In an attempt to induce experimental varicosity, reverse perforant vein development was initiated in the rat leg by applying a chronic (14 and 32 weeks) partial stricture on the main branch of the deep femoral vein. At surfacing of the incompetent perforantes, typical reticular vein plaques and spider veins were identified by video-microscopy and quantitative histology. Deep vein blood was channeled by them into the saphenous vein system, the extra flow deforming these vessels, causing local dilations and broken course, even undulations of larger branches.

To develop a methodology for cannulating porcine retinal venules using a robotic assistive arm after inducing a retinal vein occlusion using the photosensitizer rose bengal.

No abstract available

Modern neurosurgery uses preoperative imaging daily. Three-dimensional reconstruction of the cortical anatomy and of the superficial veins helps the surgeons plan and perform neurosurgical procedures much more safely. The target is always to give the patient maximum benefit in terms of outcome and minimize intraoperative and postoperative complications. This study aims to develop a method for the combined representation of the cerebral cortex anatomy and the superficial cerebral veins, whose integration is beneficial in daily practice. Only those patients who underwent surgical procedures with craniotomy and a large opening of the dura mater were included in this study, for a total of 23 patients, 13 females (56.5%) and 10 males (43.5%). The average age was 50.1 years. We used a magnetic resonance tomograph Magnetom Vision® 1.5T (Siemens AG). Two sequences were applied: a strongly T1-weighted magnetization-prepared rapid acquisition with gradient echo (MPRAGE) sequence to visualize cerebral anatomical structures, and a FLASH-2D-TOF angiography sequence to visualize the venous vessels on the cortical surface after the administration of a paramagnetic contrast agent. The two data sets were superimposed manually, co-registered in an interactive process, and merged to create a combined data set, segmented and visualized as a three-dimensional reconstruction. Furthermore, we present our method for visualizing superficial veins, which helps manage brain shift (BS). We also performed anatomical observations on the reconstructions. The reconstructions of the cortical and venous anatomy proved to be a valuable tool in surgical planning and positively influenced the surgical procedure. Due to the good correlation with the existing surgical site, this method should be validated on a larger cohort or in a multicentric study.

In the anesthetized sheep, pressure pulses generated in the feet are transmitted downstream in the veins but not in the lymphatics at normal intralymphatic pressure. When the sheep is tilted on a tilt table, gravitational changes occur in venous pressure but not in the pressure in adjacent lymphatics. These results suggest that in limb lymphatics, unlike limb veins, the column of fluid is incomplete. This makes extrinsic pumping less effective for propelling fluid in lymphatics than in veins. At normal intralymphatic pressures, intrinsic pumping seems to be mainly responsible for lymph propulsion. The incompleteness of the fluid column in lymphatics might also protect these vessels against the hydrostatic problems experienced by veins during gravitational stress.

Ultrasonography (US) is the recommended imaging technique to evaluate jugular veins. This prospective randomized clinical study was designed to collect a series of B-mode US measurements of manually distended jugular veins in healthy Italian Standardbreds and to find possible correlations between ultrasound measurements and animal morphometric characteristics. Forty-two horses, eight males and 34 females (range 3-22 years; bodyweight 494.4 ± 41.7 kg), were included in the study. The diameters and wall thicknesses of both jugular veins were measured at three different sites of the neck. The differences in ultrasound measurements based on scans, age, gender, side, and site of the neck were evaluated by ANOVA or by the Kruskal-Wallis test. The effects of the morphometric measures on each ultrasound parameter were evaluated by MANOVA (P < 0.05).

