HILDA L. MONTRULL, NILDA Y. BRIZUELA, SILVIA L. DEMURTAS, LUIS SPITALE* , CARLOS I. MEIROVICH.

BIOCELL, Vol.29, No.2, pp. 163-167, 2005, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2005.29.163

Abstract Cartilage samples were taken from OA patients in order to describe and quantify pro-inflammatory mediators. Samples were cultured under aseptic conditions in Dulbecco’s modified Eagle medium at 37°C for 10 days. Control samples, taken from non-inflammatory cartilage, were cultured under the same conditions. The levels of NO^-₂ and NO^-₃ were measured in the supernatant using a spectrophotometric assay. The activity of MMP-1 was quantified by ELISA.
The concentration of NO^-_x was 47.3 ± 4.1 µM in the OA cartilague and 10.7 ± 1.8 µM in the controls. The average MMP-1 activity was 3,650 ± 387 ng/ml in the OA… More >

NORA MOHAMAD, ALICIA GUTIÉRREZ, MARIEL NÚÑEZ, CLAUDIA COCCA, GABRIELA MARTÍN*, GRACIELA CRICCO, VANINA MEDINA, ELENA RIVERA, ROSA BERGOC*.

BIOCELL, Vol.29, No.2, pp. 149-161, 2005, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2005.29.149

Abstract Apoptosis or programmed cell death (PCD) is a physiological process characteristic of pluricellular organisms leading to self-destruction of the cell. It is therefore involved in development, homeostasis and host defense. However, a significant difference has been shown between mammalian cell apoptosis and non-mammalian cell apoptosis: mitochondria are implicated only in the former. Execution of PCD includes the release of several proapoptotic proteins from the intermembrane space of mitochondria. They could exert their actions through a caspase dependent as well as a caspase independent way. On the other hand, regulation of PCD is mainly given by the Bcl-2 family members, which… More >

TATIANA CARLA TOMIOSSO, LAURECIR GOMES, BENEDICTO DE CAMPOS VIDAL, EDSON ROSA PIMENTEL

BIOCELL, Vol.29, No.1, pp. 47-54, 2005, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2005.29.047

Abstract The composition and organization of the extracellular matrix of ostrich articular cartilage was investigated, using samples from the proximal and distal surfaces of the tarsometatarsus. For morphological analysis, sections were stained with toluidine blue and analyzed by polarized light microscopy. For biochemical analysis, extracellular matrix components were extracted with 4 M guanidinium chloride, fractionated on DEAE-Sephacel and analyzed by SDS-PAGE. Glycosaminoglycans were analyzed by electrophoresis in agarose gels. Structural analysis showed that the fibrils were arranged in different directions, especially on the distal surface. The protein and glycosaminoglycan contents of this region were higher than in the other regions. SDS-PAGE… More >

MARIA RAQUEL MARÇAL NATALI, SONIA LUCY MOLINARI, LUIZ CRISTIANO VALENTINI, MARCÍLIO HUBNER DE MIRANDA NETO.

BIOCELL, Vol.29, No.1, pp. 39-46, 2005, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2005.29.039

Abstract The purpose of this work was to analyze the morphoquantitative behavior of the neurons of the myenteric plexus, as well as the morphometry of the duodenal wall, in adult rats fed with normoproteic (22%) and hypoproteic (8%) rations, killed at the age of 345 days. For neuronal assessments duodenal wholemounts stained with the Giemsa method were used, and for the evaluation of the duodenal wall routine histological processing and staining with Hematoxilin-Eosin were employed. The means of the number of neurons in 80 microscopic fields (12.72 mm² ) and of the size of the neuronal cell bodies did not reveal… More >

CARLOS A. MARTÍN, JOSÉ MIGUEL SURUR, MARCELA N. GARCÍA, FÉLIX CORRONS, AMADO F. BADRÁN

BIOCELL, Vol.29, No.1, pp. 33-38, 2005, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2005.29.033

