Membranous Sac Research Articles

Use of animal models for the imaging and quantification of angiogenesis

Angiogenesis is the process of developing new blood vessels from the original vascular network; it is necessary for normal physiological processes, such as embryonic development and wound healing. Angiogenesis is also involved in pathological events, including myocardial ischemia and tumor growth. To investigate the molecular mechanisms of this important process, a variety of methods and models are employed. These strategies can also be used to provide insight into the etiology of angiogenesis-related diseases, thereby contributing to the development of new diagnostics and treatments. Commonly used animal models include the chorioallantoic membrane and yolk sac membrane of chick embryos, the mouse retina and aortic ring, and angiogenesis reactors implanted into mice. These animal models have been instrumental in the study of the angiogenic process. For example, the chorioallantoic membrane undergoes robust angiogenesis during the development of chick embryos, and, because its surface is easily accessible, this membrane provides a convenient model for experimentation. Here, we discuss the methods that employ animal models for the imaging and quantification of angiogenesis. In addition, we propose potential novel directions for future investigations in this area.

Antioxidant Capacity, Anticancer Ability and Flavonoids Composition of 35 Citrus (Citrus reticulata Blanco) Varieties.

Citrus (Citrus reticulate Blanco) is one of the most commonly consumed and widely distributed fruit in the world, which is possessing extensive bioactivities. Present study aimed to fully understand the flavonoids compositions, antioxidant capacities and in vitro anticancer abilities of different citrus resources. Citrus fruits of 35 varieties belonging to 5 types (pummelos, oranges, tangerines, mandarins and hybrids) were collected. Combining li quid chromatography combined with electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS) and ultra-performance liquid chromatography combined with diode array detector (UPLC-DAD), a total of 39 flavonoid compounds were identified, including 4 flavones, 9 flavanones and 26 polymethoxylated flavonoids (PMFs). Each citrus fruit was examined and compared by 4 parts, flavedo, albedo, segment membrane and juice sacs. The juice sacs had the lowest total phenolics, following by the segment membrane. Four antioxidant traits including 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) and cupric reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC) were applied for the antioxidant capacities evaluation. Three gastric cancer cell lines, SGC-7901, BGC-823 and AGS were applied for the cytotoxicity evaluation. According to the results of correlation analysis, phenolics compounds might be the main contributor to the antioxidant activity of citrus extracts, while PMFs existing only in the flavedo might be closely related to the gastric cancer cell line cytotoxicity of citrus extracts. The results of present study might provide a theoretical guidance for the utilization of citrus resources.

Andrographolide Inhibits Angiogenesis by Inhibiting the Mir-21-5p/TIMP3 Signaling Pathway.

Angiogenesis provides nutrients and oxygen to promote tumor growth and affords a channel that facilitates tumor cell entry into the circulation. Andrographolide (Andro) possess anti-tumor activity; however, its direct effect on angiogenesis still needs to be clarified. In this study, our experiments revealed that Andro significantly inhibited vascular growth in chick embryo chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) and yolk sac membrane (YSM) models. Meanwhile, tumor angiogenesis was also suppressed by Andro. Additionally, we found that cell proliferation, migration and tube formation of vascular endothelial cells was inhibited by Andro treatment in vitro. The effect was primarily mediated through inhibition of miR-21-5p expression and further targeting of TIMP3. This work provides evidence that Andro directly inhibits angiogenesis and might be an effective anti-angiogenic therapeutic drug for cancer treatment.

