Regulation of IGF-I and porcine oviductal secretory protein (pOSP) secretion into the pig oviduct in the peri-ovulatory period, and effects of previous nutrition

The mechanisms regulating oviduct function were investigated. In Experiment 1, porcine oviductal secretory protein (pOSP) mRNA, and pOSP and insulin-like growth factor (IGF-I) in oviductal flushings, decreased through the peri-ovulatory period. In Experiment 2, higher plasma steroids in oviductal veins, ipsilateral (INT), rather than contralateral (OVX), to the remaining ovary in unilaterally ovariectomized gilts, were associated with higher pOSP in INT oviductal flushings. In Experiment 3, oviduct function was assessed as part of a collaborative study in cyclic gilts. Feed restriction in the late, compared to the early, luteal phase reduced estradiol concentrations in oviductal plasma, pOSP mRNA in oviductal tissue, and IGF-I concentrations and pOSP abundance in oviduct flushings. Previous insulin treatment differentially affected oviduct function. These data provide the first direct evidence for effects of previous feed restriction and insulin treatment on the oviduct environment in the peri-ovulatory period, which may contribute to nutritional effects on embryonic survival

Influence of three different histological methods on the morphology and morphometrical data in human testis

Coagulant fixatives and paraffin embedding were widely used in the past for histomorphometrical evaluations of the human testis under physiological and pathological conditions. However, new methods are applied nowadays using better combinations of fixatives and plastic resins as embedding media, improving cell and tissue structural preservation. In an attempt to compare old and new data, the present study evaluated histomorphometrical data obtained from human testis after three different histological processing methods: Bouin/paraplast, glutaraldehyde/glycol methacrylate and glutaraldehyde/araldite. The morphometrical parameters were not affected by glutaraldehyde fixation after both resin embedding (methacrylate or araldite). On the other hand, Bouin/paraplast embedding lead to tissue shrinkage, which could give rise to misinterpretations on the measurements performed. Since some germ and somatic cells recognition do not depend upon high resolution techniques, counting of such cell types could be performed even using routine Bouin/paraplast protocols. Thus, the morphometrical analyses relying on cell recognition were not affected by the methods here applied, however, when metric measurements were applied, the obtained results could not be promptly compared. On the other hand, if the study requires confident spermatogonial identification for kinetics evaluation, glutaraldehyde/araldite processing is highly recommended

Descrição morfológica do coração e dos vasos da base do jacaré-do-pantanal (Caiman yacare Daudin, 1802) proveniente de zoocriadouro

Resumo: Com este estudo objetivou-se descrever os aspectos anatômicos e histológicos do coração do jacaré-do-pantanal (Caiman yacare), proveniente de zoocriadouro. Para tanto, estudou-se 13 exemplares da espécie, os quais foram perfundidos, conservados em solução de formaldeído a 10% e submetidos às técnicas anatômicas específicas. O coração foi separado e amostras foram colhidas e submetidas à avaliação histológica. Macroscopicamente o coração é tetracavitário, e além de dois átrios e dois ventrículos, apresenta uma estrutura denominada cone arterial, do qual emergem os vasos da base do coração. Foram identificadas duas aortas, direita e esquerda, sendo que a esquerda emerge do ventrículo direito e se comunica com o tronco sistêmico direito por meio do forame de Panizza. Histologicamente o coração possui epicárdio, miocárdio e endocárdio típicos. Concluímos que a histologia do coração, no jacaré-do-pantanal, é semelhante à de outras espécies de répteis. Contudo, anatomicamente apresenta particularidades importantes, as quais representam, possivelmente, adaptações que permitiram a perpetuação da espécie