Body Organs Research Articles

Cholinergic system in patients with chronic kidney disease: cognitive and renal implications.

Cholinergic synapses are widespread throughout the human central nervous system. Their high density in the thalamus, neocortex, limbic system, and striatum suggests that cholinergic transmission plays a vital role in memory, attention, learning and other higher cognitive functions. As a result, the brain's cholinergic system occupies a central position in research on normal cognition and age-related cognitive decline, including dementias such as Alzheimer's disease. In addition to its role in the brain, neuronal cholinergic pathways are essential for the physiological regulation of bodily organs, including the kidneys, through the parasympathetic branch of the peripheral nervous system. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a non-communicable disease with a global prevalence of approximately 10%. Cognitive impairment is common among patients with CKD, with reported prevalence rates ranging from 30% to 60%, depending on definitions and assessment methods used. Given the importance of the cholinergic system in cognitive processes, it may be a key area of focus for evaluating cognitive function in this population. In this current narrative review, we will first examine evidence linking the cholinergic system to cognitive functions; with a specific focus on drugs that affect this system. we will then discuss the potential implications of cholinergic function in patients with CKD.

Absorbed dose differences between twin fetuses for pregnancy patients in CT examinations.

Estimation of the radiation dose to the fetus is essential for the assessment of radiation risks and benefits to pregnant patients undergoing radiological examinations. During the past decade, the global twinning rate has soared resulting from embryo assistance and increased delivery age. However, to the best of our knowledge, radiation dosimetry in multiple pregnancies from radiological imaging has never been reported before. The purpose of this study is to develop personalized computational models for twin fetuses based on clinical CT images of real pregnant patients and to estimate personalized radiation doses for twin fetuses from abdominal/pelvic CT examinations. Personalized computational phantoms representing pregnant females with twins at the second and third trimesters were constructed based on CT images of two pregnant patients. Monte Carlo calculations were performed using the MCNP transport code and three validated CT scanners to estimate the radiation dose of twin fetuses during abdominal and pelvic CT examinations. The absorbed fetal organ dose was calculated and compared between twins. For the same patient, the absolute difference in fetal organ dose between twins varies between 0.63% and 39.64% with an average value of 12.85%. The estimated total-body dose differences for twin fetuses were 11.55% and 7.51%, respectively, for pregnant patients at 22 and 30 weeks gestational age. The variations of body weight and organ mass affect the absorbed dose of twin fetuses. Personalized computational models provide more accurate fetal radiation dosimetry estimates for pregnant patients with twins. This work also contributes to a better understanding of model-induced uncertainties in external radiation dosimetry for the developing fetus.

Healthcare Industry and Environmental Sustainability: Radiology's Next Biggest Opportunity for Meaningful Change.

Climate change has widespread impacts on patient health, affecting most body organs. At the same time, healthcare systems are a large contributor to global greenhouse emissions and other environmental harms, yet very few such organizations have taken concrete steps to encourage sustainable practices. Radiology should drive sustainable change because we are one of the most energy intensive and one of the fastest growing specialties within healthcare. While most current efforts focus on decreasing carbon emissions and other impacts of individual modalities, radiologists ought to broaden their perspectives. Incentives and education for trainees and clinicians to reduce unnecessary imaging is paramount to decrease radiology's environmental impact. A three-pronged approach guides change: increasing sustainability of essential studies, leveraging education to decrease low-value imaging, and expanding equitable access to preventative (high-value) imaging services. If radiology takes the lead, other specialties may follow.

Relationship between gestational weight gain with fetal body composition and organ volumes in the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Fetal Dimensional Study: a prospective pregnancy cohort.

