glycogen and Cadaver

The metabolism of Trichinella spp. is primarily anoxybiotic in nature. Their main energy source is glycogen, which is stored in the stichocites at the muscular stage of the larval development. When subject to tow temperatures the Trichinella larvae consume glycogen and neutral fats to provide for basal metabolism until the energy supplies reach the critical level. The present study establishes the glycogen concentration as well the invasive activity of T. nativа when affected by low temperatures in natural conditions. The carcasses of infected laboratory rats were placed in containers beneath the snow cover, in the natural conditions of a game husbandry in Central Russia. The viability, invasive capacity and the glycogen level were monitored in the Trichinella larvae monthly. The invasive capacity of Trichinella larvae was established based on the presence of the larvae in the muscular tissue of laboratory mice after the peroral administration of the helminth larvae. On the 45 day of the experiment, the mice were euthanized by cervical dislocation, and if the Trichinella larvae could be discovered in the muscular tissue with the help of the trichinelloscopic compression method, the invasive capacity of the Trichinella larvae was viewed as positive. To establish the quantitative value of glycogen content in Trichinella larvae a modified method was used. In order to measure the glycogen level in the T. nativa larvae isolated by fermentation larvae were counted in one drop of the suspended sedimentation in the Migacheva-Kotelnikov chamber. To establish the quantitative value of glycogen content in Trichinella larvae a method based on the treatment of glycogen with iodine, optical density measurement with a refractometer MКMФ-02 was used. For the purpose of measuring the concentration of glycogen in Trichinella larvae in the suspended sedimentation a calibration curve was used. The studies showed that the viability indicator of the Trichinella larvae which had been preserved in natural conditions in the four months of the winter-spring period, in the muscular tissue of laboratory rats remained high (over 90 %). The glycogen concentration in one helminth larva was 0.041 μg in January, 0.033 μg in February, 0.015 μg in April. The invasive capability of the preserved Trichinella larvae was considerably reduced to 33.3 %. In the winter period, under temperatures below 0 °C, a decrease in the glycogen concentration in the Trichinella larvae was observed.

Topics: Animals; Cadaver; Cold Temperature; Glycogen; Larva; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Muscles; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Rodent Diseases; Russia; Seasons; Trichinella; Trichinellosis

Although diabetic retinopathy has been thoroughly studied, little attention has been given to the corneal changes of diabetic patients. Pathophysiologic and clinical findings may be related to the ultrastructural changes found in these corneas.. To investigate the ultrastructural corneal changes of diabetic patients.. Transmission electron microscopic ultrathin sections were prepared from corneas of 16 noninsulin-dependent diabetic patients (mean age, 65 years; range, 40-82 years) who suffered from the disease for a mean period of 22 years (range, 10-30 years). We used 16 corneas from healthy age-matched donors as normal controls.. In addition to the epithelial changes that include accumulation of glycogen granules, occasional focal epithelial cell degeneration, and irregular thickening and multilamination of the epithelial basement membrane, unusual 120-nm wide-spaced collagen fibril bundles were observed scattered among both Descemet's membrane and stromal matrix.. The aggregates of wide-spaced collagen fibrils, which have not been described in other basement membranes of diabetic patients, may reflect an excessive glycosylation rate.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Apoptosis; Basement Membrane; Cadaver; Collagen; Cornea; Corneal Diseases; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2; Glycogen; Humans; Microscopy, Electron; Middle Aged

We report a modified method for the isolation and propagation of adult human Müller cells in culture.. The retina of postmortem human eyes was mechanically dissociated and cultured. Using immunocytochemical techniques, these cells were stained with monoclonal antibodies specific for Müller cells, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), vimentin, glutamine synthetase (GS) and keratin. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was also performed.. The dissociated and cultured cells expressed vimentin and GS, but not GFAP. At least 85% of these cells stained with a Müller cell-specific monoclonal antibody. Using TEM, flat cells containing 13-nm intermediate filaments and glycogen were identified.. Human retinal Müller cells can be isolated and propagated in culture. Purified cell cultures are required for controlled studies of the normal physiology and pathologic responses of Müller cells.

Topics: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Antibodies, Monoclonal; Cadaver; Cell Culture Techniques; Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; Glutamate-Ammonia Ligase; Glycogen; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Keratins; Microscopy, Electron; Neuroglia; Retina; Vimentin

Trichinous mice were killed and their carcasses maintained at room temperature or subzero temperatures for varying lengths of time. Some worm parameters were measured after direct isolation from carcasses while others were measured following passage through a second round of hosts. Glycogen and trehalose levels in infective 1st-stage larvae (L1) isolated directly from carcasses maintained at room temperature were significantly less than controls (day 0) after day 4 post-kill (p.k.). By day 21 p.k. among L1 isolated directly from mouse carcasses those observed coiled or moving had decreased by around 20% compared to day 0 p.k. The percentage of L1 isolated from carcasses on several days p.k., used to infect mice and recovered as pre-adult worms declined significantly after they had remained in carcasses for 14 days. Only 2.6% of muscle larvae isolated from carcasses on day 21 p.k. and used to infect mice were recoverable as pre-adults. Pre-adult worms raised in mice infected with larvae from day 7 carcasses had about 50% less glycogen than worms raised in mice infected with larvae isolated from fresh carcasses (day 0 p.k.). The fecundity in vitro of adult worms isolated from mice on day 7 following infection with infective L1 larvae maintained in carcasses held at room temperature for 0-16 days declined only when adult worms developed from larvae recovered from carcasses at 3 days following host death. Following 24 h at temperatures below freezing, infectivity of L1 larvae isolated from frozen carcasses was reduced by 97%. Carbohydrate levels remained high in larvae from carcasses frozen for up to 4 days.

Topics: Animals; Cadaver; Carbohydrates; Female; Glycogen; Larva; Mice; Temperature; Time Factors; Trehalose; Trichinella; Trichinellosis

Topics: Autopsy; Cadaver; Glycogen; Humans