Thymic Structures Containing Somatostatin.

Double immunofluorescent staining confirmed co-expression of somatostatin (neuropeptide) and antigen-presenting cells of macrophage origin expressing major histocompatibility complex class II molecules in the intact thymus. The results confirmed cooperation of the neuropeptide and immunocompetent systems.

Morphofunctional adaptation of rat thymus structures to silicon consumption with drinking water.

Administration of standardized drinking water containing 10 mg/liter silicon for 2 months adlibitum induced structural reorganization of the cortical and medullary layers of the thymiclobules in laboratory rats accompanied by functional activation of monocyte/macrophage cells and antigen-presenting cells was changed in morphological structures of the thymus. A possible mechanism of development of autoimmune processes under the effect of silicon is discussed.

[Improved method for the demonstration of the crystalline lens cellular structures].

A new method for the demonstration of the lens epithelial cells and fibers in the eye of the experimental animals (rats) is described. The method proposed is not laborious and is simple in utilization. It is based on the intravital administration of methylene blue solution to the animal with the subsequent supravital crystalline lens staining at 37 degreesC. The material was then embedded into paraffin, and the sections were stained with hematoxylin-eosin. The sections obtained using the proposed method, give an opportunity for the detailed demonstration of the morphological features of the lens cells.

[Morphological basis of ocular desympathetization as a new method for experimental cataract modeling].

The aim of this study was to obtain the morphological basis for ocular desympathetization as a method for cataract modeling in vivo. The study was conducted on 20 outbred rabbits, in which the bilateral removal of superior cervical ganglia of sympathetic trunk resulted in the change of tone of the sympathetic division of the nervous system. 5-7 months after this operation, biomicroscopy of the anterior portion of both eyes was performed that has demonstrated in 16 out of 20 rabbits the initial manifestations of lenticular opacity. 12-14 months after the operation, their area was significantly increased, and the formation of wedge-shaped opacity with its basis facing the lens periphery, was documented. This was associated with the dissociation of lens fibers, as well as the extracellular liquid accumulation. Histological and phenotypic changes of the lens were similar to those in age-related cortical cataract, detected in man. In both age-related cataract, and that one received by a proposed modeling method, the immunopositive reaction was found demonstrating neuron-specific enolase, vimentin and S-100 protein in lenticular cortex. The proposed method of cataract modeling in vivo may be used for the study of cataract pathogenesis and for the development of measures of its prophylaxis and therapy.

[The bioamine profile of the lens during the development of different types of human age-related cataract].

Luminescence microscopy of cryostat sections of lenses and spectrofluorometry were used to study the lens in health and in different types of human age-related cataract. The cortical type of age-related cataract occurs with the considerably increased concentrations of histamine, catecholamines and serotonin. Examination of the bioamine profile of age-related nuclear cataract revealed a significant increase in the level of serotonin and a moderate rise in the concentration of catecholamines. At the same time, the values of histamine did not practically differ from those in the intact lens. Thus, principal differences were found in the bioamine provision of the development of age-related cortical and nuclear cataract, suggesting that it is necessary to elaborate a differential approach to studying the pathogenetic mechanisms and treatments for human age-related cataract depending on its specific type.

Effect of orchiectomy on structures of the thymus expressing major histocompatibility complex class II molecules.

Morphological and immunohistochemical study was performed to evaluate the effect of orchiectomy on structures of the thymus expressing major histocompatibility complex class II (MHC-II) proteins. Male sex hormone deficiency in the organism led to an increase in the number of MHC-II+ cells in the medulla and cortex of the thymic lobule. At the same time, the count of these cells in the corticomedullary zone decreased after orchiectomy. These changes modify homeostasis and activate immune processes.

Immunohistochemical analysis of lens cells on formation of different types of age-related cataract in humans.

The aim of the present work was to perform a comparative immunohistochemical study of the ocular lens in normal conditions and after formation of various type of age-related cataract in humans. The control group consisted of lenses from young men dying from accidents and serving as corneal donors (n = 10, not more than one hour after death). Lenses from patients (aged 60-70 years) undergoing surgery for cortical (n = 20) and nuclear (n = 20) cataracts were studied. The investigations demonstrated plasticity in the phenotype of lens cells in age-related cataract. Changes in the phenotype of lens cells were found to depend on the type of age-related cataract. Development of the cortical variant of age-related cataract was associated with positive reactions with monoclonal antibodies to neuron-specific enolase, S-100 protein, and vimentin only within the lens cortex. Formation of age-related nuclear cataract was associated with positive reactions with antibodies to alpha-smooth muscle actin and pancytokeratin, which were detected only in the lens nucleus. This provides evidence of the need to develop a differential approach to the treatment of different types of age-related cataract.

