Female reproductive system of the decapitating fly Pseudacteon wasmanni Schmitz (Diptera : Phoridae)

Pseudacteon wasmanni is a South American decapitating fly that parasitizes workers of Solenopsis fire ants. We used light microscopy (historesin serial-sectioning stained with Haematoxylin/Eosin) and scanning electron microscopy to show and analyze internal and whole external views of the female reproductive system. All specimens analyzed (n = 9) by light microscopy showed post-vitellogenic oocytes inside the ovaries. The lack of typical follicles (oocyte-nurse cell complexes) in all specimens suggests that oogenesis occurs during the pupal stage. The total number of eggs found ranged from 31 to 280 (X = 142 +/- 73, SD). The egg has a slugform or torpedo shape (about 130 by 20 mum) with a pointed apex at the posterior pole as defined by the fly; the micropyle appears to be in a depression or invagination at the anterior pole. An acute hypodermic-like ovipositor is evaginated from the hard sclerotized external genitalia during egg laying. The existence of a muscular bulb associated with the end of the common oviduct suggests that the egg is injected into the ant's body by a strong contraction of the bulb which probably is stimulated by bending of several ventral sensilla. During contraction, the abdomen extends out along a large fold between the sixth and seventh tergites in such a way that the sclerotized genitalia is rotated ventrally into a slightly anterior orientation in preparation for oviposition. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. Ltd. All rights reserved.

Rhyncophorus palmarum L. (Linnaeus, 1758): A Morphological and Histological Study of the Female Reproductive System

Rhyncophorus palmarum (Coleoptera) is a pest of great economic importance because of the damage caused in the plants of the Palmae family. This study showed that the female reproductive system of this beetle is composed of two ovaries of the telotrophic meroistic type invariably containing two ovarioles per ovary. Each ovariole is home to about 50 oocytes at different stages of maturation. The proximal region of the ovary is rather peculiar because it houses inside it a large quantity of bacilliform structures immersed in a glycolipoprotein substance, which has never before been described in the literature. The function of these structures is still unknown. However, it is suggested that they can function as a method of neutralizing the resistance of the plant because these insects are responsible for the transmission of the red ring disease to the palm plants. Microsc. Res. Tech. 74: 853-862, 2011. (C) 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Female reproductive system of the sugarcane spittlebug Mahanarva fimbriolata (Auchenorrhyncha): Vitellogenesis dynamics and protein quantification

The present study aimed describing the ovaries of the sugarcane spittlebug Mahanarva fimbriolata which are meroistic telotrophic with nurse cells and oocytes located in the tropharium. SEM revealed paired ovaries located dorsolaterally around the intestine, and oocytes exhibiting shapes ranging from round (less developed) to elliptic (more developed), suggesting a simultaneous, although, asynchronous development. Based on histological data we classified the oocytes in stages from I to V. Stage I oocytes exhibit follicular epithelium with cubic and/or prismatic cells, fine cytoplasmic granules. Stage II oocytes present intercellular spaces in the follicular epithelium due to the incorporation of yolk elements from the hemolymph. Small granules are present in the periphery of oocytes while larger granules are observed in the center. Stage III oocytes are larger and intercellular spaces in the follicular epithelium are evident, as well as the interface between follicular epithelium and oocyte. Yolk granules of different sizes are present in the cytoplasm. During this stage, chorion deposition initiates. Stage IV oocytes exhibit squamous follicular cells and larger intercellular spaces when compared to those observed in the previous stage. The oocyte cytoplasm present granular and viscous yolk, the latter is the result of the breakdown of granules. Stage V oocytes exhibit a follicular epithelium almost completely degenerated, smaller quantities of granular yolk and large amounts of viscous yolk. Based on our findings we established the sequence of yolk deposition in M. fimbriolata oocyte as follows: proteins and lipids, which are first produced by endogenous processes in stages I and II oocytes. Exogenous incorporation begins in stage III. In stages I and II oocytes, lipids are also produced by follicular epithelial cells. The third element to be deposited is polysaccharides, mainly found as complexes. Therefore, the yolk present in the oocytes of this species consists of glycolipoproteins. Molecular weights of proteins present in M. fimbriolata oocytes ranged from 10 to 92 KDa, differently from vitellogenin, the most common protein present in insect oocytes, weighing approximately 180 KDa. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Female reproductive system of ant species of the subfamily ponerinae: Review and new data

Literature data about the female reproductive system of some species in the subfamily Ponerinae are presented. Our project objective to compile a report containing the largest possible number of data about the reproductive system in Ponerinae for a better understanding of the reproductive biology of these Insects, was completed.

Effects of a Mixture of Pesticides on the Adult Female Reproductive System of Sprague-Dawley, Wistar, and Lewis Rats

The Brazilian federal government Agency for Health Surveillance detected pesticide residues in fresh food available for consumers all over the country. The current study investigated the effects of a mixture of some of those pesticides (dichlorvos, dicofol, dieldrin, endosulfan, and permethrin) on the reproductive system of Sprague-Dawley (SD), Wistar (WT), and Lewis (LEW) rats. Female rats from each strain were randomized into three experimental groups and were fed a control diet or diets added with pesticides mixture at their respective no-observed-effect level (NOEL)/no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) (low dose) (mg/kg/d): dichlorvos (0.23), dicofol (0.5), dieldrin (0.025), endosulfan (0.7), permethrin (5), or lowest-observed-effect level (LOEL)/lowest-effect level (LEL)/ lowest-observed-adverse-effect level (LOAEL) (toxically effective dose) (mg/kg/d): dichlorvos (2.3), dicofol (2.1), dieldrin (0.05), endosulfan (3.8), and permethrin (25) as reported in the literature. Euthanasia was performed between wk 10 and 12, during the estrous stage. Decreased body weights gain (SD and WT) and increased liver weights (SD, WT, and LEW) were observed in each strain fed the pesticides mixture at the higher levels. At that dose level, rat strains also varied in their responses regarding the estrous cycle, hormonal levels, and number of developing ovarian follicles. The studied mixture of pesticides was found to interfere with the female reproductive system when individual pesticides were mixed above a certain level, indicating a threshold exists for each of the strains studied.

