The aim of this study was to detect and describe the existence and incidence of anatomical variations of the celiac trunk and superior mesenteric artery. The study was conducted on 150 persons, who underwent abdominal Multi- Detector Computer Tomography (MDCT) angiography, from April 2010 until November 2012. CT images were obtained with a 64-row MDCT scanner in order to analyze the vascular anatomy and anatomical variations of the celiac trunk and superior mesenteric artery. In our study, we found that 78% of patients have a classic anatomy of the celiac trunk and superior mesenteric artery. The most frequent variation was the origin of the common hepatic artery from the superior mesenteric artery (10%). The next variation, according to frequency, was the origin of the left gastric artery direct from the abdominal aorta (4%). The arc of Buhler as an anastomosis between the celiac trunk and superior mesenteric artery, was detected in 3% of cases, as was the presence of a common trunk of the celiac trunk and superior mesenteric artery (in 3% of cases). Separate origin of the splenic artery and the common hepatic artery was present in 2% of patients. The MDCT scanner gives us an insight into normal anatomy and variations of the abdominal blood vessels, which is very important in the planning of surgical interventions, especially transplantation, as well as in the prevention of complications due to ischemia.

In contrast to C57BL/6 mice, BALB/c mice are relatively resistant to the induction of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) after challenge with MOG35-55 peptide. Here we provide the first evidence that infection with murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) in adulthood abrogates this resistance. Infected BALB/c mice developed clinical and histological signs similar to those seen in susceptible C57BL/6 mice. In addition to CD4+ cells, large proportion of cells in the infiltrate of diseased BALB/c mice were CD8+, similar with findings in multiple sclerosis (MS). CD8+ cells that responded to ex vivo restimulation with MOG35-55 were not specific for viral epitopes pp89 and m164. MCMV infection favors proinflammatory type of dendritic cells (CD86+CD40+CD11c+) in the peripheral lymph organs, M1 type of microglia in CNS, and increases development of Th1/Th17 encephalitogenic cells. This study indicates that MCMV may enhance autoimmune neuropathology and abrogate inherent resistance to EAE in mouse strain by enhancing proinflammatory phenotype of antigen presenting cells, Th1/Th17 and CD8 response to MOG35-55.

The nucleus accumbens is a limbic nucleus, representing part of the striatum body, and together with the caudate nucleus and putamen, it lies on the septum. The aim of this study was to examine morphological sexual dimorphism in spine density and also to undertake an immunohistochemical study of expression for estrogen and progesterone receptors in the medium-sized neurons in the nucleus accumbens. The research was conducted on twenty human brains of persons of both sexes, between the age of 20-75 years. The Golgi method was applied to determine the types and subtypes of neurons, morphologies of soma, dendrites and axons, as well as the relations between the cells and glial elements. The following were quantitatively examined: the maximum diameter of the neurons, the minimal diameter of the neurons, and the total length of the dendrites. The expression of receptors for estrogen and progesterone, their distribution and intensity were defined immunohistochemically. The parameters of the bodies of neurons in the shell and core of the nucleus accumbens were studied in both men and women. No statistically significant differences were found. Examination of the spine density showed statistical significance in terms of a higher density of spines in women. Immunohistochemically, in the female brain estrogen expression is diffusely spread in a large number of neurons; it is extra nuclear, of granular appearance and high intensity. In the male brain, expression of estrogen is visible and distributed over about one half of different types of neurons; it is extra nuclear, of granular appearance, mostly of middle and low staining intensity. Expression of progesterone in the female brain was very discreet and on a very small number of neurons; it was extra nuclear and with a weak staining intensity. Expression of progesterone in the male brain was distributed on a small number of neurons. It had a granular appearance, it was extra nuclear, with a very low staining intensity. Our results show differences in the morphology as well as expression of receptors for estrogen and progesterone on medium-sized neurons with spines in the nucleus accumbens of men and women

Background/Aim. The main complication of the atherosclerotic abdominal aortic aneurism (AAA) is her rupture that begins with lesion in intima and rupture. The purpose of this work was to determine immunocytochemical and morphofunctional characteristics of the cells in aortic wall in ruptured atherosclerotic abdominal aortic aneurysm. Method. During the course of this study, 20 samples of atherosclerotic AAA were analyzed, all of them obtained during authopsy. The samples were fixed in 4% formalin and embedded in paraffin. Sections of 5 ?m thickness were stained histochemically (of Heidenhain azan stain and Periodic acid Schiff - PAS stain) and immunocytochemically using a DAKO LSAB+/HRP technique to identify ?-smooth muscle actin (?-SMA), vimentin, myosin heavy chains (MHC), desmin, S-100 protein, CD45 and CD68 (DAKO specification). Results. The results of our study showed that ruptured atherosclerotic AAA is characterized by a complete absence of endothelial cells, the disruption of basal membrane and internal elastic lamina, as well as a presence of the remains of hypocellular complicated atherosclerotic lesion in intima. On the plaque margins, as well as in the media, smooth muscle cells (SMCs) are present, which express a ?-SMA and vimentin (but without MHC or desmin expression), as well as leukocyte infiltration, and a large number of foam cells. Some of the foam cells show a CD68-immunoreactivity, while the others show vimentin- and S-100 protein-immunoreactivity. Media is thinned out with a disorganized elastic lamellas, while adventitia is characterized by inflammatory inflitrate (infection). Conclusion. Rupture of aneurysm occurs from the primary intimal disruption, which spreads into thinned out media and adventitia. Rupture is caused by unstable atherom, hypocellularity, loss of contractile characteristics of smooth muscle cells in intima and media, neovascularization of the media, as well as by the activity of the macrophages in the lesion.