B1a lymphocytes in the rectal mucosa of ulcerative colitis patients.

Aim: To assess B1a cell expression in the rectal mucosa of ulcerative colitis (UC) patients in comparison with healthy controls.

Methods: Rectal mucosa biopsies were collected from 15 UC patients and 17 healthy controls. CD5(+) B cells were analysed by three colour flow cytometry from rectal mucosal samples after mechanical disaggregation by Medimachine(®).

KISS1 and KISS1R expression in the human and rat carotid body and superior cervical ganglion.

KISS1 and its receptor, KISS1R, have both been found to be expressed in central nervous system, but few data are present in the literature about their distribution in peripheral nervous structures. Thus, the aim of the present study was to investigate, through immunohistochemistry, the expression and distribution of KISS1 and KISS1R in the rat and human carotid bodies and superior cervical ganglia, also with particular reference to the different cellular populations. Materials consisted of carotid bodies and superior cervical ganglia were obtained at autopsy from 10 adult subjects and sampled from 10 adult Sprague-Dawley rats.

Surgical anatomy of the pectoral nerves and the pectoral musculature.

The pectoral nerves (PNs) may be selectively injured through various traumatic mechanisms such as direct trauma, hypertrophic muscle compression, and iatrogenic injuries (breast surgery and axillary node dissection, pectoralis major muscle transfers). The PN may be surgically recovered through nerve transfers. They may also be used as donors to the musculocutaneous, axillary, long thoracic, and spinal accessory nerves and for reinnervation of myocutaneous free flaps.

Criticality of kyphoplasty and vertebroplasty.

Kyphoplasty and vertebroplasty are minimally invasive techniques to treat vertebral compression fractures, now considered as implying relative risks and being equally effective. A few considerations must anyway be made due to some unresolved problems.

Hyaluronan within fascia in the etiology of myofascial pain.

The layers of loose connective tissue within deep fasciae were studied with particular emphasis on the histochemical distribution of hyaluronan (HA). Samples of deep fascia together with the underlying muscles were taken from neck, abdomen and thigh from three fresh non-embalmed cadavers. Samples were stained with hematoxylin-eosin, Azan-Mallory, Alcian blue and a biotinylated HA-binding protein specific for HA.

Knee Region Coverage with Reversed Gracilis Pedicle Flap (GReSP Flap).

Introduction: To treat severe soft-tissue complications of total knee arthroplasty, we used an extended reversed gracilis flap based on secondary pedicles (the GReSP flap).

Step 1 Prepare Wound Bed: Locate the gracilis and pedicles, then debride the wound bed.

Step 2 Expose Gracilis Muscle: Expose the superficial aspect of the muscle, while protecting the saphenous vein and nerve.

Lipid targets during statin treatment in dyslipidemic patients affected by nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

Introduction: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is associated with both dyslipidemia and increased risk for cardiovascular disease. Despite the indication to treat in patients affected by both dyslipidemia and NAFLD, an undertreatment in statin therapy due to the potential liver damage is frequently observed. We sought to evaluate retrospectively the impact of statin on the lipid profile and on the achievement of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol targets in relation to the National Cholesterol Education Program--Adult Treatment Panel III-cardiovascular risk in dyslipidemic patients presenting with a clinical--diagnosis of NAFLD and elevated liver enzymes before statin prescription.

Body parts removed during surgery: a useful training source.

Current undergraduate medical curricula provides relatively little time for cadaver dissection. The Department of Human Anatomy and Physiology at the University of Padova has organized a pilot project with the University Hospital for the donation of body parts that are surgically removed for therapeutic purposes and destined under Italian law for destruction. The aim of the project is to improve residents' practical training skills.

Expression of leptin and leptin receptor isoforms in the rat and human carotid body.

Leptin is known to play a role in the modulation of metabolism and control of breathing acting mainly on central nervous structures, although additional actions on peripheral arterial chemoreceptors have also been suggested in the literature. We therefore examined by means of immunohistochemistry the expression of leptin and leptin receptors in the carotid bodies of rats and humans. Leptin expression and relative expression of leptin receptor isoforms were also studied in rats by real-time PCR.

RMI study and clinical correlations of ankle retinacula damage and outcomes of ankle sprain.

Recent studies reveal the role of the ankle retinacula in proprioception and functional stability of the ankle, but there is no clear evidence of their role in the outcomes of ankle sprain. 25 patients with outcomes of ankle sprain were evaluated by MRI to analyze possible damage to the ankle retinacula. Patients with damage were subdivided into two groups: group A comprised cases with ankle retinacula damage only, and group B those also with anterior talofibular ligament rupture or bone marrow edema.

Layers of the abdominal wall: anatomical investigation of subcutaneous tissue and superficial fascia.

Introduction: In recent times new surgical approaches have been developed, in which subcutaneous tissue is the primary object, such as flaps and fat removal techniques, but different descriptions and abundance of terminology persist in Literature about this tissue.

Aim And Methods: In order to investigate the structure of abdominal subcutaneous tissue, macroscopic and microscopic analyses of its layers were performed in 10 fresh cadavers. Results were compared with in vivo CT images of the abdomen of 10 subjects.

The fascia: the forgotten structure.

This paper examines the main characteristics of the human fascial system, considered in its three-dimensional continuity. To better understand the anatomy of the human fascial system, a simple diagram of the subcutaneous tissue must be borne in mind. From the skin to the deepest plane, we find the superficial fascia, dividing the subcutaneous tissue into two fibroadipose layers, superficial and deep, and the deep fascia, which envelops all the muscles of the body, showing different characteristics according to region.

Radiologic anatomy of the sacral canal.