In the first years of life, subdural haemorrhage (SDH) within the cranial cavity can occur through accidental and non-accidental mechanisms as well as from birth-related injury. This type of bleeding is the most common finding in victims of abusive head trauma (AHT). Historically, the most frequent cause of SDHs in infancy is suggested to be traumatic damage to bridging veins traversing from the brain to the dural membrane. However, several alternative hypotheses have been suggested for the cause and origin of subdural bleeding. It has also been suggested by some that bridging veins are too large to rupture through the forces associated with AHT. To date, there have been no systematic anatomical studies on infant bridging veins. During 43 neonatal, infant and young child post-mortem examinations, we have mapped the locations and numbers of bridging veins onto a 3D model of the surface of a representative infant brain. We have also recorded the in situ diameter of 79 bridging veins from two neonatal, one infant and two young children at post-mortem examination. Large numbers of veins, both distant from and directly entering the dural venous sinuses, were discovered travelling between the brain and dural membrane, with the mean number of veins per brain being 54.1 and the largest number recorded as 94. The mean diameter of the bridging veins was 0.93 mm, with measurements ranging from 0.05 to 3.07 mm. These data demonstrate that some veins are extremely small and subjectively, and they appear to be delicate. Characterisation of infant bridging veins will contribute to the current understanding of potential vascular sources of subdural bleeding and could also be used to further develop computational models of infant head injury.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are key regulatory molecules involved in a variety of biological processes and human diseases. However, the pathological effects of lncRNAs on primary varicose great saphenous veins (GSVs) remain unclear. The purpose of the present study was to identify aberrantly expressed lncRNAs involved in the prevalence of GSV varicosities and predict their potential functions. Using microarray with 33,045 lncRNA and 30,215 mRNA probes, 557 lncRNAs and 980 mRNAs that differed significantly in expression between the varicose great saphenous veins and control veins were identified in six pairs of samples. These lncRNAs were sub-grouped and mRNAs expressed at different levels were clustered into several pathways with six focused on metabolic pathways. Quantitative real-time PCR replication of nine lncRNAs was performed in 32 subjects, validating six lncRNAs (AF119885, AK021444, NR_027830, G36810, NR_027927, uc.345-). A coding-non-coding gene co-expression network revealed that four of these six lncRNAs may be correlated with 11 mRNAs and pathway analysis revealed that they may be correlated with another 8 mRNAs associated with metabolic pathways. In conclusion, aberrantly expressed lncRNAs for GSV varicosities were here systematically screened and validated and their functions were predicted. These findings provide novel insight into the physiology of lncRNAs and the pathogenesis of varicose veins for further investigation. These aberrantly expressed lncRNAs may serve as new therapeutic targets for varicose veins. The Human Ethnics Committee of Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine approved the study (NO.: 2011-DF-53).

Biopsy specimens were obtained from 138 arteries and concomitant veins in different anatomic regions of both healthy subjects and patients undergoing surgery of various kinds. A fibrin slide technique was used to determine plasminogen activator (PA) activity, no significant difference being found between activity in arteries and that in veins, other than in epigastric veins where it was significantly greater. Arterial PA activity was similar in both healthy and uraemic subjects, and was unaffected by uraemia due to diabetes or other renal disorder, and by such factors as age and sex. Correlation between arterial activity and that in concomitant veins was found for all the anatomic regions studied.

The literature showing information regarding ovarian venous variation, its diameter and termination distance from respective renal venous origin are limited. This information is important in various surgical and clinical procedures including venous embolization, vascular reconstruction during renal transplantation and localizing the source of origin of a pelvic mass. We examined 94 sides of 47 formalin fixed female cadavers and noted the course and termination of ovarian veins. We measured the diameter of ovarian veins at their termination point and the termination distance in respect to the termination point of renal veins at inferior vena cava (IVC) on respective sides. We found two cases of variations related to right ovarian vein -one, right ovarian vein joined the right renal vein; two, right ovarian vein duplicated and joined with IVC at two different points. We found one case of variation related to left ovarian vein-a partially duplicated left ovarian vein. All the variations were unilateral. The mean diameters of right and left ovarian veins were 3.66±1.18 and 4.20±0.96 mm, respectively. The distance of termination of ovarian veins ranged from 19-40 mm and 13-41 mm, respectively from termination points of right and left renal veins at IVC on respective sides. Our study presents a set of data regarding variation of ovarian veins, diameters and termination distances which could be useful for gynecologists, surgeons and radiologists.

