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Animals : An Open Access Journal From... Oct 2023Refinement of experimental procedures in animal research has the objective of preventing and minimizing pain/distress in animals, including the euthanasia period. This...
Refinement of experimental procedures in animal research has the objective of preventing and minimizing pain/distress in animals, including the euthanasia period. This study aimed to evaluate pain associated with six methods of euthanasia in Wistar rats (injectable, inhalational, and physical), by applying the Rat Grimace Scale (RGS), comparing the scores, and determining the method with the highest score that might indicate pain for laboratory rodents. Sixty adult male and female Wistar rats were used and assigned to six treatments: pentobarbital, CO, decapitation, isoflurane, ketamine + xylazine, and ketamine + CO. Video recording to assess the RGS scores was performed in four events: basal: 24 h before the procedure; Ti: three minutes before the procedure; Ti: during the application of the euthanasia method; and Ti: immediately after the application until LORR. The main findings of this study showed that, during Ti, decapitation and ketamine + xylazine had the highest scores (0.6 ± 0.26 and 0.6 ± 0.16, respectively) ( < 0.0001), while at Ti, CO (0.9 ± 0.18) and isoflurane (1.2 ± 0.20) recorded the highest scores ( < 0.0001). According to the present results, decapitation and ketamine + xylazine elicited short-term acute pain, possibly due to tissue damage caused by both methods (injection and guillotine). In contrast, isoflurane's RGS scores recorded during Ti might be associated with nociception/pain due to the pungency of the drug or to the pharmacological muscle relaxant effect of isoflurane. Further research is needed to establish a comprehensive study of pain during euthanasia, where RGS could be used minding the limitations that anesthetics might have on facial expression.
PubMed: 37893885
DOI: 10.3390/ani13203161 -
Plants (Basel, Switzerland) Jul 2023() is a crucial member of the (TCP) gene family and is well known for playing a central role in shoot branching by controlling buds' paradormancy. However, the...
() is a crucial member of the (TCP) gene family and is well known for playing a central role in shoot branching by controlling buds' paradormancy. However, the expression characteristics and molecular regulatory mechanism of during blueberry bud dormancy are unclear. To shed light on these topics, shoots of three blueberry cultivars with different chilling requirements (CRs) were decapitated in summer to induce paradormancy release and subjected to different levels of chilling in winter to induce endodormancy release. The results showed that the high-CR cultivar 'Chandler' had the strongest apical dominance among the three cultivars; additionally, the expression of , which is homologous to , was the highest under both the decapitation treatment and low-temperature treatment. The 'Emerald' cultivar, with a low CR, demonstrated the opposite trend. These findings suggest that plays a negative regulatory role in bud break and that there may be a correlation between the CR and tree shape. Through yeast 1-hybrid (Y1H) assays, we finally screened 21 upstream regulatory genes, including eight transcription factors: zinc-finger homeodomain protein 1/4/5/9, MYB4, AP2-like ethylene-responsive transcription factor AINTEGUMENTA (ANT), ASIL2-like, and bHLH035. It was found that these upstream regulatory genes positively or negatively regulated the expression of based on the transcriptome expression profile. In summary, this study enriched our understanding of the regulatory network of during bud dormancy and provided new insights into the function of .
PubMed: 37514210
DOI: 10.3390/plants12142595 -
Anais Da Academia Brasileira de Ciencias 2023We aimed to evaluate how high-fat diet consumption can interfere with rat reproductive performance and fetal development. High-fat diet (HFD) was initiated in 30-day-old...
We aimed to evaluate how high-fat diet consumption can interfere with rat reproductive performance and fetal development. High-fat diet (HFD) was initiated in 30-day-old rats, distributed into two groups (n=7 animals/group): Rats receiving a standard diet and rats receiving HFD. At adulthood, the rats were mated, and on day 21 of pregnancy, the females were anesthetized, decapitated, and submitted to laparotomy to obtain visceral and periovarian adipose tissue. The uterine horns were exposed for analysis of maternal reproductive performance. The fetuses and placentas were weighed and analyzed. Pearson's correlation test was used, and p<0.05 was considered significant. There was a significant positive correlation (HFD consumption x increased periovarian fat) and a negative correlation with the implantation, live fetus numbers and lower litter weight. Furthermore, the increased relative weight of periuterine fat was related to the lower number of live fetuses and litter weight. Regarding the fetal weight classification, there was a negative correlation between the relative weight of periovarian fat and the percentage of fetuses appropriate for gestational age and large for gestational age. Therefore, our findings show that HFD maternal intake negatively influenced on reproductive performance and fetal growth.
