The development of more sensitive diagnostic tools allowing an early-stageand highly efficient medical imaging of tumors remains a challenge. Magneticnanoparticles seem to be the contrast agents with ...the highest potential, if properlyconstructed. Therefore, in this study, hybrid magnetic nanoarchitectures weredeveloped using a new amphiphilic inulin-based graft copolymer （INU-LA-PEG-FA） as coating material for 10-nm spinel iron oxide （magnetite, Fe304）superparamagnetic nanoparticles （SPION）. Folic acid （FA） covalently linked tothe coating copolymer in order to be exposed onto the nanoparticle surface waschosen as the targeting agent because folate receptors are upregulated in manycancer types. Physicochemical characterization and in vitro biocompatibilitystudy was then performed on the prepared magnetic nanoparticles. The improvedtargeting and imaging properties of the prepared FA-SPIONs were furtherevaluated in nude mice using 7-Tesla magnetic resonance imaging （MRI）.FA-SPIONs exhibited the ability to act as efficient contrast agents in conventionalMRI, providing a potential nanoplatform not only for tumor diagnosis but alsofor cancer treatment, through the delivery of anticancer drug or locoregional magnetic hvverthermia.
This study aimed to evaluate the change of white blood cell count, serum concentration of cortisol, C-reactive protein, albumin and globulin fractions in horse after road transport, and to assess the ...linkage among hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) and inflammatory reaction. From 10 horses blood samples were collected at rest, before road transport (218 km) (BT); after unloaded (AT), 30 and 60 min after unloaded (AT30 and AT60) in order to assess white blood cell count (WBC), serum cortisol, C-reactive protein (CRP), total proteins, albumin, α1-, α-2, β1-, β2- and γ-globulins. WBC, cortisol, CRP, α1-, α-2 and β2-globulins values increased after road transport than rest condition (p < 0.001). Albumin and A/G ratio showed lower values after road transport than rest (p < 0.001). Pearson's test showed a negative correlation between cortisol and the values of WBC, CRP, α1-, α2-, β1-, β2- globulins, and a positive correlation between WBC and serum concentration of CRP, α1- and α2-, β1-, β2-globulins at AT and AT30. The results showed that road transport evokes an inflammatory like-status in horses. Moreover, the activation of HPA and the onset of acute phase reaction in response to road transport seem to be interconnected with effects on horse's immune status.
Fish waste utilization to obtain protein hydrolysates has been demonstrated to be a useful strategy to face both environmental and economic impacts while obtaining high-value products with remarkable ...biological and nutritional properties. In the present study, protein hydrolysates obtained from anchovy
(APH) by-products were assessed for their potential biological activities in both in vitro and in vivo models. The treatment with APH exerted a significant protection against LPS-induced inflammation in RAW 264.7 cells, decreasing the protein expression of pro-inflammatory mediators (i.e., COX-2) and inhibiting the nuclear translocation of NF-κB through IκB-α. Moreover, APH modulated the expression of iNOS, MnSOD and HO-1, thus decreasing the severity of oxidative stress. The supplementation of APH in the diet of ApoE knockout mice down-regulated the proinflammatory cytokines (i.e.,
, IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-6) in both aorta and heart tissues, and modulated the expression of oxidative stress-related genes (Cu/ZnSod, MnSod, Cat, Gpx and Ho), indicating that APH can exert a beneficial role, having anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities. The nutritional properties of APH, together with their biological activities herein reported, highlight the possibility of obtaining bioactive molecules from fish waste and encourage their use as potential nutraceuticals in food and pharmaceutical industries in the next future.
A suitable, effective and free of complications anesthetic protocol is very important in experimental studies on animal models since it could bias the outcome of a trial. To date there is no ...universally accepted protocol for induction, maintenance and recovery from anesthesia. The endotracheal intubation with the use of inhalation anesthesia is used very especially in the from of large size laboratory animals, because it is a secure and easy control mode. However, it is not common for small laboratory animals because of the high technical skills required.
The aim of this paper is a review of the main methods of induction of anesthesia in laboratory animals.
