Structure of Myometrium Architecture

Structure of Myometrium Architecture THE STRUCTURAL AND ULTRASTRUCTURAL PARTICULARITIES OF THE MYOMETRIUM ARCHITECTURE Antonella Chescà ¤1, M.A.Moga1, Mariana Tilinca2, H. Matei3 Summary The morphological aspects of the human non-pregnant and pregnant at due time myometrium were emphasized by the classical histological technique and the electronic microscopic technique. We noticed the structural changes that appear at the level of the myocytes, connective and myometrial vascular structures. Both the stage of non-pregnant uterus and the one of pregnant uterus at due time present structural and ultra-structur ­al particularities at the level of the myocytes, connective structures and of the myometrial vascular ones. Key words: myometrium, myocytes, optical microscopy, electronic microscopy The myometrium is made up of smooth muscular fibers that are internally disposed in layers with circular fibers and externally with longitudinal fibers, in-between them being a layer of coiled fibers that, during the pregnancy, allow the uterus to grow and to be properly irrigated with blood. The myometrium is crossed by numerous blood vessels, with predominant venous type structures, also known as stratum vasculosum. It was ascertained that the uterine smooth muscular fibers play a major role in the physiologic haemostasis, namely in closing the vascular structures at this level. (5) During the pregnancy both the uterine body and the cervix become violaceae, due to the strong blood irrigation. The pregnancy is featured by the hypertrophy and the hyper ­plasia of the myometrium. We may also notice an increase of the number of elastic and collagen fibers that prevent the uterine wall from breaking. The changes of the cervix are less representative and consist of edema and local congestion. (4) The normal evolution of the pregnancy takes place on the grounds of certain important transformations of the endocrine system. Besides the changes appearing at the level of the genital tract generated by the development of the embryo and of the fetus, the body of the pregnant woman will undergo a stage of more intense hormone activity. (3) The investigations were made on human fresh material taken by the specialty services of obstetrics-gynecology, with the contribution of the anatomical pathology service within Dr. I. A. Sbarcea Hospital of Brasov and of the specialized study laboratories of the Cellular and Molecular Medicine Department within Carol Davila Medical University of Bucharest. The fragments of the normal non-pregnant uterus were obtained from surgeries such as total and subtotal hysterectomies. The fragments of normal pregnant uterus at due time were taken both from the uterine body and from the cervix. The fragments taken within the specialty services were studied by means of the classical optic microscopy method and by means of the electronic microscopy. The classic histological technique used the hematoxylin- eosin and Van Gieson staining. The fragments taken for examination by means of the electronic microscope were processed according to the technique that includes as main stages the fixation with glutaraldehyde in cacodyl pad for 90 minutes at 4C, washing with cacodyl pad pH 7.4, three times for 5 minutes at 4 °C; incubation in GOMORI environment; postfixacion in 0s04 of 1%, for 90 minutes at 4 °C; rinsing in bidistilled water three time for 5 minutes each, at room temperature, block coloring in uranyl acetate for 30 minutes, at 4C in the dark, washing with 10% alcohol, twice, 3 minutes each, at room temperature; dehydration with propdenoxide, twice for 5 minutes each at room temperature; dehydration with absolute ethylic alcohol, 3 times. 5 minutes each at room temperature; dehydration with propilenoxide twice, 5 minutes each at room temperature; penetration in Epon with inclusion in propilenoxide (1:1), for minimum one hour, followed by the evaporation of propilenoxide, up to 8 hours, penetration with Epon inc lusion for 2 hours, inclu ­sion, ultra sectioning at microtoms, grids contrasting and grids examination at the electronic microscope, obtaining magnifications between lOOOxoOOOx according to Onicescu method, 1998. We monitored the structural and ultra structural changes appearing in the uterine muscular fibers, in the connective structures at this level, as well as of the vascular myometrial structures using classical histological and electronic microscopy techniques. Ultra structurally, the uterine muscular fiber presents features common to the smooth muscular fibers of the cavity organs, with a centrally located, elongated nucleus. The sarcolemma of the myocytes located at the periphery of the muscle fiber seems to have three layers. The changes appeared at the level of the sarcoplasma may be grouped in two areas. At the level of the central area, the changes of the common organelles are being emphasized, such as the rough endoplasmic reticulum made up of several cisterns and vacuoles, of whose membranes ribosomes are being attached at large intervals, free ribosomes and glycogen