The human endosalpinx : anatomical three-dimensional study and reconstruction using confocal microtomography

Purpose: To evaluate in three dimensions (3D) the human endosalpinx and reconstruct its surface along its different anatomical segments, without the injection or insertion of luminal contrasts, using confocal microtomography (micro-CT). Material and methods: 15 fallopian tubes (FT) from 14 women in reproductive age from procedures for benign disease or sterilization were selected. The specimens were fixed in formalin and stained with Lugol solution. Micro-CT studies were conducted on the specimens using protocols adapted from biological studies, to acquire images to reconstruct in 3D the endosalpinx surface. Results: From these specimens, 6 presented the intra-mural segment, 14 presented the isthmus and 15 presented the ampulla and fimbria segment of the FT. The specimen presented tissue definition, and contrast sufficient for FT endosalpinx morphological analysis and lumen definition. The intramural portion presented initially a mucosal projection toward the lumen, bending on its own axis, and increased numbers of projections towards the isthmic portion, where the projections become longer more numerous. The endosalpinx becomes more tortuous, the lumen diameter increases and the mucosal projections become more bulky in the ampullary portion, with the projections less present on the antimesenteric side. The infundibular portion is marked with the organized and predictable endosalpinx, the abdominal ostium is cleared demonstrated, with the reduction of the endosalpinx volume. The fimbria demonstrated a small relation between fringes and intratubal endosalpinx. Conclusions: Microscopic anatomy of different segments of the human FT mucosa can be analyzed and reconstructed in 3D with histological correlation using micro-CT

CD20+ T cells in monoclonal B cell lymphocytosis and chronic lymphocytic leukemia: frequency, phenotype and association with disease progression

Introduction: In monoclonal B cell lymphocytosis (MBL) and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), the expansion of malignant B cells disrupts the normal homeostasis and interactions between B cells and T cells, leading to immune dysregulation. CD20+ T cells are a subpopulation of T cells that appear to be involved in autoimmune diseases and cancer. Methods: Here, we quantified and phenotypically characterized CD20+ T cells from MBL subjects and CLL patients using flow cytometry and correlated our findings with the B-cell receptor mutational status and other features of the disease. Results and discussion: CD20+ T cells were more represented within the CD8+T cell compartment and they showed a predominant memory Tc1 phenotype. CD20+ T cells were less represented in MBL and CLL patients vs healthy controls, particularly among those with unmutated IGVH gene. The expansion of malignant B cells was accompanied by phenotypic and functional changes in CD20+ T cells, including an increase in follicular helper CD4+ CD20+ T cells and CD20+ Tc1 cells, in addition to the expansion of the TCR Vb 5.1 in CD4+ CD20+T cells in CLL.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Cisplatin-resistant urothelial bladder cancer cells undergo metabolic reprogramming beyond the Warburg effect

Advanced urothelial bladder cancer (UBC) patients are tagged by a dismal prognosis and high mortality rates, mostly due to their poor response to standard-of-care platinum-based therapy. Mediators of chemoresistance are not fully elucidated. This work aimed to study the metabolic profile of advanced UBC, in the context of cisplatin resistance. Three isogenic pairs of parental cell lines (T24, HT1376 and KU1919) and the matching cisplatin-resistant (R) sublines were used. A set of functional assays was used to perform a metabolic screening on the cells. In comparison to the parental sublines, a tendency was observed towards an exacerbated glycolytic metabolism in the cisplatin-resistant T24 and HT1376 cells; this glycolytic phenotype was particularly evident for the HT1376/HT1376R pair, for which the cisplatin resistance ratio was higher. HT1376R cells showed decreased basal respiration and oxygen consumption associated with ATP production; in accordance, the extracellular acidification rate was also higher in the resistant subline. Glycolytic rate assay confirmed that these cells presented higher basal glycolysis, with an increase in proton efflux. While the results of real-time metabolomics seem to substantiate the manifestation of the Warburg phenotype in HT1376R cells, a shift towards distinct metabolic pathways involving lactate uptake, lipid biosynthesis and glutamate metabolism occurred with time. On the other hand, KU1919R cells seem to engage in a metabolic rewiring, recovering their preference for oxidative phosphorylation. In conclusion, cisplatin-resistant UBC cells seem to display deep metabolic alterations surpassing the Warburg effect, which likely depend on the molecular signature of each cell line.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Preservation of bovine preantral follicle viability and ultra-structure after cooling and freezing of ovarian tissue

