Prostate telocytes change their phenotype in response to castration or testosterone replacement

Telocytes are CD34-positive cells with a fusiform cell body and long, thin cytoplasmic projections called telopodes. These cells were detected in the stroma of various organs, including the prostate. The prostate is a complex gland capable of undergoing involution due to low testosterone levels; and this condition can be reversed with testosterone replacement. Telocyte function in the mature prostate remains to be dermined, and it is not known whether telocytes can take place in tissue remodeling during prostate involution and regrowth. The present study employed structural, ultrastructural and immunohistochemical methods to investigate the telocyte's phenotypes in the ventral prostate (VP) from control (CT), castrated (CS) and testosterone replacement (TR) groups of adult male Wistar rats. Telocytes were found in the subepithelial, perimuscular and interstitical regions around glandular acini. Telocytes from CT animals have condensed chromatin and long and thin telopodes. In CS group, telocytes appeared quiescent and exhibited layers of folded up telopodes. After TR, telocytes presented loose chromatin, abundant rough endoplasmic reticulum and enlarged telopodes, closely associated with bundles of collagen fibrils. We called these cells "telocytes with a synthetic phenotype". As testosterone levels and glandular morphology returned toward to the CT group parameters, after 10 days ofTR, these telocytes progressively switched to the normal phenotype. Our results demonstrate that telocytes exhibit phenotypic plasticity upon androgen manipulation and interact with fibroblast and smooth muscle cells to maintain glandular architecture in control animals and during tissue remodeling after hormonal manipulation9CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICO - CNPQFUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO - FAPESP305391/2014-3; 306900/2016-5; 305840/2015-0; 310663/2018-02002/11102-4; 2014/26660-0; 2017/01063-

Herbarium Silveira: Aquisição de tipos de Eriocaulaceae Martinov no Herbário do Museu Nacional/UFRJ

Álvaro Astolpho da Silveira foi um grande naturalista brasileiro. Durante sua participação na Comissão Geográfica e Geológica de Minas Gerais, ele foi responsável por coletar centenas de exemplares de plantas oriundas, principalmente, de campos rupestres. A partir destas, descreveu uma quantidade vertiginosa de novas espécies para a ciência. Muitas espécies propostas por ele, nunca mais foram vistas no ambiente natural. Essa importante coleção criada por Silveira ainda é pouco compreendida, tornando ainda obscuro o acesso ao conhecimento sobre essas plantas. Grande parte dela está atualmente depositada no Herbário do Museu Nacional. A obtenção dos dados foi realizada a partir da análise dos registros de intercâmbio de materiais feitos pelo Herbário R e arquivados na instituição, onde foi possível localizar os relatórios de compra da coleção. Além disso, foram levantadas as informações contidas nas etiquetas das exsicatas identificadas em alguma categoria de tipo nomenclatural. Estas foram analisadas e comparadas com os registros contidos nas publicações feitas por Silveira. Sua coleção foi comprada pelo Herbário R em 22 de dezembro de 1954, adquirindo um total de 42 caixas de exsicatas a Cr$30.000 (valor a equivalente a 12 salários mínimos na época, o que valeria em torno de R$ 10.000 atualmente). Desse total, 24 caixas correspondiam a exemplares de Eriocaulaceae, família que continha as plantas mais bem conservadas. Conforme descrito no relatório de vistoria da coleção de Silveira, a fim de avaliar a compra, o Dr. José Vidal encontrou exsicatas sem número e misturadas em pacotes que continham coletas feitas por pessoas diferentes em locais diferentes, não sendo possível distinguir umas das outras; enquanto outros pacotes de exsicatas foram encontrados sem nenhuma etiqueta. Conforme informado nas cartas trocadas entre Vidal e sua chefia, apenas cerca de 1/3 do Herbarium Silveira tinha condições de ser aproveitado. Misturados com os demais representantes da coleção, encontravam-se diversos materiais que foram indicados como tipos nomenclaturais dos taxa descritos por Silveira. Devido ao péssimo estado de conservação e à ausência de curadoria adequada, foi possível recuperar apenas cerca 85% dos tipos propostos por Silveira, representando um total de 246 tipos atualmente tombados. O Herbário R, dessa forma, abriga a maior coleção brasileira de tipos de Eriocaulaceae, disponibilizando dados técnicos-científicos para pesquisadores nacionais e internacionais. A constatação desse tipo de informação nos ajuda a reforçar ainda mais a importância das coleções biológicas e seus processos de curadoria do acervo

Tissue Evidence Of The Testosterone Role On The Abnormal Growth And Aging Effects Reversion In The Gerbil (meriones Unguiculatus) Prostate.

