Morphometric and Immunohistochemical Characteristics of the Adult Human Soft Palate Muscles

The soft palate is the only structure that reversibly separates the respiratory and gastrointestinal systems. Most species can eat and breathe at the same time. Humans cannot do this and malfunction of the soft palate may allow food to enter the lungs and cause fatal aspiration pneumonia. Speech is the most defining characteristic of humans and the soft palate, along with the larynx and tongue, plays the key roles. In addition, palatal muscles are involved in snoring and obstructive sleep apnea. Considering the significance of the soft palate, its function is insufficiently understood. The objectives of this study were to document morphometric and immunohistochemical characteristics of adult human soft palate muscles, including fiber size, the fiber type, and myosin heavy chain (MyHC) composition for better understanding muscle functions. In this study, 15 soft palates were obtained from human autopsies. The palatal muscles were separated, cryosectioned, and stained using histological and immunohistochemical techniques. The results showed that there was a fast type II predominance in the musculus uvulae and palatopharyngeus and a slow type I predominance in the levator veli palatine. Approximately equal proportions of type I and type II fibers existed in both the palatoglossus and tensor veli palatine. Soft palate muscles also contained hybrid fibers and some specialized myofibers expressing slow-tonic and embryonic MyHC isoforms. These findings would help better understand muscle functions.

Development and Validity of Questionnaire for Healthy Adult Human Participants of Early Phase Bioequivalence Pharmacokinetic Endpoint Study

Participation of humans in clinical research is always remained questionable. Hence evaluation of such doubt helps to conclude the perception about such participation. This research presents the process for development and validation of questionnaire for Healthy Adult Human Participants of Early Phase Bioequivalence Pharmacokinetic Endpoint Study. For development of questionnaire, literature search, experts’ discussion and authors’ experience was used for domain identification and its segregation for different variables. For validity of questionnaire, face validity and content validity was performed. Modification was done based on response from experts during non-quantitative face validity. % of overall agreement was 94.55 for question asked in face validity. While, Content Validity Ratio and Content Validity Index was calculated using the process mentioned by Lawshe and Lynn respectively. Initially 83 items were identified but based on validation 84 items were finalized after removal of three and addition of four questions. Deleted three items had Content Validity Ratio of 0.00, 0.67 and 0.67 and which were below accepted level of 0.99. While, I-CVI was observed from range of 0.83 to 1.00 and S-CVI values were above acceptable level of 0.90 for S-CVI (S-CVI/ Ave) and 0.80 for S-CVI (S-CVI/UA) for whole questionnaire and each part.

Demographic and Participation Details of Healthy Adult Human Participants of Early Phase Bioequivalence Pharmacokinetic Endpoint Study

This paper presents the results of Demographic and Participation Details of Healthy Adult Human Participants of Early Phase Bioequivalence Pharmacokinetic Endpoint Study. For that data of 50 participants was collected using self-administered questionnaire. After ethics approval, data were collected between between Jul-21 and Aug-21 from Gujarat state of India. Results of demographic and participation details are tabulated by its frequency and percentage. Participants are participating more whose age range were 18-41 years, income less than one lakh, education below Higher Secondary and having private job or wage-earner. Age of first time participation was found in range of 18-41 years and frequency of number studies in which participant participated were found from 01 to 20 studies. Also Chi-Square results suggested there is significant (p < 0.05) relation (I) between the Education and Age of first time participation (II) between the occupation and number of times participated.

Inferior Extensions of the Atrioventricular Node

The pathways for excitation of the atrioventricular node enter either superiorly, as the so-called ‘fast’ pathway, or inferiorly as the ‘slow’ pathway. However, knowledge of the specific anatomical details of these pathways is limited. Most of the experimental studies that established the existence of these pathways were conducted in mammalian hearts, which have subtle differences to human hearts. In this review, the authors summarise their recent experiences investigating human cardiac development, correlating these results with the arrangement of the connections between the atrial myocardium and the compact atrioventricular node as revealed by serial sectioning of adult human hearts. They discuss the contributions made from the atrioventricular canal myocardium, as opposed to the primary ring. Both these rings are incorporated into the atrial vestibules, albeit with the primary ring contributing only to the tricuspid vestibule. The atrial septal cardiomyocytes are relatively late contributors to the nodal inputs. Finally, they relate our findings of human cardiac development to the postnatal arrangement.

Difference in Thickness Between Right Ventricle and Left Ventricle of Adult Human Heart: A Cadaveric Study

Background: The left ventricle is longer and narrower than the right ventricle, extending from its base in the plane of the atrioventricular groove to the cardiac apex. The wall of the left ventricle is three times thicker (8-12 mm) than those of right ventricle. The wall of the right ventricle is relatively thin (3–5 mm), the ratio of the thickness of the two ventricular walls usually being 1:3. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is characterized by myocardial wall thickening, particularly a disproportionate thickening of the interventricular septum in comparison with the posterior wall. An athlete’s heart may physiologically hypertrophy but in a uniform fashion. The objective of the study is to determine the thickness of wall of right and left ventricle of adult human heart and ratio of thickness of right and left ventricle. Materials and Methods: Adult human hearts were procured from the specimens preserved in Anatomy Department of Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences. A cross-sectional study was conducted on forty- four specimen of adult heart. The measurement of the right and left ventricular wall was done with digital vernier caliper. The measurements were done at three levels in both right and left ventricle: upper, middle and lower part. Result and Conclusion: The ratio of the thickness of the wall of right and left ventricle is well known as 1:3. However, in our study we found the ratio as 1:1.4. We found the thickness of the right ventricle thicker than the normal thickness reported in previous studies. We wish to continue the study with a larger sample size. KEY WORDS: Heart, Right ventricle, left ventricle, Thickness Ratio, Myocardium.