Inadequate and excessive gestational weight gain (GWG) are associated with increased risk of newborn small- and large-for-gestational-age, respectively, and future offspring adiposity. However, the relationship between GWG and three-dimensional (3D) measures of fetal body composition and organ volumes, which may provide greater insight into fetal growth via measurement of soft tissue, remains unknown. The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between trimester-specific GWG and 3D fetal body composition and organ volume measurements. In a diverse, US prospective pregnancy cohort, trimester-specific GWG was calculated as difference between maternal weight at beginning and end of each trimester, and categorized as inadequate, adequate, or excessive, per 2009 Institute of Medicine (IOM) guidelines. Up to five 3D ultrasound scans were completed across gestation, from which fetal body composition and organ volume measurements were obtained (n = 2675 pregnancies). The associations between trimester-specific GWG categories and 3D fetal body composition and organ volumes were assessed at 15, 29, and 39 weeks. Excessive compared with adequate GWG, in first and second trimesters was associated with larger abdominal circumference (n = 2430; 1st trimester: 1.29 cm, 95% CI: 0.74, 1.84; 2nd trimester: 2.98 cm, 95% CI: 1.62, 4.34) and abdominal area (n = 2401; 1st trimester: 22.04 mm2, 95% CI: 0.48, 43.60; 2nd trimester: 162.34 mm2, 95% CI: 76.25, 248.44), whereas excessive GWG in the first trimester was associated with larger arm subcutaneous tissue thickness (n = 1921; 0.01 cm, 95% CI: 0.00, 0.01). There was a trend toward increased fetal arm, thigh, kidney, and liver volumes and abdominal subcutaneous tissue, although differences did not reach the level of statistical significance for these structures. Excessive GWG was associated with greater fetal size primarily manifested by a pattern of fat accumulation across the fetal arm and abdomen. Future studies should examine whether these fetal changes have functional implications for childhood adiposity and metabolic dysfunction. This trial was registered at https://clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00912132 and NCT03266198.

A large reverse-genetic screen identifies numerous regulators of testis nascent myotube collective cell migration and collective organ sculpting.

Collective cell migration is critical for morphogenesis, homeostasis, and wound healing. Migrating mesenchymal cells form tissues that shape the body's organs. We developed a powerful model, exploring how Drosophila nascent myotubes migrate onto the testis during pupal development, forming the muscles ensheathing it and creating its characteristic spiral shape. To define genes regulating this, we used RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) to identify genes expressed in myotubes during migration. Using this dataset, we curated a list of 131 ligands, receptors, and cytoskeletal regulators, including all Rho/Ras/Rap1 regulators, as candidates. We then expressed 279 short hairpin RNAs (shRNAs)targeting these genes and examined adult testes. We identified 29 genes with diverse roles in morphogenesis. Some have phenotypes consistent with defective migration, while others alter testis shape in different ways, revealing the underlying logic of testis morphogenesis. We followed up on the Rho-family GEF dPix in detail. dPix knockdown drastically reduced migration and thus muscle coverage. Our data suggest different isoforms of dPix play distinct roles in this process and reveal a role for its partner Git. We also explored whether dPix regulates Cdc42 activity or cell adhesion. Our RNA-seq dataset and genetic analysis provide an important resource for the community to explore cell migration and organ morphogenesis.

A Comprehensive Review on GLP-1 Signaling Pathways in the Management of Diabetes Mellitus - Focus on the Potential Role of GLP-1 Receptors Agonists and Selenium among Various Organ Systems.

Diabetes Mellitus develops when the body becomes unable to fuel its cells with glucose, which results in the accumulation of sugar excess in the bloodstream. Because it has diverse pathophysiological impacts on the body, diabetes mellitus represents a significant issue of concern in an attempt to find suitable treatment modalities and medications for afflicted diabetic patients. Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) plays a pivotal role in the incretin effect, emerging as a prospective treatment for diabetes mellitus and a promising means of regenerating pancreatic cells, whether directly or through its receptor agonists. It has been shown that GLP-1 efficiently increases insulin production, lowers blood sugar levels in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, and decreases appetite, craving, and hunger, therefore amplifying the sensation of fullness and satiety. Moreover, since they are all dependent on GLP-1 effect, intricate signaling pathways share some similarities during specific phases, although the pathways continue to exhibit significant divergence engendered by specific reactions and effects in each organ, which encompasses the rationale behind observed differences. This triggers an expanding range of GLP-1 R agonists, creating new unforeseen research and therapeutic application prospects. This review aims to explain the incretin effect, discuss how GLP-1 regulates blood glucose levels, and how it affects different body organs, as well as how it transmits signals, before introducing selenium's role in the incretin impact.

Leveraging Metabolomics and Ionomics to Illuminate Aluminum-Induced Toxicity in Mouse Organs

Leveraging Metabolomics and Ionomics to Illuminate Aluminum-Induced Toxicity in Mouse Organs

Gene Therapy for Skin Aging.

