SNPs in toll-like receptor (TLR) genes as new genetic alterations associated with congenital toxoplasmosis?

Nearly 40 % of pregnant women are infected with Toxoplasma gondii. Primary infections in pregnant women result, in approximately 30–50 % of patients, in transmission of T. gondii through the placenta to the fetus and then in congenital infections with severe, sometimes fatal course. Studies still do not provide sufficient data on the genetic bases of the immunity in fetuses, newborns, and infants with congenital toxoplasmosis. Previous research showed the contribution of toll-like receptors (TLRs) to non-specific immunity against T. gondii invasion, observed in T. gondii-infected animals, especially mice. So far, the activity of TLRs in defense against T. gondii infections was observed particularly for TLR2, TLR4, and TLR9 molecules. Differential TLR activity associates with both cell types, including a variety of placental cells and stage of pregnancy. Several single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) residing in three genes encoding these receptors were reported as significant genetic modifications of TLRs associated with different pregnancy disorders. Despite those data, genetic alterations of TLRs which have contributed to innate immune response against T. gondii infections are still not precisely described. In this article, we present reasons for the research of the plausible role of SNPs residing in TLR2, TLR4, and TLR9 genes in congenital toxoplasmosis development

Perceptual uncertainty and action consequences independently affect hand movements in a virtual environment

Supported by Leverhulme Trust Grant RPG-2017-232 awarded to CH and JH. The data are available online from the Open Science Framework: https://osf.io/vskxy/.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Information Flows on the Wholesale Food Market in Poland

The problem of information flows organization on the food goods market in Poland is presented. Information flows are analyzed on the wholesaler market and the example of logistics centre is used – Wielkopolska Gildia Rolno-Ogrodnicza S.A. The paper is considering the issues of information system improvement necessity because of its usage in researched object.Представлена задача организации информационных потоков на продуктoвом рынке Польши. Дан анализ информационных потоков на оптовом рынке и приведен пример центра логистики Wielkopolska Gildia Rolno-Ogrodnicza S.A. Рассмотрены проблемы усовершенствования информационной системы для использования ее в исследуемом объекте.Наведено задачу організації інформаційних потоків на продуктовому ринку Польщі. Дано аналіз інформаційних потоків на оптовому ринку і наведено приклад центру логістики Wielkopolska Gildia Rolno-Ogrodnicza S.A. Розглянуто проблеми удосконалення інформаційної системи для використання ії у досліджуваному об’єкті

The nerve cells of the neostriatum in the common shrew (Sorex araneus) and bank vole (Clethrionomys glareolus): a Golgi comparative study

The studies were carried out on 12 brains derived from adult representatives of two mammalian orders, Insectivora and Rodentia. The neostriatum was compared in the common shrew (Sorex araneus) and bank vole (Clethrionomys glareolus). Three main types of striatal neuron were distinguished in the common shrew and five types of neurons in the bank vole. The fifth type of bank vole neurons was additionally divided into two subtypes with respect to dendritic pattern

The neuronal structure of the dorsal nucleus of the lateral geniculate body in the common shrew (Sorex araneus) and the bank vole (Clethrionomys glareolus): Golgi and Nissl studies

The topography and neuronal structure of the dorsal nucleus of the lateral geniculate body (GLd) of the common shrew and the bank vole are similar. The lateral geniculate body of both the species examined has a homogeneous structure and no observable cytoarchitectonic lamination. On the basis of the shape of the dendritic arbours as well as the pattern of dendritic arborisations the following two types of neurons were distinguished. Type I “bushy” neurons that have multipolar or round perikarya (common shrew perikarya 9–12 µm, bank vole perikarya 10–13 µm), with 4–6 short thick dendritic trunks that subdivide into many bush-like branches. The dendritic trunks are smooth, in contrast to the distal branches, which are covered with numerous spine-like protrusions of different lengths and forms. An axon emerges from the soma, sometimes very close to one of the primary dendrites. The type I neurons are typically projection cells that send their axons to the primary visual cortex. These neurons predominate in the GLd of both species. Type II neurons, which have an elongated soma with primary dendrites arising from opposite poles of the perikaryon (common shrew perikarya 8–10 µm, bank vole perikarya 9–11 µm). The dendritic arbours of these cells are less extensive and their dendrites have fewer spines than those of the type I neurons. Axons were seldom observed. The type II neurons are presumably interneurons and are definitely less numerous than the type I neurons

