Journal of Basic and Applied Zoology最新文献

In Malpolon monspessulana, the nervus oculomotorius arises from the ventral side of the pars peduncularis mesencephali of the midbrain by a single root. It runs closely applied to both the nervus abducens and the ramus nasalis of the nervus trigeminus. These nerves together with the nervus trochlearis leave the cranial cavity through the foramen orbitale magnum. Within this foramen the nervus oculomotorius divides into two rami: superior and inferior. The two rami innervate the rectus superior, rectus inferior, rectus medialis and the obliquus inferior muscles. The nervus trochlearis arises from the lateral side of the mesencephalon by a single root and passes to innervate the obliquus superior muscle. The nervus abducens arises from the ventral side of the medulla oblongata by a single root and passes for a distance through the vidian canal excavated in the parachordal cartilage. It innervates the rectus lateralis muscle. The eye muscle nerves carry special somatic motor fibres. The ciliary ganglion receives the preganglionic parasympathetic fibres from the ramus inferior of the nervus oculomotorius via the radix ciliaris brevis. Both the radix ciliaris longa and sympathetic root are absent. The ciliary ganglion is a well defined mass located in the postorbital region, irregular in shape formed of one type of neuron and gives off only one ciliary nerve.

We investigated variations in the shape and size of some bones and their adaptive significances in both sexes of the migratory yellow breasted bunting (Emberiza aureola Pallas, 1773) and resident house sparrow (Passer domesticus Linnaeus, 1758) and tree sparrow (Passer montanus Linnaeus, 1758). Measurements of the large bones like skull, beak, orbit, sternum, coracoid, scapula, femur, tibiotarsus, humerus and metatarsus were recorded to find out variations in their measurements. The skull, cranial and sternum indices were also calculated. An attempt was also made to correlate the structural differences of these bones between migratory and nonmigratory species and also between sexes with their adaptive significances. Principal component analysis indicated 84.79% of the total variance. Discriminant function analysis shows distinct separation in the bone lengths between the resident and migratory birds while there was little overlap between the sexes. The proportion of original grouped cases correctly classified was found to be 95.0%. Migratory bunting showed significantly longer sternum, tibiotarsus, femur and humerus beside a higher sternum when compared to those of resident sparrows. On the other hand, beak width, sternum width and indices of cranium and sternum, were more in resident sparrows. Thus, our studied birds seem to possess species specific adaptations by modifying their bones to fit their modes of living and conditions for better endurance and performance.

The histological features and histochemical characterization of the stomach were investigated in Mystus cavasius (Hamilton), Oreochromis niloticus (Linnaeus) and Gudusia chapra (Hamilton) having different feeding habits. Histologically the stomach of all the three fishes was made up of mucosa, submucosa, muscularis and serosa. The mucosa of superficial epithelium consists of a single layer of compactly arranged columnar epithelial cells. Prominent gastric glands are present in M. cavasius whereas in G. chapra the gastric glands are totally absent in the gizzard like stomach. However, in O. niloticus tubular gastric glands are present in the glandular epithelium of caecal like stomach. The distribution and chemical nature of mucopolysaccharides in the aforementioned fishes were studied histochemically by employing Periodic Acid Schiff’s in combination with the Alcian Blue (PAS–AB) technique. Columnar epithelial cells lining the mucosa of the stomach including mucosal border were provided with exclusively neutral mucin which was probably involved in the protective functions against acid and enzymes. The different intensities of reaction of Best Carmine (BC) for glycogen in the epithelial lining and gastric glands of the stomach of the aforesaid three fish species under study were discussed. The intense reaction for protein and tryptophan was noticed in the gastric epithelium and gastric glands of M. cavasius probably due to accumulation of zymogen granules in the gastric glands. On the contrary, moderate reaction for protein and tryptophan was associated with the epithelial cells and gastric glands of O. niloticus and G. chapra. The cytoarchitecture and different degrees of localization of mucopolysaccharides, glycogen, protein and tryptophan in the stomach of M. cavasius, O. niloticus and G. chapra were correlated with the functional significance of the region concerned.