Extrinsic and intrinsic factors contribute to skin aging; nonetheless, they are intertwined. Moreover, intrinsic skin aging mirrors age-related declines in the entire human body's internal organs. There is evidence that skin appearance is an indicator of the general health of somebody or a visual certificate of health. Earlier, it was apparent that the intrinsic factors are unalterable, but the sparkling of skin aging gene therapy on the horizon is changing this narrative. Skin aging gene therapy offers tools for skin rejuvenation, natural beauty restoration, and therapy for diseases affecting the entire skin. However, skin aging gene therapy is an arduous and sophisticated task relying on precise interim stimulation of telomerase to extend telomeres and wend back the biological clock in the hopes to find the fountain of youth, while preserving cells innate biological features. Finding the hidden fountain of youth will be a remarkable discovery for promoting aesthetics medicine, genecosmetics, and healthy aging. Caloric restriction offers ultimate health benefits and a reproducible way to promote longevity in mammals, while delaying age-related diseases. Moreover, exercise further enhances these health benefits. This article highlights the potential of skin aging gene therapy and foretells the emerging dawn of the genecosmetics era.

Age-related differences in gene expression and pathway activation following heatstroke.

This study investigates the molecular responses to heatstroke in young and old patients by comparing whole-genome transcriptomes between age groups. We analyzed transcriptomic profiles from patients categorized into two age-defined cohorts: young (mean age = 44.9 ± 6 yr) and old (mean age = 66.1 ± 4 yr). Control subjects, exposed to similar environmental heat conditions but without developing heatstroke, were also included in the analysis to provide a baseline for comparison. Despite uniform heatstroke severity at admission, as indicated by core body temperature, consciousness level, and organ damage markers, notable gene expression differences emerged. Old patients showed 37% fewer differentially expressed genes compared with young patients at admission, with a shift toward gene upregulation, deviating from the usual downregulation seen in heat stress responses. Both age groups exhibited increased heat shock protein gene expression, activated the heat stress, and unfolded protein responses indicating comparable proteotoxic stress. Nonetheless, age-specific differences were evident in critical regulatory pathways like Sirtuin, mTOR, and p53 signaling, along with key pathways related to proteostasis, energy metabolism, oxidative stress, and immune responses. Following cooling, older adults exhibited a decline in the heat stress response and a cessation of the unfolded protein response, in contrast to the sustained responses seen in younger individuals. This pattern suggests an age-related adaptability or a diminished protective response capacity with aging. These findings provide insights into the biological mechanisms that may contribute to age-specific vulnerabilities to heat.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Our study reveals distinct molecular responses to heatstroke across age groups, with older adults showing fewer differentially expressed genes and an atypical pattern of gene upregulation, contrasting with the downregulation in usual heat stress responses. It also uncovers a reduced heat stress response and an abbreviated unfolded protein response in older adults, likely impairing their cellular repair mechanisms. This contributes to increased vulnerability during severe heat waves, underscoring the urgent need for age-specific interventions.

Hyaluronic acid functionalized liposomes for co-delivery of paclitaxel and ursolic acid for enhanced efficacy against triple negative breast cancer

Hyaluronic acid functionalized liposomes for co-delivery of paclitaxel and ursolic acid for enhanced efficacy against triple negative breast cancer

Investigating the protective effect of Rosa damascena nanogel on collagenase and elastase activity and UVB-induced dermal damage: A rodent model approach to skin photoaging.

While aging inevitably changes our skin, this complex biological process involves much more than just getting older. As the body's largest organ, the skin constantly safeguards us from harmful environmental pathogens and plays a key role in overall well-being. This study investigated the development and evaluation of a nanogel containing Rosa damascena essential oil for its potential anti-aging properties. The nanogel was prepared from a primary nanoemulsion with a particle size of 86 ± 4 nm. Antioxidant activity, measured using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay, was found to be 76% ± 3%. Furthermore, the nanogel demonstrated superior anti-collagenase and anti-elastase activities (60% ± 2% and 51% ± 0.1%, respectively) compared to the essential oil alone. The antibacterial efficacy of the nanogel was tested against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, revealing potent inhibitory effects. To simulate the aging process, rats were subjected to UVB irradiation on both legs 4 days a week before or after treatment. Invivo studies conducted on mice showed that the nanogel effectively reduced the formation of deep wrinkles in treated groups compared to pretreated ones. These findings suggest that the introduced nanogel, with its antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, holds promise as a natural therapeutic approach for wrinkle treatment.

