Pancreatic beta cells uniquely synthetize, store, and release insulin. Specific molecular, functional as well as ultrastructural traits characterize their insulin secretion properties and survival phentoype. In this review we focus on human islet/beta cells, and describe the changes that occur in type 2 diabetes and could play roles in the disease as well as represent possible targets for thera...

Background: Non-communicable diseases are often associated with chronic inflammation, placing patients suffering from these conditions at a higher risk of thrombosis and other complications. The pathophysiology asthma and/or atopic is also linked to which consequently may alter blood parameters including erythrocyte structure function. Methodology: objective this study was evaluate differences ...

Ultrastructural alterations of liver parenchymal cells involving the endoplasmic reticulum are known to occur in animals exposed to chlorinated diphenyl-p-dioxins in the diet (1-4). The observed changes are similar to those reported for other aromatic chlorinated hydrocarbons (5-8) and are usually associated with induction of hepatic microsomal enzyme systems (7, 9, 10). The present study was u...

The experimental study proves in vitro antifungal activity of Allium fistulosum plant extract against Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. tulipae pathogen. The main purpose was to establish, by agar-dilution assay, the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the plant extract (140 μl/ml), compared to that of allicin (160 μl/ml) and fluconazole (100 μl/ml). The ultrastructural changes in hyphae treated w...

PURPOSE Cadmium toxicity in the exposure of the general, professional and cigarette smoking populations has been well known. From the dental point of view, it is important to find out whether and how separate and joint exposures to cadmium and zinc affect the structure and function of the submandibular gland, which is the major saliva-releasing gland. Cadmium, a particularly active xenobiotic, ...

BACKGROUND To achieve multiple oocytes for in vitro fertilization, ovulation induction is induced by gonadotropins; however, it has several effects on oocytes and embryo quality and endometrium receptivity. The aim of this study was to assess ultrastructural changes of corpus luteum after ovarian induction using human menopausal gonadotropin (HMG) and human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) during l...

The harmful effect of maternal cigarette smoking on the fetus is variable and may result in "only" a decrease in weight or may cause death by abruptio placenta [10]. In adults, smoking causes pathological changes in the cardiovascular system [9]. Some authors have proposed that smoking during pregnancy may also cause pathological changes in the cardiovascular system of the fetus that would incr...

background: the ultrastructural analysis of cultured follicles could direct us to understand subcellular changes during in vitro culture. objective: this study was done to verify the ultrastructural characteristics of in vitro cultured mouse isolated preantral follicles in co-culture system in the presence and absence of leukemia inhibitory factor (lif) materials and methods: mechanically isola...

Morphological aspects of the formation and fate of neurons that underwent dramatic ultrastructural compaction ("dark" neurons) induced by 4-aminopyridine epilepsy were compared in an excitotoxic and a neighboring normal-looking area of the rat brain cortex. In the excitotoxic area, the later the ultrastructural compaction began after the outset of epilepsy, the higher the degree of mitochondria...