Histological Quality Research Articles

Effect of melatonin in patients with low anterior resection syndrome (MELLARS): a study protocol for a randomised, placebo-controlled, crossover trial

IntroductionAfter rectal cancer surgery, a majority of patients suffer from sequelae known as low anterior resection syndrome (LARS). It is a collection of symptoms consisting of flatus and/or stool incontinence,...

The Potency of Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, and Bleached Palm Oil as Clearing Agent in Histological Preparation

Clearing is an important process in histological preparations. The aim of the clearing process is to remove alcohol from the tissues upon dehydration. The most commonly used clearing agent is xylol, however it is known that there are negative effects from using xylol. This literature study purpose to study the potential of three vegetable oils, i.e., olive oil, coconut oil, and refined palm oil, as clearing agents to replace xylol. This literature study was conducted using search engines such as Semantic Scholar, NCBI, ICAMS, IJPRSE, JOMFP, PubMed, and ResearchGate with the keywords olive oil, coconut oil, palm oil, xylol, clearing agent, and histological preparations. There is no year limitation of references in this literature study. Based on the literatures, it is known that the use of olive oil as a clearing agent produces similar histological preparation qualities to xylol. This can be seen from several criteria that were measured, including the level of tissue translucency and the ability to maintain the quality of the staining. Similar results were shown by purified coconut oil and palm oil, both of which can produce tissues with optimal levels of transparency. The conclusion from this literature study is that refined olive oil, coconut oil, and palm oil can be used as clearing agents for xylol substitutes that are safer for researchers and the environment.

Microfracture Lateral to the Greater Tuberosity of the Humerus Enhances Tendon-to-Bone Healing in a Rat Rotator Cuff Model

Background: Microfracture at the rotator cuff insertion is an established surgical marrow-stimulation technique for enhancing rotator cuff healing. However, the effect of lateralized or medialized microfracture on the insertion is unknown. Purpose: To compare the biomechanical and histologic effects of microfracture at 3 different regions for rotator cuff repair in a rat model. Study Design: Controlled laboratory study. Methods: A total of 72 Sprague-Dawley rats with bilateral supraspinatus tendon insertion detachment were allocated into 4 groups with 4 different interventions: no microfracture at the humeral head as a control group (Con), traditional microfracture at the footprint area (MFA), and medialized microfracture to the footprint area (MMFA) on the articular surface of the humerus or lateralized microfracture to the footprint area at the greater tuberosity (LMFA). All underwent immediate repair. Tendon-to-bone healing was assessed by biomechanical and histologic tests 4 and 8 weeks postoperation. Results: At 4 weeks, the LMFA group showed a significantly superior failure load compared with the other groups (all P < .05). The LMFA and MFA groups showed significantly superior stiffness compared with the Con and MMFA groups (all P < .01). At 8 weeks, superior failure load and stiffness were observed in the LMFA group compared with the control group (all P < .05). Histologic examination revealed that the LMFA group had superior collagen composition and tendon-to-bone maturation at the interface at 4 and 8 weeks compared with the Con group (all P < .05). Conclusion: Lateralized microfracture at the greater tuberosity improved the histologic quality of repair tissue and biomechanical strength at the tendon-to-bone insertion after rotator cuff repair in a rat model. Clinical Relevance: Microfracture lateral to the footprint area might be a better way to enhance rotator cuff healing clinically.

Formalin Versus Bouin Solution for Rat Testicular Tissue Fixation: A Histochemical and Immunohistochemical Evaluation

