Anatomical description of the deep venous channel from the anterior vestibular wall of the right atrium

Vol. 54 No. 3 Suppl., 2013
This supplement was not sponsored by Outside Organizations.

ROMANIAN JOURNAL of MORPHOLOGY and EMBRYOLOGY

F. M. Filipoiu, Mihaela Balgradean, I. Brezean, V. Jinga

The deep venous channels in the walls of the right atrium are not routinely described in medical treatises although their existence has been remarked from some time. Our study demonstrates that the right atrium is opened for some of the anterior veins of the heart through a venous channel located deep in the myocardium of the vestibule of the right atrium. We suggest that no Thebesian veins drain into this channel. We achieved anatomical dissection in 14 adult human cadaveric hearts, which had been fixed in formalin solution, and we found the channel in 75% of cases. These channels were measured, photographed and presented in detail. We highlighted the importance of the proximity with the tricuspid annulus in order to avoid incidents during tricuspid annuloplasty. The authors intend that through a qualitative study to draw attention to such a structure often ignored. This vascular structure and its role in cardiac physiology and pathology have not been investigated yet. Although not constant, specialists in cardiology and cardiac surgery should be informed about this basic detail on the endocardium morphology.

Corresponding author: Mihaela Balgradean; e-mail: mbalgradean@gmail.com

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ROMANIAN JOURNAL of MORPHOLOGY and EMBRYOLOGY

Laura Anca Popescu, Bogdana Virgolici, Daniela Lixandru, Daniela Miricescu, Elvira Condrut, Olivia Timnea, A. E. Ranetti, Manuella Militaru, Maria Mohora, L. Zagrean

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) ranges from simple hepatic steatosis to steatohepatitis (NASH) and cirrhosis. The aim of this study is to test beneficial effects of omega-3 fatty acids (DHA 130 mg, EPA 25 mg) treatment in NAFLD, in a mouse model of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. As pretreatment, 50 mice were fed for one month with a high-fat diet to induce NAFLD. Then, the mice were divided in different groups according to diet (normo- or hypercaloric), with and without treatment with omega-3 fatty acids, for another month, forming the post-treatment group. The liver and blood samples were collected for biochemical and histopathological analysis. Biochemical parameters including: glycemia, total cholesterol, triglycerides, uric acid, albumin, total plasma antioxidant capacity (TEAC) was measured in serum. Glutathione (GSH), total thiols and malonyldialdehyde (MDA) were determined in mouse liver homogenates. Mice from post-treatment group, on hypercaloric diet with or without omega-3 fatty acids treatment, had medium hepatopathy (granular and vacuolar degeneration of the hepatocytes) and hypertriglyceridemia. Omega-3 fatty acid treatment lowered the rise of triglycerides (p<0.03), glycemia (p<0.01) and cholesterol (p<0.02) in serum and MDA level of the liver (p<0.05). Mice from post-treatment group, on normocaloric diet with or without omega-3 fatty acid had different histopathological and biochemical results. Those with normocaloric/normolipidic diet and omega-3 fatty acids treatment had reversed liver histopatological results from NASH to normal aspect and had the best metabolic parameters results. In conclusion, omega-3 fatty acids treatment associated with a normocaloric/normolipidic diet has hepatoprotective action in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

Corresponding author: Bogdana Virgolici, MD, PhD; e-mail: hvirgolici@yahoo.com

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