Unduly extensive uncinate process of pancreas in conjunction with pancreatico-duodenal fold.

Anatomical variations of pancreatic head and uncinate process are rarely encountered in clinical practice. These variations are primarily attributed to the complex development of the pancreas. An unduly enlarged uncinate process of the pancreas overlapping the third part of duodenum was discovered during dissection. This malformation of the pancreatic uncinate process was considered to be due to excessive fusion between the ventral and dorsal buds during embryonic development. On further dissection, an avascular pancreatico-duodenal fold guarding the pancreatico-duodenal recess was observed. The enlarged uncinate process can cause compression of neurovascular structures and also cause compression of adjoining viscera. The pancreatico-duodenal recess becomes a potential site for internal herniation. This case is of particular interest to the gastroenterologists and surgeons performing surgical resections. Precise knowledge of embryogenesis of such pancreatic anomalies is necessary for understanding and thus treating many diseases of the pancreas.

Morphometric analysis of upper end of tibia.

INTRODUCTION: The present study aims to assess different morphometric parameters of condylar and intercondylar surface of tibia and to compile the results, analyze and formulate a baseline data for future studies with relevance to Indian population and also to compare the current data with accessible literature for pertinent surgical utilities. Morphometric parameters of upper end of tibia can be used to guide treatment and monitor outcome of total knee replacement surgeries. Information regarding morphometry of upper end of the tibia is vital as it provides reliable method of assessing knee deformity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study group comprised of 50 male and 50 female adult human tibiae. Morphometric measurements of medial condyle, lateral condyle and intercondylar area of tibiae were meticulously recorded with digital Vernier calipers with a least count of 0.01 mm. Student's t-test was used with significant level of p-value < 0.05 and 95% confidence interval. RESULTS: All measurements were found to be statistically significant when compared between the two sexes on both sides (p-value<0.05). Anteroposterior measurements were found to be greater than transverse measurements for both medial and lateral condyles. Furthermore, both anteroposterior and transverse measurements were greater in medial condyle than in lateral condyle on both sides and sexes. CONCLUSION: The present study is an endeavor to provide a base line data pertaining to morphometric details of upper end of tibia with reference to unicompartmental and total knee arthroplasty in Indian population. The results of the study assume special importance in view of the technical advancements in reconstructive surgical procedures in orthopedic practice.

Human tibial torsion--morphometric assessment and clinical relevance.

BACKGROUND: Tibial torsion is an important anatomical parameter in clinical practice and displays variability among individuals. These variations are extremely significant in view of alignment guides such as those related to rotational landmarks of tibia in total knee arthroplasty. Further, precise knowledge and information pertaining to angle of tibial torsion also helps in correction of traumatic malunion or congenital maltorsion of tibia. METHODS: The present study was carried out to determine the angle of tibial torsion in 100 adult dry tibia bones in the Department of Anatomy, Government Medical College, Amritsar. The study group comprised 50 males and 50 females with equal number of right- and left-sided bones. The measurements were meticulously recorded and the data were subjected to statistical analysis. The results were analyzed and discussed in the light of existing literature. RESULTS: On the right side, it was found to be 29.84° ± 4.86°° (range = 22.00° -38.00°) in males and 28.92° ± 5.10°° (range = 15.00°-38.00°) in females. On the left side, it was found to be 28.00° ± 4.94°° (range = 20.00°-40.00°°) in males and 28.12° ± 4.28°° (range = 20.00°-37.00°°) in females. CONCLUSION: The present study is an endeavor to provide baseline data with reference to the angle of tibial torsion in the Indian population. The results of the study assume special importance in view of the technical advancements in reconstructive surgical procedures in orthopedic practice.

Crowd sourcing a new paradigm for interactome driven drug target identification in Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

A decade since the availability of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) genome sequence, no promising drug has seen the light of the day. This not only indicates the challenges in discovering new drugs but also suggests a gap in our current understanding of Mtb biology. We attempt to bridge this gap by carrying out extensive re-annotation and constructing a systems level protein interaction map of Mtb with an objective of finding novel drug target candidates. Towards this, we synergized crowd sourcing and social networking methods through an initiative 'Connect to Decode' (C2D) to generate the first and largest manually curated interactome of Mtb termed 'interactome pathway' (IPW), encompassing a total of 1434 proteins connected through 2575 functional relationships. Interactions leading to gene regulation, signal transduction, metabolism, structural complex formation have been catalogued. In the process, we have functionally annotated 87% of the Mtb genome in context of gene products. We further combine IPW with STRING based network to report central proteins, which may be assessed as potential drug targets for development of drugs with least possible side effects. The fact that five of the 17 predicted drug targets are already experimentally validated either genetically or biochemically lends credence to our unique approach.

Stereospecific regulation of tyrosine hydroxylase and proenkephalin genes by short-chain fatty acids in rat PC12 cells.

Circulating short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are primarily derived from bacterial fermentation of carbohydrates in the colon where they function as physiologic modulators of epithelial cell maturation. Butyrate has been shown to induce tyrosine hydroxylase, the rate-limiting enzyme of catecholamine synthesis, and enkephalin neuropeptide gene transcription, suggesting a role in perinatal sympathoadrenal stress-adaptation. We sought to determine whether there were SCFA structural requirements for this effect. Nine biologically relevant SCFAs and butyrate derivatives were tested in an in vitro model (PC12, rat pheochromocytoma cells) for their ability to regulate neurotransmitter-related gene expression. Our results revealed that among all the studied SCFAs, only propionate and butyrate increased tyrosine hydroxylase and proenkephalin mRNA levels. The functional activity was selective to the carbon atom chain length and associated with the presence of an ethyl moiety in the carbon atom backbone chain. Modifications or absence of this domain affected the gene induction response, suggesting a receptor-mediated mechanism(s). Moreover, propionate, butyrate, and the drug 4-phenylbutyrate were each shown to regulate transmitter genes via at least three independent mechanisms: histone hyperacetylation, cAMP signaling, or peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma-mediated pathways. Thus, the biologic impact of SCFAs on catecholaminergic and opioid systems depend on the activation of SCFA-specific, dose-specific, and gene-specific molecular mechanisms. We speculate that 1) circulating levels of SCFAs may influence sympathoadrenal transmitter biosynthesis and hence whole animal stress-adaptive responsiveness after birth, and 2) the adverse effects of antibiotics on delayed acquisition of postnatal gut flora may affect this apparent evolutionary advantage of gut colonization.