Comparative histology of wild-type and p53-deficient medaka (Oryzias latipes): nephrotoxic effect of ultraviolet A radiation

Ultraviolet radiation is an ecological factor that directly affects terrestrial organisms through suppression of immunity or damage to internal organs.

Insight and Resources From a Study of the “Impact of Sex, Androgens, and Prostate Size on C57BL/6J Mouse Urinary Physiology

The purpose of this symposium report is to summarize information from a session 3 oral presentation at the Society of Toxicologic Pathology Annual Symposium in Raleigh, North Carolina. Mice are genetically tractable and are likely to play an important role in elucidating environmental, genetic, and aging-related mechanisms of urinary dysfunction in men. We and others have made significant strides in developing quantitative methods for assessing mouse urinary function and our collaborators recently showed that aging male mice, like men, develop urinary dysfunction. Yet, it remains unclear how mouse prostate anatomy and histology relate to urinary function. The purpose of this report is to share foundational resources for evaluating mouse prostate histology and urinary physiology from our recent publication “Impact of Sex, Androgens, and Prostate Size on C57BL/6J Mouse Urinary Physiology: Functional Assessment.” We will begin with a review of prostatic embryology in men and mice, then move to comparative histology resources, and conclude with quantitative measures of rodent urinary physiology.

Scanning Electron Microscopic Observations of the Digestive Canal of the Great Bustard (Otis Tarda)

This study focussed on the microstructure of the digestive canal of the Great Bustard ( Otis tarda). Under scanning electron microscopy (SEM), different morphological plicae (rounded protrusions about 10 μm in height) were observed at different locations along the inner surface of the oesophagus. Concentrated microvilli can be seen on the surface of the protrusions in high-power fields. There are papillae in the mucosal fold on the inner surface of the glandular stomach, with openings of about 250 μm in diameter. In high-power fields, the tops of rod cells could be seen in somewhat circular forms with microvilli on them. Inside the muscular stomach, the scraggly- or wavy-formed surface of the cuticle layer could be seen. Stripping off the cuticle layer, at the tops of mucosal folds row- or rope-like forms could be seen. The mucosa of the small intestine is thrown into ridges running longitudinally in a zigzag pattern along the intestine, rather than the finger-like intestinal villi observed in mammals. There are villi on the inner surface of the caecum with impressions on their domes (the troughs between which have diameters of about 200 μm). Villi on the inner surface of the rectum are even thicker, ranging from 200–500 μm in diameter, and could be seen on the inner surface of the caecum and rectum. Outlines of cell domes are clearer on the inner surface of the caecum than those on the rectum. Studies on the fine structures of the inner surface of the Great Bustard digestive canal will enrich the knowledge of the comparative histology of birds, and provide a reference for raising bustards, as well as preventing and curing its diseases.