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.

Physical and chemical characterization of femur during and after body development period in male and female rats.

The aim of this study was to determine the physical and chemical characteristics of the bone structures during four developmental periods. Forty Wistar Albino rats (20 male and 20 female) were divided into four groups including prepubertal period (group I), period between adolescence and adulthood (group II) and later (young adult period as group III and old adult period as group IV). The bones were analysed by morphometric measurements, XRF (X-ray fluorescence) analysis for mineral levels and BET analysis (Brunaurer-Emmett-Teller) for surface area and porosity. In morphometric measurements, the GL (greatest length) and the GLC (greatest length from caput femoris) values increased gradually from the first to the fourth group, and these values were higher in the males than the females. Phosphorus and calcium values were higher in the males in adult groups (third and fourth) compared to that for the females; however, they were higher in the females in groups up to adulthood (first and second). While the Ca/P ratio reached the highest value in the second group in the male, it decreased gradually afterwards. In females, the rate, which was close to each other in the first three groups, increased in the fourth group. Surface area size in the female and the male rats was the highest in the second group. In conclusion, changes in the rat bone structure during the development and adulthood periods of the body were revealed, and it was determined that the gender factor was effective in these changes.

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.

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.

Brachioradial pruritus successfully treated with gabapentin.

Brachioradial pruritus (BRP) is a mysterious entity characterized by localized pruritus of the dorsolateral aspect of the arm. The precise etiology of BRP remains unknown, but sun exposure and/or cervical spine lesions seem to be triggering or at least aggravating factors. Many treatment alternatives including non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, topical capsaicin, topical corticosteroids, photoprotection, carbamazepine and acupuncture have been used with different success rates. Recently, gabapentin, an antiepileptic agent, has been reported to be an effective therapeutic agent in BRP. Herein, we report a 64-year-old man with BRP who showed good response to gabapentin therapy.

Investigation of coronary arteries in the porcupine (Hystrix cristata) by latex injection and angiography.

Coronary arteries were investigated in the porcupine by means of angiography performed on each of 5 adult porcupines (3 male, 2 female) which was followed by injection of a colored latex mixture from the aortic arch for the demonstration of these arteries. The results showed that the aorta branched out at the level of the cardiac outlet to form the left and right coronary arteries and right ramus coni arteriosi. Coronary arteries coursed and ramified in the myocardium. The left coronary artery divided to form the paraconal interventricular artery and left circumflex artery when it reached the coronary sulcus. The interventricular septum was vascularized by the septal branch of the paraconal interventricular artery and by the small septal branches. The left and right coronary arteries gave off all the branches reported in the literature for other species. When the ramus coni arteriosi originates from the right coronary artery, it is designated a third coronary artery. In conclusion, it was found that the coronary arteries of the porcupine had an "intramyocardial course" as in other rodents. The coronary supply of the heart represented a "left coronary type" which was similar to those of carnivores and ruminants. The results of this study may contribute to the data in this area of science.