Changes in bone and bone marrow of rabbits bearing the VX-2 carcinoma. A comparison of local and distant effects.

The VX-2 carcinoma in 32 New Zealand white rabbits was studied morphologically with respect to the osseous effects induced by the innoculation and subsequent growth of tumour in the soft tissues over periods ranging from 1 to 5 weeks. Although more severe changes were noted in bones of tumor-bearing than in non-tumor-bearing limbs, effects could be seen in both experimental situations. Severe bone marrow hyperplasia was noted consistently in tumor-bearing animals. A marked increase in numbers of osteoclasts over control rabbit bones was observed along the surface of bones near and distant from the tumor. Resorptive changes were also noted in the cortex of tumor-bearing rabbits. The increase in osteoclast numbers was related chronologically to the development of hypercalcemia and was proportional to the degree of hypercalcemia at the time the animals died. The number of osteoclasts was inversely proportional to the serum creatinine. A diminution of osteoclast numbers was noted in the latter stages of the disease. These changes may be the morphologic expression of humoral hypercalcemia accompanying the VX-2 carcinoma.     

Rare dental abnormalities seen in oculo-facio-cardio-dental (OFCD) syndrome: three new cases and review of nine patients

Oculo-facio-cardio-dental syndrome is a very rare condition. So far, only nine cases have been documented. We report on three additional female patients representing the same entity. The clinical findings were: congenital cataract, microphthalmia/microcornea, secondary glaucoma, vision impairment, ptosis, long narrow face, high nasal bridge, broad nasal tip with separated cartilages, long philtrum, cleft palate, atrial septal defect, ventricular septal defect, and skeletal anomalies. The following dental abnormalities were found: radiculomegaly, delayed dentition, oligodontia, root dilacerations (extension), and malocclusion. For the first time, fusion of teeth and hyperdontia of permanent upper teeth were seen. In addition, structural and morphological dental changes were noted. These findings expand the clinical spectrum of the syndrome.     

Bone tissue cultures: an in vitro model for the evaluation of bone defect healing after L-arginine and L-lysine administration

The development of new therapeutic strategies and innovative biomaterials for the muscoloskeletal system, stresses the need for researchers to have reliable, easy, less time-consuming and ethical experimental models. The aim of the present study was to characterise an in vitro model of cultured rat femora and test the possibility of using this model in dynamic studies on bone healing. 24 femurs were explanted after 12 rats were killed for other experimental protocols. A standard bone defect was created in the distal femoral condyles and femurs were cultured in GBJb medium. Arginine and lysine were administered daily in the Arg-Lys group. The other femurs were left untreated (Control group). At 1, 7, 14 and 21 days, alkaline phosphatase activity, nitric oxide and calcium were measured on the supernatant. At 21 days, femurs were embedded in polymethylmethacrylate for histomorphometry and microhardness evaluation of the newly formed bone. The current results showed that it was possible to study bone healing in vitro by using cultured bones from adult animals. A process for bone healing was observed also in untreated bones. Moreover, the structural analysis of the cultured bone showed that it had characteristics similar to those of the femurs, when they were embedded in resin immediately after animal sacrifice. The effect of Arg and Lys confirmed data of a previous study, where a faster healing of bone defect and fracture was observed in rabbits after Arg and Lys administration.     

Ultrastructural changes of neuromuscular receptor organs in the masseter muscles following unilateral transection of the rat infraorbital nerve

Definite ultrastructural changes of the neuromuscular receptor organs were demonstrated in the young and adult rat masseter muscles either on the operated or unoperated side following the unilateral transection of the infraorbital nerve. The grade of the degeneration was intensive but quite similar in having no relation to the age of the rat when the operation was performed, while it increased drastically with time after the operation. On this base, it may be suggested that the sensory input coming from the various kinds of sensory receptors in the snout field do rather affect bilaterally the minor reflexive movements of the jaw. In other words, it can be said that the minor reflexive movements of the jaw might have been controlled by the sensory inputs coming from the snout sensory receptor organs. The definitely degenerated changes of the neuromuscular receptor organs in the masseter muscles should be regarded as disuse atrophy following the interception of the snout sensory input.     