Prostate differentiation during embryogenesis and its further homeostatic state maintenance during adult life depend on androgens. Abundant biological data suggest that androgens play an important role in the development of the prostate cancer and other prostatic diseases. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of the testosterone supplementation in gerbil (a new experimental model) at different ages. Tissues from experimental animals were studied by histological and histochemistry procedures, androgen receptor immunohistochemistry assay, morphometric-stereological analysis, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). After the treatment were observed increase of prostate weight and epithelium height in all ages studied. In some adult and aged treated animals, hyperplasic and dysplastic process were observed, including prostatic intraepithelial neoplasias and adenocarcinomas. Increase of the thickness of the smooth muscle cell (SMC) layer was observed in pubescent and adult animals and TEM revealed apparent SMC hypertrophy. An apparent increase in the frequency of blood vessels distributed by the subepithelial stroma in the treated animals was noticed. Reversion of the natural effects of aging on the prostate was observed in the aged treated animals in some acini of the gland. These data demonstrate that the gerbil prostate is susceptible to androgenic action at the studied ages and it can serve, for example, as experimental model to studies of prostate neoplastic process induction and hormonal therapy in aged animals.2881190-20

Estudo de associação entre polimorfismos no gene FTO e composição corporal em idosas brasileiras

Estudos de associação genética (GWAS) sugerem uma importante contribuição do gene candidato FTO na composição corporal em diferentes populações e variada faixa etária. Este estudo teve como objetivo examinar a associação entre os polimorfismos no gene FTO (rs9939609 e rs1861868) e fenótipos de adiposidade em uma amostra de idosas brasileiras não caucasianas. A amostra foi composta por 241 mulheres (66.65± 5.5 anos). Os dados referentes à composição corporal foram mensurados através da absorciometria por raios-x de dupla energia (DXA) e a genotipagem dos SNPs foi realizada utilizando o sistema SnaPShot Multiplex System (Applied Biosystems). Não foram encontradas diferenças estatisticamente significativas para as variáveis de composição corporal entre os polimorfismos estudados, mesmo após o ajuste para ancestralidade Africana. Especificamente, índice de massa corporal (p= 0.94 e p= 0.66), percentual de gordura (p= 0.42 e p= 0.93) e massa livre de gordura total (p= 0.75 e p= 0.30), sendo os valores de p referentes aos rs9939609 e rs1861868, respectivamente. Nesta amostra de idosas brasileiras os polimorfismos do gene FTO (rs9939609 e rs1861868) não apresentaram associação com fenótipos de obesidade

Oestrogen supplementation following castration promotes stromal remodelling and histopathological alterations in the Mongolian gerbil ventral prostate

The effect of oestradiol on the intact and castrated adult gerbil prostate was evaluated by focussing on stromal and epithelial disorders, and hormonal receptor immunoreactivity. The experimental animals were studied by histological, histochemical and immunohistochemical techniques, morphometric-stereological analysis and transmission electron microscopy. Epithelial alterations in the oestradiol-treated animals were frequent, with an increase in epithelial cell height, areas of intense dysplasia and hyperplasia and formation of prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN). Another aspect that did not depend on the presence of testosterone was the arrangement of the fibrillar and non-fibrillar elements of the extracellular matrix among smooth muscle cells (SMC), suggesting a possible role of these cells in rearrangement and synthesis of these components, after oestrogenic treatment. In the castrated animals, an accumulation of extracellular matrix elements under the epithelium was evident, while in the intact animals the same compounds were dispersed and scarce. In the groups of intact and castrated animals, SMC and fibroblasts exhibited a secretory phenotype, which was accentuated after oestradiol administration. There was an increase of the immunoreactivity to alpha-oestrogen and androgen receptors in hyperplastic areas compared to normal epithelium, revealing the involvement of these steroid receptors in the hyperplasia and PIN development

Oestrogen Supplementation Following Castration Promotes Stromal Remodelling And Histopathological Alterations In The Mongolian Gerbil Ventral Prostate.

The effect of oestradiol on the intact and castrated adult gerbil prostate was evaluated by focussing on stromal and epithelial disorders, and hormonal receptor immunoreactivity. The experimental animals were studied by histological, histochemical and immunohistochemical techniques, morphometric-stereological analysis and transmission electron microscopy. Epithelial alterations in the oestradiol-treated animals were frequent, with an increase in epithelial cell height, areas of intense dysplasia and hyperplasia and formation of prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN). Another aspect that did not depend on the presence of testosterone was the arrangement of the fibrillar and non-fibrillar elements of the extracellular matrix among smooth muscle cells (SMC), suggesting a possible role of these cells in rearrangement and synthesis of these components, after oestrogenic treatment. In the castrated animals, an accumulation of extracellular matrix elements under the epithelium was evident, while in the intact animals the same compounds were dispersed and scarce. In the groups of intact and castrated animals, SMC and fibroblasts exhibited a secretory phenotype, which was accentuated after oestradiol administration. There was an increase of the immunoreactivity to alpha-oestrogen and androgen receptors in hyperplastic areas compared to normal epithelium, revealing the involvement of these steroid receptors in the hyperplasia and PIN development.8925-3