inclusions, rare flattened sacks and mitochondria presenting a small number of lamella-form christa. At the level of the peripheral area that occupies the larger part, are the special, organelles, forming the contrac ­tile sublayers of the uterine muscular fiber, namely the myofilaments and the dense bodies. The myofilaments, visible at the electronic microscope, are represented only by actin filaments corresponding to the thin filaments of the striated muscle fiber. The myosin filaments are missing, corresponding to the thick filaments of the striated muscle fiber. We noticed ultra structural changes of the uterine muscular fiber, where the myosin appears as dense bodies, noticed as opaque spots, dense at electrons flow, elongated, distributed among the actin filaments. (12) During the pregnancy the myometrium hypertrophies, process that by its rapidity and amplitude, is a unique phenomenon in the normal adult body, accompanied by spectacular reshuffling of the uterine muscle fiber. In these circumstances, the myocytes grow of about 5-10 times, reaching lengths of 500 micrometers. In the same time, they keep their general shape, but elongations appear extensions especially at the ends. (7)Thus, major changes of the main components of the sarcoplasma are achieved. Both the myofilaments and the dense bodies numerically grow. Unlike the myocyte from the non pregnant uterus, the commune organelles occupy large areas in the sarcoplasma and in the peripheral area of the cell. The Golgi complex shows quantity and quality changes, becoming one of the most prominent features of the sarcoplasma. The quantity determinations showed an increase of the glycogen content of the pregnant uterine muscle fiber, of approximately 50 times. (5) Under the influence of the ovaries hormones, various kinds of muscle connections appear in the myometrium, characteristic to the effect of the estrogens or of the progesterone. Under the influence of the estrogen, we may simultane ­ously notice three types of distinct cell groups, light cells oriented approximately parallel to the more or less smooth surfaces, light cells in transverse arrangement and having inter-located surfaces on wide areas and spiral dark cells, located in transverse arrangement, with wider distances between them. (9) Under the influence of the progesterone, after the ovulation and during pregnancy, we may notice rare light cells, yet, the vacuolated cells dominate, especially after the ovulation. As well, typical spiral cells, with more or less smooth surfaces highlighted. At the level of the intrauterine connective tissue, although the predominant connective cell is the fibroblast, we may also notice macrophages, plasmocytes and masto- cytes, all these cell types being reduced in number. Both the structural appearance and the activity of the connective cells undergo changes that take place under the hormonal influences occurring in the uterine functional cycle. (2) We noticed that in the uterus that prepares for gestation, fibroblasts may undergo metaplasia and may change into myocytes. The pregnancy stresses the most the connective cell, in the sense of accelerating in it the synthesis process of the specific macromolecules, such as the collagen and certain products such as the glycosaminoglycanes. (3) The cervix of the adult woman presents in its structure a large amount of connective tissue, made up of cells, fibres, fundamental substance and a small number of smooth muscle fibres. In the non pregnancy stage, the connective of the cervix seems twice more abundant than the one uterine body. (4) The blood vessels of the myometrium, of artery or vein type, represent the constant and favourable element to all myomterial cell metabolic changes, in all the uterine functional phases. This way they insure all myometrial local metabolic activity, of synthesis, on collaboration between the myocytes and the surrounding connective, of cell symbiosis changing in pregnancy compared to non pregnancy. (6) On the myometrium fragments of the non pregnant Figure 3 Non pregnant normal uterus. Myometrium. Transmission Electron Microscopy x 2950 normal uterus and pregnant uterus at due time, by means of the classical histological technique we highlight an arrange ­ment characteristic to a myometrial area where the smooth muscle fibers are placed in fascicles having different direc ­tions and sizes. In between them, we may notice weakly represented connective structures, (fig. 1) The image shows a myometrial area where the connec ­tive structures are well represented in the non pregnant uterus. In the same time, we may notice that between the fascicules of myometrial muscle fibers, blood vessels of capillary and arterioles type are present in longitudinal section, (fig. 2) Figure 1 Non pregnant normal uterus. Myometrium. Optical Microscopy. Hematoxylin-Eosin stain x 20 Using the technique of electronic microscopy, on a microphoto we notice the detail of an area of the sarcoplasma of the uterine smooth muscle fiber. We notice a large number of mitochondria positioned in groups between the myofilaments