Morphology, and muscle- and papilla-volume ratios, of the tongue of Laudakia stellio (Agamidae, Squamata): A histological and stereological study

We examined the histological structure of the tongue of Laudakia stellio, the starred agama lizard (Agamidae, Squamata), under light microscopy. We also investigated the muscle and papilla volume ratios, with volumes of each aspect of interest estimated according to the Cavalieri method. The macroscopically short, thick and muscle-rich front tip of the tongue of L stellio does not show any bifurcation, and under light microscopy, the oval-shaped papilla-free front tip was seen to be covered by keratinized stratified epithelium. The dorsal and ventral parts were different, with the former partially covered by keratinized stratified epithelium and rich in secretory glands and secretory cells. The ventral part, which contained keratinized stratified cells, had a flat surface with no papillae. The dorsal surface of the anterior and posterior parts contained fungiform papillae, with the apical parts of these papillae containing minimal keratin; the inter-papillar space was covered by keratin-free squamous stratified epithelium. The middle section of the tongue contained cylindricaltype papillae, with serous and mucous secretory glands and ducts at their base. Finally, the frontal and middle parts of the ventral and dorsal surfaces did not contain any taste buds, although there were some in the hind part of the dorsal surface. As morphometric estimates of volumes of the muscles and papillae, the mean volume ratios (relative to total tongue volume)±standard deviation were 0.66±0.03 and 0.33±0.03, with mean coefficients of error of 0.02 and 0.03, respectively. © 2007 Zoological Society of Japan

Effects of umbilical cord blood stem cells on healing factors for diabetic foot injuries

The use of stem or progenitor cells from bone marrow, or peripheral or umbilical cord blood is becoming more common for treatment of diabetic foot problems. These cells promote neovascularization by angiogenic factors and they promote epithelium formation by stimulating cell replication and migration under certain pathological conditions. We investigated the role of CD34 + stem cells from human umbilical cord blood in wound healing using a rat model. Rats were randomly divided into a control group and two groups with diabetes induced by a single dose of 55 mg/kg intraperitoneal streptozocin. Scarred areas 5 mm in diameter were created on the feet of all rats. The diabetic rats constituted the diabetes control group and a diabetes + stem cell group with local injection into the wound site of 0.5 × 106 CD34 + stem cells from human umbilical cord blood. The newly formed skin in the foot wounds following CD34 + stem cell treatment showed significantly improvement by immunohistochemistry and TUNEL staining, and were closer to the wound healing of the control group than the untreated diabetic animals. The increase in FGF expression that accompanied the local injection of CD34 + stem cells indicates that FGF stimulation helped prevent apoptosis. Our findings suggest a promising new treatment approach to diabetic wound healing. © 2017 The Biological Stain Commission

Bacteria induced extrinsic and intrinsic apoptotic pathways in the rat gastrointestinal system

Apoptosis is a key factor in the death of organ-specific cells. Developing a clear understanding of the effect that bacterial translocation has on initiating apoptotic pathways that induce multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) is essential for developing effective treatment modalities. Translocation does not occur naturally and apoptotic pathways remain unclear. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of bacterial translocation on apoptotic pathways in the spleen, small intestine, colon, liver, and mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN) of rats. We randomly divided 12 healthy Wistar-Albino rats into two groups and induced bacterial translocation in the experiment group by clamping the superior mesenteric arteries (SMA) for comparison of test results to the control group. Samples from both groups were collected under sterile conditions and an inoculation procedure was performed. Caspase 3, 8, 9 and p53 were evaluated by immunohistochemistry, and cell expressions were counted. Klebsiella and E. coli colonies were observed in the bacteria cultures associated with the experiment group. Bacterial translocation-activated caspase 8 and 3 were found in all tissues of the experiment group; however, activated p53 was identified only in the colon and liver and activated caspase 9 was seen in small intestine, mesenteric lymph nodes and liver. We concluded that translocated bacteria stimulated extrinsic and intrinsic signaling pathway in gastrointestinal systems. © 2017, Scientific Publishers of India. All rights reserved

Clinical and molecular evaluation of MEFV gene variants in the Turkish population: a study by the National Genetics Consortium

Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is a monogenic autoinflammatory disorder with recurrent fever, abdominal pain, serositis, articular manifestations, erysipelas-like erythema, and renal complications as its main features. Caused by the mutations in the MEditerranean FeVer (MEFV) gene, it mainly affects people of Mediterranean descent with a higher incidence in the Turkish, Jewish, Arabic, and Armenian populations. As our understanding of FMF improves, it becomes clearer that we are facing with a more complex picture of FMF with respect to its pathogenesis, penetrance, variant type (gain-of-function vs. loss-of-function), and inheritance. In this study, MEFV gene analysis results and clinical findings of 27,504 patients from 35 universities and institutions in Turkey and Northern Cyprus are combined in an effort to provide a better insight into the genotype-phenotype correlation and how a specific variant contributes to certain clinical findings in FMF patients. Our results may help better understand this complex disease and how the genotype may sometimes contribute to phenotype. Unlike many studies in the literature, our study investigated a broader symptomatic spectrum and the relationship between the genotype and phenotype data. In this sense, we aimed to guide all clinicians and academicians who work in this field to better establish a comprehensive data set for the patients. One of the biggest messages of our study is that lack of uniformity in some clinical and demographic data of participants may become an obstacle in approaching FMF patients and understanding this complex disease