Reinforcement of colon anastomosis healing with leukocyte platelet-rich fibrin in rabbit model.

AIM: This study investigated the regenerative efficacy of leukocyte platelet-rich fibrin (L-PRF) on colon anastomotic healing in rabbits. MAIN METHODS: Thirty-six healthy male white New Zealand rabbits were subjected to complete transactions of the ascending colon. The rabbits were equally divided into two groups: the control group, where the transected colon ends were anastomosed by a simple interrupted suture pattern, and the L-PRF-treated group, in which L-PRF was wrapped entirely around the anastomotic line. The postoperative acute pain scale was assessed using the Bristol Rabbit Pain Scale before surgery and at each four-hour interval post-operatively. After euthanizing the rabbits, the adhesion degree score, anastomotic bursting pressure, and stenosis degree of the anastomotic colon were assessed, and histopathological examination at the 7th, 14th, and 28th days postoperatively. KEY FINDINGS: Rabbits in both groups showed a significant increase in pain scores compared to baseline. Postoperatively, the L-PRF group exhibited significantly lower pain scores, adhesion scores, and stenosis degrees than the control group. However, the anastomotic bursting pressure was significantly higher in the L-PRF group. Re-epithelialization, polymorphonuclear neutrophil infiltration, granulation tissue formation, and collagen deposition scores were improved considerably in the L-PRF group compared to the control group. Immunostaining of growth factor expression was significantly lower in the control than in the L-PRF group. SIGNIFICANCE: The L-PRF can augment collagen deposition, re-epithelialize the mucosa, promote angiogenesis, reduce adhesions, and diminish the stenosis degree scores. Therefore, it can be considered a promising aid in healing bowel anastomoses.

Antinociceptive effect of lidocaine, tramadol, and their combination for lumbosacral epidural analgesia in rabbits undergoing experimental knee surgery.

AIM: The current study aimed to evaluate the antinociceptive effect of lidocaine, tramadol, and their combination for lumbosacral epidural analgesia in rabbits undergoing knee surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was performed on 24 male New Zealand white rabbits weighing 2.8 to 3.0 kg and was allocated into three groups. All groups were anaesthetized by intramuscular (IM) injection of 35 mg/kg ketamine and 5 mg/kg xylazine, 0.1 mg/kg butorphanol. Rabbits in Group A received epidural analgesia of 4 mg/kg lidocaine 2%; Group B rabbits received epidural analgesia of 4 mg/kg tramadol 5%, and Group C rabbits received epidural analgesia of a combination of 4 mg/kg lidocaine and 4 mg/kg tramadol. Prior to and during surgery, the following parameters were recorded in a regular pre-set time interval: onset time of analgesia (OT), duration of flaccid paralysis (DFP), duration of analgesia (DA), onset and duration of sensory blockade, onset and duration of motor blockade, heart rate (HR), respiratory rate (RR), and rectal temperature (RT). RESULTS: The mean OT demonstrated a significant decrease (P < 0.05) in Group C (46.5 ± 1.4 sec) compared to Group A and B (61.0 ± 2.4 and 54.5 ± 3.5 sec), respectively. DFP was significantly lower (P < 0.05) in Group C (35.5 ± 2.9 min) than in Group A and B (17.6 ± 1.4 and 21.8 ± 3.6), respectively. DA showed a significant increase (P < 0.05) in group C (45.8 ± 3.3 min) compared to groups A and B, respectively (23.3 ± 1.1 and 31.5 ± 2.3). Heart rate, RR, and RT significantly decreased in Group C compared to the other groups. CONCLUSION: According to the current study findings, lumbosacral epidural administration of lidocaine combined with tramadol could be a better choice for potentiating the analgesia than administration of either drug separately and may be safely used in rabbits undergoing knee surgery.

Does zinc oxide nanoparticles potentiate the regenerative effect of platelet-rich fibrin in healing of critical bone defect in rabbits?

BACKGROUND: Many encouraging studies confirmed the ability of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles (ZnONPs) in accelerating bone growth and mineralization. The use of Platelet Rich-Fibrin (PRF) as a sole filling material for large segmental bone defects remains questionable. The objectives are to investigate the regenerative efficacy of autologous Platelet Rich-Fibrin (PRF) and Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles (ZnONPs) in repairing large segmental bone ulnar defects in a randomized controlled study in rabbits using computed tomographic interpretations. A 12 mm critical size defect was surgically induced in the ulna of 30 rabbits (n = 10/ group). In the control group, the defect was left empty. In the PRF group, the defect is filled with PRF. In the PRF/ZnONPs group, the defect is filled with PRF that was inoculated with 0.1 ml of 0.2% ZnONPs. Radiologic healing capacity was evaluated at the first, second, and third postoperative months. RESULTS: Statistical analysis showed significant differences in the radiologic healing scores between the groups (P = 0.000-0.0001) at all-time points (P = 0.000-0.047) during the study. CONCLUSION: Rabbits in the PRF/ZnONPs group showed the highest appreciable bone quality and quantity followed by the PRF group with high quantity but low bone quality meanwhile, rabbits in the control group showed minimal quantity but medium bone quality. Interestingly, the addition of ZnONPs to PRF can accelerate the healing of ulnar critical-size defects in rabbits.

