Types Of Morphological Changes Research Articles

Postprocedural morphology change of non-covalent nanoparticle-polymer hybrids from silica and self-assembled polystyrene-block-polyacrylic acid vesicles

Self-assembled non-covalent nanoparticle-polymer hybrids, that can combine a variety of desired properties in a single material with highly dynamic structure, have great potential in the field of functional nanosystems. In this study, we present a method for preparing such hybrids from silica nanoparticles and polymer structures of polystyrene-block-polyacrylic acid (PS-b-PAA). We show that the surface chemistry of the nanoparticles has a major influence on the encapsulation efficiency and the localization of the particles in the vesicles. Furthermore, an increase in vesicle size was observed with higher vesicle loading. A particular highlight of this work is that the morphology of the hybrids could be subsequently modified by adjusting the solvent composition. It was also found that the presence of the particles led to faster transitions due to the increased free energy of the system. This type of morphological change therefore offers promising potential applications, such as self-healing materials.

Сравнительная характеристика состояния внутренних органов серебряного карася (Carassius auratus gibelio) в возрастном аспекте

The histological results of the study of the organs of larvae and mature individuals of the silver crucian carp Carassius auratus gibelio (Bloch, 1782) caught in the reservoirs of the Volga River delta are presented. Analysis the internal organs state and tissues helps to identify physiological disorders and pathologies. Thanks to the histological method, it becomes possible to study the structure of the body at the cellular and tissue level, to determine the development of the pathological process and the degree of damage. For pathomorphological evaluation, the liver, gills, kidneys, spleen, intestines and pancreas were examined in silver crucian carp of different ages. It was established that representatives of this species of different ages had identical pathological changes in the organs, but the degree of their manifestation was different: there was a tendency to increase the intensity of the pathology with age. 4 types of major pathological changes associated with metabolic disorders, necrotic damage to cells and tissues, circulatory disorders of organs and signs of hyperplasia were found. Sexually mature individuals had a higher level of pathological manifestations. To a greater extent, the gills, which are in direct contact with the environment, were damaged. The liver of the studied fish also had significant damage. The most frequently reported liver pathology was lipoid degeneration (vacuolar degeneration). Kidneys, intestines and spleen were characterized by degenerative and necrotic disorders. In the spleen of adults, granulomatous inflammation was found, which indicates infectious diseases. The same types of morphological changes were found in larvae and mature individuals, which indicates the nonspecific nature of the identified pathologies, which, as a rule, are associated with the adaptation of the organism to the prevailing living conditions.

DIAGNOSTIC VALUE OF MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING WITH DYNAMIC CONTRASTING IN ASSESSING THE CONDITION OF BREAST SCARS AFTER INTERVENTIONS FOR BENIGN PATHOLOGY

The lifetime probability of surgical interventions on mammary glands for benign pathology is approximately 4.8%, i.e. approximately they are performed in every 20th woman. At this, it is known that surgical interventions on organs containing an epithelial component significantly increase the risk of epithelial malignant tumors developing in them. The aim of the study was to assess the diagnostic value of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the mammary glands with dynamic contrasting in identifying malignant transformation of breast scars after surgical interventions on it for benign pathology. Materials and methods. The study involved 63 patients aged 47.35±7.33 years who underwent breast surgery for benign pathology 1.5 years – 30 years before breast MRI was performed. Breast MRI with dynamic contrasting was performed using a Siemens Amira system (Germany) with a magnetic field intensity of 1.5 T. Study results. Morphological analysis: four types of morphological changes were identified during MRI in the area of previously performed intervention: 1) type 1 (thin-walled cavity / seroma; 5 out of 63; 7.94%; 0 cases of breast cancer); 2) type 2 (thin linear scar; 27 out of 63; 42.86%; 2 cases of breast cancer); 3) type 3 (mass lesion; 5 out of 63; 7.94%; 3 cases of breast cancer); 4) type 4 (fat necrosis; 26 out of 63; 41.30%; 1 case of breast cancer). Contrasting dynamics: 36 (57.14%) of 63 patients were noted to have contrast accumulation in the scar area. ACR type I of the kinetic curve (slow gradual accumulation of contrast) was observed in 10 out of 28 cases (35.71%) and in all cases corresponded to benign changes. ACR type II (rapid initial contrasting and plateau in the delayed phase) occurred in 10 out of 36 (27.78%) patients, of whom 2 had breast cancer. ACR type III (rapid initial contrasting and washout in the delayed phase) occurred in 13 of 36 (36.11%) patients, of whom 3 had breast cancer verified. Conclusions. The overall sensitivity of MRI with dynamic contrasting in detecting malignant transformation of scars in the mammary gland was 80%, specificity was 85.9%, the prognostic value of a positive result was 30.8%, the prognostic value of a negative result was 98.2%.

