Effects of experimental diabetes on the structure and ultrastructure of the coagulating gland of C57BL/6J and NOD mice

Diabetes mellitus can lead to reproductive disorders that in turn result in weakened fertility brought about by morphofunctional changes in the testes and accessory sex glands. However, doubts persist concerning the basic biology of the secretory epithelial cells and the stroma of the coagulating gland of diabetic mice. Thus, the objective of the present study was to analyze the histological and ultrastructural changes associated with stereology of the coagulating gland of mice with alloxan-induced diabetes, and of spontaneously diabetic mice. Sixteen mice of the C57BL/6J strain, and eight non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice were used. The animals were divided into three groups: 1) control (C), 2) alloxan diabetic (AD), and 3) NOD. Thirty days after the detection of diabetic status in group 2, all of the animals were killed and then perfused with Karnovsky's solution through the left cardiac ventricle. The coagulating gland was then removed and processed for morphometric study by light microscopy and electron microscopy. The results showed thickening of the stroma, atrophy of secretory epithelial cells, and disorganization of the organelles involved in the secretory process in both NOD and alloxan-induced mice. Thus, it may be concluded that the coagulating gland suffered drastic morphological changes, and consequently impaired glandular function, in the presence of diabetes mellitus type I in both NOD and AD mice. (C) 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Influence of age on combined effects of cyclosporin and nifedipine on rat alveolar bone

Background: There is some evidence showing that cyclosporin A (CsA) and nifedipine (NIF) affect bone metabolism. The purpose of this work was to study the effects of CsA and NIF, given alone or concurrently, on alveolar bone of rats of different ages. Methods: Rats 15, 30, 60, and 90 days old were treated daily with 10 mg/kg body weight of CsA subcutaneously injected and/or 50 mg/kg body weight of NIF/day given orally for 60 days. Alveolar bone of the first lower molars was morphologically and stereologically evaluated in serial 5 μm bucco-lingual paraffin sections, stained with hematoxylin and eosin. Serum calcium and alkaline phosphatase levels were measured in all animals at the end of the experimental period. Results: Rats treated with CsA or NIF alone or CsA and NIF concurrently showed decreased alveolar bone density. CsA was more effective than NIF. A significant decrease in serum calcium was found only in animals treated with CsA or CsA/NIF. The results were similar regardless of age. Conclusions: These results indicate that the decrease in the alveolar bone volume in rats caused by CsA and NIF alone or concurrently is not age dependent. Furthermore, NIF (50 mg/kg) did not further increase the loss of alveolar bone volume induced by CsA (10 mg/kg).

Prostatic stromal microenvironment and experimental diabetes

The diabetes causes alterations in various organ systems, including the male accessory sex glands. The prostate is very important in the reproductive process and it is a frequent target of malignant changes. The aim of this work was to demonstrate the histochemical and ultrastructural alterations in the prostate of diabetic animals. Two groups of animals were utilized: control and non-obese diabetic mice (NOD). Twelve days after the characterization of diabetic status the ventral prostate was collected, fixed in Karnovsky and paraformaldehyde, processed for histochemistry and TEM associated to stereology. The results showed reduction of the epithelial area and increasing of the stromal area with muscular and collagen hypertrophy in the prostatic gland. It was characterized the development of prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia, inflammatory processes and dilation of the organelles involved in the secretory process. It was concluded that diabetes besides damaging the reproductive process, affects the glandular homeostasis favoring the development of prostatic pathologies. ©2005, European Journal of Histochemistry.