Topics: Pregnancy; Female; Rats; Animals; Reproduction; Fetal Development; Placenta; Fetus; Adipose Tissue
PubMed: 38055444
DOI: 10.1590/0001-3765202320230079 -
Fa Yi Xue Za Zhi Aug 2023To explore the potential biomarkers for the diagnosis of primary brain stem injury (PBSI) by using metabonomics method to observe the changes of metabolites in rats with...
OBJECTIVES
To explore the potential biomarkers for the diagnosis of primary brain stem injury (PBSI) by using metabonomics method to observe the changes of metabolites in rats with PBSI caused death.
METHODS
PBSI, non-brain stem brain injury and decapitation rat models were established, and metabolic maps of brain stem were obtained by LC-MS metabonomics method and annotated to the HMDB database. Partial least square-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) and random forest methods were used to screen potential biomarkers associated with PBSI diagnosis.
RESULTS
Eighty-six potential metabolic markers associated with PBSI were screened by PLS-DA. They were modeled and predicted by random forest algorithm with an accuracy rate of 83.3%. The 818 metabolic markers annotated to HMDB database were used for random forest modeling and prediction, and the accuracy rate was 88.9%. According to the importance in the identification of cause of death, the most important metabolic markers that were significantly up-regulated in PBSI group were HMDB0038126 (genipinic acid, GA), HMDB0013272 (-lauroylglycine), HMDB0005199 [()-salsolinol] and HMDB0013645 (,-dimethylsphingosine).
CONCLUSIONS
GA, -lauroylglycine, ()-salsolinol and ,-dimethylsphingosine are expected to be important metabolite indicators in the diagnosis of PBSI caused death, thus providing clues for forensic medicine practice.
Topics: Rats; Animals; Metabolomics; Brain Injuries; Biomarkers; Brain Stem
PubMed: 37859476
DOI: 10.12116/j.issn.1004-5619.2022.420510 -
Horticulture Research Sep 2023Jujube witches' broom (JWB) phytoplasmas parasitize the sieve tubes of diseased phloem and cause an excessive proliferation of axillary shoots from dormant lateral buds...
Jujube witches' broom (JWB) phytoplasmas parasitize the sieve tubes of diseased phloem and cause an excessive proliferation of axillary shoots from dormant lateral buds to favour their transmission. In previous research, two JWB effectors, SJP1 and SJP2, were identified to induce lateral bud outgrowth by disrupting ZjBRC1-mediated auxin flux. However, the pathogenesis of JWB disease remains largely unknown. Here, tissue-specific transcriptional reprogramming was examined to gain insight into the genetic mechanisms acting inside jujube lateral buds under JWB phytoplasma infection. JWB phytoplasmas modulated a series of plant signalling networks involved in lateral bud development and defence, including auxin, abscisic acid (ABA), ethylene, jasmonic acid, and salicylic acid. JWB-induced bud outgrowth was accompanied by downregulation of ABA synthesis within lateral buds. ABA application rescued the bushy appearances of transgenic overexpressing and in Col-0 and in the mutant. Furthermore, the expression of and ABA-related genes and was negatively correlated with lateral main bud outgrowth in decapitated healthy jujube. Molecular evidence showed that ZjBRC1 interacted with ZjBRC2 via its N-terminus to activate and expression and ABA accumulation in transgenic jujube calli. In addition, widely regulated differentially expressed genes related to ABA homeostasis and ABA signalling, especially by binding to and suppressing ABA receptors. Therefore, these results suggest that JWB phytoplasmas hijack the -mediated ABA pathways to stimulate lateral bud outgrowth and expansion, providing a strategy to engineer plants resistant to JWB phytoplasma disease and regulate woody plant architecture to promote crop yield and quality.
PubMed: 37691966
DOI: 10.1093/hr/uhad148 -
Biology of Sex Differences Feb 2024Following exposure to traumatic stress, women are twice as likely as men to develop mood disorders. Yet, individual responses to such stress vary, with some people...
