Tissue alterations in the Guinea pig lateral prostate following antiandrogen flutamide therapy

The flutamide antiandrogenic effects on the Guinea pig male prostate morphology in puberal, post-puberal and adult ages were evaluated in the present study. Daily-treated group animals received flutamide subcutaneous injection at a dose of 10 mg/Kg body weight for 10 days. The control group animals received a pharmacological vehicle under the same conditions. The lateral prostate was removed, fixed and processed for light and transmission electron microscopy. The results revealed an increase of the acinus diameter in the treated puberal animals and straitness in the stromal compartment around the acini. The epithelial cells exhibited cubic phenotype. In the post-puberal and adult animals, a decrease of the acinus diameter was observed, as well as an increase of the smooth muscle layer and presence of the folds at epithelium. The ultrastructural evaluation of the secretory cells in the treated group demonstrated endomembrane enlargement, mainly in the rough endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus. In addition, a decrease of the microvilli and alterations in the distribution patterns and density of the stromal fibrillar components were observed. In conclusion, the flutamide treatment exerts tissue effects on the lateral prostate, promoting stroma/epithelium alterations.

Morphological study of the spermatogenesis in the teleost Piaractus mesopotamicus

The spermatogenesis of Piaractus mesopotamicus was investigated under light and transmission electron microscopy. The specimens were captured from their natural environment (Rio Miranda and Rio Aquidauana, Pantanal Matogrossense, Brazil) during April and September. The results were compared with the spermatogenic data of specimens under captivity condition. In both conditions, P. mesopotamicus presented the typical spermatogenesis pattern of the teleost fishes, showing no significative differences. The spermatozoon was classified as type I, which has a globular head without acrosome, a short middle piece and a long tail constituted only by the flagellum. This type of spermatozoon is considered the basic type in fishes.

A moderate decrease in temperature inhibits the calcium signaling mechanism(s) of the regulatory volume decrease in chick embryo cardiomyocytes

Chick cardiomyocytes, when submitted to hyposmotic swelling, exhibit a partial regulatory volume decrease (RVD). A Ca2+ influx by stretch-activated channels signals a taurine efflux and the RVD at 37§C. We evaluated the cell's performance at room temperature. Cardiomyocytes isolated and cultured from 11-day-old chick embryos were submitted to a hyposmotic solution (180 mOsm/kg H2O) at 37§C and at room temperature (26§C). Under these conditions we measured the changes in cell volume as well as the intracellular free Ca2+ (using fura-2). During hyposmotic swelling, cells at 37§C displayed a peak relative volume of 1.61 + or - 0.03 and recovery to 1.22 + or - 0.04 (N = 14), while cells at 26§C presented a peak swell relative volume of 1.74 + or - 0.06 and did not recover (1.59 + or - 0.09, N = 9). Transient increases in intracellular Ca2+, which are characteristic of the normal RVD, were observed at both temperatures (29.1 + or - 4.5 percent (N = 8) and 115.2 + or - 42.8 percent (N = 5) increase at 37§ and 26§C (P<0.05), respectively). A delay in the Ca2+ transient increase was also observed when the cells were at 26§C (109 + or - 34 s compared to 38 + or - 9 s at 37§C, P<0.05). At room temperature the RVD does not occur because the calcium transient increase, which is an early event in the signaling of the RVD, is delayed. Also, free calcium is not cleared as in the 37§C RVD. In the normal RVD the free calcium returns to baseline levels. The very high and persistent free calcium levels seen at room temperature can lead to unregulated enzyme activities and may promote irreversible injury and cell death

Beta agonist regulation of sodium transport in fetal lung epithelium: roles of cell volume, cytosolic chloride and protein tyrosine kinase

1) A beta agonist stimulated Na+ transport and decreased the intracellular Cl concentration ([Cl]c) associated with cell shrinkage via an increase in cytosolic cAMP level by activating adenylate cyclase in rat fetal distal lung epithelial (FDLE) cells. 2) Lowering [Cl-]c activated a 28-pS nonselective cation (NSC) channel by elongating the open time of the channel. 3) cAMP signals were converted to a protein tyrosine kinase (PTK)-mediated signal. 4) The PTK-mediated signal was involved in the cAMP-stimulated Na+ transport in rat FDLE cells.

Cytoarchitectonic arrangement and intracortical circuits of hamster cerebellum. A study by means of confocal scanning laser microscopy

The FM4-64, a member of the family of fluorescent dyes, has been applied to the cerebellar cortex to study its cytoarchitectonic arrangement and intracortical course of mossy and climbing fibers. Slabs of hamster cerebellum, 1-2 mm thick, were incubated in 10, 30 and 100 microM solutions of FM4-64 in 0.1 M sodium phosphate buffer and observed in a slow scan confocal laser scanning microscope. Cellular tomography of cerebellar cortex allowed us to follow the course of mossy and climbing fibers in the cerebellar white and gray substance. They exhibited high fluorescence signal at the level of myelin sheath. Mossy fibers were identified only in the granular layer by their typical rosette formations and dichotomous bifurcation pattern. Climbing fiber bundles were observed crossing the granular layer and giving off collateral branches in the granular and molecular layers in a crossing-over pattern. They ascend to the Purkinje cell layer in their way to the molecular layer. Cerebellar macroneurons (Golgi and Purkinje cells) and microneurons (granule, basket and stellate cells) showed optimal intracellular staining of cell soma, axonal and proximal dendritic processes. The montage of z-series of stacked optodigital sections allowed us to explore in depth the cytoarchitectonic arrangement, nerve and glial cell morphology, and the topographic relationship of intrinsic cerebellar neurons with the afferent mossy and climbing fibers

