ABSTRACT
Ouabain (OUA) is a steroid hormone capable of inhibiting the protein Na+K+ATPase present in the plasma membrane of cells. Ouabain was initially extracted from the roots of African trees such as Acocanthera ouabaio and Strophantus gratus seeds and later described as an endogenous component found in higher mammals. The adrenal gland is the main site of synthesis of ouabain and it is released in stressful situations, conditions similar to those where there is secretion of corticosteroids. Immunological functions have been shown to be regulated by ouabain. In order to understand the effects of ouabain on B lymphocyte populations in different lymphoid organs, mice received intraperitoneal injections of ouabain for 3 consecutive days. Twenty-four hours after the last injection, cells were analyzed by flow cytometry. In the spleen, ouabain modulated especially follicular B cells, inducing a significant decrease in the percentage and absolute numbers of those cells. Ouabain also reduced the absolute number of marginal zone B lymphocytes. No difference in the percentage or absolute number of B lymphocytes in the spleen forty-eight hours after the last injection was observed. An increase in the number of B cells was seen in mesenteric lymph nodes and this retention appears to be directly related to increased expression of CXCR5 chemokine receptor and reduction of CD62L, which also explains the observed reduction of B cells in the spleen. Our results indicate that ouabain regulates the dynamics of B lymphocytes in peripheral organs but production of total IgM and IgG in the serum of animals treated in vivo with ouabain was not affected.
Subject(s)
B-Lymphocyte Subsets/drug effects , Cardiotonic Agents/pharmacology , Lymph Nodes/drug effects , Ouabain/pharmacology , Spleen/drug effects , Animals , B-Lymphocyte Subsets/cytology , B-Lymphocyte Subsets/immunology , Female , Gene Expression Regulation , Immunoglobulin G/biosynthesis , Immunoglobulin M/biosynthesis , Immunophenotyping , Injections, Intraperitoneal , L-Selectin/genetics , L-Selectin/immunology , Lymph Nodes/cytology , Lymph Nodes/immunology , Male , Mice , Mice, Inbred BALB C , Mice, Inbred C57BL , Receptors, CXCR5/genetics , Receptors, CXCR5/immunology , Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase/antagonists & inhibitors , Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase/genetics , Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase/immunology , Spleen/cytology , Spleen/immunologyABSTRACT
Leiomyoma is a generally benign tumour and common in the uterine smooth muscle. In some cases, it is found in other parts of the human body. In our study, we report the case of a 61-year-old woman with a painless cystic lesion on the first left thumb associated with trigger finger. The first diagnostic hypotheses were ganglionic cyst and giant cell tumour, however, after surgical excision and histological analysis, it was revealed to be a rare leiomyoma of the hand. We report a clinical case and detailed histopathological study, with 12 high-resolution images stained with: H&E, Smooth Muscle Actin, Desmin, S-100 and CD34.
