Entrapment of the sural nerve on gastrocnemius muscle: histological analysis / Compresión del nervio sural en el músculo gastrocnemio: análisis histológico

Anatomical variations in the formation of the sural nerve are common, although the topographical localization of this nerve is constant. In this report, we describe the histological analysis of anomalous course of the medial sural cutaneous nerve which descended through the gastrocnemius via a tunnel formed within the muscle and fascia. This anatomical curiosity are clinically important when evaluating sensory axonal loss in distal axonal neuropathies since sural nerve mononeuropathy is less likely to occur.

Las variaciones anatómicas en la formación del nervio sural son comunes, aunque la localización topográfica de este nervio es constante. En este reporte se describe el análisis histológico del nervio cutáneo sural medial de curso anómalo, que descendió a través de los músculos gastrognemios en un túnel formado en el músculo y la fascia. Esta curiosidad anatómica es de importancia clínica cuando se evalúa la pérdida sensitiva distal en neuropatías axonales, desde mononeuropatía del nervio sural a otras de menor frecuencia.

Maternal Food Restriction During Lactation Reduces Mandible Growth of the Female Offspring in Adulthood: Experimental and Morphometric Analysis / Restricción Alimentaria Materna Durante la Lactancia Reduce el Crecimiento de la Mandíbula de las Crías Hembras en la Edad Adulta: Análisis Experimental y Morfométrico

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of maternal protein and energy restriction during lactation on mandible dimensions of pups (female) at aging. At parturition, Wistar rat dams were randomly assigned to the following groups: 1) control group (C) - free access to a standard laboratory diet containing 23 percent protein, 2) protein-energy restricted group (PER) - free access to an isoenergetic, protein-restricted diet containing 8 percent protein, and 3) energy-restricted group (ER) ­ fed with restricted amounts of a standard laboratory diet. At weaning (d21), all pups were separated of dams and received free access to a standard laboratory diet containing 23 percent protein until 90 days (d90), when the rats were anesthetized and sacrificed. The dimensions of excised pup mandible were measured directly using pre-established 3 anatomical points. Morphometric analysis showed that most of the measurements in the ER and PER groups were significantly lower than in the control group, with the greatest reductions occurring in the PER group. These results show that protein and energy restriction during lactation have an important influence on pup mandible development and continue through the aging process.

El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar los efectos de la restricción de la proteína materna y de la energía durante la lactancia sobre las dimensiones de la mandíbula de crías (hembras) durante la vida. En el parto, las crías de ratas Wistar fueron agrupadas aleatoriamente en los siguientes grupos: 1) control (C) - con acceso libre a una dieta estándar del laboratorio, que contenía 23 por ciento de proteínas; 2) con restriccion de proteínas y energía (PER) - acceso libre a una dieta isoenergética, con restricción de proteínas, conteniendo un 8 por ciento de éstas y 3) grupo con restricción de energía, alimentado con restricción en la cantidad de alimento de la dieta estándar del laboratorio (ER). Al destete, todas las crías fueron separadas y recibieron las dietas establecidas hasta los 90 días (d90), luego fueron anestesiadas y sacrificadas. Las mediciones de las mandíbulas de las crías de rata fueron obtenidas por 3 puntos anatómicos preestablecidos. El análisis morfométrico de la mandíbula demostró que la mayoría de las mediciones en los grupos ER y PER eran significativamente menores que las del grupo control, con mayores reducciones en el grupo PER. Estos resultados muestran que las restricciones de energía y proteínas durante la lactancia tienen una influencia importante en el desarrollo de la mandíbula de las crías, las que se mantuvieron con el paso del tiempo.

Occupational exposure to formaldehyde in an institute of morphology in Brazil: a comparison of area and personal sampling.

