FasR coexpressing mature epithelial cells. CD45-positive immunocytes were notably absent from FasL-expressing upper epithelial layers. The findings are consistent with a contributory role for Fas-mediated autocrine suicide or paracrine fratricide in the apoptotic turnover of normal esophageal epithelium.
Dis Esophagus 1999
PMID:Fas ligand and Fas receptor are coexpressed in normal human esophageal epithelium: a potential mechanism of apoptotic epithelial turnover. 1046 40

The aim of this research was to determine the occurrence of epidermoid carcinoma of the esophagus induced by diethylnitrosamine (DEN) in Wistar rats. DEN was administered (250-300 g) in drinking water (10 mg/kg body weight) to four groups of rats for 72 h/week, for a duration of 90, 120, 150, or 200 days (groups T90, T120, T150, and T200). Ten animals whose drinking water did not contain DEN constituted the control group. All rats were sacrificed and their esophaguses studied macro- and microscopically. The control group did not exhibit either carcinomas or preneoplasic lesions. The T120 and T200 groups presented, respectively, 47 and 58 in situ carcinomas; 1 and 20 submucosal carcinomas (P < 0.05); 4 and 17 microinvasive carcinomas (P < 0.05); 4 and 11 advanced carcinomas (P < 0.05); and 1 and 1 cases of benign hyperplasia. Pulmonary and liver carcinomas were also found in the T200 group. The majority of advanced macroscopic lesions in the T200 group were polypoid, exophytic, and not microscopically invasive in the esophageal wall. This research confirms the effectiveness of the DEN in bringing about carcinogenesis in the Wistar rat esophagus and also shows that the lesions are dosage dependent.
Dis Esophagus 2002
PMID:Experimental esophageal carcinogenesis: technical standardization and results. 1247 71