Comparative Histological, Histochemical and Ultrastructure Studies on the Exocrine Pancreas of Japanese Quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) and Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis)

The current study targeted to compare between the pancreas (exocrine part) of Japanese quail and Cattle egret. The pancreas was investigated in eight apparent healthy mature female Japanese quail and eight Cattle egret. Histological, histochemical, and ultrastructure studies were carried out. In both birds, the pancreas is located on the right side of the abdomen between the ascending and descending loops of the duodenum. The pancreas of the Japanese quail composed of dorsal, ventral, third, and splenic lobes, while in Cattle egret the pancreas is not lobulated. The Exocrine portion consists of serous acini and intercalated duct, intralobular duct, interlobular duct, and main duct. The duct system was similar in both birds with minor differences. The intralobular duct in the Cattle egret is characterized by the presence of serous glands within its wall. Under electron microscopy, the acinar cells were of two types, electron-dense, and electron-lucent acinar cells. Histochemically, the interlobular duct of the Cattle egret positively reacted to alcian blue (pH1) and aldehyde fuchsin stains but the interlobular duct of the Japanese quail was negatively reacted.

Histogical structure of the thyroid gland in rabbits with different types of autonomous tonus

The research was aimed at investigating the influence of the aggregated tonus of sympathetic and parasympathetic centers on the rabbit’s thyroid gland morphology. For this purpose, the rabbit males (Oryctolagus cuniculus (Linnaeus, 1758)) of Blanc de Termond breed at the age of four months, passed an electrocardiographic and variation pulsometry study. According to the results, the animals were divided into three groups: rabbits with sympathicotonia (18 animals), rabbits with normotonia (5 animals) and rabbits with parasympathicotonia (3 animals). After euthanasia, the fragments of the thyroid gland were taken out, fixed in Bouin’s solution and embedded in paraffin blocks. Histological sections were prepared from the paraffin blocks and later stained with hematoxylin and eosin, as well as Gabu-Diban’s aldehyde fuchsin and Heidenhain’s azan. Morphometric study of follicles and cells of the gland was performed using these histopreparations. Based on the obtained data, the indices of gland activity were calculated, i.e. Brown index and the follicle-colloid index. At the same time, it was established that morphofunctional parameters of the thyroid gland depend on the typological features of the autonomous tonus. This is reflected in the thickness of the capsule, the amount of adipose tissue, the size and density of the follicles’ placement, the height of the thyrocytes and the ratio between the areas of their nuclei and the cytoplasm. Rabbits with parasympathicotonia account for the higher values of half (7 from 14) of the studied parameters, while their combination suggests the functional activity of the thyroid gland of the animals in this group is higher compared to the other groups of rabbits. Also, rabbits with parasympathicotonia have a larger body weight. For normotonic and sympatheticontic rabbits, the functional activity of the thyroid gland as well as the body weight is lower and approximately of the same intensity. The existence of correlation between the separate indicators was investigated, the character of which is also related to the type of the autonomous tonus.

Effects of Neuroendocrine Centers on Germ and Germline Cells in Dendrobaena atheca Cernosvitov (Annelida: Lumbricidae)

The aim of the present comprehensive experimental study was to reveal the effects of the removal and the regeneration of the main neuroendocrine centers in the oogonia, oocytes and trophocytes in Dendrobaena atheca. Various types of serial sections of ovaries and cephalic regions were obtained. Four histological staining techniques were employed. In controlled preparations, the neurosecretory activities of A-cells and C-cells showed correlation with cellular activities of oogonia, oocytes and trophocytes. In experimental preparations, removal of A-cells caused abnormalities in oocytes and trophocytes. The regeneration of A-cells restored vitellogenesis and repaired abnormalities. In both preparations, C-cells remained aldehyde-fuchsin (AF)-positive. B-cells and U-cells remained AF-negative. The oogonia showed continuous mitotic divisions. Regenerated A-cells appeared in week 3, increased in number, but could not stop the abnormalities, as hormones were not transported due to the lack or scarcity of blood capillaries. Therefore, abnormalities increased extremely. Then, they stopped, decreased, and were repaired due to hormonal transport via fully reconstructed blood capillary plexuses. The main conclusions are: (1) oocytes and trophocytes are controlled by A-cells, since they exhibited prominent changes during the removal and regeneration of A-cells; (2) oogonia are controlled by C-cells, as they showed correlation of activities with C-cells and were not affected by the removal and regeneration of A-cells; (3) B-cells and U-cells remained inactive; hence, they have no role in oogonia divisions and vitellogenesis; and (4) delayed hormonal effects of regenerated A-cells were due to the lack or scarcity of blood capillaries. Therefore, fully reconstructed blood capillary beds in the A-cells area are indispensable for hormonal diffusion, transport and effectivity.

