CROSS-REACTIVITY BETWEEN HARD TICK ANTIGENS

1. The present study was carried out to determine the target cells and tissues for anti-tick immunoglobulins using an indirect immunohistochemical technique.2. Sections in triplicate prepared from unfed ticks Rhipicephalus appendiculatus, R. evertsi and Amblyomma variegatum were used to assess the cross-reactivity of serum from guineapigs naturally infested with these tick species or immunized against them.3. The sections showed slight (+) to strong (++++) labelling of several structures in the tick body, e.g. salivary gland, gut lumen and malpighian tubules, depending on the serum used.4. The immune serum resulting from the immunization of guinea pigs with an extract of unfed nymphs of R. appendiculatus ticks showed the most intense cross-reactivity with the sections examined.

Characterization of the cellular component of polymorphous low-grade adenocarcinoma by immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy

In order to characterize the cellular component of the polymorphous low-grade adenocarcinoma (PLGA) of the salivary gland, a morphological and immunohistochemical study was carried out. Thirty cases of PLGA were studied by light microscopy and immunohistochemistry and five cases by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The expression of cytokeratins (CKs) 7,8,10,13,14,18,19, vimentin and muscle-specific actin (MSA) was investigated through the streptavidin-biotin method. The majority of tumor cells stained for vimentin, CKs 8,18 and 7. CK 14 was positive in most cells of the papillary and trabecular sub-types. Although the expression of CKs 8,18 and 14 varied among the tumors sub-types, a straight relationship between each histologic pattern and the CK expression could not be delineated. MSA was reactive in only three tumors while CKs 10 and 13 were not detected in any tumor studied. The absence of MSA and the expression of CKs 8,18 and 7, in most of the tumor cells, lead to the hypothesis that myoepithelial cells are not the major cellular component of the PLGA. TEM revealed cells exhibiting microvilli and variable amounts of secretory granules, some of them suggesting an excretory activity. The presence of CKs 8, 18 and 7, added to the secretory granules, indicates that PLGA originates from cells located at the acinar-intercalated duct junction. (C) 1999 Elsevier B.V. Ltd. All rights reserved.

Reproductive compatibility and chromosome pairing in the Drosophila buzzatii complex

Fertility (percentage of fertile crosses) and the degree of synapsis in salivary gland chromosomes in isofemale lines of Drosophila buzzatii, D. serido, D. koepferae and D. seriema were analysed. D. buzzatii was completely sterile in intercrosses with strains from the other species except for D. koepferae. The other species intercrossed to a greater or lesser degree, but also differed between crossing directions. Homologous pairing in salivary gland preparations of strains and hybrids conformed with the data on fertility. The lowest degree of synapsis was present in hybrids between D. koepferae and D. buzzatii, D. seriema and D. koepferae and D. koepferae and D. serido. These species also exhibited the lowest degree of reproductive compatibility. Hybrids between D. seriema and D. serido showed an intermediate degree of synapsis (pairing absent in the proximal and distal chromosome ends), as well as fertility greater than that found in the other interspecific crosses. Results of the fertility of crosses involving strains of a single species, compared with data in the literature, indicated that intraspecific divergence occurred in D. serido and D. koepferae.

Glycogen distribution in ameloblasts and odontoblasts of newborn rats of sialoadenectomized dams. Histochemical study

In order to get information about the distribution of glycogen in ameloblasts and odontoblasts, studies were made of newborn rats of sialoadenectomized dams and newborn rats of control dams. Rodent offspring were decapitated on the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th days after birth. Their heads were fixed in 10% neutral formalin solution, decalcified in sodium citrate-formic acid and embedded in paraffin, and frontal sections were prepared. Sections 6 micrometers thick were stained by specific histochemical reactions to detect glycogen. Based on the results obtained, it was concluded that the amount of glycogen was lower in the cytoplasms of ameloblasts and odontoblasts of experimental animals when compared to controls.

The glandular odontogenic cyst: a case report.

A case of a glandular odontogenic cyst is reported. All clinical, radiographic, and histopathologic features are discussed and compared with the descriptions in the literature already published about this new lesion.

