Anatomical, histological and histochemical studies on some organs of true desert rodents in the Egyptian habitats

The present study aimed to compare between the anatomy, histology and histochemistry of two species belonging to two different families namely Muridae and Dipodidae. Muridae is the largest family of rodents in the world; it is represented in this work by fat sand rat Psammomys obesus. Four-toed jerboa Allactaga tetradactyla represents the other family, Dipodidae. Psammomys obesus lives in coastal presaharan region; the preferred habitat is saline marshes ,and wadis where halophytic plants were abundant. However, Allactaga tetradactyla, inhabites the salt marshes and clay desert areas of coastal plains. The investigated animals were collected from desert, weighed and transferred alive to the laboratory in separate cages then anaesthetized with ether, after which they were carefully dissected, organs are taken out and prepared for the histological and histochemical studies. The nucleocytoplasmic index of liver cells was calculated, kidney weighed and the relative thickness of cortex,, outer and inner medulla was measured and total glomerular number was recorded. The liver, as in mammalian species, is consists of five separate lobes. The mitotic index of Psammomys obesus is smaller than that found in Allactaga tetradactyla. This may he due to the increased activity of'Allactaga tetradactyla. In the kidney, the cortex is classified into three regions namely superficial, midcortical and juxtamedullary zones. Both number and diameter of glomeruli, glomerular volume and relative glomerular blood volume is greater in Psammomys obesus than that in Allactaga tetradactyla. These observations indicate the ability of Psammomys obesus to produce highly concentrated urine than that of'Allactaga tetradactyla

Morphology of the submandibular gland of the gerbil meriones unguiculatus: a macroscopic and light microscopy study

La morfología de la glándula submandibulardel gerbil fue estudiada macro y microscópicamente. Diez gerbiles fueron anestesiados, perfundidos e inyectados con formalina al 10 por ciento. La región cervical anterior de cada animal fue disecada para efectuar el análisis macroscópico de la glándula submandibular. Para el análisis histológico, las piezas fueron fijadas en la misma solución e incluidas en parafina para los procesos de rutina. Cortes seriados de 6-um fueron teñidos con hematoxilina-eosina y picrosirius, para análisis al microscopio de luz. Los resultados mostraron que la glándula submandibular de gerbil presentaba una forma ovoidea y localizada en la región submandibular, midiendo aproximadamente 9.0 mm de longitud y 5.9 mm de ancho. Histológicamente, cada acino estaba constituido por cuatro tipos de células dispuesta irregularmente. El sistema de ductos constaba de cuatro segmentos distintos: ductos intercalar, granuloso, estriado y excretor

Morphologic study of the masseter muscle of gerbil: meriones unguiculatus

El daño de los músculos masticadores relacionados con desórdenes cráneomandibulares son aspectos comunes en la clínica. Es importante contar con datos morfológicos de estos músculos en el sistema estomatognático. El propósito de este trábajo es mostrar la morfología del músculo masetero del gerbil Meriones unguiculatus, desde el nivel macroscópico hasta el de microscopía electrónica. En la observación macroscópica fueron utilizados 5 animales que fueron perfundidos con sulución de formalina al 100 por ciento. Las disecciones fueron fotografiadas. Posteriormente, los músculos fueron removidos e sumergidos en la solución de formalina, por unos pocos días. Las muestras fueron procesadas a través de técnicas histológicas convencionales y sumergidas en parafina. Cortes seriados de 6 um fueron teñidos con H. E. analizados y fotografiados con un fotomicroscopio JENAMED. Nuestros resultados mostraron que el músculo masetero presentaba 5 fascículos, los cuales se mezclaban en la porción media, y algunos husos estaban fusionados con la cápsula externa de ellos mismos, pareciendo husos gigantes

Fine structure of the lining epithelium of the ductus deferens in gerbil: a segmental study

The cell types observed in the epithelium that lines the ductus deferens of the gerbil were principal, basal, narrow, and apical (mitochondria-rich) cells, whose cellular ultrastructure and segmental features were described. The morphological characteristics of the lining epithelium of the ductus in the three main tubular segments: adepididymic (proximal), funicular (middle) and adprostatic (distal) were presented. The cytophysiological role of the epithelial cell types in each segment was discussed on a comparative base. Resorption of seminiferous fluid and adsorptive endocytosis seem to be the main functions of the principal and apical cells. Moreover, secretory functions may occur in both cell types, mainly in principal cells in which ultrastructural characteristics of the Golgi-ER complex had been related to cellular secretion, perhaps of protein. Another ultrastructural feature of the supranuclear cytoplasm of principal cells was the presence of apical cytoplasmic expansions (apical protrusions), observed mainly in the epithelium of the distal ductus deferens segment, with suggestion of apocrine secretory process occurrence.

Olfactory bulbectomy-induced changes in the reproductive behaviour of the south Indian gerbil, Tatera indica cuvieri.

Male South Indian gerbils (T. indica cuvieri), both adults and weanlings, were olfactory bulbectomized (OBX) and changes in male reproductive behaviour were assessed. Consequent to OBX, majority of the adult males failed to ejaculate, and courtship behaviour has also been considerably reduced. All OBX weanlings were rendered incapable of ejaculation. However, maturational parameters, and organ weights (testes, epididymis and seminal vesicle) remained unchanged in OBX males.

Caracteristicas histologicas del meriones unguiculatus utilizado en experimentos / Histologic characteristics of Meriones unguiculatus used in experimental trials

Para determinar las caracterisiticas histologicas de Meriones unguiculatus sanos sometidos a las condiciones de animal de experimentacion, se realizo el estudio de los organos fundamentales de 50 especimenes sanos machos (encefalo, corazon, pulmones, higado, rinones, tractus gastrointestinal, bazo y testiculos). Se procesaron los organos en formol neutro al 10 por ciento. Se colorearon con hematoxilina-eosina y la coloracion especial de Von Kossa para demostrar la presencia de calcio. Se encontro principalmente congestion visceral de diferentes grados en un 100 por ciento y un deposito de material homogeneoen los tubulos de composicion calcica, en el 16 por ciento. este ultimo hallazgopuede ser de interes en estudios de insuficiencia renal cronica