ABSTRACT
Aging is believed to affect the structure and function of the enteric nervous system in the gastrointestinal tract. This work was designed to study the histological changes that might occur in the myenteric plexus of rat gastric fundus during aging. Thirty male albino rats were used in this study and divided equally into three groups: group A [which included 4-month-old rats], group B [which included 18-monthold rats], and group C [which included 24-month-old rats]. All the animals were anesthetized, and their stomachs were dissected out and processed for light and electron microscope examination. Also, immunohistochemical staining was carried out for the detection of protein gene product [PGP 9.5] and Bcl-2 proteins. The area% of myenteric ganglia was also determined. The results were analyzed statistically. With age, in group B [early senile], there was obvious neuronal loss and few gaps in the myenteric plexus, with a significant decrease in the number of PGP-positive neurons and moderate immunoreactions for the Bcl-2 protein. Glial cells had cytoplasmic vacuoles and nerve cells had peripheral condensation of heterochromatin in their nuclei. The myenteric plexus of the rats of group C [late senile] showed nerve cell bodies with apoptotic nuclei and cytoplasmic vacuolations. Many large cavities and eosinophillic cellular infiltration were observed within the neuropil. There was a marked apparent decrease in PGP 9.5-positive neurons and minimal immunoreactions for the Bcl-2 protein. Also, the area of myenteric ganglia increased with advancing age. In the current study, it was found that the myenteric plexus of the gastric fundus showed histological and immunohistochemical changes during aging, which may potentially be an explanation for the gastrointestinal tract disturbance in elderly individuals
Subject(s)
Animals, Laboratory , Gastric Fundus/ultrastructure , Histology , Microscopy, Electron/methods , Rats , Age FactorsABSTRACT
Scientific literature, although limited in this area, supports the hypothesis that asthma, by means of selective leukocyte trafficking between the various mucosal and glandular sites of the body, can have the same pathophysiological effects on the stomach as the airways. This study aimed to determine if asthma, in the absence and presence of various asthma therapies (Hydrocortisone and Modul8TM), imparted any morphological alteration on the stomach parietal and chief cells. The BALB/c murine asthmatic mouse model was the model of choice in this study. The asthma induction protocol as well as the asthma therapies were proved to be effective with the aid of bronchial lavage fluid leukocyte quantification. Fundic and pyloric biopsies were extracted at termination and assessed by means of transmission electron, scanning electron and light microscopy. The extracted fundic and pyloric biopsies revealed asthma alone induced parietal cell hypertrophy (increase in parietal cell size P < 0.000100 in both stomach regions) and chief cell hyper functioning. The use of Hydrocortisone and Modul8TM, as a therapy to correct the perceived gastric alterations were dismal; only in the case of fundic parietal cells were both treatments able to compensate for the hypertrophic effect caused by asthma, while in the pylorus parietal cell asthma- induced hypertrophy was only compensated for by Modul8TM.
La literatura científica, aunque limitada en esta área, apoya la hipótesis de que el asma, por medio del tráfico selectivo de leucocitos entre los diferentes sitios y la mucosa glandular del cuerpo, puede tener los mismos efectos fisiopatológicos en el estómago y las vías respiratorias. Este estudio tuvo como objetivo determinar si el asma, en ausencia y presencia de diversos tratamientos para el asma (hidrocortisona y Modul8 TM), generó alguna alteración morfológica en las céluals parietales y principales del estómago. El modelo murino BALB/c del ratón asmático fue el modelo de elección en este estudio. El protocolo de inducción de asma, así como el tratamiento del asma demostró ser eficaz con la ayuda de lavado bronquial y cuantificación leucocitaria del fluido. Biopsias de las regiones fúndica y pilórica fueron extraídas y evaluadas por medio de microscopía electrónica de transmisión, de barrido y de luz. Las biopsias extraídas de la región fúndica y pilórica revelaron que el asma solamente induce hipertrofia de las células parietales (aumento del tamaño de las células parietales P <0,00001 en ambas regiones del estómago) e hiperfuncionamiento de las células principales. El uso de hidrocortisona y Modul8 TM, como una terapia para corregir las alteraciones gástricas fue disimil, sólo en el caso de las células parietales fúndicas ambos tratamientos fueron capaces de compensar el efecto hipertrófico causado por el asma, mientras que en la célula parietal pílorica la hipertrofia inducida por el asma solamente se vio compensada por Modul8TM.
Subject(s)
Animals , Female , Rats , Asthma/pathology , Stomach/pathology , Stomach/ultrastructure , Anti-Asthmatic Agents , Disease Models, Animal , Gastric Fundus/pathology , Gastric Fundus/ultrastructure , Hypertrophy , Leukocytes , Mice, Inbred BALB C , Microscopy, Electron , Nebulizers and Vaporizers , Parietal Cells, Gastric , Pylorus/pathology , Pylorus/ultrastructureABSTRACT
Hydrocortisone is widely used in the treatment of a variety of conditions. A common side effect of its use is gastritis and peptic ulceration. Lycopene is one of the major carotenoids in diet, particularly in tomato and tomato products. It is an active antioxidant that has recently received great concern for its protective effect against several pathological lesions. The aim of the present work was to evaluate the effect of hydrocortisone on the ultrastructure of fundic glands of albino rats and the possible protective effect of lycopene. The study was conducted on 20 adult male albino rats that were divided into four equal group: group I [control group], group II [positive control group] that received by gastric intubation a lycopene rich diet "Ketchup" which was calculated to equal a dose of 1 mg/Kg b.w./day, group III [treated group] that received intraperitoneal injection of hydrocortisone in a dose of 50 mg/Kg b.w./day, and group IV [protected group] that received lycopene simultaneously with hydrocortisone. The duration of the experiment was 20 days. Examination of the fundic glands of the treated group revealed ultrastructural changes in all the lining cells. In the protected group, such changes were almost completely absent
Subject(s)
Male , Animals, Laboratory , Gastric Fundus/ultrastructure , Gastric Mucosa/ultrastructure , Microscopy, Electron , Histology , Protective Agents , Solanum lycopersicum , Treatment Outcome , RatsABSTRACT
Los hábitos alimentarios que presentan los cánidos (monogástricos) respecto de los camélidos (poligástricos), son diferentes. Los primeros consumen dietas pobres en fibras, en tanto que los camélidos consumen una dieta rica en fibra que consiste en pastos cortos y duros (bofedal). Sin embargo son capaces de aprovechar eficientemente estos alimentos. Por ello, fueron analizados comparativamente las regiones fúndicas de ambas especies, donde encontramos diferencias morfológicas adaptativas. Para la realización del presente trabajo, se obtuvieron muestras de las regionnes fúndicas, provenientes de estómagos de perro (Canis familiaris) y de llama (Lama glama), adultos. estas muestras fueron procesadas de acuerdo a las técnicas histológicas corrientes e histoquímica de Picrosirius y analizadas comparativamente al microscopio óptico. Los resultados revelaron que existen diferencias importantes en las regiones fúndicas de ambas especies en estudio. Estas diferencias se encuentran especialmente a nivel de la mucosa, donde la profundidad de las glándulas fúndicas, número de células parietales (oxínticas) y la irrigación sanguínea son mucho mayores en la llama. La pared abdomasal presenta un refuerzo de tejido conjuntivo compacto de haces paralelos, entre la serosa y la muscular longitudinal externa. Estas adaptaciones redundarían en una mayor eficiencia digestiva por parte de los camélidos, dadas las características de su dieta habitual