EFFECT OF SOMATIC ANISAKIS SIMPLEX EXTRACT TO DEVELOPMENT CHICK EMBRYOS

Helminthes have embryotoxic and teratogenic effects to host’s cells and tissues.Investigations were carried out mainly on embryo and fetus in mammals.Blaszkowska, J. (1998); Kadlubowski R. (2000) conducted studies of in chickembryos. Dose-dependent effect is also studied and found that small doses causeembryotoxic effect, while higher doses - teratogenic. Anisakis simplex antigenshave also embryotoxic effect has been found. The aim of our research was toexamine the effect of A. simplex somatic antigen to the development of chickembryos in its experimental introduction in various ways and at different stages ofembryogenesis. For the study chicken embryos were used at different stages ofembryogenesis: 7.5, 10.5 and 12.5 days. Methods for introducing antigen chickenembryos: in the allantois cavity, on-chorion allantois membrane and yolk sac at 0.2ml. The autopsy was performed on embryos 2 and 8 days. The eggs and embryoswere weighed and evaluated the embryonic development. As a result of the firstexperience the greatest change observed by mass, and when administered in thedevelopment of antigen in both yolk sac on day 2 (1.68 ± 0.06, unlike control 2.25± 0.20), and at 8 days ( 9.97 ± 6.21 in the experiment versus 14.89 ± 0.78 in thecontrol), respectively. In the second experiment eggs were used at 1 and 5 dayincubation embryos. The antigen was administered in both cases also in the yolksac at a dose of 0.2 ml. In the second experiment there was a delay in thedevelopment of both cases at autopsy after 2 days in non-incubated eggs missingthe development of, unlike the control, the development of which 48 hourscorresponded; including 5 daily observed decrease in weight 0.88 ± 0.22, against1.05 ± 0.05 and 8 days in a similar way. As a result of experiments on the effect ofthe Anisakis simplex somatic antigen on the development of chick embryosembryotoxic action installed. Thus antigen has the greatest effect on developmentof early embryos and putting it into the yolk sac.

Novel insights into the composition and function of the Toxoplasma IMC sutures.

The Toxoplasma inner membrane complex (IMC) is a specialized organelle underlying the parasite's plasma membrane that consists of flattened rectangular membrane sacs that are sutured together and positioned atop a supportive cytoskeleton. We have previously identified a novel class of proteins localizing to the transverse and longitudinal sutures of the IMC, which we named IMC sutures components (ISCs). Here, we have used proximity-dependent biotin identification at the sutures to better define the composition of this IMC subcompartment. Using ISC4 as bait, we demonstrate biotin-dependent labeling of the sutures and have uncovered two new ISCs. We also identified five new proteins that exclusively localize to the transverse sutures that we named transverse sutures components (TSCs), demonstrating that components of the IMC sutures consist of two groups: those that localize to the transverse and longitudinal sutures (ISCs) and those residing only in the transverse sutures (TSCs). In addition, we functionally analyze the ISC protein ISC3 and demonstrate that ISC3-null parasites have morphological defects and reduced fitness in vitro. Most importantly, Δisc3 parasites exhibit a complete loss of virulence in vivo. These studies expand the known composition of the IMC sutures and highlight the contribution of ISCs to the ability of the parasite to proliferate and cause disease.

Comparison between allantochorion membrane and amniotic sac detection by per rectal palpation for pregnancy diagnosis on pregnancy loss, calving rates, and abnormalities in newborn calves

