Jornal de Citologia e Histologia

It is well known that many diseases throughout the world are well treated with medicinal plants which have great protective and therapeutic effects. The effect of crude ethanolic extract of Hyphaene thebaica (L) Mart (HT) on some hematologicalindices and some biochemical parameters in normal albino rats in addition to the histological studies on liver and kidney tissues of these rats were investigated.

Thirty two normal white male albino rats were divided into four groups of eight rats/each group. Group one served as the control group, group 2, 3 and 4 served as the test groups for the crude ethanolic extract of HT seeds to which oral intubation of 100 mg/Kg, 200 mg/Kg and 400 mg/Kg dosages of the extracts were administered, respectively. All the rats were fed with normal diet and water ad-libitum for 21 days then after then, all groups were sacrificed, two blood samples were collected for haematological and biochemical parameters. Specimens from liver and kidney were collected for histopathological examination.

Group (3; 200 mg/Kg) and group (4; 400 mg/Kg) revealed a significant increase (P≤ 0.05) increase in total WBCs, total RBCs, and haemoglobin concentration compared with the control. However, significant decrease (P ≤ 0.05) was observed in the level of cholesterol and triglycerides after treating with 400 mg/Kg dose only when compared with the control. There was no significant change in platelets count, liver functions (alanine transaminase (ALT), asparatate transaminase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT), Albumin and total protein) and kidney functions (urea and creatinine).Histopathological results of taken liver and kidney tissues revealed no significant changes when compared with the control group.

The crude ethanolic extracts of HT seeds hashypolipidimic effect and may be able to boost immune system.

The lingual papillae of (Herpestes ichneumon) have specialized shapes different from other carnivore mammals. So, the present study aims to demonstrate those specialized papillae. We observed that the external surface of the tongue has different papillae (filiform, fungiform, and circumvallate). The tongue was elongated; their two-third width was almost fixed. Numerous filiform papillae were distributed along the anterior two-thirds of the tongue while the fungiform papillae were distributed between the filiform ones. There are different types of filiform papillae which are serrate, smooth small and giant elongated. The conical papillae appear toward the posterior end of the tongue. The fungiform papillae have different shapes from small to large beginning from the anterior apex to the posterior. We observed the circumvallate papillae at the posterior surface. Also groups of mucus glands present. Conclusion: Herpestes ichneumon, have specialized shapes different from other carnivore mammals.

Background: Preeclampsia (PE) is a leading cause of maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. Patients with severe PE exhibit significantly lower serum progesterone concentrations. There is limited information about the use of progesterone to manage or treat PE.
Aim of the work: To investigate the possible protective and/or therapeutic effects of 17-hydroxyprogesterone caproate (17-OHPC) therapy in a rat model of PE and the possibly involved mechanisms that monitored biochemically, histologically, and immunohistochemically.
Methods: Twenty-four pregnant female albino rats were randomly divided into 4 groups (6 rats/each): The control group, preeclampsia group (PE-group), prophylactic group, and treated group. The mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) and 24-hour protein in urine were determined. Rats were sacrificed at day 22 of gestation and placentae were processed for paraffin.
Results: The MAP and proteinuria in the PE-group were significantly higher compared to the control group. The prophylactic and treated groups showed significant decrease in MAP and proteinuria as compared to PE-group. In the treated group, they nearly returned to the normal levels. The histological examination of the PE-group showed dilated maternal blood sinuses, depositions of hemosiderin granules and numerous phagocytic trophoblastic cells containing cytoplasmic hemosiderin granules. Fetal blood vessels showed homogenous acidophilic material occluding their lumen, edema of the extra-embryonic fetal membranes and intra-villous tissue, and numerous nucleated RBCs. The prophylactic group showed some improvement while the treated group showed more or less normal maternal blood sinuses and interhemal membrane with few hemosiderin granules and few nucleated RBCs. There was a significant increase in caspase-3 expression and a significant decrease in the eNOS expression in PE-group compared to the control group. While the prophylactic and the treated groups had a significant decrease in caspase-3 expression and a significant increase in the eNOS expression compared to PE-group.
Conclusion: The biochemical, morphological and morphometric findings suggested that the administration of 17-OHPC to preeclamptic rat decreased blood pressure, proteinuria, inflammation, apoptosis, and improved vascular eNOS expression in placenta. The 17-OHPC possessed curative effect on L-NAME induced PE changes in rat placenta which was more obvious than its protective effect.

Background: Tobacco usage in the smoked and smokeless forms has reached epidemic proportions in the Asian sub-continent often leading to oral cancer which is the sixth most common cause of cancer related deaths globally. Micronuclei (MN) count is a promising indicator for the cytotoxic effects of tobacco usage. Our study was aimed at establishing a correlation between the MN counts among various tobacco habits.

Methods: Exfoliated cells were collected over a period of three years from 2015 to 2017, from a total of 400 individuals consisting of 100 individuals each of smokers, gutkha chewers, khaini chewers and controls. PAP staining was done and the number of cells with micronuclei was counted under 40 X, by two independent examiners. The mean MN count was compared using the ANOVA test for statistical analysis.

Results: Significant increase in micronuclei count was observed in individuals with tobacco habit. Mean value of epithelial cells with micronuclei ± SD was 1.58 ± 0.24 for controls, 7.51 ± 0.59 for smokers, 13.95 ± 0.97 for khaini chewers and 15.45 ± 1.17 for gutkha users.

Conclusion: The MN count can be used as an early indicator for susceptibility to Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), as a non-invasive early detection tool for mass screening, for patient education as well as to check for efficacy of treatment.

Spleen, being the largest organ of the mononuclear phagocytic system is involved in many systemic inflammations, generalized haematopoietic disorders as well as metabolic disorders. Perisplinitis, also known colloquially as “icing sugar spleen”, is a common autopsy finding. The capsule of the spleen becomes nodular, thickened and fibrotic and it appears as though the spleen has been dipped in white icing. Perisplenitis is seen as creamy yellow to white exudates or firm glistening “icing-like” plaques on the capsular surface, indicating active acute or regressed infection, respectively. It is usually secondary to generalised peritonitis or extension from local infection. It has been reported as part of Curtis-Fitz-Hugh syndrome or a common accompaniment to cirrhosis of the liver. Massive splenomegaly with sugar icing spleen is also seen in chronic myeloid leukemia and may be seen in sickle cell anaemia. Here we present a case of perisplinitis in a 65 years old male patient as an incidental autopsy finding.