Background: An accurate histopathological assessment and reporting of testicular biopsies require an appropriate tissue fixative. We assessed the histological, histochemical, and immunohistochemical quality of testicular biopsies, comparing 10% formalin versus Bouin solution as tissue fixatives. Methods: This experimental study utilized 20 adult male albino rats equally divided into five cages for 30 days. By the end of the experiment, all animals were anesthetized, and both testes were removed and weighted; one testicle was fixed in 10% formalin and the other testicle in Bouin solution, offering 40 specimens and then subjected to histological, morphometric, histochemical, and immunohistochemical assessments. Results: Formalin revealed high-quality cytological details and better nuclear chromatin detail (P=0.03). At the architectural level, the Bouin solution showed better quality details with less cytoplasmic shrinkage of seminiferous tubule germ cells (P=0.001). Bouin’s fixed tissues were more suitable for staining by trichrome methods but unsuitable when subsequent immunohistochemistry was requested. The diagnostic concordance between the Bouin solution versus formalin-fixed biopsies was 91.7%. Conclusion: This study supports that the morphology of testicular tissue fixed with Bouin solution was nearly comparable to those fixed with 10% neutral buffered formalin. However, the Bouin solution cannot substitute formalin when subsequent immunohistochemistry is considered.

Muscle histology and Sensory quality changes during freeze storage of North Atlantic shrimps (Pandulus borealis)

It is known that inappropriate transport or storage of shrimp can adversely affect different quality parameters. An experiment was designed to store North Atlantic Shrimp at two temperatures (-20ºC &amp; -40ºC) for 2,4,6 months and analyze the quality changes during this period from these two groups at the seafood quality laboratory of Faculty of Biosciences and Aquaculture, Bodø University College, Norway. Texture was done with TA-XT2 Texture Analyzer and Color analysis was done with Minolta Chroma meter 300, shrimp muscle histology was studied and sensory analysis was done as triangle test. During the study texture was firmer and color was whiter at -40ºC storage than at –20ºC storage. Shear force increased during freeze storage at -40ºC and decreased during storage at -20ºC. In-20ºC stored samples larger ice crystals formed between the muscles. The sensory panel found difference between the -20ºC and -40ºC stored Atlantic shrimp samples after 2 months.

Combined Growth Factor Hydrogel Enhances Rotator Cuff Enthesis Healing in Rat But Not Sheep Model.

We hypothesized that a combined growth factor hydrogel would improve chronic rotator cuff tear healing in a rat and sheep model. Insulin-like growth factor 1, transforming growth factor β1, and parathyroid hormone were combined into a tyraminated poly-vinyl-alcohol (PVA-Tyr) hydrogel and applied directly at the enthesis. In total, 30 Sprague-Dawley rats and 16 Romney ewes underwent unilateral rotator cuff tenotomy and then delayed repairs were performed after 3-4 weeks. The animals were divided into a control group (repair alone) and treatment group. The rotator cuffs were harvested at 12 weeks after surgery for biomechanical and histological analyses of the repair site. In the rat model, the stress at failure and Young's modulus were higher in the treatment group in comparison with the control group (73% improvement, p = 0.010 and 56% improvement, p = 0.028, respectively). Histologically, the repaired entheses in the treatment group demonstrated improved healing with higher semi-quantitative scores (10.1 vs. 6.55 of 15, p = 0.032). In the large animal model, there was no observable treatment effect. This PVA-Tyr bound growth factor system holds promise for improving rotator cuff healing. However, our approach was not scalable from a small to a large animal model. Further tailoring of this growth factor delivery system is still required. Level of Evidence: Basic Science Study; Biomechanics and Histology; Animal Model Impact Statement Previous studies using single-growth factor treatment to improve enthesis healing after rotator cuff repair have reported promising, but inconsistent results. A novel approach is to combine multiple growth factors using controlled-release hydrogels that mimic the normal healing process. In this study, we report that a combined growth factor hydrogel can improve the histological quality and strength of rotator cuff repair in a rat chronic tear model. This novel hydrogel growth factor treatment has the potential to be used in human clinical applications to improve healing after rotator cuff repair.

EUS-guided fine-needle biopsy sampling of solid pancreatic tumors with 3 versus 12 to-and-fro movements: a multicenter prospective randomized controlled study.

