Anatomy & Cell Biology最新文献

There is little information regarding whether the styloid process "inserts" deeply into the temporal bone petrosa. We examined the involvement of Reichert's cartilage (RC) in the petrosa using sagittal or horizontal histological sections of the heads from 17 near-term fetuses (25-40 weeks). The cranial part of RC usually carried two short branches or protrusions (T-shaped appearance). One of the branches ended in or adjacent to the future tympanic cavity, while another branch ended near the facial nerve canal. Near the latter end, a part of the RC was usually fused with the petrosa, but it was rarely separated from the latter. When a bar toward the tympanic cavity was short or absent, RC displayed a reversed J-shaped course near the facial nerve canal and ended at the attachment to the petrosa (3 of 17 specimens). Overall, considerable variations were evident in the shape, length and topographical relation of RC in the ear. Therefore, an intra-otic root of the styloid process, if identified in adults, seemed not to be a simple bar inserting between the tympanic cavity and the vertical portion of the facial nerve canal. Considerable variations in the RC head suggested that the shape was likely to be determined by mechanical loads from the developing petrosa and/or tympanic bone. Those observations were clearly contrast to the degenerating Meckel's cartilage that induces protrusions of the petrosa ant tympanic bone. After birth, endochondral ossification of the petrosa appeared to expand antero-inferiorly to involve all branches of RC.

Liver regeneration is intricate, involves many cells, and necessitates extended research. This study aimed to investigate the response of liver oval cells (bipotent liver progenitors) to the epigenetic modifier trichostatin A (TSA), an HDAC1 inhibitor, and to develop a scoring system for assessing the response of these cells. Three groups of equally divided rats (n=24) were selected: control (A, dimethyl sulfoxide treated); oval cell induction (B, acetylaminofluorene [2-AAF] to block hepatocyes/carbon tetrachloride [CCL4] to induce oval cell response); and epigenetic modulation (C, TSA post 2-AAF/CCL4 injury). The oval cell response was quantified using immunoreactivity to the OV-6 antibody, and the ductular response was measured by calculating the bile duct (BD) to portal vein (PV) ratio and the percentage of individual oval cells in liver sections. The expression level of HDAC1 was also analyzed. The administration of TSA significantly enhanced oval cell proliferation and the ductular response (6.13±0.28). The control group exhibited limited immunoreactivity to OV-6, while group B showed significant induction of ductular response with distinct morphology (4.13±0.28). The expression levels of HDAC1 were elevated in both the oval cell induction group and the epigenetic modulation group compared to the control group. This study developed a precise method for quantifying liver oval cells and analyzing their response to TSA. TSA administration enhanced oval cell proliferation, suggesting its significance in regulating hepatic progenitor cell dynamics. The findings support the use of epigenetic modifiers in liver regeneration and propose a scoring system for assessing the response of liver oval cells.

During dissection of a 70-year-old male donor, several anatomical variations were observed, highlighted by a bilateral variant middle scalene muscle in the superolateral thoracic wall. The variant scalene muscle was traced from the transverse processes of cervical vertebrae to the fourth rib with a pronounced fascial slip. The elongated middle scalene muscle was thick in girth and abnormally wide at its insertion (56.0 mm), which is hypothesized to reflect compensatory hypertrophy secondary to lung carcinoma. A bilateral wrist extensor variant also was observed as well as an anomalous left vertebral artery from the aortic arch with an abnormal entrance into the vertebral canal. Collectively, these findings represent a constellation of anatomical variations that may be interrelated through altered cervical somite development, providing a fascinating example of how anatomical variations may cluster based on common embryological origin. Clinically, these observations have implications in thoracic outlet syndrome, tendon transfer, and vascular surgery.

