Increase In Tissue Volume Research Articles

An injectable hyaluronic acid-Polydeoxyribonucleotides (HA-PDRN) crosslinked hydrogel as a dermal filler

Injectable hydrogels, commonly utilized as dermal fillers, show great potential for increasing tissue volume and correcting wrinkles. HA (hyaluronic acid), extensively used in dermal fillers, requires considerable modifications to meet commercial demands for effectiveness and functionality. PDRN (polydeoxyribonucleotides), DNA extracted from salmon sperm cells, offer several therapeutic benefits, including anti-inflammatory and collagen stimulation. This work presents a new crosslinked hydrogel based on HA and PDRN. HA-PDRN crosslinked hydrogels were fabricated via covalent interactions between the carboxyl groups of HA and amino groups of PDRN, resulting in desirable properties such as viscoelasticity, appearance, hydration, degradation, injectability, and biocompatibility. In vivo studies on mice revealed that these hydrogels maintain volume for over 24 weeks, with reduced inflammation and enhanced collagen synthesis, as well as exhibiting durability, safety, and supportability.

Yeast β-glucan-based nanoparticles loading methotrexate promotes osteogenesis of hDPSCs and periodontal bone regeneration under the inflammatory microenvironment

The regeneration of absorbed alveolar bone and reconstruction of periodontal support tissue are huge challenges in the clinical treatment of periodontitis due to the limited regenerative capacity of alveolar bone. It is essential to regulate inflammatory reaction and periodontal cell differentiation. Based on the anti-inflammatory effect of baker's yeast β-glucan (BYG) with biosafety by targeting macrophages, the BYG-based nanoparticles loading methotrexate (cBPM) were fabricated from polyethylene glycol-grafted BYG through chemical crosslinking for treatment of periodontitis. In our findings, cBPM promoted osteogenesis of human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs) under inflammatory microenvironment, characterized by the enhanced expression of osteogenesis-related Runx2 and activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (MAPK/Erk) pathway in vitro. Animal experiments further demonstrate that cBPM effectively promoted periodontal bone regeneration and achieved in a better effect of recovery indicated by 19.2 % increase in tissue volume, 7.1 % decrease in trabecular separation, and a significant increase in percent bone volume and trabecular thickness, compared with the model group. Additionally, cBPM inhibited inflammation and repaired alveolar bone by transforming macrophage phenotype from inflammatory M1 to anti-inflammatory M2. This work provides an alternative strategy for the clinical treatment of periodontitis through BYG-based delivery nanoplatform of anti-inflammatory drugs.

Developmental profile of microglia distribution in nuclei of the superior olivary complex.

In the brain, microglia are involved in immune responses and synaptic maturation. During early development, these cells invade the brain, proliferate, and morphologically mature to achieve coverage of the surrounding tissue with their fine processes. Their developmental proliferation overlaps with the postnatal development of neuronal circuits. Within the superior olivary complex (SOC), an auditory brainstem structure, microglia, and their early postnatal development have been documented. A quantification over the full developmental profile of the arrangement and morphological changes in single microglia cells is missing. Here, we used immunofluorescence labeling to quantify their distribution, morphological changes, and coverage during early and late postnatal development in the SOC of Mongolian gerbils. Microglia distributed rather homogenously within each nucleus with a bias to the nucleus borders at postnatal day (P) 5 and more centrally in the nucleus in mature stages. We found a nucleus-specific transient increase in microglia cell number and density reaching its peak at P17 with a subsequent decline to P55 values. Length and branching of microglia protrusions increased especially after P12. The stronger ramification together with the increase in cell density allows coverage of the surrounding tissue from P5 to mature stages, despite the large developmental increase in nucleus size. The transient increase in density during synaptic refinement in SOC nuclei suggests that microglia are important during the pruning period, compensating for developmental increase in tissue volume, and that in mature stages their main function appears tissue surveillance.

