Immunohistochemical Changes of Liver Fasciolosis in Cattle and Sheep in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Background: Fasciolosis is a crucial helminthes disease caused by two trematodes of the genus Fasciola: Fasciola hepatica (temperate liver fluke) and Fasciola gigantica (tropical liver fluke). Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on cattle and sheep in a slaughterhouse to detect animals infected with Fasciolosis. Liver samples were collected from infected animals and transferred to the laboratory for histopathological and immunohistochemical examinations. Result: Microscopically, the liver sections were showed extensive fibrous connective tissue surrounding the central vein and portal area with extensive thickening of bile ducts wall and fibrosis. Marked infiltration of inflammatory cells was also seen.

Immunoglobulin G4-Hepatopathy with Acute Hepatitis-Like Onset and Marked Centrilobular Necrosis: Clinicopathologically Unique Pattern of Hepatic Injury Related to Immunoglobulin G4-Related Disease

A 69-year-old man presented with jaundice and appetite loss. Blood analyses showed elevated aminotransferase levels, hyperbilirubinemia, positivity for antinuclear antibody, elevated immunoglobulin (Ig) G4 levels, and negativity for hepatitis virus markers. Additionally, computed tomography revealed a focal enlargement of the pancreatic body and enhancement of the peripheral bile ducts. Liver biopsy showed interface hepatitis, supporting a clinical diagnosis of autoimmune hepatitis (AIH). Immunohistochemistry revealed that IgG4-bearing plasma cells accounted for more than 60% of the IgG-bearing plasma cells in the portal area. Then, we started oral prednisolone therapy. After tapering, serum transaminase levels became elevated again, and we had to adjust the dose. Azathioprine maintenance therapy was necessary to prevent relapse. We herein report a case of IgG4-hepatopathy with a clinical course similar to that of AIH with acute onset.

Discussion on Landscape and Greening Technology of Highway Structural Tunnel Entrance

Highway tunnel entrance is not only the exposed part of mountain in the tunnel engineering, but also an integral part of the highway breaking through the mountain. On the premise of ensuring the safety of tunnel entrance, it is important to realize the unity of safety and practical “stability” and landscape greening “beauty” of the expressway tunnel through reasonable aesthetic landscape greening design. In combination with the topographic and geomorphological conditions as well as the regional and humanistic conditions of the highway tunnel portal area, this paper introduces the cultural landscape and plant greening engineering of highway tunnel entrance by reference to the successful experience of tunnel entrance landscape greening, and puts forward the requirements for landscape and greening technology of highway tunnel entrance in accordance with the provisions of relevant regulations.

IgG4-related autoimmune hepatitis with pathological characteristics of giant-cell hepatitis: A case report

Background ：Immunoglobulin (Ig)G4-positive plasma cells are thought to be present in some cases of autoimmune hepatitis (AIH), and giant-cell hepatitis (GCH) or synchronous giant hepatocytes are rare in some patients with AIH. Case presentation : A 68-year-old woman was hospitalized with asthenia, poor appetite, and yellow urine for more than 20 days. accompanied by obvious abnormal liver function, elevated IgG and IgG4 levels. Liver biopsy was performed, and the pathology showed extensive proliferation of fibrous tissue, formation of pseudolobules, moderate and severe interfacial inflammation, bridging necrosis and fibrosis, edema of hepatocytes as rosette-forming cells, multinucleated hepatocytes in each portal area, extensive monocyte lymph infiltration, dense plasma cells in the portal area, and positive plasma cells stained by IgG4 (more than 10 per portal area). The pathological diagnosis was IgG4-related AIH and GCH. Methylprednisolone was administered (20 mg/day). Two weeks later, her liver function gradually improved, and the immune indexes began to decline. Conclusion: we report a case of cirrhosis caused by AIH, which has the characteristics of IgG4 correlation and GCH in the hepatic pathology. Whether there is an inevitable relationship between them remains unclear.

