Further observations on the sensitive innervation of some bird’s proctodeum

The AA. studied the autonomic and sensitive somatic innervation of some female bird's proctodeum, through the properly modified Ruffini's gold chloride method. The vegetative component was constituted by ganglion cells of different size, isolated or grouped to form ganglia, found along the course of nerve trunks or in the concurrent point of different nerve bundles. The sensitive somatic innervation was represented by free and encapsulated endings differently distributed in the thickness of the wall. The former were composed of thin networks, while the latter, located more frequently in the muscular tunica and in the subadventitial connective, were composed of encapsulated receptors classified as Pacini, Pacini-like and Herbst corpuscles. The morphology of these receptors was described and hypotheses were brought up about their probable functional role. The AA. also found, even if very rarely, helicoidal collagen fibres around nerve fascicles

Histochemical analysis of glycoconjugates in the domestic cat testis

The localization and characterization of oligosaccharide sequences in the cat testis was investigated using 12 lectins in combination with the ßelimination reaction, N-Glycosidase F and sialidase digestion. Leydig cells expressed O-linked glycans with terminal aGalNAc (HPA reactivity) and N-glycans with terminal/internal aMan (Con A affinity). The basement membrane showed terminal Neu5Aca2,6Gal/GalNAc, Galß1,3GalNAc, a/ßGalNAc, and GlcNAc (SNA, PNA, HPA, SBA, GSA II reactivity) in O-linked oligosaccharides, terminal Galß1,4GlcNAc (RCA120 staining) and aMan in N-linked oligosaccharides; in addition, terminal Neu5Aca2,3Galß1,4GlcNac, Forssman pentasaccharide, aGal, aL-Fuc and internal GlcNAc (MAL II, DBA, GSA I-B4, UEA I, KOH-sialidase-WGA affinity) formed both O- and N-linked oligosaccharides. The Sertoli cells cytoplasm contained terminal Neu5Ac- Galß1,4GlcNAc, Neu5Ac-ßGalNAc as well as internal GlcNAc in O-linked glycans, aMan in N-linked glycoproteins and terminal Neu5Aca2,6Gal/ GalNAc in both O- and N-linked oligosaccharides. Spermatogonia exhibited cytoplasmic N-linked glycoproteins with aMan residues. The spermatocytes cytoplasm expressed terminal Neu5Aca2,3Galß1,4 GlcNAc and Galß1,3GalNAc in O-linked oligosaccharides, terminal Galß1,4GlcNAc and a/ßGalNAc in N-linked glycoconjugates. The Golgi region showed terminal Neu5aca2,3Galß1,4GlcNac, Galß1,4GlcNAc, Forssman pentasaccharide, and aGalNAc in O-linked oligosaccharides, aMan and terminal ßGal in N-linked oligosaccharides. The acrosomes of Golgi-phase spermatids expressed terminal Galß1,3GalNAc, Galß1,4GlcNAc, Forssmann pentasaccharide, a/ßGalNAc, aGal and internal GlcNAc in O-linked oligosaccharides, terminal a/ßGalNAc, aGal and terminal/internal aMan in N-linked glycoproteins. The acrosomes of cap-phase spermatids lacked internal Forssman pentasaccharide and aGal, while having increased a/ßGalNAc. The acrosomes of elongated spermatids did not show terminal Galß1,3GalNAc, displayed terminal Galß1,4GlcNAc and a/ßGalNAc in N-glycans and Neu5Ac-Galß1,3GalNAc in O-linked oligosaccharides

Histological and immunohistochemical investigation on ovarian development and plasma estradiol levels in the swordfish (Xiphias gladius L.)

The paper reports a histological and immunohistochemical description of oocyte growth and ultrastructural aspects of zona radiata (ZR) formation as well as the relationship between plasma estradiol-17b‚ (E2) levels and ovarian development in swordfish (Xiphias gladius L.) from the Mediterranean Sea. Ovaries were inactive during March to mid April; maturation occurred during late April to June and spawning in June and July. Zona radiata formation starts, as Pas positive material, in oocytes at the lipid stage. In this stage a deposit of electrondense material between oolemma and follicular cells appears. In the cortical alveoli stage and through the early vitellogenic stage, the deposition of a moderately electrondense material occurred on the inner side of the ZR. Finally, in late vitellogenic oocytes a third layer, made of microfibrillar material, appeared. The immunohistochemical analyses revealed that the initial internalisation of hepatic zona radiata proteins (Zrp) in the swordfish oocyte starts before the uptake of vitellogenin (Vtg) and that it is associated with the low previtellogenic E2 plasma levels, while a significant E2 increase in plasma is associated with the beginning of Vtg uptake. This would appear to confirm the hypothesis that the differential and sequential induction of zonagenesis and vitellogenesis may reflect a general feature of teleost oogenesis

Auditory ossicles in the Ruminants: comparative morphological analysis with the analogues formations of horse.

The research describes the topography and morphology of the Ruminants auditory ossicles of the middle ear and compares them with data reported by litera¬ture on Equides. The results prove that, in Ruminants, the topography of the ossicles chain is the same as in Equides, while the morphology of the individual ossicle shows substantial differences. These differences are, in particular, about the head and the 3 processes of malleus, the length of the processes of incus, the shape of the stapes and the topography of its processes