转染血管内皮细胞生长因子骨髓间充质干细胞与牛松质骨支架复合组织工程骨的血管形成

背景：小块组织工程骨植入动物体内后,早期依靠组织液的渗透可获得营养,但大块组织工程骨的营养仅靠组织液的渗透是远远不够的,必须通过血管再生来获得。 目的：观察转染血管内皮细胞生长因子表达载体骨髓间充质干细胞复合组织工程骨植入动物体内后的血管形成能力。 方法：制作日本大耳白兔双侧尺骨中段骨缺损模型,左侧尺骨缺损植入转染血管内皮细胞生长因子表达载体的自体骨髓间充质干细胞复合脱钙脱脂去蛋白的牛松质骨支架组织工程骨为实验组,右侧尺骨缺损植入自体骨髓间充质干细胞复合脱钙脱脂去蛋白的牛松质骨支架组织工程骨为对照组。术后12周行X射线摄片观察、大体标本观察、苏木精-伊红染色和Masson染色组织切片观察、MiFas图像分析系统定量分析。 结果与结论：实验组与对照组尺骨缺损处均有连续骨痂形成;组织切片经苏木精-伊红染色、Masson三色法染色及MiFas图像分析系统定量分析可见实验组和对照组均有大量的新生骨,但实验组新生血管明显多于对照组(P < 0.01),且血管较粗大,而且与新生骨接近。说明将转染血管内皮细胞生长因子表达载体的骨髓间充质干细胞复合在组织工程骨上植入动物体内可明显促进新生血管的形成。     

Nerve growth factor affects uninjured, adult rat septohippocampal cholinergic neurons

The effect of nerve growth factor on the intact versus injured septohippocampal cholinergic system of adult rats was studied. Nerve growth factor was continuously infused into the lateral ventricle of adult uninjured rats or rats that had received unilateral partial transection of the fimbria. Controls (operated and unoperated) received intraventricular infusion of cytochrome c. After 2 weeks of nerve growth factor or cytochrome c treatments, choline acetyltransferase and acetylcholinesterase activities were measured in the septal area and in the hippocampus (divided into dorsal, medial and ventral parts). The continuous infusion of nerve growth factor resulted in a marked dose-dependent increase of choline acetyltransferase activity in both septum and hippocampus of adult unlesioned rats. In lesioned rats the nerve growth factor treatment was capable of inducing choline acetyltransferase activity in the hippocampus of not only the lesioned but also the unlesioned side, as well as in the septal area. In addition, nerve growth factor affected choline acetyltransferase activity differently in the hippocampus of the operated side with respect to the contralateral side or in unoperated animals. The chronic infusion of nerve growth factor did not affect acetylcholinesterase activity in the septum or in the hippocampus of either lesioned or unlesioned rats. The present findings indicate that nerve growth factor is capable of modulating the function of not only damaged but also normal adult forebrain cholinergic neurons. This suggests that nerve growth factor may modulate the function of these neurons in adulthood.     

Effects of neonatal and late unilateral enucleation on optokinetic responses and optic nerve projections in the rabbit

Summary Rabbits were unilaterally enucleated at the age of 0 or 21 days or at adult age. After survival times of 6–21 months optokinetic nystagmus (OKN) was measured and retinofugal connections were traced with anterograde transport of horseradish peroxidase or ³H leucine, injected into the eye. Non-enucleated animals served as controls. The asymmetry of monocular OKN in normal rabbits, characterized by a strong preference for pursuit of motion in the nasal (anterior) direction, was only slightly alleviated after enucleation. Responses to stimulation in the nasal direction were unchanged; responses to stimulation in the temporal direction showed modest improvements especially after enucleation at adult age and to a smaller degree after enucleation at 0 or 21 days. Redistribution of retinofugal fibers from the eye remaining after enucleation was very limited. Contralateral connections, including those to the lateral geniculate nucleus, showed a normal distribution. Of the ipsilateral connections, those to the lateral geniculate nucleus were normal in extent and density, while those to the superior colliculus were enhanced, in agreement with previous workers (Chow et al. 1973, 1981). Changes in ipsilateral pretectal projections were extremely small; particularly no connections to the nucleus of the optic tract were developed in any of the normal or enucleated animals. Of the accessory optic nuclei, the medial terminal nucleus received a very small ipsilateral projection in normal rabbits, which was markedly enhanced after enucleation especially at 0 and 21 days, but even at adult age. It is concluded that functional and anatomical plasticity of OKN circuits in the rabbit is very limited from the time of birth.     