Palynotaxonomy of species of <i>Dendrophorbium</i> (Asteraceae: Senecioneae) occurring in Brazil

This article presents a pollen study of 13 species of Dendrophorbium (Asteraceae: Senecioneae) occurring in Brazil. Dendrophorbium has species distributed in the South and Southeast regions of the Brazilian territory that were previously grouped in Senecio Myriocephalus sect. and later Dendrophorbium was elevated to the rank of genus, considering the section Myriocephalus as a synonym of Dendrophorbium. The aim of this study is to advance knowledge of the pollen characteristics of the genus and thus contribute to the taxonomy of the group. The botanical material was collected from specimens deposited in national herbaria. Floral buds were acetolysed for light microscopic analysis. Pollen sediments were mounted on slides with glycerinated gelatin and analyzed under a light microscope. Measurements were taken of the diameters and thickness of exine layers of pollen grains. Examination showed pollen grains to be monadic, isopolar, medium-sized, oblate-spheroidal to prolate-spheroidal, and 3-colporate. The endoaperture has median constriction in most species, except in D. pellucidinerve. The sexine is thicker than the nexine and echinate, with large perforations at the base of echinae. The exine is caveate. Based on the results, it can be concluded that the pollen grains of the 13 Dendrophorbium species are homogeneous and can be differentiated by aperture shape and dimensions and echinus characteristics.</p

Genetic ancestry is associated with systolic blood pressure and glucose in Brazilian children and adolescents.

Background: Studies in admixed populations show that the prevalence of obesity and related diseases, such as type 2 diabetes and hypertension, may vary by ethnic group. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship of genetic ancestry with phenotypes associated with obesity in a sample of school children and adolescents from Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais. Methods: We used data from genetic ancestry of 189 individuals previously determined by 15 ancestry informative markers (AIMs), and segregated individuals into three ancestral groups (predominantly African (PAFR), predominantly mixed (PMIX), and predominantly European (PEUR)) using the proportion of ancestry. The ancestral groups were compared with mean values of anthropometric, clinical, biochemical, and demographic variables. The simple linear regression analysis was used to test whether differences in mean values of the dependent variables (blood pressure and glucose) between the ancestral groups were dependent on the other variables. Results: Our results show that the proportions of African (F = 144.2, P < 0.001), Amerindian (F = 15.5, P < 0.001) and European (F = 184.9, P < 0.001) ancestry differed significantly (P < 0.001) among the three ancestral groups. PAFR individuals had higher mean blood pressure (P ≤ 0.029) and glucose (P = 0.025) as compared to PEUR. In the linear regression model, the difference in systolic blood pressure (SBP) values remained significant in all models tested and independent of confounding variables (P ≤ 0.041). The difference in diastolic blood pressure values observed in PAFR and PEUR groups did not remain significant when the metabolic profile was included in the tested model (P = 0.097). The difference in glucose values was significant only between PMIX and PEUR groups and independent of the settings (P ≤ 0.037). Conclusion: The positive correlation between genetic ancestry and SBP and glucose in Brazilian children and adolescents suggests the need for special care in the subgroups of this population

Genetic composition of a Brazilian population : the footprint of the Gold Cycle.

Ancestry-informative markers (AIMs) are powerful tools for inferring the genetic composition of admixed populations. In this study, we determined the genetic ancestry of the Ouro Preto (Brazil) population and evaluated the association between ancestry and self-reported skin color. The genetic ancestry of 189 children and adolescents was estimated by genotyping 15 AIMs. The estimate of population admixture was determined using the Bayesian Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method implemented in two different programs (STRUCTURE and ADMIXMAP). Volunteers self-reported their skin colors. The European ancestry contribution ranged from 0.503 to 0.539, the African contribution ranged from 0.333 to 0.425, and the Amerindian component ranged from 0.04 to 0.164. The relative contributions of African (P < 0.016) and European (P < 0.011) ancestry differed significantly among skin color groups, except between black and dark-brown groups. The population of Ouro Preto has a higher contribution of African ancestry compared to the mean for the southeast region of Brazil. Therefore, extrapolating the African ancestry contribution for southeastern Brazil to the Ouro Preto population would underestimate the actual value for this city. We also showed that self-reported skin color could be appropriate for describing the genetic structure of this particular population