Toxicidad letal y subletal del fosfato de sodio dibásico y efectos en branquias y conducta de las crías del pez goodeido Skiffia multipunctata

Organic phosphate is an essential compound involved on several metabolic processes, and it is a component of biomolecules of great relevance (proteins, DNA, RNA and ATP). In the aquatic ecosystems, it is necessary for the development of trophic chains. However, phosphates derivated from detergents and fertilizers are some of the main contaminants in water bodies. Nevertheless, the deleterious effects of the phosphates on the morphophysiology of aquatic organisms, particularly in fishes, have not been documented. For this reason, the present work determined the negative effects that the sodium phosphate caused on the survival, swimming behavior, response to the presence of food and gill morphology of the fry of Skiffia multipunctata (Pellegrin, 1901). This species is endemic to the lower Lerma basin and to the upper Santiago basin (both in the Western central part of Mexico), and it is considered threatened. Results showed that organisms exposed to the phosphate-exhibited lethargy, preference towards swimming near the bottom of the aquarium, gasping, spiral swimming and crashing against the walls of the aquarium. Histological preparations of the gills showed lamellar hyperplasia, cell pyknosis and lamellar fusion. The effects of these alterations depended on the phosphates concentration. The gill alterations coincided with the preference of the fish towards swimming near to the surface and bottom of the aquarium and with the decrease in the number of active fish during feeding. This constitutes strong evidence that behavioral changes are related to the failure of the oxygen capture in the gill tissue. These finds emphasize the importance of researching the negative effects that high concentrations of phosphates can cause on sensitive and endemic species such as S. multipunctata.El fosfato orgánico es un compuesto esencial que interviene en diversos procesos metabólicos, además forma parte de biomoléculas de gran relevancia (proteínas, ADN, ARN, ATP). En los ecosistemas acuáticos es indispensable para el desarrollo de las cadenas tróficas. Sin embargo, los fosfatos derivados de detergentes y fertilizantes son uno de los principales contaminantes de los cuerpos de agua. No obstante, los efectos deletéreos de los fosfatos en la morfofisiología de los organismos acuáticos, particularmente en peces no se han documentado. Por ello, el presente estudio determinó los efectos negativos que el fosfato de sodio causó en la supervivencia, la conducta de nado, la respuesta al alimento y la morfología branquial en crías del pez Skiffia multipunctata (Pellegrin, 1901). SKiffia multipunctata se le considera en estado de conservación amenazado; se trata de una especie endémica de la cuenca del Bajo Lerma y la parte alta de la cuenca Santiago (en la parte centro occidente de México). Los resultados mostraron que los organismos expuestos al fosfato exhibieron aletargamiento, preferencia a nadar por el fondo del acuario, boqueo, nado en espiral y choques contra las paredes del acuario. Los cortes histológicos de las branquias mostraron lamelas hiperplásicas, picnosis celular y fusión lamelar. Los efectos de estas alteraciones fueron dependientes de la concentración de fosfatos. Las alteraciones a nivel branquial coincidieron con la preferencia de los peces a nadar cerca de la superficie y fondo del acuario y con la disminución del número de peces activos durante la alimentación. Lo anterior hace suponer que el cambio conductual es una evidencia de una falla en la captación de oxígeno en el tejido branquial. Los hallazgos del presente trabajo enfatizan la importancia de investigar el efecto negativo que altas concentraciones de fosfatos pueden ocasionar en especies sensibles y endémicas como S. multipunctata

Tramadol's inhibitory effects on sexual behavior:Pharmacological studies in serotonin transporter knockout rats

