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ABSTRACT: The presence of the leptin receptor (ObR) has already been highlighted in the human major salivary glands and it has been hypothesized that leptin may act by regulating the gland's growth. No data are reported on domestic animals so, considering the important role that these glands play, not only related to food ingestion and digestion, and the important functional role hypothesized to explain the presence of ObR in humans salivary glands, the aim of the present work was to investigate the presence and the distribution of the leptin receptor in horse parotid and mandibular glands, by immunohistochemical techniques. The presence of ObR was evidenced in parotid and mandibular glands, exclusively localized in duct epithelial cells; their positivity was localized in the cytoplasm and was most evident near its apical portion. Immuno-positivity not only affects the intralobular ducts (intercalated and striated) but also the interlobular ones. Our results indicate that horse major salivary glands, like those of humans, are likely targets of leptin actions, suggesting a functional role of leptin on these glands.
Research in Veterinary Science 07/2012; 93(3):1116-8. · 1.65 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: In the last decades, multipotent mesenchymal progenitor cells have been isolated from many adult tissues of different species. The International Society for Cellular Therapy (ISCT) has recently established that multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) is the currently recommended designation. In this study, we used flow cytometry to evaluate the expression of several molecules related to stemness (CD90, CD44, CD73 and STRO-1) in undifferentiated, early-passaged MSCs isolated from adipose tissue of four donor horses (AdMSCs). The four populations unanimously expressed high levels of CD90 and CD44. On the contrary, they were unexpectedly negative to CD73. A small percentage of the cells, finally, showed the expression of STRO-1. This last result might be due to the existence of a small subpopulation of STRO-1+ cells or to a poor cross-reactivity of the antibody. A remarkable donor-to-donor consistency and reproducibility of these findings was demonstrated. The data presented herein support the idea that equine AdMSCs may be easily isolated and selected by adherence to tissue culture plastic and exhibit a surface profile characterized by some peculiar differences in comparison to those described in other species. Continued characterization of these cells will help to clarify several aspects of their biology and may ultimately enable the isolation of specific, purified subpopulations.
Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology 07/2011; 144(3-4):499-506. · 2.08 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The aim of the present study was to investigate the presence and distribution of cells containing orexin A (OXA), and orexin type 1 and 2 receptors (OX1R and OX2R, respectively) in the feline placenta by means of immunohistochemical technique. OXA was identified in several decidual and syncytiotrophoblastic cells present in the lamellar portion of the placenta. In the same placental structures, few decidual and syncytiotrophoblastic cells showed the presence of OX1R-like immunoreactivity. Characteristically, immunopositivity for OX2R, but not for OX1R, was evidenced in the cells of the glandular layer. The orexinic system was not expressed in the uterine structures that were not engaged by the chorion. Our results provide the first evidence of the presence of a placental orexinic system in a mammalian species. Orexin A and both OX1R and OX2R are unequally distributed within the cat placenta. Local OXA production and the presence of specific receptors, differentially expressed in the placental structures of the cat, suggest that the orexinic system may participate in placental growth and development as well as in the regulation of its steroidogenic capacity via endocrine, paracrine and/or autocrine mechanisms.
Research in Veterinary Science 05/2011; 92(3):362-5. · 1.65 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: CB1 is a member of the G-protein-linked receptor superfamily that is present in the central nervous system as well as in certain peripheral neuronal and non-neuronal tissues. Recently, the presence of CB1 was found in the ductal system of the major salivary glands of laboratory animals, but no data are available for domestic mammals. Thus, in the present study, we examined the presence and distribution of CB1 in the major salivary glands of dogs using immunohistochemical techniques. CB1 was found in the parotid and mandibular glands of adult dogs; positive immunoreaction was localized to the cells of the striated ducts, with a peculiar localization on or near the apical membrane. This particular localization may be explained by the characteristics of this receptor as membrane-associated. The acinar structures were completely negative for CB1. We conclude that CB1 is involved in the control of dog salivary secretion via endogenous substances, likely endocannabinoids. The localization of CB1 highlights that endocannabinoids promote qualitative and/or quantitative changes of the primary saliva in the ductal system.
Veterinary Research Communications 06/2010; 34 Suppl 1:S9-12. · 0.82 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Hair follicles (HFs) are self-renewing structures that reconstitute themselves through the hair cycle. They maintain reservoirs of stem cells (SC) that are thought to reside in the bulge area, a region localized in the lowermost permanent portion of HFs. In mice and humans, HF bulge cells express nestin and present stem features as pluripotency. Nestin is a class VI intermediate filament protein; it was first described as a specific marker of CNS stem cells, but recent studies suggest that it may represent a more general stem cell marker (Wiese et al., 2004; Hoffman, 2006). Bulge cell characteristics have mainly been studied in mice and humans, but recently, a bulge-like region was identified also in dog HFs (Pascucci et al., 2006). In this work we investigate the presence and localization of nestin in dog HFs with the aim of evaluating its expression and to correlate it with the location of the bulge-like region. Immunostaining of skin samples collected from healthy dogs was performed by using a rabbit anti-nestin polyclonal antibody. The presence of a population of immunoreactive cells was revealed in the hair follicle middle region, at the arrector pili muscle insertion level. An immunohistochemical signal was detected only in primary hair follicles throughout the hair cycle. These observations led us to conclude that nestin positive cells are located in the bulge-like region of dog HFs and strengthen our hypothesis regarding the correlation between this region and the dog HF stem compartment.