Ameliorative effects of l-carnitine on rats raised on a diet supplemented with lead acetate.

Lead intoxication has been a major health hazard in humans. It affects people at all ages. Its toxicity is associated with various organs of the body and affects different metabolic pathways. Based on histological data, l-carnitine reduced the severity of tissue damage produced as a result of exposure of rats to lead acetate. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the underlying mechanism of protection offered by l-carnitine against lead acetate intoxication using male Sprague-Dawley rats. Forty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups with ten rats in each. The first group (G1) served as the control group and animals received standard diet only. The second group (G2) received lead acetate in their diet. The third group (G3) was the l-carnitine treated group and received the normal standard diet supplemented with l-carnitine. While the fourth group (G4) had a diet supplemented with both lead acetate and l-carnitine. At the end of each experiment, blood (serum and whole blood) were collected from each animal and analyzed for the following parameters: serum testosterone levels, serum nitric oxide and serum malondialdehyde. This is in addition to looking at the enzymatic activities of two important enzymes (superoxide dismutase and catalase) and on (glutathione reductase) which are indicative of the antioxidant activities in the whole blood. The results indicated that l-carnitine will counteract the undesirable effects of lead intoxication. It exerted its antioxidant potential by reducing the production of ROS and scavenging free radicals by maintaining and protecting the level of the of antioxidant enzymes SOD, CAT and glutathione peroxidase. Conclusion:l-Carnitine may play an important role in reversing the undesirable effects of lead intoxication. Future studies should be conducted to see whether such an effect is applicable in humans exposed to lead poising.

Boronic acid disk diffusion for the phenotypic detection of polymerase chain reaction-confirmed, carbapenem-resistant, gram-negative bacilli isolates.

BACKGROUND: The Middle East is regarded as a secondary reservoir for OXA-48 and New Delhi metallo-ß-lactamase (NDM) carbapenemases. One of the main challenges in clinical microbiology diagnostics is the detection of carbapenemases. For this reason simple screening methods have been sought to detect carbapenemase producers to determine appropriate therapeutic measures and implement infection control interventions. The present study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of the modified Hodge test (MHT) and a boronic acid-based combined disk test using carbapenems as substrates for the phenotypic determination of OXA-48 and NDM type carbapenemases in 45 epidemiologically unrelated carbapenem-resistant clinical isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae (13 isolates), Acinetobacter baumanii (20 isolates), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (12 isolates). RESULTS: Boronic acid disk test using meropenem as substrate and 600 µg of 3- aminophenylboronic acid (APB) was the most sensitive method (83.33 %) for detection of OXA-48, while the most specific method was MHT (100 %). As regards NDM carbapenemase, boronic acid disk tests using imipenem and 600 µg of APB per disk, and meropenem with 300 or 600 µg of APB were the most  sensitive methods (87.50 %), while the most specific method was the MHT (100 %). CONCLUSIONS: The results of the present study indicate that phenotypic screening with the MHT and the boronic acid disk test may be used to detect OXA-48 and NDM carbapenemases in Gram-negative bacilli clinical isolates, and that these tests can be easily applied in tertiary care settings with minimal infrastructure.

Prosthetics and Techniques in Repair of Animal's Abdominal Wall.

The management of abdominal wall repair continues to present a challenging problem, especially in the repair of major defects. Many abdominal wall defects can be repaired by primary closure; however, if the defect is large and there is a tension on the closure of the wound, the use of prosthetic materials becomes indispensable. Many studies have been performed with various materials and implant techniques, without the comparison of their degrees of success, based on sound meta-analysis and/or inclusive epidemiologic studies. This review covered the effectiveness of recent advances in prosthetic materials and implant procedures used in repair of abdominal wall, based on biomechanical properties and economic aspects of reconstructed large abdominal wall defects and hernias in animals. The presented results in this review helped to reach treatment algorithms that could maximize outcomes and minimize morbidity.

