Morphology of the brain base arteries of the giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla)

This study aimed to describe the brain base arteries of the Myrmecophaga tridactyla using ten cadavers of adults from this species, including five male and five female specimens. The arterial vascular bed was perfused via the thoracic aorta with a dyed natural latex solution, and the animals were fixed and preserved with a 10% formaldehyde buffered solution. The encephala were removed, and their vessels dissected. Basilar artery formation occurred by anastomosis of the thick ventral spinal artery with vertebral arteries. The basilar artery formed two arterial islands and gave bulbar and pontine branches, and cranial, middle, and caudal cerebellar arteries and ended by forking into its terminal branches, the caudal communicating arteries. The blood supply of the encephalon derived solely from the vertebrobasilar system, and the arterial circle of the brain was closed caudally and rostrally. The absence of participation of internal carotid arteries in encephalon irrigation, the island formations by the basilar artery, and the fusiform shape of the arterial circle of the brain are peculiar characteristics of the vascular anatomy of the brain base of M. tridactyla.

Co-exposure of iron oxide nanoparticles and glyphosate-based herbicide promote liver toxicity in guppy (Poecilia reticulata): A histochemical and ultrastructural approach.

Citrate functionalized iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) are employed for various purposes-including environmental remediation but the interaction of IONPs with aquatic contaminants is poorly understood. Among those, glyphosate-based herbicides are toxic and affect target organs such as the liver. Evaluations of livers of female Poecilia reticulata by exposures to IONPs at a concentration of 0.3 mg/L were performed with association to: (1) 0.65 mg of glyphosate per litter and (2) 1.3 mg of glyphosate per litter of Roundup Original, and (3) glyphosate P.A at 0.65 mg/L. These associations were carried out progressively, after 7, 14, and 21 days. We detected circulatory disturbances, inflammatory responses, activation of the immune system, regressive changes, and progressive responses with changes in the connective tissue and decreased glycogen reserve from days 14 to 21. Ultrastructural changes in the Disse space and microvilli of hepatocytes indicated decreased contact surface area. In general, the damage was time and concentration dependent, increasing from 7 to 14 days and tending to stabilize from 14 to 21 days. Therefore, herbicide-associated IONPs functioned as xenobiotics inducing intense cellular detoxification processes and activation of hepatic immune responses.

Gender-specific histopathological response in guppies Poecilia reticulata exposed to glyphosate or its metabolite aminomethylphosphonic acid.

Ecotoxicity of glyphosate (GLY) and its metabolite aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) was investigated in guppies, Poecilia reticulata. We tested the effects of these chemicals on the gills and liver of both male and female guppies using qualitative and quantitative histopathological analyses associated with histopathological condition indexes. Both genders showed similar median lethal concentration (LC50 ) at 96 h for GLY (68.78 and 70.87 mg l-1 ) and AMPA (180 and 164.32 mg l-1 ). However, the histopathological assessment of both fish organs exposed to sublethal concentrations of GLY (35 mg l-1 ) and AMPA (82 mg l-1 ) for 96 h showed a tissue- and gender-specific histopathological response. In both exposure assays, fish presented mainly progressive changes, such as proliferation of the interlamellar epithelium, partial and total fusion of secondary lamellae. The liver showed mainly regressive changes, such as steatosis, pyknotic nuclei and high distribution of collagen fibers. Unusually large hepatocytes as degenerated cells were also detected. Histopathological changes in gills were similar for the males and females, but the liver response was different between the genders. The hepatic inflammatory changes were more common in males. The increase in the area of hepatocyte vacuoles is gender dependent with higher values in the male compared to the female guppies exposed to GLY and AMPA. Multiparametric analysis indicated that the male guppies are more sensitive than females, particularly in the presence of AMPA. Our study shows that the histopathological assessment associated with gender-specific response can be successfully used in ecotoxicological assessment of GLY and the metabolite AMPA. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Caracterização morfométrica do pênis e prepúcio de touros das raças Nelore e Gir / Morphometric characterization of the penis and prepuce of Nelore and Gir bulls

O objetivo deste trabalho foi caracterizar alguns aspectos morfométricos do pênis e prepúcio de touros das raças Nelore e Gir, estabelecendo as correlações destes parâmetros com outras medidas corporais. O protocolo experimental foi dividido em duas etapas, sendo que na primeira foram selecionados 40 touros, 20 da raça Nelore e 20 da raça Gir, com idade de 30 a 38 meses e peso entre 382 e 468 Kg. Após o abate dos animais em frigorífico, foram coletadas peças de pênis para dissecação e morfometria. Na segunda etapa, foram selecionados 43 touros, 23 da raça Nelore e 20 da raça Gir, com idade de 60 a 96 meses e peso entre 890 a 1120 Kg, provenientes de centrais de coleta de sêmen, para mensuração do peso e comprimento corporal, comprimento da garupa, perímetro torácico, altura anterior e posterior, menor perímetro do metacarpo esquerdo e do metatarso esquerdo, comprimento do prepúcio, menor distância do óstio prepucial à parede do abdome e perímetro do óstio prepucial. As medidas obtidas foram submetidas a teste de correlação linear. O comprimento médio do pênis e prepúcio de touros da raça Nelore foi de 71,96 cm e 52,4 cm, respectivamente e nos touros da raça Gir de 75,73 cm e 57 cm, respectivamente. Dentre as correlações efetuadas, destacam-se duas positivas; uma baixa entre o comprimento corporal e comprimento prepucial (r = 0,31, p < 0,05) e outra média entre a massa corporal e o comprimento prepucial (r = 0,66, p < 0,05). Os resultados deste estudo poderão contribuir para se estabelecer o padrão destas medidas nas raças Nelore e Gir, além de indicar as correlações com outras medidas corporais que podem ser empregadas para proceder a seleção genética de touros para a reprodução.