and especially in a row in the closest neighborhood and along the dense bodies. Among Figure 4 Normal uterus, pregnant at due time. Myometrium. Optical Microscopy. Hematoxylin-Eosin stain x40 the mitochondria there are frequent glycogen inclusions. We may notice the anchoring of the actin filaments of the dense body of the myocyte, (fig. 3) At an magnifying power of 40x, using the classical histological technique, we observe the smooth muscle fibers, with elongated, euchromatic nucleus, with rich sarcoplasma and a cross-sectioned arteriole. The fibroblasts between the myocytes are rare, with dark, rectilinear nucleus, (fig. 4) The figure illustrates myocytes presenting a large, oval- shaped, largely elongated, rich in euchromatine nucleus, with 1-3 nucleoli. The sarcoplasma is abundant. Near the muscle fibers, there is a large amount of connective tissue with fibroblasts and numerous connective fibers, (fig. 5) Figure 2 Non pregnant normal uterus. Myometrium. Optical Microscopy. Van Gieson stain x 20 An observed ultrastructural aspect illustrates longitudi ­nally sectioned smooth muscle fibers, with grouped charac ­teristic arrangement, namely the thinned part of a myocyte being near the thicker central area of the neighboring myocytes. Between the muscle fibers there are narrow spaces with less connective matrix. The nucleus of the muscle fibers is predominantly euchromatic and the sarcoplasma near the poles of the nucleus contains cellular organelles, besides them we may observe myofilaments and rare dense odies. The sarcoplasma shows caveolae and dense areas, lear the myocytes we find a fibroblast with large nucleus, ctively euchromatic. Around it, the cytoplasm is loaded dth cellular organelles, among which we notice the rough ndoplasmic reticulum, as dilated, inter-communicating acks. (fig. 6) Researches based on modern techniques of electronic licroscopy, lead to data related to ultrastructural organization †¢f the uterine smooth muscle fibers, with its particularities in wo distinct functional moments, non pregnancy and regnancy, in healthy women, with uterus having no We observed the vicinity relations between the nyocytes and the connective cells at this level, focusing m the fibroblasts, connective cells considered to be lormone-sensitive, moreover as this type of cells takes  »art in the composition of organs that are hormone- ensitive such as the uterus or its components. (2) The technique of electronic microscopy highlighted dtrastructural aspects of the smooth muscle fibers, of the connective cells and of the vascular structures of the nyometrium of the non pregnant and pregnant uterus. Studies of electronic microscopy highlighted various tspects. Thus, the specific functions of the smooth muscle, uch as tension, contraction and relaxation, are considered to )e the result of the coordinated activity of the muscle cells. X/e assumed the existence of a functional syncytium at least or four functional conditions. In the same time, we lescribed the fusion of the neighboring cell membranes, in ;ertain contact points, namely intercellular junctions type  »nulla occludens and it may be considered that such ;onnections would represent the morphological fundamen- :als of the functional synctyium. (11) As well, we showed that :he number of noticed contact points is small compared to :he surface of the cell. According to certain authors, the iifferent forms of cell contacts are granted to various imctional states of the same muscle. The muscle connec- :ions thus exist as interdigital cells, on wide surfaces, with anclearly defined cell membranes or as sole, distinct cells. Varied forms of muscle cells seem to help the answer to the question whether the myometrial contraction is isotonic or isometric. From this point of view, we consider that the function of the myometrium resides in an isometric contraction. The observations of other researchers suggest that in the myometrium and in the smooth muscle of other cavity organs, the isometric and isotonic contractions are just different phases of a complex contraction cycle. According to the morphological observations, it seems to be the rhythmic passing from relaxation to isometric contractions and the other way around. (10) According to recent studies, the fine structure of myometrium from pigs collected at well-defined stages dur ­ing pregnancy was investigated by transmission electron microscopy. The morphology of the pregnant myometrium resembled that in non-pregnant pigs. Thick myofilaments were conspicuous during early pregnancy, unapparent during mid-pregnancy and visible again by days 80-84 and towards Figure 5 Normal uterus, pregnant at due time. Myometrium. Optical Microscopy. Van Gieson stain x20 Figure 6 Normal uterus, pregnant at due time. Myometrium. Transmission Electron Microscopy xl 500 parturition. Gap junctions were extremely rare throughout pregnancy. (8) The researches in the field are ongoing, due to the modern investigation possibilities that, besides the already known investigation methods, mainly refer to the immunohistochemical techniques.