Effect of partial portal vein ligation on immune glomerular deposits in Schistosoma mansoni-infected mice.

Portosystemic collateral circulation was induced in mice infected or not with Schistosoma mansoni by partial ligation of the portal vein. The effects on immune glomerular deposits were assessed and compared to findings in unoperated infected, sham-operated and normal animals. Mesangial immune deposits of IgM, IgA, IgG and C3 were found by immunofluorescence significantly more frequently in operated than in unoperated infected mice. Schistosomal antigen was demonstrated in 5 animals out of 38 infected ones, 4 of the 5 having been operated. The results suggest that portosystemic collateral circulation might be an important factor in the genesis of schistosomal glomerulopathy, perhaps by diversion of antigens or complexes from the Kupffer cells. The high percentage of glomerular immune deposits found in uninfected ligated animals (71-4%) suggests furthermore that non-specific immune factors possibly of intestinal origin could be involved.     

镍钛形态记忆合金与骨组织相容性的形态学

目的：观察镍钛形态记忆合金植入动物骨组织后局部组织的反应、骨缺损的修复情况，研究镍钛合金与骨的组织相容性，为镍钛合金作为生物医学材料在临床上广泛应用提供理论依据。方法：纯系日本白性兔，实验组在股骨下1／3处植入镍钛合金。于术后4、8、16w，在植入区上下0．5cm处横断取材。将骨块置于4％多聚甲醛-2．5％戊二醛混合液内固定。制作半薄切片，经1％甲苯胺蓝染色，光镜观察；制作超薄切片，透射电镜观察。结果：实验组表现出与对照组相似的骨缺损修复过程。结论：此镍钛形态记忆合金与骨组织具有良好的相容性。     

Chemiluminescent responses of alveolar macrophages from normal and Mycobacterium bovis BCG-vaccinated rabbits as a function of age.

Luminol-dependent chemiluminescence (CL) responses of alveolar macrophages (AM) from normal and Mycobacterium bovis BCG-vaccinated infant and adult rabbits were compared. AM from 1-, 7-, and 14-day-old normal rabbits exhibited much lower peak CL responses than did AM from 28- and 42-day-old normal animals as well as rabbits 2 to 3 or 5 to 6 months and 1 to 2 years of age. The most striking differences among AM from infant and adult rabbits were noted when AM were obtained from 28-day-old and 5- to 6-month old rabbits 21 days after the rabbits were immunized with 200 micrograms of BCG intravenously. In this case, AM from 5- to 6-month-old animals gave peak counts per minute of 400,000 to 500,000 whereas AM from 28-day-old rabbits vaccinated with BCG (harvested at 49 days of age) gave peak counts per minute of only 40,715 +/- 2,688. These data reveal that AM from neonatal animals are grossly deficient as responders to phorbol myristate acetate-induced CL. This deficiency, which improved with age, is still apparent in AM from 28-day-old animals. The data also reveal that BCG vaccination of 28-day-old animals yields AM that are poor responders to phorbol myristate acetate compared with AM from BCG-vaccinated animals 2 to 3 and 5 to 6 months of age. AM from animals vaccinated with BCG at 28 days of age contained fewer and smaller electron-dense lysosomelike structures than did AM from adult rabbits similarly vaccinated. These findings provide an explanation for the difficulties infants have in developing effective cell-mediated immune responses against intracellular parasites.     