An azygos lobe is a rare pulmonary variation that typically presents in the superior lobe of the right lung. Most literature on azygos lobe cases consists of radiologic X-ray or computed tomography findings, with only a few reports based on cadaveric dissections. Here, we report a cadaveric dissection of a right azygos lobe identified in a 77-year-old female anatomical body donor. The azygos lobe was medially located, superior to the hilum, and measured 8.5 cm in length and 4.0 cm in width. The lobe was solely supplied by a subsegmental bronchus from the apical segmental bronchus, which was further divided into two sub-subsegmental bronchial supplies. Prior reports indicate a potential relationship between the azygos lobe and cardiopulmonary pathology or genetic conditions, and further investigation of the bronchial supply may provide insight.

Variant muscles of the cervicobrachial region are relatively uncommon. One rare variant muscle of this region is the cervicohumeralis, which arises from the cervical vertebrae and inserts onto the humerus. During routing dissection of the left neck region, a variant of the cervicohumeralis was identified. Most of the muscle was located in the posterior triangle of the neck but had distal attachments onto the corocoid process of the scapula and the lesser tubercle of the humerus. Such variant muscles are important to consider during image interpretation or surgical procedures in the neck and proximal upper limb. To our knowledge, this is the first case report of an additional attachment of the cervicohumeralis onto the scapula. This variant might be called the cervicoscapulohumeralis muscle and should be distinguished from other muscle variants in this region on medical imaging.

In this research, we studied the individual and combined effects of arsenic and vanadium on the cerebellum of mice. Mice were subjected to arsenic and vanadium individually and in combination for 21 days. Twenty-four hours after the last administration, the mice were subjected to open field and rotarod tests after which the cerebellar tissues were harvested for biochemical analysis of the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), catalase (CAT), caspase-3, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), dopamine, serotonin, acetylcholine, and acetylcholinesterase. The hematoxylin and eosin stain was employed to explore histopathological event in the cerebellar tissue. The mice were either subjected to arsenic or vanadium or their combination showed significant short fall respectively in the open field and rotarod tests. There was an aggravated shortfall in the mice exposed to arsenic+vanadium combination. Furthermore, our data showed that exposure to the combination of arsenic and vanadium provoked synergistic neurotoxicity in the cerebellum of the mice subjected to arsenic+vanadium resulting into disturbance of locomotor and the production of neurodegenerative characteristics in the cerebellum. Relative to the control group, the levels of MDA, CAT, caspase-3, TNF-α, Nrf2, IL-1β, dopamine, serotonin, acetylcholine, and acetylcholinesterase were adversely modulated in the arsenic-treated, vanadium-treated and in the group exposed to the combination of arsenic+vanadium. The histopathology of the cerebellum showed that exposure to arsenic, vanadium, and their combination produced neurodegenerative effects. The study conclude that exposure to arsenic and vanadium, as well as their combination, had a considerable influence on cerebellar tissue, culminating in a synergistic toxic effect.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric condition that can develop after experiencing a traumatic event, and it is associated with a range of functional and structural brain abnormalities. This study aimed to investigate age-related differences in subcortical gray and white matter in veterans with PTSD. This study recruited 44 patients with PTSD and 48 healthy controls. Participants were divided into two age groups to evaluate structural magnetic resonance imaging analysis. The results showed that individuals with PTSD had significantly smaller subcortical gray matter volumes, including the bilateral thalamus, hippocampus, amygdala, left pallidum, and right accumbens-area (P<0.05). Diffusion tensor imaging analyses revealed lower fractional anisotropy in several white matter structures, including the anterior limb of the internal capsule, anterior corona radiata, and cingulum in both hemispheres (P<0.05). Additionally, the mean diffusivity was higher in the anterior limb of the internal capsule, anterior corona radiata and the right external capsule (P<0.05). A comparative analysis between two age groups, over 50 and under 50 years old, showed that younger PTSD patients had a reduction in volume and abnormality in the corresponding white matter in more regions compared to the control group. These findings suggest that PTSD is associated with significant structural alterations in the brain, which may contribute to the pathophysiology of the disorder. So, patient age is an effective factor in exposure to traumatic events and an older age is continuously associated with a worsening traumatic brain injury outcome.

