Papers by Jose Antonio Mora Ojeda

Development, 1984
The spatiotemporal pattern of morphogenetic cell death during the early development of the chick ... more The spatiotemporal pattern of morphogenetic cell death during the early development of the chick retina was studied by means of the neutral red vital staining and light microscopy. A modification of the conventional procedure of vital staining, which consisted of the injection of the dye into the neural tube lumen, was used for this purpose. In addition to the two areas of cell death known from previous literature, the first located in the ventral part of the optic cup and the second located in the insertion of the optic stalk with the diencephalon, a new area of cell death was described. This third necrotic area was located in the protruding dorsal part of the optic cup rim and was present throughout the stages 15 to 18. The area consisted of dying cells, fragments and phagocytosed cells. We suggest that this dorsal area of cell death could stop the intense dorsal growth of the optic cup and/or reshape the optic cup rim. Moreover, this area may influence the production of cell dege...

Laboratory investigation; a journal of technical methods and pathology, 1982
Newborn rabbits were injected with methylprednisolone acetate to induce polycystic kidneys. Two m... more Newborn rabbits were injected with methylprednisolone acetate to induce polycystic kidneys. Two major types of cysts were observed: tubular cysts formed by the dilation of collecting tubules and glomerular cysts formed by the dilation of Bowman's capsular space. We examined the structure and developmental changes of the glomerular cysts of rabbits aged 2 to 75 days. Two types (I and II) of fully developed glomerular cysts were observed. Most were type I, having one small glomerulus and a parietal layer composed entirely of podocytes. Type II had one or several small glomeruli and a parietal layer composed partially of podocytes. In both types I and II cysts, the podocytes in the parietal layer were connected to various structures surrounding the cysts by a basal lamina. These cysts were first detected in the early postnatal stages. During the S-shaped body stage, the presumptive parietal layer was composed of simple columnar cells in contrast to the flat cells of normal S-shaped...

The Anatomical Record, 1984
The cell surface characteristics of degenerating cells and phagocytes, as well as the participati... more The cell surface characteristics of degenerating cells and phagocytes, as well as the participation of lysosomes in the cell death process associated with the early embryogenesis of chick lens rudiment, were studied by means of scanning electron microscopy and cytochemically using the Gomori-o-glycerophosphate method for acid phosphatase. The prospective dying columnar epithelial cells lose their apical and basal processes and become rounded. The rounded, isolated, dying cells initially show a rough surface with some cytoplasmic constrictions followed by progressive break-up into several pitted fragments. Coincident with the loss of the columnar cell shape, acid phosphatase is localized within the Golgi apparatus and autophagic vacuoles which progressively increase in size. In contrast, the isolated dying cells and fragments do not show significant acid phosphatase activity. The role of lysosomes in this degenerative process is discussed. Neighboring epithelial cells phagocytose the dead cell fragments, becoming nonspecialized phagocytes. These consist of columnar epithelial cells and free cells which have migrated from the lens epithelium. Two mechanisms of internalization are observed. The most frequent mechanism takes place in both the columnar epithelial cells and the free cells, and consists of the progressive engulfment of the fragments into craters of the cell surface. The other mechanism is only detected in the free cells and takes place by pseudopod engulfment. We suggest that both phagocytic procedures could be related to the degree of intercellular connection. The presence of phagocytic internalization by crater formation in the epithelial cells could be a mechanism preserving the epithelial stability, which is necessary for a normal morphogenesis. Small microprocesses binding the surface of the phagocyte and the fragment are present prior to the internalization process. In the lens stalk and in the space located between the ectoderm and the lens vesicle, there are some cells displaying migratory characteristics. This fact suggests that a n active migration of epithelial cells from the lens stalk could account for the process of detachment of lens vesicle from the ectoderm. The free cells appear to undergo an in situ progressive degeneration.

