The histological status of adrenocortical tissues and the correlated seasonal changes in ovarian activities in Mystus vittatus was performed. The tubules and nests of interrenal and chromaffin cells were located in cephalic kidney around the main branches of posterior cardinal vein. Various female germ line cells were identified in the ovary based on size, distinctive features and histoarchitechture of the cells. However, on the basis of relative abundance and size of the different oocytes, the event of oogenesis has been found to occur in four distinct phases, including growth, maturation, spawning and post-spawning. The cytoplasmic features and the architecture of the interrenal and chromaffin cells varied during different phases of the reproductive cycle. During growth and maturation phases, the amount of cytoplasmic granules of interrenal cells increased than chromaffin cells that was in coincidence with the increase of early and late perinucleolar oocytes followed by highest frequency percentage of oocyte at stages IV and V. The cytoplasmic mass of interrenal cells was gradually elevated along with hypertrophied nuclei from the end of maturation and spawning phases also correlated with the increased frequency of mature oocytes. Therefore, gradual accumulation of cytoplasmic granules in the interrenal cells was noticed during post spawning phase. The cytological variations in the interrenal and chromaffin cells harmonized with constitution of different ovarian cells during different reproductive phase in M. vittatus.

The adrenal gland of Notopterus notopterus (Pallas) consisted of interrenal and chromaffin cells, distributed around the main branches of posterior cardinal vein in most anterior part of the pronephric kidney. Seasonal histological characteristics of the interrenal and chromaffin cells in relation to testicular activity of N. notopterus were studied by adopting different staining techniques. The cytophysiological features of the interrenal, chromaffin cells and various spermatogonial cells were observed during different reproductive phases. In the present investigation, the relationships between the changes in the interrenal and chromaffin cells along with the spermatogenic cells at different periods of the breeding cycle were discussed.

The aim of this study was to analyze the stress response during 3 hours net confinement stress and recovery period of 22 hours in normal (STD) and in 17 -hydroxylase deficient common carp (E5). Fish were raised for 6 months and sampled at T0 (control, unstressed), 5 minutes, 20 minutes, 1 hour and 3 hours of exposure to net confinement, and after 1 hour, 4 hours, and 22 hours of recovery. At every sampling time, blood was collected to determine cortisol, corticosterone, glucose, lactate and free fatty acids (FFA) levels (5 fish per strain). Fish and head kidney were weighed before and after dissection, respectively, to determine head kidney somatic Index (HKSI). Morphometric analysis of head kidney tissues indicated that the head kidney somatic index was significantly higher in E5 fish (0.076±0.021) compared with STD fish (0.045±0.015). Also, significant differences in cortisol and corticosterone as well as in glucose, lactate and FFA values were observed between the two strains of E5 and STD. Moreover, the pattern of changes of glucose and FFA during stress and afterward indicated a significant difference compared to the T0. Results support the conclusion that the reduced capacity of ill fish to produce cortisol is caused by a deficiency in 17a-hydroxylase activity. A reduced cortisol output leads to increased stimulation of adrenals by adrenocorticotropic Hormone (ACTH), resulting in increased outputs of corticosterone.

Background: The aim of this investigation is to evaluate the histologic results of biopsy in women with atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS) cytologic diagnosis.Materials and Methods: We reviewed a series of cases with ASCUS pap smears from March 1999 to Feb 2002 in Imam Khomeini Hospital (n= 104), Who had cervical biopsy indirected colposcopy (103) and in Onec endocervical biopsy obtained without colposcopy. In 60 patients before colposcopy and biopsy repeat pap smear was tabled.Results: Biopsy revealed 28.8% SIL (14 LSIL and 16 HSIL),1 invasive carcinoma and 1 endometrial carcinoma. Pap smear repeated for 60 women before colposcopy examination, which 7 (11.7%) of them were normal. ASCUS persisted in 45 cases (75%) and 8 cases (13.3%) turned out to be SIL (6 LSIL, 2 HSIL) of 7 normal repeat smear, 2 marked as LSIL by biopsy. In colposcopic examination 22 of 103 (21.4%) had normal view which one of them was LSIL histologically.Conclusion: Based on these findings, it seems immediate colposcopy and directed biopsy are appropriate procedures for management of ASCUS and to detect underlying SIL.

Background and Aim: Although the degeneration of nucleus pulposus cells (NPCs) is one of the main causes of intervertebral disc degeneration, the molecular complications of this disease have yet to be clarified. The ability of stem cells to differentiate into different types of cells, especially NPCs, has attracted much attention. This study aimed to investigate the role of genes with differential expressions in stem cell differentiation into NPCs and to identify the salient signaling pathways involved. Since there has not been an extensive study on the important genes of NPC cell differentiation, it is necessary to investigate this process. Methods: RNA-sequencing raw files of stem cell samples and differentiated NPCs with the accession number GSE122429 from the GEO database. The samples were analyzed, and genes with differential expressions were isolated in the R programming language with the Limma package via logarithmic fold changes (logFC) ≠, 3 and adjusted P-values < 0. 05. Functional analysis was conducted on the signaling pathways and biological processes of the differentially expressed genes using the Enrichr database. Results: In NPCs, 170 genes were upregulated, and 102 genes were downregulated. The functional analysis revealed that the differentially expressed genes were mostly involved in the extracellular matrix organization, collagen organization, and positive cellular processes. The study of signaling pathways identified the neural crest differentiation pathway as the most significant pathway in the evaluated samples. Considering logFC ≠, 3, overexpression was detected in MSX2, OLIG3, WNT3A, TWIST1, PAX3, RHOB, CDH6, COL2A1, CDH1, ZIC1, PMP22, SNAI2, and MSX1, all of which are involved in the neural crest differentiation pathway. Conclusion: Our results should expand the knowledge of the molecular pathways involved in stem cell differentiation into NPCs and proffer new clues to the treatment of intervertebral disc degeneration. Nonetheless, more detailed molecular studies are needed to determine the reliable biomarkers of NPCs.