Over 700 specimens of Corynosoma strumosum (Rudolphi, 1802) Lühe, 1904 were collected from one young male Caspian seal, Pusa caspica (Gmelin) in the southern land-locked Caspian Sea in April, 2009. Collected worms showed consistent variations from those reported by other observers using light microscopy especially in proboscis hook and trunk spine patterns. SEM images revealed many features that have not been previously reported including the shape and distribution of trunk spines, dorsoventral differences in proboscis hooks and their organization, the baldness of anterior proboscis, the rough egg topography, epidermal micropores, and variations in the female gonopore. This isolated population of C. strumosum from the land-locked Caspian Sea is distinguished from others reported from open waters elsewhere by the distribution of trunk spines, consistently smaller size of trunk and testes, larger eggs, and fewer proboscis hooks. Histopathological sections reveal the invasive path of worms in host tissue with damage to intestinal villi and worm encapsulation. Information obtained from SEM studies and histopathological sections is reported for the first time.

We investigated the effects of peritendon injections of hydrocortisone acetate on the separation force required to completely avulse a posttraumatized Achilles tendon of the adult male rat. One hundred thirty-five rats were randomly assigned to 3 groups and subsequently traumatized, treated, and sacrificed. One group was used to examine the effect of trauma; the second to examine effects of trauma and injections of hydrocortisone acetate on the tension to failure strength of tendons; the third group was the control group. Injected animals received one, three, or five injections of 0.10 cc (125 mg/ml) hydrocortisone acetate and were sacrificed 3, 6, or 9 weeks following initial injection. Experimental animals (anesthetized) were traumatized by dropping a weight onto the Achilles tendon. The tendon was tested in tension to failure employing a soft tissue linear disseminator. Histologic analysis using light microscopy was performed. We concluded that hydrocortisone acetate has no deleterious effect on the rat Achilles tendon as measured biomechanically or histologically.

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) are synthesized and released from adrenal cells. Therefore, the effects of TNF-alpha and IL-6 on cortisol release from bovine zona fasciculata (ZF) cells were investigated. IL-6 (10-1000 pg/mL) significantly increased basal and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)-stimulated cortisol release in a concentration-dependent manner. This stimulatory effect of IL-6 became apparent at intervals as short as 4 h and continued through 24 h. IL-6 also potentiated the cortisol release stimulated by the adenylyl cyclase activator forskolin. By contrast, TNF-alpha (0.1-10 ng) inhibited basal and ACTH-stimulated cortisol release in a concentration-dependent manner. The inhibitory effects of TNF-alpha on cortisol release were significant at time intervals as short as 4 h and continued through 24 h. TNF-alpha inhibited forskolin-stimulated cortisol release. Binding studies demonstrated that ZF cells have IL-6 receptors (100 receptors/cell, Kd of 7.5 x 10(-11)) and TNF receptors (200 receptors/cell, Kd of 2.4 x 10(-9) M). Immunohistochemical analysis provided evidence that the majority of ZF cells have IL-6 receptors, TNF type 1 receptors, and TNF type 2 receptors. Because IL-6 and TNF-alpha are released from the adrenal cortex and these cytokines modify the release of cortisol from the ZF, IL-6 and TNF-alpha may play a paracrine or autocrine role in the regulation of adrenal function.

Two rhadinorhynchid species of acanthocephalans, Rhadinorhynchus dorsoventrospinosus sp. nov. and Rhadinorhynchus laterospinosus sp. nov. are described from the redtail scad, Decapterus kurroides Bleeker, and the trigger fish Balistes sp., respectively. The hosts were collected off Cat Ba Island, Halong Bay, Gulf of Tonkin, Vietnam in May, 2009. This brings the total number of species of Rhadinorhynchus Lühe, 1911 to 38. Specimens of the first species are characterized by having 11-12 proboscis hook rows with 30-31 hooks each, large dorsal and ventral spines in the posterior field of trunk spines, large eggs (100 × 20), and subterminal gonopore in both males and females. It is further characterized by many prominent fragmented nuclei in the body wall. The 1 female of the second species has 18 proboscis hook rows with 24 hooks each, smaller eggs (62 × 17), lateral trunk spines connecting those in the anterior and the posterior fields, and subterminal female gonopore. Notes on the genus Rhadinorhynchus, lists of the invalid and valid species, and a key to species are provided. Raorhynchus Tripathi, 1959 is proposed to be a junior synonym of Rhadinorhynchus pending a revision of the species of Raorhynchus.

Moniliformis cryptosaudi n. sp. (Moniliformidae) is an acanthocephalan described from the long-eared hedgehog Hemiechinus auritus (Gmelin) (Erinaceidae) in Iraq as an incipient cryptic species of Moniliformis saudi Amin, Heckmann, Mohammed, Evans, 2016 described from the desert hedgehog Paraechinus aethiopicus (Ehrenberg) (Erinaceidae) in Saudi Arabia. Microscopical studies demonstrate that the two species are morphologically indistinguishable with practically identical measurements and counts but differed significantly in their energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDXA) of metal composition of hooks. Hooks of specimens of the new species appeared to be of collagen material with very low levels of phosphorus and calcium unlike those of M. saudi and Moniliformis kalahariensis Meyer, 1931 that had high levels of calcium and phosphorus. Using 18S rDNA and cox1 genes, M. Saudi and M. kalahariensis were shown to be molecularly distinct but the molecular profiles of M. saudi and M. cryptosaudi were more similar. The molecular profile of M. kalahariensis collected from the South African hedgehog Atelerix frontalis Smith (Erinaceidae) in South Africa is reported for the first time and is studied only for comparative purposes. Moniliformis saudi and M. kalahariensis had comparable EDXA metal analysis that was distinct from that of M. cryptosaudi.