The Anatomical Record, 1987
In an attempt to clarify the relationship between the presence of retinal cell death and the inva... more In an attempt to clarify the relationship between the presence of retinal cell death and the invagination of the optic vesicle, we have tested the Occurrence and cytological characteristics of the retinal necrotic areas in the embryonic chicken after the administration in ovo of papaverine. Papaverine, a Ca2+ antagonist, was found to prevent the invagination of the optic vesicle. All embryonic retinae presented two distinct necrotic areas. However, these areas of cell death appeared abnormally located in the experimental, uninvaginated retina. One area was located at the transition between the retinal disc and the ventral wall of the optic vesicle; a second area was located in the dorsal wall of the optic vesicle, close to the optic stalk. We suggest that these necrotic areas represent the normal necrotic areas, should the invagination of the retinal disc have taken place. Retinal cell death appears to be programmed; it occurs whether the retinal disc invaginates or not. Cell death appears, in this experimental model, as a natural marker giving evidence that the embryonic retinal cells move from the optic stalk into the invagination retinal disc during normal eye cup formation. In addition to the uninvaginated optic vesicle the lens placode failed to invaginate in 45% of the cases, forming a lens vesicle in 55% of the remaining cases. This suggests that the two processes of invagination are governed by a different set of factors.

Revista de otorrinolaringología y cirugía de cabeza y cuello, 2009
La relación entre virus papiloma humano (VPH) y cáncer escamoso de la vía aéreo-digestiva superio... more La relación entre virus papiloma humano (VPH) y cáncer escamoso de la vía aéreo-digestiva superior está claramente establecida en la literatura. Objetivo: El objetivo del presente trabajo es conocer la frecuencia de identificación de ADN de VPH y la distribución relativa de genotipos en muestras de carcinoma escamoso de laringe. Material y método: Se extrajo ADN desde muestras fijadas en formalina e incluidas en parafina, de biopsias de carcinoma escamoso de laringe de pacientes operados en el Servicio de Otorrinolaringología del Hospital San Juan de Dios. La detección de ADN viral se realizó mediante PCR con partidores de consenso MY09/11, y la genotipificación se realizó mediante endonucleasas de restricción RsaI. La calidad de la muestra se controló mediante amplificación de ß-globina. Resultados: Se incluyeron 90 casos. En 24 de ellos (27%) se identificó la presencia de ADN de VPH. Los genotipos más frecuentes fueron VPH18 (7/24), VPH16 (5/24), VPH54 (2/ 24). En 3 casos no se logró identificar el genotipo. No se detectaron infecciones múltiples. Conclusiones: La presencia de genotipos de VPH de alto riesgo oncogénico sugieren que el virus papiloma humano tendría un rol en la etiopatogenia de un subgrupo de pacientes portadores de carcinoma escamoso de laringe.

The Anatomical Record, 1997
Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) is a peptide growth factor whose biological effects are medi... more Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) is a peptide growth factor whose biological effects are mediated through a specific receptor (IGF-IR). IGF-I and IGF-IR are detected in both fetal and adult kidneys and have both metabolic and growth effects. IGF-IR expression during postnatal kidney development is not well defined and the biological role of this receptor during the postnatal stage is not clearly established. The purpose of the present study was to analyze IGF-IR gene expression during the postnatal development of rabbit kidney to achieve a better understanding of the correlation between growth and differentiation of kidney tissues and IGF-IR expression. Using in situ hybridization, we studied changes in IGF-IR expression in the kidneys of newborn rabbits and those up to 35 days old. Evaluation of the stage of kidney development and morphological maturation was made on histological sections stained with hematoxylin-eosin. High levels of IGF-IR gene expression in the rabbit kidney occurred in the last stages of postnatal development and in the adult stages; during the development of the subcapsular metanephrogenic zone, IGF-IR gene expression was not observed. IGF-IR mRNA was expressed by proximal and distal tubules and by collecting ducts after these tissues attained morphological maturation. The appearance of IGF-IR mRNA in these kidney structures followed a precise temporo-spatial sequence. IGF-IR was not expressed by renal corpuscles, Henle's loops, inner medullary collecting ducts, vessels, or interstitial cells at any study stage. The temporal and spatial patterns of IGF-IR gene expression during postnatal development of the rabbit kidney suggest that IGF-IR and its ligands are relevant for the acquisition of the function, and not for development events, by proximal and distal tubules and collecting ducts. This study also suggests that IGF-IR mRNA localization constitutes a useful marker to determine the functional maturation of these renal structures.

