Morphometric analysis of muscularis proper and myenteric plexus of the normal human oesophagus. Age related changes.

BACKGROUND: Oesophagus is a muscular tube that transports food and liquids by coordinated contraction of its muscular lining led by stimuli from the nerve plexus. Its muscularis proper layer consists of muscle cells, connective tissue and myenteric plexus. The aim of our histomorphometric study was to reveal detailed characteristics of this layer, cell number, volume, orientation, properties of myenteric plexus as well as changes related to aging. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Oesophagus tissue samples from 17 male cadavers were taken from the cranial and thoracic parts. Samples were divided in 2 groups: younger(ages 21-45) and older (ages 66-78). The tissue was routinely processed,embedded and serially sectioned. Sections were stained with Masson-Goldner and Cresyl-violet dyes. Digital images were analysed with the image analysis software.Statistics were performed with SPSS software. RESULTS: The average thickness of the cranial part of the oesophageal wall and muscularis proper was 2590 µm and 1197 µm, respectively in the younger and 2453 µm and 1144 µm in the older group. Overall volume of the muscle tissue was slightly larger in the thoracic part, and in the younger group compared to the cranial part and the older group. The average number of the striated muscle cells per 100 µm in the cranial part was 771.5 and 749.7 in the younger and the older group, respectively. Striated cells were significantly less present only in the lower thoracic part of the oesophagus. In the older group,smaller striated muscle cells dominated over the larger ones. In the younger group, majority of the striated muscle cells were mid-sized. The thickness of the circular layer of muscularis proper was more affected by aging than the longitudinal one. Ganglion cells number was lower in the older group, but plexus area was unchanged. CONCLUSIONS: Aging affects muscularis proper and myenteric plexus of the oesophagus.Major differences can be observed in the striated muscle cells size, volume of the circular layer and number of the ganglionic cells in the myenteric plexus.

[Analysis of skin changes in outpatients bitten by a tick during a 1-year period]. / Analiza koznih promena u ambulantnih pacijenata ubodenih od krpelja tokom jednogodisnjeg perioda.

Ninety-two patients with tick bites (Ixodes ricinus) visited Outpatient clinic for dermatovenerology of Military Medical Academy during a period od one year. Tick bites were generally localized on lower extremities and were seasonal in character. Most patients were 50-59 years old. Typical early skin manifestations in the form of Erythema migrans were diagnosed in 19.56%, and atypical forms of erythema in 8.69%. Late manifestations of illness were found on only two patients.

The protective effect of different drugs in rats poisoned by sulfur and nitrogen mustards.

Based on the recent pathognomic accomplishment in the mechanisms of toxic actions, the favorable degree of protection was achieved by several drugs in acute poisoning of rats with sulfur and nitrogen mustards. It has been established that dexamethasone, promethazine, vitamin E, heparin, and sodium thiosulfate (a) prolonged the survival time in animals poisoned by 3 LD50s of toxic agents, (b) diminished the lethalty (with the protective indices ranging from 1.5 to 2.7), (c) antagonized the decrease of body weight, and (d) lessened the degree of pathological organ changes. The simultaneous administration of two or three of the drugs mentioned, of which sodium thiosulfate as chemical inactivator of the toxic agents was basic and consonant component, led to the further increase in effectiveness. It is concluded that satisfactory results obtained in this study speak in favor of the basic pathological effects of mustard gases, as well as possible causes and their possible ways of action as postulated by Dannenberg (1983).