A novel EUS-guided fine-needle biopsy sampling (EUS-FNB) needle enabled physicians to obtain sufficient pathologic samples with fewer to-and-fro movements (TAFs) within the lesion. We compared the diagnostic yields of EUS-FNB with 3 and 12 TAFs at each puncture pass. The primary endpoint of this multicenter, noninferiority, crossover, randomized controlled trial involving 6 centers was diagnostic sensitivity. Secondary endpoints were diagnostic accuracy and quantity and quality evaluation of EUS-FNB specimens. Length of the macroscopically visible core (MVC) and microscopic histologic quantity were used for quantitative evaluation. Macroscopic visual and microscopic histologic evaluations were performed for qualitative evaluation. Among 110 patients (220 punctures, 110 for 3 TAFs and 12 TAFs each), 105 (210 punctures) had malignant histology. Diagnostic sensitivity for malignancy of 3 TAFs (88.6%) was not inferior to that of 12 TAFs (89.5%; difference, -.9%; 95% confidence interval, -9.81 to 7.86). Diagnostic accuracy for malignancy was 92.7% for 3 TAFs and 94.6% for 12 TAFs. Overall median MVC length was 13.5mm in both groups. The 3-TAF group had a significantly higher rate of score≥3 on macroscopic visual quality evaluation than the 12-TAF group (71.8% vs 52.7%, P= .009). No significant intergroup differences existed in microscopic histologic quantity and quality evaluations (quantity evaluation, 88.2% for 3 TAFs vs 83.6% for 12 TAFs; quality evaluation, 90.0% for 3 TAFs vs 89.1% for 12 TAFs). Diagnostic sensitivity and accuracy of EUS-FNB with 3 TAFs were not inferior to those with 12 TAFs for solid pancreatic lesions. The 3-TAF group showed significantly less blood contamination in sampled tissues than the 12-TAF group. (Clinical trial registration number: UMIN000037309.).

Effects of dietary supplementation with cinnamon powder and lysine on blood chemistry, liver histology, growth performance, and fillet quality of striped catfish Pangasianodon hypophthalmus

Effects of dietary supplementation with cinnamon powder and lysine on blood chemistry, liver histology, growth performance, and fillet quality of striped catfish Pangasianodon hypophthalmus

Full replacement of fish oil with algae oil in farmed Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) – Debottlenecking omega 3

The global goal of developing sustainable aquafeed has faced increased complexity in sourcing raw materials. The limited availability of fish oil (FO) is a well-known bottleneck for the aquaculture industry and pairing it with EFSA (EFSA CONTAM, 2018) reduced tolerable weekly intake of marine contaminants [polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/F) and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (DLPCB)] creates another challenge for wild caught FO and its use in fish feed. In recent years, commercial algal alternatives have increasingly become available. Not only would omega-3 sources from algae reduce the reliance on FO; it would allow for restoration of the long chain omega-3 levels in farmed salmon. To this end, a study was conducted to establish knowledge on full replacement of FO by algae oil (Schizochytrium sp.) in Atlantic salmon with the aim of reducing contaminants levels in the fillet and maintaining the level of omega-3 fatty acid (FA), growth performance, health, and final product quality. Atlantic salmon (531 g) were distributed into twelve 5 × 5 × 5 m sea cages and fed one of four diets for 369 days: a control diet (Control) containing FO + rapeseed oil (VO1); a diet where AlgaPrime (AP) replaced 50% of the sum of EPA + DHA from FO (50AP + VO1); a diet where AP replaced 100% of the sum of EPA + DHA from FO (100AP + VO1), and a diet the same as the previous but using linseed instead of rapeseed oil (VO2; 100AP + VO2). All diets were balanced for key micronutrients. At the end of the trial, zootechnical parameters were obtained, health and welfare assessed, and final fillet quality analysed for contaminants and fillet quality post slaughter. Full replacement of FO significantly reduced the levels of PCDD/F and DLPCB in the fillet of 4 kg salmon by 70% and 79% respectively for 100AP + VO1 and 40% and 43% respectively for 100AP + VO2 fed fish. Fish gained an average of 3.7 kg across treatments (average final weight 4235.8 g ± 191.8); almost an 8-fold increase for all treatments. No significant differences were found among diets for performance, feed intake, gut health, histology, welfare, pigmentation, or fillet quality. This study demonstrates that AlgaPrime can be used to fully replace FO in Atlantic salmon grower feed without negative effects, achieving an important impact on food safety and sustainability for aquafeed producers and salmon consumers.

