Eicosapentaenoic acid/docosahexaenoic acid 1:1 ratio improves histological alterations in obese rats with metabolic syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Marine polyunsaturated fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) have been associated with improvement in the Metabolic Syndrome (MS). The aim of this study is to evaluate how three fish-oil diets with different eicosapentaenoic acid/docosahexaenoic acid ratios (EPA/DHA ratio) affect the histology of liver, kidney, adipose tissue and aorta in a preliminary morphological study. This work uses an animal model of metabolic syndrome in comparison with healthy animals in order to provide information about the best EPA:DHA ratio to prevent or to improve metabolic syndrome symptoms. METHODS: 35 Wistar rats, as a control, and 35 spontaneously hypertensive obese rats (SHROB) were fed for 13 weeks with 3 different supplementation of fish oil containing EPA and DHA ratios (1:1, 2:1 and 1:2, respectively). All samples were stained with haematoxylin/eosin stain, except aorta samples, which were stained also with Verhoeff and van Gieson's stain. A histological study was carried out to evaluate changes. These changes were statistically analyzed using SPSS IBM 19 software. The quantitative data were expressed by mean ± SD and were compared among groups and treatments using ANOVA with post-hoc tests for parametric data and the U-Mann-Whitney for non-parametric data. Qualitative data were expressed in frequencies, and compared with contingency tables using χ² statistics. RESULTS: EPA:DHA 1:1 treatment tended to improve the density and the wrinkling of elastic layers in SHROB rats. Only Wistar rats fed with EPA:DHA 1:1 treatment did not show mast cells in adipose tissue and has less kidney atrophy. In both strains EPA:DHA 1:1 treatment improved inflammation related parameters in liver and kidney. CONCLUSIONS: EPA:DHA 1:1 treatment was the most beneficial treatment since improved many histological parameters in both groups of rats.

Teaching radiological anatomy

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[Double vascular pedicle iliac crest flap]. / Colgajo de cresta ilíaca de doble pedículo vascular.

INTRODUCTION: The iliac crest flap is commonly used in reconstructions of the head and neck. The vascularisation of this region depends on the deep circumflex iliac artery and vein (ACIP/VCIP). The present study describes for the first time, the simultaneous use of the deep and superficial circumflex iliac systems to obtain an iliac crest flap for head and neck reconstructions. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Ten inguinal regions were dissected in five cadavers in the Human Anatomy and Embryology Unit of the Faculty of Medicine of the Rovira i Virgili University. In the period 2005-2007, three patients required mandibular reconstruction with a microvascularised iliac crest osteocutaneous flap at the Maxillofacial Surgery Unit of the Joan XXIII University Hospital. RESULTS: The 3 cases showed a favourable outcome. This "supercharging" variation guarantees the perfusion to the skin flap, provides a better three-dimensional arrangement of the soft tissue and lowers the morbidity at the donor site, as much less internal oblique muscle cuff is harvested. CONCLUSIONS: This technique may be of great interest in the reconstruction of complex maxillofacial defects instead of having to carry out a vascular dissection and its extra anastomosis.

Static electromagnetic field effects on pineal vesicles: a morphological and morphometric study in chick embryos / Efectos de un campo magnético estático sobre las vesículas pineales: estudio morfológico y morfométrico en embriones de pollo

The effects of static electromagnetic field exposure on the development of pineal cell aggregates were studied in chick embryos. Static electromagnetic fields were created by a solenoidal coil (110×160 mm) kept inside the incubators and connected to a power supply. The magnetic field generated was static and uniform (frequency = 0; wavelength = 0) and the intensities were 18 mT and 36 mT. Eggs were incubated either under control or static electromagnetic field conditions, and embryos were sacrificed after 5, 10 and 15 days of incubation. The morphology, number and density of pineal aggregates were determined in three pineal areas (apical, anterior and posterior). In exposed embryos, the vesicles appeared earlier (by the 5th day) and after 15 days of incubation the number of vesicles was higher and stroma compaction was greater than in controls. These changes in vesicle morphology and density suggest that a static electromagnetic field might be able to stimulate pineal maturation and development in the chick embryo (AU)

Se investigaron los efectos de la exposición a un campo magnético estático sobre el desarrollo de agregaciones de células pineales en embriones de pollo. Los campos electromagnéticos estáticos fueron creados utilizando un resorte solenoidal (110 x 160 mm) mantenido dentro de las incubadoras y conectado a una fuente eléctrica. El campo magnético así generado era estático y uniforme (frecuencia = 0; longitud de onda = 0) y las intensidades eran de 18 mT y 36 mT. Los huevos fueron incubados bajo condiciones bien de control bien de campo electromagnético y los embriones fueron sacrificados a los días 5, 10 y 15 de incubación. La morfología, número y densidad de agregaciones pineales fueron determinados en tres áreas de la glándula pineal (apical, anterior y posterior). En los embriones expuestos, las vesículas aparecieron antes (antes del día 5) y a los 15 días de incubación el número de vesículas era mayor y el grado de compactación del estroma era mayor que en los controles. Estos cambios en la morfología y en la densidad de las vesículas sugieren que un campo magnético estático quizá pueda estimular la maduración y desarrollo de los embriones de pollo (AU)