(Tramadol is an effective pharmacological intervention in human premature ejaculation (PE). To investigate whether the inhibitory action of tramadol is primarily caused by its selective serotonin reuptake inhibitory (SSRI) effects we tested the dose- response effects of tramadol on sexual behavior in serotonin transporter wild type (SERT (+/+)), heterozygous (SERT (+/-)), and knockout (SERT (-/-)) rats. To investigate whether other mechanisms contribute to the inhibitory effects, WAY100,635, a 5-HT1A receptor antagonist and naloxone, a mu-opioid receptor antagonist, were tested on sexual behavior together with tramadol. Tramadol dose-dependently decreases sexual activity in all genotypes. In all studies, SERT+/- rats did not respond differently from SERT+/+ rats. WAY100,635 did not affect sexual activity in SERT+/+, but dose-dependently reduced sexual activity in SERT-/-. WAY100,635 (0.3 mg/ kg) combined with tramadol (20 mg/ kg) significantly reduced sexual activity in SERT+/+ and even stronger in SERT-/-. Naloxone did not affect sexual behavior consistently in SERT+/+ rats, while in SERT-/- all doses reduced ejaculation frequency mildly. Combining naloxone (20 mg/ kg) and tramadol (20 mg/ kg) decreased ejaculation frequencies in both genotypes. Interestingly, combining tramadol (20 mg/ kg), WAY100,635 (0.3 mg/ kg) and naloxone (20 mg/ kg) led to complete elimination of all sexual activity in both SERT+/+ and SERT-/-. These findings suggest that the inhibitory effects of tramadol on male sexual behavior in SERT+/+ rats is mainly, if not exclusively, due to SERT inhibition, with an important role for 5-HT1A receptors, although influence of other systems (e.g., noradrenergic) cannot be excluded. As SSRIs exert their sexual inhibition after chronic administration, tramadol may be therapeutically attractive as "on demand" therapy for PE

Re-thinking the Etiological Framework of Neurodegeneration

Neurodegenerative diseases are among the leading causes of disability and death worldwide. The disease-related socioeconomic burden is expected to increase with the steadily increasing life expectancy. In spite of decades of clinical and basic research, most strategies designed to manage degenerative brain diseases are palliative. This is not surprising as neurodegeneration progresses "silently" for decades before symptoms are noticed. Importantly, conceptual models with heuristic value used to study neurodegeneration have been constructed retrospectively, based on signs and symptoms already present in affected patients;a circumstance that may confound causes and consequences. Hence, innovative, paradigm-shifting views of the etiology of these diseases are necessary to enable their timely prevention and treatment. Here, we outline four alternative views, not mutually exclusive, on different etiological paths toward neurodegeneration. First, we propose neurodegeneration as being a secondary outcome of a primary cardiovascular cause with vascular pathology disrupting the vital homeostatic interactions between the vasculature and the brain, resulting in cognitive impairment, dementia, and cerebrovascular events such as stroke. Second, we suggest that the persistence of senescent cells in neuronal circuits may favor, together with systemic metabolic diseases, neurodegeneration to occur. Third, we argue that neurodegeneration may start in response to altered body and brain trophic interactions established via the hardwire that connects peripheral targets with central neuronal structures or by means of extracellular vesicle (E\-mediated communication. Lastly, we elaborate on how lifespan body dysbiosis may be linked to the origin of neurodegeneration. We highlight the existence of bacterial products that modulate the gut-brain axis causing neuroinflammation and neuronal dysfunction. As a concluding section, we end by recommending research avenues to investigate these etiological paths in the future. We think that this requires an integrated, interdisciplinary conceptual research approach based on the investigation of the multimodal aspects of physiology and pathophysiology. It involves utilizing proper conceptual models, experimental animal units, and identifying currently unused opportunities derived from human data. Overall, the proposed etiological paths and experimental recommendations will be important guidelines for future cross-discipline research to overcome the translational roadblock and to develop causative treatments for neurodegenerative diseases

Development of Protective Autoimmunity by Immunization with a Neural-Derived Peptide Is Ineffective in Severe Spinal Cord Injury

Protective autoimmunity (PA) is a physiological response to central nervous system trauma that has demonstrated to promote neuroprotection after spinal cord injury (SCI). To reach its beneficial effect, PA should be boosted by immunizing with neural constituents or neural-derived peptides such as A91. Immunizing with A91 has shown to promote neuroprotection after SCI and its use has proven to be feasible in a clinical setting. The broad applications of neural-derived peptides make it important to determine the main features of this anti-A91 response. For this purpose, adult Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to a spinal cord contusion (SCC; moderate or severe) or a spinal cord transection (SCT; complete or incomplete). Immediately after injury, animals were immunized with PBS or A91. Motor recovery, T cell-specific response against A91 and the levels of IL-4, IFN-γ and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) released by A91-specific T (TA91) cells were evaluated. Rats with moderate SCC, presented a better motor recovery after A91 immunization. Animals with moderate SCC or incomplete SCT showed significant T cell proliferation against A91 that was characterized chiefly by the predominant production of IL-4 and the release of BDNF. In contrast, immunization with A91 did not promote a better motor recovery in animals with severe SCC or complete SCT. In fact, T cell proliferation against A91 was diminished in these animals. The present results suggest that the effective development of PA and, consequently, the beneficial effects of immunizing with A91 significantly depend on the severity of SCI. This could mainly be attributed to the lack of TA91 cells which predominantly showed to have a Th2 phenotype capable of producing BDNF, further promoting neuroprotection

