study of age associated changes in the mouse colon

The aim of the present work was to demonstrate any age associated changes in the colon. Forty mice were used in this study with different ages. The mice were divided into four groups aged 1, 2, 12 and 24 months. Light microscopic [LM] and scanning electron microscopic [SEM] examination as well as statistical analysis of the results were done. It was found that in old aged mice [12 and 24 months], there was an apparent decrease in the number of goblet cells and a marked increase in the amount of collagenous fibres compared to the young aged mice [1 and 2 months]. Statistical analysis showed a significant increase in the outer diameter and length of the crypts in old aged mice. In addition, a significant decrease in the nerve cell number of Auerbach' s plexus was also recorded. Using SEM many black spots as well as epithelial denuded areas were also observed in old mice. It was concluded that the observed decrease in goblet cells number, number of neurons and in muscle wall thickness with an increase in deposition of collagen fibres in old-aged mice probably contribute to colon dysfunctions in elderly

Morphometric and histological study of the kidney in healthy and diabetic egyptians

In the present study sonographic renal dimensions were recorded in 76 normal male and female Egyptian subjects to assess the normal sonographic renal dimensions in the Egyptian population. The correlation between the renal length and volume with the subject's age, sex, height, weight and body surface area [BSA] was also studied. The renal length, width, thickness and renal volume of the left kidney were found to be larger than the right one. The renal length of the left kidney in females was found to be significantly smaller than that in males. A positive correlation was found between the renal length and renal volume with the body surface area [BSA], the height and the weight of the subject. The increase of the BSA, the height or the weight of the subject was associated with an increase in his renal length and volume. However, the age of the subject does not correlate significantly with his renal length and volume. Moreover from the present work standard graphs were plotted correlating the renal length with the subject's height; these graphs could be of help to estimate the ideal sonographic renal length in an Egyptian subject according to his height. A comparison between the sonographic renal length for Egyptians and the international values cited in the textbooks, revealed a statistically significant difference being smaller in the Egyptian males and females. The renal length in 20 diabetic patients was significantly smaller than in normal subjects. The size and the number of glomeruli in 2 groups of large and small cadaveric kidneys were compared in histological sections. Although there was a highly significant difference in the size of glomeruli between the 2 groups however, their number didn't show significant difference. The present work concluded that the height, weight and BSA of the subject must be put into consideration during ultrasonographic examination, and that the glomerular size should be correlated with the renal length during microscopical examination of the renal biopsy