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The brain weight of 100 fresh cadavers of Italian subjects (60 males and 40 females), aged between 17 and 84 years, was obtained and the corrected circumference of the following blood vessels was measured: basilar artery, internal carotid arteries, anterior and posterior cerebral arteries, and anterior and posterior communicating arteries. The cerebral ‘potential flow’ was expressed in each case by adding the circumference of the basilar artery to that of the internal carotid arteries. Moreover, the sides and the perimeter of the circle of Willis as well as the length of the basilar artery were calculated. The statistical analysis of the obtained data yielded the following main results: (1) the brain weight decreases with aging, is lower in females than in males and is statistically correlated neither with the circumferences of the considered arteries and the ‘potential flow’ nor with the perimeter of the arterial polygon (circle of Willis); (2) the arteries of the left side appear to be larger than those of the right one; (3) no significant difference exists in the circumference and length of the arteries between males and females; (4) the increase of the perimeter of the arterial polygon is achieved by means of a harmonious increase of all its sides; (5) the anterior and posterior communicating arteries have an anarchic pattern, because of the relatively frequent anomalies and the lack of a correlation between their circumference and that of the vessel of origin or of outlet.

A phase II study with mitoxantrone has been carried out in 30 metastatic breast cancer patients. Of 26 evaluable patients 7 (26.9%) experienced a partial response; 7 (26.9%) patients had stable disease and 12 (46.1%) had progression. Major toxicity observed was: nausea and vomiting in 52% of patients, moderate hair loss in 53% of patients and leukopenia in 53%.

This study concerns the effects of urban air pollution on the nasopharyngeal epithelium, with the aim of evaluating the possible harmful activity of levels of atmospheric pollution which are not currently considered to be dangerous. Over a 3 month period, 10 lambs kept in a zone characterized by numerous vehicles were sacrificed at regular intervals, and their nasopharyngeal mucosa was examined by scanning electron microscopy and image analysis. Two lambs kept in a rural area were used as controls. The local levels of some airborne contaminants (NO(x), NO2, NO, SO2, CO and particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter < or =10 microm (PM10)) were monitored throughout the experiment. The urban air had an irritating effect, inducing hypersecretion of mucus and morphological damage to the ciliated epithelium. These alterations increased with the duration of exposure to urban air and with increasing pollution levels, although the levels remained below current legal levels. We conclude that the harmful effects of airborne contaminants are probably underestimated. Moreover, physicochemical evaluation of pollution parameters should be complemented by morphological study of upper respiratory epithelium in exposed animals, since this mucosa is a sensitive target for irritating agents.

Clinical effects of internal carotid artery (ICA) occlusion may range from the absolute absence of symptoms to lethal hemispheric stroke. In this paper symptoms of patients with ICA occlusion have been related to the development of collateral circulation, different types of developed collateral circulation have been assessed, and the degree of sensitivity and specificity of duplex scan has been appraised.Forty-eight patients with ICA occlusion or subocclusion, 24 males and 24 females, aged between 50 and 83 years (67.7+/-7.15), underwent duplex scan and magnetic resonance (MR) angiography. Nineteen patients were completely asymptomatic, 20 patients showed permanent neurological symptoms and 9 patients had shown transient symptoms.Twelve patients (25%) did not show any collateral circulation, 29 patients (60%) showed collateral circulation through homolateral external carotid artery branches and 7 patients (15%) showed collateral circulation through other circuits. Of the 20 patients with permanent symptoms only 8 showed collateral circulation. On the contrary, all the 19 asymptomatic patients and the 9 patients with transient symptoms showed collateral circulation. Eventually, duplex scan showed 78% sensitivity, 100%, specificity and 83% diagnostic accuracy.Our data show: 1) a clear-cut prevalence of collateral circulation through homolateral external carotid artery branches with respect to other possible collateral circulation; 2) an inverse relationship between the development of collateral circulation and the appearance of permanent symptoms; 3) a good diagnostic accuracy of duplex scan in revealing collateral circulation in the case of ICA occlusion.

An analysis of 127 women with metastatic breast cancer was carried out. All patients were treated with aminoglutethimide: of 117 evaluable patients, 29 responded, 46 remained stable and 42 progressed. A series of patients' characteristics were analyzed for their prognostic importance for response to this drug. The most important features able to predict response were found to be a previous response to tamoxifen and a long disease-free survival after mastectomy.

Thirty-seven strains of Yersinia isolated from human and environmental sources were investigated for virulence and molecular characteristics. Clinical isolates of Y. enterocolitica serotypes 0:3 and 0:9, harbouring the 45 MDa virulence plasmid were Ca++ dependent and responded positively to the CV-binding assay. The environmental Y. kristensenii strain, although harbouring a 45 MDa plasmid proved to be negative for both assays. All the environmental strains showed pyrazinamidase activity, while isolates from human sources proved negative. Two different plasmid profiles were disclosed: one Y. enterocolitica strain (serotype 0:7, 8) showed one plasmid of 67 MDa and one plasmid of 1.5 MDa. Eleven human isolates of Y. enterocolitica and one environmental strain of Y. krinstensenii showed only one plasmid of 45 MDa. Restriction endonuclease analysis of the 45 MDa plasmids supported the hypothesis that the environmental Y. krinstensenii plasmid is unrelated to the family of homologous virulence plasmids of Y. enterocolitica.

