[Morphometric studies of the proximal tubules of the rat kidney considering the effect of the method of killing]

120 male rats belonging to two different strains (Han: WIST, Han: SPRD) and two different weight groups (group I: lighter body weight, group II heavier body weight) were killed on three different methods (decapitation, Nembutal -overdose greater than 250 mg/kg b.w. i.p. less than, exsanguination in Nembutal -anaesthesia greater than 100 mg/kg b.w. i.p.). Subsequently, changes in tubuli contorti I of the left kidneys were examined morphometrically. The mean total area, luminal area and epithelial area were evaluated as well as the mean diameter of the tubular nuclei. Concerning the areas of the proximal tubules only the luminal areas show differences between the Wistar and the Sprague-Dawley strain. The total, luminal and epithelial area in the rats belonging to the weight group II were significantly larger than in the rats belonging to weight group I. With one exception this could be noticed within both strains and all three modes of killing. In both strains and weight groups the rats were killed by Nembutal -overdose or exsanguination showed significantly smaller total, luminal and epithelial areas than the rats that were decapitated. Possible cause heretofore are discussed. Differences between the tubular areas of the rats that were killed by Nembutal -overdose and those that were killed by exsanguination after Nembutal -anaesthesia could not be established. The measurements of nuclei diameters in the proximal tubules did not lead to clearly different results between both strains, weight groups and the various modes of killing.

Biological utilization of naturally fermented pearl millet flour (Pennisetum typhoideum)

Natural fermentation of pearl millet flour at 20, 25 and 30 degrees for 72 h brought about an improvement in its apparent and true protein digestibility. Utilisable protein, net protein retention and protein retention efficiency values were also enhanced as a result of fermentation. Rats fed on flour fermented at 20 and 25 degrees C had higher food as well as protein efficiency ratios than the flour fermented at 30 degrees C. Feeding of the fermented products did not bring about any histopathological abnormality in rats. Cutlets prepared from the fermented flour were organoleptically acceptable to a panel of judges.

Endoneurial blood supply to peripheral nerves is not uniform

Peripheral nerves are not uniformly susceptible to the effects of ischemia in human and experimental ischemic neuropathies. Since endoneurial blood flow is directly proportional to the number of endoneurial capillaries, we studied endoneurial capillary density at multiple levels of the peripheral nerves of normal rats. Capillary density was lowest in the sciatic and proximal tibial nerves and significantly higher in dorsal and ventral roots and distal tibial and plantar nerves. Endoneurial capillary density corresponds to the hierarchy of susceptibility to ischemic nerve damage in human and experimental ischemic neuropathies. These findings suggest that susceptibility of peripheral nerves to ischemia is determined, at least in part, by the density of endoneurial capillaries.

Raphespinal and reticulospinal axon collaterals to the hypoglossal nucleus in the rat

Neurons in the medial tegmental field project directly to spinal somatic motoneurons and to cranial motoneuron pools such as the hypoglossal nucleus. The axons of these neurons may be highly collateralized, projecting to multiple levels of the spinal cord and to many diverse regions at different levels of the neuraxis. We employed a double fluorescent retrograde tracer technique to examine whether medial tegmental neurons that project to the spinal cord also project to the hypoglossal nucleus. Injections of Diamidino Yellow into the hypoglossal nucleus and Fast Blue into the spinal cord produced large numbers of double labeled neurons in the medial tegmental field, particularly in the caudal raphe nuclei and adjacent ventromedial reticular formation. In these structures the number of neurons projecting to both the hypoglossal nucleus and the spinal cord was equivalent to the number of neurons projecting to multiple levels of the spinal cord observed in control animals. Fewer neurons projecting to both the hypoglossal nucleus and the spinal cord were observed in several other nuclei and subregions of the medial tegmental field, while almost no such neurons were observed in the lateral tegmental field or other pontomedullary structures. These results demonstrate that neurons of the caudal raphe nuclei and adjacent ventromedial reticular formation project to both the spinal cord and the hypoglossal nucleus, and support the concept that the diffuse projections to motoneuron pools from the medial tegmental field globally modulate both spinal and cranial somatic motoneuron excitability.

Variability of venous anatomy of rat testis: application to experimental testicular surgery

The venous drainage of the testis of the laboratory rat was observed in 31 animals. The right testicular (internal spermatic) vein drained directly into the right common iliac vein in 77.4%, and into the inferior vena cava in 22.6% of the animals. The left testicular vein drained into the left common iliac vein in all animals, but in 90.3% there was also an accessory branch of the testicular vein draining into the left renal vein. These observations suggest that in the rat the exact anatomy of the venous drainage of each testis should be identified prior to undertaking any surgical procedure on the testis where the venous vasculature plays a major role such as testicular transplantation or the creation of an experimental varicocele.

Stereology of the pterygopalatine ganglion of the rat

The right pterygopalatine ganglia (PG) of 9 male Wistar-strain rats were dissected, embedded in Epon (3 specimens) or paraffin (6 specimens), and prepared for stereological examination under light microscopy. The perikarya were quantitatively characterized, and the ganglionic volume was determined. Stereology is an efficient method for the quantitative evaluation of the perikarya of the PG. The results(expressed as mean +/- standard deviation) were: a) areal fraction occupied by the perikarya = 53.8 +/- 7.4%; b) the perikaryal surface area per volume = 0.101 +/- 0.013 microns-1; c) the number of perikarya per volume x 10(-5) = 5.26 +/- 0.99 microns-3; d) the mean profile area of the perikarya (apk) = 505.93 +/- 78.29 microns 2; e) the mean perikaryal volume (vpk) = 9,179.33 +/- 1,533.52 microns 3; and f) the ganglionic volume = 0.210 +/- 0.127 mm3. The low coefficient of variation the apk and vpk values suggests the presence of only one population of neurons in the PG of the rat. The number of perikarya in the PG is about 11,046 per ganglion. As compared to analogous data in the otic ganglion of the rat, the PG did not show statistically significant stereological differences, but the relatively higher number of neurons found in the PG is probably associated with the higher functional activity of this ganglion.

Scanning electron microscopy of the granular layer of rat cerebellar cortex

The rat cerebellar cortex has been studied with respect to its cytoarchitectural arrangement using Scanning Electron Microscope. We have distinguished several types of cells in the granular layer and characterized the granules and the Golgi cells. We also characterized the mossy fiber glomeruli which appears round or ovoid. The mossy fibers revealed their "en passant" nature. The climbing fibers formed tendril collaterals and glomeruli. The Golgi cell axon appeared "beaded" and it takes part in the formation of both types of glomeruli.