Expression of leptin and adiponectin in the rat oviduct

SUMMARY In mammals, the oviduct is an important source of factors that play key roles in reproductive and developmental events. The major components of oviduct fluid are oviductspecific glycoproteins, but other proteins are synthesized and secreted by the oviduct epithelium. Leptin and adiponectin are two hormones originally identified in adipocytes that play a critical role not only in the control of energy balance and metabolism but also in diverse functions such as reproduction. This study investigates the presence and distribution of leptin and adiponectin in the rat oviduct through a combination of immunohistochemistry and reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction techniques. Using both techniques, it has been detected that the oviduct of cycling rats expresses leptin and adiponectin. Immunoreactivity for both adipokines appears in the apical region of the secretory epithelial cells, only in the isthmus and ampulla. The immunostain is stronger in the isthmus and changes throughout the estrous cycle in the ampulla, increasing from proestrous to estrous. The results presented here are a further contribution to the identification of leptin and adiponectin produced and secreted by the oviduct epithelium, which must be taken into account for a better understanding of the reproductive events that take place in this organ

Intracellular killing of Brucella melitensis in human macrophages with microspheres-encapsulated gentamicin

Objectives: Treatment of human brucellosis demands antibiotic targeting into the mononuclearphagocytic system. The aim of this work was to prepare and characterize particulate carriers containing gentamicin and to study their interactions with phagocytic cells and bactericidal activity against intracellular Brucella melitensis. Methods: Different poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA)polymers with free carboxylic end-group wereusedto formulate micro- and nanoparticles containing gentamicin, by a water-oil-water solvent-evaporation technique. PLGA 502H and 75:25H microparticles were selected because they showed the highest gentamicin loadings as well as good physico-chemical properties and sustained release in vitro. Results: Gentamicin-containing microspheres of both polymers were successfully phagocytosed by infected THP-1 human monocytes, and immunocytochemistry studies revealed that the antibiotic reached Brucella-specific compartments. A dose of 30 mg of encapsulated gentamicin was able to reduce intracellular Brucella infection by 2.2 log. Conclusions: Altogether, these results suggest that 502H and 75:25H microspheres are suitable carriers for gentamicin targeting inside human macrophages and thus for brucellosis treatment

Expression of proadrenomedullin derived peptides in the mammalian pituitary: co-localization of follicle stimulating hormone and proadrenomedullin N-20 terminal peptide-like peptide in the same secretory granules of the gonadotropes

Expression of proadrenomedullin-derived peptides in the rat, cow and human pituitary was studied by a variety of techniques. Immunocytochemical detection showed a widespread expression of adrenomedullin peptide in the adenohypophysis and the neural lobe, with low expression in the intermediate pituitary. Proadrenomedullin N-20 terminal peptide (PAMP)-immunoreactivity was also present in the anterior pituitary but showed a more marked heterogeneous distribution, with cells going from very strong to negative immunostaining. Lower levels of PAMP were found in the neural lobe. Interestingly, the distribution of adrenomedullin and PAMP immunoreactivity in the anterior pituitary did not completely overlap. In the present study, we concentrated our efforts to determine which cell type of the adenohypophysis expresses PAMP. Paraffin and semithin serial sections immunostained for PAMP and the classical pituitary hormones revealed that a subpopulation of the gonadotropes expresses high levels of PAMP-immunoreactive material. Ultrastructural analysis clearly showed PAMP-immunoreactivity in the follicle stimulating hormone (FSH)-containing large secretory granules of the gonadotropes, suggesting simultaneous secretion of PAMP and FSH by this cell type. Three mouse adenohypophysis-derived cell lines (AtT20, GH3, and alphaT3-1 derived from corticotropes, lacto/somatotropes and gonadotropes, respectively) were also analysed and showed expression of both proadrenomedullin-derived peptides and their mRNA. Functional studies in these three cell lines showed that neither adrenomedullin nor PAMP was able to stimulate cAMP production in our experimental conditions. Taken together, our results support that proadrenomedullin derived peptides are expressed in the pituitary in cell-specific and not overlapping patterns, that could be explained by differences in postranslational processing. Our data showing costorage of PAMP and FSH in the same secretory granules open a way by which PAMP could be involved in the control of reproductive physiology in a coordinated manner with FSH

PEArL: a systems approach to demonstrating authenticity in information systems design