Functional anatomy of the lacrimal gland in African black ostrich Struthio camelus domesticus in the embryonic and postnatal period

The aim of the present study was morphological and histochemical analysis of the lacrimalgland (LG) in African black ostrich Struthio camelus domesticus in the embryonic and postnatalperiod. Studies were conducted on 50 ostriches aged between the 28th day of incubation until7 months old. Tissue sections were stained with haematoxylin and eosin, Azan trichrome,periodic acid-Schiff, Alcian blue pH 2.5, aldehyde fuchsin and Hale’s dialysed iron. The LGin ostrich was classified as a tubulo-acinar type. The primordia of the lobes were determinedin the LG structure on the 28th day of incubation, whilst the weakly visible lobes with aciniand tubules were observed on the 40th day of incubation. Morphometric studies of the LGshowed steady growth, characterised by an increase in both length and width. Histometricmeasurements of lobe size showed little difference between the first, second and third agegroups, whilst in the fourth age group a marked increase in size of lobes was observed.The study showed that, apart from morphological changes, during the growth of the LGthe character of acid mucopolysaccharides changed. Sulphated acid mucopolysaccharideswere indicated, particularly with aldehyde fuchsin (AF) staining in the fourth age group.The Hale’s dialysed iron (HDI) staining showed a low concentration of carboxylated acidmucopolysaccharides in the first and second age groups and a higher concentration in thethird and fourth age groups. Periodic acid-Schiff staining (PAS)-positive cells were observedin each age group, but only a small number of cells with a weakly PAS-positive reaction weredemonstrated in the first age group.

Histochemical and biometric study of the gastrointestinal system of Hyla orientalis (Bedriaga, 1890) (Anura, Hylidae)

This study was carried out to assess the localization of hyaluronic acid (HA) and the distribution of glycoproteins in the gastrointestinal system of adult Hyla orientalis. Histochemical analysis of the gastrointestinal system in H. orientalis showed that mucous content included glycogene and/or oxidable dioles [periodic acid/Schiff (PAS)+], neutral or acid-rich (PAS/AB pH 2.5+), sialic acid residues (KOH/PAS+) and acid sulphate [Aldehyde fuchsin (AF)+] glycoproteins. However the mucus content was not the same in stomach, small and large intestine. The mucus content of stomach included only glycogene and/or oxidable dioles and sialic acid residues. Besides these histochemical methods, the localization of HA was detected using biotinylated hyaluronic acid binding protein labeled with streptavidin-fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC). In the extracellular matrix of the submucosa, the reaction for HA was evident. Since HA was located in submucosa beneath the epithelial layer of gastrointestinal system, it has a significant role in hydric balance, and essential to provide the gastrointestinal system integrity and functionality. According to biometric results, there were statistical differences between small and large intestine in terms of the amount of material stained positive with PAS/AB, PAS, KOH/PAS and AF/AB. Additionally, number of goblet cells in the small and large intestine was significantly different.

Suppression of Collagen-Induced Arthritis in Rats by Continuous Administration of Dae-Bang-Poong-Tang (Da-Fang-Feng-Tang)

Although Dae-Bang-Poong-Tang (an herbal formula of 15 herbs)-treated rats exhibited a mild inflammation, the significant histological changes including a marked infiltration of inflammatory cells in the synovium and damaged articular cartilages were not observed. The staining abilities of the cartilage such as periodic acid Schiff's reaction in the interterritorial matrix of hyaline cartilage, alcian blue and aldehyde fuchsin staining in the capsule of chondrocytes and in the interterritorial matrix of articular cartilage and Con A, sWGA and BSL-1 affinities of chondrocytes tended to decrease in the rats with collagent-induced arthritis compared with normal rats. Decreased stainabilities and affinities were almost recovered in the Dae-Bang-Poong-Tang-treated rats. In the collagen-induced rats, iNOS expression in the synovial lining cells and subsynovial tissue were significantly increased and numerous strong immunoreactive cells were demostrated in the subsynovial tissue. Somewhat decreased immunoreaction of iNOS was shown in the synovial lining cells and subsynovial tissue of Dae-Bang-Poong-Tang-treated rats. It was concluded that Dae-Bang-Poong-Tang showed a notable protection against histological changes and histochemical staining, and it acted as an inhibitor of iNOS expression. Dae-Bang-Poong-Tang may be used as a complementary therapeutic agent to alleviate the rheumatoid arthritis.

Endogenous glycoconjugates are not associated with filter feeding in mosquito larvae (Diptera: Culicidae)

Histochemical techniques were used to determine the origin and possible function of glycoconjugates in the head of larval mosquitoes. Late instars of Aedes aegypti (L.), Aedes implicatus Vockeroth, Culex territans Walker, and Anopheles earlei Vargas were stained with Alcian Blue at pH 0.5, 2.5, and 3.2, aldehyde fuchsin, and periodic acid – Schiff's reagent. Lectins derived from Triticum vulgaris, Bandeiraea simplicifolia, Sophora japonica, Pisum sativum (PSA), and Ulex europaeus were used to determine the composition of the glycoconjugates present in the head of A. aegypti. Additionally, larvae were fed inert Dayglo® particles and stained as above to determine the origin of glycoconjugates observed in the gut. Examination showed that carboxylated and weakly and strongly sulphated glycoconjugates are secreted from what are described here as dorsal and ventral cephalic glands. With the exception of PSA, none of the lectins bound to the glands or their secretion product. Globular and elongate cells in the ventral cephalic gland bound PSA, indicating the presence of α-D-mannose. The secretion product is not used to enhance food capture or handling. Instead, it is hypothesized that these glycoconjugates aid in formation of mouthpart structures or facilitate ecdysis.