Home / Journals / BIOCELL / Vol.33, No.1, 2009
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  • Open AccessOpen Access

    REVIEW

    Review: Studies on the reproductive and developmental biology of Cichlasoma dimerus (Percifomes, Cichlidae)

    MATÍAS PANDOLFI*, MAXIMILIANO M. CÁNEPA, FERNANDO J. MEIJIDE, FELIPE ALONSO, GRACIELA REY VÁZQUEZ, M. CRISTINA MAGGESE, PAULA G. VISSIO
    BIOCELL, Vol.33, No.1, pp. 1-18, 2009, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2009.33.001
    Abstract Many characteristics of the South American teleost fish Cichlasoma dimerus (body size, easy breeding, undemanding maintenance) make it amenable to laboratory studies. In the last years, many of the fundamental aspects of its reproductive and developmental biology have been addressed in our laboratory. Rather recently, the immunohistochemical localization of pituitary hormones involved in reproduction and in background color adaptation has been described in both adult and developing individuals, and the role of FSH in ovarian differentiation has been established. These findings have been correlated with mapping of some of their brain-derived controlling hormones. The latter include brain-derived gonadotropins which were… More >

  • Open AccessOpen Access

    ARTICLE

    Germinating seeds of the mung bean, Vigna radiata (Fabaceae), as a model for the preliminary evaluation of cytotoxic effects of drugs

    VIJAY L. KUMAR*, ABHISHEK SINGHAL
    BIOCELL, Vol.33, No.1, pp. 19-24, 2009, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2009.33.019
    Abstract Cytotoxic properties of plant extracts and drugs being developed for cancer treatment are usually evaluated by a variety of in vivo and in vitro tests carried out in animal or plant based models. In the present study we have evaluated the possibility of using the germinating mung beans (Vigna radiata), for rapid and inexpensive screening of drugs exhibiting cytotoxic properties. Mung beans were allowed to germinate either in tap water or in different drug solutions, and parameters like percent germination, increase in radicle length, change in seedling weight and mitotic index of apical root meristems were determined at two time… More >

  • Open AccessOpen Access

    ARTICLE

    Cytogenetical and ultrastructural effects of copper on root meristem cells of Allium sativum L.

    DONGHUA LIU1*, WUSHENG JIANG2, QINGMIN MENG1, JIN ZOU1, JIEGANG GU1, MUAI ZENG1
    BIOCELL, Vol.33, No.1, pp. 25-32, 2009, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2009.33.025
    Abstract Different copper concentrations, as well as different exposure times, were applied to investigate both cytogenetical and ultrastructural alterations in garlic (Allium sativum L.) meristem cells. Results showed that the mitotic index decreased progressively when either copper concentration or exposure time increased. C-mitosis, anaphase bridges, chromosome stickiness and broken nuclei were observed in the copper treated root tip cells. Some particulates containing the argyrophilic NOR-associated proteins were distributed in the nucleus of the root-tip cells and the amount of this particulate material progressively increased with increasing exposure time. Finally, the nucleolar material was extruded from the nucleus into the cytoplasm. Also,… More >

  • Open AccessOpen Access

    ARTICLE

    Isolation of stem cells from adult rat kidneys

    YOUSOF GHEISARI1,2, MASOUD SOLEIMANI3*, SIROUS ZEINALI2, EHSAN AREFIAN1, AMIR ATASHI1,3, MAHIN NIKOUGOFTAR ZARIF4
    BIOCELL, Vol.33, No.1, pp. 33-38, 2009, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2009.33.033
    Abstract The kidney has an inherent ability for recovery and regeneration following acute damage. However, there has been much contention as to the source of regenerating renal cells. The aim of this study was to isolate and characterize these cells. Normal rat kidneys were minced and cells were isolated with collagenase I and were cultured in an expansion medium. Adherent cells were isolated and expanded for more than 120 days in vitro. These cells had the potential of trans-lineage differentiation into neural cells, adipocytes and osteocytes. These cells also expressed Nucleostemin, Cyclin D1, Notch1 and Survivin which are commonly expressed in… More >

  • Open AccessOpen Access

    ARTICLE

    Influence of the microenvironment on gene and protein expression of odontogenic-like and osteogenic-like cells

    ANDREA P. RODRIGUEZ, HIDETSUGU TSUJIGIWA, MEHMET GUNDUZ, BEYHAN CENGIZ, NORIYUKI NAGAI, RYO TAMAMURA, SILVIA S. BORKOSKY, TOHRU TAKAGI, MIHO INOUE, HITOSHI NAGATSUKA*
    BIOCELL, Vol.33, No.1, pp. 39-47, 2009, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2009.33.039
    Abstract Progenitor cells play an important biological role in tooth and bone formation, and previous analyses during bone and dentine induction have indicated that they may be a good alternative for tissue engineering. Thus, to clarify the influence of the microenvironment on protein and gene expression, MDPC23 cells (mouse dental papilla cell line) and KUSA/A1 cells (bone marrow stromal cell line) were used, both in vitro cell culture and in intra-abdominal diffusion chambers implanted in 4-week-old male immunodefficient mice (SCID mice). Our results indicate that KUSA/A1 cells differentiated into osteoblast-like cells and induced bone tissue inside the chamber, whereas, MDPC-23 showed… More >

  • Open AccessOpen Access

    ARTICLE

    Development beyond the gastrula stage and digestive organogenesis in the apple-snail Pomacea canaliculata (Architaenioglossa, Ampullariidae)

    E. KOCH1, B.C. WINIK2, A. CASTRO-VAZQUEZ1,3,*
    BIOCELL, Vol.33, No.1, pp. 49-65, 2009, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2009.33.049
    Abstract Development of Pomacea canaliculata from the gastrula stage until the first day after hatching is described. Trochophore embryos are developed after gastrulation, showing the prototroch as a crown of ciliated orange-brownish cells. However, no true veliger embryos are formed, since the prototroch does not fully develop into a velum. Afterward, the connection between the fore- and midgut is permeated and the midgut becomes full of the pink-reddish albumen, which is stored into a central archenteron’s lake, from where it is accumulated into the large cells forming the midgut wall (“giant cells”). Electron microscopy of giant cells in late embryos showed… More >

  • Open AccessOpen Access

    ARTICLE

    Brief Note: Influence of 2-methoxyestradiol on MCF-7 cells: An improved differential interference contrasting technique and Bcl-2 and Bax protein expression levels

    ANNIE JOUBERT1*, SUMARI MARAIS1, CHRISTINE MARITZ2
    BIOCELL, Vol.33, No.1, pp. 67-70, 2009, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2009.33.067
    Abstract Proteins of the B-cell lymphoma 2 family are crucial for the regulation of apoptosis. B-cell lymphoma 2-associated X is a pro-apoptotic protein, while B-cell lymphoma 2 protein opposes apoptosis. The influence of 1 μM 2-methoxyestradiol was investigated on the expression levels of these two proteins in MCF-7 cells. 2-Methoxyestradiol exposure did not influence B-cell lymphoma 2 protein expression levels after 24 h of exposure. In contrast, B-cell lymphoma 2-associated X protein levels were significantly reduced. An improved differential interference contrasting technique revealed compromised cell density and the presence of a mitotic block in exposed cells. The study proposes that the… More >

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