Impact of maternal stress on metabolism and penile morphology in young offspring rats

Exposure to prolonged stress in pregnancy and/or lactation can lead to the future development of diseases. We aimed to study the effects of maternal stress on the biometry, metabolism, and penile morphology of young Wistar rats. Animals were divided into two experimental groups: Control Group (C) - pups from control mothers, without any intervention (n=5); and Chronic Stress Group (S) - pups from mothers who suffered variable stress in the third week of pregnancy (14th to 21st day; n=5). Food intake and body mass of the pups (n=10, in the C group and n=9 in the S group) were checked; at euthanasia (three months old), fat deposits and penis were removed. At birth and weaning, S animals were lighter than C animals, [-33.72% (p=0.0422) and -17.07% (p=0.0018)], respectively. However, the final body mass and body mass delta showed no differences. Food intake and fat deposits also did not differ. However, the S group was hyperglycemic at 30 and 60 days of life [+20.59% (p=0.0042) and +14.56% (p=0.0079), respectively], despite the glycemia measured at 90 days showing no difference between groups. Penile areas and surface densities of the corpora cavernosa components were similar between groups. The results indicate that maternal stress is an important metabolic programmer, which generates low birth weight and accelerated recovery of body mass after birth (catch-up). However, in an early analysis (90 days of life), exposure to gestational stress did not change the morphology of the offspring's penis in adulthood.

Validation of cytopathology specimens for digital pathology

INTRODUCTION

Digital cytopathology is being progressively implemented in centres worldwide, but impediments such as the three-dimensionality of specimens and the size of scanned images have prevented its use from becoming widespread. This study aimed to validate the use of digital whole slide image scanning of cytopathology samples for routine sign-out.

METHODS

Specimens were scanned using the Leica Aperio GT 450 System. The following sample types were used: liquid-based cytology, direct conventional smears from fine needle aspirates and cytospins. Cases were validated by the same pathologist who originally rendered the conventional diagnosis, with a washout of at least 3 months. Final digital diagnoses were compared to the original analogical diagnoses, and cases were considered concordant up to a one-degree difference between the original and digital diagnoses. Reasons for the unsuccessful scanning of slides were also noted. The technical procedures followed the College of American Pathologists' guidelines for digital pathology validation.

RESULTS

A total of 730 slides from 383 cases (337 female, 51 male; median age 42) were successfully scanned. These cases consisted of the following sample types: 81 (21.1%) conventional smears, 240 (62.7%) liquid-based cytology samples and 62 (16.2%) cytospins. There were only five discordant cases, with a 98.7% agreement between original and digital diagnoses using the difference rate of up to one degree. Seventy-seven slides (10.5%) had to be rescanned due to technical problems. The main reasons for unsuccessful scanning were paucicellular samples (44; 57.1%), the thickness of the smears (18; 23.4%) and issues with the coverslip (15; 19.5%).

CONCLUSION

Cytological specimens can be successfully scanned and used for digital pathology, with excellent agreement with the original diagnoses.

Effect of maternal and postnatal cocoa supplementation on testicles of adult Wistar rats

Early weaning can lead to changes in the morphology of organs in adulthood, and the consumption of functional foods during lactation and postnatal life is believed to prevent these changes. However, it is not known if early weaning affects testicular morphology and if the use of cocoa can prevent that. We studied the effects of maternal and postnatal supplementation of cocoa powder on the testicular morphology of early weaned adult rats. The animals were divided into four groups (n = 6 each), control group, cocoa control group, early weaning (EW) group, and cocoa early weaning (EWCa) group, and were analyzed for 90 d, after which they were euthanized. The animals from the EW group showed a reduction in the tubular diameter and height of the seminiferous epithelium, a decrease in epithelial surface density (Sv), and an increase in the lumen and proper tunic. However, the animals from the EWCa group showed an increase in the diameter and height of the epithelium, an increase in the epithelium Sv, and a decrease in the lumen and the proper tunic. The early weaning promotes morphological changes in the testicles; however, supplementation with cocoa powder can preserve the testicular histoarchitecture.

Effects of L-Glutamine oral supplementation on prostate of irradiated rats

Objectives

To investigate the protective effect of L-Glutamine in animals undergone to ventral radiation when the target organ is not the prostate.

Materials and Methods

Wistar rats were divided into groups of 10 animals each: Controls (C), maintained under standard conditions and not exposed to radiation, Radiated group (R) undergone to abdominal radiation only and Radiated plus supplemented by L-glutamine group (R+G). The animals of group R+G were supplemented with L-glutamine at the beginning of the experiment until death in the 22nd day. The ventral prostate was dissected and processed for morphometrical analysis. The epithelial height, collagen density and acinar area were objectively assessed in histological sections.

Results

Epithelial height was significantly reduced in R group in comparison to C group (p= 0.005). However, there was no statistical difference between the C and R+G groups. Collagen surface density in the C and R groups were not statistically different, but a significant difference was observed when comparing groups R+G and R (p= 0.040). The R+G group values did not differ significantly from C group. The acinar prostate area of group R was similar to that of C (p= 0.971), but in R+G it was significantly reduced when compared with the C (p= 0.038) and R (p= 0.001) groups.

Conclusions

Pelvic radiation promotes structural modifications in ventral prostate of rats, which can be reduced by L-Glutamine.