Interdigital sinus secretions play a role in sexual behavior and reproductive process of sheep. In the present study, it was aimed to characterize the topographical, anatomical and immunohistological features of interdigital sinus in Kivircik sheep. The interdigital sinuses were dissected from 50 forefeet of female Kivircik sheep which were slaughtered in the slaughterhouse. The shape of sinus resembled a pipe and was located between the proximal and distal interphalangeal joints of two digits. The wall of interdigital sinus had three layers as epidermis, dermis and fibrous capsule. Epidermis consisted of a stratified squamous keratinized epithelium. Sebaceous glands, hair follicles, arrector pili muscles, and apocrine sweat glands were in the dermis. Furthermore, there were vessels and adipose tissue in the fibrous capsule. There was immunohistochemical reaction for estrogen receptor expressed in epidermis, apocrin sweat glands and sebaceous glands of interdigital sinus. In conclusion, our results about the topographical, anatomical and immunohistological features of interdigital sinus are very important to understand sexual behavior and reproductive process of sheep, and to make a new approach for its surgery. Furthermore, this study is the first to report the interdigital sinus of Kivircik sheep immunohistochemically. Keywords: Interdigital sinus, Kivircik sheep, Morphology, Immunohistochemistry Kıvırcık Koyunlarda Sinus Interdigitalis'in Morfolojik veImmunohistokimyasal Özellikleri ÖzetSinus interdigitalis salgıları koyunlarda seksüel davranış ve üreme sürecinde rol oynamaktadır. Bu çalışma ile Kıvırcık koyunlarda sinus interdigitalis'in, topografik, anatomik ve immünohistolojik özelliklerinin tanımlanması amaçlanmıştır. Çalışmada kullanılan sinus interdigitalis 'ler, mezbahada kesilen 50 adet Kıvırcık koyunun ön ayaklarından disseke edildi. Şekli bir pipoyu andıran sinus interdigitalis'in, iki parmak arasında articulatio interphalangea proksimalis ve distalis manus hizasında yerleştiği gözlendi. Sinus interdigitalis duvarının epidermis, dermis ve fibröz kapsül olarak üç katmandan oluştuğu gözlendi. Epidermis'in, çok katlı yassı keratinize epitelden oluştuğu saptanırken, dermis katmanında yağ bezleri, kıl folikülleri, mm. arrectores pilorum ve apokrin ter bezlerinin varlığı görüldü. Ayrıca, fibröz kapsül içerisinde kapillar damarlar ve yağ doku bulunmaktaydı. Sinus 'un epidermis, apokrin ter bezleri ve yağ bezlerinde östrojen reseptörleri için immünhistokimyasal tepki olduğu gözlendi. Sonuç olarak, sinus interdigitalis'in topografik, anatomik ve immünohistolojik özellikleri hakkında elde ettiğimiz sonuçlar, koyunlardaki seksüel davranış ve üreme sürecini anlama ve sinus interdigitalis'in operasyonlarına yeni bir yaklaşım geliştirmesi bakımından önemlidir. Çalışma, Kıvırcık koyunlarda sinus interdigitalis'in immunohistokimyasal yapısı üzerine yapılan ilk çalışmadır.

Nitric oxide (NO) has emerged as an important intra-ovarian regulatory factor. We investigated effects of low dose capsaicin (CAP) treatment on the different NOS isoforms in prepubertal rat ovaries. Fifteen 21-day-old female Sprague-Dawley rats were divided randomly into three groups. The first group received no treatment, the second group received 0.5 mg/kg/day CAP dissolved in the vehicle, and the third group was treated with the vehicle only. The animals were euthanized by ether inhalation after 15 days and their ovaries were excised. Ovaries were fixed in 10% neutral buffered formalin and embedded in paraffin. Sections were processed for standard immunohistochemistry using the labeled streptavidin-biotin technique for expression of nNOS, eNOS and iNOS. We demonstrated that CAP induced expression of NOS isotypes including eNOS, iNOS and nNOS in prepubertal rat ovaries. CAP may lead to release of NO either directly from nerves or indirectly by evoking release from other cells via the action of neuropeptides that are released from afferent terminals and are involved in regulating female reproductive function.

In this study, the foot and hind limb bones of pigeons and quails were measured morphometrically. Additionally, microscopic classifications of the muscles affecting the foot and digit joints were made. For the macroscopic inspection, 40 birds were used, including 20 adult quails (10 males, 10 females) and 20 adult pigeons (10 males, 10 females). Diethyl ether was inhaled to anaesthetize the animals. The poultry animals were put under anaesthesia, and radiographic pictures of their left feet were obtained individually. DAP measurements were performed separately from the images taken with the Image J program. Then, they were euthanized by cervical dislocation under diethyl ether anaesthesia. The right legs of the euthanized animals were preserved in a 10% neutral formalin solution for histology procedures just after the legs were dissected from the trunk. Morphometric measurements of bone lengths were made in accordance with the measurement points specified by von den Driesch. After fixation for histological examination, routine tissue follow‐up was performed and the tissues were embedded in paraffin. The presence of SO‐type I, FG‐type IIb and FOG‐type IIa in 4–5 μ sections taken from paraffin blocks was demonstrated using the indirect streptavidin‐biotin‐complex method from immunohistochemical methods. The result of our study was statistically evaluated at p < 0.05 and p < 0.001 levels. The length of the hallux, the articulation point to the TMT and the fibre arrangements in the two flexor group muscles showed that the hind limbs and feet of the pigeons had a more favourable anatomical and histological structure for the perching movement.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of systemic administration of amylin on the avian tibia using histological, histomorphometrical and biochemical methods. Forty “Super Nick” laying hens 10 weeks of age were used. The experimental groups were injected subcutaneously in the loose skin at the nape of neck every other day with 75 μg kg-1 doses of rat amylin. The morphology of the cells and organic components of bone were studied in standard decalcified preparations at 14, 16, 18 and 20 weeks of age. Cortical bone and tibial growth plate widths were measured from the histological sections. Serum calcium, plasma amylin, parathyroid hormone related peptide (PTHrP) and calcitonin levels were determined at the same ages. Our results suggest that, when administered systemically to laying hens, amylin stimulates the proliferation of chondrocytes and osteoblasts and increases tibial growth plate thickness.

The aim of present study was to investigate the effects of systemic administration of amylin in laying hens and also to examine the localisation of amylin in the pancreas of laying hens at three different ages. It involved a variety of histological, immunohistochemical, and biochemical techniques. Thirty Super Nick laying hens of 10 weeks of age were used. The control group had no treatment. On alternate days the experimental group was injected subcutaneously in the loose skin at the nape of neck with recombinant rat amylin prepared in water at a dose of 75 mg kg À 1 . The morphology of pancreas was studied at 14, 16, and 18 weeks of age. Our immunohistochemical results conclusively showed that amylin was expressed in beta cells and yet to our knowledge, this is the first study to report the expression of amylin in serous acini of 14 and 16 weeks of age. It can be concluded that systemically administered amylin increased the stimulation of amylin synthesis from pancreas and also increased plasma amylin levels especially at 16 weeks of age.