Growth Rate Evaluation of the Alcyonacean Soft Coral Sinularia polydactyla (Ehrenberg, 1834) at Hurghada, Northern Red Sea, Egypt

Growth rate of Sinularia polydactyla has been studied to determine the changes of surface area using 2D method as modified method for measuring growth increasing. The measurements indicate to that restricted and slow growth rates in the big samples under the variable oceanographic conditions. Summer recorded the highest rates of growth. The mean growth rate of the biggest colonies recorded 51.83±4.90mm2 while the small colonies recorded 20.8±6.25 mm2 in summer. On contrary, autumn showed the lowest and restricted rates during. The annual growth reached 116.28±10.57 and 33.78±12.45mm2/y in the big and small colonies respectively. The growth ratio in relation to the original colonies size appears to grow with a relatively faster ratio in the small colonies (9.73±1.62% with a range of 6.67-12.68%) than the elder one (5.79±0.34% with a range of 4.37-6.72%). The temperature changes, gonads and gametes maturation, sedimentation rates are major controlling factors affect the growth rates. ANOVA Bivariate correlation illustrated a positive relationship (without significant difference) between the growth and temperature (ºC) (at P=0.38 and R2=0.62). By comparing the present study and the available growth data of Sinularia sp., we found that, the annual growth of S. polydactyla is higher (116.28±10.57 - 33.78±12.45mm2/yr) than the previous studies. Keywords: Growth Rate Sinularia polydactyla, Hurghada, Red Se

Perivascular macrophages in health and disease

Macrophages are a heterogeneous group of cells that are capable of carrying out distinct functions in different tissues, as well as in different locations within a given tissue. Some of these tissue macrophages lie on, or close to, the outer (abluminal) surface of blood vessels and perform several crucial activities at this interface between the tissue and the blood. In steady-state tissues, these perivascular macrophages maintain tight junctions between endothelial cells and limit vessel permeability, phagocytose potential pathogens before they enter tissues from the blood and restrict inappropriate inflammation. They also have a multifaceted role in diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer disease, multiple sclerosis and type 1 diabetes. Here, we examine the important functions of perivascular macrophages in various adult tissues and describe how these functions are perturbed in a broad array of pathological conditions