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Ultraviolet C (UVC) devices are an effective means of disinfecting surfaces and protecting medical tools against various microbes, including coronavirus. Overexposure to UVC can induce oxidative stress, damage the genetic material, and harm biological systems. This study investigated the prophylactic efficacy of vitamin C and B12 against hepatotoxicity in UVC-intoxicated rats. Rats were irradiated with UVC (725.76, 967.68, and 1048.36 J/cm2) for 2 weeks. The rats were pretreated with the aforementioned antioxidants for two months before UVC irradiation. The prophylactic effect of vitamins against UVC hepatotoxicity was evaluated by monitoring the alteration of liver enzyme activities, antioxidant status, apoptotic and inflammatory markers, DNA fragmentation, and histological and ultrastructural alterations. Rats exposed to UVC showed a significant increase in liver enzymes, oxidant–antioxidant balance disruption, and increased hepatic inflammatory markers (TNF-α, IL-1β, iNOS, and IDO-1). Additionally, obvious over-expression of activated caspase-3 protein and DNA fragmentation were detected. Histological and ultrastructural examinations verified the biochemical findings. Co-treatment with vitamins ameliorated the deviated parameters to variable degrees. In conclusion, vitamin C could alleviate UVC-induced hepatotoxicity more than vitamin B12 by diminishing oxidative stress, inflammation, and DNA damage. This study could provide a reference for the clinical practice of vitamin C and B12 as radioprotective for workers in UVC disinfectant areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to assess the effect of thymus factor X (TFX-Jelfa) treatment in hypoestrogenic female rats for the purpose of decreasing skin impairments. Ovariectomised rats were used as a model. The histopathological analysis of the skin after TFX-Jelfa treatment demonstrated that the epidermis was thicker and more desquamated, without deep wrinkles or hypersecretion in comparison to the skin of animals only castrated and not treated with TFX-Jelfa. Collagen and elastic fibres were arranged more uniformly in the dermis and there were numerous fibroblasts, hair follicles, and small vessels. Ultrastructural analysis showed keratinocytes without degenerative changes and the proliferation of lymphatic and dendritic cells in the skin. The results indicate that thymus extracts can have beneficial effects on skin aging, which is often accompanied by hormonal perturbances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oral and oropharyngeal cancers are characterized by relatively low 5- year survival rates due to many factors, including local recurrence. The identification of new molecular markers may serve for the estimation of prognosis and thus augment treatment decisions and affect therapy outcome. The aim of this study was to describe the morphological characteristics and the DNA methylation status of the CDKN2A,CDH1, ATM, FHIT and RAR- genes in the central and peripheral part of the tumor and the surgical margin and evaluate their prognostic significance. 53 patients with oral and oropharyngeal cancer were enrolled to the prospective study, and had been primarily treated surgically. Correlations between morphological data, hypermethylation status and clinicopathological data, as well as prognosis, were assessed. Nuclei polymorphism highly correlated with T stage ( p < 0.0001), N stage ( p < 0.046), and metastases to the lymph nodes pN ( p < 0.004 ). Also, the number of cells in irregular mitosis correlated with T stage ( p < 0.004), and highly with pN ( p < 0.009). The significance of CDKN2A hypermethylation as a good prognostic factor was also established in the Kaplan-Meir test. The ultrastructural analysis showed that none of the examined tumors had homogenous texture and that resection margin specimens clean in HE stained tissue samples frequently contained single tumor cells or few cells in groups surrounded by connective tissue. This indicates the superiority of electron microscopy over standard histopathological analysis. Thus, a combination of such morphological examination with epigenetic parameters described herein could result in the discovery of promising new prognostic markers of the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the first report of the presence of spontaneous cerebral Hirano-like bodies in an alpaca. It outlines the symptoms presented by the 14-year-old alpaca (Vicugna pacos), including lethargy, hypothermia and anorexia. It offers a description of the light microscopic and ultrastructural findings of Hirano-like bodies in the alpaca after a complete necropsy was performed.

