Functional dissimilarity of melanomacrophage centres in the liver and spleen from females of the teleost fish Prochilodus argenteus.

Melanomacrophage centres (MMCs) are formed by macrophage aggregates containing pigments such as hemosiderin, melanin and lipofuscin. MMCs are found in animals such as reptiles, amphibians and, mainly, fishes, in organs such as the kidney, spleen, thymus and liver. In teleost fish, several functions have been attributed to MMCs, including the capture and storage of cations, the phagocytosis of cellular debris and immunological reactions. As the use of MMCs has been suggested as a tool for the assessment of environmental impacts, our aim has been to describe the various metabolic processes performed by MMCs in diverse organs (liver and spleen) by using the teleost Prochilodus argenteus as an animal model. MMCs from the liver and spleen were assessed by histochemistry, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray microanalysis techniques and biochemical assay for N-acetylglucosaminidase activity. The data showed metabolic differences in MMCs between the liver and spleen of P. argenteus in their morphometric characteristics and biochemical and elemental composition. The implications of these findings are discussed, focusing on their role in organ metabolism.

Histopathological characterization of experimentally induced cutaneous loxoscelism in rabbits inoculated with Loxosceles similis venom

Envenomation by Loxosceles bites is characterized by dermonecrotic and/or systemic features that lead to several clinical signs and symptoms called loxoscelism. Dermonecrotic lesions are preceded by thrombosis of the dermal plexus. Recent studies show that atheromatous plaque is prone to thrombosis due to endothelial cell apoptosis. To the best of our knowledge, there are no reports of microscopic dermal lesion and endothelial cell apoptosis induced by Loxosceles similis venom in the literature. Thus, the aim of the present study is to describe histological lesions induced by L. similis venom in rabbit skin and to elucidate whether apoptosis of endothelial cells is involved in the pathogenesis of loxoscelism. Forty male rabbits were split into two groups: the control group (intradermally injected with 50 µL of PBS) and the experimental group (intradermally injected with 0.5 µg of L. similis crude venom diluted in 50 µL of PBS). After 2, 4, 6 and 8 hours of injection, skin fragments were collected and processed for paraffin or methacrylate embedding. Sections of 5 µm thick were stained by HE, PAS or submitted to TUNEL reaction. Microscopically, severe edema, diffuse heterophilic inflammatory infiltrate, perivascular heterophilic infiltrate, thrombosis, fibrinoid necrosis of arteriolar wall and cutaneous muscle necrosis were observed. Two hours after venom injection, endothelial cells with apoptosis morphology were evidenced in the dermal plexus. Apoptosis was confirmed by TUNEL reaction. It seems that endothelial cell apoptosis and its consequent desquamation is an important factor that induces thrombosis and culminates in dermonecrosis, which is characteristic of cutaneous loxoscelism.