The study presented an extremely rare case of real complete bilateral duplication of inferior vena cava (IVC) in a male cadaver which has never been reported before. Both IVC had approximately the same diameter. The right IVC drained into the right atrium; the left IVC continued as hemiazygos vein and drained into the superior vena cava. Three anastomotic venous channels, a cranial preaortic, a middle and a caudal retroaortic, joined both vessels. Multiple variations in the way of drainage of posterior intercostal veins, on both sides, were also present. The present report invalidates an old classification defining the two vessels when joined at the level of the renal veins as complete bilateral duplication of IVC. Although the presence of 2 combination of venous variations is extremely rare, awareness of such variations is essential for clinical and surgical procedures to avoid misdiagnosis and surgical complications.

Antibiotic resistance has emerged as a significant issue to be resolved around the world. Bacteriophage (phage), in contrast to antibiotics, can only kill the target bacteria with no adverse effect on the normal bacterial flora. In this review, we described the biological characteristics of phage, and summarized the phage application in China, including in mammals, ovipara, aquatilia, and human clinical treatment. The data showed that phage had a good therapeutic effect on drug-resistant bacteria in veterinary fields, as well as in the clinical treatment of humans. However, we need to take more consideration of the narrow lysis spectrum, the immune response, the issues of storage, and the pharmacokinetics of phages. Due to the particularity of bacteriophage as a bacterial virus, there is no unified standard or regulation for the use of bacteriophage in the world at present, which hinders the application of bacteriophage as a substitute for antibiotic biological products. We aimed to highlight the rapidly advancing field of phage therapy as well as the challenges that China faces in reducing its reliance on antibiotics.

(Folia Morphol 2014; 73, 4: 399-408)

Hypoxia, due to impaired cerebral blood flow, has hazardous effects on brain structure and function. To minimize as much as possible the neurological consequences from hypoxic-ischemic (HI) brain injury, neuro-protective strategies are urgently required. Vitamin E has been shown to have protective effects against cerebral ischemia, possibly due to its anti-oxidant effects. Thirty white mice, of both sexes, were obtained from the animal house at King Khalid University Hospital, King Saud University. They were divided into three groups; each included 10 animals: Group A was considered as a control one, animals of Group B were subjected to a permanent link to the carotid arteries on both sides and animals of Group C underwent permanent link to carotid arteries on both sides and concomitantly were given Vitamin E as an anti-oxidant. Animals of Group C were injected by Vitamin E (equivalent to 15 mg/day), into the peritoneal cavity as a single dose for a week and after the prescribed period the mice were sacrificed under deep anesthesia and their brains were extracted and prepared for an electron microscopic study of brain tissue. Specimens from animals of Group B showed a large number of neurons that had been deteriorated. Mitochondria were the most affected organelles. There were a large number of dark cells which probably resulted from shrunken nerve cells and exhibited opaque nuclei. The number of affected nerve cells was much lower in brain tissues from animals of the Group C which revealed absence of dark cells. The study did not disclose any similar changes in brain tissues of the control group animals. Our results suggested that treatment with Vitamin E after hypoxia-ischemia led to a neuro-protective effect that appeared in reduction of cell death of neurons. Thus, the present study provides an evidence that Vitamin E protects the brain tissue of the consequences of hypoxia caused by ischemia in the tested experimental animals. It could be recommended in the treatment of cerebrovascular stroke and neurodegenerative diseases.

No abstract