Change in the pattern of behavioural specialization of neurons in the motor cortex of the rabbit following lesion of the visual cortex

In order to find out whether damage of the visual cortex (area 17) of the brain results in a functional reorganization of the motor cortex, experiments were carried out with freely moving rabbits performing a food acquisition task in an experimental cage. Two rabbits served as controls, while in three rabbits the visual cortex was bilaterally damaged. Analysis of the activity of 575 neurons in the control and operated rabbits after the recovery of the original instrumental food acquisition behaviour revealed a marked difference in the behavioural specialization of the neurons in the motor cortex of two operated rabbits compared with the control animals. Although the same types of units as in the control rabbits could be found in the operated rabbits (M neurons activated in relation to body and limb movements, S neurons activated in relation to food seizure and L neurons activated in relation to learned food acquisition task), the number of S units was about half of that in the controls and the number of L units about double. The relative number of activations of the neurons in the operated rabbits was significantly less frequent during the food seizure and more frequent during the learned behaviour. This difference indicates a change in the pattern of behavioural specialization of the neurons in the motor cortex due to the damage of the visual cortex. In this reorganization, the motor cortex became more like (but not identical to) visual and limbic cortices that normally contain noticeably more L neurons than the motor cortex. The number of neurons activated in relation to the behaviour in the operated rabbits, as compared with the control animals, was smaller in the upper and larger in the lower layers of the motor cortex. This may indicate recruitment of new neurons from the lower cortical layers.     

A randomized controlled study evaluating medical treatment versus surgical treatment in addition to medical treatment of nasal polyposis

BACKGROUND: Controlled prospective studies are needed to determine whether surgical treatment in fact has an effect additive to that of medical treatment of nasal polyposis. OBJECTIVE: We sought to compare the effect of medical treatment versus combined surgical and medical treatment on olfaction, polyp score, and symptoms in nasal polyposis. METHODS: Thirty-two patients with nasal polyposis and symmetrical nasal airways were randomized to unilateral endoscopic sinus surgery after pretreatment with oral prednisolone for 10 days and local nasal budesonide bilaterally for 1 month. Postoperatively, patients were given local nasal steroids (budesonide). Patients were evaluated with nasal endoscopy, symptom scores, and olfactory thresholds. They were followed for 12 months. RESULTS: The sense of smell was improved by the combination of local and oral steroids. Surgery had no additional effect. Symptom scores improved significantly with medical treatment alone, but surgery had additional beneficial effects on nasal obstruction and secretion. After surgery, the polyp score decreased significantly on the operated side but remained the same on the unoperated side. Twenty-five percent of the patients were willing to undergo an operation also on the unoperated side at the end of the study. CONCLUSIONS: Medical treatment seems to be sufficient to treat most symptoms of nasal polyposis. When hyposmia is the primary symptom, no additional benefit seems to be gained from surgical treatment. If nasal obstruction is the main problem after steroid treatment, surgical treatment is indicated. Selection of those who will benefit from surgery should be based on the patient's symptoms and not on the examiner's polyp score.     

Attentional rigidity during exploratory and simultaneous discrimination behavior in septal lesioned rats

The temporal pattern of exploration displayed by rats with septal damage was found to be consistent and opposite to that of controls in two successive test environments (Experiment 1). Whereas the overall activity level of the controls decreased across days, the septals showed a substantial increase over this period. Within days, the controls exhibited marked decrements in activity; the lesioned animals, in contrast, manifested a sharp increment during Day 1. This positively sloped function gradually reversed itself over days until the final day when septal and control functions were similar (although differing in level). The animals were then tested for acquisition of an appetitively reinforced form discrimination in a T-maze under a noncorrection procedure, and although neither group solved the discrimination, the operated rats more rapidly developed persistent position preferences (Experiment 2). When the animals were given the identical problem under a modified self-correction procedure in a discrimination box (Experiment 3), an inability to shift attention readily actually aided those rats with anteroventral medial septal destruction in focussing on the relevant stimulus dimension and reaching criterion. In contrast, the normal plasticity exhibited by control animals paradoxically interfered with their ability to solve the discrimination. It was concluded that a strict somatomotor response inhibition or suppression model of septal function was inconsistent with the present results and related findings in the literature.     