A morphometric study of the preoptic area of the guinea pig

The aim of the study was to provide the topography and morphometric characteristics of the preoptic area (POA) of the guinea pig. The study was carried out on the brains of sexually mature guinea pigs of both sexes. A uniform procedure was followed in the study of the paraffin-embedded brain tissue blocks of males and females. The blocks were cut in the coronal plane into 50 mm sections and stained according to the Nissl method. The guinea pig POA consists of four parts: the medial preoptic area (MPA), lateral preoptic area (LPA), periventricular preoptic nucleus (PPN), and median preoptic nucleus (MPN). The topography and general structure of POA parts are similar in males and females. However, the PPNa cells of females are more intensely stained and are more densely packed than the PPNa cells of males. For morphometric analysis, the MPA and LPA as well as PPN and MPN were considered respectively as uniform structures, namely MPA-LPA and PPN-MPN. The statistical analysis showed that the volume of the PPN-MPN was larger in males than in females, whereas the MPA-LPA volume did not differ between the sexes. Moreover, the numerical density and the total number of neurons were statistically larger in males than in females in both the MPA-LPA and PPN-MPN. The parameters describing POA neurons were larger for MPA-LPA neurons in comparison with the PPN-MPN neurons. However, in this respect no sex differences were observed in both studied complexes. Folia Morphol 2010; 69, 1: 15-2

The neuronal structure of the preoptic area in the mole and the rabbit: Golgi and Nissl studies

The present studies were carried out on the brains of the adult mole and rabbit. The preparations were made by means of the Golgi technique and the Nissl method. Two types of neurons were distinguished in the preoptic area (POA) of both species: bipolar and multipolar. The bipolar neurons have oval, fusiform or round perikarya and two dendritic trunks arising from the opposite poles of the cell body. The dendrites bifurcate once or twice. The dendritic branches have swellings, single spine-like and filiform processes. The multipolar neurons usually have triangular and quadrangular perikarya and from 3 to 5 dendritic trunks. The dendrites of the mole neurons branch sparsely, whereas the dendrites of the rabbit neurons display 2 or 3 divisions. On the dendritic branches varicosities and different protuberances were observed. The general morphology of the bipolar and multipolar neurons is similar in the mammals studied, although the neurons of the rabbit POA display a more complicated structure. Their dendritic branches show more divisions and possess more swellings and different processes than the dendrites of the neurons of the mole POA. Furthermore, of the multipolar neurons only the dendrites in POA of the rabbit were observed to have a rosary-like beaded appearance

Distribution of cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript in the hippocampal formation of the guinea pig and domestic pig

This study provides a detailed description concerning the distribution of cocaineand amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART) subunits - CART61-102 and rhCART28-116 - in the hippocampal formation (HF) of the guinea pig and domestic pig, focussing on the dentate gyrus (DG) and hippocampus proper (HP). Although in both studied species CART-immunoreactive (CART-IR) neuronal somata and processes were present generally in the same layers, some species-specific differences were still found. In the granular layer (GL) of both species, the ovalshaped neurons and some thick varicose fibres were encountered. In the guinea pig there was an immunoreactive “band of dots”, probably representing crosssectioned terminals within the DG molecular layer (MOL), whereas in the domestic pig, some varicose fibres were detected, thus suggesting a different orientation of, at least, some nerve terminals. Furthermore, some CART-positive cells and fibres were observed in the hilus (HL) of the guinea pig, whereas in the analogical part of the domestic pig only nerve terminals were labelled. In both species, in the pyramidal layer (PL) of the hippocampus proper, CART-IR triangular somata were observed in the CA3 sector, as well as some positive processes in MOL; however, a few immunoreactive perikarya were found only in the CA1 sector of the guinea pig. As regards the localization patterns of two isoforms of CART in the guinea pig, both peptide fragments were present simultaneously in each of the labelled neurons or fibres, whereas in the domestic pig three types of fibres may be distinguished within the area of the DG. In the hilus and MOL of the dentate gyrus, there were fibres expressing both isoforms of CART in their whole length (fibres of the first type). Fibres of the second type (in GL) coexpressed both peptides only on their short segments, and the last ones (in MOL) expressed solely rhCART28-116. These results indicate that the distribution of the two CART isoforms are specifically related, thus the relationship between the two CART isoforms may imply different metabolic profiles of CART-expressing neurons