Inferior vena cava

Watanabe M, Shin oka T, Tohyama S, et al. Tissue-engineered vascular autograft Inferior vena cava replacement in a dog model. Tissue Eng, 2001, 7, 429 39. 

Large free-floating clot loosely attached to the inferior vena cava wall... 

Inferior vena cava (IVC) interruption is indicated in patients with PE who have a contraindication to anticoagulation therapy... 

HCTZ Hydrochlorothiazide IVC Inferior vena cava intravenous cholangiogram... 

Retroperitoneal fibrosis An accumulation of fibrotic tissues in the retroperitoneum (the anatomic space behind the abdominal cavity). Structures that lie behind the peritoneum are thus termed retroperitoneal. These structures include kidneys, the bladder, portions of the duodenum, portions of the colon, and the inferior vena cava. 

Right atrium Right ventricle Right coronary artery Inferior vena cava Marginal branch... 

Nonpharmacologic methods improve venous blood flow by mechanical means and include early ambulation, electrical stimulation of calf muscles during prolonged surgery, graduated compression stockings, intermittent pneumatic compression devices, and inferior vena cava filters. 

FIG. 1. Phenylephrine (PE)-mediated asynchronous wave-like [Ca2+] oscillations and contraction in the rabbit inferior vena cava. (A) [Ca2+] oscillations recorded in neighbouring smooth muscle cells within the intact vessel are not synchronized between cells as they each display different frequency of oscillations. (B) Individual Ca2+ spike in PE-mediated [Ca2+]j oscillations are wave-like as different regions (1, 2 and 3) in the same ribbon-shaped VSMC experience sequential rise of [Ca2+] in time. (C) The [PE]-dependence in force generation is compared to the [PE]-dependence in the percentage recruitment of cells, the amplitude of the [Ca2+]j oscillations, the frequency of the [Ca2+]j oscillations and the apparent velocity of the recurring Ca2+ waves. (Experimental traces reproduced, with permission from Lee et al 2001.)... 

FIG. 2. Mechanism of phenylephrine (PE)-mediated wave-like [Ca2+] oscillations in the rabbit inferior vena cava. (A) PE-mediated [Ca2+]j oscillations are completely inhibited by 10 fiM cyclopiazonic acid (CPA), but the average [Ca2+ ]j remains elevated. (B) PE-mediated [Ca2+]j oscillations are abolished by 75 /iM 2-aminoethoxydiphenyl borate (2-APB). (C) Application of 10 piM nifedipine (Nif) reduced the frequency of PE-mediated [Ca2+]j oscillations while additional application of SKF96365 (SKF) completely abolished the remaining [Ca2+] oscillations. (D) Application of 100 /iM 2,4-dichlorobenzamil (2,4-DCB) completely inhibited nifedipine-resistant PE-induced [Ca2+]j oscillations and lowered the [Ca2+]j to a level that is slightly higher than baseline. Additional application of SKF96365 returned the [Ca2+]j level to baseline. (Experimental traces reproduced with permission from Lee et al 2001.)... 

FIG. 4. Ultrastructure of vascular smooth muscle of the rabbit inferior vena cava revealed with electron microscopy. Serial cross-sections of VSMCs are shown in series 1 (panel A—D) and series 2 (panel E—G). Series 1 illustrates the close spatial apposition between the superficial SR sheet and the PM with the apices of the caveolae perforating through the superficial SR sheets to come into contact with the bulk cytoplasm. The membranes of the PM (dotted line) and the SR (solid line) in panel A-D are outlined to the right of the respective panels. The close apposition between the superficial SR sheet, the PM and the neck region of the caveolae creates a narrow and expansive restricted space. Series 2 illustrates the perpendicular sheets of SR, which appear to arise from the superficial SR sheets. Mitochondria also come into close contact with the perpendicular SR sheets. Panel H contains a stylized illustration of the close association between the superficial SR sheet, which is continuous with the perpendicular sheet, the perforating caveolae (C), the PM and a mitochondrion (M). Panel I shows calyculin-A mediated dissociation of the superficial SR sheets from the PM (see arrows). The black scale bar indicated represents 200 nm of distance. 

Lee CH, Poburko D, SahotaP, Sandhu J, Ruehlmann DO, van Breemen C 2001 The mechanism of phenylephrine-mediated [Ca2+] oscillations underlying tonic contraction in the rabbit inferior vena cava. J Physiol 534 641-650... 

Elementary students are taught to think of the heart as a pump built according to a single straightforward pattern any variations from the pattern which might exist would be trifling, except, of course, in "abnormal" cases. That such is far from the case is shown by the twelve variations in the right atrium of the heart (Fig. 8). The forms of the valves of the inferior vena cava vary so much and the detailed structures are so different in size and contour as to make one almost doubt that the hearts are from the same species. 

M. Matsuo, K. Koizumi, S. Yamada, M. Tomi, R. Takahashi, M. Ueda, T. Terasaki, M. Obinata, K. Hosoya, O. Ohtani, and I. Saiki. Establishment and characterization of conditionally immortalized endothelial cell lines from the thoracic duct and inferior vena cava of tsA58/EGFP double-transgenic rats. Cell Tissue Res. 326 749-758 (2006). 

Classically the liver has been divided into hexagonal lobules centred around the terminal hepatic venules. Blood enters the liver through the portal tracts that are situated at the corners of the hexagon. The portal tracts are triads of a portal vein, an hepatic artery, and a common hepatic bile duct. The vast expanse of hepatic tissue, mostly consisting of parenchymal cells (PC) or hepatocytes, is serviced via terminal branches of the portal vein and hepatic artery, which enters the tissue at intervals. The hepatocytes are organized into cords of cells radially disposed about the central hepatic venule. Between these cords are vascular sinusoids that transport the blood to the central hepatic venules. The blood is collected through the hepatic venules into the hepatic vein which exits the liver into the inferior vena cava (Figure 4.1). 

The superior and inferior vena cava, together with the atria, are observed and then cut to isolate the ventricles (Fig. 8). 

The hepatic first-pass effect can be avoided to a great extent by use of sublingual tablets and transdermal preparations and to a lesser extent by use of rectal suppositories. Sublingual absorption provides direct access to systemic—not portal—veins. The transdermal route offers the same advantage. Drugs absorbed from suppositories in the lower rectum enter vessels that drain into the inferior vena cava, thus bypassing the liver. However, suppositories tend to move upward in the rectum into a region where veins that lead to the liver predominate. Thus, only about 50% of a rectal dose can be assumed to bypass the liver. 

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