A Grid-Based Nucleus Counting Method for Estimates of the Density of Superficial Conjunctival Cells from Impression Cytology Samples Taken from Normal Healthy Human Eyes

Novel Multitarget Hydroxamic Acids with a Natural Origin CAP Group against Alzheimer's Disease: Synthesis, Docking and Biological Evaluation

Hydroxamic acids are one of the most promising and actively studied classes of chemical compounds in medicinal chemistry. In this study, we describe the directed synthesis and effects of HDAC6 inhibitors. Fragments of adamantane and natural terpenes camphane and fenchane, combined with linkers of various nature with an amide group, were used as the CAP groups. Accordingly, 11 original target compounds were developed, synthesized, and exposed to in vitro and in vivo biological evaluations, including in silico methods. In silico studies showed that all synthesized compounds were drug-like and could penetrate through the blood-brain barrier. According to the in vitro testing, hydroxamic acids 15 and 25, which effectively inhibited HDAC6 and exhibited anti-aggregation properties against β-amyloid peptides, were chosen as the most promising substances to study their neuroprotective activities in vivo. All in vivo studies were performed using 5xFAD transgenic mice simulating Alzheimer's disease. In these animals, the Novel Object Recognition and Morris Water Maze Test showed that the formation of hippocampus-dependent long-term episodic and spatial memory was deteriorated. Hydroxamic acid 15 restored normal memory functions to the level observed in control wild-type animals. Notably, this effect was precisely associated with the ability to restore lost cognitive functions, but not with the effect on motor and exploratory activities or on the level of anxiety in animals. Conclusively, hydroxamic acid 15 containing an adamantane fragment linked by an amide bond to a hydrocarbon linker is a possible potential multitarget agent against Alzheimer's disease.

Assessment of goblet cell size and density in relation to epithelial cell (multi)layering on conjunctival impression cytology samples

PURPOSE

To assess goblet cell size and numbers in relation to the extent of multilayering of conjunctival impression cytology (CIC) samples as a basis for reducing variability in image selection for goblet cell density (GCD) estimates.

METHODS

CIC was undertaken immediately postmortem off the superior bulbar conjunctiva of healthy young adult rabbits onto Millicell-CM Biopore filter units. After fixation with buffered glutaraldehyde and Giemsa staining, two × 200 images were selected from each sample representative of either slight multilayering or substantial multilayering, projected at × 1000, an overlay of the outlines of the goblet cells was made, and their dimensions and areas were measured.

RESULTS

From measures of 4918 goblet cells, the average value (+/- SD) for the longest dimension was 17.7 ± 6.4 μm and 14.6 ± 5.3 μm for the shortest dimension. The GCD values ranged from 210 to 2069/mm², with a mean of 1074 ± 601/mm², but was lower for slightly multilayered images (at 537 ± 239 cells/mm ) compared with multilayered regions (at 1612 ± 601 cells/mm²; p < 0.001). The measured areas ranged from 72 to 491 μm², with average values from any particular image ranging from 110 to 370 μm², which were inversely correlated with the estimated GCD (Spearman's rho = - 0.722, p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Larger goblet cells but in fewer numbers were predictably found across the filter surface where there were fewer layers of cells and vice versa. This difference could be considered in selection of images for counts of goblet cells from CIC specimens.