Accessory Hepatic Veins and Their Surgical Implication

Vascular variations regarding the hepatic veins are well explored in the literature. Many of these variations possess clinical and surgical relevance due to the fact that liver transplants, hepatectomies, and tumors resection of the liver are still a challenge to medical professionals. Furthermore, a great number of diseases affect the vascular dynamic of such organ. During regular dissection of a male cadaver fixed with a 10% formalin solution, we found a rareanatomical variation wherethree veins emerged from the parenchyma of the visceral side of the fifth portal hepatic lobe and drained into the inferior vena cava above the renal vein confluence. We report this rare vascular anomaly and assess its clinical and surgical significance

Immunoexpression of CD95 in chronic gastritis and gastric mucosa-associated lymphomas

CD95 (Fas/APO-1)-mediated apoptosis plays an important role in immunological regulation and is related to the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases. Immunoexpression of CD95 has been reported to frequently occur in low grade non-Hodgkin lymphomas, especially of post-germinal center histogenesis, among which those originating in mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT lymphomas). However, there is no report comparing in situ immunoexpression of this marker in lymphomas and the hyperplastic lymphoid reaction (chronic gastritis) related to Helicobacter pylori infection. The purpose of the present research was to compare the intensity of lymphoid CD95 immunoexpression in 15 cases of H. pylori-related chronic gastritis and 15 gastric MALT lymphomas. CD95 (anti-CD95) was detected by an immunoperoxidase technique in paraffin sections using the catalyzed amplification system. Graduation of reaction intensity (percentage of CD95-positive cells) was semiquantitative, from 1+ to 4+. Nine cases of chronic gastritis were 4+, five 2+ and one 1+. Three lymphomas were 4+, three 3+, four 2+, four 1+, and one was negative. Although 14 of 15 lymphomas were positive for CD95, the intensity of the reaction was significantly weaker compared to that obtained with gastric tissue for patients with gastritis (P = 0.03). The difference in CD95 immunoexpression does not seem to be useful as an isolated criterion in the differential diagnosis between chronic gastritis and MALT lymphomas since there was overlapping of immunostaining patterns. However, it suggests the possibility of a pathogenetic role of this apoptosis-regulating protein in MALT lymphomas.

Abnormal proteins in the cerebrospinal fluid of a patient with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease following administration of human pituitary growth hormone

A Brazilian case of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in a hypopituitary patient who had received cadaver-derived human pituitary growth hormone between 1968 and 1977 is reported. The clinical diagnosis was confirmed during his lifetime by the demonstration of two abnormal 30-kDa proteins in the cerebrospinal fluid by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. These proteins, characteristic of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, present isoelectric points of 5.1 and 5.2. Furthermore, both proteins migrate as doublets, each one displaying a molecular weight variant of about 29-kDa. This is one of 16 cases of the disease associated to therapy with cadaver-derived human growth hormone and one of the few examples among such cases of confirmation of the clinical diagnosis by biochemical characterization of abnormal proteins in the cerebrospinal fluid

Mouse brain tau proteins: microheterogeneity and phosphorylation

Tau proteins are involved in polymerization of tubulin into microtubules. They comprise a heterogeneous group of proteins that can be resolved by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis using a non-equilibrium pH gradient in the first dimension. Developmental studies show that mouse brain Tau proteins are more heterogeneous in 15-day old mice than in newborn pups or adults. Tau phosphorylation is also more heterogeneous at this stage

Correlative scanning and transmission electron microscopic study on the ependymal surface of Bradypus tridactylus.

Diferencas topograficas da superficie ependimal dos ventriculos encefalicos de Bradypus tridactylus foram estudadas a microscopia eletronica de varredura (com processamento por ponto critico de CO2 e recobrimento com carbono e ouro). Certas regioes selecionadas foram tambem analisadas a microscopia eletronica de transmissao de cilios, microvilos e estruturas supra-ependimais, por toda a superficie ventricular, e tambem saliencias vesiculares em pequeno numero. Lateralmente, entre o teto e o soalho do ventriculo lateral, sao descritas elevacoes estreladas interconectadas, medindo em media 98 x 190 microm, desprovidas de revestimento ependimal e constituidas por um complexo emaranhado de processos de astrocitos fibrosos e poucos corpos celulares. Na juncao entre essas formacoes e o tecido nervoso subjacente foram encontradas celulas gliais semelhantes as celulas ependimais, dotadas inclusive de cilios, delimitando complexos espacos labirinticos. Sao feitas consideracoes morfo-funcionais concernentes aos achados morfologicos

Proper microsurgical nerve suture may impede Wallerian degeneration of completely transected nerves.

Neste trabalho experimental foi utilizado, como o fizemos em l968, o nervo do musculo biventer cervicis do pintainho. Os nervos transeccionados ao nivel do tendao intermedio do musculo e propositadamente nao suturados, ou acidentalmente mal suturados, apresentaram, como esperado, degeneracao Walleriana total do segmento distal e consequente desnervacao do ventre distal do musculo. Os nervos, transeccionados e imediatamente suturados com tecnica microcirurgico fascicular adequada, apresentaram, em nivel de microscopia eletronica, de 7/12 hs. a 2 meses pos-operatorio, numerosas fibras nervosas mielinicas integras, alem naturalmente, de fibras nervosas em diferentes e progressivas fases de degeneracao Walleriana. Os ventres distais dos musculos cujos nervos foram operados com sucesso apresentavam coloracao e aspectos normais, respondiam a estimulos mecanicos e, em cortes histologicos para microscopia optica, exibiram numerosas placas motoras integras. A afirmacao que fizemos em trabalhos anterioes "a degeneracao Walleriana total que normalmente ocorre em segmentos distais de nervos completamente transeccionados pode ser parcialmente evitada atraves de neurorrafias, com tecnica microcirurgica fascicular adequada: - e agora documentada em nivel de microscopia eletronica