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Icardo JM, Alesci A, Kuciel M, Zuwala K, Guerrera MC, Zaccone G. The gas bladder of Heterotis niloticus (Cuvier, 1829). J Morphol 2023; 284:e21584. [PMID: 36976835 DOI: 10.1002/jmor.21584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Revised: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/25/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
Abstract
This work reports on the structural characteristics of the respiratory gas bladder of the osteoglossiform fish Heterotis niloticus. The bladder-vertebrae relationships are also analysed. A slit-shaped orifice in the mediodorsal pharyngeal wall is surrounded by a muscle sphincter and serves as a glottis-like opening to the gas bladder. The dorsolateral internal surface of the gas bladder is lined by a parenchyma of highly vascularized trabeculae and septa displaying an alveolar-like structure. The trabeculae contain, in addition to vessels, numerous eosinophils probably involved in immune responses. The air spaces are endowed with a thin exchange barrier indicating a good potential for respiratory gas exchange. The ventral wall of the gas bladder is a well-vascularized membrane that exhibits an exchange barrier in the luminal face and an inner structure dominated by the presence of a layer of richly-innervated smooth muscle. This is suggestive of an autonomous adjustability of the gas bladder ventral wall. - The trunk vertebrae show large transverse processes (parapophyses) and numerous surface openings that lead into intravertebral spaces that become invaded by the bladder parenchyma. Curiously, the caudal vertebrae show a regular teleost morphology with neural and haemal arches, but have similar surface openings and intravertebral pneumatic spaces. The African arowana hence rivals the freshwater butterfly fish Pantodon in its exceptional role of displaying postcranial skeletal pneumaticity outside of Archosauria. The possible significance of these findings is discussed. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- José M Icardo
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Cantabria, 39011, Santander, Spain
| | - Alessio Alesci
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, 98166, Messina, Italy
| | - Michal Kuciel
- Poison Information Centre, Jagiellonian University Medical College, 31501, Cracow, Poland
| | - Krystyna Zuwala
- Department of Comparative Anatomy, Faculty of Biology, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Jagellonian University, 30387, Cracow, Poland
| | - Maria Cristina Guerrera
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, Polo Universitario dell'Annunziata, University of Messina, 98168, Messina, Italy
| | - Giacomo Zaccone
- Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, Polo Universitario dell'Annunziata, University of Messina, 98168, Messina, Italy
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Lauriano ER, Capillo G, Icardo JM, Fernandes JMO, Kiron V, Kuciel M, Zuwala K, Guerrera MC, Aragona M, Germana' A, Zaccone G. Neuroepithelial cells (NECs) and mucous cells express a variety of neurotransmitters and neurotransmitter receptors in the gill and respiratory air-sac of the catfish Heteropneustes fossilis (Siluriformes, Heteropneustidae): a possible role in local immune defence. ZOOLOGY 2021; 148:125958. [PMID: 34399394 DOI: 10.1016/j.zool.2021.125958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Revised: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 07/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Heteropneustes fossilis is an air-breathing teleost inhabiting environments with very poor O2 conditions, and so it has evolved to cope with hypoxia. In the gills and respiratory air-sac, the sites for O2 sensing and the response to hypoxia rely on the expression of acetylcholine (Ach) acting via its nicotinic receptor (nAChR). This study examined the expression patterns of neuronal markers and some compounds in the NECs of the gills and respiratory air sac having an immunomodulatory function in mammalian lungs. Mucous cells, epithelial cells and neuroepithelial cells (NECs) were immunopositive to a variety of both neuronal markers (VAChT, nAChR, GABA-B-R1 receptor, GAD679) and the antimicrobial peptide piscidin, an evolutionary conserved humoral component of the mucosal immune system in fish. We speculate that Ach release via nAChR from mucous cells may be modulated by GABA production in the NECs and it is required for the induction of mucus production in both normoxic and hypoxic conditions. The presence of piscidin in mucous cells may act in synergy with the autocrine/paracrine signals of Ach and GABA binding to GABA B R1B receptor that may play a local immunomodulatory function in the mucous epithelia of the gills and the respiratory air sac. The potential role of the NECs in the immunobiological behaviour of the gill/air-sac is at moment a matter of speculation. The extent to which the NECs as such may participate is elusive at this stage and waits investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eugenia Rita Lauriano
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale F. Stagno d'Alcontres 31, 98166, Messina, Italy
| | - Gioele Capillo
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Messina, Polo Universitario dell'Annunziata, 98168, Messina, Italy; Institute of Marine Biological Resources and Biotechnology - National Research Council (IRBIM, CNR), Spianata S. Raineri, 86, 98122, Messina, Italy.
