Blood Vessels In Sections Research Articles

Bile Acid Metabolism Analysis Provides Insights into Vascular Endothelial Injury in Salt-Sensitive Hypertensive Rats.

As an unhealthy dietary habit, a high-salt diet can affect the body's endocrine system and metabolic processes. As one of the most important metabolites, bile acids can prevent atherosclerosis and reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, in the present study, we aimed to reveal the bile acid metabolism changes in salt-sensitive hypertension-induced vascular endothelial injury. The model was established using a high-salt diet, and the success of this procedure was confirmed by detecting the levels of the blood pressure, vascular regulatory factors, and inflammatory factors. An evaluation of the histological sections of arterial blood vessels and kidneys confirmed the pathological processes in these tissues of experimental rats. Bile acid metabolism analysis was performed to identify differential bile acids between the low-salt diet group and the high-salt diet group. The results indicated that the high-salt diet led to a significant increase in blood pressure and the levels of endothelin-1 (ET-1) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). The high-salt diet causes disorders in bile acid metabolism. The levels of four differential bile acids (glycocholic acid, taurolithocholic acid, tauroursodeoxycholic acid, and glycolithocholic acid) significantly increased in the high-salt group. Further correlation analysis indicated that the levels of ET-1 and TNF-α were positively correlated with these differential bile acid levels. This study provides new evidence for salt-sensitive cardiovascular diseases and metabolic changes caused by a high-salt diet in rats.

Fractals and Chaos in the Hemodynamics of Intracranial Aneurysms.

Computing the emerging flow in blood vessel sections by means of computational fluid dynamics is an often applied practice in hemodynamics research. One particular area for such investigations is related to the cerebral aneurysms, since their formation, pathogenesis, and the risk of a potential rupture may be flow-related. We present a study on the behavior of small advected particles in cerebral vessel sections in the presence of aneurysmal malformations. These malformations cause strong flow disturbances driving the system toward chaotic behavior. Within these flows, the particle trajectories can form a fractal structure, the properties of which are measurable by quantitative techniques. The measurable quantities are well established chaotic properties, such as the Lyapunov exponent, escape rate, and information dimension. Based on these findings, we propose that chaotic flow within blood vessels in the vicinity of the aneurysm might be relevant for the pathogenesis and development of this malformation.

Evaluation of safety and performance of a new prototype self-expandable nitinol venous stent in an ovine model

ObjectiveOur study was a prospective in vivo study performed on an animal model to evaluate the safety and performance of a novel venous stent designed specifically for venous applications. MethodsThe novel stents were implanted in the inferior vena cava of nine sheep. The stents were deployed with different distances between the closed cell rings to test for if the segments might migrate after being deployed at maximal distance. Three different total lengths were 9, 11, and 13 cm. After 1, 3, and 6 months, vascular injury, thrombus, neointima coverage, and stent migration were evaluated through computed tomography venography and histopathology. Imaging, histology, and integration data were analyzed for each group. ResultsAll stents were deployed successfully, and all sheep survived until the time of harvesting. In all cases, the native blood vessel sections were intact. The segmented stent parts showed a differently pronounced tissue coverage, depending on the duration of the implantation. ConclusionsThe new nitinol stent is safe and feasible to implant in the venous system with a rapid surface coverage. Alteration of stent length did not affect the development of neointimal formation and did not cause migration.

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometric imaging the spatial distribution of biodegradable vascular stents using a self-made semi-quantitative target plate