Ultrastructural Pathology, 2004
Renal cysts in the cortex of a juvenile Belgian Malinois dog with acute renal failure were studie... more Renal cysts in the cortex of a juvenile Belgian Malinois dog with acute renal failure were studied by means of light, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, immunohistochemistry for intermediate filaments, and binding for wheat germ agglutinin (WGA), peanut agglutinin (PNA), and Maclura pomifera agglutinin (MPA) lectins to determine the morphological and histochemical features of the epithelial cells of these cysts. The cysts were renal corpuscles with expanded urinary space. Glomerular tufts were small with poorly developed capillary loops and increased mesangial matrix. Continuity with the proximal tubule was evident in some cystic glomeruli. Two cell types lined Bowman's capsule. One was squamous with a central cilium and microvilli. The other had morphological and histochemical features of immature podocytes (parietal podocytes). These cells were round and protruded into the urinary space; they had thick cytoplasmic projections that resembled foot processes of podocytes, microvilli, and filtration slits. The parietal podocytes expressed vimentin and cytokeratins and had affinity for WGA as do normal immature podocytes. These features suggest that the parietal podocytes are derived by metaplasia of the parietal cells. The basement membrane of Bowman's capsule was irregularly thickened and showed multifocal glycosylation changes with lectin histochemistry (WGA, PNA, MPA) in areas adjacent to the parietal podocytes. Histologic and ultrastructural findings in this dog are consistent with glomerulocystic kidney disease. This is the second report of canine glomerulocystic kidney disease. Features are similar to those of the human counterpart, but it is unclear whether genetic defects cause the disease in the dog. The presence of parietal podocytes in all cysts suggests that abnormal differentiation may play an important role in the pathogenesis of this type of polycystic kidney disease.
Nephron, 1986
The sequential changes of cell morphology and the ratio distribution of the different types of ce... more The sequential changes of cell morphology and the ratio distribution of the different types of cells which exist in tubular cysts induced by methylprednisolone acetate have been studied by light, transmission and scanning electron microscopy. We have also studied the blood levels ...

Journal of Morphology, 2004
We report a morphologic study of the heart inflow tract of the African lungfish Protopterus dollo... more We report a morphologic study of the heart inflow tract of the African lungfish Protopterus dolloi. Attention was paid to the atrium, the sinus venosus, the pulmonary vein, and the atrioventricular (AV) plug, and to the relationships between all these structures. The atrium is divided caudally into two lobes, has a common part above the sinus venosus, and appears attached to the dorsal wall of the ventricle and outflow tract through connective tissue covered by the visceral pericardium. The pulmonary vein enters the sinus venosus and runs longitudinally toward the AV plug. Then it fuses with the pulmonalis fold and disappears as an anatomic entity. However, the oxygenated blood is directly conveyed into the left atrium by the formation of a pulmonary channel. This channel is formed cranially by the pulmonalis fold, ventrally by the AV plug, and caudally and dorsally by the atrial wall. The pulmonalis fold appears as a wide membranous fold which arises from the left side of the AV plug and extends dorsally to form the roof of the pulmonary channel. The pulmonalis fold also forms the right side of the pulmonary channel and sequesters the upper left corner of the sinus venosus from the main circulatory return. The AV plug is a large structure, firmly attached to the ventricular septum, which contains a hyaline cartilaginous core surrounded by connective tissue. The atrium is partially divided into two chambers by the presence of numerous pectinate muscles extended between the dorsal wall of the atrium and the roof of the pulmonary channel. Thus, partial atrial division is both internal and external, precluding the more complete division seen in amphibians. The present report, our own unpublished observations on other Protopterus, and a survey of the literature indicate that not only the Protopterus, but also other lungfish share many morphologic traits.