Reactive lymphoid hyperplasia in the oral cavity of a cardiac patient – case report

This descriptive observational study reports a case of reactive lymphoid hyperplasia in the oral cavity of a pediatric cardiac patient followed up at a public tertiary care hospital. This male patient was five years old, with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, treated with Carvedilol, Furosemide, Losartan, Warfarin, Montelukast, and beclometasone. His legal guardian reported an increased amount of tissue on the floor of the mouth ongoing for approximately 24 hours, followed by prostration, fever, bilateral lymphadenopathy, and a refusal to eat. After removal of the oral infectious foci (carious lesions) in the operating room, regression of the lesion and symptoms was observed, suggesting a diagnosis of a lesion caused by reactional lymphoid hyperplasia, a rare and benign condition in which there is an increase in tissue volume, caused by the proliferation of lymphoid cells to fight an aggressor agent.

Lipedema Research-Quo Vadis?

When studying the current literature, one might get the impression that lipedema is a "modern" disease, with increasing incidence and augmenting prevalence throughout Western countries during the last decade. However, a quick look into older textbooks shows that disproportionate accumulation of fat in female bodies has long been known without being recognized as an independent disease. Nevertheless, it was not until 1940 that Allen and Hines described a "syndrome characterized by fat legs and orthostatic edema" in a seminal publication. The mere awareness that people who have lipedema are not just overweight but suffer from a yet poorly defined pathological condition, may be considered a decisive leap forward in the understanding of lipedema. A number of comprehensive publications have since dealt with the clinical presentation of lipedema and have provided the first clues towards the potential pathological mechanisms underlying its initiation and progression. Nevertheless, despite all effort that has been undertaken to unravel lipedema pathology, many questions have remained unanswered. What can be deduced with certainty from all experimental and medical evidence available so far is that lipedema is neither a cosmetic problem nor is it a problem of lifestyle but should be accepted as a serious disease with yet undetermined genetic background, which makes women's lives unbearable from both a physical and psychological point of view. To date, results from clinical inspections have led to the categorization of various types and stages of lipedema, describing how the extremities are affected and evaluating its progression, as demonstrated by skin alterations, adipose tissue volume increase and physical and everyday-behavioral impediments. There is accumulating evidence showing that advanced stages of lipedema are usually accompanied by excessive weight or obesity. Thus, it is not unreasonable to assume that the progression of lipedema is largely driven by weight gain and the pathological alterations associated with it. Similarly, secondary lymphedema is frequently found in lipedema patients at advanced stages. Needless to say, both conditions considerably blur the clinical presentation of lipedema, making diagnosis difficult and scientific research challenging. The present literature review will focus on lipedema research, based on evidence fromex vivo and in vitro data, which has accumulated throughout the last few decades. We will also open the discussion as to whether the currently used categorization of lipedema stages is still sufficient and up-to-date for the accurate description of this enigmatic disease, whose name, strangely enough, does not match its pathologic correlate.

X-ray and anatomical features of the lower jaw alveolar cortical layer in children