[Immunohistochemical analysis of the lens cells during development of the various types of age-associated cataract in man].

The objective of this investigation was a comparative immunohistochemical study of the crystalline eye lens under normal conditions and in different types of age-associated cataract in man. Control group included the lenses of young men, who died in the accidents and served as lens donors (n = 10, material collected within 1 hr since death). The lens was taken from the patients (age: 60-70 years) during the operation on the occasion of cortical (n = 20) and nuclear (n = 20) cataract. The study has demonstrated phenotype plasticity of lens cells in different types of age-associated cataract. The changes of cell phenotype were shown to depend on cataract type. During the development of cortical age-associated cataract, positive reaction with the monoclonal antibodies against neuron-specific enolase, S-100 protein and vimentin was detected only within the lens cortex. During the formation of nuclear age-associated cataract, positive reaction with the antibodies against alpha-smooth muscle actin, pancytokeratin was found only within the lens nucleus. These data suggest that the differentiated approach to the treatment of different types of age-associated cataract should be worked out.

[Topographic features of histamine disposition in the structures of the intact lens].

This study was undertaken to detect and study the distribution, localization, and morphological features of the histamine-positive structures of the lens in intact animals. The paper presents a detailed account of fluorescent and morphological differences between the nuclei of different portions of the lens.

Reaction of thymic monoamine-containing structures to experimental testectomy.

Testectomy increased serotonin content in fluorescent granular macrophages of the subcapsular and premedullary zones and in mast cell granules. Serotonin concentrations in the medullary and cortical thymocytes decrease. Young sudanophilic mast cells with low content of proteoglycans and low-sulfated immature heparin predominate in the gland after testectomy.

Histochemical study of mast cells from the thymus of mice receiving ACTH1-24.

Synthetic ACTH1-24 analogue administered in a daily dose of 0.01 mg/kg decreased the number and size of mast cells and increased intracellular serotonin concentration. ACTH1-24 induced degranulation of young mast cells and release of undersulfated heparin. Correlation analysis showed that hormonal imbalance produced by ACTH1-24 was accompanied by redistribution of bioamines.

[Changes of biogenic amines in the thymus cell system after T-activin administration]. / Izmeneniia bioaminnoi kletochnoi sistemy timusa posle vozdeistviia T-aktivinom.

The aim of this work was to study the dynamics of the neurotransmitter (cateholamine, serotonin, histamine) content in the thymic structures, as well as of heparin maturation degree and degranulation in the thymic mast cells population by means of Falck, Cross and Unna luminescent-histochemical methods 1-30 days following daily T-activinum injections. Concentration of the neurotransmitters in all the bioamine-containing thymic structures was found to fall by day 7, but after day 14 it began to increase, reaching a high level by day 30 that significantly exceeded the initial values. The degree of heparin maturation in mast cells was increased at days 21 and 30. Long-term T-activinum administration (for more than 7 days) is not justified, since an excessive increase in bioamine and heparin content suppresses immune reactions. Degranulating mast cells, surrounded by the zones of microenvironment, that were saturated with the bioamines capable of suppressing thymocytes, were found to predominate at the late stages of an experiment with T-activinum injections.

[Lens histamine-containing structures of the rat's eye]. / Gistaminsoderzhashchie struktury khrustalika glaza krysy.

The objective of this study was to analyze the distribution, localization and morphological features of lens histamine-containing structures. Studies were performed using the lenses of 37 intact outbred male rats sacrificed at the same time of the day. The methods of light and luminescent microscopy and cytospectofluorometry were applied to obtain the quantitative characteristics and detailed morphological description of histamine-containing structures in the different parts of lens. It was shown that all the epithelial cells and cells-fibers of the lens contain histamine. Depending upon the degree of condensation of nuclear chromatin and their histamine content, the nuclei of lens cells could be subdivided into two types: type A nuclei with high histamine content and high degree of chromatin condensation; type B nuclei with low histamine concentration and slight chromatin condensation.

Fluorescent granular cells of the thymus can be identified as dendritic macrophages.