兔适合构建鼻窦炎动物模型

背景：以实验动物模拟人类相关疾病是研究疾病发生发生及治疗的基础,鼻腔、鼻窦疾病也需要恰当实验动物作为其模型。 目的：观察兔鼻腔、鼻窦的CT和局部解剖表现,探讨兔应用于鼻窦炎动物模型的可行性。 方法：利用CT使用常规鼻窦冠状位与水平位扫描新西兰兔,随后进行常规鼻腔、鼻窦解剖学观察。 结果与结论：兔鼻中隔将鼻腔分为左右两个腔,鼻腔外侧壁由上颌鼻甲、中间鼻甲、内侧鼻甲、下鼻甲组成,上颌窦窦腔最大,筛窦、蝶窦、额窦相对较小,以上结构均对称分布。兔鼻腔、鼻窦在CT扫描下显示清晰。兔鼻腔、鼻窦的解剖与人类鼻腔、鼻窦解剖结构既有相似也有不同,其上颌窦解剖部位与人相似且窦腔较大便于操作,具有动物实验模型建立的可行性,适用于鼻窦炎动物模型建立,可应用于模拟人类鼻窦炎的研究。 中国组织工程研究杂志出版内容重点：肾移植;肝移植;移植;心脏移植;组织移植;皮肤移植;皮瓣移植;血管移植;器官移植;组织工程全文链接：     

Conditioned bradycardia in the rabbit: effects of knife cuts and ibotenic acid lesions in the lateral hypothalamus

Summary New Zealand albino rabbits received either parasagittal or coronal knife cuts in the lateral hypothalamus (LH). Other animals received ibotenic acid lesions of LH. Pavlovian conditioning was studied in these animals and compared with that of sham operated, vehicle, or unoperated control animals. Tones served as conditioned stimuli (CSs) and periorbital electric shocks as unconditioned stimuli (USs). Coronal knife cuts that interrupted fibers passing through LH abolished the bradycardia elicited by these contingencies, as well as the cardiac component of the orienting reflex (OR), which also consisted of bradycardia. Parasagittal knife cuts medial to the temporal lobe but lateral to the major nuclei of the hypothalamus also completely abolished conditioned bradycardia, but had no effect on the OR, compared to sham and unoperated control animals. These lesions also had no effect on concomitantly occurring eyeblink conditioning. Ibotenic acid lesions of LH had no effect on conditioned bradycardia but diminished the magnitude of the cardiac OR. Control experiments suggest that the damage produced by these manipulations had no effect on either sensitivity to the CS or US and produced no general motoric difficulties. These data thus suggest that structures rostral to the hypothalamus, probably in the amygdala and/or agranular prefrontal cortex, mediate the bradycardia associated with classical conditioning contigencies, but that hypothalamic mechanisms may mediate the OR.     

建立桡骨缺损模型：骨缺损标准尺寸的确立

背景：不同研究所采用的桡骨骨缺损模型长度均不同,目前尚没有统一的桡骨缺损标准尺寸。 目的：对兔桡骨缺损模型施行标准化研究再探讨,以期获得相对更可靠的兔桡骨缺损标准尺寸。 方法：选用健康6月龄新西兰大白兔40只,双侧桡骨共80侧,在麻醉下行兔桡骨手术造成桡骨完全骨膜缺损,将桡骨随机分为5组,分别为缺损1.0,1.2,1.4,1.7和2.0 cm组,每组16侧。分别于术后12周行X射线、大体解剖、CT三维重建和组织切片等检查,观察各组骨缺损愈合情况。 结果与结论：建模后12周可见缺损1.0 cm组至缺损2.0 cm组愈合率逐步下降,1.4 cm骨缺损组愈合率低于1.0及1.2 cm组(P < 0.05)。1.4,1.7,2.0 cm骨缺损组X射线评分及CT评分值均低于1.0及1.2 cm骨缺损组(P < 0.05),说明骨缺损尺寸在1.2 cm以下时,桡骨自行愈合率相对较高。结果提示实验成功建立了兔桡骨骨缺损模型,桡骨中段缺损(包括骨膜)尺寸≥1.4 cm更加可靠。     

Variation in the Developmental and Morphological Interaction Between the Nasal Septum and Facial Skeleton