Interleukin-24: A Versatile Regulator of Wound Healing.

The skin, as the body's largest organ, is crucial for maintaining homeostasis and providing protection, making it susceptible to wounds from various causes. Wound healing is a complex process involving numerous cellular activities. Any interruptions can lead to chronic, non-healing wounds, which present significant challenges in healthcare. Interleukin-24 (IL-24), a cytokine within the IL-10 family, has become recognized for its significant role in wound healing due to its diverse effects on cellular processes. IL-24 can inhibit keratinocyte migration, potentially leading to chronic wounds, and promote endothelial cell migration and angiogenesis, which are vital for tissue repair. This dual role highlights IL-24's intricate involvement in wound healing, as it can hinder and aid different aspects of the process. Research indicates that IL-24 expression increases in response to inflammatory mediators and is involved in various immune responses, emphasizing its regulatory function. Further research on IL-24's mechanisms and interactions is essential for developing new therapeutic strategies to enhance tissue regeneration and treat chronic wounds and skin disorders. A deeper understanding of IL-24's functions could transform wound care, providing new approaches for effectively managing and treating conditions involving impaired healing.

S3-GHOSTNET: skin disease detection via Sand Cat Swarm Optimization deep GHOSTNET with facial images

ABSTRACT Skin is the largest organ in the human body and covers the entire body. Face skin diseases are a wide range of disorders that can affect the skin on the face. In this paper, a novel S3-GHOSTNET has been proposed to identify the face skin diseases. Initially, the input images are gathered from the Derm Net dataset and pre-processed using the Contrast stretching Adaptive Gaussian star Filter for enhancing the quality of the image. The enhanced images are fed into Modified Deep V3+ for segmenting the diseases affected region in the images. Then the segmented images are fed into deep learning-based Shuffle Net for extracting the features of the images. Finally, the required features are selected using Sand Cat Swap Optimization and using Ghost Net the Penta type of face skin diseases are classified. The proposed method achieves an accuracy rate of 99.34% in the normal classes and 98.94% in the abnormal classes. Additionally, the proposed method archives high-level Precision, Recall and F1 Scores of 98.05%, 97.73%, and 97.66% in the normal and abnormal classes. The proposed S3-GHOSTNET achieve the overall accuracy rate of 0.49%, 1.49%, 0.36% and 0.79% comparing the existing methods such as GLCN, Leaky RELU, CNN and Eff2Net, respectively.

Inotodiol induces hepatocellular carcinoma apoptosis by activation of MAPK/ERK pathway.

Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) has a high mortality and morbidity rate and seriously jeopardizes human life. Chemicals and chemotherapeutic agents have been experiencing problems such as side effects and drug resistance in the treatment of HCC, which cannot meet the needs of clinical treatment. Therefore, finding novel low-toxicity and high-efficiency anti-hepatocellular carcinoma drugs and exploring their mechanisms of action have become the current problems to be solved in the treatment of HCC. Several studies have reported anticancer effects of inotodiol. This study focuses on the anticancer effect of inotodiol in HCC cells and its molecular mechanism, aiming to explore its anticancer effect in depth. The CCK8 assay was utilized to assess cell viability, the scratch assay was utilized to detect migration ability, the clone formation assay was utilized to detect clonogenic ability, and flow cytometry was utilized to analyze apoptosis and cell cycle. Animal experiments was utilized to verify the inhibitory effect of inotodiol on HCC. Meanwhile, western blotting was utilized to detect proteins associated with apoptosis, cell cycle and MAPK/ERK pathway. These results showed that inotodiol has the ability to promote apoptosis, as well as inhibit the ability of cell proliferation, migration, and clonogenic ability. The cell cycle was arrested in G1 phase, when the expression of CDK2, CDK4, CDK6 and Cyclin D were inhibited. In addition, inotodiol showed to induce apoptosis, characterized by an increase in Bax expression, a decrease in Bcl-2, Bcl-XL and MCL1 expression, the initiation of cleaved PARP1 and cleaved caspase 3, and inhibition of the MAPK/ERK pathway. Animal studies demonstrated that inotodiol possessed the ability to suppress tumor growth in nude mice models, at the same time, there was no significant impact on the body weight and organs of the mice. In conclusion, the findings presented herein compellingly suggest that inotodiol may serve as a promising candidate for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