Doxazosin reduces cell proliferation and increases collagen fibers in rat prostatic lobes

We investigated the effects of doxazosin (Dox), an alpha-adrenoceptor antagonist used clinically for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), on the rat prostatic complex by assessing structural parameters, collagen fiber content, cell proliferation, and apoptosis. Adult Wistar rats were treated with Dox (25 mg/kg per day), and the ventral (VP), dorsolateral, and anterior prostate (AP) regions of the prostate complex were excised at 3, 7, and 30 days after treatment. At 24 h before being killed, the rats were injected once with 5-bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU; thymidine analog) to label mitotically active cells. The prostates were weighed and processed for histochemistry, morphometry-stereology, immunohistochemistry for BrdU, Western blotting for proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), and the TUNEL reaction for apoptosis. Dox-treated prostate lobes at day 3 presented increased weight, an enlarged ductal lumen, low cubical epithelial cells, reduced epithelial folds, and stretched smooth muscle cells. However, at day 30, the prostates exhibited a weight reduction of ∼20% and an increased area of collagen and reticular fibers in the stromal space. Dox also reduced epithelial cell proliferation and increased apoptosis in the three prostatic lobes. Western blotting for PCNA confirmed the reduction of cell proliferation by Dox, with the AP and VP being more affected than the dorsal prostate. Thus, Dox treatment alters epithelial cell behavior and prostatic tissue mechanical demand, inducing tissue remodeling in which collagen fibers assume a major role. © 2007 Springer-Verlag.

The significance and determination by image analysis of microcrack density in hard chromium plating

It is well known that the microcrack density is a fundamental parameter in hard chromium electroplating. The chemical and mechanical properties of this coating are widely dependent on its microcrack density. In this paper a simple image analysis procedure to determine microcrack density is presented in order to demonstrate it as a fundamental tool to estimate the fatigue, corrosion and wear behavior, as well as the residual stress field of a coated component. For this purpose, the image analysis procedure was carried out on two kinds of hard chromium plating - one called accelerated (high velocity of deposition and fluoride-free) and the other conventional (with fluoride). The coatings were applied on samples of AISI 4340 aeronautical steel, which is widely used in aircraft landing gear components. To characterize the practical significance of this study, the microcrack density results were related to the fatigue, wear and corrosion behavior from previous study and to the residual stress field in the coatings.

MMP-2 and TIMP-2 in the prostates of male and female mongolian gerbils: Effects of hormonal manipulation

TIMPs in the prostates of male and female gerbils and evaluated the effects of testosterone on the expression of these enzymes. Ventral prostates from male gerbils that were either intact or had been castrated for 7 or 21 days, along with prostates from female gerbils that were either intact or had been treated with testosterone for 7 or 21 days, were submitted to histological, stereological and immunohistochemical analyses. Stereology of prostatic components showed significant alterations of tissue compartments in the ventral male prostate after castration, especially after 21 days, with a significant increase in stroma. Administration of testosterone led to disorganization in the female prostate, with a significant increase in collagen fibers and smooth muscle cells after 21 days, along with the development of epithelial lesions such as PINs. MMP-2 increased after 21 days of castration in males; however, the TIMP-2 immunoreaction for this group was weak or absent. In females, the expression of MMP-2 appeared to decrease after 7 days of treatment with testosterone, but after 21 days, both epithelium and stroma showed a stronger reaction for MMP-2 than the controls. The expression of TIMP-2 in the treated females was similar to its expression in the castrated males. We conclude that the distribution of MMPs and TIMPs in both male and female prostates is altered by androgen manipulation, but the mechanism of stromal regulation appears to be distinct between genders because both the lack of T in castrated males and the excess levels of T in treated females lead to the same effect.

Progesterone restores the female prostate activity in ovariectomized gerbil and may act as competitor of testosterone in intraprostatic environment

Aims Little is known about the effect of progesterone on gerbil female prostate. It is known that normal oscillation in the progesterone and estradiol levels during the estrous cycle phases influence the morphophysiology of this gland. The present study aims to evaluate the isolated effect of prolonged administration of progesterone combined or not with testosterone on the prostate of ovariectomized female gerbil. Main methods To observe the morphological changes caused by castration in the prostate of different groups stereologic analyses of all prostate compartments, analysis of nuclear area and perimeter, and morphometric measurements of epithelial and smooth muscle cells layers were used. In addition, immunocytochemistry was performed to investigate the distribution of the androgen, estrogen alfa and beta and progesterone receptors in different prostatic compartments. Key findings This study demonstrated that both treatments partially recovered the structure of the gland. In the group treated with progesterone plus testosterone a higher incidence of epithelial and stromal disorders occurred, besides the absence of secretory activity. Thus, treatment only with progesterone showed better results in the restoration of glandular homeostasis mainly seen by the regulation of the secretory activity. Significance Collectively, the findings of this study indicate that progesterone may have a significant role on the maintenance of prostate morphophysiology, and showed an interesting evidence of hormonal competition between progesterone and testosterone. © 2013 Elsevier Inc.

