Journal of Microscopy and Ultrastructure最新文献

Context: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a challenging neurodegenerative disease, and Vitamin D was proved to have neuroprotective effects.

Aim: This study was conducted to evaluate the potential neuroprotective effects of Vitamin D3 supplementation on AlCl₃-induced AD rat model in different hippocampal subregions (CA1, CA2, and CA3). It also aimed to compare the protective effects of protective versus therapeutic effects of Vitamin D3 regiments on the number of degenerated neurons and the neuronal layer thickness.

Materials and methods: Twenty-four adult male Albino Wister rats were sorted into GI: control; GII: AlCl₃-AD model (100 mg/kg) orally for 42 days; GIII: Rats were co-treated with AlCl₃ (as GII) and Vitamin D₃ (400 IU/kg/day) orally for 42 days; GIV: Rats were treated with AlCl₃ for 42 days then with Vitamin D₃ for further 2 weeks. Sagittal sections (5 μ) from paraffin-processed brains previously fixed in 10% neutral-buffered formalin were stained with hematoxylin and eosin to evaluate the thickness and number of degenerated neurons in the hippocampal CA1, CA2, and CA3 subregions.

Statistical analysis: The results of this study were expressed as mean ± standard deviation and analyzed by using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, version 23 (IBM SPSS, IBM Corp., Armonk, N.Y., USA). P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results: Vitamin D₃ supplementations modulated the degenerative changes observed in the hippocampus of AD rat model. In all hippocampal subregions, the thickness was higher in rats treated with Vitamin D₃ after the AD induction than rats treated with Vitamin D₃ during AD induction. However, this increase was only significant in CA2. Comparison of the number of degenerated neurons between both groups treated with Vitamin D₃ revealed that in CA1, the number of degenerated neurons did not statistically differ between the two groups. However, it was insignificantly lower in CA2 in rats treated with Vitamin D₃ after the AD induction, and in CA3, it was insignificantly lower in rats treated with Vitamin D₃ during the AD induction.

Conclusions: Vitamin D₃ was found to be effective in ameliorating histological and morphometric alterations in AlCl₃-induced AD in rat model and could be proposed as both preventive and therapeutic supplements in high-risk AD patients.

Introduction: Stem cell therapy is a highly promising strategy in various degenerative diseases. Intranasal administration of stem cells could be considered as a non-invasive treatment option. However, there is great debate concerning the ability of stem cells to reach distant organs. It is also unclear in such a case if they can alleviate age-related structural changes in these organs.

Aim: The aim of this study is to evaluate the ability of intranasal administration of adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) to reach distant organs of rats at different time intervals and to investigate their effects on age-related structural changes in these organs.

Materials and methods: Forty-nine female Wistar rats were used in this study, seven of which were adults (6-month-old) and 42 were aged (2-year-old). Rats were divided into three-groups: Group-I (adult control), Group-II (aged), and Group-III (aged ADSCs treated). Rats of Groups I and II were sacrificed after 15 days from the beginning of the experiment. Rats of Group III were treated with intranasal ADSCs and were sacrificed after 2-h, 1-day, 3-day, 5-day, and 15-day. Heart, liver, kidney, and spleen specimens were collected and processed for H and E, CD105 immunohistochemistry, and immunofluorescent techniques. Morphometric study and statistical analysis were performed.

Results: ADSCs appeared in all organs examined after 2-h of intranasal administration. Their maximum presence was detected after 3-day of administration, after which their immunofluorescence gradually decreased and nearly disappeared from these organs by the 15^th day. Improvement of some age-related deterioration in the structure of the kidney and liver occurred at day 5 after intranasal administration.

Conclusions: ADSCs effectively reached the heart, liver, kidney, and spleen after intranasal administration. ADSCs ameliorated some age-related changes in these organs.

Introduction: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is one of the most formidable health problems for mankind. These carcinomas are characterized by invasion of epithelial tumor cells into the stroma, which get embedded in extracellular matrix and collagen producing reactive changes. Such changes in the stroma may alter the biological aggressiveness of the tumor. An attempt was made to evaluate the collagen changes in different grades of OSCC which can contribute to understanding the biologic behavior of oral cancer and predict clinical outcomes.

Aims and objectives: To assess the quantitative changes in collagen in different grades of OSCC using hematoxylin and eosin (H and E) and Picrosirius red (PSR) stain through spectrophotometry and to compare the efficacy of these stains for estimation of collagen.

Materials and methods: The study comprised a total sample size of 60, which were distributed under 4 different groups, each containing 15 samples. Group I to IV consisted of normal buccal mucosa, with well-, moderately-, and poorly-differentiated OSCC, respectively. The tissues of 10 μm thickness were stained with H and E and PSR for spectrophotometric analysis.

Results: The quantity of collagen decreased with increasing grades of OSCC. Comparison between two stains showed that PSR can provide a more reliable and accurate result than H and E.

Conclusion: Collagen estimation is one of the methods to assess the progression of tumor. The method used in the present study for collagen estimation in different grades of OSCC is reliable and accurate.