Bovine preantral follicles within ovarian fragments were exposed and cryopreserved in absence or presence of 1.5 M glycerol (GLY), ethylene glycol (EG), propanediol (PROH) or dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), undergoing a previous cooling at 20 °C for 1 h (protocol 1) or at 4 °C for 24 h (protocol 2) in 0.9% saline solution. At the end of each treatment, preantral follicles were classified as non-viable/viable when they were stained/not stained with trypan blue, respectively. To confirm viability staining, ultra-structure of the follicles was evaluated by transmission electronic microscopy (TEM). Data were compared by Chi-square test (P < 0.05). The storage of the ovaries at 20 °C for 1 h (78%) and 4 °C for 24 h (80%) did not reduce significantly the percentage of viable preantral follicles when compared to the control (75%). Similar results were obtained when ovarian fragments, respectively, for protocols 1 and 2, were exposed to MEM (78 and 77%), 1.5 M EG (78 and 71%), as well as frozen in 1.5 M EG (74 and 77%). Percentages of viable follicles in control were similar to those observed after exposure (75%) and freezing (76%) in presence of 1.5 M DMSO only when protocol 1 was used. The increase of the concentration from 1.5 to 3.0 M, for all cryoprotectants, reduced significantly the percentage of viable preantral follicles after freezing. Ultra-structural analysis has confirmed trypan blue results, showing that not only basement membrane, but also organelles, were intact in viable preantral follicles. In conclusion, ovarian tissue cooling at 4 °C for 24 h before cryopreservation (protocol 2) does not affect the viability of bovine preantral follicles when 1.5 M EG is present in the cryopreservation medium

CD20+ T cells in monoclonal B cell lymphocytosis and chronic lymphocytic leukemia: frequency, phenotype and association with disease progression

IntroductionIn monoclonal B cell lymphocytosis (MBL) and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), the expansion of malignant B cells disrupts the normal homeostasis and interactions between B cells and T cells, leading to immune dysregulation. CD20+ T cells are a subpopulation of T cells that appear to be involved in autoimmune diseases and cancer.MethodsHere, we quantified and phenotypically characterized CD20+ T cells from MBL subjects and CLL patients using flow cytometry and correlated our findings with the B-cell receptor mutational status and other features of the disease. Results and discussionCD20+ T cells were more represented within the CD8+ T cell compartment and they showed a predominant memory Tc1 phenotype. CD20+ T cells were less represented in MBL and CLL patients vs healthy controls, particularly among those with unmutated IGVH gene. The expansion of malignant B cells was accompanied by phenotypic and functional changes in CD20+ T cells, including an increase in follicular helper CD4+ CD20+ T cells and CD20+ Tc1 cells, in addition to the expansion of the TCR Vβ 5.1 in CD4+ CD20+ T cells in CLL

Alimentação Saudável, Agricultura Urbana e Familiar

RESUMO Produto dos debates realizados por ocasião do XI Seminário Serviço, Pesquisa e Política Pública, sobre o tema “Agricultura Urbana e Segurança Alimentar e Nutricional: o alimento orgânico na alimentação escolar”, este artigo sintetiza a fala de pesquisadores, produtores agrícolas, representantes de instituições da sociedade civil e de órgãos governamentais sobre a produção urbana de alimentos. Tendo como perspectiva a contribuição da agricultura urbana para a qualidade da alimentação, são tratados temas relativos aos alcances e limites para a distribuição destes alimentos por equipamentos públicos e destinação a políticas públicas como a alimentação escolar, à luz de experiências nas cidades de São Paulo e Castro, no Paraná. Considerações sobre o abastecimento de centros urbanos e a importância de ambientes organizacionais e ambientes alimentares tomaram como referencial diretrizes nacionais e internacionais sobre os determinantes sociais da situação de saúde e nutrição na contemporaneidade. São apontadas as dificuldades que marcam a produção da agricultura urbana, e as ações de iniciativas locais que possibilitaram avançar na direção de uma atividade econômica viável e promotora de alimentação saudável e de equidade. O papel das políticas públicas de alimentação, ainda limitado no que se refere à agricultura urbana, é patente para promover o fortalecimento do trabalho de agricultores e gestores públicos engajados nas iniciativas que já apontam o potencial de crescimento desta forma de produzir alimentos