Feeding concentrate with hay of different qualities modulates rumen histology, development of digestive tract as well as slaughter performance and meat quality of young dairy calves

ABSTRACT Concentrate-rich starter diets are commonly fed to dairy calves to stimulate growth performance. However, feeding high amounts of starter feed with low inclusion of forage fibre may jeopardise the development of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). Moreover, studies investigating the effects of feeding on carcass and meat quality of young calves at rearing are rare. The objective of this research was to investigate the effect of hay quality and concentrate inclusion on the traits of GIT development, slaughter performance and veal quality of young dairy calves. The feeding trial covered the first 14 weeks of life. Seventeen male and three female Holstein calves (n = 20) were randomly allocated to four experimental groups, which received besides acidified whole milk different solid feeds: (1) 100% medium-quality hay (MQH), (2) 100% high-quality hay (HQH), (3) 30% medium-quality hay and 70% concentrate (MQH+C) and (4) 30% high-quality hay and 70% concentrate (HQH+C). The acidified whole milk was fed in the first 12 weeks of life, and calves had ad libitum access to solid feed and water from birth till slaughter. Calves were kept in individual boxes equipped with straw and slaughtered at the end of week 14. After slaughter, gut development traits, rumen histology, slaughter performance and meat quality were assessed. Overall, both concentrate inclusion and hay quality showed major effects on rumen histology and development of the GIT in dairy calves with minimal effects on most carcass cuts and meat quality traits. Concentrate-fed calves had significantly higher average daily gains, final body weights, blood amounts and proportions of organs from the circulatory and respiratory systems. Proportions of liver and kidneys were lowest in MQH-fed calves. The proportion of GIT was significantly lower in groups fed concentrates, but the weight of the reticulorumen was unaffected by solid feed. Concentrate feeding led to thicker keratin layer and epithelium as well as wider papillae in the rumen. Hay quality particularly affected the width of the papilla and epithelium thickness, while feeding hay without concentrate enhanced the thickness of submucosa and muscularis, as well as the size of parotid glands. In conclusion, the type of solid feed affects the development of the GIT with concentrate feeding holding the risk to induce keratinisation of rumen epithelium while enhancing performance and carcass traits.

ENHANCEMENT OF ROTATOR CUFF HEALING WITH A COMBINED GROWTH FACTOR (IGF-1, TGF-Β1 AND PTH) HYDROGEL IN A RAT CHRONIC ROTATOR CUFF TEAR MODEL

Re-rupture rates after rotator cuff repair remain high because of inadequate biological healing at the tendon-bone interface. Single-growth factor therapies to augment healing at the enthesis have so far yielded inconsistent results. An emerging approach is to combine multiple growth factors over a spatiotemporal distribution that mimics normal healing. We propose a novel combination treatment of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) and parathyroid hormone (PTH) incorporated into a controlled-release tyraminated poly-vinyl-alcohol hydrogel to improve healing after rotator cuff repair. We aimed to evaluate this growth factor treatment in a rat chronic rotator cuff tear model.A total of 30 male Sprague-Dawley rats underwent unilateral supraspinatus tenotomy. Delayed rotator cuff repairs were then performed after 3 weeks, to allow tendon degeneration that resembles the human clinical scenario. Animals were randomly assigned to: [1] a control group with repair alone; or [2] a treatment group in which the hydrogel was applied at the repair site. All animals were euthanized 12 weeks after rotator cuff surgery and the explanted shoulders were analyzed for biomechanical strength and histological quality of healing at the repair site.In the treatment group had significantly higher stress at failure (73% improvement, P=0.003) and Young's modulus (56% improvement, P=0.028) compared to the control group. Histological assessment revealed improved healing with significantly higher overall histological scores (10.1 of 15 vs 6.55 of 15, P=0.032), and lower inflammation and vascularity.This novel combination growth factor treatment improved the quality of healing and strength of the repaired enthesis in a chronic rotator cuff tear model. Further optimization and tailoring of the growth factors hydrogel is required prior to consideration for clinical use in the treatment of rotator cuff tears. This novel treatment approach holds promise for improving biological healing of this clinically challenging problem.

