ABSTRACT
Thirty-six adult albino rats 2-3 months old were used in this study, 30 of them were subjected to a daily heavy tobacco inhalation for three months in a dose equivalent to 1 mg nicotine/kg b. w./day and the remaining 6 rats were left as controls. Knee paraffin sections were prepared after sacrificing the rats, stained with H and E and Masson's trichrome. A morphometric analysis was done using an image analyzer with an optical magnification of X400 on routine H and E sections. It was concluded that the experimental heavy smoking in albino rats had a deleterious effect on the integrity of articular cartilage leading to a severe proliferation in addition to an increased water content of collagen matrix which is known to precede degeneration
Subject(s)
Animals, Laboratory , Smoking , Cartilage, Articular , Histology , RatsABSTRACT
Histochemical properties of hypodermal cells of Argas Persicargas arboreus revealed that the body integument protects the animal from adverse environmental factors. This was evidenced by the persistence of a rich amount of proteins, glycogen and lipids which might represent an important energy depot for the maintenance of lipid amounts at required levels during unfavorable conditions or during active metabolic processes as vitellogenesis. In additon, water transport balance appeared to be insured by the maintenance of a high phosphatase level in hypodermal cells of the unfed tick. Succinic dehydrogenase activity could not be detected on opposition of leucine aminopeptidase which demonstrated a high level
Subject(s)
Insecta , HistocytochemistryABSTRACT
Histochemical studies of Argas [Persicargas] arboreus ovary, oviducts, uterus, vagina, Gene's organ and accessory glands showed that the most active process is maintained in the unfed tick with the exception of growth and maturation of ova. Only after bloomeal digestion were proteins readily accumulating in ova and a remarkably high level in glucose-6-phosphatase and alkaline phosphatase was detected. This shows that feeding is a strong stimulus for maturation, of oocytes which must precede oviposition