Animal Welfare in Radiation Research: The Importance of Animal Monitoring System.

Long-term research into radiation exposure significantly expanded following World War II, driven by the increasing number of individuals falling ill after the detonation of two atomic bombs in Japan. Consequently, researchers intensified their efforts to investigate radiation's effects using animal models and to study disease models that emerged post-catastrophe. As a result, several parameters have been established as essential in these models, encompassing radiation doses, regimens involving single or multiple irradiations, the injection site for transplantation, and the quantity of cells to be injected. Nonetheless, researchers have observed numerous side effects in irradiated animals, prompting the development of scoring systems to monitor these animals' well-being. The aim of this review is to delve into the historical context of using animals in radiation research and explore the ethical considerations related to animal welfare, which has become an increasingly relevant topic in recent years. These concerns have prompted research groups to adopt measures aimed at reducing animal suffering. Consequently, for animal welfare, the implementation of a scoring system for clinical and behavioral monitoring is essential. This represents one of the primary challenges and hurdles in radiation studies. It is concluded that implementing standardized criteria across all institutions is aimed at ensuring result reproducibility and fostering collaboration within the scientific community.

Global profile of anemia during pregnancy versus country income overview: 19 years estimative (2000-2019).

Anemia is a worldwide public health problem that is worst in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), reaching 60% of prevalence. The etiology of anemia is diverse and multifactorial, with iron deficiency being the most prevalent, and often found in pregnant women. Iron is indispensable for the production of red blood cells and approximately 80% of the available heme iron is used for hemoglobin synthesis in mature erythroblasts. Iron deficiency affects oxygen transport, compromising energy and muscle metabolism and can occur with depletion of iron storage, defective erythropoiesis, and low hemoglobin levels. We analyzed anemia prevalence in pregnant women from 2000 to 2019 worldwide correlating them with current (2022) country income, with especial attention to LMICs using WHO dataset. Our analysis indicates that pregnant women from LMICs had a higher probability (40%) of anemia during pregnancy especially those from Africa and South Asia. Africa and the Americas showed a higher decrease in the prevalence of anemia from 2000 to 2019. The Americas and Europe have a lower prevalence, concentrated in 57% of most upper-middle- and high-income countries. Black women are also more prone to develop anemia during pregnancy, especially if they are from LMICs. However, the prevalence of anemia appears to decrease with an increase in educational level. In conclusion, anemia prevalence fluctuated from 5.2 to 65.7% worldwide in 2019, validating it as a public health problem.

Lectin-based carbohydrate profile of megakaryocytes in murine fetal liver during development.

Hematopoiesis is the process by which blood cells are generated. During embryonic development, these cells migrate through different organs until they reach the bone marrow, their definitive place in adulthood. Around E10.5, the fetal liver starts budding from the gut, where first hematopoietic cells arrive and expand. Hematopoietic cell migration occurs through cytokine stimulation, receptor expression, and glycosylation patterns on the cell surface. In addition, carbohydrates can modulate different cell activation states. For this reason, we aimed to characterize and quantify fetal megakaryocytic cells in mouse fetal liver according to their glycan residues at different gestational ages through lectins. Mouse fetuses between E11.5 and E18.5 were formalin-fixed and, paraffin-embedded, for immunofluorescence analysis using confocal microscopy. The results showed that the following sugar residues were expressed in proliferating and differentiating megakaryocytes in the fetal liver at different gestational ages: α-mannose, α-glucose, galactose, GlcNAc, and two types of complex oligosaccharides. Megakaryocytes also showed three proliferation waves during liver development at E12.5, E14.5, and E18.5. Additionally, the lectins that exhibited high and specific pattern intensities at liver capsules and vessels were shown to be a less time-consuming and robust alternative alternative to conventional antibodies for displaying liver structures such as capsules and vessels, as well as for megakaryocyte differentiation in the fetal liver.

Myelodysplastic syndrome without ring sideroblasts and with Janus kinase 2 gene mutation: An unusual case report.

Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) cases comprise a heterogeneous group of hematological disorders that are characterized by impaired hematopoiesis, with cytopenias of different grades and risk of developing acute myeloid leukemia. MDS may rarely be associated with thrombocytosis. In such cases, myelodysplasia and myeloproliferative disorders may overlap, making correct diagnosis difficult. We herein describe a case of MDS with thrombocytosis, Janus kinase 2 gene mutation-positive and Perls' staining-negative, which was initially classified as essential thrombocythemia (ET). This case highlights that MDS may be misdiagnosed as ET and inappropriate treatment may be initiated. Therefore, it is crucial to carefully combine all available data on morphology and immunophenotyping, and to perform the necessary molecular, cytogenetic and molecular cytogenetic analyses, in order to correctly diagnose this disease.