Using Echocolordoppler, we have examined 108 subjects with stenosis of the Internal Carotid Artery (ICA). For each subject, age, sex, body weight, height, systolic and diastolic arterial pressure, as well as measures of original caliber of ICA, residual lumen and maximal systolic velocity (MSV) at the stenosis were recorded. In both sexes there was a highly significant correlation (p0.001) between MSV, percentage of stenosis, and residual lumen, while there was no correlation between MSV and arterial pressure, which could have modified interpretation of data. Linear regression analysis was performed to calculate total vessel caliber, whenever not directly measurable, from MSV and residual lumen.

The current indication for carotid surgery is based upon the percentage of stenosis of the internal carotid artery. This approach shows many limitations, one of which is to presume the anatomical completeness of the circle of Willis in all patients who are evaluated. On the contrary, there is increasing evidence of a great natural variability in the configuration of the circle of Willis.The aim of the present paper was to investigate, by magnetic resonance angiography, the variability of the circle of Willis in a cohort of 118 healthy older persons.The circle of Willis showed an entirely complete configuration in 47% of the subjects, a complete configuration of its anterior part in 90% of the subjects, and a complete configuration of its posterior part in 48.5% of the subjects.These findings confirm the great variability of the circle of Willis even in healthy older persons and suggest that, in indicating carotid surgery, the configuration of the circle of Willis should also be taken into account.

A number of genes containing sequences coding for DNA-binding domains homologues to homeobox sequences in Drosophila have been isolated in vertebrate and their mechanism of action have been studied. In Particular Hox family genes share with Drosophila homeotic genes a genomic organization in gene clusters and an expression pattern that is similar in a number of important respects. In situ hybridization experiment have shown that there is a strict correspondence, or colinearity, between the order of the Hox genes (3' to 5') within the chromosomal cluster and that of their expression domains (anterior to posterior) in the embryo. Recent data obtained in embryonal carcinoma (EC) cells induced to differentiate by retinoic acid (RA) cast some light on the molecular mechanisms underlying the colinear expression of the Hox genes.

The Circle of Willis was studied by Magnetic Resonance Angiography in 100 healthy subjects. In 41% of these cases, the arteries were arranged in the classically described way. In 21%, hypoplasia of the posterior communicating as. was noted, while in 13% the posterior cerebral as were found to originate from the internal carotid a.. In 9% of these cases, three anterior cerebral as. were present. In 3% the anterior communicating artery could not be identified, while the left posterior communicating artery was hypoplastic. In 2% the absence of a posterior communicating artery was associated with the origin of a posterior cerebral a. from the internal carotid. In another 2% the anterior cerebral as. were partially fused, and in yet another 2%, hypoplasia of both an anterior and a posterior cerebral a. was present. The remaining seven cases (7%), all different from each other, represented combinations of the above described variations. Statistical analysis indicated that anomalies occurred more commonly on the left than on the right side. The morphology of the Circle of Willis could not be correlated with either sex or Body Index.

The purpose of the present, study was to underline the importance of the use of SEM in the evaluation of Helicobacter pylori (HP) - Induced gastritis. Gastric biopsies from eleven patients affected by HP infections were examined using Light Microscope (LM), Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). SEM allowed for the localization of even small groups of bacteria and to demonstrate the many morphologic changes due to the infective phlogosis. The signs of cellular suffering and the relationship between bacteria and microvilli are of particular interest.

Kinking of the internal carotid artery is a rather frequent anomaly. It is still controversial whether it has a clinical relevance, causing cerebral vascular disturbances, or if it is a mere morphologic anomaly. A study concerning its frequency in asymptomatic subjects and an evaluation of its possible correlations were, therefore, considered interesting.The internal carotid artery was studied in 100 apparently healthy subjects (50 men and 50 women; age range: 18 to 98 years) with no history of atherosclerotic disease of the supra-aortic trunks, or diabetes mellitus, or hypertension. Each patient underwent color Doppler ultrasonography.In 38 subjects out of 100, and in 53 out of 200 examined arteries (100 right and 100 left arteries), a kinking was found (26.5%). In 23 kinkings (43% of all the kinkings), the maximal systolic velocity (MSV) was greater than 1 m/sec at the level of the kinking. The kinkings were more frequent in women; such prevalence was statistically significant. The frequency of kinkings was uncorrelated with the side of the artery, the age, the body weight, the height and the length of the neck. Moreover, the presence of the kinkings was not significantly correlated with the lumen of the internal carotid artery.Hypotheses regarding the genesis of the kinkings were discussed, and the embryogenic hypothesis was emphasized. The importance of the MSV in the diagnosis of kinkings was stressed.