Fluorescent granular cells of the thymus lobule containing neurotransmitter monoamines express Ia antigen and S-100 protein, which attests to their macrophage origin; positive staining with aldehyde fuchsin points to secretion of peptide hormones by these cells. These facts and the absence of phagocytic activity allow to identify these cells as dendritic macrophages.

Neurotransmitter bioamine supply of thymic and lymph node structures during treatment with somatotropic hormone.

The effects of somatotropic hormone on bioamine-containing structures of immunocompetent organs in rats were studied after 1, 3, 7, and 14 days of treatment by fluorescent histochemical methods and microspectrofluorometry. The effect of somatotropic hormone on immune processes can be mediated by changes in the neurotransmitter content in the thymus and lymph nodes.

[The luminescence histochemical characteristics of the early reaction of monoamine-containing structures in the thymus to antigenic exposures]. / Liuminestsentno-gistokhimicheskaia kharakteristika rannei reaktsii monoaminosoderzhashchikh struktur timusa na antigennye vozdeistviia.

Fluorescent-histochemical methods were used to study changes of the monoamine content in microstructures (nervous and not nervous) during the first minutes and hours after contact of organism with the corpuscular transplantation, soluble and tumorous antigens. Experiments were carried out in 70 male Wistar, August and albino laboratory rats. Animals treated with isotonic solution of sodium chloride with Indian ink, autoerythrocytes, isotransplantation and sham operation were taken as control. Statistical significance was determined by the Student's criterion. Moncevichute-Eringene method, non-parametric criterion of Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney. The thymus monoamin-containing structures creating the monoamine maintenance of microenvironment of thymocytes (macrophage-like cells of the premedullary and subcapsular zones, mast cells and adrenergic nerve fibers) are described. Results of experiments with different antigens (of the T- and B-dependent character) made it possible to detect the fluorescent-histochemical syndrome of the early phase of immunity, which is characterized by the following features: visualization of the release of the fluorescing product from the adrenergic nerve fibers to the thymocytes, changed intensity of fluorescence of noradrenaline and serotonin in premedullary and subcapsular cells, better detectability of MAO, phospholipids in them. Details of the general syndrome change depending on the kind of the antigen and time of immunization.

[Seasonal changes in amine-containing structures of the thymus during the 1st hour of antigen effects]. / Sezonnye izmeneniia aminosoderzhashchikh struktur timusa v pervyi chas antigennogo vozdeistviia.

Using luminescent-histochemical and microspectrofluorimetric techniques, the combination of early visual and quantitative changes of catecholamine and serotonin content in biogenic amine-containing thymus structures during the first hour contact of the body with the T-dependent antigen (sheep red blood cells) has been studied. The experiments were made on 60 male rats of Wistar-2 line, white laboratory rats in spring and autumn. The degree and direction of the changes were found to depend on the baseline neuromediator levels.

[Functional morphology of the adrenergic innervation and adrenocontaining structures of the lymphoid organs]. / Funktsional'naia morfologiia adrenergicheskoi innervatsii i adrenosoderzhashchikh struktur limfoidnykh organov.

Topography of adrenergic neural fibres and adrenodependent structures in lymphoid organs of some mammals (rat, cat, dog, guinea-pig, golden hamster) has been studied by means of Falck's method with other histochemical methods applied simultaneously. In thymus, spleen, tonsils, lymph nodes and appendix adrenergic innervation is performed at the expense of adventitial vascular plexus and some neural fibres directed towards the organs' parenchyma. In the parenchyma of the lymphoid organs some fluorescent interfollicular macrophages and intrafollicular cells with serotonin and catecholamines in their cytoplasm were detected spectroscopically. These two types of cells respond differently to increasing amount of free amines in the organism. Orthochromic mast cells and elastic fibres also possess fluoresent properties which are connected with the presence of serotonin and catecholamines in the lymphoid organs.

[Activity and distribution of biogenic amines in thymus and spleen structures following administration of iso- and heterologous erythrocytes]. / Aktivnost' i raspredelenie biogennykh aminov v strukturakh timusa i selezenki pri vvedenii izo- i geterologichnykh éritrotsitakh.

It was found that injection of heterological erythrocytes caused as soon as in 15 minutes displacement of noradrenaline from the efferent nerve endings and an essential re-building of metabolism of the central follicular cells and monoamine containing cells of the spleen marginal sinus, cortical fluorescent cells and mast cells of the thymus. Inversion of the medullary substance was revealed in the thymus.