Comparative early histologic healing quality of magnetic versus stapled small bowel anastomosis.

Successful anastomotic healing is critical to preventing complications after intestinal surgery. We aimed to compare the early healing of end-to-end small bowel anastomosis by self-forming magnets with surgical stapling in a porcine model. Six Yorkshire pigs underwent 2 simultaneous small bowel anastomoses using a circular stapler and self-forming magnet technique. The primary outcome was healing quality, measured by 4 histologic features: inflammatory cell infiltration, collagen formation, grade of inflammation, and bacterial infiltration at the anastomosis. The samples were evaluated at days 1, 3, and 7. Gross evaluation of anastomotic integrity was a secondary outcome. The self-forming magnet group displayed significant differences at each time point. On day 1, the stapled group displayed dense inflammatory cell infiltration and extensively ulcerated intestinal layers with significant edema. The self-forming magnet group showed less inflammatory infiltrate, and all intestinal layers remained compressed in direct apposition. By day 3, the self-forming magnet group already exhibited neovascularization with scant bacterial colonies. By contrast, stapled anastomoses had large areas of inflammation separating collagen fibers with prevalent bacterial infiltrations. On day 7, self-forming magnet anastomoses were characterized by robust neovascularization, maturing granulation tissue, and mucosal re-epithelization without significant inflammation. Meanwhile, stapled samples had persisting dense inflammation, tissue cavities with hemorrhage, and immature fibrous tissue. Grossly, the self-forming magnet created a patent lumen without defect, whereas stapled anastomoses demonstrated focal areas of serosal separation. Bowel anastomosis by self-forming magnets is associated with superior early histologic healing metrics, including early seal generation through mechanical compression, decreased inflammation, early neovascularization, lower bacterial infiltration, and faster re-epithelization.

Comparison between three types of needles for endoscopic ultrasound-guided tissue acquisition of pancreatic solid masses: a multicenter observational study

It is debatable which needle has clear superiority of diagnostic performance in endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided fine needle biopsy (FNB) of solid pancreatic masses. This study aimed to compare the performance of three needles and determine the variables that affect diagnostic accuracy. From March 2014 to May 2020, 746 patients with solid pancreatic masses who underwent EUS-FNB using three types of needles (Franseen needle, Menghini-tip needle, and Reverse-bevel needle) were retrospectively reviewed. Multivariate analysis using a logistic regression model was used to identify factors related to diagnostic accuracy. There were significant differences between the groups regarding the procurement rate of the histologic and optimal quality cores (Franseen vs. Menghini-tip vs. Reverse-bevel: 98.0% [192/196] vs. 85.8% [97/113] vs. 91.9% [331/360], P < 0.001 and 95.4% [187/196] vs. 65.5% [74/113] vs. 88.3% [318/360], P < 0.001, respectively). The sensitivity and accuracy using histologic samples were 95.03% and 95.92% for Franseen, 82.67% and 88.50% for Menghini-tip, and 82.61% and 85.56% for Reverse-bevel needles, respectively. In direct comparison between the needles using histologic samples, the Franseen needle showed significantly superior accuracy than the Menghini-tip (P = 0.018) and Reverse-bevel needles (P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis indicated that tumor size ≥ 2 cm (odds ratio [OR] 5.36, 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.40–8.47, P < 0.001) and fanning technique (OR 1.70, 95% CI 1.00–2.86, P = 0.047) were significantly associated with an accurate diagnosis. EUS-FNB using the Franseen needle enables the acquisition of a larger and more adequate histologic core tissue and achieves an accurate histological diagnosis when using the fanning technique.