Morphological changes in hematopoietic parameters in COVID-19 and their prognostic significance

The types of morphological changes in the complete blood count, along with other laboratory parameters, can help establish the severity of the condition and provide the prognostic value in determining the survival of a patient with COVID-19. Peripheral blood smear (PBS) examination is a routine and simple procedure that can be performed at any medical institution. However, data on morphological changes in PBS during COVID-19 are still insufficient. Therefore, it is relevant to identify the features and patterns of these changes, taking into account the severity of the clinical presentation of COVID-19, and establish their prognostic significance. The aim. To review the literature on the presence of morphological changes in hematopoietic parameters in the case of SARS-CoV-2 infection with respect to the disease course.Results and Conclusions. Morphological changes in at least one blood cell lineage were observed in all cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection. The most common are nuclear and cytoplasmic disorders of neutrophils, such as hypogranulation and hypo/hypersegmentation of neutrophil nuclei, often with toxogenic stippling. Typical changes in lymphocyte morphology include monocytoid, lymphoplasmacytoid, granular, and atypical cells with nucleoli. Prognostically unfavorable morphological signs in the PBS include giant neutrophils and their toxic granulation, plasmacytization of lymphocytes, and a dynamic decrease in granular and abnormal lymphocytes and monocytes. A low count of lymphocytes and their subpopulations is associated with a severe clinical presentation and an unfavorable outcome of COVID-19 disease, which suggests the feasibility of their immunophenotypic evaluation and monitoring. The detection and serial monitoring of inflammatory monocytes using flow cytometry may be valuable in predicting the course and choosing adequate therapy for SARS-CoV-2 infection. Additionally, an increase in the red cell distribution width was also shown to have prognostic importance.

Construction of Watermelon Mutant Library Based on 60Co γ-ray Irradiation and EMS Treatment for Germplasm Innovation

Watermelon is a crucial horticultural crop worldwide but its genetic base has become extremely narrow owing to long-term cultivation. Induced mutagenesis can create a range of variations with distinctive agricultural characteristics. To broaden the genetic diversity of watermelon, we established a mutagenesis library containing over 4000 M1 seeds from an inbred line ‘M08’, which was irradiated by 350 Gy of 60Co γ-rays for 3 h. The rates of germination, emergence, and survival of the M1 seeds were reduced by 5.88%, 18.66%, and 41.96%, respectively. After phenotypic screening, 20 and 10 types of morphological changes were observed in the M1 and M2 generations, with approximately 10.57% and 14.17% mutation frequencies, respectively. Six mutants with desirable horticultural alterations were selected for additional presentation, including the leaf color mutant C1-NO.1, the yellow peel mutant C1-NO.2, the pericarp thickening mutant C1-NO.3, the pericarp thinning mutant C1-NO.4, the seedless mutant C1-NO.5, and the C2-No.1 mutant with normal female flowers and malformed male flowers. Moreover, the three mutants M1-3, M2-1, and M1-5 were identified from our EMS-induced M2 library, exhibiting the fusiform fruit, the dark green peel, and the yellow leaves, respectively. Compared to the wild type (WT), the photosynthetic pigments and parameters were negatively impacted in the yellow-leaf mutant M1-5. For example, the total chlorophyll was 1.22 and 2.22 mg/g in the young and mature leaves of M1-5, respectively, which were significantly lower than those in the WT (2.58 and 2.90 mg/g, respectively). Notably, some mutagenesis phenotypes could be stably inherited, including traits such as yellow leaf color, fusiform fruit shape, and thickening and thinning pericarp. Taken together, these results indicate that these two mutant libraries serve as essential resources to discover new phenotypic germplasms, thereby facilitating the genetic breeding and functional gene exploration in watermelon.

