Morphometric analysis of the vagus nerve in non-diabetic and ketonuric diabetic Chinese hamsters

The Chinese or Striped-Back Hamster

Chinese hamsters are small rodents with a grayish black coat and a black dorsal stripe. Adult animals weigh approximately 39–46 gm, and measure approximately 9 cm in length. This species has been shown to be susceptible to a number of experimentally induced viral, bacterial, and parasitic infections. In recent years, the Chinese hamster's contributions as a laboratory animal have been largely overshadowed by the focus on its cell lines and the role it plays in scientific research and biotechnology. The Chinese hamster used in biomedical research is traditionally classified as Cricetulus griseus. It has several biological features that have helped promote its use in biomedical research and these attributes include its small size, polyestrous cycle, short gestation period, and low chromosome number. The Chinese hamster has a low incidence of spontaneous and endogenous viral infections. This species has been shown to be susceptible to a number of experimentally induced viral, bacterial, and parasitic infections. Chinese hamster-derived cells have played a major role in cytogenetic toxicity assays and the production of glycosylated therapeutic proteins. The behavior, research uses, and general toxicology of the Chinese hamster are summarized in this chapter.

Ultrastructural changes of human cardiac atrial nerve endings in diabetes mellitus

BACKGROUND

Autonomic neuropathy resulting from long-term diabetes mellitus may affect heart innervation. However, so far diabetes induced morphological changes of cardiac nerves are not well-known. In this study human cardiac atrial tissue from diabetic patients was analysed by electron microscopy for structural alterations as a result of diabetic neuropathy.

METHODS

In coronary bypass surgery, an edge of the right auricle was routinely resected for reason of extracorporal circulation. Thin cardiac tissue sections of 100 nm were studied by electron microscopy. Atrial tissue samples were collected from 5 patients with long-standing diabetes (for at least 8 years) and compared to atrial tissue samples from 5 patients without diabetes, equally undergoing coronary bypass surgery.

RESULTS

In all atria-free nerve endings with unmyelinized, axons were observed. Cross sections of 479 axons from diabetic patients were compared to 419 axons of nondiabetic patients. The number of altered axons was significantly higher in cardiac tissue of diabetic patients (32%) in comparison to normal subjects (17%). In diabetic patients, 20% of the intra-axonal mitochondria were condensed or hydropic, whereas in nondiabetic patients only 4% of the mitochondria were altered. Membrane fragments were present in 21% of the axons in atria of diabetic patients compared to 10% in nondiabetic subjects. Only in cardiac axons from diabetic patients there were lamellar bodies, dissolved axoplasma and junctions between neighbouring axons in a minor number. Few vacuoles were present in axons of both groups.

CONCLUSION

In myocardial atrial-free nerve fibre bundles of diabetic patients, the amount of degenerative changes was higher in comparison to atrial cardiac tissue from nondiabetic subjects. These morphological alterations may indicate manifestation of diabetic neuropathy and might contribute to the impairment of autonomic neural control affecting the heart in long-standing diabetes mellitus.