Morfologia e estereologia do peritônio de paca conservado em solução supersaturada de açúcar a 300% ou glicerina a 98% implantados na parede abdominal de ratos

Pós-graduação em Cirurgia Veterinária - FCAV

Avaliação macroscópica, microscópica e estereológica de implante de biomembrana em estômago de coelhos (Oryctolagus cuniculus)

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

3-D Technology Used to Accurately Understand Equine Ileocolonic Aganglionosis

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Hepatoprotective Effect of Arctium lappa Root Extract on Cadmium Toxicity in Adult Wistar Rats

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Testes of Astyanax altiparanae: The Sertoli cell functions in a semicystic spermatogenesis

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Periodontal disease-associated compensatory expression of osteoprotegerin is lost in type 1 diabetes mellitus and correlates with alveolar bone destruction by regulating osteoclastogenesis

Alveolar bone resorption results from the inflammatory response to periodontal pathogens. Systemic diseases that affect the host response, such as type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM1), can potentiate the severity of periodontal disease (PD) and accelerate bone resorption. However, the biological mechanisms by which DM1 modulates PD are not fully understood. The aim of this study was to determine the influence of DM1 on alveolar bone resorption and to evaluate the role of receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappaB ligand (RANKL)/osteoprotegerin (OPG) in osteoclastogenesis in rats. PD was induced by means of ligature in nondiabetic and in streptozotocyn-induced DM1 rats. Morphological and morphometric analyses, stereology and osteoclast counting were performed. RANKL and OPG mRNA levels, protein content, and location were determined. PD caused alveolar bone resorption, increased the number of osteoclasts in the alveolar bone crest and also promoted changes in RANKL/OPG mRNA expression. DM1 alone showed alveolar bone destruction and an increased number of osteoclasts at the periapical and furcal regions. DM1 exacerbated these characteristics, with a greater impact on bone structure, resulting in a low OPG content and a higher RANKL/OPG ratio, which correlated with prominent osteoclastogenesis. This work demonstrates that the effects of PD and DM1 enhance bone destruction, confirms the importance of the RANKL signaling pathway in bone destruction in DM1 in animal models and suggests the existence of alternative mechanisms potentiating bone degradation in PD.

Alterações na expressão do Hormônio Concentrador de Melanina (MCH) na área hipotalâmica lateral do rato ao longo do desenvolvimento pós-natal e envelhecimento

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

End-to-side loop neurorrhaphy: axonal comparative stereological study

Accidents or diseases can affect the peripheral part of the nervous system, which raises clinical and surgical therapies, among others. In this context, the technique of end-to-side neurorrhaphy is a treatment option, yet its modification loop needs some additional efficacy studies. The purpose of this study was to compare, among rats, stereological results (axons volume density) after end-to-side neurorrhaphy and after end-to-side loop neurorrhaphy. Thirty Wistar rats were used, divided into six groups (five animals per group), consisting of two control groups (for the fibular and tibial nerves), two study groups for the fibular nerve (one with an end-to-side neurorrhaphy, and the other with an end-to-side loop neurorrhaphy) and two study groups for the tibial nerve (with an endto- side neurorrhaphy and the other one with an end-to-side loop neurorrhaphy). After 180 days, all groups were sacrificed for axonal stereological analysis (volume density) in distal nerve stumps. There was significant maintenance of neuronal-axonal density in the distal stumps to neurorrhaphy (p< 0.005) compared with the normal stumps. The end-to-side loop neurorrhaphy is a therapeutic option as suture technique after complete nerve section, in order to restore most of the axonal functional integrity.