The objectives of the present investigation were to evaluate the pregnancy diagnosis by detection of either the allantochorion membrane (FMS) or amniotic sac (ASP) by per rectum palpation (PRP) during late embryonic or early fetal period on pregnancy loss (PRL) at reexamination, calving rates, and abnormalities in newborn calves. A controlled randomized blind design with 800 lactating dairy pregnant cows diagnosed by transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS) between Days 35 and 57 of gestation from one dairy farm were included. The cows were randomly divided according to detection of allantochorion membrane (FMS group; n = 264), detection of amniotic sac (ASP group; n = 266), and TRUS (control [CON] group; n = 270). TRUS was considered as the criterion standard method of comparison. The entire PRP was performed by one experienced veterinarian. Then, all the cows were reexamined only by TRUS between 2 and 4 weeks later by two independent veterinarians to assess PRL. The calving rate one (number of cows calved divided by the number of cows initially pregnant) and calving rate two (number of cows calved divided by the number of cows pregnant at reexamination) for each group was calculated. All abortions and stillborns were necropsied, and calves alive were followed for 5 days. The overall initial PRL (between initial pregnant cows and reexamination) for FMS, ASP, and CON groups was 7.4% (19/258), 8.8% (23/262), and 9.2% (24/260), respectively (P = 0.75). The overall late PRL (between reexamination and calving) for FMS, ASP, and CON groups was 4.2% (9/213), 5.7% (12/209), and 4.2% (9/216), respectively (P = 0.71). The calving rate one for FMS, ASP, and TRUS groups was 79.1% (204/258), 75.2% (197/262), and 79.6% (207/260), respectively (P = 0.63). The calving rate two for the same groups was 85.4% (204/239), 82.4% (197/239), and 87.7% (207/236), respectively (P = 0.27). The number of fetuses aborted late, premature, and mature dead from FMS, ASP, and CON groups was 6, 4, and 5, respectively (P = 0.85), and no abnormalities at necropsy were detected. One stillborn male calf with atresia coli after 281 days of gestation from a cow examined by ASP at Day 51 was diagnosed. It was concluded that the use of either FMS or ASP for pregnancy diagnosis during late embryonic or early fetal period did not increase the PRL, affect calving rates, or produce calves with congenital abnormalities.

Scaling New Heights To Diagnose Hydranencephaly

Hydranencephaly is a specific worldwide CNS encephaloclastic disorders characterized by destruction of cerebral hemispheres and the corpus striatum and replacement by a thin membranous sac filled with cerebrospinal fluid, glial tissue and ependymal. The sac represents the relatively intact leptomeninges. In this condition midbrain usually remain safe and intact but ambiguity still persists in mode of transmission. However skull and meninges consistent with normal embryogenesis of the telencephalon show their true identity both in congenital or acquired conditions. In many children at birth impaired vision, infantile spasm or seizures, slow growth ,the head appears to be enlarged associated with spasticity and rigidity of arms and legs, thereby both physical and mental retardation seen with poor intellect or skill. The children reveal poor thermoregulation and experience an increased muscular tone (hypertonia) or exaggeration of muscular reflexes (hyperreflexia). Many children attain mortality even prior to delivery or on the onset of birth. MR imaging of the 6 week old female child displays symptoms of irritability, spontaneous reflexes such as, crying, sucking, swallowing and early onset of diabetes insipidus, retarded motor developments,. Diagnosis may be delayed for several months due to relatively normal behaviour, movement of arms and legs, macrocephaly and even normal head size. I. Introduction Hydranencephaly is a rare congenital disorder and one of the most severe forms of bilateral cerebral cortical anomaly, in which the cerebral hemispheres are absent and represented by membranous sacs with the remnants of the cortex dispersed over the membranes and replaced by sacs filled with cerebrospinal fluid. The midbrain, cerebellum, thalami, basal ganglia, and choroid plexus are usually not involved. The term hydranencephaly was first introduced by Spielmeyer. Incidence: 1/10000 live births world wide.

The olfactory fascia: an evo-devo concept of the fibrocartilaginous nose.

Evo-devo is the science that studies the link between evolution of species and embryological development. This concept helps to understand the complex anatomy of the human nose. The evo-devo theory suggests the persistence in the adult of an anatomical entity, the olfactory fascia, that unites the cartilages of the nose to the olfactory mucosa. We dissected two fresh specimens. After resecting the superficial tissues of the nose, dissection was focused on the disarticulation of the fibrocartilaginous noses from the facial and skull base skeleton. Dissection shows two fibrocartilaginous sacs that were invaginated side-by-side in the midface and attached to the anterior skull base. These membranous sacs were separated in the midline by the perpendicular plate of the ethmoid. Their walls contained the alar cartilages and the lateral expansions of the septolateral cartilage, which we had to separate from the septal cartilage. The olfactory mucosa was located inside their cranial ends. The olfactory fascia is a continuous membrane uniting the nasal cartilages to the olfactory mucosa. Its origin can be found in the invagination and differentiation processes of the olfactory placodes. The fibrous portions of the olfactory fascia may be described as ligaments that unit the different components of the olfactory fascia one to the other and the fibrocartilaginous nose to the facial and skull base skeleton. The basicranial ligaments, fixing the fibrocartilaginous nose to the skull base, represent key elements in the concept of septorhinoplasty by disarticulation.

