Fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) is a circulating hormone important in phosphate homeostasis. Abnormal serum levels of FGF23 result in systemic pathologies in humans and mice, including renal phosphate wasting diseases and hyperphosphatemia. We sought to uncover the role FGF23 plays in the auditory system due to shared molecular mechanisms and genetic pathways between ear and kidney developm...

--Dried scleral rings of Opisthocomus, Galliformes, Cuculiformes, and other birds were examined to determine the pattern of ossicle overlap in Opisthocomus and its bearing on the phylogenetic relationships of this taxon. Although Opisthocomus shares a derived number of 12 scleral ossicles with cuculid Cuculiformes, the pattern of ossicle overlap differs. Nevertheless, fewer modifications are re...

Despite the fact that cartilage, cortical bone and corneal homograft tissue is still widely used in South Africa and that there has never been a reported case of human immunodeficiency virus or Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease infection transmission via this route, otolaryngologists are still reluctant to use homograft ossicles. In third world countries, such as South Africa, where ossicular prosthese...

Recent studies have reported that crustacean age determination is possible. We applied a direct ageing method (i.e. transverse cross sectioning of gastric ossicles) to a subtropical freshwater crayfish (Cherax quadricarinatus) sourced from an aquaculture population. Growth mark periodicity and the potential for chronological depositions were investigated by staining C. quadricarinatus with calc...

Address for Correspondence: M.Pramila Padmini, Assistant Professor, Department of Anatomy, Maharajah’s Institute of Medical Sciences, Nellimarla, Vizianagaram, Andhra Pradesh, India. Ph. No.: +919949519333. E-Mail: [email protected]. Access this Article online Quick Response code Web site: Assistant Professor1, Professor & HOD2. Department of anatomy, Maharajah’s Institute of Medical Sciences, ...

The first morphological observation of a euryalid brittle star, Asteronyx loveni, using non-destructive X-ray micro-computed tomography (µCT) was performed. The body of euryalids is covered by thick skin, and it is very difficult to observe the ossicles without dissolving the skin. Computed tomography with micrometer resolution (approximately 4.5-15.4 µm) was used to construct 3D images of skel...

Anomaly of the ossicles is frequently seen in a patient with congenital anomalies of the head or face, such as congenital obstruction of the external ear canal, Treacher Collins syndrome or cephalopathy. Congenital anomaly of the ossicles however is not a rare occurrence even in a patient without anomalies of the head or face. Here, we would present our own experience with six cases of congenit...

Human umbilical cord blood (CB) has attracted much attention as a reservoir for functional hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells, and, recently, as a source of blood-borne fibroblasts (CB-BFs). Previously, we demonstrated that bone marrow stromal cell (BMSC) and CB-BF pellet cultures make cartilage in vitro Furthermore, upon in vivo transplantation, BMSC pellets remodelled into miniature bone...