Akira Iimura

Anatomical study of distribution of valves of the cutaneous veins of adult's limbs.

Since the cutaneous veins of the four limbs have been used as autogenous grafts in the treatment of cardiovascular disorders, knowledge of distribution of the valves is increasingly required depending upon the use. In the gross anatomical study of distribution of valves of the trunci venae, there has been argument about locational relationships between the venous roots and the valves in the vicinity of the roots and the inter-valvular distance. However, there have been only few reports discussing detailed information about valves of the cutaneous veins of the four limbs. The authors observed patterns of distribution of the cutaneous venous valves of the four limbs of cadavers prepared for practice in anatomy. The following parts were excised from each cadaver: the cephalic, basilic, and the great saphenous veins, which originate from the acral venous network and flow into the proximal deep veins, and the venous roots communicating with these veins. An incision was made on each excised vein in the direction of the long axis under observation with a stereoscopic microscope, and the inter-valvular distance and the distance between the valve and the orifice of venous root in the vicinity of the valve were measured. The inter-valvular distance varied with type of the truncus venae, and it varied according to area even in the same truncus venae.

A rare case of inferior mesenteric artery arising from the superior mesenteric artery, with a review of the review of the literature

Anatomical variations of the inferior mesenteric artery (IMA) are uncommon. Generally, the IMA is very stable, arises directly from the abdominal aorta at the level of the third lumbar vertebra. We describe here an extremely rare case in which the IMA arose from the superior mesenteric artery. The findings were made during routine dissection of the cadaver of a 79-year-old Japanese man. This present case is the ninth report of this variation and was associated with gastrophrenic trunk, hepatosplenic trunk, hypoplastic spleen and accessory spleen. Clinically, cases like this highlight the importance of knowing the IMA anatomy and the possibility of its numerous variations in surgical procedures such as right hemicolectomy, resection of the transverse colon, left hemicolectomy, sigmoidectomy, and en bloc resection of the head of the pancreas and the superior mesenteric vessels. The developmental significance of this variation is also discussed with a detailed review of the literature.

Proinflammatory effects of exogenously administered IL-10 in experimental autoimmune orchitis.

We studied the effects of exogenously administered recombinant murine interleukin (IL)-10 on the development of experimental autoimmune orchitis (EAO) in C3H/He mice. IL-10 significantly augments histological signs of EAO when administered for 6 consecutive days from days 15 to 20 after primary immunisations with testicular germ cells. These data demonstrate that IL-10, in addition to its well-known antiinflammatory property, also has proinflammatory functions capable of up-regulating testicular immunoinflammatory processes in vivo.

Toluene diisocyanate exposure induces laryngo-tracheal eosinophilia, which can be ameliorated by supplementation with antioxidant vitamins in guinea pigs

Objective—Toluene diisocyanate (TDI)-induced asthma is a common cause of occupational lung disease. In addition, a sore throat is one of the complaints of TDI-exposed workers. The aim of the present study was to determine whether TDI exposure induces laryngeal and/or tracheal lesions in experimental animals. Material and Methods—Guinea pigs underwent naris application of TDI three times, and their respiratory tracts were then examined using light and electron microscopy. Some animals simultaneously received vitamins C and E, which function as antioxidant agents. Results—When TDI-treated animals showed the clinical sign of labored breathing, many eosinophils had appeared in the lamina propria and mucosa of both the larynx and trachea, which finally infiltrated the tract lumen through the ruptured epithelium. Laryngo-tracheal inflammation was more severe than that observed in the lungs. However, supplementation with antioxidant vitamins in TDI-treated animals ameliorated the respiratory eosinophilia. Conclusion—Naris application of TDI induced laryngotracheitis, which was significantly suppressed by the antioxidant vitamins. This implies a preventive effect of the vitamins on this occupational disease.

CORROSION CASTS OF CONVOLUTED TESTICULAR ARTERIES IN MICE AND RATS

The preparation of vascular corrosion casts enables us to observe the minute feautures of blood vessels. For mice and rats, reports on the macroscopical appearance of testicular arteries with the cast technique have been quite limited. Therefore, in the present study, we tried to prepare corrosion casts of such arteries in order to observe the three-dimensional structures in mice and rats. Vascular casts of testicular arteries were produced by intravenous injection of a polymethylmethacrylate solution, followed by treatment of the whole animal bodies with NaOH. Additionally, the gross appearance of human testicular arteries in cadavers was compared with that of the vascular casts. The results showed that the testicular arteries of humans, mice, and rats run from the abdominal aorta to the testes, with various configurations (straight, meandering, spiral, or coiled forms), and each species exhibits a specific pattern. The specific forms of testicular arteries may play several roles in protection of normal spermatogenesis, such as allowing wide mobility of the testes on physical attack, heat emission with the entwined pampiniform plexus, and reduction of the blood flow rate. The great extension of the testicular arteries during the fetal period from the upper abdomen to the scrotum when the testes descend might be another feature of the specific development of their running configuration.

Short-term prophylaxis with deoxyspergualin prevents testicular autoimmunity in mice

The effects of the treatment with the immunosuppressant deoxyspergualin on the development of experimental autoimmune orchitis were studied. The results showed that C3H/He mice immunized with testicular germ cells and treated daily with either 0.3 or 3 mg/kg body weight deoxyspergualin during days 15-20 post-immunization developed experimental autoimmune orchitis lesions with a significantly lower incidence and severity than did the control mice treated under the same experimental conditions with phosphate buffered saline (PBS). The effects of deoxyspergualin were clearly dose-dependent, and the higher dose of the drug also markedly reduced the degree of delayed type hypersensitivity responses against testicular germ cells. These data suggest that deoxyspergualin may be worthy of consideration for the prevention/treatment of human immunoinflammatory orchitis.

The retroesophageal right subclavian artery – A case report and review –

In a student course of gross anatomy dissection at Kanagawa Dental University in 2011, we encountered anomalous case of the right subclavian artery arising from the aortic arch as the last branch in an 84-year-old Japanese male cadaver. The anomalous artery ran obliquely upward, passed behind the esophagus and trachea, and ultimately ran toward right scalene gap. The area of distribution of the anomalous artery was normal. We report a case of retroesophageal right subclavian artery, and discuss its development, or relation with the thoracic duct, and its clinical importance. Despite this type of variation being relatively rare, reports on such a case have been accumulating. Owing to the recent development of CT and MRI, the number of clinical reports on this anomaly has been increasing.

Anatomical study of the coexistence of the postaortic left brachiocephalic vein with the postaortic left renal vein with a review of the literature

In a student course of gross anatomy dissection at Kanagawa Dental University in 2009, we found an extremely rare case of the coexistence of the postaortic left brachiocephalic vein with the postaortic left renal vein of a 73-year-old Japanese male cadaver. The left brachiocephalic vein passes behind the ascending aorta and connects with the right brachiocephalic vein, and the left renal vein passes behind the abdominal aorta. These two anomalous cases mentioned above have been reported respectively. There have been few reports discussing coexistence of the postaortic left brachiocephalic vein with the postaortic left renal vein. We discuss the anatomical and embryological aspect of this anomaly with reference in the literature.