Role of Aluminium in Alzheimer’s disease: Ultrastructural Study in Rat Hippocampus

Background: Exposure to high levels of aluminium (Al) leads to neurotoxicity. Hippocampus is one of the preferred sites of aluminium accumulation. Nevertheless, the role of Al in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) remains controversial and there is little proof directly interlinking Al to AD. Aims: The present study was undertaken to find out the occurrence of AD pathogenesis in Hippocampus under moderate aluminium exposure in rats. Materials and Methods: Adult rats were divided into control (C) and aluminium treated (E) groups having eight animal each. The rats in group E were exposed to aluminium 4.2 mg/kg body weight for three months with due approval from Institute Animal Ethics Committee. The hippocampus was processed for histopathological and electron microscopy observation. Results: Moderate Al intake produces significant reduction in the count of Pyramidal cells in hippocampus identified by shrunken cells as well as pyknosis in cell bodies. The differences between the cell numbers in all groups were found to be statistically significant (P < 0.05). Cornu Ammonis (CA) exhibited significantly reduced nissl bodies with a marked reduction in neuronal cell loss. Neurofibrillary tangle and plaques were not seen in the given dose of Al exposure. Electron microscopy from experimental group showed that the majority of neurons were disintegrating, the nuclear membrane has ruptured, and nucleoli appeared significantly distorted. The chromatin condensed and the mitochondria had disintegrated. Many vacuoles and lipofuscin sediment in cytoplasm, as compared to the control group noted. Conclusion: Present data demonstrated that moderate chronic aluminium exposure 4.2mg/kg body weight induced neurodegeneration in hippocampus but not significant for Alzheimer’s disease pathogenesis.

Fusion Between Body and Greater Cornu: A Radiological Study of Dry Hyoid Bones.

Introduction: The study of fusion of body and greater cornua of hyoid bone is of tremendous clinical and forensic significance as it can be used to estimate the age of living or dead or skeletonized remains. It becomes all the more important as this fusion is relatively immune to some individual factors like life style, health and nutrition etc. Material method: The study comprised of 15 male and 15 female bones all collected from human cadavers with age >60 years. Digitalized radiographs of these bones were taken and fusion between body and greater cornua was studied. Results: A bilateral fusion was seen in 43.3% bones with another 33% showing unilateral fusion .The bilateral fusion did not depict any sex difference but unilateral fusion was more common on left side in males and right side in females. Conclusion: Fusion of body and greater cornua of hyoid bone after age of 60 years is not always seen so one should be cautious in interpreting fracture of this bone in persons with age >60years and look for other local pathological features like haematoma formation at the site of fracture.

A rare incidence of abnormally broad tendon of insertion of Tibialis anterior- A case report.

The objective of our study is to report a rare variation of insertion of tibialis anterior. It was fan shaped insertion on dorsal aspect of all the three cuneiforms, navicular and base of first metatarsal both on its medial and lateral side. The extension of the tendon on second and third cuneiforms has not yet been previously reported in literature. This communication and study of insertion of this muscle may be of importance to the orthopedicians since tibialis anterior is an important muscle because of its function and use in tendon transfer which is a common surgical procedure performed for the correction of paralytic equinovarus deformity of the foot, recurrent congenital clubfoot deformities in cerebral palsy and arthroscopy.

A cadaveric study of distance between the terminations of the hepato- pancreatic and accessory pancreatic ducts in the duodenal mucosa.

Objective: The present paper is about the study of distance between minor and major duodenal papillae which was carried out on 30 cadaveric specimens of human duodeno-pancreas. With introduction of ERCP, the pattern of pancreatic ductal system visualization has attained popularity. Without the knowledge of the normal pattern of the duct system and its variations, a radiologist can’t interpret an Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangio-Pancreatography (ERCP) picture. So it becomes important to study the anatomy of pancreatic ducts, their relation to each other, to common bile duct and to duodenum in the available human cadavers. To visualise and to see distance between minor and major duodenal papillae is necessary for the endoscopist who aims to perform the dilation, stenting, or papillotomy of the minor papilla. ERCP is proved to be “first line” therapeutic tool in the management of surgical, medical and pathological disorders involving the biliary tree and pancreatic duct. Methods: The study was conducted in thirty (20 male and 10 female) cadavers. Major and minor duodenal papillae were visualized through eosin dye installation in both common bile duct and the accessory pancreatic duct. The measurement of distance between the duodenal papillae was done in cm. Results: In the present work, the distance measured between the major and minor duodenal papilla was on an average 1.93+0.61 cm. in females and in males it was 2.05+0.31 cm. Conclusion: The length of the duct shows sexual dimorphism; the length being more in males than females.