P-1088. Safety Study of Rifaquizinone in Dogs Following Intra-articular Administration

Abstract Background Rifaquizinone (RFQ, TNP-2092) is a novel multitargeting drug conjugate in development for the treatment of prosthetic joint infections (PJIs). RFQ exerts its antibacterial activity by inhibiting RNA polymerase, DNA gyrase, and topoisomerase IV. This study sought to investigate the safety/tolerability of RFQ following intra-articular (IA) administration in Beagle dogs. Methods Forty Beagle dogs (20/sex) were randomly assigned to 4 groups (5/sex/group) to receive 0, 1, 2.5, and 5 mg/kg/day RFQ in 5% (w/v) glucose once daily for 14 days by IA administration into the right knee joint. All the dogs had a 14-day recovery period to assess the reversibility, persistence, or delayed occurrence of adverse effects. Blood and synovial fluid samples were collected and concentrations of RFQ in each matrix were determined by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Results No test article-related adverse effects in body weight, food consumption, temperature, clinical pathology, or organ weight were observed in any of the study groups. In 2.5 and 5 mg/kg/day groups, lameness, swelling and ulceration of right knee joint during treatment were observed. The 5 mg/kg group dosing was terminated prematurely due to marked arthritis on right knee joint. The no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) was 1 mg/kg/day. At this dose level the steady state of RFQ concentrations in synovial fluid was achieved in 4 days and maintained until Day 14 (Figure 1). The mean RFQ concentrations on Day 14 in synovial fluids for male and female dogs were 35,900 and 19,200 ng/mL, respectively, as compared to the plasma Cmax 411 and 303 ng/mL for male and female dogs, respectively. Plasma toxicokinetics (TK) analysis indicated no apparent sex differences in systemic exposure at any dose level. Conclusion The NOAEL of RFQ in dogs was 1 mg/kg/day via IA administration. The synovial fluid concentration at this dose level exceeded minimum biofilm bactericidal concentration inhibit 90% bacterial growth (MBBC90) levels for both S. aures and S. epidermidis. IA administration of RFQ is a promising option for the treatment of PJIs. Disclosures Huan Wang, PhD, TenNor Therapeutics (Suzhou) Ltd: Employee Qin Cheng, Master, TenNor Therapeutics (Suzhou) Ltd: Employee Weijian Ke, Master, TenNor Therapeutics (Suzhou) Ltd: Investigator Zhenkun Ma, PhD, TenNor Therapeutics (Suzhou) Ltd: Employee

The Effect of Warm Water Foot Soaking Therapy on Reducing Blood Pressure in Elderly with Hypertension

A person's old age will experience a decrease in the function and structure of body organs so that it has an impact on the reduced ability to respond to stimuli that come from inside or outside his body. One of the health problems that tends to occur in the elderly is hypertension. Hypertension is abnormal blood pressure where the systolic pressure is more than 140 mmHg and the diastolic pressure is more than 90 mmHg. The management of hypertension is divided into two, namely pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapy, one of which is foot soaking therapy with warm water to lower blood pressure in the elderly which is easy and effective to be done independently at home. The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of foot soaking therapy with warm water on the reduction of blood pressure in the elderly suffering from hypertension in the working area of the Batudaa Health Center.The design of this study uses a pre-experiment with one group pre and post test given an intervention to the subjects. The population in this study is 116 elderly people who are recorded as hypertension sufferers in the working area of the Batudaa Health Center. The total sample in this study is 16 respondents. The results of the Paired Test of the T-test sample showed a difference in the values in the pre-test and post-test blood pressure data before and after the intervention of foot bath therapy with warm water where a p-value of 0.000 was obtained. It is hoped that the Health Center can provide input on non-pharmacological therapies to the elderly that can prevent, control, and lower blood pressure in addition to consuming anti-hypertensive drugs.