Introductionthe world studies showed the interest in measurement of the buccal or anterior cortical plate thickness. Data indicate a significant superiority of the spongy substance over the compact one in the distal part of the jaw, which makes it possible to think about a higher effectiveness of transcortical injections. The empirical “rule of 10″ provides for the choice of a method of anesthesia in children for primary teeth but demonstrates difficulties with high-quality anesthesia accompanied for permanent teeth. Therefore, the importance of clinical examination and anatomical investigation of the jaw cortical plate in children for competent planning of transcortical interventions has been determined. AimTo study the features of the clinical and X-ray anatomy of the cortical layer in distal alveolar part of the mandible in children. Material and methodsThe assessment of the X-ray anatomical characteristics of the mandible was carried out according to 150 anonymized cone-beam computed tomograms of patients aged 6–12 years, performed for the treatment of major diseases. Qualitative assessment and examination of the cortical plate of the distal alveolar part of the mandible were carried out on the skeletonized certified preparations of aged 6–12 in the amount of 50. ResultsThe age characteristics of the cortical plate in the area of the chewing group of teeth in the mandible were determined according to macro anatomical studies, which confirms with the X-ray results. Therefore, the obtained images serve as actual confirmation of X-ray studies, which are ranked by age. The thickness of the cortical plate in the second primary molar of the mandible in subgroups 6, 7 and 8 years has a proportional increase from the cervical region to the apical projection. The average thickness of the cortical plate is 1.57 mm at 6 years, 1.52 mm at 7 years, 1.6 mm at 8 years and 1.84 at 9 years. The cortical plate thickness in the first primary molar of the mandible in subgroups 6 and 7 years has a proportional decrease from the cervical region to the apical projection as well as an inverse proportion to age. The average thickness of the cortical plate is 1.33 mm. In the first molar of the mandible at the age limit of 6–12 years the attention is drawn to the linear increase in tissue volume from the cervical region to the apical projection up to 8 years. At 6–8 years the average thickness of the cortical plate in this age group is 1.74 ± 0.2 mm, at 9 years - 2.03 mm, at 10 - average value in the cervical region it is 1.53 ± 0.23 mm, in the root middle it is 2.19 ± 0.13 mm and in the apical projection it is 1.98 ± 0.16 mm, at 11–2.22 mm and at 12–2.35 mm. For the second primary molar the average thickness of the buccal cortical plate of the second primary molar is 1.4 mm in cervical part, 1.68 mm in the root middle and 1.81 mm in the apical projection. Finally, thickness of the buccal cortical plate in the cervical region of the first permanent molar is 2 mm in groups. ConclusionThe study makes it possible to determinate with noninvasive way the age limit for the least pronounced zone of the buccal cortical plate.

The Multilayer GBR Technique: An Alternative Approach for One-Stage Transmucosal Implant Placement in the Presence of Horizontal Defects. A Case Series.

This study presents a one-stage technique for horizontal guided bone regeneration and transmucosal implant placement in the presence of hard and soft tissue defects. The proposed technique uses autologous bone particles, deproteinized bovine bone matrix, collagen membranes, and concentrated growth factor membranes to create a multilayer barrier and enhance tissue regeneration. Four patients were treated with a total of seven implants. Digital analyses of intraoral scan data taken at baseline and at 6 months postsurgery showed a mean increase in tissue volume of 157.4 mm3. The patient satisfaction was high, and no complications were observed.

Off-the-Shelf Nipple Engineering: Neonipple Formation via Implantation of Scaffolded Decellularized Ovine Xenograft.

Nipple reconstruction is widely regarded as the final step in postmastectomy breast reconstruction. While grafts, local flaps, or combination approaches have been used in nipple reconstruction, none has been able to achieve reliable long-term projection preservation. In response, we have sought to bioengineer neonipples in situ via the implantation of processed, decellularized cartilage xenografts placed within 3-dimensional-printed polylactic acid (PLA) scaffolds. External nipple scaffolds were designed in-house and 3-dimensional-printed with PLA filament. Decellularized ovine xenograft infill was prepared and processed by mincing or zesting. All nipple scaffolds were placed subcutaneously on the dorsa of Sprague-Dawley rats and explanted after 1, 3, and 6 months for analysis. Explanted nipple scaffolds demonstrated gross maintenance of scaffold shape, diameter, and projection with accompanying increases in tissue volume. Histologic analyses revealed preservation of native cartilage architecture after 6 months without evidence of degradation. Analysis of formed tissue within the scaffolds revealed a progressive invasion of fibrovascular tissue with identifiable vascular channels and adipose tissue after 6 months in vivo. Confined compression testing revealed equilibrium moduli of both minced and zested samples that were within the expected range of previously reported human nipple tissue, while these data revealed no differences in the mechanical properties of the neotissue between time points or processing techniques. These preliminary data support potential use of decellularized allograft to foster healthy tissue ingrowth within a PLA scaffold, thereby offering a novel solution to current limitations in nipple reconstruction.