| | - Jose Manuel Icardo
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Poligono de Cazona, Faculty of Medicine, University of Cantabria, Santander, 39011, Spain
| | | | - Viswanath Kiron
- Faculty of Biosciences and Aquaculture, Nord University, 8049, Bodo, Norway
| | - Michal Kuciel
- Poison Information Centre, Department of Toxicology and Environmental Disease, Faculty of Medicine, Jagellonian University, Kopernika 15, 30501, Cracow, Poland
| | - Krystyna Zuwala
- Department of Comparative Anatomy, Faculty of Biology, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Jagiellonian University, Cracow, 30387, Poland
| | - Maria Cristina Guerrera
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Messina, Polo Universitario dell'Annunziata, 98168, Messina, Italy
| | - Marialuisa Aragona
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Messina, Polo Universitario dell'Annunziata, 98168, Messina, Italy
| | - Antonino Germana'
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Messina, Polo Universitario dell'Annunziata, 98168, Messina, Italy
| | - Giacomo Zaccone
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Messina, Polo Universitario dell'Annunziata, 98168, Messina, Italy
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Capillo G, Zaccone G, Cupello C, Fernandes JMO, Viswanath K, Kuciel M, Zuwala K, Guerrera MC, Aragona M, Icardo JM, Lauriano ER. Expression of acetylcholine, its contribution to regulation of immune function and O 2 sensing and phylogenetic interpretations of the African butterfly fish Pantodon buchholzi (Osteoglossiformes, Pantodontidae). Fish Shellfish Immunol 2021; 111:189-200. [PMID: 33588082 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2021.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2020] [Revised: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Acetylcholine (Ach) is the main neurotransmitter in the neuronal cholinergic system and also works as a signaling molecule in non-neuronal cells and tissues. The diversity of signaling pathways mediated by Ach provides a basis for understanding the biology of the cholinergic epithelial cells and immune cells in the gill of the species studied. NECs in the gill were not found surprisingly, but specialized cells showing the morphological, histochemical and ultrastructural characteristics of eosinophils were located in the gill filaments and respiratory lamellae. Much remains unknown about the interaction between the nerves and eosinophils that modulate both the release of acetylcholine and its nicotinic and muscarinic receptors including the role of acetylcholine in the mechanisms of O2 chemosensing. In this study we report for the first time the expression of Ach in the pavement cells of the gill lamellae in fish, the mast cells associated with eosinophils and nerve interaction for both immune cell types, in the gill of the extant butterfly fish Pantodon buchholzi. Multiple roles have been hypothesized for Ach and alpha nAChR in the gills. Among these there are the possible involvement of the pavement cells of the gill lamellae as O2 chemosensitive cells, the interaction of Ach positive mast cells with eosinophils and interaction of eosinophils with nerve terminals. This could be related to the use of the vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT) and the alpha 2 subunit of the acetylcholine nicotinic receptor (alpha 2 nAChR). These data demonstrate the presence of Ach multiple sites of neuronal and non-neuronal release and reception within the gill and its ancestral signaling that arose during the evolutionary history of this conservative fish species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gioele Capillo
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Messina, Polo Universitario Dell'Annunziata, I-98168, Messina, Italy
| | - Giacomo Zaccone
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Messina, Polo Universitario Dell'Annunziata, I-98168, Messina, Italy.
| | - Camila Cupello
- Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biologia-IBRAG, Universidade de Estado Do Rio de Janeiro, Rua Sao Francisco Xavier, 524, 20550-900, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | - Kiron Viswanath
- Faculty of Biosciences and Aquaculture, Nord University, 8026, Bodø, Norway
| | - Michal Kuciel
- Poison Information Centre, Department of Toxicology and Environmental Disease, Faculty of Medicine, Jagiellonian University, Kopernika 15, 30-501, Cracow, Poland
| | - Krystyna Zuwala
- Department of Comparative Anatomy, Faculty of Biology, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Jagellonian University, Cracow, Poland
| | - Maria Cristina Guerrera
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Messina, Polo Universitario Dell'Annunziata, I-98168, Messina, Italy
| | - Marialuisa Aragona
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Messina, Polo Universitario Dell'Annunziata, I-98168, Messina, Italy
| | - Jose Manuel Icardo
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Poligono de Cazona, Faculty of Medicine, University of Cantabria, Santander, Spain
| | - Eugenia Rita Lauriano
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical, and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
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Abstract
The expression of several neuronal intermediate filament (NIF) proteins was investigated in the tongue of metamorphosing tadpoles (stage 38-45 of Gosner) and in adult individuals of the frog, Rana esculenta by means of immunohistochemistry. Results showed that nerve fibres at early stages of tongue development expressed peripherin (a NIF protein usually found in differentiating neurones) as well as the light- and medium molecular weight NIF polypeptide subunits (NF-L and NF-M, respectively); in the adult frog, peripherin was still found in nerve fibres reaching the fungiform papilla together with NF-M, but NF-L immunoreactivity was absent therein. Clusters of epithelial cells expressing peripherin were found in the early developing tongue before differentiation of taste organs, and NF-L and NF-H immunoreactivities were present in basal (Merkel) cells of the adult frog taste disc. Results indicate that neurones innervating the adult frog's taste disc maintain a certain plasticity in their cytoskeleton and that neuronal-like cells are present in the undifferentiated and differentiated tongue epithelium possibly playing a role in the developing and mature taste organ.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Zuwala
- Department of Comparative Anatomy, Institute of Zoology, Jagiellonian University, 30-060 Kraków, Ingardena 6, Poland.
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