Exploring the epidermal architecture of Dasyprocta prymnolopha: A potential dermatology research model.

The agouti (Dasyprocta prymnolopha) is a medium-sized, wild rodent that is highly rustic and docile. Its size and ease of management make it a viable candidate for an alternative animal model to traditional murine subjects. However, data on the epidermal strata of agoutis are lacking, with significant uncertainties persisting regarding their skin's characterization. This study aimed to describe and quantify the epidermal strata of skin biopsies from male and female agoutis raised in captivity, to further validate the species as a model for dermatological research. Ultrastructural evaluations through atomic force microscopy (AFM) and stereological analyses were conducted, revealing significant differences between the layers of the skin; notably, the dermis exhibited a greater total volume than the epidermis. The findings suggest that the epidermal strata are well-defined, with the volume likely correlating to the size and cellular density of the keratinocytes. Corneodesmosomes and tonofilaments were identified across all epidermal layers, indicating the probable maintenance of anchoring protein activity, even post-cornification of these cells. These results suggest that the agouti may serve as a promising model for dermatological studies, owing to the homogeneity of its cutaneous tissue across different body regions and the distinct volume and morphology of its epithelial stratification, which could enhance the applicability of systematic investigative methods in the future.

Neurochemical properties of neurospheres infusion in experimental-induced seizures.

Cell replacement through neural stem cells has been a promising alternative therapy for neurodegenerative diseases. It was evaluated the possible protect and/or prevent role of neurospheres in experimental models of epilepsy by the use of biomarkers of oxidative stress and histopathological analysis. After 1 h of the epileptic inductions by pilocarpine, pentylenotetrazole and picrotoxin, rats were infused with a suspension of 2 × 106 cells/0.25 mL, marked with Qtracker® 655, via caudal vein. In the control group epilepsy was not induced, but received the cell infusion under the same conditions of other groups. After 30 days, the rats were euthanized, and the removal of the brain was proceeded to later perform the assays oxidative stress and histopathology analysis. Thiobarbituric acid and nitrite levels were elevated in epileptic groups treated with neurospheres, and the levels of reduced glutathione, superoxide dismutase and catalase were reduced when compared to non-treated groups. The performance of oxidative enzymes from pilocarpine group treated with neurospheres showed slight increase. Histopathological evaluation observed distribution of neurospheres throughout the brain tissue, with viable cells and in process of differentiation in the pilocarpine group, but with differentiation and regeneration compromised in epilepsy by picrotoxin and pentylenetetrazole due to a microenvironment of oxidative stress. Neural stem cell therapy has a promising potential for protection in the pilocarpine epilepsy model, suggesting that the antioxidant system of neurospheres could reduce oxidative damage generated by seizure.