Folia Morphologica 2010, tom 69, nr 2

The African giant pouched rat (Cricetomys gambianus) is a representative of the Muridae family,which constitutes a group of the order Rodentia. They are also known as “fancy rats” or “comic rats” dueto their comical facial expression whilst they have an engorged pouch. They are found in Central and WestAfrican countries, including Nigeria...

The final stage of sympathetic development is the establishment of synaptic connections, which,for sympathetic neurons, can include alternations in neurotransmitter phenotypes [5].The neurotransmitter features in sympathetic neurons are subject to change during ontogenesis...

The ambient cistern (AC), as a part of the subarachnoid space, forms part of the complex cisternalsystem surrounding the mesencephalon and pons at the level above and below the tentorium cerebelli.This fact makes the AC a structure composed of two levels: supratentorial and subtentorial...

The pterygopalatine fossa (PPF) is a small area that lies deep in the cranial base and has extensivecommunication with contiguous cranial base areas (such as the middle cranial fossa, orbit, nasal cavity,oral cavity, and infratemporal fossa) [7]. The PPF has been called, somewhat facetiously, “the PiccadillyCircus of the face” [18]. Most of the surgical procedures that have been used for the removal of lesions involving the PPF...

For a long time, it was believed that the endocrine pancreas belonged to a category of tissues thatwere finally differentiated and irreplaceable in the adult. This was mainly supported by the low replicationrate of endocrine cells in adulthood [48]. In the light of many recent data, this point of view hasbeen drastically changed...

Septal papillary muscles (musculi papillares septales, MPS), similarly to other papillary muscles, areessential elements of the heart valvular system. Dam- age to their structure may lead to a considerablelife risk [5, 10]. Two groups of septal papillary muscles were distinguished, i.e. constant and variable. To the firstgroup belongs a muscle of the arterial cone (m. conti arteriosi or m. subarterialis, MCA) that always oc-curs and lies on the most anterior part of the sep- tum...

The interdigital sinus is a unique anatomical structure, which is mainly found in ruminants. Thesinus is a socket-like invagination of the skin with special structure and function. Light microscope studieshave indicated that these anatomical structures are composed mainly of a sweat and a sebaceouscomponent as well as of hairs...

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by hyperglycaemia. It may be due toa decrease in the synthesis of insulin (Type-I diabetes) or due to a decrease in the secretion of insulinfrom beta-cells of islets of the pancreas (Type-II diabetes) [25]. The increased glucose level generatesglucose auto oxidation and auto oxidative glycosylation of proteins, which leads to oxidative stress byincreasing the reactive oxygen species...

Congenital diaphragmatic hernia occurs in 1 in every 2000–3000 live births and accounts for 8% ofall major congenital anomalies. The risk of recurrence of isolated congenital diaphragmatic hernia in futuresiblings is approximately 2%. Familial congenital diaphragmatic hernia is rare (< 2% of all cases),and both autosomal recessive and autosomal dominant patterns of inheritance have been reported...