Простые и сложные окказиональные преобразования библейских фразеологизмов в произведениях У. Шекспира

The article studies the behaviour of phraseological units of biblical origin in the works by William Shakespeare. The subject of the research is the ways biblical phraseological units are used in his plays. The novelty of the paper lies in the identification of simple and complex occasional transformations of biblical phraseological units in Shakespeare’s works. Linguistic material was selected using the method of phraseological identification proposed by A.V. Kunin and successfully tested by numerous studies in the field of modern phraseology. In addition, macroparadigmatic methods and related linguistic methods were applied. Occasional changes in phraseological units in a literary work are considered here not as an example of destruction of phraseology, but as an element of the author’s creative use of phraseological units in each specific case. We were able to identify two groups of occasional transformations of phraseological units of biblical origin in Shakespeare’s plays: 1) a group of simple occasional transformations, which includes three main types of morphological changes in the components of biblical phraseological units: a) changes in the verbal component, b) changes in the substantive component, c) changes in the adjectival component, and 2) a group of complex occasional transformations. The results showed that occasional transformations of biblical phraseological units introduced into a literary text enrich and enhance its imagery, highlight personal traits of the characters and help to capture the very essence of Shakespeare’s drama.

THE MORFOFUNCTIONAL STATE OF PERIPHERAL ERYTHROCYTES AT CHRONIC HEART FAILURE AND VITAMIN D DEFICIENCY IN

The aim of the work To study the effect of vitamin D deciency in blood plasma on the morphofunctional state of peripheral blood erythrocytes after exercise in patients with chronic heart failure. Methods: scanning electron microscopy of peripheral blood erythrocytes, enzyme immunoassay to determine the level of vitamin D. Results. A morphological study revealed heterogeneity of erythrocyte subpopulations in 90% of patients with CHF and vitamin D deciency. In peripheral blood, in addition to normocytes with sufcient hemoglobinization, subpopulations of macro- and microcytes were recorded. In most patients with vitamin D deciency, several types of morphological changes in the shape of erythrocytes were revealed, manifested in the form of echino-, acantho- and stomatocytosis, which indicates destabilization of the erythrocyte's membrane. After a 6-minute walk test in CHF patients with vitamin D deciency, the number of discocytes decreases, the ability to deform decreases, lytic cells were recorded with a reduced number of normocytes. The Conclusion: identied morphobiochemical changes indicate the destructurization of the erythrocyte membrane components and have negative consequences, taking into account the likely impact on the somatic health of patients who, in addition to changes characteristic of CHF, receive signicant stress during physical exertion against the background of hypovitaminosis. D.

Peroxyl radical induced membrane instability of giant unilamellar vesicles and anti-lipooxidation protection

The present work is intended to investigate the morphological instability of lipid membrane induced by peroxyl radical (ROO•) and the underlying mechanism. To this end, the giant unilamellar vesicle (GUV) made from phosphatidylcholine was employed as a membrane model, and the azo compounds 2,2′-azobis(2,4-dimethylvaleronitrile) (AMVN) and 2,2′-azobis(2-amidinopropane) dihydrochloride (AAPH) were used as the precursors of ROO•. Upon mild pyrolysis, the GUV immobilized in agarose gel was followed by conventional optical microscopy in real time, and the morphological variation was quantified by the image heterogeneity, perimeter and area all as a function of time for up to an hour. Lipid oxidation initiated from lipid phase with AMVN and from aqueous phase with AAPH led to different types of morphological changes, i.e. membrane coarsening and vesicle deformation/budding, respectively. Based on the compositional analysis of lipid oxidation products, we propose that ROO• as the primary radical initiator is responsible for the morphological changes of the GUV-AMVN while both ROO• and RO• are responsible for the morphological changes of the GUV-AAPH system. Lipophilic β-carotene and amphipathic plant phenols as antioxidants are found to be able to stabilize the membrane integrity effectively, in corroboration with the proposed mechanisms for membrane destruction.