Histochemistry and Cell Biology, 2002
The cell nucleus is divided into chromosome territories and the extrachromosomal domain. The latt... more The cell nucleus is divided into chromosome territories and the extrachromosomal domain. The latter includes several structural and functional compartments involved in RNA processing and transport. Morphological and cytochemical analyses of the cell nucleus in sturgeon podocytes revealed the existence of a previously uncharacterised nuclear compartment. It appears as a cleared nucleoplasmic area of variable size within the extrachromosomal domain. Conventional light and electron microscopy revealed that this compartment, here referred to as cleared extrachromosomal domain (CED), appears free of chromatin and RNA-containing organelles and is closely surrounded by heterochromatin masses. Cytochemical and immunogold electron microscope studies indicated that CEDs lack DNA, RNA and glycoconjugates. The ultrastructural examination of Lowicrylembedded sections showed that CEDs are formed by a fibrillar network. In resinless preparations, this network appears as a dense mesh of crosslinked nuclear matrix filaments. The density of nuclear matrix filaments within the CED is remarkably higher than that observed in the rest of the nucleus. Our results indicate that the CED is a single, distinct extrachromosomal domain of the nuclear matrix of sturgeon podocytes. The absence in the CED of detectable DNA and RNA, as well as the lack of chromatin and RNA-containing structures, suggests that transcription and RNA processing do not occur in this novel nuclear compartment. The volume occupied by the CED may preserve the volume-to-cytoplasm ratio in the podo-cyte and contribute to modulate the spatial organisation and the volume occupied by the chromosomal territories.
Experientia, 1979
A metaplastic transformation of the parietal layer of the Bowman's capsule into podocytes... more A metaplastic transformation of the parietal layer of the Bowman's capsule into podocytes is described in glomerular cysts induced by postnatal injection of methylprednisolone acetate to rabbits. Both the anomalous location of podocytes and their utility for the study of the biology of the cells are discussed.
Experientia, 1981
The strobila of Moniezia expansa was separated into developmental areas, and these were compared ... more The strobila of Moniezia expansa was separated into developmental areas, and these were compared using immunological techniques. Agar double diffusion plates and immunoelectrophoresis showed differing antigenic composition or concentration between the strobilar regions studied. Conjugation of the antisera with rhodamine lissamine-200 aided in localization of common antigens on tissue sections of the various developmental stages. What appeared to be unique localizations were observed.
Experientia, 1981
The cell surface and shape changes taking place during the interkinetic nuclear migration are rep... more The cell surface and shape changes taking place during the interkinetic nuclear migration are reported in normal neuroepithelial cells of chick retina, and after metaphase-arrest induced by colchicine. Persistence of the apical junctions and loss of basal connections during the preparation for mitosis have been demonstrated in these cells.
Experientia, 1969
Embriones de polio tratados con pentotal sódico muestran fibras nerviosas que penetran en las cav... more Embriones de polio tratados con pentotal sódico muestran fibras nerviosas que penetran en las cavidades ventriculares, lo que parece apoyar las teorias quimotropicas sobre la orientación de las fibras nerviosas en crecimiento.

Cells Tissues Organs, 1982
This paper reports an anatomical study of the vascular supply in 60 human cerebelli from subjects... more This paper reports an anatomical study of the vascular supply in 60 human cerebelli from subjects of both sexes, aged between 20 and 60 years, who had died of various accidental causes. The origin, branching pattern and cortical and central distributions of the cerebellar arteries have been studied by gross dissection, vascular injection and corrosion procedures. Variations of the normal pattern of the cerebellar arteries in both origin and cortical distribution are frequently found, the anterior inferior and the posterior inferior cerebellar arteries being the arteries showing the highest number of variations. The anomalies most frequently found are duplication in the origin, abnormal origin, and the presence of hypoplastic vessels. The cerebellar nuclei were supplied by the rhomboidal artery, a collateral branch of the superior cerebellar artery. The formation of a precise segmentary vascular pattern into the dentate nucleus by branches arising from the rhomboidal artery is descri...

