Vitamin D status and vitamin D receptor gene polymorphism in Saudi children with acute lower respiratory tract infection

Molecular Biology Reports - There is a significant association exists between vitamin D deficiencies, low respiratory tract infections, and certain types of VDR gene polymorphism. Various studies...     

Implantation of fetal thymus and sympathetic ganglion within the anterior eye chamber in mice, to study neuro-immune interaction in thymic development

In this study 13- to 14-day fetal thymic lobes were implanted within the anterior eye chambers in mice either with or without a syngeneic newborn sympathetic ganglion. It was observed after 6 weeks of implantation that the thymic lobes that grew with the ganglia had fewer lymphoid cells than their counterparts which were grown without the ganglia. The cells that developed within the thymic lobes were Thy-1- and peanut agglutinin-positive. The thymic lobes that grew with sympathetic ganglia also showed the presence of adrenergic nerves, perhaps due to reinnervation of the thymic grafts from the ganglia.     

Intrinsic innervation of the uterus in guinea pig and rat

The pattern of distribution of cholinergic and adrenergic nerves in the uterus of albino rats and guinea pigs was examined histochemically. In the albino rat, the uterus was found well-innervated by both adrenergic and cholinergic nerves with a clear regional variation. Dense innervation was demonstrated at the tubal and cervical ends of the uterus and in the cervix. Cholinergic nerves supplying the glands were more numerous than the adrenergic nerves which were relatively few. In the guinea-pigs, the uterus was richly innervated by adrenergic nerves with a clear regional variation. No cholinesterase-positive nerves or nerve cells were demonstrated.     

Partial degeneration of autonomic nerves of the heart of methotrexate-treated guinea pigs

In the present investigation partial degeneration of adrenergic and cholinergic nerves of the heart of guinea pigs following methotrexate treatment has been reported. No appreciable change was observed in the autonomic nerve fibres after 3 days of treatment. However, after prolonged treatment some nerve fibres showed signs of degeneration and a few adrenergic and cholinergic nerve fibres had disappeared.