In recent years, the development and optimization of biodegradable coronary stents have become the research focus of many medical device manufacturers and scientific research institutions since they can be completely degraded and absorbed, and they restore vascular function. However, there is a lack of in situ quantification of these stents spatially in tissue in vivo. In this study, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FT ICR) and time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometric imaging (MSI) were used to analyze the time-dependent distributions of a biodegradable vascular scaffold, which consisted of copolymers of lactic acid and glycolic acid (PLGA) and its degradation products in cross-sections and longitudinal sections of blood vessels. The MALDI-MSI methods for analyzing the distribution of PLGA and its derivatives in vivo were established by optimizing the conditions of sample pretreatment and mass spectrometry (MS). In order to semi-quantify the contents of PLGA degradation products in blood vessels, self-made stainless-steel and indium tin oxide (ITO) target plates were developed to compare and establish the standard curves for semi-quantitative analysis. The target plate can be placed on the target carrier of MS simultaneously with the conductive slide, which can simultaneously carry out vapor deposition or spray on the substrate, to ensure the parallelism of the pretreatment experiments between the standards and the actual vascular samples. The proposed method provided a powerful tool for evaluating the distributions and degradation process of biological stent materials in the coronary artery, as well as provided technical support for the research and development of degradable biological stents and product optimization.

Immunohistochemical Staining for Lymphatic and Blood Vessels in Normal Tissues: Comparison between Routinely Paraffin-Embedded Tissues and Frozen Sections.

In the current study, we compared the distribution of blood and lymphatic vessels from paraffin-embedded tissues with those of frozen tissues of normal human and rhesus monkey. We performed immunocytochemical staining for lymphatic and blood vessels using LYVE-1 for lymphatic vessels and von Willebrand factor (F-8) for blood vessels. Normal tissues included spleen, lymph node, liver, pancreas, salivary gland, colon, diaphragm, heart, lung, thyroid, adrenal gland, kidney, ovary, endometrium, and prostate. Splenic sinusoids were stained for LYVE-1 and F-8 in the frozen sections, supporting that the sinusoid is a lymphoreticular system and blood vessel in structure and function. In frozen sections, the lymphatic sinusoids were consistently positive for LYVE-1, while hepatic sinusoids were positive for LYVE-1, but not for F-8. Thus, lymphatic and blood vessels were more readily detected in frozen tissue sections than in the paraffin-embedded sections. In the endometrium, lymphatic vessels were not diffusely immunostained in paraffin-embedded sections. However, frozen sections detected cyclic changes of lymphatic vessels, growing from basalis to functionalis in the menstrual cycle. Lymphatic vessels were immunostained in many organs using frozen sections. Small pulmonary blood vessels were not immunostained by F-8 in the periphery of the bronchial vessel tree most likely these smallest blood vessels were not immunostained due to less F-8 attached to their endothelia. The present findings illustrate the differences in the immunostaining of blood vessels in sections obtained from paraffin-embedded tissues and those from frozen tissue. These new findings may be relevant for the basic histology and histopathology of lymphatic and blood vessels.

Mast cells in the microenvironment of uveal melanoma

To study the morphological features of the microenvironment of a tumor nodule in the eyes with uveal melanoma, focusing on mast cells. A total of 43 enucleated eyes with uveal melanoma (260 histological specimens) were examined. The patients' age averaged 54±2.7 years. The morphopathological types of tumors were as follows: epithelioid-cell (n=9; 20.9%), spindle-cell type AB (n=15; 34.9%), and mixed-cell (n=19; 44.2%). The tumor prominence was 4.7±1.3 mm; the base diameter was 13.5±3.3 mm. Statistical methods, such as Microsoft Excel, Statistica 10.1, Spearman's rank correlation coefficient (rs), were applied. Mast cells in the microenvironment of uveal melanoma were present in 18 (41.9%) of the 43 eyes. There was a significantly higher correlation between the mixed-cell type of tumor and the accumulation of mast cells (rs=0.636). The correlation coefficient (rs) of the number of mast cells with the degree of tumor pigmentation in terms of densely and weakly pigmented forms was 0.571 and 0.717, respectively. Tumor invasion through the sclera was detected in 7 (16.3%) eyes with mast cells (rs=0.395). Tumor growth in the emissarium in the presence of mast cells was determined in 8 (18.6%) cases (rs=0.469). Comparison established a correlation between the number of mast cells and the sections of tumor blood vessels (rs=0.21). Granulated cells were noted in 15 (34.9%) cases; degranulated ones were seen in 3 (7%) cases of the 43 examined eyes. with an ejection of granules around the tumor cells, which may be evidence of their interaction. Granules were ascertained to be released around the tumor cells, which may be suggestive of their interaction. The study of the mast cell population as one of the components of the tumor microenvironment can be used to elaborate novel approaches for the targeted treatment of uveal melanoma, in particular for its impact on tumor angiogenesis, by using mast cell inhibitors. Therefore, it is relevant and promising to conduct further investigation of mast cells in uveal melanoma.