The aim of this systematic review is to provide an overview of the use of Four-Dimensional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of vector blood flow (4D Flow MRI) in the abdominal veins. This study was composed according to the PRISMA guidelines 2009. The literature search was conducted in MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and Web of Science. Quality assessment of the included studies was performed using the QUADAS-2 tool. The initial search yielded 781 studies and 21 studies were included. All studies successfully applied 4D Flow MRI in abdominal veins. Four-Dimensional Flow MRI was capable of discerning between healthy subjects and patients with cirrhosis and/or portal hypertension. The visual quality and inter-observer agreement of 4D Flow MRI were rated as excellent and good to excellent, respectively, and the studies utilized several different MRI data sampling strategies. By applying spiral sampling with compressed sensing to 4D Flow MRI, the blood flow of several abdominal veins could be imaged simultaneously in 18-25 s, without a significant loss of visual quality. Four-Dimensional Flow MRI might be a useful alternative to Doppler sonography for the diagnosis of cirrhosis and portal hypertension. Further clinical studies need to establish consensus regarding MRI sampling strategies in patients and healthy subjects.

The vascular system is highly conserved in all vertebrates in the aspects of anatomy as well as in the genetic mechanism governing it. The embryo of the medaka, Oryzias latipes is small and transparent, providing many advantages for the experimental analysis of the vertebrate vascular system. We isolated a novel medaka transglutaminase gene, termed embryonic transglutaminase, and found that it showed the highest homology to the coagulation factor XIII A subunit of mammals. This gene is expressed in the anterior lateral plate mesoderm, and then expressed specifically in yolk veins consisting two ducts of Cuvier and the vitellocaudal vein. Our data is the first finding that a coagulation factor XIII-like gene is expressed in the early vascular development of vertebrates.

The lumens of the superior ophthalmic vein, the intraorbital communicating branch of the angular vein and the supraorbital vein of 19 adult male cadavers (38 orbits) were studied to find lunate venous valves in 79% of the cadavers, or 68% of the orbits. Of the 71 valves found, 39% were in the communicating branch of the angular vein, 58% in the supraorbital vein, and 2.8% in the superior ophthalmic vein. The mean distances from the valves in the communicating branch of the angular vein and those in the supraorbital vein to their junction to the superior ophthalmic vein were respectively 2.12 +/- 1.46 mm and 3.05 +/- 1.84 mm. It was important to note that the valvular sinuses opened toward the cavernous sinus.

The differentiation of veins in the Drosophila wing relies on localised expression of decapentaplegic (dpp) in pro-vein territories during pupal development. The expression of dpp in the pupal veins requires the integrity of the shortvein region (shv), localised 5' to the coding region. It is likely that this DNA integrates positive and negative regulatory signals directing dpp transcription during pupal development. Here, we identify a minimal 0.9 kb fragment giving localised expression in the vein L5 and a 0.5 kb fragment giving expression in all longitudinal veins. Using a combination of in vivo expression of reporter genes regulated by shv sequences, in vitro binding assays and sequence comparisons between the shv region of different Drosophila species, we found binding sites for the vein-specific transciption factors Araucan, Knirps and Ventral veinless, as well as binding sites for the Dpp pathway effectors Mad and Med. We conclude that conserved vein-specific enhancers regulated by transcription factors expressed in individual veins collaborate with general vein and intervein regulators to establish and maintain the expression of dpp confined to the veins during pupal development.

Vein graft adaptation to the arterial environment is characterized by loss of venous identity, with reduced Ephrin type-B receptor 4 (Eph-B4) expression but without increased Ephrin-B2 expression. We examined changes of vessel identity of human saphenous veins in a flow circuit in which shear stress could be precisely controlled. Medium circulated at arterial or venous magnitudes of laminar shear stress for 24 hours; histologic, protein, and RNA analyses of vein segments were performed. Vein endothelium remained viable and functional, with platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule (PECAM)-expressing cells on the luminal surface. Venous Eph-B4 expression diminished (p = .002), Ephrin-B2 expression was not induced (p = .268), and expression of osteopontin (p = .002) was increased with exposure to arterial magnitudes of shear stress. Similar changes were not found in veins placed under venous flow or static conditions. These data show that human saphenous veins remain viable during ex vivo application of shear stress in a bioreactor, without loss of the venous endothelium. Arterial magnitudes of shear stress cause loss of venous identity without gain of arterial identity in human veins perfused ex vivo. Shear stress alone, without immunologic or hormonal influence, is capable of inducing changes in vessel identity and, specifically, loss of venous identity.