Monitoring of Surgical Wounds with Purely Textile, Measuring Wound Pads – II. Detection of Bacterial Inflammation by Measurement of Wound Tissue Temperature

Aims: This study was executed to aquire basic knowledge on relations between design characteristics and the quality of measurements, as well as the optimization of the design of purely textile, measuring wound dressings for the detection of wound tissue warming as an indicator for (bacterial) inflammation. Background: The normal healing of surgical skin wounds may be disrupted by complications, by far the most common being post-operative bacterial infections. Objective: The temperature of the wound and its surroundings – the main indicative parameter for the onset of bacterial inflammation – can be determined and shown by means of functionalized, purely textile wound dressings with measuring capability when used as part of a measuring and assistance system. The textile sensors comprise insulated electrical wires stitched onto a textile backing designed as double meander, which is appropriate for the detection of temperature, moist, and rectangular transverse elongation (indicating inflammation, bleeding or seroma discharge, and tissue volume increase as a sign of haemorrhage (into the tissue) or seroma formation). Methods: Major design parameters are diameter of the electrical conductor (wire) / distance between an electrical conductor and the nearest (parallel) conductor / spacing of the embroidered seams (upper thread loops) along a conductor / number of meander loops, and length, width, and area of the double meander sensor array. Results: Skin temperature rises a few degree Celsius resulting in differences in ohmic resistance in the order of a few parts per thousand. The ohmic resistance of the electrical sensor wire as measurement for the temperature under the dressing solely depends on the length of the wire. Neither the spacing between the sections of wire nor the spacing of the upper thread has any detectable direct effect on the determination of the temperature. Conclusion: To improve measuring accuracy, sensor wires as thin as possible should be used for two reasons: (1) because their ohmic resistance is higher, simplifying measurement, and (2) because they can be stitched closer together in wound dressings, enabling a longer sensor wire to be used in the area of interest.

Characterizing Pharmacokinetics in Children With Obesity-Physiological, Drug, Patient, and Methodological Considerations.

Childhood obesity is an alarming public health problem. The pediatric obesity rate has quadrupled in the past 30 years, and currently nearly 20% of United States children and 9% of children worldwide are classified as obese. Drug distribution and elimination processes, which determine drug exposure (and thus dosing), can vary significantly between patients with and without obesity. Obesity-related physiological changes, such as increased tissue volume and perfusion, altered blood protein concentrations, and tissue composition can greatly affect a drug’s volume of distribution, which might necessitate adjustment in loading doses. Obesity-related changes in the drug eliminating organs, such as altered enzyme activity in the liver and glomerular filtration rate, can affect the rate of drug elimination, which may warrant an adjustment in the maintenance dosing rate. Although weight-based dosing (i.e., in mg/kg) is commonly practiced in pediatrics, choice of the right body size metric (e.g., total body weight, lean body weight, body surface area, etc.) for dosing children with obesity still remains a question. To address this gap, the interplay between obesity-related physiological changes (e.g., altered organ size, composition, and function), and drug-specific properties (e.g., lipophilicity and elimination pathway) needs to be characterized in a quantitative framework. Additionally, methodological considerations, such as adequate sample size and optimal sampling scheme, should also be considered to ensure accurate and precise top-down covariate selection, particularly when designing opportunistic studies in pediatric drug development. Further factors affecting dosing, including existing dosing recommendations, target therapeutic ranges, dose capping, and formulations constraints, are also important to consider when undergoing dose selection for children with obesity. Opportunities to bridge the dosing knowledge gap in children with obesity include modeling and simulating techniques (i.e., population pharmacokinetic and physiologically-based pharmacokinetic [PBPK] modeling), opportunistic clinical data, and real world data. In this review, key considerations related to physiology, drug parameters, patient factors, and methodology that need to be accounted for while studying the influence of obesity on pharmacokinetics in children are highlighted and discussed. Future studies will need to leverage these modeling opportunities to better describe drug exposure in children with obesity as the childhood obesity epidemic continues.

The Ball Technique for Peri-implant Soft Tissue Augmentation Using a Xenogeneic Collagen Matrix: A Technical Report.

In the maxillary anterior region, augmentation to correct a soft tissue deficiency is often required for an esthetic outcome and long-term implant therapy success. This case series of three patients presents a novel approach for soft tissue augmentation using xenogeneic collagen matrix balls in the esthetic zone around the implants. This technique avoids a secondary donor site compared to autogenous connective tissue graft. With this technique, a horizontal soft tissue volume increase (range: 3 to 5 mm) was observed postsurgically and maintained at later follow-ups. The described ball technique offers a viable method for peri-implant mucosal augmentation in the maxillary anterior region.