Embracing Depression Essay -- Personal Narrative, essay about myself

"We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars." -- Oscar Wilde Perhaps I feel compelled to write on the subject of depression because it is a selfish disease. It seeps into every crevice of one's life; it refuses to be ignored, to be relegated to some obscure corner of the mind. Perhaps I'm writing about it because of what I have learned about my relationship with the disease. Perhaps the time has come when I'm ready to stop cursing the depression and start embracing it. What I'm about to say is terribly unfashionable, and I hope that you will forgive any offense that it may cause. In all truthfulness, I'm glad that I have lived with depression as a companion. This statement does not imply that I have relished the grief and guilt the disease has borne. It does not mean that I have enjoyed the fits of despair, the self-imposed isolation, or the shared sorrow of my frie... ...effe, Ray Charles, Francis Ford Coppola, John Kenneth Galbraith, Soren Kierkegaard - I can't help but wonder if their accomplishments were not just in spite of, but partially because of, their illness. Oscar Wilde once wrote, "We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars." I have reached a point in my life where I can concur with that sentiment. At last, I have realized that lying in the mud enhances the times when I've set my heart with the stars.

Carl Jung: The Undiscovered Self Essay

?The book of C. G Jung â€Å"The Undiscovered Self† was written during the cold war concerning communism. He saw during this time the trend toward collectivism as the utmost threat to the individual self. He expresses grief over the adoption of mass mindedness, and encourages its psychic depreciation. Witnessing the physical and psychological destruction of war, Jung provides the reader his analytic interpretation of the incomparable loss of self in the intrusion of secular religion and social collectivism. Jung shows that although science tries to impose order on the world, the unique thing about real facts, conversely, is their individuality. However, the psyche remains irresolvable puzzle. An individual have to understand not the humanity as a whole but rather than the self. Whenever individual is pressured by a group an effect will occur just like part of the individual self will be deprived in order to fit-in to the benchmark of the group. The individual stops thinking of itself as a result the group becomes the personality of the individual. The dilemma of a human being in the world he lives is losing his self in the process of balancing the factors that can affect him as an individual. We have to get ourselves in order before we can get the rest of the world in order. Yes, man as a social being cannot continue life in the long run without the link to the community. But it doesn’t mean that the community will define us. We are necessitated to have always the sense of balance between the state, religions, and of course our individual psyche. Seeing in the model these three are demonstrated by the two forces, the conscious and unconscious. Later on this paper, it will be further discuss more. Going back, if we have a propensity to maintain the balance between the three, we can attain the self-knowledge that will characterize us, as a real individual. The model shows that there are factors that can affect one’s self knowledge. In the book, Jung tries to point out that the self-knowledge of a human being is a very limited knowledge since it only depends on the social factors that can affect it. There are many blind spots in self-knowledge, and these blind spots can have negative consequences for the self and for others. For example, one who overestimates the positivity of his or her personality or status is often disliked by others, whereas having insight into how others perceive the self and acknowledging one’s flaws seems to attenuate the negativity of others’ impressions. Poor self-knowledge is also associated with negative intrapersonal consequences, such as weak academic achievement and emotional problems. Likewise, lack of insight into how one will feel or behave in the future tends to result in poor decision making, disappointment with unpredicted outcomes, and ultimately lower life satisfaction. What we primarily know about our self is the conscious state. We are not acquainted that there is an inner state that is within us that can help to shape more our own self-knowledge. What I am talking about here is the unconscious psychic. We could have known that this unconscious psychic can outweigh the conscious psychic. In short, one cannot exist without the other. These two psychic forces should team up to promote a more apparent understanding of the self-knowledge. In reality there are conscious and unconscious agendas in the brain and both are important. It does not help to play the unconscious off against the conscious. In the brain at any time most of the agendas are unconscious, much of it is, however, consciousness-prone. The conscious and the unconscious always work together, not only in dreams but also in wakefulness. Our conscience for instance can admonish us out of the unconscious core from our memory, but by doing so it becomes conscious, and it is then the task of the reasoned will to draw the consequences out of it. The unconscious is not the â€Å"bad something† Freud had conceived, a something that plays tricks on us. It is rather the ground worker for consciousness, the staff that supports the leader. And the leader is: The conscious, reasoned free will. Why the unconscious is termed as the â€Å"evil† inside us? As a normal individual whenever we don’t like something about ourselves, or whenever we refuse to admit something about ourselves, we push those energies deep within the recesses of our psyche, creating cut off versions of who we really are. And to make matters even more difficult, we give those energies, bad names like â€Å"shadows† â€Å"demons† and â€Å"negative vibes. † As stated on the book, â€Å"Since it universally believed that man is