Comparative study of the ovarian morphology in the order Polydesmida (Diplopoda) and description of unusual structures in the female reproductive system

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

Analysis of the reproductive system of female vampire squid

Analysis of the reproductive system of female vampire squid to determine reproductive strategy and fecundity of vampire squid, accessioned in the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History and collected in 60, 70s from off southern California.

Innate and adaptive immunity at mucosal surfaces of the female reproductive tract : stratification and integration of immune protection against the transmission of sexually transmitted infections

This review examines the multiple levels of pre-existing immunity in the upper and lower female reproductive tract. In addition, we highlight the need for further research of innate and adaptive immune protection of mucosal surfaces in the female reproductive tract. Innate mechanisms include the mucus lining, a tight epithelial barrier and the secretion of antimicrobial peptides and cytokines by epithelial and innate immune cells. Stimulation of the innate immune system also serves to bridge the adaptive arm resulting in the generation of pathogen-specific humoral and cell-mediated immunity. Less understood are the multiple components that act in a coordinated way to provide a network of ongoing protection. Innate and adaptive immunity in the human female reproductive tract are influenced by the stage of menstrual cycle and are directly regulated by the sex steroid hormones, progesterone and estradiol. Furthermore, the effect of hormones on immunity is mediated both directly on immune and epithelial cells and indirectly by stimulating growth factor secretion from stromal cells. The goal of this review is to focus on the diverse aspects of the innate and adaptive immune systems that contribute to a unique network of protection throughout the female reproductive tract.

Sex hormone regulation of innate immunity in the female reproductive tract : the role of epithelial cells in balancing reproductive potential with protection against sexually transmitted pathogens

The immune system in the female reproductive tract (FRT) does not mount an attack against HIV or other sexually transmitted infections (STI) with a single endogenously produced microbicide or with a single arm of the immune system. Instead, the body deploys dozens of innate antimicrobials to the secretions of the female reproductive tract. Working together, these antimicrobials along with mucosal antibodies attack many different viral, bacterial and fungal targets. Within the FRT, the unique challenges of protection against sexually transmitted pathogens coupled with the need to sustain the development of an allogeneic fetus have evolved in such a way that sex hormones precisely regulate immune function to accomplish both tasks. The studies presented in this review demonstrate that estradiol and progesterone secreted during the menstrual cycle act both directly and indirectly on epithelial cells and other immune cells in the reproductive tract to modify immune function in a way that is unique to specific sites throughout the FRT. As presented in this review, studies from our laboratory and others demonstrate that the innate immune response is under hormonal control, varies with the stage of the menstrual cycle, and as such is suppressed at mid-cycle to optimize conditions for successful fertilization and pregnancy. In doing so, a window of STI vulnerability is created during which potential pathogens including HIV enter the reproductive tract to infect host targets.

A nerve growth factor from the venom of Chinese cobra (Naja naja atra) and its effects on male reproductive system in rats

A nerve growth factor (NGF) was isolated from the venom of Chinese cobra (Naja naja ntr a) by ion exchange chromatography, gel filtration and fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC). The N-terminal sequence of 22 amino acid residues was identical with other NGFs previously purified from the venom of the same genus. The NGF monomer molecular weight was estimated to be 13 500 by reducing SDS-PAGE and the isoelectric point was determined to be 7.2 by isoelectric focusing electrophoresis. NGF improved the epididymal sperm motility of male rats and increased the pregnancy rate and fetus number of mated female rats. The serum levels of luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) of male rats administrated NGF + gossypol was lower than that of male rats administrated gossypol. Histological sections of testes and epididymides showed that NGF reduced the destructive effects of gossypol on rat testes. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.

Studies on the female reproductive physiology of the prawn, Macrobrachium idella (Hilgendorf, 1898)

’l‘he reproductive physiology of the female palaemonid prawn M. idella has been investigated by adopting a comprehensive approach to the problem. The major aspects of the study included investigations on breeding biology and process of oogenesis, variations in the biochemical components in relation to maturation, neuroendocrine relations and control over reproduction, and artificial insemination. The prawns used in the present study were procured from Vembanad Lake at Panavally village - a place nearly 20 km. away from Cochin. The studies were carried out using standard histological and biochemical methods. The modern technique of electroejaculation was adopted for extrusion of spermatophores in artificial insemination experiment.

Morphology and histology of male and female reproductive systems in the inseminating species Scoloplax distolothrix (Ostariophysi : Siluriformes : Scoloplacidae)

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

Assessment of Female Reproductive Endpoints in Sprague-Dawley Rats Developmentally Exposed to Diuron: Potential Ovary Toxicity

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