Comparative analysis of morphological, structural and morphometric patterns of Polistes versicolor (Olivier) (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) hypopharyngeal glands

O presente estudo descreve, por meio de técnicas de histologia e ultramorfologia, os padrões morfológico e estrutural das glândulas hipofaríngeas de Polistes versicolor (Olivier), comparando-os aos de outros grupos de Hymenoptera. Além disso, analisa a presença de variações intraespecíficas dessas glândulas por meio de análises morfométricas das células secretoras de vespas em diferentes idades. Na espécie estudada foi constatada a presença de glândulas com características primitivas, possuindo células secretoras que desembocam individualmente na placa hipofaríngea. O padrão morfológico encontrado nas glândulas hipofaríngeas foi basicamente o mesmo para todas as vespas estudadas, entretanto o comprimento das células glandulares apresentou variações significativas entre indivíduos. Aparentemente essas variações não estão relacionadas com a idade.

PHEROMONES and EXOCRINE GLANDS IN ISOPTERA

Termites are eusocial insects that have a peculiar and intriguing system of communication using pheromones. The termite pheromones are composed of a blend of chemical substances and they coordinate different social interactions or activities, including foraging, building, mating, defense, and nestmate recognition. Some of these sociochemicals are volatile, spreading in the air, and others are contact pheromones, which are transmitted by trophallaxis and grooming. Among the termite semiochemicals, the most known are alarm, trail, sex pheromones, and hydrocarbons responsible for the recognition of nestmates. The sources of the pheromones are exocrine glands located all over the termite body. The principal exocrine structures considered pheromone-producing glands in Isoptera are the frontal, mandibular, salivary or labial, sternal, and tergal glands. The frontal gland is the source of alarm pheromone and defensive chemicals, but the mandibular secretions have been little studied and their function is not well established in Isoptera. The secretion of salivary glands involves numerous chemical compounds, some of them without pheromonal function. The worker saliva contains a phagostimulating pheromone and probably a building pheromone, while the salivary reservoir of some soldiers contains defensive chemicals. The sternal gland is the only source of trail-following pheromone, whereas sex pheromones are secreted by two glandular sources, the sternal and tergal glands. To date, the termite semiochemicals have indicated that few molecules are involved in their chemical communication, that is, the same compound may be secreted by different glands, different castes and species, and for different functions, depending on the concentration. In addition to the pheromonal parsimony, recent studies also indicate the occurrence of a synergic effect among the compounds involved in the chemical communication of Isoptera. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V.

Immunomodulatory effects of tick saliva

Ticks are bloodsucking ectoparasites that cause great damage to host organisms, so these ectoparasites are of great importance in medicine and veterinary medicine. All the biological success achieved by ticks is due to the action of bioactive components present in their saliva, which are synthesized by the salivary glands. These components have great diversity of functions such as enabling feeding and the permanence of ectoparasites on hosts, since they modulate immune system acting as complement inhibitors, immunosuppressors, cytokine expression modulator and chemokine binders of hosts. In addition, these components are an important source of protective antigens. In this sense, salivary glands/saliva are considered a potential source of multifunctional molecules. In this context, many studies have been conducted aiming at searching to establish a better understanding on the biology and morphophysiology of some organs such as salivary glands, as well as elucidate the complex relationship of these ectoparasites with their hosts. Such studies are conducted with the main objective of developing new immunobiological products aimed at the alternative control of ticks, as well as for the identification and isolation of bioactive molecules with pharmacological properties and with great therapeutic potential in the search for treatments for some diseases.

Same-sized fish groups increase aggressive interaction of sex-reversed males Nile tilapia GIFT strain

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Oral manifestations of diabetes mellitus in complete denture wearers

Statement of problem. The oral mucosa has been reported to show a variety of changes in subjects with diabetes mellitus.Purpose. The purpose of this study was to compare diabetic and nondiabetic subjects wearing complete dentures with regard to salivary flow, salivary buffering capacity, denture retention, and oral mucosal lesions.Material and methods. Sixty subjects, 30 with and 30 without a diagnosis of diabetes, were matched for gender, race, and age. Salivary flow, salivary buffering capacity, glycemia, blood pressure, presence of mucosal lesions, denture retention, use of medications, and behavioral factors (controlled or uncontrolled diet, alcohol consumption, and smoking) reported by the subjects, were evaluated. For the salivary buffering capacity test, 1 mL of saliva was pipetted into a test tube containing 3 mL 0.005 N of hydrochloric acid, and the pH was measured with indicator strips. Group differences were statistically analyzed using the Student t test and the Mann-Whitney test for quantitative variables and the chi-square test for qualitative variables (alpha = .05).Results. Mean (SD) salivary flow was 1.14 (0.87) mL/min in the nondiabetic subjects and 0.95 (0.61) mL/min in the diabetic subjects. Evaluation of self-reported denture retention revealed no significant difference between groups. Denture retention was observed in 66.7% (20/30) of the control group and in 50% (15/30) of the diabetic group. The prevalence of mucosal lesions was 90% (27/30) in the control group and 83.3% (25/30) in the diabetic group. Salivary buffering capacity was 5.80 (0.85) in the control group and 5.26 (0.83) in the diabetic group (P = .017).Conclusions. Within the limitations of this study, no significant differences were observed in salivary flow, denture retention, or oral lesions in diabetic and nondiabetic subjects.

Effect of estrogen therapy, soy isoflavones, and the combination therapy on the submandibular gland of ovariectomized rats

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