Occurrence of a prothoracicotropic hormone-like peptide in the developing nervous system of the honey bee (Apis mellifera L)

An antibody generated against prothoracicotropic hormone (PTTH) of the silkworm Bombyx mori reacted with distinct sets of cells in the central nervous system and also in the retrocerebral complex of Apis mellifera larvae and pupae. Neurons expressing a Bombyx-PTTH-like peptide were first detected in the spinning stage of the last larval instar. Five distinct clusters of brain neurons comprising a total of 20-24 neurons were stained in this larval stage, in addition to a pair of somata located in the labial neuromere and in the first thoracic ganglion. With progressing metamorphosis this pattern changed. In white-eyed pupal brains only two neurons in the dorsal protocerebrum continued to express a PTTH-like peptide, whereas in the suboesophageal ganglion each neuromere now contained a pair of immunoreactive neurons. No axonal PTTH immunoreactivity was detected

Morfometria de testículos escrotais, abdominais e inguinais de eqüinos criptórquios unilaterais

Foi realizado um estudo morfométrico de testículos escrotais e retidos de 10 eqüinos criptórquios unilaterais, sendo cinco abdominais e cinco inguinais. As características avaliadas foram espessura da albugínea testicular, área dos túbulos seminíferos e número de células de Leydig. A espessura da albugínea testicular mostrou-se reduzida (P 0,05) na contagem de células de Leydig das gônadas criptórquias comparadas às escrotais contralaterais. Nos eqüinos, o criptorquismo afetou com maior intensidade a área dos túbulos seminíferos dos testículos abdominais e inguinais e a espessura da albugínea daqueles retidos no abdome.Morphometrical study was performed in scrotal and retained testes of 10 unilateral cryptorchid horses, five abdominal and five inguinal. Thickness of the testicular albuginea, area of seminiferous tubules and number of Leydig cells were evaluated. Abdominal retained testes showed a reduction in the thickness of testicular albuginea in comparison to the contralateral scrotal testes (P 0.05) were observed in the Leydig cell count of the retained testes in comparison to the contralateral scrotal testes, justifying that testosterone production in the cryptorchid horses was similar to the normal stallion. The equine cryptorchidism affected with major intensity the area of seminiferous tubules of abdominal and inguinal testes and the thickness of testicular albuginea of the abdominal testes