We performed an electronic search of MEDLINE (PubMed interface), ISI Web of Science and Scopus using the keywords "anesthesia" and "animal (s)" or "protocol (s)" or "surgery", without the data or the language restriction. We consider only the most common laboratory animals (rats, mice, rabbits, pigs). We identify all the scientific articles that refer to the use of anesthetics for studies on laboratory animals in all areas: experimental surgery, CT, MRI, PET. All documents identified the search criteria are subject to review only by identifying relevant studies.
There is a strong need for application of existing guidelines for research on experimental animals; specific guidelines for anesthesia and euthanasia should be considered and reported in future studies to ensure comparability and quality of animal experiments.
The utilization of a planar poly(1,4-butylene succinate) (PBS) scaffold has been demonstrated as an effective approach for preserving nerve continuity and facilitating nerve regeneration. In this ...study, we assessed the characteristics of a microfibrous tubular scaffold specifically designed and fabricated through electrospinning, utilizing PBS as a biocompatible and biodegradable material. These scaffolds were evaluated as nerve guide conduits in a rat model of sciatic nerve neurotmesis, demonstrating both their biodegradability and efficacy in enhancing the reconstruction process over a long-term period (1-year follow-up). Histological assay and electrophysiological evaluation were performed to compare the long-term outcomes following sutureless repair with the microfibrillar wrap to outcomes obtained using traditional suture repair.
Raman spectroscopy is a rapid qualitative and quantitative technique that allows the simultaneous determination of several components in biological fluids. This methodology concerns an alternative ...technique to distinguish between non-healthy and healthy subjects. Leishmaniasis is a zoonosis of world interest, the most important agent is L. infantum. Dogs are the principal reservoirs affected by a broad spectrum of clinical features. During a clinical exam, blood samples were collected in tubes without anticoagulants, from twenty two dogs. One aliquot was used for serological test for Leishmaniasis, one aliquot was subjected to the Raman spectroscopic analysis. Animals were divided into two groups of equal subjects, Leishmania group (LG) constituted by infected dogs, and control group (CG) constituted by healthy dogs. The acquired spectra were different in the region 1200-1370 cm
, in which it is possible to distinguish the amide III vibration (~ 1300 cm
). In LG, an evident shift to the shortwave region is observed in spectral frequencies of the band centered at ~ 1250 cm
. Our results distinguished between LD group and CG. Further studies are necessary to exclude the effect of metabolic modification due to disease on the recorded spectra changes and to consolidate the achievability of Raman spectroscopy as rapid and less expensive diagnosis of Leishmaniasis.
Fish protein consumption exerts beneficial metabolic effects on human health, also correlating with a decreased risk for cardiovascular disease. Fish waste contains high amount of proteins and ...utilization may offer the opportunity for generating compounds advantageous for human health. Especially, fish waste protein hydrolysates beneficially influence pathways involved in body composition, exerting anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities, making their potential supplementation in human disorders of increased interest. This study assessed the effect of a 10% (w/w) anchovy waste protein hydrolysate (APH) diet for 12 weeks in reducing atherosclerosis in ApoE−/− mice, through histological and immunohistochemical methods. In addition, monitoring of plaque development was performed, using high-frequency ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging. Overall, the APH diet attenuated atherosclerotic plaque development, producing a regression of arterial lesions over time (p < 0.05). Twelve weeks on an APH diet had an anti-obesity effect, improving lipid metabolism and reducing hepatic enzyme activity. A significant reduction in plaque size and lipid content was observed in the aortic sinus of APH-fed mice, compared to the control (p < 0.001), whereas no differences in the extracellular matrix and macrophage recruitment were observed. Supplementation of APH significantly attenuates atherosclerosis in ApoE−/− mice, exerting a lipid-lowering activity. The opportunity to use fish waste protein hydrolysates as a nutraceutical in atherosclerosis is worthy of future investigations, representing a low cost, sustainable, and nutritional strategy with minimal environmental impact.
Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) includes several diseases, ranging from simple steatosis to steatohepatitis, fibrosis and cirrhosis. Fish-rich diets are considered ...helpful in the prevention of MAFLD, and the enzymatic hydrolysis of fish waste has been explored as a means of obtaining high-value protein hydrolysates, which have been proven to exert beneficial bioactivities including anti-obesity and hypocholesterol effects. This study aimed to assess the effect of the administration of protein hydrolysates from anchovy waste (APH) for 12 weeks on attenuated high-fat diet-induced MAFLD in apolipoprotein E-knockout mice (ApoE
). Thirty ApoE
mice were divided into two groups (
= 15/group) and fed a high-fat diet (HFD), with and without the addition of 10% (
/
) APH. After 12 weeks, serum and hepatic lipid profiles, hepatic enzyme activities, liver histology and immunohistochemistry were analyzed to assess hepatic steatosis, inflammation and fibrosis. Twelve-weeks on a 10% (
/
) APH diet reduces total cholesterol and triglyceride serum levels, hepatic enzyme activity and hepatic triacylglycerol content (
< 0.0001), and results in a reduction in hepatic fat accumulation and macrophage recruitment (
< 0.0001). The results suggest that a 10% APH diet has an anti-obesity effect, with an improvement in lipid metabolism, hepatic steatosis and liver injury as a result of a high-fat diet. Protein hydrolysates from fish waste may represent an efficient nutritional strategy in several diseases, and their use as nutraceuticals is worthy of future investigation.
Abstract
Background
During contrast enhanced ultrasound (CEUS), the features of the regions of interest (ROI) can affect the value of the perfusion-related parameters obtained from a time intensity ...curve (TIC). In veterinary medicine, conflicting have been reported on the influence of ROI size and location on renal CEUS. There are some disagreeing evidences regarding the optimal method for selecting ROI in quantitative analysis of renal perfusion using CEUS.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the size and location of ROIs in the spleen of conscious dogs on perfusion variables determined using sulphur hexafluoride contrast-enhanced ultrasounds.
Results
A prospective observational study on 15 client-owned mixed-breed adult dogs was performed using a system equipped with contrast-tuned imaging technology. Qualitative and quantitative assessments of the spleen enhancement pattern were carried out. Three square ROIs (0.05 cm
2
) were manually drawn in a row and spaced 1 mm apart, placing adjacent ROIs at three different depths. Three medium rectangular ROIs (0.3 cm
2
) include the 3 smallest ROIs in each row, indicated by the letters A, B and C, and a single large square ROI (1 cm
2
) was drawn containing all previous ROIs. Software analysis of time-intensity curves generated within each ROI allowed us to calculate the perfusion-related parameters: peak enhancement, time to peak, regional blood flow, mean transit time and regional blood volume.
The coefficient of variation for all blood-related parameters was always lower in the larger ROI than in the other smaller ROIs. ROI A and B, positioned proximally and medially, levels respectively, showed similar coefficients of variation to the largest ROI. The analysis of variance model exhibited a significant effect of location and size of the ROIs in the quantitative analysis of canine spleen perfusion, with a reduction of perfusion-related parameters in the distal ROI.
Conclusions
The recommendation for a quantitative CEUS examination of a dog’s spleen is to analyze splenic perfusion by drawing a sufficiently large ROI proximal to the ultrasound beam on the splenic parenchyma. This may be of clinical relevance in the diagnosis of splenic diseases.
Simulating the post-traumatic continuity defect of small human peripheral nerves, we compared the effectiveness of fibrin glue with neurorrhaphy for nerve gap restoration.
In twenty-four male Wistar ...rats, a fifteen mm defect in one sciatic nerve only was made and immediately repaired with an inverted polarity autograft. According to the used technique, rats were divided into Group A (Control), using traditional neurorrhaphy, and Group B (Study), using fibrine glue sealing; in total, 50% of rats were sacrificed at 16 weeks and 50% at 21 weeks. Before sacrifice, an assessment of motor function was done through Walking Track Analysis and an electroneurophysiological evaluation. After sacrifice, selected muscle mass indexes and the histology of the regenerated nerves were assessed. All data were evaluated by Student's
test for unpaired data.
No significant differences were found between the two groups, with only the exception of a relative improvement in the tibialis anterior muscle's number of motor units in the study group.
Despite the fact that the use of fibrin glue as a nerve sealant is not superior in terms of functional recovery, its effectiveness is comparable to that of microsurgical repair. Hence, the faster and technically easier glueing technique could deserve broader clinical application.
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