Academic literature on the topic 'Anatomical and morphological features'

This study describes the gross anatomical, histological and surface morphological features of the oropharynx and proximal oesophagus of the emu in order to address the scarcity of information on this region in this commercially important bird. Heads obtained from birds at slaughter (and a younger and older bird from emergency farm slaughter) were used for this study and described using basic gross anatomical and histological techniques, supplemented by scanning electron microscopy. The findings of the study were compared with the relevant literature. The oral and pharyngeal cavities could not be morphologically separated and formed a single cavity. This cavity was dorso-ventrally flattened and clearly divided, both on the floor and the roof, into rostral pigmented and caudal non-pigmented parts. The non-pigmented floor housed the tongue and laryngeal mound which had a wide glottis and no papillae. The choana was triangular-shaped, with a small caudo-lateral fold on either side, and was situated in the nonpigmented part of the roof. Caudal to the choana were two rounded pharyngeal folds with a pitted ventral surface. A small bilateral projection from the caudo-lateral edge consisted mainly of diffuse lymphoid tissue. The pharyngeal folds contained numerous large simple branched tubular mucus-secreting glands as well as large accumulations of lymphoid tissue. The pigmented regions of the roof and floor were aglandular and lined by a keratinised stratified squamous epithelium which, particularly in the roof, contained numerous Herbst corpuscles in the underlying connective tissue. SEM revealed the surface to be composed of sheets of desquamating flattened polygonal cells. The non-pigmented regions were glandular and lined by a non-keratinised stratified squamous epithelium. Surface cells displayed a pattern of microplicae or microvilli while individual surface cells were seen to desquamate. The connective tissue housed small, simple tubular and large, simple branched tubular mucus-secreting glands, Herbst corpuscles (only absent from the pharyngeal folds and proximal oesophagus), lymphoid tissue, blood vessels and nerves. The glands of the upper digestive tract were polystomatic and named as follows according to their location: Caudal intermandibular, lingual, crico-arytenoid, oral angular, caudal palatine, pharyngeal and oesophageal. The openings of the glands to the surface were seen on SEM as variably sized holes on the surface, some being obscured by mucus secretions from the underlying glands. Taste receptors were sparse and present only in the caudal non-pigmented oropharyngeal floor, tongue root and proximal oesophagus. Accumulations of lymphoid tissue were identified at the junction between the two regions of the roof, and in the non-pigmented roof, the non-pigmented floor, tongue ventrum, root and frenulum, proximal oesophagus and pharyngeal folds. The consistent dense accumulation of lymphoid tissue in the pharyngeal folds constituted pharyngeal tonsils (Lymphonoduli pharyngeales). The lymphoid tissue of the non-pigmented floor was visible macroscopically as round raised nodules. Specific, unnamed larger lymphoid tissue aggregations were located at the junction of the tongue ventrum and frenulum and in the small folds lateral to the choana. Surface morphology, as seen by SEM, revealed a pattern of microridges on the surface cells of the keratinised areas, whereas the surface cells of the non-keratinised areas displayed microplicae, microvilli and cilia. Microvilli and cilia were associated with the gland openings and ducts. The proximal oesophagus was a cylindrical tube with a longitudinally folded mucosa and displayed the typical tissue layers described in birds. The mucosa was formed by a nonkeratinised stratified epithelium which on SEM showed minimal surface desquamation. The lamina propria contained numerous simple tubular mucus-secreting glands which sometimes branched and occasional diffuse lymphoid tissue aggregations. The gland openings to the surface were seen on SEM as small and large dark holes. The muscularis mucosae was very prominent and was a longitudinal smooth muscle layer separating the mucosa from the submucosa. The tunica muscularis was composed of a thicker inner circular and a thinner outer longitudinal smooth muscle layer surrounded by the outer loose connective tissue forming the tunica adventitia. The emu tongue was divided into a body and a root. The body was triangular, dorso-ventrally flattened, pigmented and displayed caudally directed lingual papillae on both the lateral and caudal margins. The root, a more conspicuous structure in comparison to other ratites, was triangular, with a raised bulbous component folding over the rostral part of the laryngeal fissure. The lingual skeleton was formed by the triangular-shaped paraglossum (hyaline cartilage), forming the core of the tongue body, and the rostral projection of the basihyale, ventral to the paraglossum. Following the general trend in ratites, the emu tongue was greatly reduced in comparison to the bill length and specifically adapted for swallowing during the cranioinertial method of feeding employed by palaeognaths. The tongue was invested by a non-keratinised stratified squamous epithelium. The glands in the connective tissue formed the bulk of the parenchyma and were composed of both small simple tubular and large simple branched tubular mucus-secreting glands similar to those seen in the oropharynx. The lingual glands were grouped as follows: dorsal and rostro-ventral (large glands), caudo-ventral and radical (large and small glands) and frenular (small glands). The large glands were visible macroscopically as doughnut-shaped structures. Melanocytes were absent from the tongue ventrum and occasionally from the tongue root. Lymphoid tissue was absent from the tongue dorsum. Herbst corpuscles were present in the tongue body and root and generally closely associated with the large mucus-secreting glands. The surface morphology varied in the different regions of the tongue. The dorsal and rostro-ventral tongue body showed individual desquamating cells and large gland openings only, the caudo-lateral ventrum showed less desquamation and both large and small openings. The mid-ventral aspect had an undulating uneven appearance with round raised cells on the surface which were densely packed with microvilli. Very large, large and small openings were present in this region and ciliated cells occurred in the vicinity of gland openings. This study presented various unique findings regarding the morphology of the emu oropharynx compared to other ratites. Although the sense of taste has been confirmed in many avian species, this study presented the first evidence of taste in the emu and ratites in general and suggests the possibility of taste being previously overlooked in the other birds studied (ostrich and greater rhea). The tongue root of the emu was clearly defined and is unique in structure and possible function amongst the ratites and other birds. Previously unmentioned functions of the emu tongue revealed by this study include: touch (Herbst corpuscles), taste (taste bud), lubrication and mechanical protection (mucus-secreting glands), immunological (lymphoid tissue) and digestive (swallowing). It was also noted that the various structures and organs of the oropharynx revealed important and often interesting differences between the emu and the other ratites documented. The prominent serrations of the rostral mandibular tomia of the emu also appear to be unique amongst ratites. The presence and wide distribution of Herbst corpuscles within the emu oropharynx and tongue show these areas to be highly sensitive to touch. The caudo-lateral projections of the pharyngeal folds effectively formed pharyngeal tonsils, a feature not apparent in other ratites. Despite the differences noted between the emu and other ratites it was possible to discern a common pattern of structures and features, with their modifications, both within and forming the oropharynx in this group of birds.<br>Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2009.<br>Anatomy and Physiology<br>unrestricted

