Hepatic portal vein branching patterns according to different liver assessment methods and classifications of branching type.

Background: It is known that there are varying frequencies of hepatic portal vein branching patterns found in the literature. Studies use different methods and classifications to evaluate the anatomy of the portal vein, which limits accurate comparison between studies and the determination of true frequency of branching patterns in different populations. The aim of the present study was to investigate the intrahepatic branching of the portal vein in corrosive samples using different methods - somatoscopic and computed tomography (CT) and compare with similar studies as well as compare the reclassified data according to the most popular classifications used in the literature.

The Effect of Angiotensin II, Retinoic Acid, EGCG, and Vitamin C on the Cardiomyogenic Differentiation Induction of Human Amniotic Fluid-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells.

Human amniotic fluid-derived mesenchymal stem cells (AF-MSCs) may be potentially applied in cell therapy or regenerative medicine as a new alternative source of stem cells. They could be particularly valuable in restoring cardiac tissue after myocardial infarction or other cardiovascular diseases. We investigated the potential of biologically active compounds, namely, angiotensin II, retinoic acid (RA), epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), vitamin C alone, and the combinations of RA, EGCG, and vitamin C with angiotensin II to induce cardiomyogenic differentiation of AF-MSCs.