The effects of Saline Infusion Sonography on the histological quality of endometrial sampling in women with postmenopausal bleeding

BackgroundThe aim of this study is to analyze the histopathological features of endometrial samples obtained by aspiration when performed before or after the saline contrast sonohysterography in women with postmenopausal bleeding and a thickened endometrium. Hypothetically, the saline infusion could disrupt the tissue and therefore affect the quality of the sample. Furthermore, we want to determine which histological features have impact on the quality of the endometrial sample.MethodsWe performed a randomized controlled trial (ESPRESSO trial) in which we analyzed the aspiration samples in two groups. Women were allocated either to saline contrast sonohysterography and subsequent endometrial sampling (SCSH-Sampling group) or to the opposite order (Sampling-SCSH group). Dedicated gyneco-pathologists retrospectively assessed the specimens and recorded the type (blood, mucus, epithelium, intact glands, stroma and tissue context) and quantity (on a scale of 0–3) of material that was found in the specimens.ResultsThis analysis consisted of 197 samples, with 101 women in the SCSH-Sampling group and 96 women in the Sampling-SCSH group. No significant differences were found in the histological features between the two groups. All significant histological features differed significantly in the sufficient samples compared to the insufficient samples: higher amounts of blood, more endometrial epithelium, presence of intact endometrial glands, better stroma and tissue context. Oppositely, a significantly higher amount of mucus was found in the insufficient samples.ConclusionThis study shows that the histological features of the endometrial sample were not affected by the saline contrast sonohysterography, when performed prior to the tissue sampling.Trial registration ESPRESSO TRIAL, NTR5690, registered 16 February 2016, https://trialsearch.who.int/Trial2.aspx?TrialID=NTR5690.

Evidence for Utilization of Injectable Biologic Augmentation in Primary Rotator Cuff Repair: A Systematic Review of Data From 2010 to 2022.

Biologic healing after rotator cuff repair remains a significant challenge. Injectable biologic augmentation may improve tissue quality at the suture-tendon interface. To investigate the effect of injectable biologic supplementation in rotator cuff repair and to assess the quality and adherence to evolving reporting standards. Systematic review; Level of evidence, 3. A systematic review was conducted following PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. Included were 40 studies: 29 preclinical (in vivo animal models) and 11 clinical. Each clinical study was assessed for quality, risk of bias, and adherence to relevant MIBO (Minimum Information for Studies Evaluating Biologics in Orthopaedics) guidelines. The outcomes of interest were reported load to failure, load to gap, gap size, and stiffness in the preclinical studies, and healing rate and any patient-reported outcome measures in the clinical studies. Injectables reported included growth factors (eg, transforming growth factor-beta 3, erythropoietin), bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells and adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs), and other agents such as platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and hyaluronic acid. The most common findings for preclinical injectables were increased load to failure (16/29 studies; 55.2%) and improved collagen histological quality (11/29 studies; 37.9%). All 11 clinical studies (10 PRP, 1 ADSC) indicated no adverse events, with similar or improved patient-reported outcomes compared with repairs in the control groups. In 1 study utilizing an innovative delivery technique, a concentrated PRP globule with fibrin matrix was shuttled over a suture to maintain concentrated PRP at the repair site and demonstrated a significant decrease in retears (P = .03) at a 31-month follow-up. A matched-cohort study investigating augmentation with ADSCs demonstrated a significantly lower retear rate in the ADSC-augmented group than the control group at a 28-month follow-up (P < .001). On average, the clinical studies adhered to 66% of relevant MIBO reporting guidelines and had a low risk of bias. Approximately 83% of preclinical studies found a positive biomechanical or histological effect, with no studies showing an overall negative effect. Clinically, utilization of innovative delivery techniques may reduce the risk of arthroscopic washout of PRP and improve retear rates. ADSCs were shown to reduce retear rates at a 28-month follow-up.

