Ultra-structural and histopathological features of liver biopsy taken during laparotomy to confirm the diagnosis of biliary atresia

Background: Neonatal cholestasis is caused by a group of diseases that cause jaundice, which can be encountered in the neonatal period. Biliary atresia (BA) and idiopathic neonatal hepatitis (INH) are among neonatal cholestasis diseases. Aims: The aim of this study was to perform histopathological and ultra-structural examinations of liver biopsy tissue samples from BA and INH patients with liver biopsies taken during laparotomy to confirm the diagnosis of biliary atresia. Settings and Design: A total of patients undergoing Kasai surgery before the age of 60 days were included in an “early” group (n = 7), whereas patients undergoing surgery after the age of 60 days were included in a “late” group (n = 11). The control group (n = 11) included INH patients. Materials and Methods: For histopathological examinations, liver tissue samples obtained intra-operatively were subjected to routine histopathological procedures after being stained with caspase-3 and cytokeratin-7 antibodies. Ultra-structural evaluations were also performed. Statistical analysis used: For comparisons between the groups, a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) test and the Mann–Whitney U test were used for continuous variables. Results: Histopathological findings reflected the specific liver pathologic findings seen in biliary atresia. Although there was no significant difference between the BA groups, these parameters were not detected in the control group. The histopathological evaluations revealed no significant differences in the findings of liver parenchyma damage between the early, late, and control groups. Electron microscopic examinations showed that the patients in the late group had more severe signs of intra-cellular damage to the liver. Conclusions: Although the histopathological examination revealed no significant differences in liver damage between the three groups, in ultra-structural evaluation, intra-cellular damage was found to be less in groups with better prognosis. Electron microscopy evaluations of intra-cellular damage may be more useful in this respect.

A Brain Atlas of the Long Arm Octopus, Octopus minor

Cephalopods have the most advanced nervous systems and intelligent behavior among all invertebrates. Their brains provide comparative insights for understanding the molecular and functional origins of the human brain. Although brain maps that contain information on the organization of each subregion are necessary for a study on the brain, no whole brain atlas for adult cephalopods has been constructed to date. Here, we obtained sagittal and coronal sections covering the entire brain of adult Octopus minor (Sasaki), which belongs to the genus with the most species in the class Cephalopoda and is commercially available in East Asia throughout the year. Sections were stained using Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) to visualize the cellular nuclei and subregions. H&E images of the serial sections were obtained at 30~70-µm intervals for the sagittal plain and at 40~80-µm intervals for the coronal plain. Setting the midline point of the posterior end as the fiducial point, we also established the distance coordinates of each image. We found that the brain had the typical brain structure of the Octopodiformes. A number of subregions were discriminated by a Hematoxylin-positive layer, the thickness and neuronal distribution pattern of which varied markedly depending upon the region. We identified more than 70 sub-regions based on delineations of representative H&E images. This is the first brain atlas, not only for an Octopodiformes species but also among adult cephalopods, and we anticipate that this atlas will provide a valuable resource for comparative neuroscience research.

Study on comparative histology of retinas in Ctenopharyngodon idella, Cynops orientalis, Bufo bufo gargarizans, Gekko japonicus, and Columba livia / Estudio histológico comparado de la retina en Ctenopharyngodon idella, Cynops orientalis, Bufo bufo gargarizans, Gekko japonicus, y Columba livia

The objective of this study was to explore the relationship between the retinal structure and its life adaptation to the environment of Ctenopharyngodon idella, Cynops orientalis, Bufo bufo gargarizans, Gekko japonicus and Columba livia . Measuring retinal thickness of each layer, the nuclei layer, and the diameter of each nuclear layer of the five animals, the statistical data analysis shows that: the nuclei layers of five animals are all 4, and their structures can be divided to 10 layers when observing with optical microscope. The retinal thickness of Ctenopharyngodon idella was 190.49 mm, Cynops orientalis was 173.07 µm, and the Bufo bufo gargarizans was 195.06 µm, Gekko japonicus was 224.32 µm and Columba livia was 174.10 µm. The number of retinal inner nuclear layers of Bufo bufo gargarizans and Gekko japonicus and Columba livia are more than their outer nuclear layers, on the contrary, retinal inner nuclear layers of Ctenopharyngodon idella and Cynops orientalis are less than their outer nuclear layers. The rod and cone layer of retina of Cynops orientalis were more advanced, but their nerve fiber layer (NFL) degraded highly, revealing a strong photosensitivity but a low visual sensitivity; to Columba livia , their NFL of retina are highly developed, so as their vision. The different structures and functions of the retina of Ctenopharyngodon idella, Cynops orientalis, Bufo bufo gargarizans, Gekko japonicus and Columba livia correspond with their behavioral characteristics and the living environment's change from aquatic to amphibious to land.