Novel Organ Transplantation Technology for Suturing Vessels while Perfusing Organs

Since the first experimental report of the vascular anastomosis surgical technique for organ transplantation by Dr. Alex Carrel in 1902, its clinical use has become widespread and has come to define the surgical course in the 20th century. Among the various surgical techniques used during organ transplantation, a common technique includes blocking of blood vessels to prevent blood flow to the target organ, thereby reducing perfusion. However, warm ischemia, or the exposure of the tissue parenchyma to ischemia under normothermic conditions, has recently been established as a concern during transplantation. Herein, we describe a technique of establishing vascular anastomoses the organ undergoing transplantation involving tubes that can be inserted into the organ. By using this technique, it is possible to quickly establish anastomotic blood vessels without the loss of blood flow. The inserting tubes holds the cross section of blood vessel in a triangular shape when the triple-stapled anastomosis of Carrel is operated. As a result, blood vessel anastomoses can easily and quickly be established while the organ is in an intubated state. In addition, the triangle shape enhances the rigidity of the tube, thereby reducing the risk of defects that result in perforation due to twisting or kinking of the tubes, which are made of soft materials. Additionally, it improves the stability of the tubes used during this procedure (Figure1).We operated 6 porcine transplantation to evaluate this technic. Perfusion flows was maintained during the vascular anastomosis without excessive pressure fluctuations. In addition, compared with previous ways of suturing blood vessels, it was possible to shorten the anastomotic time using this technique, and it could be suppressed within 1 minute from stop of perfusion to restart of blood flow. This technique reduces the severity of warm ischemia during organ transplantation and remarkably improves the health of the donor organs from cardiac death, as shown in porcine models. Therefore, this medical device merits consideration for use as a novel surgical technology.

Role of Semaphorin Signaling During Cardiovascular Development.

Semaphorins are a family of secreted and membrane‐bound molecules that play critical functions in diverse biological processes.[1][1], [2][2], [3][3], [4][4], [5][5], [6][6], [7][7], [8][8], [9][9] SEMA1A/Fasciclin IV is the founding member of the semaphorin family and was first reported in 1992

Cerebral amyloid angiopathy initially occurs in the meningeal vessels.

To clarify the frequency of CAA in the brain parenchyma and subarachnoid space (SAS), we counted sections of blood vessels showing positive staining for Aβ in the SAS, cerebral cortex (CC) and cerebral white matter (WM) using paraffin-embedded sections of the frontal, temporal and occipital lobes. The specimens had been taken for routine neuropathological examination from the brains of 105 Japanese patients (aged 40-95 years) selected from among 200 consecutive patients autopsied between 1989 and 2015 at our hospital. We examined the anatomical ratios of blood-vessel sections in the SAS relative to the CC in three selected CAA cases, and those of Aβ-positive blood-vessel sections in CAA cases. CAA was found in 53 of the 105 cases (50.5%), and the youngest patient affected was a 51-year-old man. The incidence of CAA increased with age. The anatomical ratio of blood vessel sections in the SAS relative to the CC was 1/3.70-1/4.37 (mean: 1/3.94). The ordinary CAA group, in which CAA was seen in both the SAS and CC, included 41 cases (77.4%). In 37 of these cases, the SAS/CC ratio of Aβ-positive blood vessels was 1/0.05-1/0.66 (mean: 1/0.26), and in the other four cases the ratio was 1/1-1/1.5. In the ordinary CAA group, the SAS/CC ratio of Aβ-positive blood vessels was smaller than the anatomical ratio. The meningeal CAA group, in which CAA was found only in the SAS, included 12 cases (22.6%). These patients ranged in age from their fifties to their nineties. There was no case in which CAA was limited only to the CC. We concluded that CAA initially develops in the meningeal blood vessels, and not in the cortical blood vessels. CAA in the WM was seen in 10 cases, not only in nine cases that were severe, but also in a mild case.

