Zeitschrift für Zytologie und Histologie

Role of mast cells and eosinophils in oral tumours is not yet well define. Good and poor outcomes have been associated with eosinophils and mast cell abundant oral tumours. Major basic protein is one of the principal and specific proteins present in eosinophils. It is implicated in many pathological conditions including allergic reactions, parasitic infections and activation and stimulation of cells to produce cytokines. The protein was thought to be exclusively present in the eosinophil granules. However, a recent study revealed its presence in mast cells as well. In this brief article, the authors confirm the presence of major basic protein in mast cells associated with oral squamous cell carcinoma. This finding may doubts the validity of using anti-major basic protein as eosinophil specific. Furthermore, labelling eosinophils using anti-major basic protein antibodies as a marker would mistake mast cells as eosinophils. More importantly, the finding will better aid in understanding some of the mysterious function of MC in tumours.

Squalus acanthias is a commercially exploited small coastal shark, highly sensitive to overexploitation due to a low reproductive potential and a low intrinsic rate of population increase. We collected specimens caught by commercial bottom trawls from April 2005 to January 2007 in the Adriatic Sea and investigated reproductive traits of the species in ovaries of 68 immature females (total body length range: 26.1-70.1 cm). Histomorphometric analyses included measurements of the growing follicle diameters, the width of the follicular layer and the width of the zona pellucida. We analysed 2700 ovarian follicles and grouped them into four categories: small previtellogenic, medium previtellogenic, large previtellogenic and small vitellogenic follicles. The growth of follicles was positively correlated with the body size of females (r=0.726; p<0.001). We documented significant changes in the thickness of the follicular layer and zona pellucida as follicles increased in size. Small vitellogenic follicles started to appear in small proportion (around 1% of follicles) in subadult females with the minimum size of 60 cm total body length. Yolk droplets first emerged in follicles larger than 600 μm in diameter while vitellogenesis was evident in follicles ranging 1.2-2.0 mm in diameter when both follicular layer and zona pellucida were the widest (41.1 μm and 49.1 μm, respectively).

Cigarette smoking can lead to pivotal morphological changes in several human and animal tissues, especially
when the exposure occurs during neonatal life. We evaluated the livers and spleens of C57BL/6 neonatal mice to determine possible morphological changes induced by exposure to cigarette smoke. In total, 15 C57BL/6 adult mice were used for mating, placing 2 female mice per male mouse for a 5-day period. Pregnant female mice were divided into 2 groups: the first group (ICS21) consisted of 5 female mice that were exposed to 4 cigarettes, 3 times daily for 21 days. They were subjected to 6 min of exposure per cigarette in an inhalation chamber. The second group (CG) consisted of 5 female mice that were not exposed to cigarette smoking and was used as a control group. Seven neonatal mice from both groups were weighed 24 h post-birth and then euthanized. Their livers and spleens were weighed and fixed for routine histological processing. Morphometric analysis was used to assess possible hepatic inflammation, measure hepatic glycogen and collagen deposition areas. Total spleen area, white pulp, and red pulp were identified. A reduction in body weight was observed in ICS21 mice as compared to CG mice, and a similar trend was observed in the liver and spleen weights. Histological analysis indicated the presence of more number of inflammatory cells in the ICS21 livers than that in the CG livers. Moreover, smaller hepatic glycogen deposition areas were observed in ICS21 mice than that in CG mice. However, no difference in hepatic collagen deposition was observed between the 2 groups. No differences were observed in the areas of the total organ and the white and red pulp areas between the 2 groups. However, the proportion of the white pulp and total area was lower in the ICS21 spleens than that in the CG spleens. Our results indicate that exposure to cigarette smoke during neonatal life can induce changes in fetal tissues, which translate to several changes in the organs of the neonatal mice.

The present study was undertaken to correlate the immunohistochemical expression of Bcl-2 oncoprotein in buffalo’s adrenal gland in the young and old ages. Paraffin-embedded sections from the adrenal glands representing the young and old ages were immunostained for Bcl-2 oncoprotein. A higher percentage of Bcl-2 immunoreactivity was detected in the adrenal cortical cells of the buffaloes at young ages. The immunoreactivity was moderate in the adrenal cortical cells of the old ages. The degree of intensity was prominent in the zona reticularis than that of the other zones, while negative immunoreactivity in the cells of the adrenal medulla. In conclusion, the immunohistochemical expression of Bcl-2 oncoprotein in the young buffalo’s adrenal gland (antiapoptotic gene) was prominent than the old ages. So the incidence of apoptosis was prominent in the adrenal gland cortical cells of the old age than that the adrenal gland cortical cells of the young ages.

Elastic fibres are a major class of extracellular matrix fibres that are abundant in dynamic connective tissues
such as arteries, lungs, skin and ligaments. Their structural role is to endow tissues with elastic recoil and resilience. They also act as an important adhesion template for cells, and they regulate growth factor availability. Mutations in major structural components of elastic fibres, especially elastin, fibrillins and fibulin-5, cause severe, often life-threatening, heritable connective tissue diseases such as Marfan syndrome, Menkes Syndrome, Cutis laxa. Elastic-fibre function is also frequently compromised in damaged or aged elastic tissues. The ability to regenerate or engineer elastic fibres and tissues remains a significant challenge, requiring improved understanding of the molecular and cellular basis of elastic-fibre biology and pathology. The aim of the article is to present in brief the structural details of elastin fibres, the defects and pleiotrophic effects as a result of damage and various clinical conditions associated with defects in elastin fibres ranging from rare pediatric syndromes to common entities like hypertension.

Tongues of Egyptian lizards Chalcides ocellatus and Chalcides sepsoides are investigated under scanning and transmission electron microscope. Their tongues are divided into tip, anterior, middle and posterior regions. In C. ocellatus, the tip region is bifurcated and protected with strong, non-papillosed, keratinized epithelium. The lingual papillae are separating with wide trenches except in the middle region. Papillae of the anterior and posterior regions have serrated and imbricated ends oriented in the posterior direction. The surface epithelia is studded by tiny or reticular microvilli. Ultra-sections show that the imbricated portions have goblet cells rich in numerous secretory granules. The lamina propria of each papilla is provided with striated muscle fibers. The distribution and orientation of the lingual muscle fibers prove that the tongue is adapted for snipping, masticate and swallowing their praise. In C. sepsoides tongue, the tip region is slightly bifurcated. All lingual papillae have different shapes with narrow moats separating between them. Those of the anterior and posterior regions have free ends overlapped towards the anterior or posterior directions, respectively, while that of the middle region is not imbricated. The surface epithelia of the tongue has dispersed or aggregated microvilli. In the tongue of the C. sepsoides, new structures are described for the first time. At its ventral aspect, there is an accessory lingual muscle formed of numerous muscle fibers orient to the vertical, transverse or longitudinal directions. These orientations prove that the tongue is able to mash and suck the prey’s sherbets. At the end of the posterior region, there is a ciliated concave depression hosting a laryngotracheal organ, which has T-shaped crevice precedent by large fleshy highly ciliated lip supported by inflexible folds.