Retia mirabilia: Protecting the cetacean brain from locomotion-generated blood pressure pulses

Neuroanatomy of the Cetacean Sensory Systems

Cetaceans have undergone profound sensory adaptations in response to their aquatic environment during evolution. These adaptations are characterised by anatomo-functional changes in the classically defined sensory systems, shaping their neuroanatomy accordingly. This review offers a concise and up-to-date overview of our current understanding of the neuroanatomy associated with cetacean sensory systems. It encompasses a wide spectrum, ranging from the peripheral sensory cells responsible for detecting environmental cues, to the intricate structures within the central nervous system that process and interpret sensory information. Despite considerable progress in this field, numerous knowledge gaps persist, impeding a comprehensive and integrated understanding of their sensory adaptations, and through them, of their sensory perspective. By synthesising recent advances in neuroanatomical research, this review aims to shed light on the intricate sensory alterations that differentiate cetaceans from other mammals and allow them to thrive in the marine environment. Furthermore, it highlights pertinent knowledge gaps and invites future investigations to deepen our understanding of the complex processes in cetacean sensory ecology and anatomy, physiology and pathology in the scope of conservation biology.

Revised concept of rete-like collateral formation: Rete mirabile does not exist in humans

The carotid rete is a physiological network between the external and internal carotid arteries (ICA) in lower vertebrates. However, true carotid rete does not exist in humans. This review aimed to contrast the physiological function of human "rete-like collaterals" with that of lower vertebrate "rete mirabile". An explanation for the development of rete-like collaterals in human intracranial arteries was also discussed. The rete mirabile (carotid, vertebral, spinal, and thoracic) in lower vertebrates has a specific physiological role and does not form vasculature for the same purpose in humans. Therefore, the term "rete mirabile" should not be used for cases reported in humans. Instead, "rete-like collaterals" is preferred. In the literature, rete-like or arterial anastomosis was observed in the ICA cavernous portion and the intradural arteries. Based on the hypothesis of the segmental concept, it applies to the ICA and intracranial arteries. Whether in the ICA, middle cerebral artery, posterior cerebral artery, or posterior inferior cerebellar artery, the segmental concept is the same and should be considered to have formed secondary collaterals after segmental regress or dysgenesis of affected arteries. Summarily, the significance of this review lies in its reevaluation of vascular structures previously described as "carotid rete" in humans to a true and preferred term, "rete-like collaterals". It also provides insights into the historical context and potential genetic factors associated with the formation of arteries in humans, contributing to a better understanding of human vascular anatomy.

Multimodal Assessment of Bottlenose Dolphin Auditory Nuclei Using 7-Tesla MRI, Immunohistochemistry and Stereology

The importance of assessing neurochemical processes in the cetacean brain as a tool for monitoring their cognitive health and to indirectly model human neurodegenerative conditions is increasingly evident, although available data are largely semiquantitative. High-resolution MRI for post-mortem brains and stereology allow for quantitative assessments of the cetacean brain. In this study, we scanned two brains of bottlenose dolphins in a 7-Tesla (7T) MR scanner and assessed the connectivity of the inferior colliculi and ventral cochlear nuclei using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Serial thick sections were investigated stereologically in one of the dolphins to generate rigorous quantitative estimates of identifiable cell types according to their morphology and expression of molecular markers, yielding reliable cell counts with most coefficients of error <10%. Fibronectin immunoreactivity in the dolphin resembled the pattern in a human chronic traumatic encephalopathy brain, suggesting that neurochemical compensation for insults such as hypoxia may constitute a noxious response in humans, while being physiological in dolphins. These data contribute to a growing body of knowledge on the morphological and neurochemical properties of the dolphin brain and highlight a stereological and neuroimaging workflow that may enable quantitative and translational assessment of pathological processes in the dolphin brain in the future.

Recasting the whale's wonderful net

Modification of cerebral vasculature helps to cushion the brains of whales and dolphins against injury.