Экспрессия цитокератинов реактивно измененного цилиндрического реснитчатого эпителия синоназального тракта при хронических воспалительных процессах

Introduction. Currently, there are limited papers on changes in the pseudostratified ciliated columnar epithelium of the sinonasal tract in chronic inflammatory processes, particularly in basal cell hyperplasia. The latter is similar to dysplasia of varying severity of the stratified squamous nonkeratinized epithelium. Studying of changes in the pseudostratified ciliated columnar epithelium can clarify the histogenesis of various epithelial tumors of the sinonasal tract, including sinonasal papillomas. The research is aimed at studying the cytokeratin profile of reactive cylindrical ciliated epithelium in a chronic nonspecific inflammatory process. Materials and methods. We analyzed surgical materials obtained from 567 patients diagnosed with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps. We performed an immunohistochemical study in 20 cases using the panel of antibodies to Ki-67, Stathmin, Cytokeratin 7, Cytokeratin 10/13, Cytokeratin 14, Cytokeratin 17, Cytokeratin 18, and Cytokeratin 19. Results. Using hematoxylin and eosin staining, we detected basal cell hyperplasia of different severity in 74% (419 cases). In 13% (73 cases), basal cell hyperplasia was combined with foci of squamous metaplasia. Based on the results, we identified 4 types of morphological changes in the epithelial layer with a specific cytokeratin profile: mild basal cell hyperplasia, moderate basal cell hyperplasia, severe basal cell hyperplasia, and areas of squamous metaplasia. Conclusion. Simultaneous expression of cytokeratins in the areas with severe hyperplasia of basal cells, specific for both simple and compound epithelia, allows us to consider this area to have the highest potential for the development of various epithelial tumors of the sinonasal tract, including various types of sinonasal papillomas. Keywords: basal cell hyperplasia, sinonasal papilloma, pseudostratified columnar ciliated epithelium

Evaluation of herbicide alachlor for weed dynamics, growth and yield of maize NAC-6002 (Zea mays L.)

A field experiment was conducted in a randomized complete block design with triplicates to evaluate the effects of herbicide alachlor on weed, growth and yield parameters of maize. The seeds were subjected to preliminary germination study and the selected concentrations were applied (1.0, 2.5, 5.0, 7.5 and 10.0 ppm) followed by seed sowing and the treatments were compared with control. The maximum weed growth was recorded in the experimental site without herbicide treatment. At higher concentrations of the herbicide treatment the maize plants showed different types of morphological changes like improper leaf curling, malformation of leaf, stunted growth. The total weed dry weight showed considerable difference in all the concentrations treatments and least fresh weight was observed in weed free check (1.9 g) plot and the dry weight of weeds was also significantly different in different concentrations of herbicide. The weed control efficiency was increased as the concentrations of the herbicide increased and the maximum and minimum WCE (97.67% and 28.97%) was recorded in 10.0 and 1.0 ppm respectively. The weed index also found to be significantly increased from 6.87 to 91.7% as the herbicide concentrations increased from 1.0 to 10.0 ppm respectively. The yield associated parameters like height of the plants, number of leaves and cobs, length of cobs, weight of cob and grains weight were found to be significantly different under different concentrations of herbicide treatment.

Going Beyond Saliency Maps: Training Deep Models to Interpret Deep Models.