BACKGROUND
Following exposure to traumatic stress, women are twice as likely as men to develop mood disorders. Yet, individual responses to such stress vary, with some people developing stress-induced psychopathologies while others exhibit resilience. The factors influencing sex-related disparities in affective disorders as well as variations in resilience remain unclear; however, emerging evidence suggests differences in the gut microbiota play a role. In this study, using the single prolonged stress (SPS) model of post-traumatic stress disorder, we investigated pre- and post-existing differences in microbial composition, functionality, and metabolites that affect stress susceptibility or resilience in each sex.
METHODS
Male and female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to control or SPS groups. Two weeks following SPS, the animals were exposed to a battery of behavioral tests and decapitated a day later. Based on their anxiety index, they were further categorized as SPS-resilient (SPS-R) or SPS-susceptible (SPS-S). On the day of dissection, cecum, and selected brain tissues were isolated. Stool samples were collected before and after SPS, whereas urine samples were taken before and 30 min into the SPS.
RESULTS
Before SPS exposure, the sympathoadrenal axis exhibited alterations within male subgroups only. Expression of tight junction protein claudin-5 was lower in brain of SPS-S males, but higher in SPS-R females following SPS. Across the study, alpha diversity remained consistently lower in males compared to females. Beta diversity revealed distinct separations between male and female susceptible groups before SPS, with this separation becoming evident in the resilient groups following SPS. At the genus level, Lactobacillus, Lachnospiraceae_Incertae_Sedis, and Barnesiella exhibited sex-specific alterations, displaying opposing abundances in each sex. Additionally, sex-specific changes were observed in microbial predictive functionality and targeted functional modules both before and after SPS. Alterations in the microbial short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), were also observed, with major and minor SCFAs being lower in SPS-susceptible males whereas branched-chain SCFAs being higher in SPS-susceptible females.
CONCLUSION
This study highlights distinct pre- and post-trauma differences in microbial composition, functionality, and metabolites, associated with stress resilience in male and female rats. The findings underscore the importance of developing sex-specific therapeutic strategies to effectively address stress-related disorders. Highlights SPS model induces divergent anxiety and social behavioral responses to traumatic stress in both male and female rodents. SPS-resilient females displayed less anxiety-like behavior and initiated more interactions towards a juvenile rat than SPS-resilient males. Sex-specific pre-existing and SPS-induced differences in the gut microbial composition and predictive functionality were observed in susceptible and resilient rats. SPS-resilient males displayed elevated cecal acetate levels, whereas SPS-susceptible females exhibited heightened branched-chain SCFAs.
Topics: Humans; Male; Rats; Female; Animals; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Resilience, Psychological; Anxiety; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic; Brain
PubMed: 38409102
DOI: 10.1186/s13293-024-00590-7 -
Forensic Science, Medicine, and... May 2024Suicide by ligature strangulation/hanging inside vehicles is uncommon, and only few cases have been reported in the literature. This study aimed to conduct a... (Review)
Review
Suicide by ligature strangulation/hanging inside vehicles is uncommon, and only few cases have been reported in the literature. This study aimed to conduct a comprehensive review of reported cases of suicide by ligature strangulation/hanging inside vehicles, analyzing the features of the death scene, of the ligature and furrow, autopsy findings, and causes of death. The comprehensive review was performed following the PRISMA guidelines by using the most common scientific databases. According to inclusion criteria, a total of 20 cases of vehicle-assisted strangulation/hanging were reviewed: 13 cases were assessed as ligature strangulation resulting in 7 complete decapitations and 7 other cases as hanging. All victims were young or adult males, except for one 48-year-old female. Death was assessed as suicide in all cases, except for a possible accidental autoerotic death. In 8 cases, a history of depression or other psychiatric disorders was reported. Toxicological analysis were positive in 7 cases. Hard ligature materials (nylon, steel, plastic, hemp ropes) were used in most cases, but only 13 cases had a well-demarcated furrow. In 2 cases, no internal findings of asphyxia were found. An additional case of ligature strangulation inside a motor vehicle off is also presented, where no autopsy findings of asphyxia were observed, except for a broad pale furrow and monolateral conjunctival petechiae. This study highlights the challenges in classifying suicidal hanging and ligature strangulation in motor vehicles.
PubMed: 38760630
DOI: 10.1007/s12024-024-00828-1 -
Forensic Science, Medicine, and... Dec 2023Traffic accident injuries are relevant causes of mortality in industrialized countries. Among traffic accidents, the most destructive effect on the victim's body is...