While the nasal septum exerts a morphogenetic influence on the facial skeleton, there is evidence that this relationship is highly variable. To better appreciate the precise role of the septum, it is important understand the variable interaction between the septum and surrounding skeleton during ontogeny. Here we analyzed nasal septal and facial skeletal postnatal phenotypic variation using cross‐sectional samples of C3H/HeJ and C57BL/6J mice. Initial observations indicated between‐strain variation in the magnitude of septal deviation, suggesting differences in septal and facial skeletal interaction. We examined whether variation in septal deviation is due to ontogenetic differences in septal size, or whether variation in facial skeletal growth imposes spatial constraints on the septum. Using microCT we quantified septal size and deviation, and collected coordinate landmark data, which we analyzed using geometric morphometrics. C3H/HeJ mice were significantly more deviated than C57BL/6J during development. We found no differences in septal size between the two strains. However, while both strains exhibited an ontogenetic increase in snout length, C3H/HeJ mice exhibited a non‐allometric reduction in nasal bone length. This appears to be influenced by between‐strain variation in the spatial relationship between the nasal septum and nasofrontal suture. Unlike C57BL/6J mice, the C3H/HeJ nasal septum is positioned anterior to the nasofrontal suture potentially limiting an early direct influence of septal growth (e.g., through interstitial expansion) on sutural growth. Ultimately, our results underscore that while the septum is a key facial growth center, its precise influence on facial growth varies even in narrow morphological and taxonomic ranges. Anat Rec, 299:730–740, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Variability and discrimination reversal learning in the open field following septal lesions in rats.

Response variability on a 10 position horizontal response task and a position-habit discrimination followed by 2 reversals was examined in groups of rats with septal damage and operated control rats in the open field. As revealed by the number of positions with responses and the one position with the most responses, the rats with septal damage were reliably less variable in responding than the controls. In addition, the rats with septal damage made a reliably greater number of responses during extinction of the response. In the second experiment, groups of animals were tested for discrimination learning in a 2 part experiment using both a free-ranging and restricted open field. In both parts of the experiment, the rats with septal lesions learned the discrimination and both reversals faster than the controls. Animals tested in the restricted field learned the discrimination slightly faster than those tested in the free-ranging field. The superior discrimination learning for the rats with septal lesions was discussed as a lesion-induced increase in the incentive value of positive reward, producing shorter observed response latencies, resulting in a shorter delay of reinforcement.     

A case with dextrocardia, ventricular septal defect, persistent left superior vena cava and drainage of the great cardiac vein into the left internal thoracic vein

A 17-month-old female patient was operated on for ventricular septal defect and pulmonary stenosis. During the operation several cardiac anomalies were observed these were dextrocardia, ventricular septal defect, persistent left superior vena cava, drainage of the great cardiac vein into the left internal thoracic vein and a pericardial pouch. These anomalies have not previously been reported together.     

Histological evidence concerning the osseointegration of titanium implants in the fractured rabbit femur

Stabilization of the broken bone is achieved using biocompatible materials. Since histology is still considered the gold standard technique for the assessment of bone formation around metallic implants, this report investigated the titanium implant integration in the accidentally broken bone in rabbits. The experimental protocol was reviewed and approved by the Ethical Committee of the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy Oradea, Romania. Holes were drilled in the diaphysis of the femur, and titanium implants were inserted in the created bone defect. In two subjects, fractures occurred on days two and three after the metallic alloy implantation. The other two rabbits presented no fractures following the surgical procedure. The rabbits were euthanized and the bones (with metallic implants) were harvested for histopathological investigation. Following decalcification, the bone samples were processed using the standard paraffin technique and stained by Goldner’s trichrome procedure. In subjects with a perfect immobilization of the titanium implants, the osseointegration occurred with minimal callus formation (i.e. primary cortical healing). In rabbits with bone fractures, the callus was more exuberant. A progressive replacement of the granulation tissue with hyaline cartilage and woven bone occurred soon after. The former aspects suggested an indirect metaplasia in the created callus. In all subjects, no inflammatory cells were identified in the created callus. The bone regeneration occurred either by primary cortical healing (in perfectly immobilized titanium implants) or by a process similar to the endochondral ossification (in poorly immobilized titanium implants following accidental post-implantation bones fracture).