Surface indicators are correlated with soil multifunctionality in global drylands

Multiple ecosystem functions need to be considered simultaneously to manage and protect the several ecosystem services that are essential to people and their environments. Despite this, cost effective, tangible, relatively simple and globally relevant methodologies to monitor in situ soil multifunctionality, that is, the provision of multiple ecosystem functions by soils, have not been tested at the global scale. We combined correlation analysis and structural equation modelling to explore whether we could find easily measured, field-based indicators of soil multifunctionality (measured using functions linked to the cycling and storage of soil carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus). To do this, we gathered soil data from 120 dryland ecosystems from five continents. Two soil surface attributes measured in situ (litter incorporation and surface aggregate stability) were the most strongly associated with soil multifunctionality, even after accounting for geographic location and other drivers such as climate, woody cover, soil pH and soil electric conductivity. The positive relationships between surface stability and litter incorporation on soil multifunctionality were greater beneath the canopy of perennial vegetation than in adjacent, open areas devoid of vascular plants. The positive associations between surface aggregate stability and soil functions increased with increasing mean annual temperature. Synthesis and applications. Our findings demonstrate that a reduced suite of easily measured in situ soil surface attributes can be used as potential indicators of soil multifunctionality in drylands world-wide. These attributes, which relate to plant litter (origin, incorporation, cover), and surface stability, are relatively cheap and easy to assess with minimal training, allowing operators to sample many sites across widely varying climatic areas and soil types. The correlations of these variables are comparable to the influence of climate or soil, and would allow cost-effective monitoring of soil multifunctionality under changing land-use and environmental conditions. This would provide important information for evaluating the ecological impacts of land degradation, desertification and climate change in drylands world-wide.Fil: Eldridge, David J.. University of New South Wales; AustraliaFil: Delgado Baquerizo, Manuel. Universidad Rey Juan Carlos; EspañaFil: Quero, José L.. Universidad de Córdoba; EspañaFil: Ochoa, Victoria. Universidad Rey Juan Carlos; España. Universidad de Alicante; EspañaFil: Gozalo, Beatriz. Universidad Rey Juan Carlos; España. Universidad de Alicante; EspañaFil: García Palacios, Pablo. Universidad Rey Juan Carlos; EspañaFil: Escolar, Cristina. Universidad Rey Juan Carlos; EspañaFil: García Gómez, Miguel. Universidad Politécnica de Madrid; EspañaFil: Prina, Aníbal. Universidad Nacional de La Pampa; ArgentinaFil: Bowker, Mathew A.. Northern Arizona University; Estados UnidosFil: Bran, Donaldo Eduardo. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro Regional Patagonia Norte. Estación Experimental Agropecuaria San Carlos de Bariloche; ArgentinaFil: Castro, Ignacio. Universidad Experimental Simón Rodríguez; VenezuelaFil: Cea, Alex. Universidad de La Serena; ChileFil: Derak, Mchich. No especifíca;Fil: Espinosa, Carlos I.. Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja; EcuadorFil: Florentino, Adriana. Universidad Central de Venezuela; VenezuelaFil: Gaitán, Juan José. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro de Investigación de Recursos Naturales. Instituto de Suelos; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Luján. Departamento de Tecnología; ArgentinaFil: Gatica, Mario Gabriel. Universidad Nacional de San Juan. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Departamento de Biología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Juan. Centro de Investigaciones de la Geosfera y Biosfera. Universidad Nacional de San Juan. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Centro de Investigaciones de la Geosfera y Biosfera; ArgentinaFil: Gómez González, Susana. Universidad de Cádiz; EspañaFil: Ghiloufi, Wahida. Université de Sfax; TúnezFil: Gutierrez, Julio R.. Universidad de La Serena; ChileFil: Guzman, Elizabeth. Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja; EcuadorFil: Hernández, Rosa M.. Universidad Experimental Simón Rodríguez; VenezuelaFil: Hughes, Frederic M.. Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana; BrasilFil: Muiño, Walter. Universidad Nacional de La Pampa; ArgentinaFil: Monerris, Jorge. No especifíca;Fil: Ospina, Abelardo. Universidad Central de Venezuela; VenezuelaFil: Ramírez, David A.. International Potato Centre; PerúFil: Ribas Fernandez, Yanina Antonia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Juan. Centro de Investigaciones de la Geosfera y Biosfera. Universidad Nacional de San Juan. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Centro de Investigaciones de la Geosfera y Biosfera; ArgentinaFil: Romão, Roberto L.. Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana; BrasilFil: Torres Díaz, Cristian. Universidad del Bio Bio; ChileFil: Koen, Terrance B.. No especifíca;Fil: Maestre, Fernando T.. Universidad Rey Juan Carlos; España. Universidad de Alicante; Españ

