70 - The Gift That Keeps on Giving: The Use of Cadaveric Tissue for Histological Education and Research

Poster Board Number: 70
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Odd poster #s – first hour
Even poster #s – second hour

Co-authors:

Ruby Martini, BS - Modern Human Anatomy Master's Program - University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus; Briauna blezinski-Johnson, MS - Instructor, Cell and developmental biology, University of Colorado Anschutz school of medicine; Chelsea Lohman, PhD - Assistant professor, Cell and developmental biology, University of Colorado Anschutz school of medicine; Lisa Lee, PhD - Associate professor, Cell and developmental biology, University of Colorado Anschutz school of medicine

Abstract Body : Cadaveric donors are potentially powerful educational resources in the increasingly integrated and inquiry-driven medical curricula. Previous studies confirmed histological integrity of cadaveric tissues for education and research; however, varied embalming protocols and limited access to histotechnology or experts confine the full use of donors’ gifts. The goal of this project was to examine histologic integrity of cadaveric tissue from donors that underwent different embalming techniques and increase histological resources for male and female reproductive organs. Two cadaveric donors with consent for educational and research use were identified. The 79-year-old male donor record included history of glioblastoma, coronary artery disease, and type II diabetes. The 34-year-old female donor record included sepsis, pneumonia, colon cancer, and autoimmune liver failure. The male donors’ postmortem cooler (40°F) storage period was 47 days before embalming with a 2:1 Maryland Anatomical Fluid (MAF) to water solution for 6 hours. The female donor’s postmortem storage period was 7 days before embalming with a 1:1 MAF to water solution for 6 hours. Both donors were then stored for 6 months at 40°F before dissection began. During dissection, no differences in preservation quality of the donors was noted. Five tissue samples of penile shaft and 10 inferior urethral/vaginal block were collected from each donor in 0.5cm thick sections. Histological processing was completed by the CU Anschutz Research Histology Laboratory and prepared slides were reviewed by histology experts for tissue quality. Microscopic observations of the tissues from both donors revealed poorly preserved, denuded lining epithelia; however, all surrounding connective tissues, neurovasculature, and glands retained good histological integrity with clear cellular outline and nuclear features without much autolysis. Pathological changes of penile tissue included thickened tunica albuginea with metaplastic bone tissues (noticed during dissection) and severe vasculopathies were observed. In this project, feasibility of histological study from cadaveric tissues was explored. Despite a varied embalming protocol, histological integrity of cadaveric tissues was adequate. This study revealed that gross findings during dissection can be confirmed histologically and further reveal microscopic pathologies not apparent during dissection. These results confirm the potential of cadavers for histopathologic integration in healthcare curricula. Future directions include expanding this study to more diverse organs and evaluating embalming protocols most suitable for expanding the gift of body donation for histological studies.