Background

Helicobacter pylori is a worldwide pathogen that affects both animals and humans with a wide environmental distribution, causing serious health problems in humans. This research has timely addressed the topic of new sources of H. pylori infection, which is currently a global issue, especially in developing countries. For this purpose, 115 Tilapia fish, 50 freshwater samples, and 88 fish-handlers’ stool samples were investigated for the presence of H. pylori in Qena Governorate, Egypt. The applied techniques were antigen screening tests, culturing, and molecular methods through ureC gene amplification, and 16 S rRNA characterization.

Results

Helicobacter pylori was detected in 7.83%, 14%, 4.35%, and 12% of the investigated fish and water samples by culture and PCR methods, respectively. Out of the total studied participants, 40 tested positive for H. pylori when screened by stool antigen test, of which 35 (39.77%), and 31 (35.23%) were confirmed by conventional and molecular techniques, respectively. The Fisher’s exact test has shown a statistically significant correlation between H. pylori infection, sex, and age as risk factors, while the association was insignificant concerning the residence. Males contracted the infection at a higher rate than females (48.08% and 16.67%, respectively). Also, H. pylori infection rate was the highest among fish-handlers aged 36–45 years old (46.67%), followed by the 26–35 years old age group (39.53%). With regard to the residence, a higher occurrence rate was recorded in the rural (36.07%) than the urban population (33.33%). Helicobacter pylori isolates harbored the highest antimicrobial resistance against ampicillin (100%), metronidazole (95.24%), while the least antimicrobial resistance was recorded against levofloxacin (21.43%), and clarithromycin (26.20%). The phylogenetic analysis revealed a high degree of homology between the isolates selected from Tilapia fish, freshwater, and fish-handlers.

Conclusions

Our data emphasized the role that fish and freshwater play in disseminating H. pylori infection as one of the diseases that has a significant public health issue.

Background

Dromedary camel heart morphology is a crucial research topic with clinical applications. The study aims to understand the dromedary camel anatomy, morphology, and architecture of the ventricular mass. Results: Sagittal and transverse gross sections were compared to sagittal, transverse, and 3D render volume reconstruction computed tomography (CT) scans. The subepicardial fat, which covered the heart base, the coronary groove (sulcus coronarius), the left longitudinal interventricular groove (sulcus interventricularis paraconalis), and the right longitudinal interventricular groove (sulcus interventricularis subsinuosus), had a relatively low density with a homogeneous appearance in the 3D render volume CT. The pericardium in the color cardiac window was identified better than the black and white window (ghost). Transverse and sagittal CT scans demonstrated the internal structures of the heart, including the right atrioventricular orifice (ostium atrioventriculare dextrum), right atrioventricular orifice (ostium atrioventriculare sinistrum), and aortic orifice (ostium aortae), chordae tendineae, the cusps of the valves (cuspis valvae), and the papillary muscles (musculi papillares). The papillary muscle (musculi papillares) was presented with a more moderate density than the rest of the heart, and the cusps of the valves (cuspis valvae) had a lower density. The ventricular wall (margo ventricularis) exhibited different densities: the outer part was hyperdense, while the inner part was hypodense. The thicknesses of the ventricular mural wall and the interventricular septum (septum atrioventriculare) were highest at the midpoint of the ventricular mass, and the lowest value was present toward the apical part. The coronary groove (sulcus coronarius) circumference measured 51.14 ± 0.72 cm, and the fat in the coronary groove (sulcus coronarius) (56 ± 6.55 cm²) represented 28.7% of the total cross-sectional area. Conclusion: The current study provided more information about ventricular mass measurements by gross and CT analysis on the heart, which provides a valuable guide for future cardiac CT investigations in camels in vivo.

Abstract

The development of the glandular stomach was studied using light, electron, and fluorescent microscopy. The research used 130 Japanese quail eggs from the second to the seventeenth days of incubation.The proventriculus could be distinguished on the3rd day. Its wall consisted of four tunics: tunica mucosa, very thin tunica submucosa, tunica muscularis, and outermost tunica serosa. Mucosal folds appeared on the 8th day. The luminal epithelium was pseudostratified columnar in type and transformed into simple columnar by the 10th day. The mucosal papillae emerged on the 11th day, spiraled on the 15th day, and had a distinct whorled look by the 17th day. Two types of proventricular glands were recognized: compound tubuloalveolar and simple tubular glands. Both types were situated within the tunica mucosa. On the 4th day, the compound glands emerged as evaginations of the lining epithelium. It began to branch on the 8th day and became well established by the 11th day. The simple glands appeared on the 11th day as localized down-growths of the luminal epithelium forming solid cords. On the 15th day, many of them showed complete canalization. On the 8th day, the muscular coat was differentiated into the lamina muscularis mucosae and tunica muscularis.

Background

Telocytes are modified interstitial cells that communicate with other types of cells, including stem cells. Stemness properties render them more susceptible to environmental conditions. The current morphological investigation examined the reactions of telocytes to salt stress in relation to stem cells and myoblasts. The common carp are subjected to salinity levels of 0.2, 6, and 10 ppt. The gill samples were preserved and prepared for TEM.

Results

The present study observed that telocytes undergo morphological change and exhibit enhanced secretory activities in response to changes in salinity. TEM can identify typical telocytes. This research gives evidence for the communication of telocytes with stem cells, myoblasts, and skeletal muscles. Telocytes surround stem cells. Telopodes made planar contact with the cell membrane of the stem cell. Telocytes and their telopodes surrounded the skeletal myoblast. These findings show that telocytes may act as nurse cells for skeletal stem cells and myoblasts, which undergo fibrillogenesis. Not only telocytes undergo morphological alternations, but also skeletal muscles become hypertrophied, which receive telocyte secretory vesicles in intercellular compartments.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the activation of telocytes is what causes stress adaptation. They might act as important players in intercellular communication between cells. It is also possible that reciprocal interaction occurs between telocytes and other cells to adapt to changing environmental conditions.