Inhalable drug-loaded silk fibroin carriers for pulmonary drug delivery.

The design and development of engineered micro and nano-carriers offering superior therapeutic performance compared to traditional delivery forms, are crucial in pharmaceutical research. Aerosolization and inhalation of carriers with improved solubility/stability of insoluble drugs, has huge potential for targeted drug delivery (DD) in various pulmonary diseases. Indeed, dedicated carriers must meet specific dimensional rules for proper lung delivery.

Synthetic and Natural Biomaterials in Veterinary Medicine and Ophthalmology: A Review of Clinical Cases and Experimental Studies.

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in 3D printing technology within the field of bioengineering. This technology offers the ability to create devices with intricate macro- and micro-geometries, as well as specific models. It has particularly gained attention for its potential in personalized medicine, allowing for the production of organ or tissue models tailored to individual patient needs.

Immunolocalization of Orexin A and its receptors in the different structures of the porcine ovary.

Orexins are neuropeptides with pleiotropic functions, involved in the coordination of multiple versatile physiological processes, in particular related to food intake and several aspects of the reproductive process. Their actions are carried out through the bond with the related Orexin 1 (OXR1) and Orexin 2 (OXR2) G-protein-coupled receptors. Studies on the expression of the orexinergic system in the female genital organs are scarce and limited to preovulatory gametogenic follicles and corpora lutea isolated from the rest of the ovary.

Striated Perineal Muscles: Location of Somatic and Autonomic Neurons Projecting to the Male Pig Ischiocavernous Muscle. Neurochemical Features of the Sympathetic Subset.

The location, number and size of the central and peripheral neurons innervating the ischiocavernous muscle (ICM) were studied in male pigs by means of Fast Blue (FB) retrograde neuronal tracing. Moreover the immunohistochemical properties of the sympathetic ganglia were investigated combining the double immunolabeling method. After injection of FB into the left ICM, a mean number of 245.

Immunohistochemical Properties of the Peripheral Neurons Projecting to the Pig Bulbospongiosus Muscle.

Retrograde neuronal tracing and single labelling immunofluorescence methods were used to define the neurochemical content of the peripheral autonomic and sensitive neurons projecting to the male pig striated bulbospongiosus muscle (BSM). The retrograde fluorescent neuronal tracer Fast Blue (FB) was injected into the left bulbospongiosus muscle of four intact impuberal pigs. After a 10-day survival time, the ipsilateral sacral sympathetic trunk ganglia (STGs), the caudal mesenteric ganglion (CMG), and the sacral spinal ganglia (SGs) were collected from each animal.

Morphological analysis of the urethral muscle of the male pig with relevance to urinary continence and micturition.

To investigate whether the pig could be considered a suitable model to study lower urinary tract function and dysfunction, the pelvic urethra of 24 slaughtered male pigs were collected, and the associated muscles were macroscopically, histologically and histochemically analyzed. In cross-sections of the urethra, a muscular complex composed of an inner layer of smooth muscle and an outer layer of striated muscle that are not separated by fascial planes was observed. A tunica muscularis, composed of differently oriented smooth muscle bundles, is only evident in the proximal part of the pelvic urethra while, in the remaining part, it contributes to form the prostatic fibromuscular stroma.

Neurochemical features of the autonomic neurons projecting to the cremaster muscle of the boar.

The cremaster muscle (CM) is a striated muscle showing some unusual features for ordinary striated muscles, in fact it receives, besides somatic innervation, a conspicuous autonomic sympathetic innervation. The autonomic neurons associated with the CM of 4 male intact pigs were typified combining the retrograde nontrans-synaptic fluorescent tracer Fast Blue (FB) and double labeling immunohistochemical methods. We collected the L4 sympathetic trunk ganglion (STG), that our preliminary studies proved to contain the highest number (575.

Localization and neurochemical features of the sympathetic trunk ganglia neurons projecting to the urethral muscle. An experimental study in a porcine animal model.

The striated perineal urethral muscle (UM) is involved in the voluntary control of the micturition requiring complex interactions between afferent and efferent (autonomic and somatic) pathways to store and periodically eliminate urine. Our aim was to define the site, cross sectional area and phenotype of sympathetic trunk ganglia (STG) neurons projecting to the porcine UM, combining retrograde neuronal tracer Fast Blue (FB) and double immunohistochemical labelling methods. The research was carried out on 3 male intact pigs, in which we counted a total number of 4992.

Immunohistochemical characteristics of the nerve fibres of sow retractor clitoridis muscle.