Acceleration of skin wound healing by low-dose indirect ionizing radiation in male rats

A recent hypothesis has revealed that low-dose irradiation (LDI) with ionizing radiation might have a promoting effect on fracture healing. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of direct (electron beam) and indirect (gamma-ray) low-dose ionizing irradiations on the wound healing process in male rats. In 72 male rats, a full-thickness wound was incised. The animals were randomly assigned to three groups, each with 24 rats. The first two groups were named IG–I and IG–II and respectively exposed to electron and gamma-radiations (75 cGy) immediately after the surgical procedure. The third group was considered as the control (CG) and remained untreated. Skin biopsies from the subgroups were collected on days 3, 7, 15, and 21 after the operation and evaluated using histological and biomechanical methods. Data were analyzed by one-way ANOVA, followed by Tukey's post hoc test using SPSS 20 software. Histological studies of tissues showed that the mean number of fibroblasts, macrophages, blood vessel sections, and neutrophils on the third and seventh days after the surgery in the gamma-treated group was higher than that in both other groups. In contrast, on day 21, the mean number of mentioned cells in the gamma-treated group was lower than in the other two groups. In addition, the mean maximum stress value was significantly greater in the gamma-treated group. Results of this study showed that gamma-ray irradiation is effective in the acceleration of wound healing.

First report of vascular invasion of demodex mites with thrombi and dissemination to visceral lymph nodes in a dog

An adult-onset generalized canine demodecosis is a life threatening form of demodecosis often seen in immunocompromised dogs. A generalized, adult-onset canine demodecosis with an unusual vascular invasion, thrombi and dissemination to peripheral, and visceral lymph nodes was diagnosed in an adult, female, American Bulldog of unknown age. Organized thrombi with intralesional mites were observed in multiple lymphatic vessels and in a section of blood vessel. Vascular invasion of mites with dissemination of mites into visceral lymph nodes, is an unusual findings not previously recorded in canine generalized demodecosis. Dissemination of mites to visceral lymph nodes through vascular channels may be part of the pathogenesis of chronic, untreated, and disseminated, adult-onset generalized canine demodecosis.

Low WSS and High OSI Measured by 3D Cine PC MRI Reflect High Pulmonary Artery Pressures in Suspected Secondary Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension.

Purpose:Institutional Review Board (IRB)-approved prospective study was conducted to test whether objective and quantitative hemodynamic markers wall shear stress (WSS) and oscillatory shear index (OSI) measured by three-dimensional (3D) cine phase-contrast (PC) can reflect pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH).Patients and Methods:Seventeen consecutive patients of suspected secondary PAH were examined for pulmonary artery pressures (PAPs) with right heart catheterization (RHC) and three-dimensional (3D) cine PC MR. Based on the RHC data, patients were subdivided into two groups of 12 non-PAH (median age of 74.5 years) and 5 PAH (median age of 77 years) patients. Based on 3D cine PC magnetic resonance (MR), hemodynamic parameters including spatially averaged systolic WSS (sWSS), diastolic WSS (dWSS), mean WSS (mWSS), OSI and blood vessel section area (BVSA) at the pulmonary arterial trunk were calculated. Streamline images in the pulmonary arteries were also assessed. All the parameters were compared between non-PAH and PAH groups.Results:sWSS (N/m2) and mWSS (N/m2) of PAH group was lower than that of non-PAH group (0.594 ± 0.067 vs. 0.961 ± 0.590, P = 0.001), (0.365 ± 0.035 vs. 0.489 ± 0.132, P = 0.027). OSI of PAH group was higher than that of non-PAH (0.214 ± 0.026 vs. 0.130 ± 0.046, P = 0.001). sWSS, mWSS, and dWSS were inversely correlated and OSI was positively correlated to mean PAP or systolic PAP with r values of –0.638 (P = 0.005), –0.643 (P = 0.005), –0.485 (P = 0.049), and 0.625 (P = 0.007); or –0.622 (P = 0.008), –0.629 (P = 0.007), –0.484 (P = 0.049), and 0.594 (P = 0.012), respectively. sWSS was also inversely correlated to BVSA with r value of –0.488 (P = 0.049), and OSI was correlated to BVSA with r value of 0.574 (P = 0.016). Vortex or helical flows were observed more frequently in PAH patients.Conclusions:The low sWSS and mWSS as well as high OSI measured with 3D cine PC MR could be potential hemodynamic markers for the increased PAP in suspected secondary PAH patients.