Histology and histopathology 10/2008; 23(9):1035-41. · 2.48 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: In this study, we have examined the presence and the distribution of receptors for leptin (Ob-R) in the oviduct of rabbits, and the effects of leptin on the release of prostaglandin (PG) F2alpha and PGE2 and on the activity of nitric oxide (NO) synthase (NOS) by oviducts cultured in vitro. Rabbits were killed during the follicular phase and the oviducts were incubated in vitro with leptin, PGF2alpha, PGE2, NO donor and inhibitors of NOS and cyclo-oxigenase (COX). Using immunohistochemistry, Ob-R-like positive reaction was observed only in the cytoplasm of secretory cells, having stronger intensity in the infundibulum and ampulla tracts than in the isthmus. Both leptin and NO donor inhibited PGE2 release, whereas they enhanced PGF2alpha release; NOS inhibitor alone or with leptin increased PGE2 and decreased PGF2alpha production; NOS activity was enhanced by leptin, while PGs did not affect this enzyme. This study suggests that the oviduct could be a potential target for endocrine regulation by leptin, whose circulating levels may act as a metabolic signal modulating oviductal PG release through mediation of the NOS/NO system.
Journal of Endocrinology 06/2005; 185(2):319-25. · 3.55 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Apoptotic cell death is an essential homeostatic mechanism involved in the control of cellular turnover in a variety of adult tissues. Cytoplasmic and nuclear condensation morphologically define this process whose biochemical hallmark is extensive DNA fragmentation into discrete oligonucleosomic units. Hair follicle growth and regression has been shown to be correlated with apoptosis in humans, mice, rats and guinea pigs. The present study was carried out to evaluate its implication in canine hair biology in order to define the spatio-temporal relationship between apoptosis and the hair cycle in dogs. As assessed by terminal deoxy-nucleotidyl transferase-mediated d-UTP nick-end-labelling (TUNEL) and by basic histological and ultrastructural assays, apoptotic cells appeared both in the growing and in the regressing follicle epithelium showing the well characterized morphological features described in the previous relevant literature.
Histology and histopathology 02/2005; 20(1):1-9. · 2.48 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Two horses with Rhodococcus equi infection were examined post mortem by an immunohistochemical method (peroxidase-antiperoxidase; PAP) with a monoclonal antibody (Mab 10G5) to the 15-17 kDa antigen of R. equi. One of the horses was also examined bacteriologically, R. equi being isolated in culture. Immunolabelling with this Mab was marked and widespread. On the other hand, the immunohistochemical reactivity of infected macrophages with a polyclonal antibody specific for lysozyme was slight. Thus, Mab 10G5 would appear to be a useful diagnostic reagent in R. equi infection, with or without cultural confirmation.
Journal of Comparative Pathology 123(2-3):186-9. · 1.65 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The presence and distribution of cells positive to orexin A (OXA) and to orexin type 2 receptor (OX2R) were investigated in the gastrointestinal tract of neonatal dogs by means of immunohistochemical techniques. The orexin A-positive cells were identified with some of the endocrine cells in the stomach and in the duodenum; they were both of the open and closed type and were lacking in the large intestine. In the stomach, a large subset of orexin A-positive cells also showed gastrin-like immunoreactivity while, in the duodenum, many of them seemed to store serotonin. The orexin type 2 receptor-positive cells were evidenced all along the gastrointestinal tract examined, also in the large intestine, and they showed the same morphological characteristics as those positive to orexin A. Moreover, the immunohistochemical techniques revealed intense positivity for both orexin A and orexin type 2 receptor in the neurons and fibers of the enteric nervous system. A large subset of orexin A-positive neurons seemed to store substance P.
European journal of histochemistry: EJH 52(4):229-35. · 1.69 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The dermal sheath (DS) of the hair follicle is comprised by fibroblast-like cells and extends along the follicular epithelium, from the bulb up to the infundibulum. From this structure, cells with stem characteristics were isolated: they have a mesenchymal origin and express CD90 protein, a typical marker of mesenchymal stem cells. It is not yet really clear in which region of hair follicle these cells are located but some experimental evidence suggests that dermal stem cells are localized prevalently in the lower part of the anagen hair follicle. As there are no data available regarding DS stem cells in dog species, we carried out a morphological analysis of the hair follicle DS and performed both an immunohistochemical and an immunocytochemical investigation to identify CD90+ cells. We immunohistochemically evidenced a clear and abundant positivity to CD90 protein in the DS cells located in the lower part of anagen hair follicle. The positive cells showed a typical fibroblast-like morphology. They were flat and elongated and inserted among bundles of collagen fibres. The whole structure formed a close and continuous sleeve around the anagen hair follicle. Our immunocytochemical study allowed us to localize CD90 protein at the cytoplasmic membrane level.
European journal of histochemistry: EJH 53(3):159-66. · 1.69 Impact Factor