merely what his consciousness knows of itself, he regards himself as harmless and so adds stupidity to iniquity. He does not deny that terrible things have happened and still go on happening, but it is always â€Å"the others† who do them. † Man has the fear of recognizing the shadow that is in the very first place was there. This fear of the unconscious psyche to be divulged slows down the understanding of self-knowledge. Since mentioned before, the conscious and unconscious must maintain equilibrium to achieve self-knowledge to the real extent. Human must not fear the shadow that dwells inside us. Where in reality, this shadow can help us to mold the individualism we want to resolve. If a general had no idea regarding what constitutes a favorable battle outcome, there would be no utility in simulating battle formations. Evaluating potential actions is challenging because it depends on taking diverse considerations into account (e. g. , physical or social consequences). Most knowledge regarding what is favorable is already embodied in the very agentic systems that, before the advent of suppression, controlled behavior directly. Unconscious conflict resolution processes thus furnish valuable information to conscious processes of planning for the future. Given sufficiently strong motivations and commitment to the planned course of action, specific plans such as â€Å"when X happens, I will do Y† themselves operate automatically when the future opportunity arises, as in the implementation intention research of Gollwitzer and colleagues (e. g. , Gollwitzer, 1999). In this way, unconscious processes not only adapt us to the present situation, but they also influence the tracks we lay to guide our future behavior. As mention earlier in this paper, the state and religion including the individual psyche should maintain a sense of stability in an individual. Man should not let neither the state nor religion, take away his individuality. One chapter of the book was entitled â€Å"Religion as the Counterbalance to Mass-mindedness†. Religion is defined as an, â€Å"organized belief system that includes shared and institutionalized moral values, beliefs about God, and involvement in religious community,† Individuals may be spiritual not religious, religious not spiritual, religious and spiritual, or neither spiritual nor religious. Often times the spiritual not religious individual is seeking meaning, connection with others, and completeness. The religious not spiritual person typically participates in religious institutions, holds theistic beliefs, and institutionalized moral values. The spiritual and religious person holds characteristics of both while the neither spiritual nor religious person holds few if any of these characteristics. In the book, Jung distinguishes between religion and creed, labeling religion as the relationship of an individual to God and a creed as a confession of faith in a collective belief. Creeds have codified their views, customs and beliefs and externalized themselves to such an extent that the external point of reference has become of minor importance. Jung tries to point out that, religion like the state yearn for the individual to sacrifice himself. The state and the religion have the same objective towards an individual but they have different line of attack to grasp it. Neither the state nor the religion is unscrupulous. In fact, we do need them, but they must be at the same rank in one’s self. One should not override the other, for it must be keep upright. Examine the spirits that speak in you. Become critical. –Carl Jung References: Carlson, E. N. (2013). Overcoming the Barriers to Self-Knowledge : Mindfulness as a Path to Seeing Yourself as You Really Are. Perspectives on Psychological Sciences , 2. Deecke, L. (2012). There Are Conscious and Unconscious Agendas in the Brain. 4. Morsella, J. A. (2008). The Unconscious Mind. 7-8. Nickles, T. (2011). THE ROLE OF RELIGION AND SPIRITUALITY IN COUNSELING. 3-4.

The Destruction Of The World - 1585 Words

By inhabiting every corner of the planet, razing forests, and burning fossil fuels, people are changing the world so fast that many other species can t cope(Kolbert 1). This statement tells of a bitter truth that has affected the world since the advent of the evolved mankind, through various self-serving activities such as logging, mining, burning fossil fuels and continuously polluting both land and water. People have ensured through this and other wreckless means that other species that inhabit the world have poor living conditions and in some extreme cases that they have gone extinct. Mankind has led to the irreparable destruction of both the flora and Fauna of the world and it is only right that he work towards repairing what he†¦show more content†¦There are presently over 8000 specimens of tissue samples in the San Diego frozen zoo in California. This come from 800 species or sub species and this is just a tip of the ice burg a million. Other such tissue banks are bei ng put up around the world so that â€Å"they can be revived if necessary (Lepage 2). This saving of human tissue should not be the answer to the problem of possible extinction of the various animals in the world. It is upon human beings to find ways to reduce their impact on animal life so as to safeguard instead of threaten the animals with extinction and then look to revive this animal life. It is much simpler for humans to change their ways such as stopping the rapid deforestation and encroaching in animal habitats and using of fossil fuels and polluting of the rivers with refuse from excesses of consumerism than it is to try and reintroduce this species when they go extinct because even the chances of man mimicking millions of years of creation are very slim at best. In South Africa in the Cape region they have seen that it is important to facilitate evolution instead of try to put it in a bottle. Dr. Richard Cowling of the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Port Elizab eth says that You ve got to preserve the processes.(Le Page, 2) Scientists have tried to invent