-
Cell Reports Nov 2017The neuromuscular junction (NMJ) plays a fundamental role in transferring information from lower motor neuron to skeletal muscle to generate movement. It is also an...
The neuromuscular junction (NMJ) plays a fundamental role in transferring information from lower motor neuron to skeletal muscle to generate movement. It is also an experimentally accessible model synapse routinely studied in animal models to explore fundamental aspects of synaptic form and function. Here, we combined morphological techniques, super-resolution imaging, and proteomic profiling to reveal the detailed cellular and molecular architecture of the human NMJ. Human NMJs were significantly smaller, less complex, and more fragmented than mouse NMJs. In contrast to mice, human NMJs were also remarkably stable across the entire adult lifespan, showing no signs of age-related degeneration or remodeling. Super-resolution imaging and proteomic profiling revealed distinctive distribution of active zone proteins and differential expression of core synaptic proteins and molecular pathways at the human NMJ. Taken together, these findings reveal human-specific cellular and molecular features of the NMJ that distinguish them from comparable synapses in other mammalian species.
Topics: Aging; Animals; Humans; Motor Neurons; Muscle, Skeletal; Nervous System; Neuromuscular Junction; Proteomics; Synapses; Synaptic Transmission
PubMed: 29186674
DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2017.11.008 -
Immunology Jul 2015The microanatomical structure of the spleen has been primarily described in mice and rats. This leads to terminological problems with respect to humans and their... (Review)
Review
The microanatomical structure of the spleen has been primarily described in mice and rats. This leads to terminological problems with respect to humans and their species-specific splenic microstructure. In mice, rats and humans the spleen consists of the white pulp embedded in the red pulp. In the white pulp, T and B lymphocytes form accumulations, the periarteriolar lymphatic sheaths and the follicles, located around intermediate-sized arterial vessels, the central arteries. The red pulp is a reticular connective tissue containing all types of blood cells. The spleen of mice and rats exhibits an additional well-delineated B-cell compartment, the marginal zone, between white and red pulp. This area is, however, absent in human spleen. Human splenic secondary follicles comprise three zones: a germinal centre, a mantle zone and a superficial zone. In humans, arterioles and sheathed capillaries in the red pulp are surrounded by lymphocytes, especially by B cells. Human sheathed capillaries are related to the splenic ellipsoids of most other vertebrates. Such vessels are lacking in rats or mice, which form an evolutionary exception. Capillary sheaths are composed of endothelial cells, pericytes, special stromal sheath cells, macrophages and B lymphocytes. Human spleens most probably host a totally open circulation system, as connections from capillaries to sinuses were not found in the red pulp. Three stromal cell types of different phenotype and location occur in the human white pulp. Splenic white and red pulp structure is reviewed in rats, mice and humans to encourage further investigations on lymphocyte recirculation through the spleen.
Topics: Anatomy, Comparative; Animals; B-Lymphocytes; Capillaries; Cell Movement; Humans; Mice; Models, Anatomic; Rats; Spleen
PubMed: 25827019
DOI: 10.1111/imm.12469 -
Developmental Cell Sep 2004The three major taxa with metameric segmentation (annelids, arthropods, and chordates) appear to use three very different molecular strategies to generate segments.... (Review)
Review
The three major taxa with metameric segmentation (annelids, arthropods, and chordates) appear to use three very different molecular strategies to generate segments. However, unexpected similarities are starting to emerge from characterization of pair-rule patterning and segmental border formation. Moreover, the existence of an ancestral segmentation clock based on Notch signaling has become likely. An old concept of comparative anatomy, the enterocoele theory, is compatible with a single origin of segmentation mechanisms and could therefore provide a conceptual framework for assessing these molecular similarities.
Topics: Animals; Annelida; Body Patterning; Chickens; Chordata, Nonvertebrate; Drosophila; Embryo, Nonmammalian; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; Leeches; Models, Biological
PubMed: 15363406
DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2004.08.008 -
Arquivos de Neuro-psiquiatria Apr 2016Pathology of the rhinencephalon has been a subject of interest in the fields of neurodegenerative diseases, trauma, epilepsy and other neurological conditions. Most of... (Review)
Review
Pathology of the rhinencephalon has been a subject of interest in the fields of neurodegenerative diseases, trauma, epilepsy and other neurological conditions. Most of what is known about the human rhinencephalon comes from comparative anatomy studies in other mammals and histological studies in primates. Functional imaging studies can provide new and important insight into the function of the rhinencephalon in humans but have limited spatial resolution, limiting its contribution to the study of the anatomy of the human rhinencephalon. In this study we aim to provide a brief and objective review of the anatomy of this important and often overlooked area of the nervous system.
Topics: Humans; Medical Illustration; Olfactory Bulb; Olfactory Cortex; Olfactory Mucosa; Olfactory Receptor Neurons
PubMed: 27097007
DOI: 10.1590/0004-282X20160043 -
Journal of Anatomy Mar 2022As a result of many factors, including climate change, unrestricted population growth, widespread deforestation and intensive agriculture, a new pattern of diseases in... (Review)
Review
As a result of many factors, including climate change, unrestricted population growth, widespread deforestation and intensive agriculture, a new pattern of diseases in humans is emerging. With increasing encroachment by human societies into wild domains, the interfaces between human and animal ecosystems are gradually eroding. Such changes have led to zoonoses, vector-borne diseases, infectious diseases and, most importantly, the emergence of antimicrobial-resistant microbial strains as challenges for human health. Now would seem to be an opportune time to revisit old concepts of health and redefine some of these in the light of emerging challenges. The One Health concept addresses some of the demands of modern medical education by providing a holistic approach to explaining diseases that result from a complex set of interactions between humans, environment and animals, rather than just an amalgamation of isolated signs and symptoms. An added advantage is that the scope of One Health concepts has now expanded to include genetic diseases due to advancements in omics technology. Inspired by such ideas, a symposium was organised as part of the 19 International Federation of Associations of Anatomists (IFAA) Congress (August 2019) to investigate the scope of One Health concepts and comparative anatomy in contemporary medical education. Speakers with expertise in both human and veterinary anatomy participated in the symposium and provided examples where these two disciplines, which have so far evolved largely independent of each other, can collaborate for mutual benefit. Finally, the speakers identified some key concepts of One Health that should be prioritised and discussed the diverse opportunities available to integrate these priorities into a broader perspective that would attempt to explain and manage diseases within the scopes of human and veterinary medicine.