3D cell sheet structure augments mesenchymal stem cell cytokine production

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) secrete paracrine factors that play crucial roles during tissue regeneration. An increasing body of evidence suggests that this paracrine function is enhanced by MSC cultivation in three-dimensional (3D) tissue-like microenvironments. Toward this end, this study explored scaffold-free cell sheet technology as a new 3D platform. MSCs cultivated on temperature-responsive culture dishes to a confluent 2D monolayer were harvested by temperature reduction from 37 to 20 °C that induces a surface wettability transition from hydrophobic to hydrophilic. Release of culture-adherent tension induced spontaneous cell sheet contraction, reducing the diameter 2.4-fold, and increasing the thickness 8.0-fold to render a 3D tissue-like construct with a 36% increase in tissue volume. This 2D-to-3D transition reorganized MSC actin cytoskeleton from aligned to multidirectional, corresponding to a cell morphological change from elongated in 2D monolayers to rounded in 3D cell sheets. 3D culture increased MSC gene expression of cell interaction proteins, β-catenin, integrin β1, and connexin 43, and of pro-tissue regenerative cytokines, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), and interleukin-10 (IL-10), and increased VEGF secretion per MSC 2.1-fold relative to 2D cultures. Together, these findings demonstrate that MSC therapeutic potency can be enhanced by 3D cell sheet tissue structure.

A Computational Framework to Predict and Understand in situ Heart Valve Tissue Engineering

Objective: It is widely accepted that there is a strong relation between mechanical factors due to hemodynamic loading and tissue adaptation in native and tissue-engineered heart valves (TEHVs)[1,2]. Yet, this process remains poorly understood due to complex interactions between cell-mediated tissue growth and remodeling (G&R) and the hemodynamic environment. Computational modeling can aid in understanding valve adaptation. Yet, existing models have limitations that do not allow investigating simultaneous tissue formation and scaffold degradation, which is instrumental for an in situ TEHV. Hypothesizing that G&R occurs to (re-)establish mechanical homeostasis, we aimed to develop a computational framework that enables simulation, and ultimately understanding, of in situ TEHV development under complex hemodynamic loading conditions. Methods: A valve mechanical model [3] was enriched with a G&R algorithm [4] to compute the turnover of individual constituents following [5]. This model predicts the evolution of the tissue volume (growth), composition, and microstructure (remodeling) due to changes in hemodynamic loading. Results: To demonstrate the concept, increased blood pressure is modeled by increasing tissue stretch 25% and computing the adaptation of the tissue. The elevated tissue production leads to increased tissue volume and a relative increase in collagen content (Figure 1). Both these mechanisms improve the load-bearing capacity of the tissue and enable the tissue to return to its homeostatic mechanical state. Conclusions: Computational models of heart valve G&R provide valuable insights into interactions between hemodynamics and evolving tissue properties. The presented framework allows, for the first time, simulations of evolving in situ TEHVs, which will aid in understanding experimental outcomes and rationally improving valve designs. Additionally, it enables prediction of morphology and ECM architecture after certain clinical interventions, like the Ross-Yacoub procedure.

Increased volume and collagen crosslinks drive soft tissue contribution to post-traumatic elbow contracture in an animal model.

Post-traumatic joint contracture (PTJC) in the elbow is a biological problem with functional consequences. Restoring elbow motion after injury is a complex challenge because contracture is a multi-tissue pathology. We previously developed an animal model of elbow PTJC using Long-Evans rats and showed that the capsule and ligaments/cartilage were the primary soft tissues that caused persistent joint motion loss. The objective of this study was to evaluate tissue-specific changes within the anterior capsule and lateral collateral ligament (LCL) that led to their contribution to elbow contracture. In our rat model of elbow PTJC, a unilateral surgery replicated damage that commonly occurs due to elbow dislocation. Following surgery, the injured limb was immobilized for 42 days. The capsule and LCL were evaluated after 42 days of immobilization or 42 days of immobilization followed by 42 days of free mobilization. We evaluated extracellular matrix protein biochemistry, non-enzymatic collagen crosslink content, tissue volume with contrast-enhanced micro-computed tomography, and tissue mechanical properties. Increased collagen content, but not collagen density, was observed in both injured limb capsules and LCLs, which was consistent with the increased tissue volume. Injured limb LCLs exhibited decreased normalized maximum force, and both tissues had increased immature collagen cross-links compared to control. Overall, increased tissue volume and immature collagen crosslinks in the capsule and LCL drive their contribution to elbow contracture in our rat model.