Development of a Fatty Liver Model by Restricted Feeding of Lactating Sheep

Background: As a frequent subclinical disease, fatty liver disease (FLD) is associated with a severe negative energy balance (NEB) during the early lactation period, and usually cause of economic loss to dairy farmers. Liver biopsy is the gold standard for the assessment of FLD. However, as an invasive procedure, liver biopsy has several limitations and such procedures are not readily available to dairy farmers. To further evaluate FLD in dairy cows, a FLD model of lactating sheep was developed by simulation of the state of negative energy balance (NEB).Materials, Methods & Results: Fourteen pregnancy thin-tail ewes were divided into control group (CG, n = 4), non-lamb restrained feeding group (NRG, n = 4) and single birth restrained feeding group (SRG, n = 6). After lambing, NRG and SRG ewe were received a feed restrained diet for 16 days. Liver biopsies and blood was collected on days 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, and 16, and biochemical parameters were analyzed. With restricted feeding and lactation administration, ewes in SRG showed increased liver fat concentrations (LFC) from days 4 post-administration and severe LFC was detected at day 13. Compared with CG, SRG sheep showed significant lower concentration of serum glucose (Glu) from days 7-13 and higher non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA) from days 4-16, β-hydroxybutyric acid (BHBA) from days 4-16, triglyceride from days 4-16, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol from days 4-16, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) from days 13-16, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) at days 16. While, ewes in NRG showed normal LFC levels, and high concentration of serum Glu and insulin from days 4-16 were detected than CG and SRG ewes. With restricted feeding, ewes in NRG and SRG showed significant low level of revised quantitative insulin sensitivity check index from days 4-16 and high level of liver total cholesterol (TC) at day 16. Liver pathological characteristics showed LFC of NEB sheep was first detected around the liver portal area.Discussion: In this study, a model of FLD in lactating thin-tail sheep was developed by restricted feeding. Serum glucose concentrations were sharply decreased in SRG sheep，that was due to the large energy requirements for lactation and low energy provided by a restricted diet. While non-lactating NRG sheep demonstrated lower fat mobilization, which was considered to contribute to the high concentrations of serum glucose, as compared to SRG sheep. Meanwhile, in a state of NEB, oxaloacetic acid, which is generated by glycolysis and glycogenic amino acids, tends to be used for gluconeogenesis, that a generous amount of NEFA is incompletely oxidized to generate ketone body in SRG sheep, which is a major component of BHBA. Liver TC concentrations were significantly higher in NRG sheep than those in the SRG sheep, while liver triglyceride was significantly lower. The high level of liver TC in NRG sheep was considered to induce removal of triglyceride from the liver in the form of VLDL. Compared with CG sheep, although higher levels of liver TC were detected in SRG sheep on postpartum day 16, these levels were considered too low to induce significant depletion of triglycerides from the liver. In this study, the increase in serum AST and LDH was considered to cause by oxidative stress in mitochondria, and LDH concentrations was considered more sensitively than AST for LFC caused by NEB. Liver pathological characteristics showed that FLD caused by NEB had a major impact on reduced LFC, although no significant liver fibrosis was detected. While different from FLD caused by high-fat diet, TG was first accumulates around the hepatic lobules and LFC of NEB sheep was first detected around the liver portal area. It was considered that high concentrations of NEFA are prioritized for oxygenation in the liver portal area, which results in triglyceride accumulation.

DUNALIELLA SALINA IMPROVED OBESITY-ASSOCIATED INFLAMMATION AND OXIDATIVE DAMAGE IN ANIMALS’ RODENT

Objective: The objective of this study is to investigate the efficacy of microalgae Dunaliella salina to improve apelin, oxidative damage, inflammatory, and apoptotic function implicated in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity in rats.Methods: Fifty male Westar albino rats weighing 150–160 g were fed on HFD for 12 weeks. Treatment of obese rats with D. salina was carried out in a dose 150 mg/kg body weight as compared to orlistat as anti-obesity standard drug. Blood nuclear factor kappa-B cells (NF-kB), apelin, apoptosis regulator (B-cell lymphoma 2 [BCl2]), monocytes chemo attractant protein-1, paraoxonase-1 (PON1) were determined in serum of different groups. Besides, lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde [MDA]), glutathione (GSH) levels as well as histopathological examination were investigated in liver tissue of obese rats.Results: Serum apelin, MDA, and NF-kB levels were significantly high, reached to 97.25, 158.18, 511.433, and 170.73%, respectively. While significant decrease in PON1 (47.82%), BCl2 (74.88%), and GSH (63.54 %), levels were detected in the obese rats compared to controls. Obviously improvement in all biomarkers under investigation upon treated obese rats with ethanol extract of D. salina. Histopathological examination of obese hepatic tissue showed dilatation in the central portal veins associated with inflammatory cells infiltration in the portal area and congestion. However, treatment of obese rats with D. salina confirmed biochemical analysis and declared less diffuse inflammatory cells infiltration as well as less focal infiltration in both hepatic parenchyma and portal area with higher improvement in D. salina than drug.Conclusion: It could be concluded that D. salina has a great ability to improve inflammation associated with obesity as well as damaged hepatic architectures which can be used as a promising anti-obesity nutraceuticals.

Histological insight into the hepatic tissue of the Nile monitor (Varanus niloticus)

The liver of reptiles is considered an important study model for the interaction between environment and hepatic tissue. Little is known about the histology of the liver of reptiles. The aim of the current study was to elucidate the histological architecture of the liver of the Nile monitor (Varanus niloticus). Liver fragments from the Nile monitor were collected in the summer season and processed for the light and electron microscopy. The liver of the Nile monitor was bi-lobed and the right lobe was found to be larger than the left lobe. Histological examination revealed indistinct lobulation of the liver, and the central vein, sinusoids and portal area were haphazardly organized. The hepatic parenchyma consisted of hepatocytes arranged in glandular-like alveoli or tubules separated by a network of twisted capillary sinusoids. The hepatocytes were polyhedral in shape with vacuolated cytoplasm and the nucleus was single rounded, eccentric, large and vesicular with a distinct nucleolus. The hepatocytes contained numerous lipid droplets, abundant glycogen granules and well-developed RER and mitochondria. The hepatocytes appeared to secrete into the bile canaliculi through the disintegration of their dark cytoplasm into the bile canaliculi. The space of Disse separating between the hepatocytes and sinusoids contained many recesses. The portal area contained branches of the portal vein, hepatic artery, bile duct and lymphatic vessels embedded in a connective tissue. Some non-parenchymal cells were described such as Kupffer cells, heterophils, melano-macrophages, intercalated cells, myofibroblasts in addition to the endothelium of the sinusoids. This is the first report about the histological structure of the liver of the Egyptian Nile monitor. The result presented here should be considered a baseline knowledge to compare with the pathological affections of the liver in this species.