Interpretability is a critical factor in applying complex deep learning models to advance the understanding of brain disorders in neuroimaging studies. To interpret the decision process of a trained classifier, existing techniques typically rely on saliency maps to quantify the voxel-wise or feature-level importance for classification through partial derivatives. Despite providing some level of localization, these maps are not human-understandable from the neuroscience perspective as they often do not inform the specific type of morphological changes linked to the brain disorder. Inspired by the image-to-image translation scheme, we propose to train simulator networks to inject (or remove) patterns of the disease into a given MRI based on a warping operation, such that the classifier increases (or decreases) its confidence in labeling the simulated MRI as diseased. To increase the robustness of training, we propose to couple the two simulators into a unified model based on conditional convolution. We applied our approach to interpreting classifiers trained on a synthetic dataset and two neuroimaging datasets to visualize the effect of Alzheimer's disease and alcohol dependence. Compared to the saliency maps generated by baseline approaches, our simulations and visualizations based on the Jacobian determinants of the warping field reveal meaningful and understandable patterns related to the diseases.

The influence of river training on the location of erosion and accumulation zones (Kłodzko County, South West Poland)

Abstract The channels of the main rivers in the Kłodzko County, South West Poland, have been strongly influenced by human activities since the end of the nineteenth century. The reasons, type, and time frame of these changes are very similar to those which occurred in other European mountain regions but the magnitude is different. Kłodzko County is an area with a well-developed river network. Since the Middle Ages, human activities were noticed in the river valleys of this region. The main cause of the most anthropogenic transformations of the river channels was changes in the volume of sediment supply and, thus, the channel load and its erosive and transport capacities. The ultimate effects of human impact are manifested in the changes of channel pattern, depth and sinuosity, and the location of erosion and accumulation zones. Morphological transformations are most intensive immediately after the regulation works. The influence of channel training is noticeable; however, there is no clear correlation between the occurrence of engineering structures and the development of channel forms. The channel changes are mostly local. The highest efficiency of channel processes is observed in the direct vicinity of the damming objects and in the peripheral fragments of bank-protection structures. Below the damming structures, the rate of channel downcutting increases because of sediment retention in dam and weir reservoirs, and above the transversal structures bed aggradation takes place; lateral erosion intensifies below the bank reinforcements, and sediment shadows are common below the transversal structures. The types of morphological changes observed in the regulated channels of the Kłodzko County are in most cases similar to the effects of training works in other mountain river systems in Poland and around the world; however, the scale of morphological influence is much smaller, which indicates greater stability of the river channels of the Sudetes than the Carpathian and Alpine river channels.

Morphological abnormalities in zebrafish cryopreserved sperm

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of cryopreservation on the morphology of zebrafish sperm (Danio rerio). Sperm from 30 males were collected and divided in two treatments: fresh and cryopreserved semen. The following were measured sperm morphology, motility and membrane integrity. Cryopreservation reduced motility, the number of normal cells and the membrane integrity, as well as increased the percentage of sperm abnormalities. The most frequent types of morphological changes found in cryopreserved semen were macrocephaly, loose head, degenerated head, proximal gout, curled tail and short tail. This study opens the way for further investigations on morphological changes and for a new classification of these changes in fish semen due to cryopreservation.

Fingers zipped up or baby mittens? Two main tetrapod strategies to return to the sea.

The application of network methodology in anatomical structures offers new insights on the connectivity pattern of skull bones, skeletal elements and their muscles. Anatomical networks helped to improve our understanding of the water-to-land transition and how the pectoral fins were transformed into limbs via their modular disintegration. Here, we apply the same methodology to tetrapods secondarily adapted to the marine environment. We find that these animals achieved their return to the sea with four types of morphological changes, which can be grouped into two different main strategies. In all marine mammals and the majority of the reptiles, the fin is formed by the persistence of superficial and interdigital connective tissues, like a 'baby mitten', whereas the underlying connectivity pattern of the bones does not influence the formation of the forefin. On the contrary, ichthyosaurs 'zipped up' their fingers and transformed their digits into carpal-like elements, forming a homogeneous and better-integrated forefin. These strategies led these vertebrates into three different macroevolutionary paths exploring the possible spectrum of morphological adaptations.

Clinical practice guidelines for retinitis pigmentosa

Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a group of hereditary retinitis disorders which mainly affect the rod cells. In the early stage, the function of rod cells is affected. At the same time or later, the function of cone cells can also be affected. With the progress of the disease, the visual function is gradually damaged until the patient becomes completely blind. Many types of morphological changes suggestive of retinal degeneration may be noticed in the fundus, in particular pigment abnormality. RP features great genetic heterogeneity and phenotypic diversity. Over 90 pathogenic genes have so far been discovered. This guideline aims to standardize the clinical diagnosis and treatment of RP from the aspects of etiology, pathogenesis, genetic diagnosis and clinical consultation.