Aumento tecidual estético com associação de biomaterial sintético e L-PRF

A reabilitação com implantes osseointegráveis é uma opção terapêutica consolidada na literatura e que apresenta alta taxa de sucesso e previsibilidade. Entretanto, as perdas dos elementos dentais levam a um colapso tecidual que muitas vezes inviabilizam a instalação dos implantes dentários, acarretando defeitos atróficos nos maxilares de variadas magnitudes. O objetivo deste caso clínico foi demonstrar a associação de um biomaterial sintético com a Fibrina Rica em Plaquetas (L-PRF) com a finalidade de aumento tecidual gengival em área estética. O paciente foi submetido a exames pré-operatórios, clínicos e radiográficos (tomografia computadorizada Cone Beam) da região da maxila com a confecção de protótipo e acompanhado por um ano e quatro meses. Foi realizado um enxerto onlay homógeno com bloco cortico-medular na região do defeito ósseo. Após sete meses de remodelação óssea, o paciente realizou nova tomografia computadorizada e foram inseridos os implantes dentários, concomitante a enxertia de biomaterial particulado de hidroxiapatita mineral inorgânica, que recebeu associação do L-PRF em fase líquida e posteriormente foi recoberto com a membrana de L-PRF. Após seis meses, nova tomografia computadorizada foi realizada para avaliação do procedimento anterior e seguiu-se com a reabertura e colocação de provisórios com o condicionamento do tecido gengival. Após 3 meses foi feita a moldagem personalizada e confeccionada a prótese fixa metalocerâmica na região dos elementos 12 ao 22. Podemos concluir com o caso clínico que a enxertia de biomaterial sintético associado ao L-PRF mostrou-se uma técnica eficaz no aumento de volume tecidual.

Morphological peculiarities of the liver in alcoholic hepatitis in combination with arterial hypertension

The purpose of the study is to investigate the morphological features of the liver with alcoholic hepatitis in combination with arterial hypertension. Material and methods. Autopsy material (34 cases) of the liver of the deceased with the clinical diagnosis of alcoholic liver disease was investigated. The definitive diagnosis of the form of alcoholic liver damage was revealed by microscopic examination of histological sections of the liver using the method of inspection staining (hematoxylin and eosin) and three histochemical methods: staining with chromotropic-aqueous blue by N. Z. Slinchenko, bromphenol blue according to Mikel Calvo (to evaluate the processes of oxidative modification of proteins and to estimate the total protein concentration), staining free amino groups of proteins in ninghydrin-Schiff and reaction Yasuma Ichikawa and evaluation processes for limited proteolysis. Results. Histological examination of liver preparations of patients with alcoholic hepatitis showed a typical picture of the inflammatory process in combination with steatosis. The inflammation was localized mainly in the connective tissue of the portal tracts in the form of lymphocytic infiltrates with impurities of polymorphonuclear leukocytes. The proportion of infiltrates in patients with hypertension did not differ, on average, from patients without hypertension. The density of infiltration by lymphocytes and polymorphonuclear leukocytes was very uneven, even within one liver. But it can be noted that the infiltration of the portal tracts was generally more dense than the periportal areas of the liver lobules. The portal tract stroma in some patients was slightly swollen. The sinusoids of the liver lobules are somewhat enlarged, with plethora. There are hemorrhages in the stroma of the portal tracts and around them. In hypertension, the specific volume of hemorrhage is more than twice the rate of patients with alcoholic hepatitis without arterial hypertension. In arterial hypertension, the percentage of hepatocytes in the state of fatty dystrophy and in the state of necrosis is much higher. Fatty dystrophy was predominantly a large droplet in both groups of the study, some of the hepatocytes were with signs of medium-sized fatty dystrophy. The nature of the fat droplets did not depend on the presence of hypertension. Necrosis was either colliquative (more common), or in other cases, necrosis was fat. In arterial hypertension, the specific connective tissue volume of portal tracts and collagen fibers was higher (p <0.05). For hepatocytes with signs of fatty dystrophy, the R/B coefficient in hypertension exceeded this in observations of alcoholic hepatitis without hypertension. Alcoholic hepatitis on the background of hypertension in all hepatocytes there is also an increase in processes of limited proteolysis. An important fact was the establishment of a higher level of proteolysis in connective tissue fibers. Conclusions. In alcoholic hepatitis in patients with hypertension compared with patients without hypertension, there is an increase in the percentage of hepatocytes in the state of fatty dystrophy and the percentage of hepatocytes in a state of necrosis, increase in the specific volume of hemorrhage, increase in the specific volume of tissue. collagen fibers and the optical color density of collagen fibers. There is also an intensification of the processes of free radical oxidation of proteins and limited proteolysis in hepatocytes and connective tissue fibers.

