ABSTRACT
Inferior vena cava (IVC) is the largest single vein that collects systemic venous blood from the lower part of the body except the gut and drains into the right atrium. Double IVC is a rare anomaly in humans and usually is discovered incidentally during the interventional radiological procedures or routine cadaveric dissection. Here we report a rare case of unusual observations in an adult female Thai cadaver with a duplicated left IVC with three short venous shunts and a variant pattern of the hemiazygos vein. Also included in this case was the presence of unilateral double renal vein on the right kidney. This type of anatomic variation of the great vein has never been reported before. A detailed description of these variations is useful and essential for the surgeons during approaching the retroperitoneal region.
Subject(s)
Surgeons , Vena Cava, Inferior/abnormalities , Dissection , Female , Humans , Middle Aged , Vena Cava, Inferior/surgeryABSTRACT
We have shown that sperm sulfolipidimmobilizing protein 1 (SLIP1, molecular mass of 68 kDa), a sulfogalactosylglycerolipid (SGG)-binding protein, is significant in sperm-zona pellucida (ZP) interaction. The objective of this study was to localize SLIP1 on the egg and determine its role in gamete interaction. Immunofluorescence and immunoprotein A gold electron microscopy localized SLIP1 to the egg plasma membrane. In vitro gamete binding, using zona-free eggs preincubated with antiSLIP1 Fab before coincubation with sperm, showed a significant, dose-dependent decrease in sperm-egg plasma membrane binding. Similar results were obtained when affinity-purified antiSLIP1 IgG was used for egg pretreatment. The significance of egg SLIP1 in sperm-egg plasma membrane binding was further demonstrated by a decrease (36-52%) in in vitro fertilization when zona-intact eggs were pretreated with antiSLIP1 IgG. Since SLIP1 has been shown to bind SGG in vitro, we investigated the possibility that sperm SGG may participate in sperm-egg plasma membrane binding through egg SLIP1. Pretreatment of sperm with antiSGG Fab prior to coincubation with zona-free eggs resulted in a dose-dependent decrease in sperm-egg plasma membrane binding. Collectively, these findings strongly suggest a role for egg SLIP1 in sperm-egg plasma membrane interaction, which may be through its binding to sperm SGG.
Subject(s)
Carrier Proteins/physiology , Sperm-Ovum Interactions , Animals , Antibodies/pharmacology , Carrier Proteins/analysis , Carrier Proteins/antagonists & inhibitors , Cell Membrane/chemistry , Cell Membrane/metabolism , Female , Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Direct , Immunoblotting , Male , Mice , Microscopy, Immunoelectron , Ovum/chemistry , Ovum/physiology , Ovum/ultrastructure , RNA-Binding Proteins , Spermatozoa/physiology , Spermatozoa/ultrastructureABSTRACT
Single-step purification of boar sperm P68/62 that is cross-reactive with a polyclonal antibody against sulfolipidimmobilizing protein 1 (SLIP1) was achieved by chromatofocusing. This method is useful for obtaining P68/62 in quantity. The two proteins, P68 and P62, were antigenically related, since the antibody generated specifically against the 68-kDa band reacted with both the 68- and 62-kDa bands. Like rat testis SLIP1, purified boar sperm P68/62 bound to sulfogalactosylglycerolipid (SGG) and inhibited sperm-egg binding in a dose-dependent manner when added exogenously to sperm-egg coincubates. This inhibitory effect occurred at the level of the zona pellucida (ZP), and further studies showed that biotinylated boar sperm P68/62 bound to the ZP of unfertilized mouse eggs. Furthermore, biotinylated boar sperm P68/62 bound to isolated ZP of unfertilized eggs from other species, including pig, rat, cat, dog, and human, as well as to ZP of intact fertilized mouse eggs and preimplantation embryos of various developmental stages, although the degree of its binding to the ZP of intact eight-cell embryos, morulae, and blastocysts was much lower than that of fertilized eggs and two-cell embryos. These results suggest that P68/62 of capacitated sperm must act together with other sperm surface proteins/molecules that regulate zona binding specificity within homologous species and in unfertilized eggs. Together with our previous findings, we suggest that rather than being a true ZP receptor, sperm P68/62 may be involved in the initial step of sperm-ZP binding that is adhesive in nature.
Subject(s)
Carrier Proteins/immunology , Carrier Proteins/isolation & purification , Spermatozoa/chemistry , Zona Pellucida/metabolism , Animals , Binding Sites, Antibody , Carrier Proteins/metabolism , Carrier Proteins/physiology , Cats , Cell Cycle Proteins , Dogs , Female , Galactosylceramides/metabolism , Glycolipids/metabolism , Humans , Male , Mice , Protein Binding/immunology , RNA-Binding Proteins , Rats , Spermatozoa/metabolism , SwineABSTRACT
The communication between the auriculotemporal and the facial nerves, i.e. the communicating auriculotemporal nerves (CATN), was studied in 55 facial sides from Thai cadavers. CATN only joined the temporofacial (upper) division of the facial nerve. CATN patterns were classified as follows: (1) the facial nerve was joined by 1 CATN (20.7%), (2) by 2 separate CATN branches (60.4%), (3) by 3 separate CATNs (15.1%); (4) several CATNs ran parallel to the zygomatic and buccal nerves to the muscles of facial expression (3.8%). The 4 types of CATN pattern showed further variations according to the site of union with the facial nerve. The superficial temporal artery was crossed by CATN branches anteriorly in 47.1%, posteriorly in 18.9%, and anteriorly and posteriorly in 34.0% of the cases. The facial nerve branches that were joined by CATNs were observed to supply the upper muscles of facial expression, i.e. frontalis, orbicularis oculi and zygomaticus major. Some offshoots from CATNs were seen to innervate orbicularis oculi. On the basis of our results we suggest that CATNs may convey proprioceptive impulses from orbicularis oculi.