El objetivo de este estudio fue explorar la relación entre las estructuras de la retina y su adaptación al medioambiente en Ctenopharyngodon idella, Cynops orientalis, Bufo bufo gargarizans,Gekko japonicus y Columba livia . La medición del espesor de cada capa de la retina, la capa nuclear y su diámetro en los cinco animales, mostró a través del análisis estadístico que las capas nucleares en todos ellos fueron 4, y sus estructuras se pueden dividir en 10 capas cuando se observan con el microscopio óptico. El espesor de la retina de Ctenopharyngodon idella fue 190,49 µm, de Cynops orientalis fue 173,07 µm, de Bufo bufo gargarizans fue 195,06 µm, de Gekko japonicus fue 224,32 µm y de Columba livia fue 174,10 µm. El número de capas nucleares internas de la retina de Bufo gargarizans, Gekko japonicus y Columba livia fue mayor que sus capas nucleares externas, mientras que las capas nucleares internas de Ctenopharyngodon idella y Cynops orientalis fueron menos que las capas nucleares externas. La capa de conos y bastones de la retina de Cynops orientalis fue más desarrollada, pero su capa de fibras nerviosas presentó una elevada degeneración, lo que muestra una gran fotosensibilidad, pero una sensibilidad visual baja. En Columba livia, la capa de fibras nerviosas de la retina estuvo muy desarrollada, y de esta manera, su visión. El grado de desarrollo de las diferentes estructuras y funciones de la retina de Ctenopharyngodon idella, Cynops orientalis, Bufo bufo gargarizans, Gekko japonicus y Columba livia está relacionada con sus características de comportamiento y el cambio de las condiciones de las vidas acuática y anfibia en la tierra.

Comparison of the morphological heterogeneity of mast cells in different tissues of 6 types of common laboratory animals / 中国实验动物学报

Objective To compare and explore the morphological characteristics of mast cells in different tissues of 6 types of common laboratory animals.Methods Ten healthy adult SPF Kunming mice, 10 SD rats, 10 Hartley guinea pigs, 10 New Zealand rabbits, 6 beagle dogs and 6 Macaca mulata ( male:female=1:1, for all) were used in this study. The animals were sacrificed by euthanasia, samples of the skin, lung, spleen and sigmoid colon were taken from mouse, rat, guinea pig, rabbit, dog and monkey, and fixed in formalin and Bouin’ s solution.Paraffin sections were stained with toluidine blue and Alcian blue-safranin O, respectively.The mouse skin and dog spleen were immunohistochemically stained for substance P.A color pathological image analysis system was used to conduct the analysis of morphometric pa-rameters of mast cells.Samples of the skin of these animals were also fixed in glutaraldehyde for the electron microscopic observation and comparison of the mast cells.Results Mast cells in different types of animals were distinctive in distribu-tion, morphology, size, metachromasia and staining properties.Density and morphometric parameters of the mast cells had significant differences among the 6 types of animals ( P＜0.05 ) .Characteristic granules were contained in the skin mast cells of guinea pig, dog and monkey.Mast cells in the mouse skin, dog spleen and nerves in the mouse skin showed immu-noreactive substance P.Conclusions Mast cells in the 6 types of laboratory animals showed histochemical and morphologi-cal heterogeneity, which have important reference values in animal experimental research on mast cell function.

Comparative Histology of Human and Cow, Goat and Sheep Liver

Comparative histology deals with the comparison of microscopic structural relations of the various animals with in the ecosystem. Here, we compare the microscopic structure of the human liver with domestic animals like cow, sheep and goat. Human and cow, goat and sheep’s liver were taken and divided in to 3 groups. We kept liver specimen in formalin for fixation. Thin cut sections of specimen were taken after paraffin embedding. Slides were stained by Haematoxylene and Eosin, later observed the histological features under light microscope. The study was undertaken to compare the histological differences like hepatic lobule, connective tissue septa, portal triad, hepatocytes of liver between human and cow, goat and sheep. It plays a useful tool for morphological studies based on the evolution. Hepatic lobule was hexagonal in shape in cow, goat and sheep, but it was not clearly seen in human liver. Hepatocytes were larger in human beings but smaller and polygonal in cow, goat and sheep. Connective tissue septa were scanty in human liver, in comparison to other animals. Central vein was closer to the hepatic lobule in human and goat’s liver, while in case of cow and sheep, it was found to be close to the portal triad. This comparative histological study may be useful to all the research scholars who undertaken similar studies, veterinary scientists and the field of liver transplantation.