The teaching of gross anatomy has, for centuries, relied on the dissection of human cadavers, and this formative experience is known to evoke strong emotional responses. The authors hypothesized that the phenomenon of cadaver naming is a coping mechanism used by medical students and that it correlates with other attitudes about dissection and body donation. The authors developed a 33-question electronic survey to which 1,156 medical students at 12 medical schools in the United States voluntarily responded (November 2011-March 2012). They also surveyed course directors from each institution regarding their curricula and their observations of students' coping mechanisms. The majority of students (574, 67.8%) named their cadaver. Students most commonly cited the cadaver's age as the reason they chose a particular name for the cadaver. A minority of the students who did not name the cadaver reported finding the practice of naming disrespectful. Almost all students indicated that they would have liked to know more about their donor, particularly his or her medical history. Finally, students who knew the birth name of the donor used it less frequently than predicted. The authors found that the practice of naming cadavers is extremely prevalent among medical students and that inventive naming serves as a beneficial coping mechanism. The authors suggest that developing a method of providing students with more information about their cadaver while protecting the anonymity of the donor and family would be useful.

The innervation of the bone marrow of the albino rat was investigated by electrostimulation and morphological methods. Stimulation of the lumbar sympathetic trunks resulted in the release of reticulocytes and neutrophils into the circulating blood. The effects of stimulation on other cell types in the bone marrow could not be definitely established. It was concluded that the nerve fibers to the bone marrow were distributed to the arteries. It is postulated that the transmitter substance released at the autonomic nerve endings may have an effect upon the permeability of the venous sinusoids and the mobility of the blood cells in the marrow parenchyma resulting in their release into the circulating blood.

Blood vessels of the rat superior cervical ganglion were examined by both light and electron microscopy. Direct blood supply to the superior cervical ganglion was derived from a capsular plexus of vessels. Intraganglionic vessels were for the most part capillaries. Some of these capillaries appeared dilated and sinusoidal. Although the ganglion did not seem to be densely vascularized, there was sufficient distribution to accommodate the nerve cell bodies of the ganglion. Individual capillaries served groups of neurons. Occasionally, capillary loops could be observed to surround single neuron perikarya. Ultrastructural studies revealed the presence of two types of capillaries. The majority of the capillaries of the rat superior cervical ganglion demonstrated a continuous, non-fenestrated endothelium. Typical junctional complexes were found on abutting endothelial surfaces. Endothelial flaps and microvilli were also observed on the luminal surface of some of the vessels. Numerous micropinocytotic vesicles were observed on both the luminal and abluminal surfaces of the endothelium. A small number of capillaries demonstrated a fenestrated endothelium. In both types of capillaries there was a basement membrane and an extracellular space containing collagen. Perikaryal cytoplasm was separated from the extracellular space by a thick layer of satellite cell cytoplasm.

No abstract

The permeability of the blood vessels in the superior cervical ganglion of the rat was tested by intravenous injection of horseradish peroxidase (HRP). By light microscopy, peroxidase activity was found in three locations: in the capsule of the ganglion, in the lumina of the blood vessels, and within macrophages. Electron microscopy revealed that virtually all ganglionic blood vessels contained HRP 5 minutes following its administration. The intensity of peroxidase activity declined over the period of 15 minutes. The enzyme was localized on the luminal surface of the endothelial cells, attaching to the glycocalyx. Endothelial microvilli, projecting into the vessel lumen, were also covered with peroxidase. Micropinocytotic vesicles on the luminal surface of the endothelium contained reaction product. Some of these vesicles were free within the cytoplasm of the endothelium but none was observed on the abluminal surface. Peroxidase activity was not detected in the extracellular space even after 15 minutes. The majority of blood vessels in the superior cervical ganglion possess a continuous endothelium with tight junctions; features associated with the blood-brain barrier of the central nervous system and peripheral nerves. It is proposed that these vessels perform a barrier function between the capillary circulation and the superior cervical ganglion.