Cells Tissues Organs, 1989
This paper presents a structural and morphometric study of the basement membrane underlying the p... more This paper presents a structural and morphometric study of the basement membrane underlying the parietal epithelium of cysts developed in the rabbit kidney after a single postnatal injection of methylprednisolone acetate. This epithelium consists of podocyte-like cells named parietal podocytes. Our results show that the parietal podocytes synthesize their own basement membrane in vivo. However, the different laminae of this membrane present differences in structure and thickness when compared to the analogous layers of both the normal glomerular and parietal basement membranes. Differences between the different zones of the parietal podocytic basement membrane are also observed, depending upon the structure that surrounds the cyst (capillaries, interstitial cells or loose connective tissue). A lamina lucida, analogous to the lamina lucida interna of the glomerular basement membrane, is formed only in segments of the parietal podocytic basement membrane in close contact with endothel...

Cells Tissues Organs, 1986
The microanatomy of a unique type of juxtamedullary nephrons has been studied in the rabbit kidne... more The microanatomy of a unique type of juxtamedullary nephrons has been studied in the rabbit kidney by means of corrosion casts, scanning electron microscopy and the air cast method. The nephrons described in this paper are located in the outer stripe of the outer medulla and are the only nephrons that are not arranged radially within the kidney. They differ from other juxtamedullary nephrons in the morphology and course followed by the proximal tubule and by the close relationship that they establish with the arcuate vessels. The glomerulus of these nephrons is supplied by a short afferent arteriola that arises directly from the arcuate artery. Because of the special characteristics of these nephrons we have named them ‘arcuate nephrons’. The morphology, spatial relationships and vascularization of the arcuate nephrons suggest that these nephrons differ functionally from the other juxtamedullary nephrons. Possible developmental factors responsible for the special microanatomy of the...
Anatomy and Embryology, 1981
A quantitative evaluation of the positional changes of the Golgi apparatus during the invaginatio... more A quantitative evaluation of the positional changes of the Golgi apparatus during the invagination of the lens placode and the presumptive neural retina of the chick embryo was carried out by silver impregnation.

Anatomy and Embryology, 1991
The three-dimensional structure of the neck segment (NS) of the rabbit nephrons was studied by sc... more The three-dimensional structure of the neck segment (NS) of the rabbit nephrons was studied by scanning electron microscopy (after fracture, microdissection, or after corrosion nephron casts), and by the air-cast method. The NS was observed at the glomerulotubular junction in 68.5% of all nephrons. In every case the NS appeared as a straight tube with its long axis oriented radially in relation to the glomerulus. Although the external diameter of the NS was smaller than that of the proximal tubule, its luminal diameter was greater. No valve-like structures were observed. Three cell types were observed in the NS: parietal-like, tubule-like, and intermediate. Parietal-like cells showed the same morphology as the parietal cells of the Bowman's capsule. Parietal-like cells constituted the only cell type in 25% of the NS. Tubule-like cells showed morphologic characteristics similar to proximal tubule cells; however, their microvilli were less numerous and exhibited an irregular pattern. Intermediate cells presented an intermediate morphology between tubule-like and parietal cells. In 75% of all NS, the three cellular types were present at the same time. The presence of tubule-like and intermediate cells is interpreted as the result of metaplasic transformation of the parietal cells. Our observations suggest that, in rabbits, the presence of the NS can be explained on the basis of phenotypical lability of the cells located at the glomerulo-tubular junction.
Stain Technology, 1989
We describe here a procedure to improve contrast and resolution in fluorescence microscopy of sec... more We describe here a procedure to improve contrast and resolution in fluorescence microscopy of sectioned tissues. Tissue fragments were fixed in ethanol-glacial acetic acid, embedded in diethylene glycol distearate, and semithin sectioned. This method maintains tissue antigenicity while preserving the structure of cells and tissues. The thinness of the sections eliminates scattered and emitted light from tissue structures outside the plane of focus. The procedure is simple and quick, and works excellently with fluorescein-conjugated lectins and antibodies.
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Papers by Jose Antonio Mora Ojeda