Histological evaluation of the liver of mice with sarcoma-180 treated with salazinic acid

Abstract Many of the drugs used to fight cancer cells induce various damage causing hepatotoxic effects which are characterized by tissue changes. The aim of the study is to know the possible effects of salazinic acid on livers of mice exposed to Sacoma-180. The tumor was grown in the animals in ascitic form and inoculated subcutaneously in the axillary region of the mouse developing the solid tumor. Treatment with salazinic acid (25 and 50 mg/kg) and 5-Fluorouracil (20 mg/kg) started 24-hours after inoculation and was performed for 7 days. To verify these effects, the qualitative method of histological criteria investigated in liver tissue was used. It was observed that all treated groups showed an increase of pyknotic nuclei in relation to the negative control. There was an increase in steatosis in all groups compared to the negative control but there was a decrease in the groups treated with salazinic acid in the 5-Fluorouracil. There was no necrosis in the salazinic acid treated groups. However, this effect was seen in 20% of the positive control group. Therefore, it can be concluded that salazinic acid did not show hepatoprotective action on mice but demonstrated a decrease in steatosis and absence of tissue necrosis

Análise histomorfométrica dos cardiomiócitos e deposição de colágeno no músculo cardíaco de ratas ooforectomizadas

Resumo: Esse estudo objetivou avaliar o efeito da ooforectomia sob os parâmetros histomorfométricos dos cardiomiócitos e quantificação de colágeno em ratas Wistar. Vinte ratas foram utilizadas e separadas em dois grupos: GI - ooforectomizada e GII - sham-ooforectomizada. Após a recuperação anestésica os animais foram acomodados em gaiolas e separados nas condições de ciclo claro/escuro 12/12h por um período de 6 meses. Passado o período experimental, os animais foram anestesiados, o coração retirado e mergulhado em formaldeído a 10%. Os fragmentos dos ventrículos foram submetidos ao processamento histológico e corados com hematoxilina e eosina. As análises histomorfométricas (área celular e área e volume nuclear) foram realizadas pelo microscópio de luz e software ImageJ versão 1.44. Os dados foram submetidos à análise ANOVA e quando significantes, complementados pelo teste t de student (p<0,001). Observou-se uma diminuição significativa das áreas celular e nuclear dos cardiomiócitos do grupo GI quando comparado ao grupo GII, bem como a área ocupada, pelo colágeno, no músculo cardíaco foi maior em GI, quando comparado a GII. Diante disso, conclui-se que as alterações observadas nos cardiomiócitos do grupo GI, sugerem uma maior atividade apoptótica nesse grupo, devido à diminuição dos níveis séricos do estrógeno provocado pela ooforectomia e o aumento da área ocupada pelo colágeno, no grupo ooforectomizado, está associada ao efeito cardioprotetor do estrógeno

Analysis of the reproductive stage and ovarian histomorphometry of Dermanura cinerea (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae) in an Atlantic Forest fragment of Pernambuco, northeastern Brazil

ABSTRACT: This study aimed to analyze the reproductive stage, histology and morphometry of the ovary of Dermanura cinerea in an Atlantic Forest fragments in the Biological Reserve of Saltinho, Pernambuco, Brazil. Adult females were captured monthly by mist net, during two consecutive nights from June/2014 to November/2015. The meteorological data were provided by the National Institute of Meteorology and grouped together with the reproductive data, in six periods: period I (June to August/2014), period II (September to November/2014), period III (December/2014 to February/2015), period IV (March to May/2015), period V (June to August/2015) and period VI (September to November/2015). The females were classified according to their reproductive stages in: Inactive, pregnant, lactating and postlactating. Among the 25 females caught, 10 inactive females were selected for the histomorphometric analysis of the ovaries and then they were euthanized. After that, the specimens had their ovaries removed, fixed, processed and included in Paraplast. The organs were cut and stained by Hematoxylin - Eosin and the histological slides produced were submitted to the appropriate optical microscope analysis. Each type of ovarian follicle was estimated according to the histological characteristics evidenced for other mammals. In the morphometric analysis, it was considered: The area of the ovary (measured in square millimeter), Quantification of different types of ovarian follicles (unilaminar and multilaminar primary follicles, antral and matures) and corpus luteum, as well as the area of each by those different follicles (measured in square micrometer) The results indicated that 16 females were inactive, 5 were lactating, 4 were pregnant and no post-lactating. The histological analysis revealed that the ovaries of D. cinerea exhibit characteristics, structures and cellular types similar to other mammals. The morphometric data of the study area were statistically evaluated using the Student’s t-test. Therefore, ovarian histomorphometric analysis are very important to infer with greater certainty about the reproduction of a species. Thus, it was observed that females of D. cinerea exhibit two reproductive peaks, that is, they can give birth either at the end of dry periods or from the beginning to the middle of the rainy season. The main feature observed in the ovary of this species, found in the Atlantic Forest area of the state of Pernambuco, is the preparation of the ovarian cortex to ovulate in months of high rainfall throughout the year. Therefore, this species tries to adjust its reproductive period with the variations of the environmental conditions, so that the reproduction might occur during the period more favorable for the maintenance of their offspring