Histological and gene expression analysis of the effects of pulsed low-level laser therapy on wound healing of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is associated with poor wound healing. Studies have shown accelerated wound healing following pulsed low-level laser therapy (LLLT) in non-diabetic animals. The present study aims to evaluate the effect of pulsed LLLT on wound healing in streptozotocin-induced diabetic (STZ-D) rats. We divided 48 rats into two groups of non-diabetic and diabetic. Type 1 DM was induced in the diabetic rat group by injections of STZ. Two, full-thickness skin incisions were made on the dorsal region of each rat. One month after the STZ injection, wounds of the non-diabetic and diabetic rats were submitted to a pulsed, infrared 890-nm laser with an 80-Hz frequency and 0.2 J/cm(2) for each wound point. Control wounds did not receive LLLT. Animals were sacrificed on days 4, 7, and 15 post-injury for histomorphometry and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analyses of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) gene expression. Pulsed LLLT significantly increased the numbers of macrophages, fibroblasts, and blood vessel sections compared to the corresponding control groups. Semi-quantitative analysis of bFGF gene expression at 48 h post-injury revealed a significant increase in gene expression in both non-diabetic and diabetic rats following LLLT (the ANOVA test). Pulsed LLLT at 0.2 J/cm(2) accelerated the wound healing process in both non-diabetic and diabetic rats as measured by histological characteristics and semi-quantitative bFGF gene expression.

In vitro strain measurements in cerebral aneurysm models for cyber‐physical diagnosis

The development of new diagnostic technologies for cerebrovascular diseases requires an understanding of the mechanism behind the growth and rupture of cerebral aneurysms. To provide a comprehensive diagnosis and prognosis of this disease, it is desirable to evaluate wall shear stress, pressure, deformation and strain in the aneurysm region, based on information provided by medical imaging technologies. In this research, we propose a new cyber-physical system composed of in vitro dynamic strain experimental measurements and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation for the diagnosis of cerebral aneurysms. A CFD simulation and a scaled-up membranous silicone model of a cerebral aneurysm were completed, based on patient-specific data recorded in August 2008. In vitro blood flow simulation was realized with the use of a specialized pump. A vision system was also developed to measure the strain at different regions on the model by way of pulsating blood flow circulating inside the model. Experimental results show that distance and area strain maxima were larger near the aneurysm neck (0.042 and 0.052), followed by the aneurysm dome (0.023 and 0.04) and finally the main blood vessel section (0.01 and 0.014). These results were complemented by a CFD simulation for the addition of wall shear stress, oscillatory shear index and aneurysm formation index. Diagnosis results using imaging obtained in August 2008 are consistent with the monitored aneurysm growth in 2011. The presented study demonstrates a new experimental platform for measuring dynamic strain within cerebral aneurysms. This platform is also complemented by a CFD simulation for advanced diagnosis and prediction of the growth tendency of an aneurysm in endovascular surgery.

Quantification of Candesartan in Mouse Plasma by MALDI-TOFMS and in Tissue Sections by MALDI-Imaging Using the Stable-Isotope Dilution Technique.