The present study was planned to find the effect of different feeding habits on the structure of the duodenum and small intestine of adult, prenatal and postnatal of both fructivorous Rousettus aegyptiacus and the insectivorous Taphozous nudiventris using the histological and the histochemical techniques. Histologically, the duodenal wall of R. aegyptiacus and T. nudiventris is composed of the typical layers: mucosa, submucosa, muscularis and serosa, we observed that the mucosa with finger like villi and very sharp apices in prenatal and adult of R. aegyptiacus but compact finger like villi in T. nudiventris. Scattered among the columnar epithelium goblet cells which less numerous in R. aegyptiacus than in T. nudiventris. Brunner’s glands are less numerous also in R. aegyptiacus than in T. nudiventris. In postnatal the mucosa with pyramidal like villi in R. aegyptiacus and finger like villi in T. nudiventris. In ileum the intestinal glands are less numerous in R. aegyptiacus than in T. nudiventris. In prenatal the goblet cells are less developed in R. aegyptiacus and T. nudiventris. The intestinal glands are less developed also in R. aegyptiacus and T. nudiventris but in the postnatal the goblet cells and the intestinal gland are few in number in both R. aegyptiacus and T. nudiventris.

Toxic insults lead to increased α-synuclein expression in dopaminergic neurons. However, little information is known about α-synuclein alterations in relation to tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) changes in locus coeruleus (LC) of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) rat model for Parkinson’s disease (PD). Four injections (15 mg/kg each) of the neurotoxicant MPTP to rats led to an upregulation of α-synuclein level and increased immunoreactivity with aggregated protein in the MPTP-treated group as revealed by Western blotting and immunohistochemical techniques. Meanwhile, MPTP reduced the level of and caused immunoreactivity toward TH antibody in LC and adjoining noradrenergic neurons. These data indicate that MPTP can induce α-synuclein alterations in other brain regions that have been implicated in the pathogenesis of PD. The findings are also consistent with a pattern that α-synuclein modification influences the TH level.

Total bacterial counts on hatching eggshell surface were significantly (P < 0.05) reduced as a result of using all disinfectants with different concentrations and formaldehyde fumigation treatments compared with those for eggs before treatment except for those subjected to water only which are considered as control with water. Chemical disinfectants significantly reduced the eggshell total bacterial count from 7.07 Logs to 2.41 Logs with 65.9% reduction and decreased again to 1.96 Logs with 72.3% reduction before setting in the incubator. Also, natural disinfectants significantly reduced the total bacterial count from 7.0 Logs to 1.86 Logs with 73.7% reduction and decreased again to 1.34 Logs with 81% reduction before setting in the incubator. Whereas, treatment with formaldehyde fumigation significantly reduced the bacterial count from 7.07 Logs to 2.53 Log with 64.2% reduction, but the bacterial count had increased numerically again during storage and before setting in the incubator to 4.20 Logs. Chemical disinfectant effects on developing chick embryos resulted in retarded growth as reflected by malformed limbs and beaks and muscle weakness was seen in a few hatched chicks. The mitotic indices of the spinal cord for chicks from egg treated by cumin 0.2% at 3rd and 4th day of age are slightly higher being 5.5% and 4.8% respectively, than those for other treatment and control groups. The mitotic index revealed that there was a significant (P < 0.05) difference between all disinfection and control groups on days 4, 7 and 10 of incubation with respect to skin systems, whereas skin system of newly hatched chicks did not demonstrate any significant differences between mitotic indices of experimented groups. Mitotic indices of embryonic dermal system on days 4 and 10 of incubation were slightly higher for natural disinfectant (being 4.7 and 0.1) compared with those for the chemical disinfectant (being 4 and 0.6), formaldehyde fumigation (being 3 and 0.4) and control group (being 4 and 0.9).