The extradural space is currently investigated through fluoroscopy and ultrasound for surgical approach, whereas magnetic resonance imaging has been used to provide detailed information. The aim of the present paper is to describe the radiologic anatomy of the sacral canal through a review of its appearance in the different radiologic techniques. CT is able to visualise also the sacrum and the content of the sacral canal, triangular in shape in the transverse images, being able to establish the measurement of the transverse area of the dural sac and of the canal diameter.

Surgical anatomy of the sacral hiatus for caudal access to the spinal canal.

The sacral hiatus is used for access to the spinal canal in many neurosurgical and anesthesiologic procedures. The aim of the present paper is to give a review of its anatomical characteristics relevant to permit correct and uncomplicated accesses. The sacral hiatus is posteriorly closed by the superficial dorsal sacrococcygeal ligament (also called sacrococcygeal membrane) which has to be pierced in order to gain the sacral canal.

Snail1 transcription factor is a critical mediator of hepatic stellate cell activation following hepatic injury.

Following liver injury, the wound-healing process is characterized by hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation from the quiescent fat-storing phenotype to a highly proliferative myofibroblast-like phenotype. Snail1 is a transcription factor best known for its ability to trigger epithelial-mesenchymal transition, to influence mesoderm formation during embryonic development, and to favor cell survival. In this study, we evaluated the expression of Snail1 in experimental and human liver fibrosis and analyzed its role in the HSC transdifferentiation process.

Thomas Linacre at the University of Padua.

The Bo (meaning 'ox' in the Venetian dialect) is the historic seat of the University of Padua, founded in 1222. A full-length portrait of Thomas Linacre stands in its prestigious Sala dei Quaranta (Hall of the Forty), so called because of the portraits of forty great foreign scholars of the University, painted by Giacomo dal Forno in 1942. Thomas Linacre came to Italy in 1485, following an embassy by Henry VII to the Vatican.

Anatomical basis of hypoxic and hyperoxic injuries to the centres of cardiorespiratory regulation.

The aim of the present paper is to briefly review the changes occurring in the nucleus tractus solitarii and carotid body in response to hypoxic and hyperoxic injuries. Selective alterations of dendrites and Fos-immunoreactivity of neurons have been observed in the subnucleus gelatinosus of the nucleus tractus solitarii of adult subjects dying after hypoxic-ischaemic injury. The selective vulnerability of this portion of the nucleus tractus solitarii may be explained mainly with reference to the vascularization of medullary tegmentum.

Surgical anatomy of the axillary nerve and its implication in the transdeltoid approaches to the shoulder.

Background: Traumatic and iatrogenic injuries of the axillary nerve (AN) are frequent in clinical practice; nevertheless, its anatomy and its relationships with the transdeltoid approaches to the shoulder are not well documented.

Materials And Methods: Anatomic study was performed on 16 shoulders of unembalmed cadavers. A proximal humeral internal locking system (PHILOS) plate was placed to simulate the osteosynthesis of a fracture of humeral surgical neck.

Natriuretic peptides in the regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis.

Atrial (ANP), brain (BNP), and C-type (CNP) natriuretic peptides act by binding to three main subtypes of receptors, named NPR-A, -B, and -C. NPR-A and NPR-B are coupled with guanylate cyclase. Not only NPR-C is involved in removing natriuretic peptides from the circulation but it also acts through inhibition of adenylyl cyclase.

Reversed gracilis pedicle flap for coverage of a total knee prosthesis.

Background: Poor wound-healing and skin necrosis are potentially devastating complications after total knee arthroplasty. Primary soft-tissue coverage with a medial or lateral gastrocnemius transposition flap is typically the first choice for reconstruction. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of a distally based secondary-pedicle flap of the gracilis muscle for reconstruction of a soft-tissue defect.

Spexin expression in normal rat tissues.

Spexin is a highly conserved peptide which was recently identified through the bioinformatics approach. Immunohistochemical analysis of its expression has not yet been performed. Thus, in this study, we examined spexin location in a wide range of rat organs by both RT-PCR and IHC.

The human area postrema and other nuclei related to the emetic reflex express cAMP phosphodiesterases 4B and 4D.

Phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) inhibitors, i.e. rolipram, are being extensively investigated as therapeutic agents in several diseases.

Comparison of transverse carpal ligament and flexor retinaculum terminology for the wrist.

Purpose: To investigate the macroscopic anatomy and histological characteristics of the transverse carpal ligament and the flexor retinaculum of the wrist and to investigate their anatomical relationships and define appropriate terminology.

Methods: The volar regions of the wrists of 30 unembalmed subjects were examined by dissection and by histological and immunohistochemical staining. In vivo magnetic resonance imaging studies were also carried out on 10 subjects.

The ankle retinacula: morphological evidence of the proprioceptive role of the fascial system.

Study Design: Research report.

Objectives: To evaluate the anatomical characteristics of the ankle retinacula and their relationship with the fasciae and muscles in healthy subjects and in patients with ankle sprain outcomes.

Background: The role of the retinacula in proprioception has begun to emerge, but without clear anatomical bases or descriptions of their possible damage in patients with ankle sprain outcomes.

Expression of the spexin gene in the rat adrenal gland and evidences suggesting that spexin inhibits adrenocortical cell proliferation.

Spexin (SPX, also called NPQ) is a recently identified, highly conserved peptide which is processed and secreted. We analysed the SPX gene and its protein product in the rat adrenal gland to ascertain whether SPX is involved in the regulation of corticosteroid secretion of and growth of adrenocortical cells. In adult rat adrenal glands the highest levels of SPX mRNA were present in the glomerulosa (ZG) and fasciculate/reticularis (ZF/R) zones.