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Vascular access failure causes significant morbidity among end stage renal failure patients. With the increased life expectancy and frailty of those patients, maintaining vascular access became a great challenge. In this study, we assess the short and midterm outcomes of infraclavicular arterio-arterial prosthetic loop (IAAPL) as vascular access for haemodialysis in frail patients who have exhausted conventional vascular access methods. A prospective observational study of 43 patients undergoing IAAPL was conducted in a single centre between May 2017 and March 2020. Primary, assisted primary and secondary patency rates were recorded in addition to complications and patient compliance with access. The achieved primary, assisted primary and secondary patency rates at 6 months are 87.5%, 95%, 97.5% respectively, at one year, corresponding rates were 75%, 83.3%, 94.4% and at 18 months they were 68.6%, 77.1%, 85.7% respectively. There was no procedure related mortality and life-threatening complications during the study period. So we can assume that infraclavicular AAPL is a safe and effective method of obtaining alternative vascular access for hemodialysis in frail patients for whom the conventional vascular access for hemodialysis is not suitable or contraindicated.

Osteoblast activating peptide (OBAP) was previously reported to be expressed in the rat stomach and to have a vital role in osteogenesis, but its distribution in rat stomach has not been determined. Thus, the aim of the present study was to identify the cell types expressing OBAP in the rat stomach. The stomachs of twelve 10-to-11-week-old male Jc1:SD rats were used. Samples were collected for immunohistochemistry, immunoelectron microscopy and dot blot assay. Immunohistochemical investigation revealed that OBAP was distributed mainly in parietal cells without any expression in chief cells, X/A-like cells or enterochromaffin-like cells. Moreover, OBAP-immunopositive cells were observed mainly in the upper and lower parts of the gastric gland. Significantly high optical density of immunopositive cells was observed in the upper and lower gastric gland regions. The dot blot assay confirmed that OBAP is secreted by parietal cells and that it is present in the gastric gland lumen. Immunoelectron microscopy demonstrated that OBAP was confined to the mitochondrial inner membrane within parietal cells and that the number of mitochondria in the upper and lower parts of the gastric epithelium was significantly larger than the number in the middle part of the gastric epithelium. Based on the results, it was concluded that OBAP is mainly produced by mitochondria of parietal cells in the upper and lower parts of the gastric epithelium. Moreover, the presence of OBAP in the gastric gland lumen suggests an exocrine mechanism of release.

Background: The principle findings of synaptophysin immunoreactivity (SynpIR) during the ontogeny of rabbit spinal cord are: At E14, SynpIR precedes in the entire marginal layer especially at the entrance zone of dorsal root and motor neurite outgrowth emerged from the basal plate. At E21, SynpIR is expressed in the motoneurons of ventral and lateral horns of mantle layer growing into the ventrolateral columns of marginal layer. Methods: We found intensely stained thick tracts and diffuse axons among proliferating neuroblasts of mantle layer. The peripheral parts of ventral horns were occupied with closely packed multipolar neurons from which long dendrites departed toward the surface of marginal layer. Results: At E28, pronounced SynpIR presented in the ventral grey horn while the white matter was faintly stained., meanwhile the dorsal horn was more cellular than ventral and lateral horns. Few intensively SynpIR fibers cross the dorsal and ventral commissures. In adult, profuse SynpIR appeared in the entire grey matter, and stained dendrites departed from neurons in the lateral laminae into the adjacent funiculi as finger-like projections. These projections did not reach the surface, so that the outer one-third to onefourth of the funiculi contained little or no SynpIR. In the periphery of ventral horns, we found large multipolar neurons with faintly stained cytoplasm. The white matter and the neuroepithelial cells surrounding the central canal were almost unstained. Conclusion: Synaptophysinis a reliable marker for fiber outgrowth and synapse formation in therabbit spinal cord, and its differential expression levels is specific and almost completed before birth.

The role of leptin in the regulation of male reproductive function is still a matter of debate. Knowledge about a possible source of leptin in the seminal plasma may therefore be helpful in identifying and elucidating the physiological role of leptin hormone in male reproduction. In our investigation, the expression of leptin and its long receptor isoform (Ob-Rb) was studied in adult male Wistar rats using RT-PCR, Southern blot, in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry. RT-PCR analysis revealed the expression of both leptin and its Ob-Rb in the seminal vesicle and prostate gland. In situ hybridization also localized the mRNA transcripts of leptin and Ob-Rb in the glandular secretory epithelial cells of prostate gland and seminal vesicle. Immunohistochemistry detected the leptin hormone in the lining epithelium of both male genital glands. In conclusion, these findings suggest that the seminal vesicle and prostate gland could be the possible sources of leptin in the seminal plasma. This leptin might have a direct (paracrine, autocrine or both) effect on epithelial cells of the accessory male genital glands, on the spermatozoa via spermatozoan leptin receptors.

The present study was carried out to illustrate the immunohistochemical study of nestin and FGF9 on rabbit kidney during postnatal development. these studies show that nestin play an important role in adult than the neonatal as maintaining the structural integrity of the podocytes while FGF9 is critical for virtually all renal linage at early and later stages of development. The adult form of histological structure of rabbit kidney is reached postnatally by the end of the second week.

Cholinergic innervation of the rat adrenal gland has been analyzed previously using cholinergic markers including acetylcholinesterase (AChE), choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) and vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT). In the present study, we demonstrate putative cholinergic neurons in the rat adrenal gland using an antibody to pChAT, which is the product of a splice variant of ChAT mRNA that is preferentially localized in peripheral cholinergic nerves. Most of the ganglionic neurons as well as small single sporadic neurons in the adrenal gland were stained intensely for pChAT. The density of pChAT-immunoreactive (IR) fibers was distinct in the adrenal cortex and medulla. AChE-, cChAT- and VAChT-immunoreactivities were also observed in some cells and fibers of the adrenal medulla, while the cortex had few positive nerve fibers. These results indicate that ganglionic neurons of the adrenal medulla and nerve fibers heterogeneously express cholinergic markers, especially pChAT. Furthermore, the innervation of the adrenal gland, cortex and medulla, by some cholinergic fibers provides additional morphological evidence for a significant role of cholinergic mechanisms in adrenal gland functions.