The occurrence of several biologically active neuropeptides (calcitonine gene-related peptide, leu-enkephaline, neuropeptide Y, substance P, and vasoactive intestinal peptide) or nitric oxide-synthesizing enzymes (neuronal nitric oxide synthase), tyrosine hydroxylase, vesicular acetylcholine transporter, and their co-localization with tyrosine hydroxylase were investigated by immunohistochemistry in the retractor clitoridis muscle of slaughtered sows. Single immunolabelling revealed that tyrosine hydroxylase and neuropeptide Y immunoreactive nerve fibres were the most numerous, followed by the neuronal nitric oxide synthase and calcitonine gene-related peptide immunoreactive ones, the vasoactive intestinal peptide, substance P and leu-enkephaline immunoreactive nerve fibres were few and vesicular acetylcholine transporter immunoreactivity were observed only in single fibres. Double immunolabelling revealed the only co-localization of tyrosyne hydroxylase with neuropeptide Y.

Double labelling immunohistochemistry on the sympathetic trunk ganglia neurons projecting to the extrinsic penile smooth musculature of the pig: an experimental study on the retractor penis muscle.

Retrograde neuronal tracing and double labelling immunofluorescence methods were used to define the neurochemical content of sympathetic trunk ganglia neurons projecting to the pig retractor penis muscle, which was taken as an experimental model of the male genital smooth musculature. After the injection of Fast Blue into the bulbo-penile portion of the retractor penis muscle, the eventual co-existence of the catecholaminergic marker tyrosine hydroxylase with calcitonine gene related peptide, leu-enkephalin, neuropeptide Y, neuronal nitric oxide synthase, substance P, vasoactive intestinal polypeptide or vesicular acetylcholine transporter was studied in the ipsilateral S1 sympathetic trunk ganglia, which resulted to contain the greatest number of autonomic retractor penis muscle projecting cells. The observation of Fast Blue positive neurons under the fluorescent microscope allowed the identification of different subpopulations of catecholaminergic and non-catecholaminergic retractor penis muscle-projecting neurons.

Sensory and autonomic neurons project both to the smooth retractor penis and to the striated bulbospongiosus muscles. Neurochemical features of the sympathetic subset.

Aim of the present study was to verify, by means of double retrograde neuronal tracers technique, the hypothesis that a subpopulation of sensory and autonomic neurons send collateral axons to both smooth and striated genital muscles. We also wanted to define the neurochemical content of the eventually retrogradelly double labeled (RDL) neurons in the sympathetic trunk ganglia (STG). We used six intact pigs and we injected the tracer Diamidino Yellow (DY) in the smooth left retractor penis muscle (RPM) and the tracer Fast Blue (FB) in the striated left bulbospongiosus muscle (BSM).

Localization of the autonomic, somatic and sensory neurons innervating the cranial tibial muscle of the pig.

The location of sympathetic, somatic and sensory neurons projecting to the cranial tibial muscle of the pig hindlimb was studied with the neuronal non-transynaptic tracer Fast Blue. Additionally, the number and the size of these neurons were determinated. The Fast blue, randomly applied to the cranial tibial muscle belly of 3 pigs, labelled sympathetic neurons in the ipsilateral L5-S3 and contralateral S1 sympathetic trunk ganglia and in the prevertebral caudal mesenteric ganglia of both sides.

Experimental study to localize the neurons projecting to the lamb retractor penis muscle.

Aim of the present study was to locate the neurons projecting to the lamb retractor penis muscle, a smooth muscle associated to the penis. The retrograde neuronal tracer Fast Blue was injected into the bulbopenile portion of the left retractor penis muscle. Labelled cells were found bilaterally in the S2-S4 spinal ganglia, from the last two lumbar (L5-L6 or L6-L7) to S4 sympathetic trunk ganglia and in the hypogastric and pelvic plexuses.

Striated perineal muscles: location of autonomic, sensory, and somatic neurons projecting to the male pig bulbospongiosus muscle.

The location, number, and size of the neurons innervating the bulbospongiosus muscle (BSM) were studied in male pigs, by means of Fast Blue (FB) retrograde transport. After injection of FB into the left BSM, labeled neurons were found bilaterally in the L2-S4 sympathetic trunk ganglia (STGs), in the caudal mesenteric ganglia (CMGs), in the microganglia of the pelvic plexus (PGs), in a dorsolateral area with respect to the central canal of S1-S3 segments of the spinal cord (SC) and in the S1-S4 ipsilateral and S2-S3 contralateral spinal ganglia (SGs). The mean number of labeled FB cells was 3,122 +/- 1,968 in STGs, 979 +/- 667 in CMGs, 108 +/- 104 in PGs, 89 +/- 39 in SC and 77 +/- 23 in SGs.

