The aim of this paper was the identification of the bioactive compounds in the green tea extract enriched with quercetin. The extraction was performed under reflux for 60 min using absolute ethanol at the solid-to-liquid ratio of 1:18 (m/v). The mass spectrometry method with an electrospray interface was applied and tuned with the quercetin standard. Mass spectra were recorded in negative and positive ionization modes with the ion source voltage of 4.95 kV, the source current of 2.61 μA, the capillary temperature of 275 °C, the capillary voltage of 50 V, the sheath gas pressure of 137 KPa and auxiliary gas pressure of 13.9 KPa. In addition to quercetin, the presence of gallic acid, (-)-gallocatechin, 3-O-caffeoylquinic acid, theobromine, 5-O-galloylquinic acid, (+)-catechin, caffeine, epicatechin-3-gallate, (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate, 4-p-coumaroylquinic acid, quercetin-3-O-rutinoside, quercetin-3-galactoside, kampferol-3-O-glucoside, apigenin glycoside, theaflavin-3,3'-digallate, thaflavin-3-gallate and the kaempferol-rhamnose-hexose-rhamnose conjugate was confirmed based on fragmentation patterns available in literature.

The endothelium of liver sinusoids in relation to the endothelium of other blood vessels has specific antigen expression similar to the endothelium of lymphatic vessels. Bearing in mind that there is no consensus as to the period or intensity of the expression of certain antigens in the endothelium of blood and lymphatic vessels in the liver, the aim of our study was to immunohistochemically investigate the dynamic patterns of the expression of CD31, CD34, D2-40, and LYVE-1 antigens during liver development and in adulthood on paraffin tissue sections of human livers of 4 embryos, 38 fetuses, 6 neonates, and 6 adults. The results show that, in a histologically immature liver at the end of the embryonic period, CD34 molecules are expressed only on vein endothelium localized in developing portal areas, whereby the difference between portal venous branches and CD34-negative central veins belongs to the collecting venous system. In the fetal period, with aging, expression of CD34 and CD31 molecules on the endothelium of central veins and blood vessels of the portal areas increases. Sinusoidal endothelium shows light and sporadic CD34 immunoreactivity in the late embryonic and fetal periods, and is lost in the neonatal and adult periods, unlike CD31 immunoreactivity, which is poorly expressed in the fetal and neonatal periods but is present in adults. The endothelium of sinusoids and lymphatic vessels express LYVE-1, and the endothelium of lymphatic vessels express LYVE-1 and D2-40 but not CD34. Similarity between the sinusoidal and lymphatic endothelium includes the fact that both types are LYVE-1 positive and CD34 negative.

Introduction: Reconstruction of columella defects is still regarded a challenging procedure, due to very specific anatomy of columella and limited local and regional flap options. Furthermore, a texture and color of columella tissue pose difficulties in choosing right method of reconstruction. Case report: Authors present a patient who underwent reconstruction of complex columella defect using Schmid-Meyer flap. Schmid-Meyer flap represents a tubular flap with an internal supraciliary pedicle which allows the transposition of the temporal skin with the addition of ear cartilage on the tip of the nose or the ala nasi. The integration of the flap was complete. During five-year follow-up period, the cosmetic and functional results were satisfying. Conclusion. Schmid-Meyer flap may be one of the best options for reconstruction of complex defect of columella.

In the reference literature, there are a few studies on the development of the lymphatic system in the liver, especially human. This study aims to establish the presence, time of appearance, distribution and representation of expression D2-40 molecule -a marker of lymph vessels endothelial cells during the fetal period of the human liver development.The livers obtained from 20 human fetuses (10 male and 12 female), aged 12-37 gestational weeks, constituted our study material. Paraffin sections, 4 µm thick, were stained with hematoxylin and eosin for histological analysis, and with LSAB2/HRP method for immunohistochemistry using the D2-40 monoclonal antibody to mark lymphatic endothelial cells. The presence of lymphatic vessels was determined by morphometry, calculating their numerical and volume density.The study showed that expression of D2-40 molecule was absent in the liver lymphatic vessels in the first trimester of development, while in the second trimester intensive D2-40 immunoreactivity was observed in the lymph vessels of the liver capsule, and low D2-40 immunopositivity of the lymph vessels in large portal spaces. In the third trimester, intensive D2-40 immunoreactivity was observed in the lymph vessels of the liver capsule and in the endothelium of numerous lymphatic vessels of various shape and size, located in the smaller and larger portal areas. Volume and numerical density of lymphatic vessels in the portal areas of the liver during fetal development increased from the second to the third trimester of pregnancy, which was proportional to the increase in volume density of the hepatic portal spaces. Based on the obtained results, a conclusion may be drawn that the lymph vessels in the liver can be identified in the first half of the second trimester, and their number was growing proportionally by the end of pregnancy. O r i g i n a l a r t i c l e I NT ROD U CT I ONThe liver is formed out of the two germ layers: endoderm of the ventral side and distal end of the foregut, out of which the hepatic diverticulum will be created. Hepatocytes and epithelium of the smaller intrahepatic bile ducts will be created out of the cells of hepatic diverticulum. Connective tissue, blood and lymph vessels of the liver will originate from the surrounding septum transversum mesoderm (1, 2).Portal -functional blood flow is established between gestational weeks 4 and 6, while the hepaticnutritional blood flow is established between 10 and 15 weeks of development. Liver sinusoids tend to appear very early, in gestational week 4, but their morphological, functional, and immunohistochemical characteristics are established gradually, up to gestational week 20 (3).The lymphatic system of the liver plays an important role in the homeostasis of this organ, by collecting the excess interstitial fluids and protein metabolites of the liver, which are returning into the blood through the lymphatic vessels. One-third of the total lymph flow into the ductus thoracicus is produced in the liver. Lymph is first collected in the perisi...