Molecular pathways regulating the development of arterial and venous endothelial cells (ECs) are now well established, but control of parallel arterial-venous alignment is unclear. Here we report that arterial-venous alignment in the skin is determined by apelin receptor (APJ) expression in venous ECs. One of the activators of APJ is apelin. We found that apelin is produced by arterial ECs during embryogenesis, induces chemotaxis of venous ECs, and promotes the production of secreted Frizzled-related protein 1 (sFRP1) by APJ(+) ECs. sFRP1 stimulates matrix metalloproteinase production by Ly6B.2(+) neutrophil-like cells located between the arteries and veins, resulting in remodeling of extracellular matrices to support venous displacement. Moreover, using apelin- or APJ-deficient mice, which exhibit arterial-venous disorganization, we found that arterial-venous alignment is involved in thermoregulation, possibly by regulating countercurrent heat exchange. We hypothesize that the evolution of parallel juxtapositional arterial-venous alignment was an adaptation to reduce body heat loss.

The main aim of this article is to establish the actual prevalence of renal vein variations (circumaortic renal vein, retroaortic renal vein, double renal vein), and to increase awareness about them. To this purpose, we have performed a meta-analysis of prevalence, using the MetaXL package, We included 105 articles in the final analysis of prevalence, of which 88 contained data about retroaortic renal vein, 84 - about circumaortic renal vein, and 51 - about multiple renal veins. The overall prevalence for retroaortic renal vein was 3% (CI:2.4-3.6%), for circumaortic renal vein - 3.5% (CI:2.8-4.4%), and for multiple renal veins - 16.7% (14.3-19.2%), much higher on the right 16.6 (14.2-19.1%) than on the left side 2.1 (1.3-3.2%). The results were relatively homogenous between studies, with only a minor publication bias overall.

An antegrade approach is frequently used in catheter-directed thrombolysis to remove deep-vein thrombosis. However, the antegrade approach is difficult when accessing veins with small diameters; therefore, understanding the variation of deep calf vein is important.

Serotonin (5-HT, 5-hydroxytryptamine) reduces blood pressure of the conscious rat when administered chronically (1 week). 5-HT does not directly relax isolated arteries, and microsphere experiments in 5-HT-infused rats suggested that 5-HT increased flow to the splanchnic bed. We hypothesized that 5-HT increased splanchnic flow because of direct venous relaxation; our focus was thus on the superior mesenteric vein (SMV) as an important vein in splanchnic circulation. Real-time RT-PCR, immunohistochemistry and Western analyses supported the predominant expression of the 5-HT2B and 5-HT7 receptor in the SMV. The SMV was mounted in tissue baths for measurement of isometric contraction. 5-HT caused a concentration-dependent relaxation of the endothelin-1 (ET-1)-contracted vein. The threshold of 5-HT-induced venous relaxation was significantly lower than for 5-HT-induced venous contraction (∼2 vs. 700 nmol/L, respectively). A series of serotonergic agonists established in their use of receptor characterization was tested, and the following rank order of potency found for agonist-induced relaxation (receptor selectivity): 5-CT (5-HT1/5-HT7)>5-HT = LP-44 (5-HT7)>PNU109291 (5-HT1D) = BW723C86 (5-HT2B). 8-OH-DPAT (5-HT1A/7), CP93129 (5-HT1B), mCPBG (5-HT3/4), AS19 (5-HT7) and TCB-2 (5-HT2A) did not relax the isolated vein. Consistent with these findings, two different 5-HT7 receptor antagonists SB 269970 and LY215840 but not the 5-HT2B receptor antagonist LY272015 nor the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor LNNA abolished 5-CT-induced relaxation of the isolated SMV. 5-CT (1 μg kg(-1) min(-1), sc) also reduced blood pressure over 7 days. These findings suggest that 5-HT directly relaxes the SMV primarily through activation of the 5-HT7 receptor.

Several modalities are used for the treatment of varicose veins. Open surgical treatment with ligation and stripping of the saphenous vein has been the standard of care for many years. Endovenous thermal ablation has been shown to be a safe and effective alternative with high, long-term, target-vein closure rates. Despite this, there is the possibility of thermal injury to surrounding structures. The recently introduced cyanoacrylate closure is also considered to be a good alternative and the risk of injury to surrounding structures is minimal. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the non-inferiority of cyanoacrylate closure with the VenaSeal™ closure system compared to surgical stripping in terms of clinical outcomes for the treatment of incompetent great saphenous veins.