Scoring shoulder ulcers in breeding sows \u2013 is a distinction between substantial and insubstantial animal welfare-related lesions possible on clinical examination?

BackgroundShoulder ulcers in breeding sows that are restricted to the superficial skin layers, epidermis and dermis are usually classified as insubstantial animal welfare-related lesions. These less-severe lesions need to be differentiated from more-severe wounds that also involve the subcutis and the underlying bone, commonly evaluated as substantial animal welfare-related lesions. Scoring schemes based on clinical or histopathological findings are available, but the consistency between both types of findings has not been definitively evaluated. The present study was designed to compare clinical findings for various stages of shoulder ulcers with accompanying histopathological evaluation. A validated histopathologic score (Score-H) classifying the tissues involved in the different stages of shoulder ulcers was set as the reference standard.ResultsTesting the histopathological scores for associations with various clinical findings resulted in a clinical score (Score-C) that could be segregated into four stages. Stage I is characterised by intact skin without any ulcerative lesions. Stage II, representing ulcerative lesions restricted to the superficial skin layers, can be predicted with a probability of 90% when a scab with diameter less than 1.2 cm is present. Stage III, representing ulcers involving the entire skin and sometimes the underlying bone, can be identified by the diameter of the scab (DOS) and/or proliferation of wound margins (powm) and/or increase of tissue volume (mass). To achieve a probability of 90%, the DOS needs to be 8.3 cm when mass and powm are absent. DOS, when accompanied by powm and mass, needs to be only a minimum of 1.9 cm for a correct classification with a 90% probability. Stage IV represents skin without open wounds but with scar tissue indicative of a former shoulder ulcer.ConclusionsBased on the association with the histopathological findings as the reference standard a clinical score (Score-C) for the categorisation of shoulder ulcers in sows was developed. This score enables veterinarians and farmers to discriminate shoulder ulcers restricted to the superficial skin layers from ulcers involving all skin layers and sometimes even the underlying bone, which must be assessed as substantial animal welfare-related lesions.

Laser-induced tissue remodeling within the tympanic membrane.

The tympanic membrane (TM) separates the outer ear from the tympanic cavity. Repeated pathologies can permanently decrease its tension, inducing conductive hearing loss and adhesive processes up to cholesteatoma. The current main therapy is its surgical reconstruction. Even though lasers have been proposed to tighten atrophic TMs, details of this effect, specifically histological analyses, are missing. We therefore used laser pulses to induce TM collagen remodeling in an animal model to compare the histological and electrophysiological effects of different applied laser intensities before entering clinical studies. We irradiated Fuchsin-stained areas of the TM in anesthetized mice with 532-nm laser-pulses of 10mW for 30s (0.3J), 25mW for 30s (0.75J) or 50mW for 30s (1.5J) monitoring hearing with auditory brainstem responses (ABRs). The mice were sacrificed after 2 to 8 weeks and histologically analyzed. An increase in the TM thickness within the defined, stained, and irradiated areas could be observed after 4 weeks. Polarized light microscopy and transmission electron microscopy demonstrated the tissue volume increase majorly due to new collagen-fibrils. Directly after irradiation, ABR thresholds did not increase. We herein demonstrate a controlled laser-induced collagen remodeling within defined areas of the TM. This method might be the prophylactic solution for chronic inflammatory ear pathologies related to decreased TM tension.

