The anatomy of anatomy

The relationship between anatomy and surgery has been historic and epic, spanning many centuries, complementing each other in medical education and being independent as well as interdependent in many ways. However, curricular changes that have happened globally in recent years with the introduction of several contemporary styles of medical teaching have subtly downplayed the importance of anatomy in medicine, allowing young doctors with poor knowledge of anatomy to become surgeons. With a whimsical introduction that metaphorically hints at the strained relationship that exists between anatomy and surgery, the article attempts to explore the ‘anatomy’ of anatomy itself, examining its origins in recorded ancient history, evolution along the centuries in tandem with surgery and its current status in medical education.

Histopathological study of the hepatic and renal toxicity associated with the co-administration of Imatinib and Acetaminophen in a preclinical mouse model

Imatinib, a selective tyrosine kinase inhibitor, is the fi rst line treatment against chronic myelogenous leukaemia (CML) and gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST). Several fatal cases have been associated with imatinib hepatotoxicity. Acetaminophen, an over-the-counter analgesic, anti-pyretic drug, which can cause hepatotoxicity, is commonly used in cancer pain management. We assessed renal and hepatic toxicity after imatinib and acetaminophen co-administration in a preclinical model. Four groups of male ICR mice (30-35 g) were fasted overnight and administered either saline solution orally (baseline control), imatinib 100 mg/kg orally (control), acetaminophen 700 mg/kg intraperitoneally (positive control) or co-administered imatinib 100 mg/kg orally and acetaminophen 700 mg/kg intraperitoneally (study group), and sacrifi ced at 15 min, 30 min, 1 h, 2 h, 4 h and 6 h post-administration (n=4 per time point). The liver and kidneys were harvested for histopathology assessment. The liver showed reversible cell damage like feathery degeneration, microvesicular fatty change, sinusoidal congestion and pyknosis, when imatinib or acetaminophen were administered separately. The damage increased gradually with time, peaked at 2 h but resolved by 4 h. When both drugs were administered concurrently, the liver showed irreversible damage (cytolysis, karyolysis and karyorrhexis) which did not resolve by 6 h. Very minor renal changes were observed. Acetaminophen and imatinib co-administration increased hepatoxicity which become irreversible, probably due to shared P450 biotransformation pathways and transporters in the liver.

The effect of water extracts of Euphorbia hirta on cartilage degeneration in arthritic rats

The effect of water extracts of Euphorbia hirta on the histological features and expressions of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and tissue inhibitors of matrix metalloproteinases (TIMPs) in the rat articular cartilage was investigated. Arthritis was induced in rats using Freund's Complete Adjuvant containing heat-killed M. tuberculosis, and treated with water extracts of E. hirta. Paraffin tissue sections of the arthritic joints were evaluated. The extent of cartilage degeneration was found to be greatest in rats treated with the highest dosage of E. hirta, followed by rats in the untreated group. Rats treated with the intermediary and low dosages of Euphorbia hirta showed improved histology. MMP-13 levels were found to be decreased with decreasing dosages of E. hirta. TIMP-1 levels were found to increase with decreasing dosages of E. hirta. MMP-3 levels fluctuated without any appreciable pattern. Low dosages of E. hirta seem to be beneficial in reducing cartilage degeneration in cases of arthritis.