REVEALING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BRAIN AND SKIN BY ANALYZING THEIR RESPONSES TO AUDITORY STIMULI

This study explored the relationship between brain and skin activities by investigating the contained information in electroencephalogram (EEG) and galvanic skin response (GSR) signals. Eleven subjects (4[Formula: see text]M, 7[Formula: see text]F, 18–22 years) were monitored while listening to various genres of music (relaxing, pop, and rock), while their EEG and GSR were recorded, and then we computed the Shannon entropy of recorded signals. The results revealed that rock music had the most pronounced impact on altering the information content of the signals compared to other musical genres. Additionally, a strong correlation (0.8926) was detected among the changes in contained information in both signals. This indicates a significant correlation between skin and brain activities. Importantly, this analytical approach shows potential for studying the correlation between brain activity and other bodily organs in diverse scenarios, providing insights into physiological responses under various conditions.

Effect of enzyme-probiotic preparation “Profort” on rumen microflora and reproductive function of cows

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of enzyme-probiotic feed additive “Profort” on rumen microflora and reproductive function of Holstein cows under conditions of year-round uniform feeding. The object of research were high-yielding cows (n = 40) of Holstein breed, kept loose, in conditions of yearround uniform silage-hay-concentrate type of feeding. In total, two groups of lactating cows of 20 heads in each group were formed: control group with feeding of the basic ration (OR) and experimental group OR + enzymeprobiotic feed additive “Profort” 30.0g per head per day daily, for 15 days, three times with a break of 15 days. “Profort” contains a probiotic mixture consisting of two types of bacteria: Enterococcus faecium 1–35 and Bacillus megaterium B-4801. As a result of the research it was found that the use of feed additive to animals of the experimental group contributed to an increase in the content in the rumen microbiome of cellulosolytic bacteria that activate the breakdown of plant feed fiber: Prevotellaceae, Lachnospiraceae, Clostridia UCG-014, Eubacterium, Oscillospiraceae, Hungateiclostridiaceae, Christensenellaceae and Ruminococcaceae, as well as lactate-utilizing bacteria, preventing the decrease in pH of the rumen environment, reproduction and colonization of opportunistic and pathogenic microflora in other organs of the animal body, including the reproductive system. The cows of the experimental group have improved reproductive ability indicators: fertilizability, decreased duration of service period, labor and postpartum complications. The number of calves obtained in the state of physiological maturity (normotrophy) increases.

Gossypin Ameliorates Collagen-Induced Arthritic Rats by Inhibiting Angiogenesis, Inflammation and Oxidative Stress.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a long-term inflammatory autoimmune disease that damages cartilage and synovial membranes while also affecting bones and joints. The aim of the current study was to investigate the antiarthritic effect of gossypin against collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) in rats. Intraperitoneal administration of Type II collagen (2 mg/mL) was used to induce arthritis in the rats, followed by oral administration of gossypin (5, 10 and 15 mg/kg) for 28 days. Various parameters were assessed, including body weight, paw swelling, arthritis score, organ weights, RF, haematological parameters, inflammatory markers, MMP levels, antioxidants, cytokines and nonhepatic and hepatic liver parameters. Additionally, the expression of various mRNAs was analysed. Gossypin significantly (p < 0.001) altered the body weight, paw swelling, arthritis score and organ weights along with RF level. Gossypin treatment significantly (p < 0.001) altered the level of antioxidant and hepatic parameters; inflammatory cytokines; and inflammatory parameters such as PGE2, COX-2, NF-κB and VEGF, respectively. Gossypin also enhanced the level of HO-1 and Nrf2 and suppressed the level of MMP parameters such as MMP-2, MMP-3 and MMP-9. Gossypin also modified the mRNA expression of MMP-3, MMP-9, TRAP, RANK, Ctsk and RANKL, respectively. Gossypin demonstrated antiarthritic effects against CIA in rats.

The Body of Chagas Disease Vectors.

Morphometry is an effort to describe or measure the morphology of the body, or parts of it. It also provides quantitative data on the interactions of living organisms with their environment, external or internal. As a discipline, morphometrics has undergone significant developments in the last decade, making its implementation more visual and less laborious. Chagas disease vectors, often referred to by the common name of "kissing bugs", belong to the subfamily Triatominae. Due to their apparent morphological plasticity, they have been the subject of numerous morphometric studies. Most of these have been applied taking into account the particularities of this group of vectors, such as domesticity (synanthropy), food preferences, dispersal ability, insecticide resistance, as well as some taxonomic issues. This brief review over nearly three decades is organized here according to the body organs considered by the authors.