Знання будови лабораторних тварин являється важливою умовою для отримання точних результатів під час досліджень та їх інтерпретації. Метою дослідження є порівняння анатомо-морфологічних особливостей язика людини та лабораторних щурів.

AQPs are a class of small, hydrophobic, integral membrane proteins that are able to make the cell membrane 10 to 100 fold more permeable than the membranes lacking such channels. Based on studies with AQP1, it appears that AQPs exist in the plasma membrane as homotetramers. Each AQP monomer contains 2 hemi-pores, which fold together to form a water channel. Different aqps have different patterns of glycosylation. In the case of AQP1 the peptide backbone is roughly 28 kDa and the glycosylated forms range from 40 to 60 kDa in mass. Water transport activity of AQP1 is inhibited by mercurial ion, and the site of mercurial inhibition is the cysteine in the E loop. I have personally verified that using the bovine ovary granulosa cell swelling and shrinkage as a model for mercurial inhibition. The shortest pathway for water to reach the follicle antral cavity is the transcellular pathway directly through the cytoplasm of granulosa cells. In this first experiment we have considered the functional presence of Hg2+-sensitive Aqps in isolated granulosa cells assessing changes in cell volume in presence or absence of HgCl2. Each of the AQPs has an essentially unique pattern of expression among tissues and during development. In humans 13 AQPs have been identified to date although this number pales in comparison to the greater than 100 related proteins found in plants and bacteria. The landmark discovery of AQPs starts the era of molecular water channels, which has permeated virtually every branch of biology and medicine. A number of recent studies have revealed the importance of mammalian AQPs in both physiology and pathophysiology and have suggested that pharmacological modulation of aquaporin expression and activity may provide new tools for the treatment of variety of human disorders, such as brain edema, glaucoma, tumour growth, fertility and obesity in which water and small solute transport may be involved. Since multiple isoforms of AQPs are differentially expressed in cells and tissues, their localization to specific cells and membrane domains is critical to understanding the role of each AQP in the transfer of water and small solutes. Balancement of water concentration within the uterine environment is important in every reproductive moment of a female mammal life. Rapid transcellular water movements are facilitated by AQPs that increase plasma membrane permeability. The results from my research showed that AQP-mediated water movement between the intraluminal, interstitial, and capillary compartments is crucial in the uterine imbibition mechanism in the bitch, including periodic stromal oedema in preparation for embryo implantation, with evidence that the expression of different AQPs can be regulated by steroid sex hormones. Also, the importance of the AQP-mediated fluid regulation in uterine environment in the peri-implantation period is known in the woman and laboratory mammals, to assure the successful implantation of blastocyst and its survival. The establishment of pregnancy and its maintenance is dependent on strict synchronization of uterine receptivity with embryonic maturation. Water homeostasis during foetal development is of crucial physiologic importance. Amniotic fluid (AF) provides the fluid-filled compartment that is essential for normal foetal growth, movement and development. Placental water flux is an important factor in determining AF volume and fetal hydration, too. AF changes during gestation may be dependent on modulations in solute as well as water permeability and changes in AQPs during gestation suggest their role in mediating placental and membrane water flow. AQPs are channel proteins expressed in cell membranes of many epithelia involved in fluid transport and several AQPs have been identified in adult rat excurrent ducts, where considerable fluid reabsorption occurs. Concerning the morphological changes allowed by the AQP influence in the male reproductive tract I considered first of all the role of AQPs in the epididymis of a domestic species, the cat, and two animal models, the rat and the lamb. Ultrastructural features of the epithelium lining the efferent ducts (ED) in the cat, as in other mammalian species, are strongly indicative of an absorptive activity taking place towards the intraluminal fluids. It is well-known that more than 95% of the fluid leaving the testis is reabsorbed by the ED, but the cell structures involved in the reabsorption processes are still a matter of debate. The purpose of the present work was to study the absorptive pathways in the ED of adult cats by means of 1) the immunohistochemical localization of different isoformes of the AQPs and 2) the localization and the carbohydrate characterization of the endocytotic apparatus by means of the lectin histochemistry. AQP-mediated trans-cellular route together with fluid phase glycocalix-mediated endocytosis. Maternal