The effect of intraurethral heparin on inflammation and spongiofibrosis in a rat model of experimentally induced urethral trauma.

AIM: To determine the effect of heparin administered during the early post urethral trauma period on inflammation and spongiofibrosis in rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included 24 male rats that were randomized into 3 groups of 8 each. The urethra was traumatized using a 24-G needle sheath in all rats. Group 1 (control group) received intraurethral saline 0.9% injected b.i.d. for 27 days, group 2 received intraurethral Na-heparin (liquemine-Roche) 1500 IU kg-1 injected b.i.d. for 27 days, and group 3 received intraurethral Na-heparin 1500 IU kg-1 injected b.i.d and saline 0.9% s.i.d. for 27 days. On day 28 the rats' penises were degloved and penectomy was performed. Inflammation, spongiofibrosis, and congestion in the urethra were investigated in each group. RESULTS: A statistically significant difference was found between the three groups (control, heparin, and heparin + saline) in the histopathological status of spongiofibrosis, inflammation, and congestion, respectively (P = 0.0001, P = 0.002, P = 0.0001). Severe spongiofibrosis was observed in six (75%) of the rats in group 1 (control group), whereas severe spongiofibrosis was not observed in group 2 (heparin) or group 3 (heparin + saline). CONCLUSION: We observed that intraurethral Na-heparin 1500 IU kg-1 injectioned during the early posturethral trauma period in rats significantly decreased inflammation, spongiofibrosis, and congestion.

Comparison of different models for estimation of direct and maternal genetic parameters on body weights in Awassi sheep.

The present study was conducted to estimate the (co)variance components for birth and weaning weight (BW and WW) in 8142 Awassi sheep between 2015 and 2017. Estimates were calculated with single-trait analysis by the average information restricted maximum likelihood (AI-REML) method, using a derivative-free algorithm by fitting six different univariate animal models. The negative of the log-likelihood function (LogL), Akaike information criterion (AIC), and Bayesian information criterion (BIC) tests were used for selecting the best fitted model. In addition, the goodness of fit between the two models was compared with the likelihood ratio test (LRT). Depending on the models, h a 2 and h m 2 ranged from 0.230 to 0.240 and 0.015 to 0.033 for BW, and 0.108 to 0.168 and 0.024 to 0.081 for WW, respectively. Model 3 for BW and Model 2 for WW were chosen as the best models by LogL comparison criteria. According to the LRT ratio test Model 2, Model 3, and Model 4 for BW and Model 2, Model 3, Model 4, Model 5, and Model 6 for WW were significant ( p < 0.05 ). Including maternal genetic or maternal permanent environmental effects in these models was found to be significant in terms of parameter estimates.