Peripheral neurons innervating the extrinsic smooth penile musculature of the pig: experimental study by retrograde transport and immunohistochemistry.

Peripheral autonomic and sensitive neurons projecting to the extrinsic smooth penile musculature of the pig were studied by means of retrograde tracing and single-labelling immunofluorescence methods. The fluorescent retrograde tracer Fast Blue was injected into the left retractor penis muscle, that was taken as an experimental model of the male genital smooth musculature, of 4 castrated pigs. After a 7 day survival time, the ipsilateral paravertebral ganglion S1, the caudal mesenteric ganglion and the dorsal root ganglion S2 were collected.

Sensory, motor somatic, and autonomic neurons projecting to the porcine cremaster muscle.

The location of sensory, somatic, and autonomic neurons projecting to the pig cremaster muscle (CM) was studied by means of the retrograde neuronal tracer Fast Blue (FB) technique. FB was randomly injected in the left CM of four impuberal pigs and serial sections of sensory and autonomic ganglia and spinal cord were examined under a fluorescence microscope. Additionally, some indications about the number and size of labeled neurons were given.

Sensitive innervation of the copulatory organ in Struthio camelus: comparison to the corresponding district in female proctodeum.

The AA. have studied the nerve component of male copulatory organ and ventral part of female proctodeum in the ostrich. This paper represents the concluding part of the plan of research that aimed to verify some data and hypothesis referred in previous observations.

Autonomic and sensitive somatic innervation of the ostrich elbow and knee joints articular capsule.

The present research was carried out on the fibrous layer of the ostrich's elbow and knee joints articular capsule, employing opportunely modified gold chloride Ruffini's method, to study the autonomic and sensitive somatic nerve components. The distribution of both nerve components followed frequently the vascular networks. The autonomic innervation was represented by isolated or grouped ganglion cells, frequently placed along the course of nerve trunks, close to the epineurium or located within the perineural connective tissue.

The sensitive innervation of the ostrich nasal mucosa.

The sensitive innervation of the ostrich's nasal mucosa, through impregnative gold chloride methods, was investigated. The autonomy innervation, constituted by ganglion cells placed along the course of nerve trunks was particularly represented in the respiratory tract of the nasal cavity. The somatic nerve component, composed by free and capsulated endings, was especially distributed in the vestibular district.

On some structural features of ovarian ligaments in domestic animals.

The vascular and nerve components of ovarian ligaments (proper and suspensory) of the sheep, cow and the donkey were examined in order to investigate the presence of blood flow-regulator endovasal devices, artero-venous anastomoses, free and/or encapsulated nerve endings and ganglion cells. Both the ligaments of the investigated species showed the presence of endovasal devices (valvular apparati, intimal and polypoid cushions) and artero-venous anastomoses, the latter structurally ascribed to the first and second type of Conti and Bucciante's classification. Moreover, although not constantly, both the examined districts showed an autonomic nerve support, while four Ruffini's corpuscles were found in the suspensory ligament just in one sheep.

Further observations on the sensitive innervation of some bird's proctodeum.

The AA. studied the autonomic and sensitive somatic innervation of some female bird's proctodeum, through the properly modified Ruffini's gold chloride method. The vegetative component was constituted by ganglion cells of different size, isolated or grouped to form ganglia, found along the course of nerve trunks or in the concurrent point of different nerve bundles.

Localization of neurons projecting into the extrinsic penile smooth musculature of the pig: an experimental study on the retractor penis muscle.

The aim of this study was to locate in male pigs the sensory and autonomic ganglia innervating the retractor penis muscle (RPM), which was taken as an experimental model of the genital smooth musculature. The retrograde neuronal tracers horseradish peroxidase (HRP), Fast Blue (FB), and diamidino yellow (DY) were injected into the bulbopenile portion of the left RPM. The tracers highlighted a different affinity for the neuronal structures, although labelled cells supplying the RPM were generally found in bilateral dorsal root ganglia (DRGs, S1-S3), in bilateral paravertebral ganglia (PaGs, L2-S3), and in the left and right caudal mesenteric ganglia (CMGs).

On the sensitive innervation of the ostrich's foot pads.

The sensitive and autonomic innervation of foot pads in the ostrich was studied employing an usual histological technique as hematoxylin-eosin or different gold chloride impregnations. The autonomic innervation is represented by isolated or grouped ganglion cells located along the course of nerve bundles. The sensitive somatic innervation is composed by free and capsulated nerve endings usually distributed in the thickness of the connective arrangement of the foot pads, in the most superficial part the first one, while the latter was generally located close to the blood vessels.