The process of information systems (IS) design has been dominated by the demands inherent in providing a technical solution to a perceived problem or need. Engineering IS design methods applied in order to satisfy the problem situation tend to have a preoccupation with verifying specifications as being mathematically correct. Diffculties arise when the ideas underpinning verification are extended in an attempt to ‘prove’ the validity of a proposed design for an IS. A pure engineering approach does not facilitate a response to the subjective elements within social situations, which experience has shown to be essential in demonstrating the pertinence of new designs to those concerned. We suggest that, by applying interpretivist systems ideas, it is possible to support concerned individuals in reflecting upon crucial aspects of the inquiry, enabling those individuals to judge the relevance or ‘authenticity’ of the learning, according to their own values and beliefs. The elements of participants, engagement, authority, relationships and learning are suggested as being crucial. These make up the mnemonic PEArL, which is offered as an aide-mémoire for those concerned with IS design

The Importance of Context in Managerial Work: The Case of Senior Hotel Managers in Greece

Qualitative research on the interplay between context and hospitality managerial work has not been previously addressed in the literature. Based on the works of Johns (2006) and Dierdorff et al. (2009), this research suggests that luxury senior hotel managers (GMs and department managers) are to a certain degree recipients of contextual/cultural influences, depending on the ownership status of the hotel. It is also argued that managerial work is shaped and exercised by a set of moderating factors, which are unique for each individual. Overall, the aim of this research is to increase the level of awareness and trigger further research in this topic area. © 2014 Copyright © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC

The criminal justice voluntary sector: concepts and an agenda for an emerging field

This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Tomczak, P. & Buck, G. (2019). The criminal justice voluntary sector: concepts and an agenda for an emerging field. Howard Journal of Crime and Justice, 58(3), which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1111/hojo.12326. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions.Volunteers and voluntary organisations play significant roles pervading criminal justice. They are key actors, with unrecognised potential to shore up criminal justice and/or collaboratively reshape social justice. Unlike public and for-profit agents, criminal justice volunteers and voluntary organisations (CJVVOs) have been neglected by scholars. We call for analyses of diverse CJVVOs, in national and comparative contexts. We provide three categories to highlight distinctive organising auspices, which hold across criminal justice: statutory volunteers, quasi-statutory volunteers and voluntary organisations. The unknown implications of these different forms of non-state, non-profit justice involvement deserve far greater attention from academics, policymakers and practitioners

PRDM16: The intercovertible adipo-myocyte switch

Both brown and white adipocytes were previously considered to be derived from the same precursor cell, despite being histologically and functionally different. However, a recent study shows that overexpression of the transcriptional regulator positive regulatory domain containing 16 (PRDM16) determines the development of brown adipocytes from a progenitor that expresses myoblast markers. Surprisingly, loss of PRDM16 from these precursors does not lead to white adipocyte differentiation. Thus, PRDM16 controls a bidirectional cell fate switch between skeletal myoblasts and brown adipocyte

Brush-like cells within bronchial epithelia of chicken lung, Gallus gallus

The secondary and primary (mesobronchus) bronchi of chicken lung are lined by a typical respiratory epithelium: pseudostratified columnar ciliated with goblet cells. Up to date, four constituting epithelial cell types have been identified: ciliated, mucosecretory, basal and endocrine cells. In this study a putative new epithelial cell type, the brush-like cell, is described. The avian brush-like cells have only been found in the bronchial epithelia but never in the gas-exchange areas. They are scattered among the other epithelial cells, mainly ciliated cells, and their number is extremely low. The characteristic morphological feature of these cells is an apical protruding cytoplasm with microvilli. This cell type is similar to that found in the lung of some mammalian and non-mammalian species. The functional role of these cells is not yet clear; they could carry out absorptive processes

Presence of Locusta diuretic hormone in endocrine cells of the ampullae of locust Malpighian tubules

This is an investigation of an endocrine cell type in the midgut of the migratory locust Locusta migratoria. This cell type is found in the posterior region of the midgut and is especially common in the ampullae through which Malpighian tubules drain into the gut at the midgut-hindgut junction. Strong Locusta diuretic hormone-like immunoreactivity in these cells was colocalized with FMRFamide- and substance P-like immunoreactivities. At the ultrastructural level,immunoreactivity for Locusta diuretic hormone was found in spherical granules (mean diameter of 450 nm), the contents of which showed variable electron density. Fractionation of a methanolic extract of the ampullae by reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography revealed the presence of two peaks of Locusta diuretic hormone-like immunoreactive material, both of which stimulate cyclic AMP production by isolated Malpighian tubules. The more hydrophobic material is most likely Locusta diuretic hormone, which has the same retention time when chromatographed under identical conditions