To determine the contents of candesartan in mouse plasma, and blood vessel and kidney sliced sections and also better understand its pharmacokinetics, we applied matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOFMS) and MALDI-imaging mass spectrometry (IMS) with the selected reaction monitoring (SRM) mode using a labeled-internal standard. The results of fundamental examinations showed that the slope of the resulting curves of candesartan in the plasma from the equation was 0.91 and the y-intercept was 0.02. Both intra- and inter-day accuracies (n=10) and the precision of candesartan in the plasma by MALDI-TOFMS with the SRM mode were in the range of 3.4 to 17.3% and 93.2%, respectively. The detection limit of candesartan in spiked plasma was 0.2 nmol/L. IMS analysis enabled us to clarify distinct spacial time-distribution images in sliced mouse blood vessel and kidney sections although it still needed to improve a protocol of quantification. Typical pharmacokinetic patterns of candesartan were obtained in the plasma and sliced kidney sections, but those in the blood vessel sections gradually increased 24 h after administration. MALDI-TOFMS and IMS with the SRM mode are powerful tools to identify the spacial distribution and traceability of candesartan in sliced blood vessel and tissue sections as well as in the plasma.

Atherosclerosis of the intracranial carotid arteries in Nigerians: A pilot autopsy study

Background: Evidence suggests that intracranial cerebral atherosclerosis (ICCA) occurs rarely in Caucasians, but more frequently in Asians, African-Americans, and Hispanics. Pathological studies verifying this claim are few in Africans. Objective: This prospective study aimed at grading the extent, severity, and frequency of atherosclerosis of the circle of Willis in Nigerians, using the American Heart Association (AHA) classification.Methods: This study is part of a descriptive, cross-sectional survey carried out on bodies referred for post-mortem to the Department of Morbid Pathology in the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. The circle of Willis of 44 consecutive patients ≥20 years of age were examined for atherosclerosis using the AHA classification.Results: Twenty (45.5%) of the 44 patients studied had atherosclerotic lesions in their intracranial cerebral vessels. The internal carotid arteries (ICAs) (10.1%) were the most frequently affected, followed by the basilar artery (BA) and the middle cerebral arteries (MCAs) (8.5% each). Fifteen (75%) of the 20 patients who had atherosclerotic lesions had at least one risk factor for atherosclerosis. Age, waist circumference, and abdominal wall thickness were strong risk factors for ICCA. A total of 188 (30.5%) atherosclerotic lesions were found in the 616 histological sections of blood vessels examined in the 44 patients. Ninety-six (51.1%) of the lesions were mild, 53 (28.2%) were moderate, and 39 (20.7%) were severe. Severe atherosclerotic lesions were most frequently observed in the Lt ICA (20.5%) and Rt MCA (15.4%). Using the AHA classification, type I lesions were found in 6.4%, type II 17.6%, type III 27.1%, type IV 10.1%, type V 18.1%, type VI 11.7%, type VII and IX 0.5%, and type VIII lesions were found in 8.0% patients.Conclusions: The frequency of ICCA in our study was 45.5%, and this is worrisome for a population in a low-resource setting such as Nigeria, as the risk of stroke and recurrence in patients with symptomatic ICCA is high. Our findings are at variance with the other studies on ethnic or racial distribution of cerebral atherosclerosis, in which Chinese, Japanese, Hispanics, and African-Americans have higher rates of ICCA, and Caucasians have higher rates of extracranial carotid artery atherosclerosis (ECCA).

Prevalence and severity of atherosclerosis in extra cranial carotid arteries in Nigeria: an autopsy study

BackgroundThere has been a paucity of autopsy studies on atherosclerotic lesions in Nigerians, the last one conducted at our centre being more than four decades ago. There has also been considerable epidemiological transition. The objective of the study was to determine the frequency, severity, pattern and distribution of atherosclerotic lesions in extra cranial carotid arteries (ECCA) in Nigerians at autopsy.MethodsECCA of 30 consecutive Nigerian patients undergoing autopsy at a University teaching hospital were examined using the American Heart Association (AHA) histological grading and classification of atherosclerosis.ResultsAtherosclerotic lesions of ECCA were present in 73.3% of the subjects with the right and the left carotid bifurcations (28.3%) being the most frequently affected sites. Using the AHA classification of atherosclerosis, a total of 176(73.3%) lesions were found in the 240 histological sections of blood vessels examined. Of these, 22.5% were types I, 22.5% were types II, 15.4% were type V, and 7.5% were type III. The VII to type IX lesions were rare. When these atherosclerotic lesions were grouped into mild, moderate and severe, 52.5% were mild lesions (types I-III); 18.3% were moderate lesions (types IV and V); and 2.5% were severe lesions (types VI to IX). The severe lesions were most frequently observed in the left carotid bifurcation (50%) and they first appeared in the age group 45–49 years. Age, hypertension and diabetes mellitus were strong risk factors for atherosclerosis.ConclusionsCompared with four decades ago there has been an apparent increase in severity and extent of ECCA atherosclerosis especially after the age of 45 years in autopsies from our centre. This change in the amount of atherosclerosis over time is possibly due to the epidemiologic transition. This may worsen the rise in stoke incidence within this community and as such, great effort should be made to follow-up and manage CVD risk factors within the community.