Traffic accident injuries are relevant causes of mortality in industrialized countries. Among traffic accidents, the most destructive effect on the victim's body is produced by trains, which in a very short time provoke a complete distortion of the normal anatomical profiles and extensive amputations of the body. Deaths by severe body mutilation and/or decapitation require complex forensic investigation, as the victims' identification and the recognition of their body are not often feasible. In this study, a retrospective analysis of a series of cases of railway accidents is presented, with the aim of showing potential identification strategies, including a systematic physical re-assembling of the body. Among the railway fatalities assessed at the University Institute of Legal Medicine of Milan from 2016 until 2020, 61 cases were analyzed, focusing on the collection of postmortem data to improve accuracy for the identification of the victims. The results showed that the identification could be based on elements traditionally called "secondary identifiers" which, however, are becoming more and more important for positive identification, especially when dealing with migrants, vagrants, and homeless people. However, several issues need to be considered such as the limitations of the public prosecutors to perform expensive analyses (i.e., genetic testing), and the lack of antemortem data to be compared with postmortem findings, both odontological and fingerprint. In cases where it is not possible to proceed with identification or formal recognition of victims of railroad accidents with severe mutilations, a systematic physical re-assembling of the body is critical to reaching positive identification.
Topics: Humans; Retrospective Studies; Pathologists; Forensic Medicine; Accidents, Traffic; Autopsy
PubMed: 36662408
DOI: 10.1007/s12024-022-00571-5 -
Veterinaria Italiana Jul 2023This study aimed to investigate the comparison of effect of anticoccidal drugs including lasalocid and diclazuril with probiotic and synbiotic on the growth performance...
This study aimed to investigate the comparison of effect of anticoccidal drugs including lasalocid and diclazuril with probiotic and synbiotic on the growth performance and intestinal morphology in broiler chicken. One hundred eighty chickens (Ross 308, 1 day old) were randomly divided into 6 equal groups (n=30) including the negative control (basal diet), the positive control (basal diet+oral inoculation of 3×104 sporulated oocytes of E. tenella, and four treatment groups. At days of 28 and 49 of age, 9 chickens were blindly chosen from each group were scarified by decapitation and their various segments of small intestine including ileum, jejunum, and duodenum were evaluated histomorphologically. We found that the economic losses resulted from coccidial infection in the poultry industry are caused by the decreased performance of broiler chicken induced by morphological changes in the any three segments specially jejunum. The anticoccidial drugs, synbiotic and probiotic can partially prevent morphological changes in any three segments of small intestine in broiler chicken with coccidiosis. Since morphological changes in the jejunum begin earlier than in other parts and surface area of jejunal villi is important for nutrition absorbance as well as growth performance, lasolacid was found to a be more efficient treatment in this regard.
Topics: Animals; Lasalocid; Coccidiostats; Chickens; Probiotics; Intestine, Small; Poultry Diseases; Nitriles; Triazines
PubMed: 38625750
DOI: 10.12834/VetIt.2587.17307.2 -
Case Reports in Oncology 2023Regression of malignant melanoma (MM) is a commonly observed phenomenon, which refers to disappearance or loss of all or part of MM. It can be identified both clinically...
INTRODUCTION
Regression of malignant melanoma (MM) is a commonly observed phenomenon, which refers to disappearance or loss of all or part of MM. It can be identified both clinically and histologically, and high probability of histological regression of MM (10-58%) has been reported. However, the decapitation of skin tumor has rarely been described in the English literature, and decapitation in MM has not been reported. Here, we report the case of polypoid MM with spontaneous decapitation.
CASE PRESENTATION
An 81-year-old Japanese woman was referred to our hospital due to a polypoid nodule on her cheek. She was diagnosed with MM at stage IIC (T4bN0M0) by histological examinations. Three weeks after the biopsy, the nodule decapitated spontaneously without bleeding, and an ulcer developed on the base of the polypoid nodule. The histological examination of the additionally resected ulcerative lesion under the nodule revealed infiltration of T cells mainly composed of CD8⁺ natural killer T cells. No recurrence or metastasis has been observed for 4 years.
CONCLUSION
This is the first case report of polypoid MM with spontaneous decapitation, which may be attributed to natural killer T cells. Moreover, this case shows favorable prognosis, while it is said that the regression in thick MM does not have prognostic advantage and polypoid topography has been reported to be related to extremely poor prognosis. Further investigations are needed to evaluate the prognostic advantage of decapitation in MM and other skin tumors.
PubMed: 38089731
DOI: 10.1159/000535194