Prevalence of and risk factors for low back pain among dentists.

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence, symptoms of, and risk factors for low back pain among dentists as well as to discover the possible correlation of these factors with working posture and how to reduce their prevalence. [Subjects and Methods] The study was conducted among 60 dentists (28 male and 32 female) with a mean age of 25.7 years. Dentists were evaluated with the self-administered Nordic musculoskeletal evaluation chart, postural discomfort chart, and a self-prepared questionnaire. [Results] The data showed a 70% incidence of back pain among dentists, with low back pain predominating in 47.6% of cases. Most of the subjects (90.5%) had a mild-to-moderate level of severity, and only 9.5% had a severe level of low back pain. The majority of the dentists (57%) treated 1-3 patients per day. Only a few dentists (17%) exercised during their rest period even though 57% of them reported taking a break during their working hours. Although 63% of the dentists were aware of the advantages of assistive tools, only 40% of them used any kind of assistive devices. [Conclusion] Dental professionals demonstrate a high prevalence of low back pain.

Helical computed tomography scanning of the larynx and upper trachea in rabbits.

BACKGROUND: Computed tomography (CT) is used to evaluate the human tracheobronchial tree because of its unsurpassed ability to visualize the airway and surrounding structures. To establish an ideal animal model for studying subglottic stenosis, we assessed the size and morphology of the normal rabbit's laryngotracheal airway by helical CT. We measured luminal dimensions at the levels of the arytenoid and cricoid cartilages and the first, third, and eighth tracheal rings. At all levels, the axial slices were used to calculate the maximum anteroposterior (AP) dimension, transverse dimension, and cross-sectional areas. We measured the tracheal length from the cricoid to the third and eighth tracheal rings on sagittal reformation. We assessed the hyoid, thyroid, cricoid, arytenoid, and tracheal rings for the presence of calcific or soft tissue densities. We also addressed the presence or absence of pre-epiglottic and paraglottic fat. RESULTS: The mean AP tracheal dimension ± standard deviation (SD) was 8.6 ± 0.5 mm at the arytenoid level, 8.2 ± 0.7 mm at the cricoid level, and 7.7 ± 0.2 mm at the first tracheal ring level. The transverse tracheal dimension ±SD was 5.3 ± 0.1 mm at the arytenoid level, 5.5 ± 0.5 mm at the cricoid level, and 6.1 ± 0.6 mm at the first tracheal ring level. The mean tracheal area ±SD was 35.7 ± 2.2 mm(2) at the arytenoid level, 35.8 ± 5.1 mm(2) at the cricoid level, and 39.2 ± 4.3 mm(2) at the first tracheal ring level. The tracheal length ±SD was 10.7 ± 2.3 mm from the cricoid to the third tracheal ring and 19.1 ± 1.14 mm to the eighth tracheal ring. There was complete calcification of the hyoid in all rabbits. Only two rabbits showed complete thyroid, arytenoid, or tracheal ring calcification. The remaining airway components were otherwise either uncalcified or partially calcified. The uvula, epiglottis, aryepiglottic fold, vallecula, piriform sinus, true/false vocal cords, and pre-epiglottic/paraglottic fat were not seen in any rabbit. CONCLUSIONS: Helical CT investigation provides good, highly definitive anatomic details of the larynx and trachea in rabbits. Such results may be used in further evaluation of the normal airway and in cases of subglottic stenosis.

Effect of dexamethasone and Nigella sativa on inducible nitric oxide synthase in the lungs of a murine model of allergic Asthma.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of Nigella sativa (NS) fixed oil in comparison to dexamethasone (Dex) on inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), peripheral blood eosinophils (PBE), allergen specific serum IgG1 and interleukins and airway inflammation in a murine model of allergic asthma. Thirty-one mice were divided into four groups. Group I (n = 6) served as the control group. Group II (n = 10) mice were sensitized intraperitoneally and challenged intratracheally with cone albumin with no treatment. Group III(n = 6) mice were sensitized, challenged, and treated with Dex for 17 days starting at 24 hours after the first challenge. Group IV (n = 9) mice were sensitized, challenged, and treated with NS fixed oil for 17 days as well. For all groups, the following procedures were carried out: immunohistochemical study of iNOS in lung tissues, detection of PBE percentage, and histopathological examination of lung tissues for inflammatory cells. Lung tissue iNOS expression increased in sensitized, non-treated mice compared with controls, but this increase was not significant. NS fixed oil treatment significantly reduced PBE and lung inflammation but did not significantly reduce lung tissue iNOS expression compared with the control group. These effects were comparable to the effects of Dex. These results suggest that Nigella sativa exhibits immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory effect which may be useful for treatment of allergic asthma.