I068] Radiation effects on the embryo and fetus

The effects of in utero radiation should not be confused with heritable effects that can manifest by irradiating germ cells (oocytes or spermatocytes) before conception, causing chromosomal aberrations and/or mutations in the genes themselves. These (stochastic) genetic effects have been documented in animals and insects, but there is no epidemiological evidence of excess heritable disease in the offspring of humans irradiated before conception. The irradiation of somatic cells of the embryo/fetus can cause both tissue injuries and stochastic effects. Tissue injuries are dependent on the fetal stage of development and have been documented in irradiated cohorts of Hiroshima/Nagasaki atomic bomb survivors and residents around Chernobyl and the Mayak Plant/Techa River in the Southern Urals, as well as after medical radiation. According to the 2013 US National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements Report 174, embryo lethality can occur in the pre-implantation period at doses above 100 mGy; malformations (such as microcephaly, micrognathia and cleft palate) may occur during organogenesis above 100 mGy, and severe mental retardation, in the weeks 8–25th post conception, with a dose threshold of 300 mGy. The most sensitive period is the 8–15th week, where a decrease of up to 30 IQ units has been observed. As for radiation-induced stochastic effects, although cancer has been observed for in utero irradiated cohorts from Hiroshima/Nagasaki and Southern Urals, the numbers are small; it is not known which are the most vulnerable gestation periods. However, the cancer life time risk seems lower than that following irradiation during childhood, which in turn is much higher than in adults. On a mechanistic basis, the 2015 International Commission on Radiological Protection Report 131, suggested that because of high competition between the irradiated and non-irradiated stem cells after low doses in utero, the injured stem cells are discarded before birth, thus yielding a low cancer risk. During childhood growth, stem cell competition is less stringent (higher risk) as the stem cell/niche units increase in number to cope with the increase in tissue volume, an unnecessary mechanism in adulthood (lower risk). The presentation will end showing typical fetal doses in medical radiation procedures.

ОСОБЛИВОСТІ ВНУТРІШНЬОЇ БУДОВИ ЯЄЧНИКІВ ПОТОМСТВА ЩУРІВ ПІСЛЯ ВВЕДЕННЯ ПРОГЕСТЕРОНУ ПІД ЧАС ВАГІТНОСТІ

In obstetric and gynecological practice for miscarriage treatment the hormone progesterone is widely used.The aim of the study – to learn the correlation of ovarian structures of rats (follicles, connective tissue, blood vessels and corpus luteum) after the administration of progesterone during pregnancy.Materials and Methods. The ovaries of 48 female Wistar rats were investigated on the 45th, 60th and 90th days of life, and they were divided into 3 groups: intact, experimental (the oily solution of progesterone in a dosage 0.33 ml was administered intramuscularly to the female rats from the 15th to the 18th day of pregnancy), and the control group, which was injected with a physiological solution of sodium chloride in an equivalent dosage. The ovaries were fixed in 10 % neutral formalin, serial paraffin cross sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin.Results and Discussion. From the 45th to the 90th day in the ovaries of experimental animals the connective tissue volume increase and the relative area occupied by the follicles decrease were observed comparing to the control group of animals. The relative area occupied by corpus luteum was significantly greater in the offspring of animals exposed to progesterone during pregnancy than in control animals. As for the blood vessels, there was a decrease in the relative area of vessels in the ovaries of experimental animals during the entire period of observation.Conclusions. In the experimental group of animals we observed the connective tissue and corpus luteum volume increase, but relative area occupied by follicles and blood vessels decreases during the entire observation period.