Three-dimensional modelling and morphometric analysis of skull of badger (Meles meles) with computed tomography images.

BACKGROUND: Morphometric measurements help to understand the skull morphology in different animal species, detect skull deformations and figure out their causes. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to make a three-dimensional (3D) modelling of the badger skull using computed tomography, to show its anatomical structures and to reveal the morphometric measurement values. METHODS: Skull measurements were carried out using a digital calliper at 27 measurement points based on metric measurement points. After the scanned images were stored in Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine format, they were transferred to MIMICS 20.1 (The Materialize Group) programme and 3D models the skulls were created. The surface area and volume values of the skulls were calculated on these models. RESULTS: The volume and surface area parameters were expressed as mean ± SE. Four different indices were calculated using osteometric measurements. Statistical analyses were made by determining the mean value and standard deviation of the examined properties and the correlation coefficients among these properties. In the metric measurement points taken as a basis, the longest measurement in the skulls was the total length and its mean value was 124.60 ± 0.64 mm. The shortest measurement was the breadth dorsal to the external auditory meatus, and its mean value was 6.75 ± 0.24 mm. CONCLUSIONS: Consequently, statistical differences in the craniometric values of badgers' skulls were determined by using CT and 3D modelling software. In addition, it was concluded that the badger skull can be easily distinguished from other carnivore species by carrying out morphometric measurements.

Physical and chemical characterization of the femur during and after the body development period in male and female guinea pigs.

In this study, it was aimed to reveal the physical and chemical characterization of the bone structures during body development periods (prepubertal period, period between adolescence and adulthood) and after (young adult period and old adult period) in male and female guinea pigs. In this study, 40 guinea pigs (20 male, 20 female) were used. Morphometric measurements, X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis for mineral levels, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis for surface area, and porosity analysis were applied to the bones. The male guinea pigs had greater values than females in the other three categories, with the exception of the second group, when the females have higher values in morphometric measurements. Ca levels rose up to the third group, as did P levels in the males, peaking in the third group and declining in the fourth. As with phosphorus, there was a progressive rise in females from the first to the fourth group. Fe, Zn, and Sr elements had the greatest values in both genders in the first group. In all four groups, the females had greater Zn levels than males. The highest Ca/P ratio was found in the third male group and the fourth female group. This study revealed that adolescence, adulthood, and gender are effective in the physical and chemical characterization of bone structure in guinea pigs.

Targeting soluble guanylate cyclase with Riociguat has potency to alleviate testicular ischaemia reperfusion injury via regulating various cellular pathways.

Testicular ischaemia reperfusion (I/R) injury results with serious dysfunctions in testis. This study aims to explore effects of soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) stimulator Riociguat on experimental testicular I/R injury in rats. Twenty-one male rats were divided into three groups (Control, IR and IRR). The control group was not exposed to any application. Bilateral testis from IR and IRR animals were rotated 720° in opposite directions for 3 h to induce experimental testicular ischaemia. Animals in IR and IRR groups were subjected to 3 h of reperfusion. Isotonic and Riociguat were administered to the animals 30 min prior reperfusion by oral gavage. At the end of experiment, animals were sacrificed and tissue samples were used for analyses. Riociguat treatment significantly decreased tissue malondialdehyde and Luminol levels compared to the IR group (p < 0.05). The pathological changes, pro-apoptotic proteins (Bax, Caspase 3, and Caspase 9) and apoptotic index in the IR group were down regulated in Riociguat treated animals (p < 0.05). Riociguat treatment was also significantly increased anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 expression, but alleviated tissue injury via modulating pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-1ß levels and significantly (p < 0.05) down-regulating NF-κB activity. Moreover, mTOR and ERK phosphorylation increased in IR group (p < 0.05), but Riociguat treatment reduced protein phosphorylation. Our experiment indicated that targeting sGC might support surgical interventions in testicular I/R injury by modulating oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptotic protein expression levels, but more detailed studies are required to explore the protective activity of Riociguat and underlying mechanisms in testicular I/R injury.

Evaluation of skull and mandible morphometric measurements and three-dimensional modelling of computed tomographic images of porcupine (Hystrix cristata).

Although there have been morphological and morphometric studies on the porcupine skull, three-dimensional modelling of the skull is performed for the first time with the present study. In this study, it was aimed to model the skull and mandible of Hystrix cristata in 3D to reveal its morphometric values and the differences between the sexes. Morphometric analyses were performed on a total of eight (four male and four female) adult porcupine skulls and mandibles. Skulls and mandibles of porcupines were scanned usinf a 64-detector MDCT (General Electric Revolution) device at 80 kV, 200 MA, 639 mGY and 0.625 mm slice thickness. Skull and mandible reconstructions were made with the help of MIMICS 20.1 (Materialize) software program and the surface area and volume values of the skull and mandible were calculated. Statistical analyses were carried out using SPSS 22.0 software. The longest measurement in the skulls, based on the metric measurement points, was the total length (TL), and it was measured as 135.4750 ± 0.54976 mm in males and 134.4725 ± 0.86681 mm in females (p < 0.5). The highest value was the foramen magnum index (p < 0.5), and the lowest value the was skull index (p < 0.1). While the total volume ratio of the mandibles was 29901.64 mm3 in males, it was 27296.20 mm3 in females (p > 0.5). Statistical differences in the morphometric values of skulls and mandibles of male and female porcupines were demonstrated for the first time using CT and three-dimensional modelling software.

