Clinical anatomy of the blood spaces and blood vessels surrounding the siphon of the internal carotid artery

The anterior blood space of the cavernous sinus is situated anterolateral to the carotid siphon in 70%, anterior to it in 15%, and lateral to it in 15%. Its height, depth, and mediolateral breadth were measured. The mean distance between the carotid siphon and the skin at the supraorbital foramen was measured with 63 (52.4-71.4) mm. The drainage of the orbital veins was studied and described as well as the area of origin and first course of the ophthalmic artery and its clinical importance.     

Functional anatomy of the blood vessels of the dental pulp in the white rat

Applying a complex of modern microangiological techniques, the organization of the blood bed in the incisor and molar pulp has been studied in the white rat mandible. Production of the dental tissue components in the zones of dentinogenesis is ensured by an increased density of the capillary and venular bed of the pulp, a tight connection of the capillaries with predentin. The morphometric data obtained make it possible to prognosticate a high intracapillary pressure and the hydratation degree of the interstitial gel in the incisor pulp, which is close to maximal figures. Differences in angio-architectonics of the incisor pulp and the molar pulp depend on the peculiarities of the histostructure and functional state of the pulp, on the geometry of the dental cavity and the radicular canals. The pulp blood bed possesses a complex apparatus that ensures the blood stream regulation (duplication of the nutrition sources, arteriolar and venular area, various types of anastomoses, precapillary sphincters and others).     

Comparative anatomy of resin ducts of the Pinaceae

 Resin ducts are common in the Pinaceae. The comparative anatomy of stems and leaves of 50 species and two varieties from ten genera has been investigated. The structure and distribution of resin ducts differ among genera. Resin ducts occur in foliage leaves of ten genera of Pinaceae. Cortical resin ducts are absent in the stems of Pseudolarix and Larix. Resin ducts only occur in the secondary xylem of stems of Pinus, Picea, Cathaya, Larix, Pseudotsuga and some Keteleeria species. All of the epithelial and sheath cells are alive and thin-walled in the resin ducts of stem cortex and mesophyll. Except for Pinus the epithelial cells of resin ducts in the secondary xylem of stems have thick, lignified walls. Comparative study shows there are obvious differences in the resin ducts of different genera; apparent differences do not exist, however, in the resin ducts of different species of the same genus. According to the structure and distribution of the resin ducts in ten genera of Pinaceae, a synoptical arrangement of the genera is given and generic relationships of the Pinaceae are discussed. Received: 12 September 1995 / Accepted: 14 March 1996     

Development of blood vessels in the human eyeball

Blood vessels of 167 eyeballs of human embryos and fetuses have been studied, using macro- microscopical, histological and morphometrical methods. Time of appearance and differentiation of blood vessels in the eye anlage has been determined. Topography and architecture of the vitreous body artery are described in detail, as well as the vascular tunic of the lens and the pupil membrane. Regularities and time of reversal development of the vascular formations mentioned are followed during the whole intrauterine development. The data obtained add to extend our knowledge on the role of disturbances of the normal morphogenesis of the eyeball blood bed in pathogenesis of its congenital diseases.     

Microarchitectonics and microtopography of blood vessels of the human rectum

By means of injecting the vessels with 0.2% solution of silver nitrate after Ranvier, solutions of Indian ink and gas soot, impregnation after V.V. Kuprianov, the blood vessels of the rectal wall have been studied. The material has been obtained from 50 corpses of persons of various age, not suffering from any diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. The structural organization of the microcirculatory tract has been studied layer-by-layer, at all levels by means of atraumatic lamination of the tunics. Terminal links of the microcirculatory bed form zonal functional complexes of microvessels specific for each part of the rectum. They regularly repeat in a certain tunic and owing to this the whole organization of the microcirculatory bed acquires features of a definite polymeric structure which consists of homonomic complexes of microvessels. Their regularity, as regards their topography and quantity, definitely differs in each tunic and layer of the rectal wall. Precapillary sphincters and arteriolovenular anastomoses are revealed; they perform an active regulation of blood circulation in the organ. Diameters of the microvessels and density of the microcirculatory network have some slight fluctuations (differences) in functionally poorly active tunics of the rectal wall--the serous and submucous, especially in its rectosigmoid part. Differences of these parameters are especially expressed within the limits of the rectal ampule and its mucous and muscular tunics.     