Exocrine glands of Schwarziana quadripunctata (Hymenoptera, Apinae, Meliponini)

This article describes the location, anatomy, histology and ontogeny of adult Schwarziana quadripunctata exocrine glands. These glands appear either as individualized organs (salivary gland system and Dufour gland) or as epidermis differentiation (tegumentary glands). Variations in the occurrence and degree of development among colony components with regard to their degree of maturity are also described.

Neuroendocrine alterations impair enamel mineralization, tooth eruption and saliva in rats.

Neonatal administration of monosodium glutamate (MSG) in rats causes definite neuroendocrine disturbances which lead to alterations in many organ systems. The possibility that MSG could affect tooth and salivary gland physiology was examined in this paper. Male and female pups were injected subcutaneously with MSG (4 mg/g BW) once a day at the 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th and 10th day after birth. Control animals were injected with saline, following the same schedule. Lower incisor eruption was determined between the 4th and the 10th postnatal days, and the eruption rate was measured between the 43rd and the 67th days of age. Pilocarpine-stimulated salivary flow was measured at 3 months of age; protein and amylase contents were thereby determined. The animals treated with MSG showed significant reductions in the salivary flow (males, -27%; females, -40%) and in the weight of submandibular glands (about -12%). Body weight reduction was only about 7% for males, and did not vary in females. Saliva of MSG-treated rats had increased concentrations of total proteins and amylase activity. The eruption of lower incisors occurred earlier in MSG-treated rats than in the control group, but on the other hand the eruption rate was significantly slowed down. The incisor microhardness was found to be lower than that of control rats. Our results show that neonatal MSG treatment causes well-defined oral disturbances in adulthood in rats, including salivary flow reduction, which coexisted with unaltered protein synthesis, and disturbances of dental mineralization and eruption. These data support the view that some MSG-sensitive hypothalamic nuclei have an important modulatory effect on the factors which determine caries susceptibility.

Ultramorfologia e Histologia da Glândula Salivar do Tórax de Polistes versicolor (Olivier) (Vespidae), Comparada com a de Outros Hymenoptera

The salivary system of the Hymenoptera consists of the mandible, hypopharynx and thoracic salivary glands. It is very important because it is related to various aspects of the life of the insects, such as pheromone production, feeding the young, food digestion and nest building. Adult Polistes versicolor (Olivier) individuals were dissected, the thoracic salivary glands removed and processed for scanning electronic microscopy and histological examination. The P. versicolor thoracic salivary gland presents alveolar secretory units, consists of pseudoacines and does not have a reservoir. Four types of cells are present in the gland. The T1 and T2 cells make up the pseudoacines and differ mainly by the many secretory vessels in T2. There is a cluster of T3 cells at the base of the gland duct collectors, also with secretory characteristics. The secretion produced in the pseudoacines is conducted by canals and ducts to the outside, and the latter are made of T4 cells. The comparison of these characteristics with those of different Hymenoptera species, already studied, showed that the thoracic salivary gland cannot be used as a single comparison factor in evolutionary studies.

A new interpretation of the defense glands of neotropical Ruptitermes (Isoptera, Termitidae, Apicotermitinae)

Suicidal altruism has been reported for some species of eusocial insects, in which the individual dies in defense of the society. The termites of the genus Ruptitermes are known for the suicidal behavior of the workers which liberate a sticky defensive secretion by body bursting. In the present paper it is given a new interpretation of the defense glands of Neotropical Ruptitermes based on the morphological analysis of three species collected at Rio Claro, SP, Brazil. Before the current study, the suicidal defensive behavior was attributed to the dehiscence of the salivary gland reservoirs. The defense or dehiscent glands of Neotropical Ruptitermes are pair structures rounded in shape that are independent of the salivary glands. The dehiscent glands consist of multiple secretory units that are kept together by thin connective tissue. Each secretory unit is composed of one cell generally with one peripheral nucleus and characteristic secretion. The three species studied here present some histological differences in the secretory units, probably related to the chemical composition of the secretion.