Colorimetric evaluation of cross-sectional silicone plastination of the Total head region of sheep and Deplastination of the histological sections of brain tissue.

The aim of the study is to protect and preserve the cross-sectional diagnostic characteristics of the anatomy samples by using silicone plastination method, to examine them both macroscopically and microscopically, and to use them as an educational material. After the dissection procedures of 10 total sheep heads obtained from the slaughterhouse were completed, they were freshly frozen and sliced to prepare cross-sectional samples. Then, statistical analysis was performed after the colorimetric measurements. For microscopic examination, 30 brain samples were divided into three groups (Fresh-F, plastination-P, plastination/deplastination-P/D). Of the total brain samples, 20 were subject to routine plastination protocol. After the plastination/deplastination procedure, the changes occurring in cerebral histology were compared. In terms of tissue preservation, the effect of plastination and deplastination was examined using a light microscope. Plastinates subject to silicone plastination under room temperature were very similar to their natural appearance, and it was observed that they preserved their morphological features. Colour changes in the tissues were statistically evaluated. Volumetric shrinkages were observed as qualitative, especially in the brain. As a result of the evaluation done, it was seen that deplastination with toluene is not possible for the brain tissues. In addition, it was not possible to take cross sections of the plastinated tissues that were not deplastinated. On the contrary, findings regarding that deplastination with 5% sodium methoxide dissolved in methanol can allow microscopic examination in long-term preserved plastinated brain tissues were obtained.

Silicone plastination of nasus and lingua in large ruminants with and without use of formaldehyde / Plastinación de silicona de nasus y lengua en rumiantes mayores con y sin el uso de formaldehido

SUMMARY: Plastination is an anatomical preparate preparation technique characterized by the replacement of tissue fluids with a reactive polymer. Although more challenging and economically costly than many anatomical methods, this method is desirable because of the fact that specimens created in this method are highly similar to the natural appearance of the intended objects, and they are durable and harmless end products for human health. Our main goal was to completely leave out formaldehyde and similar carcinogenic chemicals used in a method like plastination and to allow production of formaldehyde-free plastinates to be used in anatomy training and examinations in our country. To that end, we compared nose and tongue of 10 large ruminants by subjecting them to plastination, 5 of them with formaldehyde and 5 of them without formaldehyde, and aimed to leave formaldehyde out by taking into account the difference between them. Silicone plastination is the most commonly-used and best-known technique among the plastination techniques because specimens created using this technique look aesthetically impressive. Silicone plastination consists mainly of 5 phases. First of all, we obtained the anatomical situs we wanted and made specimens ready by dissecting some of them after fixation and some of them without fixation. Then, after the implementation of a dehydration phase in acetone baths at -25 °C, a forced impregnation phase was implemented by using a mixture of S10-S3 chemical under negative pressure. In the final phase, the curing and hardening phase, the plastination process was completed by giving the specimens their final shape with the use of the S6 solution. As a result, no significant difference was observed between silicone plastination with and without formaldehyde.

RESUMEN: La plastinación es una técnica de preparados anatómicos caracterizada por la sustitución de fluidos tisulares por un polímero reactivo. A pesar de ser económicamente más costoso que muchas métodos anatómicos, este técnica es deseable debido a que las muestras creadas son muy similares a la apariencia natural de los objetos previstos y son productos finales duraderos e inofensivos para la salud humana. Nuestro objetivo principal fue dejar completamente de lado el formaldehído y las sustancias químicas cancerígenas similares utilizadas en un método como la plastinación y permitir la producción de plastinados libres de formaldehído para su uso en la formación y los exámenes de anatomía en nuestro país. Con ese fin, comparamos la nariz y la lengua de 10 rumiantes mayores sometiéndolos a plastinación, 5 de ellos con formaldehído y 5 de ellos sin formaldehído, y buscamos eliminar el formaldehído considerando la diferencia entre ellos. La plastinación con silicona es la técnica más utilizada y más conocida entre las técnicas de plastinación porque los especímenes creados con ella se ven estéticamente impresionantes. La plastinación con silicona consta principalmente de 5 fases. En primer lugar, obtuvimos el situs anatómico que queríamos y preparamos los especímenes diseccionando algunos de ellos después de la fijación y otros sin fijación. Luego, de la implementación de una fase de deshidratación en baños de acetona a -25 °C, se implementó una fase de impregnación forzada utilizando una mezcla del químico S10-S3 a presión negativa. En la fase final, la fase de curado y endurecimiento, se completó el proceso de plastinación dando a los especímenes su forma definitiva con el uso de la solución S6. Como resultado, no se observaron diferencias significativas entre la plastinación con silicona con y sin formaldehído.