Burow's solution has been shown to be effective against chronic suppurative otitis media and otitis externa. We demonstrated that Burow's solution had antibacterial effects against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, inducing ultrastructural changes in these bacteria in vitro. S. aureus strain 209P and P. aeruginosa strain IID1130 were treated with 13% Burow's solution. Viable cell counts were determined to measure bactericidal effects. Ultrastructural changes in cells of both strains were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Viable cell counting revealed that S. aureus cells treated with Burow's solution were killed within 30 min. The viable cell count of P. aeruginosa was reduced by 1 × 10 colony-forming units/ml (CFU/ml) after a 60-min treatment. SEM examination of S. aureus revealed blebbing on the surface of bacterial cells, whereas TEM revealed undulating deformation of the bacterial cell wall, diluted cytoplasm, and cell membrane detachment. SEM observations of P. aeruginosa revealed a more apparent undulating deformation of the bacterial cell surface. TEM observations also revealed deformations in the bacterial cell wall and diluted cytoplasm in both bacteria. These findings show that Burow's solution is active against S. aureus and P. aeruginosa, resulting in damage to the cell wall. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The insecticidal activity of four forms of Hong Jing (HJ) allylisothiocyanate (AITC), AITC+cypermethrin (HJA, HJB, and HJC) with ratio of (1:1, 4:1, and 2:1), pure AITC (HJD), and two forms of Hong Du (HD) AITC, AITC+chlorpyrifos (HDA and HDB) with ratio of (2:1 and 2:1), respectively, were studied on the major cruciferous insect larvae Plutella xylostella (L.) and Pieris rapae (L.) by combining both spraying and dipping methods. The P. rapae was more susceptible than P. xylostella larvae. The LC50 values 72h after treatment of AITC forms (HJB, HJA, HJC, HJD, HDB, and HDA) on the P. rapae were; 0.07, 0.08, 0.16, 0.83, 0.26, 1.08gL−1, and 0.69, 0.26, 5.45, 0.93, 3.01, 5.98gL−1 on the P. xylostella, respectively. The toxicity of some of the AITC forms was very close to or better than that of the commercial contact insecticides such as chlorpyrifos (LC50 =0.03 and 0.04gL−1 on P. rapae and P. xylostella, respectively), and cypermethrin (0.65 and 0.78gL−1, respectively, against P. rapae and P. xylostella). The ultrastructural studies on the integument of the third larval instar of P. xylostella treated by sub-lethal concentration (LC20) of HJB, HJD, and HDB were carried out by using transmission electron microscope. The more pronounced alterations in the hypodermis and mitochondria cells. They exhibited changes in all treated samples. The hypodermis was almost completely destroyed, and the mitochondria exhibited morphological alterations, represented by enlargement, matrix rarefaction and vacuolization of the mitochondria matrix, quantity of cristae reduced, and density electron matrix lessened. These AITC forms have potential as contact insecticides, and the ultra structural observations confirm the insecticidal efficiency of different AITC forms on P. rapae and P. xylostella. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

New and often aggressive treatment schemes allow the successful healing of many young patients with cancer, but the price the young women have to pay is high: many of them lose ovarian function and fertility. Due to the improved long-term survival of adolescents and young women with malignancies undergoing gonadotoxic chemotherapy, preservation of future fertility has been the focus of recent ubiquitarian interest. A feasible solution is the cryopreservation of ovarian tissue. Ovarian tissue, after thawing, can be used in three different ways: 1. grafted into its normal site (orthotopic); 2. grafted into a site other than its normal position (heterotopic), necessitating recourse to in vitro fertilization (IVF); 3. grown and in vitro matured in order to obtain metaphase II oocytes for an IVF program. It is believed that protein supplementation, in cryopreservation solution, is essential for improving ovarian tissue cryopreservation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ultrastructural appearance of human ovarian tissue cryopreserved in 1.5 M 1,2 propanediol (PROH), 0.2 M sucrose using different protein sources: fetal calf serum (FCS), plasmanate or syntetic serum substitute (SSS). Fresh and frozen/thawed ovarian tissues were compared by transmission electron microscope (TEM), to evaluate the appearance of stromal and follicle cells as affected by different protein sources. Our data indicate that FCS is a better protein support for ovarian tissue cryopreservation when compared to SSS or Plasmanate. In addition the follicles are more resistant to the cryopreservation with respect to stroma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of d-sotalol on intercellular electrical coupling and ultrastructure under hypoxic conditions were investigated in myocardial samples from eight young (1-2 months) and four older (10-12 months) guinea pigs. A right ventricular muscle strip was kept simultaneously in two divided chambers and superfused with normoxic and/or hypoxic (97% N+ 3% C) Krebs solution. Hypoxia caused shortening of action potential duration (APD) and electrical cellto-cell uncoupling. If the uncoupling appeared after short-term hypoxia (less than 30 min), administration of 3.10M of d-sotalol to the hypoxic perfusate led to a recovery of electrical coupling. Transmission electron microscopy revealed moderate reversible ultrastructural alterations of the cardiomyocytes. No apparent changes in intercellular junctions were observed. The recoupling effect of sotalol decreased with the time of hypoxia as the ultrastructural damage progressed. After prolonged hypoxia (more than 30min), cardiomyocytes were markedly injured, intercellular junctions were severely affected, and gap junctions occurred less frequently. In these cases, administration of d-sotalol caused only transient recoupling. After 1h of hypoxia, no recoupling was observed. Pretreatment with d-sotalol prevented hypoxia-induced electrical uncoupling and markedly attenuated ultrastructural damage, although shortening of APD still persisted. Our results indicate that the cardioprotective effect of d-sotalol on electrical intercellular coupling is closely associated with sotalol-induced prevention of the ultrastructural damage. Considering previous results, we suggest that this protective effect of d-sotalol may be related to its ability to increase intracellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate and, thereby, to decrease cytosolic free Ca. These effects can explain the antiarrhythmic and defibrillating properties of d-sotalol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]