Aloe vera gel and thyroid hormone cream may improve wound healing in Wistar rats

Therapeutic effects of various treatment options in wound healing have been one of the most controversial issues in surgical science. The present study was carried out to examine and compare the effects of Aloe vera gel, thyroid hormone cream and silver sulfadiazine cream onsutured incisions in Wistar rats. In a randomized controlled trial, thirty-six Wistar male rats, 250 to 300 g, received surgical incisions followed by topical application of Aloe vera gel, thyroid hormone cream and silver sulfadiazine 1%. To assess the efficacy of each treatment technique, a histological approach was used to evaluate the mean number of fibroblasts, macrophages, neutrophils, blood vessel sections and thickness of the regenerating epithelium and dermis on days 4, 7 and 14. Re-epithelialization and angiogenesis were significantly improved in Aloe vera gel group compared with the other treatments while thyroid hormone cream had positive effects on day 4 (P≤0.05). Topical administration of Aloe vera gel is recommended as the treatment of choice for surgical incisions.

Modeling low Reynolds number incompressible flows with curved boundaries using SPH

SUMMARY In this paper, a method that can be used to model low Reynolds number incompressible flows with curved boundaries using SPH was presented. In contrast to that usually used for the flows with flat and straight boundaries, the hydrostatic pressure gradient is treated as a variable body force in this method, and thus, it can be applied to simulate the flows with curved boundaries. Three numerical examples of low Reynolds number incompressible flows, including Poiseuille flow, flow in a section of blood vessel with a local expansion, and flow between inclined plates were calculated to test the method. The results obtained with the proposed method were in good agreement with the analytical solutions. It implies that the method presented in this paper can be successfully used to simulate low Reynolds number incompressible flows not only with flat and straight boundaries but also with curved boundaries. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Neuroangiostrongyliasis and other parasites in tawny frogmouths (Podargus strigoides) in south‐eastern Queensland

The neurological, clinical and pathological findings and endoparasites in 10 wild tawny frogmouths (Podargus strigoides) presented to the Australian Wildlife Hospital in Beerwah, Queensland during a 28-day period in May 2009 are reported. Affected birds had a history of being found in poor body condition on the ground and unable to fly. Clinical examination revealed paresis with variable but generally weakened deep pain responses, withdrawal reflexes and an inability to perch. Severely affected birds that failed to respond to anti-inflammatory, antibiotic and anthelmintic treatments all had larval Angiostrongylus cantonensis in the brain and or spinal cord, with occasional larvae found in the visceral organs. Other parasites detected included the liver fluke, Brachylecithum podargi, the intestinal nematode, Allodapa suctoria, an unidentified species of Trichostrongylus and unidentified cestodes. Gametocytes of Leucocytozoon sp. were found in peripheral blood smears and low numbers of microfilariae were found in histological sections of various blood vessels of several birds. However, no adult filarioids were recovered. Unidentified subcutaneous mites were identified in the connective tissue of the thoracic inlet. Attempts to treat two birds with ivermectin or oxfendazole-praziquantel were unsuccessful, but a third bird treated with a combination of steroidal and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory therapy followed by moxidectin steadily recovered, such that by 6 weeks post presentation its ability to perch, grasp, fly and judge distances was considered normal and it was subsequently released.