The morphological investigations on the heart and some vessels of bovine foetus between the 15th and 25th weeks of gestation.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to define the morphological and morphometric development of the foetus heart obtained from the domestic cattle in the gestation period of 15-25 weeks. MATERIALS AND METHODS: For this purpose, a total of 30 hearts belonging to cattle foetuses (15 males, 15 females) were used. The ages of foetuses were calculated according to the forehead-to-tail length and examined in three different groups. After dissection; biometric, macroanatomic, morphometric and histological findings were obtained from the foetal hearts according to the groups. In addition, mean values of the morphometric findings were determined. RESULTS: As a result of the study, it was found that with the advancing age the convexity of margo ventricularis dexter increased and margo ventricularis sinister transformed from a convex-concave shape to a flat shape. The heart-to-body weight ratio was determined as 0.08% for Group II female foetuses and 0.09% for all other groups. The heart heights for Groups I, II, and III females were identified as 26.21, 41.00, and 46.27 mm, respectively, and for the males 26.45, 34.89, and 47.15 mm, respectively. In the statistical analysis, it was determined that all the morphometric values measured from the heart correlated significantly with the forehead-to-tail length. CONCLUSIONS: The data obtained as a result of the study is thought to help understand the morphological and morphometrical development of the heart, pioneer the attempts to create a foetal cattle heart model, and thus help in the diagnosis of the foetal heart pathologies.acielecka.

Immunohistochemical distribution of leptin in kidney tissues of melatonin treated diabetic rats.

We examined using immunohistochemistry the distribution of leptin in kidney tissues of melatonin treated, streptozotocin (STZ) diabetic rats. The animals were divided into five groups: control, sham, melatonin-treated, diabetic and melatonin-treated diabetic. Kidney sections were prepared and stained with hematoxylin and eosin, and Crossman's triple staining for histological examination. The immunohistochemical localization of leptin in the kidney tissue was determined using the streptavidin-biotin-peroxidase method. We determined that on days 7 and 14, the leptin immunoreactivity of the diabetic and melatonin-treated diabetic groups was weaker than for the other groups. Weak immunoreactivity was found in the proximal and distal tubules of the kidney in the diabetic and melatonin-treated diabetic groups on days 7 and 14, and strong immunoreactivity was found in the control, sham and melatonin groups. Melatonin application had no significant effect on leptin production in the kidney tissues of diabetic rats.