Surface indicators are correlated with soil multifunctionality in global drylands

1. Multiple ecosystem functions need to be considered simultaneously to manage and protect the several ecosystem services that are essential to people and their environments. Despite this, cost effective, tangible, relatively simple and globally relevant methodologies to monitor in situ soil multifunctionality, that is, the provision of multiple ecosystem functions by soils, have not been tested at the global scale. 2. We combined correlation analysis and structural equation modelling to explore whether we could find easily measured, field‐based indicators of soil multifunctionality (measured using functions linked to the cycling and storage of soil carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus). To do this, we gathered soil data from 120 dryland ecosystems from five continents. 3. Two soil surface attributes measured in situ (litter incorporation and surface aggregate stability) were the most strongly associated with soil multifunctionality, even after accounting for geographic location and other drivers such as climate, woody cover, soil pH and soil electric conductivity. The positive relationships between surface stability and litter incorporation on soil multifunctionality were greater beneath the canopy of perennial vegetation than in adjacent, open areas devoid of vascular plants. The positive associations between surface aggregate stability and soil functions increased with increasing mean annual temperature. 4. Synthesis and applications. Our findings demonstrate that a reduced suite of easily measured in situ soil surface attributes can be used as potential indicators of soil multifunctionality in drylands world‐wide. These attributes, which relate to plant litter (origin, incorporation, cover), and surface stability, are relatively cheap and easy to assess with minimal training, allowing operators to sample many sites across widely varying climatic areas and soil types. The correlations of these variables are comparable to the influence of climate or soil, and would allow cost‐effective monitoring of soil multifunctionality under changing land‐use and environmental conditions. This would provide important information for evaluating the ecological impacts of land degradation, desertification and climate change in drylands world‐wide.This work was funded by the European Research Council ERC Grant agreement 242658 (BIOCOM). CYTED funded networking activities (EPES, Acción 407AC0323). D.J.E. acknowledges support from the Australian Research Council (DP150104199) and F.T.M. support from the European Research Council (BIODESERT project, ERC Grant agreement no 647038), from the Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (BIOMOD project, ref. CGL2013-44661-R) and from a Humboldt Research Award from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. M.D.-B. was supported by REA grant agreement no 702057 from the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions of the Horizon 2020 Framework Programme H2020-MSCA-IF-2016), J.R.G. acknowledges support from CONICYT/FONDECYT no 1160026