Extravasation mucocele involving the ventral surface of the tongue (glands of Blandin-Nuhn)

Background. Mucocele is a lesion that involves the salivary glands and respective current ducts caused mainly by traumas in the affected area. Two different histological forms can be found: extravasation phenomenon and mucus-retention cyst where the former is the most frequently observed involving minor salivary glands such as the glands present in the anterior portion of the ventral surface of the tongue (glands of Blandin-Nuhn). Case Report. This report describes a large lesion involving the ventral surface of the tongue that was definitively diagnosed by histological examination as extravasation mucocele. Conclusion. Important concepts are reviewed to help clinicians correctly diagnose and treat this pathology. © 2006 The Authors.

A meniralização dental e a atividade salivar estão reduzidas em filhotes de ratas espontaneamente hipertensas (SHR)

Several pathologies have been diagnosed in children of hypertensive mothers; however, some studies that evaluated the alterations in their oral health are not conclusive. This study analyzed the salivary gland activity and dental mineralization of offsprings of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Thirty-day-old SHR males and Wistar rats were studied. The salivary flow was evaluated by injection of pilocarpine, the protein concentration and salivary amylase activity, by the Lowry method and kinetic method at 405 nm, respectively. Enamel and dentin mineralization of the mandibular incisors was quantified with aid of the microhardness meter. The results were analyzed by the ANOVA or Student's t test (p<0.05). It was noticed that the salivary flow rate (0.026 mL/min/100 g±0.002) and salivary protein concentration (2.26mg/mL±0.14) of SHR offspring were reduced compared to Wistar normotensive offspring (0.036 mL/min/100 g±0.003 and 2.91 mg/mL±0.27, respectively), yet there was no alteration in amylase activity (SHR: 242.4 U/mL±36.9; Wistar: 163.8 U/mL±14.1). Microhardness was lower both in enamel (255.8 KHN±2.6) and dentin (59.9 KHN±0.8) for the SHR teeth compared to the Wistar teeth (enamel: 328.7 KHN±3.3 and dentin: 67.1 KHN±1.0). These results suggest that the SHR offspring are more susceptible to development of pathologies impairing oral health, once they presented lesser flow and salivary protein concentration and lower dental mineralization.

New evidence for nucleolar dominance in hybrids of Drosophila arizonae and Drosophila mulleri

Drosophila mulleri (MU) and D. arizonae (AR) are cryptic species of the mulleri complex, mulleri subgroup, repleta group. Earlier cytogenetic studies revealed that these species have different regulatory mechanisms of nucleolar organizing activity. In these species, nucleolar organizing regions are found in both the X chromosome and the microchromosome. In the salivary glands of hybrids between MU females and AR males, there is an interspecific dominance of the regulatory system of the D. arizonae nucleolar organizer involving, in males, amplification and activation of the nucleolar organizer from the microchromosome. The authors who reported these findings obtained hybrids only in that cross-direction. More recently, hybrids in the opposite direction, i.e., between MU males and AR females, have been obtained. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate, in these hybrids, the association of the nucleoli with the chromosomes inherited from parental species in order to cytogenetically confirm the dominance patterns previously described. Our results support the proposed dominance of the AR nucleolar organizer activity over that of MU, regardless of cross-direction. ©FUNPEC-RP.

Immunization of Balb/c mice with modified auto-antigens for induction of autoimmune sialoadenitis

Sjögren's syndrome is an autoimmune disease characterized by sialoadenitis and elevated titers of autoantibodies. To assess whether it is possible to induce inflammatory changes in salivary gland tissues, a series of immunizations in Balb/c mice have been undertaken, using salivary gland extract, modified or not, added to several adjuvants. Mice's humoral immune response to salivary gland antigens was monitored by ELISA. Inflammatory cells infiltrating gland tissue were seen 3 months after immunization with salivary gland extract modified with pepsin (AgGp) and metaperiodate (AgGMp). Although pathological progression was not observed, the histopathological picture was similar to the initial phase of Sjögren's syndrome. In addition, a monoclonal antibody reactive with 3 gland polypeptides and anhydrase carbonic II was rescued among B cells from immunized mice. Thus, immunizations with modified autoantigens were able to initiate pathological damage to glandular tissue and stimulate the proliferation of auto-reactive B cells.