Ghrelin plasma levels, gastric ghrelin cell density and bone mineral density in women with rheumatoid arthritis

Generalized bone loss can be considered an extra-articular manifestation of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) that may lead to the occurrence of fractures, resulting in decreased quality of life and increased healthcare costs. The peptide ghrelin has demonstrated to positively affect osteoblasts in vitro and has anti-inflammatory actions, but the studies that correlate ghrelin plasma levels and RA have contradictory results. We aimed to evaluate the correlation between total ghrelin plasma levels, density of ghrelin-immunoreactive cells in the gastric mucosa, and bone mineral density (BMD) in twenty adult women with established RA with 6 months or more of symptoms (mean age of 52.70±11.40 years). Patients with RA presented higher ghrelin-immunoreactive cells density in gastric mucosa (P=0.008) compared with healthy females. There was a positive relationship between femoral neck BMD and gastric ghrelin cell density (P=0.007). However, these same patients presented a negative correlation between plasma ghrelin levels and total femoral BMD (P=0.03). The present results indicate that ghrelin may be involved in bone metabolism of patients with RA. However, the higher density of ghrelin-producing cells in the gastric mucosa of these patients does not seem to induce a corresponding elevation in the plasma levels of this peptide.

Immunohistochemical evaluation of the goat forestomach during prenatal development

Here we report the detection and distribution of synaptophysin (SPY), non-neuronal enolase (NNE), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), vimentin (VIM), neuropeptide Y (NPY), and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) expression in the goat forestomach during prenatal development. A total of 140 embryos and fetuses were examined to evaluate protein expression from the first stage of prenatal life until birth. In all cases, SPY immunoreactivity was detected at 53 days gestation in the lamina propria-submucosa, tunica muscularis, serosa, and myenteric plexuses. Immunoreactivity to NNE was observed at 64 days gestation in the same locations as well as the epithelial layer. Glial cells were found at 64 days as indicated by signals corresponding to GFAP and VIM at 39 days. Positive staining for NPY and VIP was observed at 113, 75, and 95 days in the rumen, reticulum, and omasum, respectively, in the lamina propria-submucosa, tunica muscularis, and myenteric plexuses of each of these gastric compartments. These findings indicate possible preparation of the fetal goat forestomach for postnatal function. Compared to other ruminant species, neuroendocrine cells, glial cells and peptidergic innervations markers were detected earlier compared to sheep but at around the same stage as in deer.

The esophagus of the crocodilian Caiman latirostris (Reptilia, Crocodylia ): histologia, histochemical, and immunohistochemical study

The purpose of this study was to analyze the esophageal morphology of Caiman latirostris using histochemicaland immunohistochemical techniques. The mucosae layer is composed of a pseudostratified columnarepithelium with goblet cells that occasionally form intra-epithelial glands. The goblet cells showed differentaffinity for the histochemical techniques. The lamina propria is composed of loose connective tissue with bloodvessels. The smooth muscle fibers that compose the muscularis mucosa are thick and form a clear demarcationbetween the mucosa layer and adjacent submucosa. There are no glands in the esophageal submucosa. Themuscle layer is composed a circular internal layer and a longitudinal external one. The adventitia layer iscomposed of loose connective tissue and blood vessels. The serotonin immunoreactive (IR) cells were notpreferentially distributed in any region of the epithelium, ranging from the base of the intra-epithelial gland tothe connection to the lumen. Somatostatina, glucagon and CCK IR cells were not detected.