undernutrition and, under certain circumstances, overnutrition, during pregnancy or during early postnatal life can alter reproductive function of the offspring. It is known that epididymal morphology in adult rats is affected by undernutrition during fetal to prepubertal life. For this study I tested the influence of pre- and postnatal undernutrition on AQP-expression in the adult male genital tract. Exposure to environmental endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) during pregnancy in animals and humans is associated with reduced sperm counts and increased incidences of testicular cancer and reproductive tract abnormalities. Although male fetuses from pregnant ewes exposed to EDCs contained in sewage sludge fertiliser (a “real life” exposure model) exhibit fewer testicular Sertoli and Leydig cells, the epididymis has not been investigated. The movement of fluids and small solutes in the epididymis is critical for adult sperm maturation and this process is regulated, in part, by the AQPs. I examined the effects of sewage sludge exposure on the expression of AQPs in the late gestation fetal epididymis. The results I obtained suggest that exposure to environmental chemicals may affect the capacity of efferent ducts to transport water and small solutes thus influencing fluid resorption, protein synthesis and secretion. Ultimately, this may impact on sperm viability in the adult. Another research item was the study of some factors which control the growth of the gubernaculum testis and regression of the cranial suspensory ligament during foetal development, resulting in transabdominal descent of the testes. INSL3, also known as Leydig insulin-like peptide or relaxin-like factor, is supposed to induce the growth of the gubernaculum in male foetuses, thus being directly responsible for the testicular descent in humans and rodents. This is believed to happen with the LGR8 receptor intervention. A study led during my PhD provides evidence of the immunolocalization of INSL3 in the Leydig cells of dog male foetuses and of LGR8 receptor in different tissues of the gubernaculums testis of the same foetuses. AQPs are also involved in the water imbibition of gubernaculum testis: dog foetuses gubernacula showed a high expression of AQP1, AQP3, AQP4 and AQP9 respectively in blood vessels, smooth muscles, connective tissue and fat. As well known AQPs are ubiquitarly distributed in the body maintaining all the same the specific function as channels to permeate water and small solutes. I collaborated with the University of Perugia regarding the immunolocalization of AQP5 in the sheep salivary glands in relation to the pasture vegetative cycle. AQP5 is widely expressed in exocrine glands; in particular, in the rat salivary glands AQP5 is highly expressed in the apical plasma membrane of serous acinar cells, in the secretory canaliculi and in the intercalated duct cells, while it is lacking in mucous acinar cells and in striated ducts, indicating its important role in the saliva production (further supported by the observation of markedly depressed rates of salivary secretion in APQ5-deficient mice. I studied the presence of AQP5 in sheep parotid and mandibular glands, and its expression in the different stages of pasture vegetative cycle. AQP5 is expressed in parotid gland and the reactivity was higher when animals were fed on grasslands at the end of vegetative cycle than on grasslands at the maximum of vegetative development. Ultimately I collaborated to a study created by the Reproduction Unit of the University of Milan regarding the relationship between nutrition and reproductive efficiency in the mare. Leptin, the hormone product of ob gene expression, is an important endocrine indicator of adipose mass and nutritional status, as well as an important regulator of various aspects of feed intake, growth, metabolism and reproduction. Leptin amount in the blood is proportional to body energy stores and/or body mass, so, inadequate nutrition might impair reproductive function leading, for example, to the delayed onset of puberty. Indeed, the onset of puberty in humans and animals is associated with an increase in fat and consequent increase in circulating leptin, suggesting that leptin may be required for normal growth and development of reproductive organs. In the mare, besides many reports quantifying the correlation of circulating concentration of leptin with body condition scores1,2, only few informations exist about the presence of leptin (Ob) and leptin receptor (Ob-R) in the ovary or in the oocyte. The results support the hypothesis that in the horse leptin is differently localized during oocyte IVM showing different immunoreaction intensity related either to the horse breed or to the reproductive puberal development. The presence of leptin in the ovary could suggest a possible involvement in oocyte maturation, angiogenesis, follicle rupture or subsequent corpus luteum formation. Moreover, leptin may be involved in the determination of the animal pole of the oocyte and in the establishment of the inner cell mass and trophoblast in the embryo.

