Wound-healing activity of the skin of the common grape (Vitis Vinifera) variant, Cabernet Sauvignon.

The common Grape L. (Vitaceae) is regarded as an important medicinal plant. European healers have suggested the use of grapevine sap, juice, and whole grape in the treatment of pain, allergic reactions, inflammation, and to promote wound healing. We evaluated grape-skin powder for its wound-healing activity using an excision wound model in rats. Animals were randomly divided into three groups of six (n = 6) each. The test group animals were treated topically with the grape-skin powder (100 mg/kg/day). The controls and standard group animals were treated with petroleum jelly and mupirocin ointment respectively. Healing was assessed by the rate of wound contraction, period of epithelialization, and hydroxyproline content. On day 13, treatment of the wounds with grape-skin powder enhanced significantly the rate of wound contraction (100 %). Treated animals showed significant decrease in the epithelialization period (p < 0.000) and increase in the hydroxyproline content (p < 0.05) when compared to control and the standard. Histological analysis was also consistent with the proposal that grape-skin powder exhibits significant wound-healing potential. Increased rate of wound contraction, hydroxyproline content, and decrease in epithelialization time in the treated animals support the use of grape-skin powder in the management of wound healing.

Autofluorescent vesicular structures in hematoxylin and eosin stained duodenal mucosa of the domestic cat

Sections of formaldehyde-fixed, paraffin-embedded and routinely haematoxylin and eosin stained duodenal tissue of the domestic cat were inadvertently observed under blue excitation visible light of a fluorescence microscope, while undertaking histological studies on normal mammalian gastrointestinal tract. The sections revealed yellow fluorescing vesicular droplets in basally located cells within mucosal epithelium of the villi and the intestinal glands. The droplets had pink coloration under light microscopy, while with non-routine staining methods of Periodic acid – Schiff reagent and silver (Fontana method), they were negatively stained. An evaluation for similar structures in duodenal tissue of dogs, cattle and rats proved negative. A review of the literature indicates that these structures may be unique to the cat’s duodenum, and that they may represent serotonin secretory product of cells that can be classified as a member of the diffuse neuroendocrine system.

Nucleic acid distribution pattern as a possible biomarker for metabolic activities of neoplastic cells: a digitally-aided fluorescence microscopy study on normal and neoplastic lymphocytes of acute and chronic canine lymphocytic leukemia.

BACKGROUND: Metabolic states of neoplastic cells are increasingly being relied upon for diagnostic and prognostic assessment of neoplastic conditions. The nucleic acid distribution pattern of cells in general, in terms of degree of condensation of the nuclear chromatin and overall spread of the nucleic acid within the nuclear and cytoplasmic compartments, can reflect the metabolic state of the cell. This simple but logical concept appears not be put into consideration to date as numerous attempts are being made towards formulating reliable biomarkers for rapid diagnosis, prognosis and subsequent therapeutic interventions for neoplastic conditions. We comparatively evaluated nucleic acid distribution patterns of normal lymphocytes and neoplastic cells of lymphocytic lineage, employing light and fluorescence microscopy procedures, as well as digital imaging analytical methods. RESULTS: The results demonstrate distinctiveness in the pattern of nucleic acid distribution for the normal lymphocytes and three lymphocytic neoplastic cell-types of canine lymphocytic leukemia that are categorized as small, intermediate and large neoplastic lymphocytes. Variably-shaped cytoplasmic processes laden with single-stranded nucleic acids (SSNA) were observed for the small and intermediate-sized neoplastic lymphocytes, compared with large neoplastic lymphocytes and the normal lymphocytes; the latter two categories of cells being virtually devoid of similar processes. Prominent cytoplasmic and nuclear clumps of SSNA, indicative of a higher rate of metabolic activity, were also observed within the neoplastic cells compared with fewer and narrower SSNA of the normal cells. CONCLUSION: The comparative relative increases of SSNA in cytoplasmic processes and other cellular areas of small and intermediate-sized neoplastic lymphocytes is reflective of greater metabolic activity in neoplastic cells in general compared with their normal cellular counterparts.

Comparison between nuclear chromatin patterns of digitalized images of cells of the mammalian testicular and renal tissues: an imaging segmentation study.

Testicular and renal tissue, obtained from adult cattle, pigs, rats, and human was processed by image digital segmentation and pixel texture analytical techniques for comparative evaluation of nuclear chromatin pattern of testicular primary spermatocytes and renal glomerular endothelial cells. The post mortem performed for the animals and the human subject were for reasons not related with either testicular or renal conditions. The objective was to establish a benchmark for identification of rapidly multiplying cells in images of sections of normal, as well as abnormal mammalian tissue. Based on the observed morphological and texture pattern of the nuclear chromatin of the testicular primary spermatocytes, it was determined that the renal glomerular endothelial cells exhibit similar nuclear chromatin morphology consistent with an ongoing rapid multiplication process. The nuclear chromatin of both cell types manifest identical mitotic figures which are strongly indicative of cellular proliferation.