Study on the thermal and structural properties of gamma-irradiated polyethylene terephthalate fibers

AbstractPolyethylene terephthalate (PET) fiber samples were irradiated using different gamma radiation doses. The physicochemical and structural properties of the irradiated PET samples, either the pristine sample or the sample chemically modified with polyethylene glycol (PEG), were assessed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The surface morphology and characteristics of the irradiated PET fiber samples were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The pristine and PEG-modified PET fibers were exposed to gamma radiation with doses ranging from 0.5 to 20 kGy. The FTIR analysis results showed certain degradation via irradiation, deduced from a decrease in the intensities of most of the PET original infrared bands. The XRD and DSC analysis results indicated the reduction of crystallinity upon irradiation of pristine and modified PET fibers. Conversely, an improvement in the crystallinity was observed at high doses compared with low doses. The crystallinity of the PEG-modified PET was found to be improved. Two types of morphological changes, wrinkles and small particles, were observed on the PET fiber surface due to gamma irradiation.

MS17.02 Major Pathological Evaluation in Neoadjuvant Immunotherapy

The pathologists play different roles in the care of cancer patients. The main part of this activity is to make the diagnosis of the tumor type, followed by the support to the clinicians in the staging of the patient. In the group of patients that receive Chemotherapy (CT) and / or Radiotherapy (RT) before surgery, the pathologist has to evaluate the results of these treatments by evaluating the tumor bed and the response of the lung. There is a lot of experience in the literature referred to the different types of pathological response to lung cancer treatment after the use of either CT or RT. There are guidelines for the pathologists in order to give an objective evaluation of the treatment results (1). All of them ask the pathologists to evaluate the percentage of viable tumor cells, necrosis and stromal reaction. We can also find different attempts to find molecular markers useful for predicting survival after these traditional treatments (2). In order to have an objective evaluation of the lung cancer patients after CT in 2014 emerged the concept of Major Pathological Response (MPR) as a possible predictor of overall survival (3). This term was applied to describe those patients with a viability of 10% of the tumor cells after neoadjuvant CT. In this report, they propose the MPR as a surrogate endpoint. Since that, the concept of MPR has been used in different reports and assays, becoming a usual parameter for patients with lung resections after receiving chemotherapy. The percentage of viable cells became an important data that has to be evaluated with accuracy in order to avoid subjective results. One of the best ways is to use any of the commercial systems to make measurements on the slides. In our department, we use digital slides to get objective and reproducible data for this type of evaluation. The recent implementation of immunotherapy (IT) for NSCLC that is being applied to an increasing number of patients all over the world makes it necessary to study deeply its morphological effects over de tumor in lung specimens. As most of the patients will never go to the operating room, it becomes important to be aware of the limited knowledge that we have so far. There are some reports comparing the effects of the traditional chemotherapy with immunotherapy. One of these studies shows that the pathologist should look for the same features that are routinely evaluated in the cases after CT (4). The pathologist might evaluate the classic features (viable cells, necrosis and stromal reaction) and other characteristics such as macrophages, cholesterol clefts, lymphoid aggregates, giant cells and neovascularization. In this review, they did not find important differences between the type of morphological changes in both types of treatment, so they propose to use the same parameters in CT and in IT A recent report proposes the concept of Immuno related Pathological Response Criteria (irPRC) (5). They pay attention to the Immune activation with dense lymphoid infiltrate, macrophages and tertiary lymphoid structures as the main characteristics. They also evaluate the massive tumor cell death with destructive features such as cholesterol clefts and those indicative of tissue repair with neovascularization and fibrosis. Last year a review collected different assays done with neoadjuvant IT in patients with resectable lung cancer (6). There is no enough experience in these special groups of patients, as today the IT is given only to advanced lung carcinoma patients. Conclusions: At the present time there are no guidelines for the evaluation of lung tissues after IT. The pathologists have to be aware of the effects of these new biological treatments for lung cancer patients, in order to give as much information as possible in the short number of cases that are seen in the real clinical situation. The previous experience in resected lungs after neoadjuvant therapy is not enough to evaluate the cases after IT. The data obtained from these lung specimens have to give more information in order to improve the knowledge of the effects of these new therapies.

