Comparative morphology and morphometry of the mesencephalic tectum in the African giant rat (Cricetomys gambianus).

The caudal colliculus serves as an integrative station and switchboard, controlling nucleus of lower auditory pathway and motor-auditory reflex production. The rostral colliculus coordinates reflexive movement of the head, neck, eye and focus the lens for visual tracking of objects. There is no information comparing mesencephalic tectum among neonates, juveniles and adults of African giant rat (AGR).

Gross morphological and morphometric study of the upper respiratory system of the African giant rat (Cricetomys gambianus, Waterhouse 1840).

The nose is a structurally and functionally complex organ in the upper respiratory tract. It not only serves as the principal organ for the sense of smell, but also functions to efficiently filter, warm, and humidify inhaled air before the air enters the more delicate distal tracheobronchial airways and alveolar parenchyma of the lungs. Despite the volume of published studies on the biology of rodents, there is no information on the gross upper respiratory morphology of the African giant rat (AGR) in the available literature.

Conditional deletion of E11/podoplanin in bone protects against load-induced osteoarthritis.

Background: Subchondral bone (SCB) thickening is one of the earliest detectable changes in osteoarthritic joints and is considered a potential trigger for subsequent articular cartilage degeneration. In this manuscript, we examine whether disruption to the SCB osteocyte network contributes to the initiation and pathogenesis of osteoarthritis.

Methods: We examined expression patterns of the glycoprotein E11/podoplanin by immunohistochemical labelling in murine, human and canine osteoarthritis models.

FGF-2 promotes osteocyte differentiation through increased E11/podoplanin expression.

E11/podoplanin is critical in the early stages of osteoblast-to-osteocyte transitions (osteocytogenesis), however, the upstream events which regulate E11 expression are unknown. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of FGF-2 on E11-mediated osteocytogenesis and to reveal the nature of the underlying signaling pathways regulating this process. Exposure of MC3T3 osteoblast-like cells and murine primary osteoblasts to FGF-2 (10 ng/ml) increased E11 mRNA and protein expression (p < 0.

Relationship between age and brainstem allometry in the African grasscutter ( Temminck, 1827).

Allometric values of brainstem structures were evaluated in African grasscutters Thryonomys swinderianus (n = 27). Brain samples were extracted from 9 animals each of 3 days (neonates), 72 days (juveniles) and 450 days of age (adults). The midbrain, pons and medulla oblongata were separated from each brain sample and dimensions and weights obtained.

Hypomorphic conditional deletion of E11/Podoplanin reveals a role in osteocyte dendrite elongation.

The transmembrane glycoprotein E11/Podoplanin (Pdpn) has been implicated in the initial stages of osteocyte differentiation. However, its precise function and regulatory mechanisms are still unknown. Due to the known embryonic lethality induced by global Pdpn deletion, we have herein explored the effect of bone-specific Pdpn knockdown on osteocyte form and function in the post-natal mouse.