Consciousness is Quantum Computed Beyond the Limits of the Brain: A Perspective Conceived from Cases Studied for Hydranencephaly

Hydranencephaly is a developmental malady, where the cerebral hemispheres of the brain are reduced partly or entirely too membranous sacs filled with cerebrospinal fluid. Infants with this malady are presumed to have reduced life expectancy with a survival of weeks to few years and which solely depends on care and fostering of these individuals. During their life span these individuals demonstrate behaviours that are termed “vegetative” by neuroscientists but can be comparable to the state of being “aware” or “conscious”. Based on the most simplified definition for consciousness i.e. “awareness” or “to be aware”, these individuals are undeniably aware of their existence and therefore should be termed “conscious”. The bigoted approach of neuroscience towards understanding consciousness is usually linked with the cortex of the brain and therefore a malady as hydranencephaly poses a great challenge to this field. This paper is a compilation of behaviours and aptitudes observed in several cases of hydranencephaly which suggests, that consciousness is not just a brain process, but is a highly quantum computed process that follows laws of quantum physics, giving rise to the subjective experience of consciousness in these individuals.

Incidental Pleuroperitoneal Fold Malformation

Pleuroperitoneal fold abnormalities are thought to be responsible for congenital diaphragmatic hernias. It has also been theorized that pleuroperitoneal fold formation may indirectly result in ciliated foregut cysts by pinching off abnormal buds from the tracheobronchial tree. Although such abnormalities are typically recognized and corrected in infancy, their severity is variable. In some cases, pleuroperitoneal fold abnormalities persist and remain essentially asymptomatic into adulthood. We report a case of suspected pleuroperitoneal fold anomaly. The patient was found to have a thick membranous sac separate from the pleura covering the diaphragm without an associated hernia during thoracotomy for drainage of an unrelated empyema and lung abscess.

Idiopathic Sclerosing Encapsulating Peritonitis: A Rare Cause of Subacute Intestinal Obstruction.

We present a case of a previously healthy 50-year-old gentleman who had recurrent vomiting and abdominal pain of two-month duration. The patient was subsequently diagnosed with abdominal cocoon on computed tomography. Idiopathic sclerosing encapsulating peritonitis, also known as abdominal cocoon, is a rare cause of small bowel obstruction. Visualization of variable encasement of the small bowel loops by a characteristic membranous sac, either preoperatively with cross-sectional imaging or intraoperatively, is the key to diagnosis. This is a highly treatable condition; surgical excision of the sac with adhesiolysis facilitates a full recovery in affected patients.

Embryological analysis of a case of exstrophy of the cloaca

A case is reported here of a stillborn fetus of about 21 weeks of gestation that was collected from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Imphal, Manipur, India. The weight of the fetus was around 350 g. Crown rump (CR) length was not taken because of spine deformity and, therefore, the foot length, which measured 3.3 cm, was used to determine the age of the fetus. External examination of the fetus revealed an enormous defect in the anterior abdomen wall (omphalocele). The umbilical cord was attached on the right side of omphalocele. Incision of the membranous sac revealed liver, coils of intestine, and a muscular sac herniating through the defect in the abdominal wall. Further exploration of the abdomen showed continuity of the large intestine and ureters to the muscular sac. The sac is the cloaca. Exstrophy of the cloaca is a rare developmental anomaly involving the urinary bladder and the distal part of the digestive tract. This case report discusses the embryological background of the development of exstrophy of the cloaca and is reported because of the association of complete absence of external genitalia.