Cryopreservation‐induced morphological changes in the sperm of South American silver catfish ( Rhamdia quelen )

The cryopreservation protocols are species-specific owing to variable sperm sensitivity towards temperature reduction and contact with cryoprotectant solutions. However, little is known about spermatic pathologies, especially after the cryopreservation process. Thus, the objective was to evaluate the effect of cryopreservation on morphological changes in semen of jundiá (Rhamdia quelen). Sperm pool of five males, with >80% motility, as collected, diluted in a cryoprotectant solution and frozen in liquid nitrogen (−196°C). There was a reduction in the percentage of normal cells and sperm motility, accompanied by an increase in the percentage of sperm abnormalities after cryopreservation of R. quelen spermatozoa, indicating a substantial fragility of the spermatozoa towards the cryopreservation process. The most frequent types of morphological changes in the cryopreserved semen were macrocephaly, folded tail, strongly curled tail and distally curled tail. This is the first study to evaluate the spermatic morphology of R. quelen before and after cryopreservation, paving way for further investigations on morphological alterations and for a new classification of these changes in fish semen due to cryopreservation.

Two morphological changes of cancer cells under natural killer cell killing

Abstract Natural killer (NK) cells use granule exocytosis to kill cancer cells, which involves perforin-mediated delivery of granzymes from NK cells to cancer cells. Once inside the cancer cells, granzyme B, a member of serine protease family, activates caspase-3, which activates the serine/threonine kinase Rho-associated coiled coil–containing protein kinase (ROCK) I, an effector of the small GTPase Rho. Activated ROCK I increases the phosphorylation of myosin regulatory light chain and thus stimulates actomyosin contraction, required for apoptotic membrane blebbing. Ultimately, cancer cells under NK cell attack show rounding, shrinkage, and membrane rupture, which are classical morphological changes observed at the onset of apoptosis. Although much has been learned about these morphological changes, a fundamental question of how melanoma cell death is induced by NK cells remains unanswered. Do all melanoma cell lines undergo the classical dying process? If not, is there another dying process? To address this simple issue, we examined the dying of B16 melanoma cell lines under NK cell attack by using time-lapse imaging. Upon contact with NK cells, B16-F10 cells rounded and most of them showed membrane rupture (98 min); however, B16 parent cells showed writhing and delayed membrane rupture (235 min). This morphological difference depended on the expression levels of myosin regulatory light chain 9 (MYL9) but not activating ligands (CD112, CD155, Rae-1, and MULT-1), SPI, FasL, or PD-L1. Taken together, our data show that melanoma cells show two distinct types of morphological changes upon contact with NK cells and suggest that a strategy to decrease MYL9 expression by melanoma cells may improve the efficacy of NK cell–based immunotherapy.

Characterization of morphological changes of B16 melanoma cells under natural killer cell attack

Natural killer (NK) cell killing of melanoma cells involves perforin-mediated delivery of granzymes from NK cells to cancer cells; however, how melanoma cells die remains poorly characterized. Here, we examined the dying process of melanoma cells by using time-lapse imaging. Upon contact with NK cells, B16-F10 cells rounded and most of them showed membrane rupture (98 min); however, B16 parent cells showed writhing and delayed membrane rupture (235 min). This morphological difference depended on the expression levels of myosin regulatory light chain 9 (MYL9) but not activating ligands (CD112, CD155, Rae-1, and MULT-1), SPI, FasL, or PD-L1. Taken together, our data show that melanoma cells show two distinct types of morphological changes upon contact with NK cells and suggest that a strategy to decrease MYL9 expression by melanoma cells may improve the efficacy of NK cell–based immunotherapy.