Isolated gastric mucosal cells: a model for gastric injury induced by bile acids

The current study examined the deleterious effect of glycocholic [GC] and deoxycholic acids [DC] exposure of isolated gastric mucosal cells in culture. Bile salts were known to be injurious to gastric mucosa. Dispersed gastric cells were obtained from rabbit gastric mucosa by collagenase digestion technique. Freshly isolated gastric cells were exposed to 0.2, 0.5 and 1.0 mmol/L of glycocholic and deoxycholic acids for period of up to 45 minutes in C-199 medium with 10% fetal bovine serum [FBS] [pH 7.0-7.4]. Control cell suspension was exposed to salt solution phosphate buffer saline [PBS++] without DC or GC. An attempt to establish long cell culture model was not successful as the isolated gastric cells rapidly lose their characteristic phenotypes and convert into fibroblast-like cells within one week in culture, in spite their continuous expression of cytokeratin of epithelial cells. Ultrastructural changes of timed series of samples were observed. Widespread epithelial and endothelial cells changes were seen. The most prominent alteration was degranulation of apical mucin secreting cells and excessive cytoplasmic vesiculation. The zymogen secreting cell appeared more resistant to bile salts effect, whereas the parietal cells showed excessive breaking of intracellular canaliculi [ICC]. The enteroendocrine cells exhibited loss of mitochondrial cristae, loss of their granulations, cytoplasmic vesiculation and lipid accumulation

Effect of chloramphenicol on the development of the foetal eye: an experimental study

Chloramphinicol, a drug that produces adverse effects involving the eye, was intramuscularly [i.m.] administered to six pregnant female mice for three successive days starting on the 7th day of gestation aiming at screening its influence on the development of the eye. Three pregnant control female mice received only i.m. injections of sterile water on the same days of pregnancy as in experimental animals. Histological examination of eye specimens of experimental maternally-treated neonate mice with chloramphenicol revealed different degrees of corneal vacuolization. In some specimens corneal vacuolization was accompanied by discontinuity of the corneal endothelium and disruption of the posterior lamellae of the substantia propria and alterations in the contour of the lens. In other specimens apart from vacuolization and thickening of the cornea persistent connective tissue remnants were seen filling the anterior chamber. Moreover, different modalities of adherence between the anterior surface of the lens and the posterior surface of the cornea were indentified. These findings were discussed in relation to mesenchymal dysgenesis of the anterior segment of the eye specially Peter's anomaly