Gross anatomy of the hindlimb skeletal system of theGalago senegalensis

The saltatory type of movement of the Prosimian,Galago senegalensis or Lesser Bushbaby is consistent with the gross anatomy of the skeletal system of the hindlimbs. The ilium and foot are elongated as in the tarsius, another prosimian having a similar mode of locomotion. The length of the foot is due largely to an elongated navicular and calcaneus. Other details of the complete bony structure of the hindlimbs are described and compared with animals of the suborders Prosimii and Anthropoidea when such is appropriate.Support for this study was supplied by the Easter Seal Research Foundation of the National Society for Crippled Children and Adults, Inc. and USPHS grant NS08590.     

Gross anatomy of the liver, biliary tree, and pancreas in the black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus)

The gross anatomy of the liver, extrapetatic biliary tree, sphincter of Oddi, and pancreas in the black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus), a widely used animal model for investigations into biliary physiology, pathophysiology, and pathology, was studied in 10 animals. The liver consists of 4 lobes, the left lateral, median, right lateral, and caudate. The gallbladder lies on the ventral surface of the right lobule of the median lobe. The cystic and hepatic ducts unite to form the common bile duct which enters the duodenum approximately 5 mm distal to the pylorus. The lower end of the common duct dilates forming an ampulla which is surrounded proximally by a band of circular muscle fibres which constitute the choledochal sphincter. The pancreatic duct opens separately into the duodenum approximately 80 mm from the pylorus. Earlier physiologic studies have demonstrated that the choledochal sphincter has intrinsic motility distinct from the duodenum.     

Adrenergic innervation of human mesenteric blood vessels.

A fluorescent histochemical technique has been applied to study the adrenergic innervation of human superior mesenteric arteries obtained at autopsy. Specific catecholamine fluorescence was demonstrated in the smaller branches of this artery taken from three infants and one child. No specific fluorescence was seen in arteries from three adult subjects.     

Isolating and defining cells to engineer human blood vessels

A great deal of attention has been recently focused on understanding the role that bone marrow-derived putative endothelial progenitor cells (EPC) may play in the process of neoangiogenesis. However, recent data indicate that many of the putative EPC populations are comprised of various haematopoietic cell subsets with proangiogenic activity, but these marrow-derived putative EPC fail to display vasculogenic activity. Rather, this property is reserved for a rare population of circulating viable endothelial cells with colony-forming cell (ECFC) ability. Indeed, human ECFC possess clonal proliferative potential, display endothelial and not haematopoietic cell surface antigens, and display in vivo vasculogenic activity when suspended in an extracellular matrix and implanted into immunodeficient mice. Furthermore, human vessels derived became integrated into the murine circulatory system and eventually were remodelled into arterial and venous vessels. Identification of this population now permits determination of optimal type I collagen matrix microenvironment into which the cells should be embedded and delivered to accelerate and even pattern number and size of blood vessels formed, in vivo. Indeed, altering physical properties of ECFC-collagen matrix implants changed numerous parameters of human blood vessel formation, in host mice. These recent discoveries may permit a strategy for patterning vascular beds for eventual tissue and organ regeneration.     

Development of the cardiac blood vessels in staged human embryos

Serial paraffin sections (mostly stained with hematoxylin and eosin) of 52 human embryos at stages ranging from 13 to 20 (approximate ovulation age of 5-8 weeks) were examined. The first sign of definitive blood vessels was found to be localized in the apical incisure of the heart of an embryo at stage 14. Blood vessels of this kind closely resembled 'blood islands' in appearance, being composed of primitive erythroblasts surrounded by an outer layer of endothelium. At stage 16, a funnel-like invagination of the endothelium was recognized in the posterior wall of the sinus venosus. This structure was considered to represent one of the cardiac veins (probably the middle cardiac vein). A faint endothelial sprout of the left coronary artery was detected at stage 18, while the right one was observed later, at stage 19. Finally, at stage 20, both of the coronary arteries invariably existed with a covering of mesenchymal cells.