A newborn with a missing cerebrum

Hydranencephaly is an extremely rare anomaly of cerebral structures that occurs in-utero. Cerebral hemispheres are destroyed with transformation into a membranous sac with cerebrospinal fluid and parts of cortex and white matter. The disorder has an incidence of 0.2% in children. Clinical symptoms in neonates are seizures, respiratory failure, flaccidity or decerebrate posturing. Complete absence of the cerebral hemispheres and falx is present. We present a case of a male newborn with hydranencephaly. A possible correlation with in utero exposure to vasoactive drugs will be discussed.

Spatio-temporal distribution and natural variation of metabolites in citrus fruits

To study the natural variation and spatio-temporal accumulation of citrus metabolites, liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS) based metabolome analysis was performed on four fruit tissues (flavedo, albedo, segment membrane and juice sacs) and different Citrus species (lemon, pummelo and grapefruit, sweet orange and mandarin). Using a non-targeted metabolomics approach, more than 2000 metabolite signals were detected, from which more than 54 metabolites, including amino acids, flavonoids and limonoids, were identified/annotated. Differential accumulation patterns of both primary metabolites and secondary metabolites in various tissues and species were revealed by our study. Further investigation indicated that flavedo accumulates more flavonoids while juice sacs contain more amino acids. Besides this, cluster analysis based on the levels of metabolites detected in 47 individual Citrus accessions clearly grouped them into four distinct clusters: pummelos and grapefruits, lemons, sweet oranges and mandarins, while the cluster of pummelos and grapefruits lay distinctly apart from the other three species.

Ultrastructure of Gametocyst of Parasitic Protozoan, Nematopsis sp. in Black Tiger Shrimp Penaeus monodon from the Gulf of Thailand

Ultrastructure of gametocyst of Nematopsis sp., a protozoa parasite of black tiger shrimp Penaeus monodon from the Gulf of Thailand is described. Ball-shaped gametocysts of about 110–160 µm diameter were found in close contact with the intestinal wall of shrimps. Surface of the gametocyst cyst wall or capsule is wrinkled with a circular bare area at one pole that contains a central pore 4–5 µm in diameter. The interior of the gametocyst is composed of numerous gymnospores and membranous sacs. Gymnospores varied in size with an average diameter of 6–8 µm. Ball-shaped gymnospores were composed of numerous, radially arranged, cone shaped sporozoites. Average width and length of sporozoites were 0.8–1.2 µm and 3–5 µm, respectively, with their rostral part pointing outward and caudal part, inward connecting to the residual cytoplasm in the centre of a gymospore. The rostral part of the sporozoite contains an oval nucleus, rough endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria and a group of secretory granules. Membranous sacs were composed of two types of globular granules; large electron lucid granules and small dense granules.

Management of Omphalocele with Intestinal Perforation: A Case Report

Congenital abdominal wall defects present a huge challenge for pediatric surgeons in the care of neonates. The risks of infection and restriction of blood supply to abdominal organs challenge the surgeons’ capacity to restore the stability of the patient. Omphalocele is a defect of the abdominal wall where the organs protrude enclosed within a membranous sac. Carrying a mortality rate of 34%, an incidence of 1 in 4,000 live births and being more common in males than in females [1,2] makes it more difficult for the surgeon to manage complications. There are few reports of intestinal perforation in patients with omphalocele [3]. We report the case of a 2?days?old boy who presented with omphalocele that required surgical excision of the membranous sac for management of intestinal perforation as a life saving procedure.

Influence of microvesicles in breast cancer metastasis and their therapeutic implications.

Microvesicles are membranous sac structures released from cell surfaces of many eukaryotic cells. Their presence in the blood and urine also signify their potential use as biomarkers for early detection and diagnosis of different diseases. At present, synthesis and release of these vesicles from mammary tumor cells and their role in disease progression requires further research. In this report, correlation of microvesicles along with breast cancer metastasis has been explored. Metastasis is a process of a non-randomized set of events, which begins with a loss of cancer cell adhesion at the primary tumor site. Later on, these cells invade the surrounding tissue and enter into circulation. After compromising host immune response, these cells extravasate and localized at the suitable distant site for a secondary growth. Involvement of microvesicles in modulating this process has also been observed. Microvesicles released from primary cancer cells may carry mRNA, miRNAs, DNA and various proteins. These vesicles may also influence multi drug resistance as observed in breast and leukemia cancer cell lines. A thorough understanding of microvesicles synthesis and their potential implication in metastasis would facilitate the design of novel therapeutic approach for breast cancer.