Coculture of chicken thrombocytes and monocytes: morphological changes and lectin binding

Chicken leukocytes were separated from blood on a Percoll cushion following adherence on coverslips, resulting in a coculture of thrombocytes and monocytes. This system was characterized by light microscopy, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, by lectin binding and actin localization in thrombocytes. During the first 24 hours nuclear condensation, cytoplasmic shrinkage, detachment and death of thrombocytes were observed. In contrast, monocytes gradually increased their spreading capacity, specially after thrombocyte detachment from the coverslips. During culture, a large number of fucose and beta-galactose residues were expressed on the surface of thrombocytes, revealed by the lectins Ulex europaeus I and Arachis hypogaea, respectively. Labeling of the monocyte surface with several lectins also increased with the cultivation time. Thrombocytes showed the formation of a net with actin involvement

Células escamosas en miniatura, CEM, en frotis ginecológicos: alta asociación con lesiones epiteliales / Miniature squamous cells, MSC, in gynecological smears: high asociation with epithelial lesion

Se estudió la frecuencia de frotis alterados en citología ginecológica con células escamosas en miniatura, CEM. En 5000 frotis consecutivos se analizaron todos aquéllos que contenían CEM. Se recolectaron 233 casos con CEM 4,66 por ciento. La frecuencia general de fortis alterados fue de 2,04 por ciento; mientras que esta frecuencia fue de 24,89 por ciento en casos con CEM, p< 10 -8. Ciento catorce frotis con CEM tenían patrón atrófico y 10,5 por ciento de ellos eran alterados; 119 frotis con CEM eran estrogénicos o progestativos y 38,7 por ciento de ellos eran alterados p< 0,05. El 53,2 por ciento de frotis con CEM y gránulos de queratohialina tuvieron diagnóstico de lesión epitelial o frotis atípico, mientras que sólo el 10,4 por ciento de casos con CEM y ausencia de gránulos tuvo estos diagnósticos p< 10 -6. La frecuencia de frotis alterados fue significativamente mayor que la general en casos con CEM, partícularmente en frotis no atróficos o con gránulos de queratohialina

Estudo morfológico, morfométrico, topoquímico subcelular e em réplicas de criofratura da célula acinosa pancreática do rato durante a vida fetal / Morphological, morphometric, subcellular topochemical and freeze-fracture studies of the rat pancreatic acinar cell during the fetal life

A diferenciaçäo morfológica terminal das células acinosas pancreáticas do rato, durante o desenvolvimento fetal, foi estudada morfometricamente em cortes semi-finos e ultra-finos. As modificaçöes morfométricas observadas nas estruturas intra-celulares e no plasmalema baso-lateral e luminal, foram monitoradas por estudos morfológicos qualitativos, topoquímicos subcelulares e de réplicas de criofratura. A massa pancreática no período estudado de 18 e 22 dias de vida pré-natal, exibiu um crescimento exponencial (Y = 0,00004 e 0,60x), com um tempo de duplicaçäo T= 1,15 dias. A análise morfométrica mostrou que durante o processo de diferenciaçäo, as células acinosas aumentam substancialmente o seu volume citoplasmático (com um incremento de 1.316 por cento, entre os dias 19 e 22). Este aumento de volume citoplasmático, ocorre principalmente devido ao exuberante acúmulo de gräos de zimogênio. O volume e superfície totais dessas estruturas intracelulares, crescem, respectivamente, de 410,5 por cento e 1.400 por cento, durante o intervalo evolutivo de 18 a 22 dias de vida pré-natal. A análise gráfica mostrou que os crescimentos volumétrico, superficial e numérico dos gräos de zimogênio, säo todos do tipo exponencial. A comparaçäo da evoluçäo dos diferentes parâmetros morfométricos dos gräos de zimogênio, sugere que durante o desenvolvimento, grânulos de zimogênio pré-existentes aumentam o seu tamanho individual. O volume e superfície totais do retículo endoplasmático granular (REG), também aumentam significantemente, principalmente no período de 19 a 21 dias de vida gestacional, quando crescem, respectivamente, de 156,4 por cento e 147,5 por cento...

Estudo morfométrico da hiperplasia gengival dilantínica em comparaçäo à gengiva normal e gengivite / Morphometric study of dilantin gingival hyperplasia in relation to normal gingiva and gingivitis

A presente pesquisa teve como objetivo, realizar em indivíduos do sexo masculino, um estudo quantitativo do epitélio oral e lâmina própria de gengiva marginal afetada pelo uso do difenil-hidantoinato de sódio e compará-la à gengiva normal e inflamada, a fim de estabelecer, a nível de microscópio de luz, as possíveis diferenças entre os grupos analisados. Em relaçäo ao epitélio, tanto na camada basal como na espinhosa, a análise estatística evidenciou diferenças significantes entre os três grupos nos seguintes parâmetros: relaçäo núcleo/citoplasma; densidade de volume nuclear e citoplasmático; volume nuclear, citoplasmático e celular; número de celular por mmü e espessura do epitélio. Quanto à avaliaçäo morfométrica das estruturas presentes na lâmina própria, a densidade de volume de fibras colágenas e substância intercelular; densidade de volume de núcleos de fibroblastos e células imigrantes; densidade de volume de vasos sanguíneos; número de fibroblastos e número de células imigrantes mostraram diferenças significantes entre si