The aim of this study was to characterize some morphometric aspects of the penis and prepuce of Nelore and Gir bulls establishing the correlations between these parameters and other body measures. The experimental protocol was divided into two stages, being that in the first stage it was selected 40 animals, 20 Nelore and 20 Gir bulls, aged between 30 to 38 months and weighing between 382 and 486 kg. After the killing of the animals in the slaughterhouse, it was collected pieces of penis for penile dissection and morphometry. In the second stage, were selected 23 Nelore and 20 Gir bulls aged between 60 to 96 months and weighing between 890 and 1120 kg. The animals were obtained from semen collection centrals and were submitted to measurement of body mass and length, rump length, thoracic perimeter, anterior and posterior height, the lower perimeter of the left metacarpal and metatarsal, length of the prepuce, the shortest distance from preputial ostium to abdominal wall and the preputial ostium perimeter. The measures obtained were subjected to linear correlation test. The average length of the penis and prepuce of Nelore bulls were 71.96 cm and 52.4 cm respectively and in the Gir bulls were 75.73 cm and 57 cm respectively. Two positive correlations stand out among the analysis performed, the low correlation between body and preputial length (r = 0,31, p < 0,05) and mean correlation between body mass and preputial length (r = 0,66, p < 0,05). The results of this study could contribute to establish the pattern of these measures in the Nelore and Gir races and indicate the correlations with other body measures that can be considered to perform the genetic selection of bulls for breeding.

Morfologia e biometria do ligamento apical do pênis de touros da raça Girolando / Morphology and biometry of the apical ligament of the penis of Girolando race bulls

Objetivou-se descrever a morfologia e biometria do ligamento apical do pênis de 32 touros da raça Girolando (Bos taurus indicus X Bos taurus taurus, Linnaeus - 1758), com idade de 36 a 48 meses e pesando de 480 a 540kg. As peças anatômicas foram obtidas em frigorífico e mantidas congeladas até dissecação. O ligamento originou-se a 15,1±2,9cm distalmente à curvatura caudal da flexura sigmoide e inseriu-se a 1,4±0,7cm proximalmente ao colo da glande, medindo 18,9±2,6cm de comprimento. Apresentou largura de 1,9±0,6mm na sua origem, 2,2±0,8mm na inserção e 35,2±10mm na altura da inserção da lâmina interna do prepúcio. A espessura média ao longo de sua extensão variou de 0,7 a 1,9mm. Próximo à coroa da glande, o ligamento apical se posiciona principalmente na superfície dorsolateral esquerda desse órgão, e a característica da sua fixação na albugínea apresentou variações ao longo de sua extensão. Em sua origem e inserção e na face esquerda do pênis, o ligamento apical é firmemente aderido à túnica albugínea, mas na face dorsal e direita do pênis essa união é realizada por meio de tecido conjuntivo frouxo. Verificou-se correlação média entre o comprimento e a circunferência do pênis com o comprimento do ligamento apical, mas a correlação entre essas variáveis do pênis e a largura do ligamento apical foi baixa.

The aim of this study was to describe the morphology and biometry of the apical ligament of the penis of Girolando bulls. For this purpose, it was dissected 32 penis of Girolando bulls obtained from slaughterhouses and kept frozen until their dissection. The animals were 36 to 48 month old and weighted between 480 and 540kg. The origin of the apical ligament occurred at 15.1±2.9cm distally to the caudal loop of the sigmoid flexure and its insertion occurred at 1.4±0.7cm proximally to the neck of the glans. The length of the apical ligament was 19.9±2.6cm. The width was 1.9±0.6mm at its origin, 2.2±0.8mm at its insertion and 35.2±10mm at the insertion of the internal lamina of prepuce. The average thickness along its extension varied from 0.7 to 1.0mm. On the free portion of the penis the apical ligament involved predominantly the dorsum and the left side of the penis, and its attachment to the tunica albuginea varied along its extension. The apical ligament is firmly attached to the tunica albuginea on its origin, insertion and on the left side of the penis, but dorsally and on the right side of the penis this union is made only through loose connective tissue. Significant linear relation was observed between length and circumference of the penis with length of the apical ligament, but the relation between these penis parameters and the width of the apical ligament was low.