This study determined plasmid relative abundance and distribution among a representative collection of Sicilian strains of Salmonella, with the purpose of gaining more insight into bacterial and plasmid ecology. 161 Salmonella strains of different serovars, isolated in Sicily from human and environmental sources between 1981 and 1985 were characterized by plasmid profile typing. Two main sets of Salmonella serovars were identified, one composed by plasmid-free serovars, rarely associated with clinical salmonellosis but typical of environmental niches; the other comprising the serovars usually encountered as major agents of human and animal salmonellosis. The biological relevance of the baseline information so provided on the genetic profiles of different serovars in Sicily is discussed.

The effects of Cadmium on the central nervous system are still relatively poorly understood and its role in neurodegenerative diseases has been debated (Matés et al., 2010). In this study we investigate the protective role of a Cadmium antagonist, Zinc, and of a molecule positively affecting neuronal viability such as GcMAF (Vitamin D-binding protein-derived macrophage activating factor) (Mohamad et al., 2002) in counteracting Cadmium-induced cell modifications. Cell line Sh-SY5Y is treated with Cadmium for 24 h with and without Zinc or GcMAF at different concentrations and exposure times. Cell viability, cell morphology and activation of apoptotic pathways are investigated. Results show that Zinc as well as GcMAF are able to partially or totally counteract the toxic effects of Cadmium on human neurons. This lead us to think at the real possibility of limiting, avoiding or reversing toxic effects of Cadmium on human neurons., Italian Journal of Anatomy and Embryology, Vol 118, No 2 (Supplement) 2013

In Italy, recent legislation (Law No. 10/2020) has tuned regulations concerning the donation of one's postmortem body and tissues for study, training, and scientific research purposes. This study discusses several specific issues to optimise the applicability and effectiveness of such an important, novel regulatory setting. Some of these unsolved issues may involve the grantees of teaching and training activities, the role of academic anatomical institutes, the role of family members in the donation process, the universal time limit indicated for any donation, the handling of corpses, and the limited body donation and its subordination to the donation of organs and tissues. Critical issues arise concerning the learners, the type of training and teaching activities that can be planned, the position of academic anatomy institutes, the role of family members in the donation process, the time frame of the donation process, the eligibility of partial donation, or the simultaneous donation of organs and tissues to patients awaiting transplantation. In particular, a universal time limit for donations (i.e., one year) makes it impossible to plan the long-term use of specific body parts, which could be effectively preserved for the advanced teaching and training of medical students and surgeons. The abovementioned conditions lead to the limited use of corpses, thus resulting in the inefficiency of the whole system of body donation. Overall, the donors' scope for the donation of their body could be best honoured by a more flexible and tuneable approach that can be used on a case-by-case basis. Furthermore, it is deemed necessary to closely monitor the events scheduled for corpses in public nonacademic institutions or private enterprises. This paper presents useful insights from Italian anatomists with the hope of providing inspiration for drafting the regulations. In conclusion, this paper focuses on the critical issues derived from the recently introduced Italian law on the donation and use of the body after death and provides suggestions to lawmakers for future implementations.

This study investigated whether vitamin D is associated with the presence or severity of chronic tic disorders and their psychiatric comorbidities. This cross-sectional study compared serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] (ng/ml) levels among three groups: children and adolescents (3–16 years) with CTD (n = 327); first-degree relatives (3–10 years) of individuals with CTD who were assessed for a period of up to 7 years for possible onset of tics and developed tics within this period (n = 31); and first-degree relatives who did not develop tics and were ≥ 10 years old at their last assessment (n = 93). The relationship between 25(OH)D and the presence and severity of tics, as well as comorbid obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), were analysed controlling for age, sex, season, centre, latitude, family relatedness, and comorbidities. When comparing the CTD cohort to the unaffected cohort, the observed result was contrary to the one expected: a 10 ng/ml increase in 25(OH)D was associated with higher odds of having CTD (OR 2.08, 95% CI 1.27–3.42, p p = 0.01) and was inversely associated with ADHD symptom severity (β = − 2.52, 95% CI − 4.16–0.88, p

Background There is clear evidence that tic disorders (TDs) are associated with psychosocial stress as well as emotional and behavioral problems. Studies have shown that individuals with TDs have higher acute physiological stress responses to external, single stressors (as reflected by saliva cortisol). The aim of the present study was to examine a physiological marker of longer-term stress (as reflected by hair cortisol concentration) in children and adolescents with TDs and unaffected siblings of individuals with TDs. Methods Two samples of a European cohort were included in this study. In the COURSE sample, 412 children and adolescents aged 3–16 years with a chronic TD including Tourette syndrome according to DSM IV-TR criteria were included. The ONSET sample included 131 3–10 years old siblings of individuals with TDs, who themselves had no tics. Differences in hair cortisol concentration (HCC) between the two samples were examined. Within the COURSE sample, relations of HCC with tic severity and perceived psychosocial stress as well as potential effects and interaction effects of comorbid emotional and behavioral problems and psychotropic medication on HCC were investigated. Results There were no differences in HCC between the two samples. In participants with TDs, there were no associations between HCC and tic severity or perceived psychosocial stress. No main effects of sex, psychotropic medication status and comorbid emotional and behavioral problems on HCC were found in participants with TDs. Conclusion A link between HCC and TDs is not supported by the present results.