The Research Journey as a Challenge Towards New Trends

The academic community of the department of Risaralda, in its permanent interest in evidencing the results of the research processes that are carried out from the Higher Education Institutions and as a product of the VI meeting of researchers of the department of Risaralda held in November 2021 presents its work: “The journey of research as a challenge towards new trends”, which reflects the result of the latest research and advances in different lines of knowledge in Agricultural Sciences, Health Sciences, Social Sciences and Technology and Information Sciences, which seek to solve and meet the demands of the different sectors. This work would not have been possible without the help of each of the teachers, researchers and authors who presented their articles that make up each of the chapters of the book, to them our gratitude for their commitment, dedication and commitment, since their sole purpose is to contribute from the academy and science to scientific and technological development in the search for the solution of problems and thus contribute to transform the reality of our society and communities. We also wish to extend our gratitude to the institutions of the Network that made this publication possible: UTP, UCP, UNAD, UNIREMINGTON; UNISARC, CIAF, Universidad Libre, Uniclaretiana, Fundación Universitaria Comfamiliar and UNIMINUTO, institutions that in one way or another allowed this work to become a reality, which we hope will be of interest to you.Preface............................................................................................................................7 Chapter 1. Technologies and Engineering Towards a humanization in Engineering using soft skills in training in Engineers.............................................................................................................11 Omar Iván Trejos Buriticá1, Luis Eduardo Muñoz Guerrero Innovative materials in construction: review from a bibliometric analysis....................................................................................................................27 Cristian Osorio Gómez, Daniel Aristizábal Torres, Alejandro Alzate Buitrago, Cristhian Camilo Amariles López Bibliometric review of disaster risk management: progress, trends, and challenges.........................................................................................................51 Alejandro Alzate Buitrago, Gloria Milena Molina Vinasco. Incidence of land coverage and geology, in the unstability of lands of the micro-basin of the Combia creek, Pereira, Risaralda....................................73 Alejandro Alzate Buitrago, Daniel Aristizábal Torres. Chapter 2. Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences Training experience with teachers teaching mathematics using the inquiry methodology ...............................................................................................95 Vivian Libeth Uzuriaga López, Héctor Gerardo Sánchez Bedoya. Interpretation of the multiple representations of the fears associated to the boarding of limited visual patients in the elective I students’ written productions and low vision ...................................................................................113 Eliana Bermúdez Cardona, Ana María Agudelo Guevara, Caterine Villamarín Acosta. The relevance of local knowledge in social sciences............................................131 Alberto Antonio Berón Ospina, Isabel Cristina Castillo Quintero. Basic education students’ conceptions of conflict a view from the peace for the education....................................................................................................143 Astrid Milena Calderón Cárdenas,Carolina Aguirre Arias, Carolina Franco Ossa, Martha Cecilia Gutiérrez Giraldo, Orfa Buitrago. Comprehensive risk prevention in educational settings: an interdisciplinary and socio-educational approach ............................................................................163 Olga María Henao Trujillo, Claudia María López Ortiz. Chapter 3. Natural and Agricultural Sciences Physicochemical characterization of three substrates used in the deep bedding system in swine .......................................................................................175 Juan Manuel Sánchez Rubio, Andrés Felipe Arias Roldan, Jesús Arturo Rincón Sanz, Jaime Andrés Betancourt Vásquez. Periodic solutions in AFM models........................................................................187 Daniel Cortés Zapata, Alexander Gutiérrez Gutiérrez. Phenology in flower and fruit of Rubus glaucus benth. Cv. Thornless in Risaralda: elements for phytosanitary management .........................................199 Shirley Palacios Castro, Andrés Alfonso Patiño Martínez, James Montoya Lerma, Ricardo Flórez, Harry Josué Pérez. Socio-economic and technical characterization of the cultivation of avocado (Persea americana) in Risaralda..............................................................217 Andrés Alfonso Patiño Martínez, Kelly Saudith Castañez Poveda, Eliana Gómez Correa. Biosecurity management in backyard systems in Santa Rosa de Cabal, Risaralda................................................................................................................227 Julia Victoria Arredondo Botero, Jaiver Estiben Ocampo Jaramillo, Juan Sebastián Mera Vallejo, Álvaro de Jesús Aranzazu Hernández. CONTENTS Physical-chemical diagnosis of soils in hillside areas with predominance of Lulo CV. La Selva production system in the department of Risaralda.............241 Adriana Patricia Restrepo Gallón, María Paula Landinez Montes, Jimena Tobón López. Digestibility of three concentrates used in canine feeding....................................271 María Fernanda Mejía Silva, Valentina Noreña Sánchez, Gastón Adolfo Castaño Jiménez. Chapter 4. Economic, Administrative, and Accounting Sciences Financial inclusion in households from socioeconomic strata 1 and 2 in the city of Pereira ..................................................................................................285 Lindy Neth Perea Mosquera, Marlen Isabel Redondo Ramírez, Angélica Viviana Morales. Internal marketing strategies as a competitive advantage for the company Mobilautos SAS de Dosquebradas........................................................................303 Inés Montoya Sánchez, Sandra Patricia Viana Bolaños, Ana María Barrera Rodríguez. Uses of tourist marketing in the tourist sector of the municipality of Belén de Umbría, Risaralda.............................................................................................319 Ana María Barrera Rodríguez, Paola Andrea Echeverri Gutiérrez, María Camila Parra Buitrago, Paola Andrea Martín Muñoz, Angy Paola Ángel Vélez, Luisa Natalia Trejos Ospina. Territorial prospective of Risaralda department (Colombia), based on the SDGS...............................................................................................................333 Juan Guillermo Gil García, Samanta Londoño Velásquez. Chapter 5. Health and Sports Sciences Performance evaluation in times of pandemic. What do medical students think?.......................................................................................................353 Samuel Eduardo Trujillo Henao, Rodolfo A. Cabrales Vega, Germán Alberto Moreno Gómez. The relevance of the therapist’s self and self-reference in the training of psychologists.....................................................................................................371 Maria Paula Marmolejo Lozano, Mireya Ospina Botero. Habits related to oral health which influence lifestyle of elder people in a wellness center for the elderly in Pereira 2020. .............................................387 Isadora Blanco Pérez, Olga Patricia Ramírez Rodríguez, Ángela María Rincón Hurtado. Analysis of the suicide trend in the Coffee Region in Colombia during the years 2012-2018 ..............................................................................................405 Germán Alberto Moreno Gómez, Jennifer Nessim Salazar, Jairo Franco Londoño, Juan Carlos Medina Osorio. Hind limb long bone fractures in canines and felines...........................................419 María Camila Cruz Vélez, Valentina Herrera Morales, Alba Nydia Restrepo Jiménez, Lina Marcela Palomino, Gabriel Rodolfo Izquierdo Bravo. Prevalence of overweight and obesity in children in the rural and urban area of Risaralda....................................................................................................439 Angela María Álvarez López, Angela Liceth Pérez Rendón, Alejandro Gómez Rodas, Luis Enrique Isaza Velásquez. Chapter 6. Architecture, Design and Advertising The artisan crafts of Risaralda, characteristics, importance, and risks within the Colombian Coffee Cultural Landscape, CCCL....................................457 Yaffa Nahir Ivette Gómez Barrera, Javier Alfonso López Morales