The atlantooccipital joint, which involves the articulation between the occipital condyles (OC) at the base of the skull and the superior articular facet of the first cervical vertebra (C1), is considered a moderately reliable joint for congruence analysis. Evaluating the congruence of OC and C1 in terms of shape and measurement is critical for re-associating disarticulated cranial and postcranial elements in cases of commingled human remains. This study examined the morphological characteristics and congruence between OC and C1 in a Thai population. A total of 201 OC and C1 samples, including male and female specimens, were analyzed to classify their shapes and measurements. The most common OC shape was oval, while the C1 superior articular facet was predominantly eight-shaped. Males exhibited significantly larger OC and C1 measurements across all variables compared to females. Discriminant analysis showed an accuracy rate of 58.2%-70.1% for sex classification. Pearson's correlation coefficients for OC and C1 measurements ranged from 0.490 to 0.818, with the highest correlation observed for the maximum breadth of OC and C1. Sex-specific analysis revealed that males had the highest correlation for maximum breadth, while females showed the highest correlation for minimum breadth. The regression equation for predicting the paired size of OC and C1 had an accuracy rate of 39%-54.46%. These findings contribute to understanding craniovertebral morphology and have implications for forensic identification and surgical planning at the craniovertebral junction.

Ischemic stroke causes significant neuronal and glial cell damage. Recent studies suggest that stem cell-derived secretomes may offer therapeutic benefits for neural injuries. This study evaluates the protective effects of hair follicle stem cell (HFSC)-derived secretome on astrocytes subjected to oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD), an in vitro model of ischemic stroke. In this regard, the primary astrocyte cultures were exposed to OGD conditions for 24 hours, followed by treatment with HFSC-derived secretome for 48 hours to create an environment rich in paracrine factors. The neuroprotective effect of HFSC-derived secretome on injured astrocytes was assessed using MTT assay, apoptosis flow cytometry, and qRT-PCR. The HFSC secretome mitigated cell death and apoptosis in OGD-induced astrocytes. Additionally, the secretome reduced the mRNA expression levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α compared to the injured cells. Furthermore, it upregulated the mRNA levels of neurotrophic factors BDNF, and VEGF after OGD in astrocytes. These findings suggest that the reparative effects of the secretome are associated with astrocyte neuroprotection, anti-inflammatory properties, and anti-apoptotic effects. The neuroprotective effect of HFSC secretome may be associated with the upregulation of neurotrophic and angiogenic factors. Restored astrocytes create a conducive environment for repair, thereby expediting the recovery of impaired brain function. This study provides preclinical evidence supporting the potential of HFSC secretome in stroke therapy to improve treatment outcomes of patients who suffered from ischemic stroke.

A good vascular perfusion is vital for the vessel related cadaver surgical training (CST). The objective of this study was to (1) explore the feasibility of using lard as a vascular filler in vascular perfusion in fresh cadavers and (2) explore a simple and environmentally-friendly method for the cadaveric preparation in CST. Ten fresh pig cadavers were employed for separation of lard, and the following vascular perfusion. At about 30°C-40°C, the dye was added to the lard to obtain a satisfactory lard-dye mixture. Thereafter, this mixture was slowly infused into the aorta abdominalis and the lateral saphenous vein. After infusion, the specimens, together with some ice bags, were stored in foam boxes for 3-4 hours. The vascular perfusion of the bones, the muscles, the skin, and the viscus was carefully observed. The lard and the dye mixed well and solidified at 4°C. The time for the cadaveric preparation via this method was approximately 5 hours. The success rate of this method was 100%. Both the arteries and the veins of the bones, the muscles, the skin, and the viscus could be successfully infused at room temperature. Notably, even the capillary network is infused very clearly. After being placed at 0°C-4°C for 3-4 hours, the infused lard solidified. The lard-based vascular injection technique is simple, thermo-responsive and environmentally-friendly. This technique allows CST to be independent of perfusion techniques, equipment, and location.