Abstract Variations in DNA synthesis (DNAs) and Nucleolar Organizer Regions (NORs) were studied in the littoral cell population from regenerating liver of C3HS inbred mice standardized for periodicity analysis. Immunohistochemical detection of Bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) with a monoclonal antibody and silver staining of NORs (AgNORs) were assessed by means of a digital image analysis system in histological sections. Tissue samples were obtained every four hours from the 30th to the 54th hours after a partial hepatectomy. The results showed, in both parameters, a gradual increment of the values during the period studied, with highest values (DNAs 107.1 ± 16.1 SE; AgNORs 77.3… More >

LILIANA G. SOUSA¹, ELENA I. CUARTAS², ANA MARÍA PETRIELLA^{1, 3}

BIOCELL, Vol.29, No.1, pp. 25-31, 2005, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2005.29.025

Abstract The aim of this study is to describe the ultrastructure of the hepatopancreas of P. argentinus in intermoult. P. argentinus hepatopancreas was studied using standard TEM techniques. Each tubule consists of four cellular types: E (embryonic), F (fibrillar), R (resorptive) and B (blister like). E-cells have embryonic features and some of them were found in mitosis. F, R and B cells possess an apical brush border. F-cells have a central or basal nucleus, a conspicuous RER, and dilated Golgi cisternae. R cells show a polar organization of organelles in three areas: apical, with numerous mitochondria and sER tubules, a central… More >

LILIAN BARRIOS, OSCAR HÉCTOR POLETTI

BIOCELL, Vol.29, No.1, pp. 7-14, 2005, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2005.29.007

Abstract We have evaluated the effect of filgrastim on proliferation and differentiation activity of granulopoietic cells in mice pretreated with methotrexate. Filgrastim was injected daily, from day 8 to 28 after cytotoxic agent administration. The granulopoiesis changes were measured by assessment of GM-CFU cells content, marrow and spleen granuloid cells pool as well as circulating neutrophils. In MTX pretreated mice, bone marrow GM-CFU oscillating values were higher than normal values, but these changes were not followed by high proliferative activity in granuloid precursor cell compartment. After MTX treatment, filgrastim administration was unable to stimulate marrow granulopoiesis as observed in normal mice.… More >

LUCIANA FIORETTI GRACIOLI-VITTI, FÁBIO CAMARGO ABDALLA, REGINA LÚCIA MORELLI SILVA DE MORAES

BIOCELL, Vol.29, No.1, pp. 1-5, 2005, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2005.29.001

Abstract The aim of the present study was analyze, by histological and morphometrical studies, mandibular glands of Melipona bicolor queens collected from monogynic and polygynic colonies and compare their level of development. The results showed that the glands of physogastric queens from monogynic colony present a higher level of activity in relation to the queens of polygynic colonies; this is explained by the fact that just a unique queen controls the monogynic colony. In the polygynic colonies, the queens may divide such control to each other. More >

M. I. ROSATTI, M. T. BECONI, M. CÓRDOBA

BIOCELL, Vol.28, No.3, pp. 311-316, 2004, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2004.28.311

Abstract Acrosin activity is associated with normal fertility in human and bovine spermatozoa. The aim of the study was to determine the variation of the enzyme activity in the proacrosin-acrosin system in capacitated and acrosome reacted cryopreserved bovine sperm. Enzyme activity was assessed spectrophotometrically using N-α-benzoyl-DL-arginine p-nitroanilide (BAPNA) as specific substrate for acrosin at pH 8. Capacitation with heparin and quercitin failed to induce conversion of proacrosin to acrosin. An increase in acrosin activity produced by the presence of progesterone, in a dose-dependent manner, was related with the induction of true acrosome reaction. The total level of acrosin activity registered showed… More >

KARINA MANCINI, HEIDI DOLDER

BIOCELL, Vol.28, No.3, pp. 299-310, 2004, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2004.28.299

Abstract This study was undertaken to detect protein components in both sperm types of the butterfly Euptoieta hegesia. These spermatozoa possess complex extracellular structures for which the composition and functional significance are still unclear. In the apyrene sperm head, the proteic cap presented an external ring and an internal dense content; basic proteins were detected only in external portions. In the tail, the paracrystalline core of mitochondrial derivatives and the axoneme are rich in proteins. The extratesticular spermatozoa are covered by a proteic coat, which presented two distinct layers. In eupyrene spermatozoa, acrosome and nucleus were negatively stained, probably because of… More >