Chronically reinforced, operant olfactory conditioning increases the number of newborn GABAergic olfactory periglomerular neurons in the adult rat

The mammalian brain preserves the ability to replace olfactory periglomerular cells (PGC) throughout life. Even though we have detailed a great deal the mechanisms underlying stem and amplifying cells maintenance and proliferation, as well as those modulating migration and differentiation, our knowledge on PGC phenotypic plasticity is at best fragmented and controversial. Here we explored whether chronically reinforced olfactory conditioning influences the phenotype of newborn PGC. Accordingly, olfactory conditioned rats showed increased numbers of GAD 65/67 positive PGC. Because such phenotypic change was not accompanied neither by increments in the total number of PGC, or periglomerular cell nuclei labeled with bromodeoxyuridine, nor by reductions in the number of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), calbindin (CB) or calretinin (CR) immunoreactive PGC, we speculate that increments in the number of GABAergic PGC occur at the expense of other PGC phenotypes. In any event, these results support that adult newborn PGC phenotype may be subjected to phenotypic plasticity influenced by sensory stimulation.status: publishe

Serotonin concentration, synthesis, cell origin, and targets in the rat caput epididymis during sexual maturation and variations associated with adult mating status: Morphological and biochemical studies

The caput epididymis of some mammals contains large quantities of serotonin whose origin, targets, and physiological variations have been poorly studied. We combined morphological and biochemical techniques to begin approaching these aspects of serotonin in the rat caput epididymis. Serotonin immunostaining was detected in mast, epithelial, and neuroendocrine cells. Epithelial cells displayed immunoreactivity to 5HT(1A), 5HT(2A), and 5HT(3) serotonin receptors. Endothelial and mast cells labeled positive for 5HT(1B) serotonin receptors and spermatozoa displayed 5HT2A and 5HT3 serotonin receptor immunoreactivity. Epithelial, endothelial, and mast cells stained positive for serotonin transporters. Only epithelial cells showed tryptophan hydroxylase immunoreactivity; this enzyme catalyzes the limiting step in the serotonin synthetic pathway. in addition, Western blot analyses of caput homogenates documented the presence of 2 protein bands (approximate to 51 kd and 48 kd) that were immunoreactive for tryptophan hydroxylase. Chromatographic analyses documented the presence of tryptophan hydroxylase in the caput, and showed that both its activity and serotonin availability increased with sexual maturation and decreased following p-chlorophenylalanine treatment, an inhibitor of tryptophan hydroxylase activity. Interestingly, serotonin concentration and tryptophan hydroxylase activity tended to be higher in breeding males than in those with no mating experience. We think that these results support the existence of a local serotoninergic system in the rat caput epididymis that might regulate some aspects of male reproductive function.Natl Autonomous Univ Mexico, Biomed Res Inst, Dept Cell Biol & Physiol, Mexico City 04510, DF, MexicoUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista Med, Dept Pharmacol, Sect Expt Endocrinol, São Paulo, BrazilNatl Autonomous Univ Mexico, Fac Sci, Dept Reprod Biol, Mexico City 04510, DF, MexicoXXI Century Natl Med Ctr, Unit Med Invest Neurol Dis, Mexico City, DF, MexicoUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista Med, Dept Pharmacol, Sect Expt Endocrinol, São Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc

Number of animals per group used to evaluate motor recovery.

<p>SCC: Spinal cord contusion; SCT: Spinal cord transection.</p