Procambarus clarkii juveniles were used as an aquatic model to investigate growth performance and immune parameters after 6 weeks of feeding with supplementation of ten experimental diets containing 1%, 2%, 3% Biogen® (as probiotics), Allium sativum (garlic) and Cynodon dactylon (as immunostimulant) and one concentration (3 g/L) of sodium alginate (as prebiotics), compared with feeding on control basal diets only. All supplementation diets increased survival rates and wet weight, while, 1% and 2% C. dactylon showed a significant (P ⩽ 0.05) increase in weight gain percentage (WG%), and specific growth rate (SGR). Feeding with diet containing 2% Biogen®, 2% and 3% garlic and sodium alginate showed a significant (P ⩽ 0.05) increase in SGR rate after 6 weeks. Synergetic effect of 1% and 3% Biogen® and sodium alginate in total hemocytes count (THC) which increased significantly (P ⩽ 0.05) after 6 weeks of feeding. Prophenoloxidase activity increased with all supplemented diets. While SOD increased significantly with 3% C. dactylon, 1% and 3% garlic and 2% Biogen. The results indicated that Biogen®, garlic, C. dactylon and sodium alginate inclusion with a basal diet had the potential to improve the growth and immune response of P. clarkii juveniles, hence this enables us to use the three supplementation diets in fish and prawn farms to improve their growth and immune parameters.

In contrast to mice, rats are less-susceptible to infection with Schistosoma mansoni, perhaps mounting protective immune responses that provide a microenvironment unfavorable for the normal growth and survival of the parasite. Upon infection, schistosomular excretory–secretory products (ESP) trigger T helper (Th) effector cells and polarize the immune microenvironment. We investigated the differences in mouse and rat immune responses to the larval ESP, 14-3-3-like protein, P18, and fructose-1,6-bisphosphate aldolase, prepared in a recombinant or multiple antigen peptide form. Ex vivo spleen cells (SC) of naïve, and 7 day-S. mansoni-infected CD1 mice and Wistar rats were stimulated in vitro with the selected ESP, and the culture supernatants were assessed for cytokine levels by capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. S. mansoni ESP failed to induce SC of 7 day-infected mice to produce detectable interleukin (IL)-4 levels, but led to significant increase in released interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) as compared to naïve mice. Conversely, SC of rats released significant IL-4 levels in response to ESP stimulation, while IFN-γ was hardly detected in the supernatants. Amounts of ESP-specific antibodies in infected rats were significantly higher than in infected mice. Our results suggest that resistance to schistosomiasis is associated with type 2 cytokines and high levels of parasite ESP-specific antibodies.

The present species Triops cancriformis simplex was not recorded in Taif and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia before. The present work is a confirmatory study to indicate the identity of this species in the ephemeral freshwater bodies in Taif, KSA and to ascertain that, if there is any other Triops species in the same area or not. Four sites were investigated in Taif governorate; Wadi Al-Arj, Saysed, Jabajeb pool and Ghadeer Al-Banat. The animal was not recorded in the first two sites all the year. The specimens were collected from Jabajeb pool on Al-Hada road and Ghadeer Al-Banat at Al-Roddaf region. No specimens were found in these sites during winter and autumn but they start in late spring and summer. One hundred and seven specimens were collected from both sites in this period. The animal was morphologically described to be distinguished from the other large branchiopods species. The supra-anal plate is absent, the dorsal organ of the present species is rounded, second maxilla is present, no supernumerary spines on apodous rings, the carina of T. c. simplex is smooth without spines in front of its terminal spine and presence of small spines on the furca.

The leaf litter decomposition is carried out by the combined action of microorganisms and decomposer invertebrates such as earthworms, diplopods and isopods. The present work aimed to evaluate the impact of terrestrial isopod on leaf litter decomposition process. In Lab experimental food sources from oak and magnolia leaves litter were prepared. Air dried leaf litter were cut to 9 mm discs and sterilized in an autoclave then soaked in distilled water or water percolated through soil and left to decompose for 2, 4 and 6 weeks. 12 groups from two isopods species Porcellio scaber and Armadillidium vulgare, were prepared with each one containing 9 isopods. They were fed individually on the prepared food for 2 weeks. The prepared food differed in Carbon stable isotope ratio (δ¹³C), C%, N% and C/N ratios. At the end of the experiment, isopods were dissected and separated into gut, gut content and rest of the body. The δ¹³C for the prepared food, faecal pellets, remaining food, gut content, gut and rest of isopod were compared. The feeding activities of the two isopods were significantly different among isopods groups. Consumption and egestion ratios of magnolia leaf were higher than oak leaf. P. scaber consumed and egested litter higher than A. vulgare. The present results suggested that the impact of isopods and decomposition processes is species and litter specific.