Una nueva especie troglobiomorfa de Trechus Clairville, 1806 y evidencias de colonizaciones múltiples del medio subterráneo de los montes cantábricos (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Trechinae)

We describe Trechus (Trechus) valenzuelai n. sp. from the Cantabrian area of Spain: Sierra de Cuera, Asturias. The species was collected in the subterranean environment, in caves and dolines. Morphological examination revealed that the new species is sister to Trechus escalerae Abeille de Perrin, 1903 within the T. saxicola clade. A synapomorphy of the male genitalia, shared by T. valenzuelai n. sp. and T. escalerae, is described and illustrated: the endophallus has a sclerotised piece shaped like a club, elongated, robust, strongly sclerotised and with a membranous sac covered with small spicules at the base. We discuss the taxonomy of the new species and provide illustrations of structures showing the differences between T. escalerae and T. valenzuelai n. sp., along with biogeographical and distributional data and hypotheses regarding the speciation events based on previously pubished molecular data, and the geological structure and the palaeoclimatology of their geographical area. We hypothesize that in this clade, the colonization of the subterranean environment was the result of multiple, independent and simultaneous colonization processes. A lectotype is designated for T. escalerae.

Novel components of the Toxoplasma inner membrane complex revealed by BioID.

ABSTRACTThe inner membrane complex (IMC) of Toxoplasma gondii is a peripheral membrane system that is composed of flattened alveolar sacs that underlie the plasma membrane, coupled to a supporting cytoskeletal network. The IMC plays important roles in parasite replication, motility, and host cell invasion. Despite these central roles in the biology of the parasite, the proteins that constitute the IMC are largely unknown. In this study, we have adapted a technique named proximity-dependent biotin identification (BioID) for use in T. gondii to identify novel components of the IMC. Using IMC proteins in both the alveoli and the cytoskeletal network as bait, we have uncovered a total of 19 new IMC proteins in both of these suborganellar compartments, two of which we functionally evaluate by gene knockout. Importantly, labeling of IMC proteins using this approach has revealed a group of proteins that localize to the sutures of the alveolar sacs that have been seen in their entirety in Toxoplasma species only by freeze fracture electron microscopy. Collectively, our study greatly expands the repertoire of known proteins in the IMC and experimentally validates BioID as a strategy for discovering novel constituents of specific cellular compartments of T. gondii.

The Inflammatory Heart Diseases: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments.

The inflammation of the heart muscles, such as myocarditis, the membrane sac which surrounds the heart called as pericarditis, and the inner lining of the heart or the myocardium, heart muscle as endocarditis are known as the inflammatory heart diseases. Inflammation of heart is caused by known infectious agents, viruses, bacteria, fungi or parasites, and by toxic materials from the environment, water, food, air, toxic gases, smoke, and pollution, or by an unknown origin. Myocarditis is induced by infection of heart muscle by virus like sarcoidosis and immune diseases. The symptoms include chest pain, angina, pain in heart muscle, and shortness of breath, edema, swelling of feet or ankles, and fatigue. The ECG, X-ray, and MRI can diagnose the disease; blood test and rise in enzymes levels provide abnormality in heart function. The treatment includes use of antibiotics for inflammation of heart muscle and medications. The ultrasound imaging indicates further damage to the heart muscle. In severe cases of infection heart failure can occur so long-term medications are necessary to control inflammation. The various biomarkers are reported for the inflammatory heart diseases. The causes, symptoms and treatments of inflammatory heart diseases are described.