Alimentação Saudável, Agricultura Urbana e Familiar

As a result of the debates held during the XI Seminar on Service, Research and Public Policy, on the theme “Urban Agriculture and Food and Nutrition Security: organic food in school meals”, this article summarizes the speeches of researchers, agricultural producers, representatives of civil society institutions and government agencies on urban food production. From the perspective of the of urban agriculture contribution to the quality of food, issues related to the scope and limits of the distribution of these foods through public facilities and destination to public policies, such as the school meal program, are addressed in light of experiences in the cities of São Paulo and Castro, in Paraná. Considering the supply of urban centers and the importance of organizational and food environments, debate took national and international guidelines on the social determinants of contemporary health and nutrition as a theoretical reference. The difficulties that mark the production of urban agriculture were addressed, and the actions of local initiatives that made it possible to advance towards a viable economic activity that promotes healthy eating and equity were presented. The role of public food policies, still limited in the field of urban agriculture, is evident to strengthen the work of farmers and public managers engaged in initiatives that already point to the potential for growth in this form of food production.Produto dos debates realizados por ocasião do XI Seminário Serviço, Pesquisa e Política Pública, sobre o tema “Agricultura Urbana e Segurança Alimentar e Nutricional: o alimento orgânico na alimentação escolar”, este artigo sintetiza a fala de pesquisadores, produtores agrícolas, representantes de instituições da sociedade civil e de órgãos governamentais sobre a produção urbana de alimentos. Tendo como perspectiva a contribuição da agricultura urbana para a qualidade da alimentação, são tratados temas relativos aos alcances e limites para a distribuição destes alimentos por equipamentos públicos e destinação a políticas públicas como a alimentação escolar, à luz de experiências nas cidades de São Paulo e Castro, no Paraná. Considerações sobre o abastecimento de centros urbanos e a importância de ambientes organizacionais e ambientes alimentares tomaram como referencial diretrizes nacionais e internacionais sobre os determinantes sociais da situação de saúde e nutrição na contemporaneidade. São apontadas as dificuldades que marcam a produção da agricultura urbana, e as ações de iniciativas locais que possibilitaram avançar na direção de uma atividade econômica viável e promotora de alimentação saudável e de equidade. O papel das políticas públicas de alimentação, ainda limitado no que se refere à agricultura urbana, é patente para promover o fortalecimento do trabalho de agricultores e gestores públicos engajados nas iniciativas que já apontam o potencial de crescimento desta forma de produzir alimentos

Differential regulation of lung homeostasis and silicosis by the TAM receptors MerTk and Axl

IntroductionTAM receptor-mediated efferocytosis plays an important function in immune regulation and may contribute to antigen tolerance in the lungs, a site with continuous cellular turnover and generation of apoptotic cells. Some studies have identified failures in efferocytosis as a common driver of inflammation and tissue destruction in lung diseases. Our study is the first to characterize the in vivo function of the TAM receptors, Axl and MerTk, in the innate immune cell compartment, cytokine and chemokine production, as well as the alveolar macrophage (AM) phenotype in different settings in the airways and lung parenchyma.MethodsWe employed MerTk and Axl defective mice to induce acute silicosis by a single exposure to crystalline silica particles (20 mg/50 μL). Although both mRNA levels of Axl and MerTk receptors were constitutively expressed by lung cells and isolated AMs, we found that MerTk was critical for maintaining lung homeostasis, whereas Axl played a role in the regulation of silica-induced inflammation. Our findings imply that MerTk and Axl differently modulated inflammatory tone via AM and neutrophil recruitment, phenotype and function by flow cytometry, and TGF-β and CXCL1 protein levels, respectively. Finally, Axl expression was upregulated in both MerTk-/- and WT AMs, confirming its importance during inflammation.ConclusionThis study provides strong evidence that MerTk and Axl are specialized to orchestrate apoptotic cell clearance across different circumstances and may have important implications for the understanding of pulmonary inflammatory disorders as well as for the development of new approaches to therapy