Clinical and biomechanical evaluation of three bioscaffold augmentation devices used for superficial digital flexor tenorrhaphy in donkeys (Equus asinus): An experimental study.

The present study was designed to carry out an in vivo and in vitro comparative evaluation of three bio-scaffold augmentation devices used for superficial digital flexor tenorrhaphy in donkeys. Twenty-four clinically healthy donkeys were assigned for three treatment trials (n = 8) using one of three bioscaffold materials (glycerolized bovine pericardium xenograft, tendon allograft and allograft with glycerolized by bovine pericardium). In addition, eight clinically healthy donkeys were selected to serve as control. Clinical signs of each animal were scored and the sum of all clinical indexes was calculated at each time point of the experiment. Four donkeys from each group were euthanized at 45 and 90 days postoperatively, respectively, for biomechanical and histopathological evaluation of treated superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT). The failure stress in allograft shielding group significantly increased compared to the corresponding values of the other groups at 45 (62.7 ± 6.5 N mm(-2)) and 90 (88.8 ± 3.5 N mm(-2)) days postoperatively. The fetlock angle in the allograft shielding group at both 45 (112.8° ± 4.4) and 90 (123.8° ± 1.1) days postoperatively showed a significant increase (p < 0.05) relative to the values of the other groups and a significant decrease (p < 0.05) when compared to normal angle (125° ± 0). However, the histomorphological findings revealed no remarkable changes between the treatment groups. In conclusion, the failure stress, fetlock angle and histomorphological findings may provide useful information about the healing characteristics of SDFT tenorrhaphy. The bio-scaffold augmentation devices, either xenogenic or allogenic, provide good alternative techniques accelerating SDFT healing with minimal adhesions in donkeys.

Surgical Management of Penile and Preputial Neoplasms in Equine with Special Reference to Partial Phallectomy.

Penile and preputial neoplasia in horses occurs infrequently and represents diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. The present study was carried out on a total number of 21 equids (14 stallions and 7 donkeys) suffered from different penile and preputial neoplasia. Diagnosis of neoplasms was based up on history of the case, clinical examination as well as histopathological evaluation. Animals with penile and preputial neoplasms were underwent local excision and partial phallectomy with a slightly modified version of the techniques described by William's. The diagnosed neoplasms were penile and preputial squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs; n = 15); sarcoid (n = 4); a-fibrosarcoma; and a melanoma. Local excision was curative in all cases except 5 stallions with SCCs. These stallions had extensive damage of the glans penis, free part of the penis and the inner lamina of the internal fold of the prepuce, and they underwent a partial phallectomy with successful outcome. Follow-up information was obtained by visit and telephone inquiries. In conclusion, penile and preputial neoplasms are commonly encountered in elderly male horses and SCCs are the most common type affecting male external genitalia. Partial phallectomy is effective for management of equine neoplasia if they are confined to the glans and body of the penis and there is no proximal spread or involvement to regional lymph nodes.

Influence of selective immunosuppressive drugs on the healing of exposed dogs' dental pulp capped with mineral trioxide aggregate.

INTRODUCTION: Immunosuppressive drugs are used in clinical medicine for a variety of disorders, but their effects on the reparative capacity of the dental pulp are unknown. This study evaluated the influence of selected immunosuppressive drugs on pulpal tissue healing after direct pulp capping of mechanically exposed dog's teeth with mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA). METHODS: Ten healthy male dogs were assigned into 5 experimental groups: a control group in which no drug was received and 4 experimental groups in which the immunosuppressive drugs prednisone, mycophenolate mofetil, sirolimus, and cyclosporine A were administered 45 days before the operative procedures and until the dogs were killed. Class V cavities were prepared on the buccal surfaces of 12 teeth in each dog. In each cavity, the pulp was exposed and capped with MTA. The pulpal tissue responses to capping material were assessed 65 days postoperatively. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, variable responses was recorded in the groups treated with mycophenolate mofetil, sirolimus, and cyclosporine A, which were characterized by moderate to severe inflammatory reactions, tissue necrosis, and total absence of hard tissue bridging. Pulpal tissue responses in the group treated with prednisone were characterized by inflammatory cell infiltration, limited tissue necrosis, as well as partial to complete hard tissue bridging. CONCLUSIONS: From these findings, it seemed evident that acceptable repair of the dentin-pulp complex, eg, wound healing with hard tissue formation after capping with MTA, is unlikely with mycophenolate mofetil, sirolimus, or cyclosporine A immunosuppressive drug therapy.