Fresh Azolla, Azolla pinnata as a Complementary Feed for Oreochromis niloticus: Growth, Digestive Enzymes, Intestinal Morphology, Physiological Responses, and Flesh Quality.

Azolla is a potential fish feed ingredient due to its high nutritional value, abundant production, and low price. This study is aimed at evaluating the use of fresh green azolla (FGA) as a replacement ratio of the daily feed intake on the growth, digestive enzymes, hematobiochemical indices, antioxidant response, intestinal histology, body composition, and flesh quality of monosex Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus (with an average initial weight of 108.0 ± 5.0 g). Five experimental groups were used and differed in commercial feed replacement rates of 0% (T 0), 10% (T 1), 20% (T 2), 30% (T 3), and 40% (T 4) with FGA for 70 days. Results showed that 20% replacement with azolla gave the highest values of growth performance and hematological parameters and the best feed conversion ratio, protein efficiency ratio, and fish whole body protein content. The highest levels of intestinal chymotrypsin, trypsin, lipase, and amylase were noted in 20% replacement with azolla. Fish fed diets with FGA levels of 10% and 40% showed the highest values for the thickness of the mucosa and submucosa layers among all treatments, respectively, while the length and width of the villi decreased significantly. No significant (P > 0.05) differences in the activities of serum alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase, and creatinine were detected among treatments. The hepatic total antioxidant capacity and the activities of catalase and superoxide dismutase significantly (P < 0.05) increased while the activity of malonaldehyde decreased with increasing the replacement levels of FGA up to 20%. With increasing levels of dietary replacement with FGA, muscular pH, stored loss (%), and frozen leakage rate (%) were significantly decreased. Finally, it was concluded that the dietary replacement of 20% FGA or less may be considered a promising feeding protocol for monosex Nile tilapia, which may lead to high fish growth, quality, profitability, and sustainability for the tilapia production sector.

Histological and Radiological Assessment of Endogenously Generated Repair Tissue In Vivo Following a Chondral Harvest.

To examine repair tissue formed approximately 15 months after a chondral harvest in the human knee. Sixteen individuals (12 males, 4 females, mean age 36 ± 9 years) underwent a chondral harvest in the trochlea as a pre-requisite for autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI) treatment. The harvest site was assessed via MRI at 14.3 ± 3.2 months and arthroscopy at 15 ± 3.5 months (using the Oswestry Arthroscopy Score [O-AS] and the International Cartilage Repair Society Arthroscopy Score [ICRS-AS]). Core biopsies (1.8 mm diameter, n = 16) of repair tissue obtained at arthroscopy were assessed histologically (using the ICRS II and OsScore histology scores) and examined via immunohistochemistry for the presence of collagen types I and II. The mean O-AS and ICRS-AS of the repaired harvest sites were 7.2 ± 3.2 and 10.1 ± 3.5, respectively, with 80.3% ± 26% repair fill depth on MRI. The histological quality of the repair tissue formed was variable, with some hyaline cartilage present in 50% of the biopsies; where this occurred, it was associated with a significantly higher ICRS-AS than those with no hyaline cartilage present (median 11 vs. 7.5, P = 0.049). Collagen types I and II were detected in 12/14 and 10/13 biopsies, respectively. We demonstrate good-quality structural repair tissue formed following cartilage harvest in ACI, suggesting this site can be useful to study endogenous cartilage repair in humans. The trochlea is less commonly affected by osteoarthritis; therefore, location may be critical for spontaneous repair. Understanding the mechanisms and factors influencing this could improve future treatments for cartilage defects.

