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Aquaporins (AQPs) are important for water transport in the gastrointestinal tract. Changes in their expression and/or localization could cause in disorders and be used as therapeutic targets. Aquaporin‐4 (AQP4) is expressed predominantly on the basolateral membrane of the parietal cells in the corpus of the murine gastric glands. Although the secretion of gastric juice is not affected in AQP4‐deficient knockout, we evaluated by light microscopy whether the lack of AQP4 affects the glycopatterns of secreting gastric cells. Wild type (WT) and AQP4‐deficient knockout mice (KO) were fed a standard diet ad libitum before sacrifice. Segments of stomach corpus were collected, fixed in buffered formalin, and embedded in paraffin wax. Sections, 5‐μm thick, were analyzed by histochemical methods (Periodic acid‐Schiff, Alcian Blue pH 2.5), and binding of lectins specific to GalNAc (SBA, DBA), Gal (PNA) GlcNAc (WGA, GSAII) mannose and/or glucose (ConA), and fucose (UEA‐I, AAA, LTA). Immunohistochemical methods such as anti‐Muc6 for neck cells and anti‐ β‐ H+/K+‐ATPase for parietal cells were also performed. Compared to WT mice, in the mucous cells of KO lower amounts of glycans with galactosyl/galactosaminylated, glycosyl/glycosaminylated, and fucosylated residues were observed; lower fucosylation resulted also in the parietal cells. The observed differences of KO in respect to WT could lead to severer pathological conditions. Research Highlights: Glycopatterns in gastric glands were compared between wild type (WT) and AQP4‐deficient knockout (KO) mice by histochemical and lectin‐binding methods.In the mucous cells of KO lower amounts of glycans with galactosyl/galactosaminylated, glycosyl/glycosaminylated and fucosylated residues were observed.In the parietal cells lower fucosylation also resulted.AQP4‐deficiency affects glycosylation and could result in altered functionality and pathological conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aluminum (Al) is used in everyday life and present in food drugs, packaging, industry, and agriculture. Although it is the most common metal in the Earth crust, a correlation has been demonstrated between its presence and various pathologies, even serious ones, especially of a neurological type. However, there is a histological gap regarding the role Al can have in contact with the covering and secreting epithelia. The alterations of the ventral and dorsal foot mucocytes and their secretions of the snail Eobania vermiculata caused by Al were investigated in situ by histochemical and lectin‐histochemical techniques. Administration to different experimental groups took place for 3 and 9 days with 50 and 200 μM of AlCl3. Several types of mucocytes were detected with a prevalent secretion of acid glycans in the foot of E. vermiculata. Sulfated glycans prevail in the dorsal region, with one type showing only fucosylated residues and another also having galactosaminylated and glycosaminylated residues. Carboxylated glycans prevail in the ventral region, with presence of galactosaminylated, glycosaminylated, and fucosylated residuals in both cells. Snails treated presented a general decrease of mucin amount in the secreting cells and affected the mucus composition. These changes could alter the rheological and functional properties of the mucus with possible implications for the health of the treated animals. Research Highlights: Snails were fed with Al‐contaminated lettuce at different concentrations.In the foot mucocytes produced mucus with prevailing acidic glycans.In the treated resulted a reduction in the amount of mucus and an alteration of glycan composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Covid-19 pandemic embodied a major contemporary challenge for Orthodox churches. Indeed, they were called to adapt upon to health urgencies and to comply with inedited state regulations. In the article, we focus on the Romanian Orthodox Church and analyze qualitative material collected in two parishes in Bucharest. From the results, it appears the Romanian Orthodox Church nurtured a significant intransigence in dealing with modernity’s issues related to the pandemic context, especially resisting to the temporary closure of places of worship and the organic transposition of health regulations. We study the above processes within the frame of the contentions between the societal authority of religion and that of modern science, while at the same time considering those ones shaped by the state and the notion of nature. In short, this research would like both to shed new light on ancient tensions of Eastern Orthodoxy with modernity and to grasp some dynamic traits of this religion. Beyond the defensive Orthodoxy’s discourses, the examination of its liturgical space revealed a complex social setting marked by negotiations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the centuries, Orthodox Christianity has developed conflictual experiences with respect to the main Western model of modernity. Recently, it has shown a complicated relationship with some of its phenomena such as human rights. According to this backdrop, we explore the sociological nexus among religion, modernity and human rights within the case of Orthodox Christianity. We study the main paths of tension between Orthodoxy and the main Western modern project, and then we focus on the Orthodox stances and churches' approaches with respect to human rights. Examining the Orthodox official documents on both subjects, we recognise common Orthodox orientations and issues, besides some paths of religious change. In short, the study sheds light on a social research perspective focused on the nexus among religion, modernity and human rights, and emphasises the recent Orthodox engagement with some facets of the modern project through the recognition of the paradigm of human rights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The glycopatterns of the glycans secreted by the mucosa of stomach and duodenal ampulla of the striped dolphin, Stenella coeruleoalba were studied by histochemical (Periodic acid‐Schiff, Alcian Blue pH 2.5, High Iron Diamine) and lectin‐binding (SBA, DBA, PNA, WGA, MAA‐II, SNA, ConA, UEA‐I, AAA, LTA) techniques. The stomach can be divided into four compartments: main stomach, two connecting chambers and pylorus. The pylorus is followed by the duodenal ampulla. Mucins are secreted by surface cells and intramucosal glands specific for each compartment. In the main stomach glands, neck cells were weakly sulphated, with prevailing glycosaminylated, glycosylated/mannosylated, and fucosylated residuals. Parietal and chief cells in general were scarcely reactive. In the connecting chambers glands, there were high levels of sulphation, glycosaminylation, glycosylation/mannosylation, and fucosylation, the latter with more complex patterns than those observed in the main stomach glands. In the pyloric glands sulphated, glycosaminylated and fucosylated residuals decreased, whereas the opposite was observed for galactosyl/galactosaminylated residuals. Glycosylation patterns in the glands of the duodenal ampulla differed from those of the pyloric ones, with similar levels of sulphation, lower levels of galactosyl/galactosaminylation and glycosaminylation, and higher level of fucosylation. The results are compared with those available in literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]