Kyoto University (京都大学)<br>0048<br>新制・課程博士<br>博士(農学)<br>甲第17904号<br>農博第2027号<br>新制||農||1018(附属図書館)<br>学位論文||H25||N4800(農学部図書室)<br>30724<br>京都大学大学院農学研究科森林科学専攻<br>(主査)教授 杉山 淳司, 教授 矢野 浩之, 教授 髙部 圭司<br>学位規則第4条第1項該当

Fascial-aponeurotic structure of neck is characterized by complexity of topographic relationships and anatomical structures variability that can be crucial while performing surgeries on neck. Despite long-term comprehensive study of the morphology of neck structures, contentious issues still remain uncertain, for example classification of neck fascia and anatomical roofs of neck triangles.

Bibliography: leaves 334-355.<br>This thesis examines the morphology and anatomy of monocots from the standpoint of both taxic and growth form diversity and attempts to address the problems encountered in classifying and naming the structures which comprise the axial system of monocots. The morphology and anatomy of the growth habits of a variety of monocots were described using standard sectioning and light microscope procedures.

Includes bibliographical references.<br>Families with hereditary non-polyposis colorectal carcinoma (HNPCC) are not uncommon along the West-Coast of South Africa. These patients present with early onset carcinomas mostly colorectal, predominantly in the right colon. They may develop tumours of other organs, including uterus, breast, stomach and skin. To evaluate and compare the microscopic characteristics of three groups of colorectal carcinomas (HNPCC, early onset colorectal carcinomas and sporadic colorectal carcinomas). 2. To determine the features most characteristic of the group.