No abstract

The rete testis (RT) in the cat comprises three distinct and sequential parts: septal or adlobular; mediastinal and tunical parts. This last part is followed by the small extratesticular rete testis. The whole of the RT tubules and/or channels is lined by single low columnar and/or cuboidal epithelium with ultrastructural peculiarities of secretory and absorptive functions. The Golgi apparatus polarity (cis-trans surfaces), its relation with the long profiles of the ER, mainly with the rough ER, and presence of apical uncoated electrodense granules are suggestive of active release of macromolecules, probably glycoproteins. The absorptive function is proposed through the observation of a conspicuous microvacuolar-vesicular apical complex in epithelial cells. Moreover spermatozoa phagocytosis is also noticed, mainly in the septal part of the RT.

Context: Piriform muscle syndrome can be caused by abnormal passage of the sciatic nerve or one of its parts through the belly of the piriform muscle. Objective: To analyze the anatomical and measurement relationships between the piriform muscle and the sciatic nerve in order to contribute towards better anatomoclinical understanding of the gluteal region. Method: Twenty adult cadavers of both sexes were used. The sciatic nerve and piriform muscle were dissected, measured and photodocumented. Results: The sciatic nerve was seen to be a single trunk passing through the lower margin of the piriform muscle in 85% of the 40 gluteal regions, and 15% showed bilateral variation characterized by the passage of the common fibular nerve through the piriform muscle. The data obtained did not show any statistically significant differences.

Epididymal region of domestic adult quail of the italina variety was studied by morphometric analysis concerning to the proximal and distal efferent ductules and the epididymal duct. They formed the proper segmental epididymal region structure in domestic quail prior observed during the four seasons of the year in the Botucatu city/SP/Brazil (22°53'09''S, 48°26'42''W, 840m), with tropical altitude climate, average annual temperature of 20,7 degrees. Parameters such as the tubular diameter and the luminal diameter, structure of the lining epithelium and luminal content, of all tubules of the epididymal region, were analyzed referring each segmental tubular area disposed along the epididymal region. It was verified that the efferent ductules occupied the major proportional distribution inside the epididymal region and plus the epididymal duct presented striking quantitative and qualitative variations during the autumn and spring. These seasons respectively represented the quiescent and active phases of this quail annual testis cycle. During summer and winter some variations of the epididymal region morphology were verified. Morphological data obtained in winter and in summer respectively allow characterizing them as intermediary phases of the annual reproductive cycle. However, no remarkable change in the proximal efferent ducts and distal efferent ducts was observed in winter and summer, for the spring events, such as already described during the annual testicular cycle of domestic quail. So the epididymal region of the domestic quail of the Italian variety is a single organ, whose size varies in the autumn, with minor relative average, and in the other seasons in which this organ maintain its usual dimensions.