BACKGROUND, AIMS, AND SCOPE: Formaldehyde (FA) is a harmful chemical, which is classified as carcinogenic to humans (Group 1) by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Solutions of FA that are used to preserve cadavers in research and education morphological institutes represent a risk to occupational health of professionals and students. During the dissection of cadavers in the anatomy laboratories, FA vapors are emitted, resulting in the exposure of students and their instructors to elevated levels of FA. The World Health Organization recommends an air quality guideline value of 0.1 mg m(-3) for exposure to FA. The limit of occupational exposure adopted by the Brazilian legislation (2.3 mg m(-3)) is markedly higher than those adopted by institutions of other countries around the world. The purpose of this study was to determine the levels of personal exposure and the area concentration of FA in the morphology department of the Federal Fluminense University, Brazil, and investigate and compare the relationship between them. METHODS: Four rooms distributed in the three floors of the Morphology Department were evaluated: the embalming laboratory, the anatomy laboratories, the corridor of the teachers' rooms, and the entrance hall. Thirty-six samples in total were collected in the second semester of 2010 and first semester of 2011. The air sampling and FA analysis were performed according to the EPA TO-11A Protocol, using a diffusive sampling device for carbonyl compounds. Personal samples were collected from monitors using a sampling device pinned on each person's lapel. The samples were analyzed using rapid resolution liquid chromatography with UV-DAD detection at 360 nm. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The concentrations of FA ranged from 0.20 and 0.18 mg m(-3) in the corridor between the teachers' rooms, 0.03 to 0.37 mg m(-3) in the entrance hall, 0.22 to 2.07 mg m(-3) in the anatomy laboratory, 2.21 to 2.52 mg m(-3), in the embalming room. The levels found in the corridor between the teachers' rooms and in the entrance hall were lower than in other compartments because of their large distances to the sources of FA and better ventilation. The other rooms presented higher levels of FA because of the activities carried there (embalming and dissection procedures). Even in the rooms that showed the lowest levels of FA, the values found were higher than those established by all international guideline limits, except the Brazilian legislation limit, although, the concentration level in the embalming room was even greater than the Brazilian guideline. These concentrations are 100-1,000-fold higher than those reported in an FA outdoor study. The exposure levels of monitors and students ranged from 1.89 to 4.82 mg m(-3), indicating that current practices at the Morphology Department at the university would represent a health risk. The simultaneous monitoring of area concentrations and personal exposure showed that the characteristics of classes and of cadavers' parts, the number of students in the room and even the activities of the monitors influence the FA concentrations. CONCLUSION: This study revealed that the concentration of FA was low in the ventilated areas of the Morphology Department, and that the personal exposure when the person was close to the cadavers during the dissection procedure was higher than the mean FA concentration. This should be considered in the risk assessment of FA during these activities without effective protection equipment. It is suggested that the Brazilian legislation of exposure to formaldehyde requires an urgent update considering international legislation.

Utilizaçäo do sítio sacrococcígeo na anestesia epidural em gatos domésticos / Use of the sacrococcigeal space in the epidural anesthesia in domestic cats

A anestesia regional epidural é uma técnica anestésica muito utilizada, e valiosa, em determinados procedimentos em medicina veterinária. Gatos ainda säo vistos por alguns como pequenos cäes, em detrimento de inúmeras diferenças morfológicas, bioquímicas e fisiológicas, dentre outras, que exigem, cada vez mais, um maior grau de especializaçäo dos profissionais que lidam com estas espécies. Este trabalho teve como objetivo investigar a viabilidade da utilizaçäo do espaço sacrococcígeo como sítio seguro de punçäo, para a confecçäo da anestesia epidural, em gatos domésticos, e comparar a utilizaçäo de dois diferentes calibres de agulha (25x7 e 13x4) nesta técnica. Utilizados 30 animais, com pesos variando entre 2 e 3 kg, adultos, de ambos os sexos e considerados hígidos após exames clínicos e sem raça definida. Os animais receberam medicaçäo pré-anestésica (xilazina, 1mg/kg, IM) sendo entäo procedida tricotomia e antissepsia da regiäo coccígea. Introduzida a agulha no referido sítio até atingirmos o espaço epidural do assoalho do canal vertebral, administrava-se 9mg/kg de cloridrato de lidocaína no espaço epidural, sendo em seguida realizados os testes de avaliaçäo de eficácia da anestesia regional. Foram realizadas radiografias simples para avaliar o posicionamento das agulhas após a punçäo e também radiografias contrastadas para observaçäo dos limites da distribuiçäo do contraste. Destante, de acordo com os resultados obtidos, concluímos: a) que o espaço sacrococcígeo é factível para a utilizaçäo da técnica da anestesia epidural e clinicamente viável, por oferecer menor risco de lesäo ao tecido nervoso da medula espinhal nestes animais; b) que a agulha calibre 13x4 foi a mais indicada para a punçäo devido à sua espessura e comprimento; c) que o contraste, logo após a administraçäo, difundiu-se até a altura de T10.