One bite or two? A comparison of single bite and double bite biopsy techniques in gastrointestinal endoscopy (BITES)

Background and aim Endoscopic biopsies can be taken using either single or double bite technique. In the single bite method, intubation time may be proportionately prolonged depending upon the number of biopsies taken. In contrast to this, double bite, though a greater number of biopsies may be taken per unit time, it may influence the quality of the biopsy specimen. The aim of the study was to compare these methods and to see if taking double bite has significant effect on the histological quality of the endoscopic biopsies. Methods A prospective, randomised and partly blind study (n = 135, M: 54%, age 21–91 years) divided into two equal arms to compare 144 procedures was conducted. Specimen were compared for time taken to size, depth, crush artefacts, necrosis, fragmentation, distortion, and epithelial stripping. Time taken to collect specimens was also recorded in the upper GI procedures. Results No significant difference was observed in the histological quality of single and double bite specimens (p < 0.05). However, DB took significantly less time (M = 88.5, SD ± 28.5) as compared to SB (M = 180, SD ± 55.9) (p < 0.05). Conclusions There is no difference between the histological quality of DB and SB and the former technique takes less time, hence reducing intubation time.

Leukocyte and Platelet-Rich Plasma (L-PRP) in Tendon Models: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of in vivo/in vitro Studies.

To perform a systematic review on the application of leukocyte- and platelet-rich plasma (L-PRP) in tendon models by reviewing in vivo/in vitro studies. The searches were performed via electronic databases including PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library up to September 2022 using the following keywords: ((tenocytes OR tendon OR tendinitis OR tendinosis OR tendinopathy OR tendon injury) AND (platelet-rich plasma OR PRP OR autologous conditioned plasma OR leukocyte- and platelet-rich plasma OR L-PRP OR leukocyte-richplatelet-rich plasma Lr-PRP)). Only in vitro and in vivo studies that assessed the potential effects of L-PRP on tendons and/or tenocytes are included in this study. Description of PRP, study design and methods, outcomes measured, and results are extracted from the data. A total of 17 studies (8 in vitro studies and 9 in vivo studies) are included. Thirteen studies (76%) reported leukocyte concentrations of L-PRP. Four studies (24%) reported the commercial kits. In in vitro studies, L-PRP demonstrated increased cell proliferation, cell migration, collagen synthesis, accelerated inflammation, and catabolic response in the short term. In addition, most in vivo studies indicated increased collagen type I content. According to in vivo studies reporting data, L-PRP reduced inflammation response in 71.0% of studies, while it enhanced the histological quality of tendons in 67.0% of studies. All 3 studies reporting data found increased biomechanical properties with L-PRP treatment. Most evidence indicates that L-PRP has some potential effects on tendon healing compared to control. However, it appears that L-PRP works depending on the biological status of the damaged tendon. At an early stage, L-PRP may accelerate tendon healing, but at a later stage, it could be detrimental.

Assessing Tissue Fixation Time and Quality with Label-free Mid Infrared Spectroscopy and Machine Learning.

Objectives: This work investigates whether changes in a biospecimen's molecular composition from formaldehyde fixation drive changes in the mid infrared (MID-IR) spectrum. Our ultimate goal was to develop an analytical metrology that could be used to accurately determine the fixation time of a tissue sample as a surrogate to overall tissue quality. Methods: Multiple unstained formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue samples were scanned with an MID-IR microscope to identify a molecular fingerprint of formaldehyde fixation. The fixation specific patterns were then mined to develop a predictive model. A multiple tissue experiment using greater than 100 samples was designed to train the algorithm and validate the accuracy of predicting fixation status. Results: We present data that formaldehyde crosslinking results in alterations to multiple bands of the MID-IR spectra. The impact was most dramatic in the Amide I band, which is sensitive to the conformational state of proteins. The spectroscopic fixation signature was used to train a machine-learning model that could predict fixation time of unknown tissues with an average accuracy of 1.4 hours. Results were validated by histological stain quality for bcl-2, FOXP3, and ki-67. Further, two-dimensional imaging was used to visualize the spatial dependence of fixation, as demonstrated by multiple features in the tissue's vibrational spectra. Conclusions: This work demonstrates that it is possible to predict the fixation status of tissues for which the preanalytics are unknown. This novel capability could help standardize clinical tissue diagnostics and ensure every patient gets the absolutely best treatment based on the highest quality tissue sample.