Topics: Anatomy; Anatomy, Comparative; Animals; Ecosystem; Education, Medical; One Health
PubMed: 34693516
DOI: 10.1111/joa.13570 -
TheScientificWorldJournal 2014The role of the cardiac lymphatic system has been recently appreciated since lymphatic disturbances take part in various heart pathologies. This review presents the... (Review)
Review
The role of the cardiac lymphatic system has been recently appreciated since lymphatic disturbances take part in various heart pathologies. This review presents the current knowledge about normal anatomy and structure of lymphatics and their prenatal development for a better understanding of the proper functioning of this system in relation to coronary circulation. Lymphatics of the heart consist of terminal capillaries of various diameters, capillary plexuses that drain continuously subendocardial, myocardial, and subepicardial areas, and draining (collecting) vessels that lead the lymph out of the heart. There are interspecies differences in the distribution of lymphatic capillaries, especially near the valves, as well as differences in the routes and number of draining vessels. In some species, subendocardial areas contain fewer lymphatic capillaries as compared to subepicardial parts of the heart. In all species there is at least one collector vessel draining lymph from the subepicardial plexuses and running along the anterior interventricular septum under the left auricle and further along the pulmonary trunk outside the heart and terminating in the right venous angle. The second collector assumes a different route in various species. In most mammalian species the collectors run along major branches of coronary arteries, have valves and a discontinuous layer of smooth muscle cells.
Topics: Anatomy, Comparative; Animals; Heart; Humans; Lymphangiogenesis; Lymphatic Vessels
PubMed: 24592145
DOI: 10.1155/2014/183170 -
Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine 2018Transcatheter valve interventions on the mitral and tricuspid valves entail increasing complexity. Part of the knowledge that has been generated during the development... (Review)
Review
UNLABELLED
Transcatheter valve interventions on the mitral and tricuspid valves entail increasing complexity. Part of the knowledge that has been generated during the development of mitral devices can be transferred to the tricuspid valve (TV). However, a deeper understanding of the peculiar anatomy of the TV and of the right heart chambers, together with differences and similarities between the two valves, is fundamental. This report compares the anatomy of the mitral and tricuspid valves, and its inferences with regard to transcatheter treatments.
CONDENSED ABSTRACT
This report explores anatomical similarities and differences between the mitral and the tricuspid valves, and their implications with regard to transcatheter treatments.
PubMed: 30009160
DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2018.00080 -
Journal of Experimental Zoology. Part... Jun 2015Evolutionary developmental biology has grown historically from the capacity to relate patterns of evolution in anatomy to patterns of evolution of expression of specific... (Review)
Review
Evolutionary developmental biology has grown historically from the capacity to relate patterns of evolution in anatomy to patterns of evolution of expression of specific genes, whether between very distantly related species, or very closely related species or populations. Scaling up such studies by taking advantage of modern transcriptomics brings promising improvements, allowing us to estimate the overall impact and molecular mechanisms of convergence, constraint or innovation in anatomy and development. But it also presents major challenges, including the computational definitions of anatomical homology and of organ function, the criteria for the comparison of developmental stages, the annotation of transcriptomics data to proper anatomical and developmental terms, and the statistical methods to compare transcriptomic data between species to highlight significant conservation or changes. In this article, we review these challenges, and the ongoing efforts to address them, which are emerging from bioinformatics work on ontologies, evolutionary statistics, and data curation, with a focus on their implementation in the context of the development of our database Bgee (http://bgee.org).
Topics: Anatomy, Comparative; Animals; Biological Evolution; Computational Biology; Gene Expression; Genetic Research; Growth and Development; Species Specificity; Transcriptome
PubMed: 25864439
DOI: 10.1002/jez.b.22618 -
The Medico-chirurgical Review Apr 1838
Review
PubMed: 29918450
DOI: No ID Found -
Journal of Anatomy Dec 2019The pharyngeal arches are a prominent and significant feature of vertebrate embryos. These are visible as a series of bulges on the lateral surface of the embryonic... (Review)
Review
The pharyngeal arches are a prominent and significant feature of vertebrate embryos. These are visible as a series of bulges on the lateral surface of the embryonic head. In humans, and other amniotes, there are five pharyngeal arches numbered 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6; note the missing '5'. This is the standard scheme for the numbering of these structures, and it is a feature of modern anatomy textbooks. In this article, we discuss the rationale behind this odd numbering, and consider its origins. One reason given is that there is a transient 5th arch that is never fully realized, while another is that this numbering reflects considerations from comparative anatomy. We show here, however, that neither of these reasons has substance. There is no evidence from embryology for a '5th' arch, and the comparative argument does not hold as it does not apply across the vertebrates. We conclude that there is no justification for this strange numbering. We suggest that the pharyngeal arches should simply be numbered 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 as this would be in keeping with the embryology and with the general numbering of the pharyngeal arches across the vertebrates.
Topics: Animals; Biological Evolution; Branchial Region; Head; Neural Crest; Pharynx; Vertebrates
PubMed: 31402457
DOI: 10.1111/joa.13067