The chick Ebf1 (early B-cell factor-1) gene is a member of a novel family of helix loop helix transcription factors. The expression profile, regulation and significance of this gene have been extensively studied in lymphatic, nervous, adipose and muscular tissues. However, cEbf1 expression, regulation and function in the feather of chick embryo have not yet been investigated. cEbf1 expression was first detected throughout the mesenchymal core of some few feather placodes (D7–D7.5). After feathers became mature and grew distally (D9 and D10), the mesenchymal expression of cEbf1 became confined to the caudal margin of the proximal half of all formed feather buds. Because this dynamic pattern of expression resembles that of Sonic Hedgehog (Shh) protein and bone morphogenetic protein (Bmp4) plus the crucial role of these two major signals in feather development, we hypothesized that cEbf1 expression in the feather may be regulated by Shh and Bmp4. In a feather explant culture system, Shh signals are necessary to initiate and maintain cEbf1 expression in the posterior half of the feather bud, while Bmp4 is crucial for the initial cEbf1 expression in the anterior half of the feather bud. Inhibition of Shh, not only down-regulates cEbf1, but also changes the morphology of feather buds, which become irregular and fused. This is the first study to demonstrate that cEbf1 expression in the feather bud is under the control of Shh and Bmp4 signals and that expression may play a role in the normal development of feathers.

Using immunohistochemistry (IHC), this study aimed to evaluate the regional distribution pattern of some biologically active proteins in the epididymis of Egyptian water buffalo and to determine the structural–functional relationships of the different epididymal structures. Wax-embedded sections from different regions of the epididymal duct from adult, clinically healthy, buffalo bulls were used. Primary antibodies against angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE), S-100, galactosyltransferase (GalTase), alpha smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), connexin 43 (Cx43) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were used for immunohistochemical studies. The results showed that, in addition to the well-known principal and basal cells, the epididymal epithelium, similar to that of other species, possessed apical cells and intraepithelial leukocytes. IHC showed that, with the exception of VEGF which reacted negatively, all antibodies used displayed variable reactivity in the different epididymal structures. Apical cells expressed a strong reaction with ACE along the entire length of the duct. The principal cells in the caput epididymis exhibited a distinct reactivity with S-100 and GalTase. The peritubular muscular coat displayed a marked immunostaining for α-SMA and for Cx43. In conclusion these findings showed a regional-specific distribution pattern, distinct from that in bovine bulls. Some potential functional capacities, especially absorptive and secretory ones, are discussed in relation to the different epididymal regions.

Summary In the present study, the distribution of various sugar residues in the testicular cells of sexually mature camels during rutting and non-rutting seasons was examined employing 10 fluorescein isothiocyanate- (FITC) conjugated lectins. Lectin labeling was restricted to the germ cell lines and interstitial Leydig cells, while the Sertoli cells remained completely unlabeled. Our results revealed the presence of mannose (labeled by lectins PSA, LCA), galactose (labeled by PNA), GalNAc (labeled by HPA), and GlcNAc (labeled by WGA) residues in the camel spermatogonia. However, spermatocytes were only labeled with mannose (PSA, LCA) and GlcNAc (WGA) binding lectins. Binding sites for PSA, LCA and WGA in spermatogonia and spermatocytes were only evident during the rutting season. Although spermatids were exclusively labeled with PNA in the non-rutting seasons, other lectins (PSA, GSA-I, WGA) additionally bound to camel spermatids during the rutting period. Leydig cells and basal lamina of the seminiferous tubules of camel testis were consistently labeled with the mannose- (PSA, LCA) and GlcNAc- (WGA) binding lectins in both seasons, while DBA-labeling was seen in the Leydig cells during rutting period only. In conclusion, the findings of the present study clearly indicate that the camel testis contains a wide range of glycoconjugates (bearing mannosyl, galactosyl and glucosly residues), and they lack fucosyl residues, both in the active sexual period and in the non-breeding season. The topographical distribution of the sugar moieties in the camel testis may indicate that specific carbohydrate structures are required for spermatogenesis during periods of sexual activity.

Mammalian renal development differs from that of most of the other organs in that it proceeds through a series of three successive phases, each is marked by the formation of a more complex pair of kidneys. These kidneys are called the pronephros, mesonephros, and metanephros. The current study has been conducted to elucidate the developmental changes of rabbit kidneys during their pre- and postnatal life. In the present study we used samples, at different ages, of the rabbit kidneys from embryonic day 15 (E15) till maturity for light and scanning electron microscopical investigation. At E15, large mesonephros, occupied a great part of abdominal cavity of rabbit embryo, and undifferentiated metanephros were noticed. At E19 metanephros became differentiated into cortex and medulla with the initiation of nephron-forming stage. Additionally at this stage, the caudal series of mesonephros still detected but in degenerated and atrophied structure. Just before birth, at E30, the kidney demonstrated well-developed renal corpuscles, differentiated proximal and distal convoluted tubules, with apparently detectable loop of Henle and large collecting ducts. Shortly after birth rabbit kidney showed further morphogenesis and at two-months old, the kidney of rabbit with mature histological structure of the renal parenchyma was documented. In conclusion, the development of rabbit kidneys occurred mainly during the prenatal period while their histological maturity occurred from two to three weeks after birth. The present findings were discussed with previous publications.