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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 -
Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) Oct 2023: Periodontitis is an inflammatory disease in the supporting tissues of the teeth caused by specific microorganisms or groups of microorganisms. bacterium is the...
: Periodontitis is an inflammatory disease in the supporting tissues of the teeth caused by specific microorganisms or groups of microorganisms. bacterium is the keystone pathogen in periodontitis, so even at low concentrations, it has a considerable influence on the oral community. Antimicrobials and antiplaque agents can be used as adjunctive therapy for periodontitis treatment. Konjac glucomannan (KGM), as a natural polysaccharide, has flavonoid (3,5-diacetyltambulin) and triterpenoids (ambylon) compounds that show antibacterial activity. This research aims to analyze the antibacterial activity of KGM on animal and in vitro periodontitis models. : The animal study divided 48 mice into four groups (control, KGM, periodontitis, KGM + periodontitis). Mice were given an intervention substance by oral gavage from day 1 to day 14, periodontitis was induced on day 7, and decapitation was performed on day 14. Samples from the right maxillary jaw of mice were used for histological preparations and morphometrics analysis. In vitro studies were carried out by adding several concentrations of KGM (25, 50, and 100 μg/mL) into a planktonic and biofilm. : In the animal model, KGM could prevent alveolar bone loss in the periodontitis mice model, both in histologic and morphometrics assessments. In vitro, KGM had antibacterial activity against with better bacteriostatic (15-23%) than bactericidal (11-20%) ability, proven by its ability to inhibit proliferation. : KGM can be considered to have the potential as an antibacterial agent to prevent periodontitis. The prevention of periodontitis may improve patient well-being and human quality of life.
Topics: Humans; Animals; Mice; Quality of Life; Periodontitis; Disease Models, Animal; Anti-Bacterial Agents
PubMed: 37893496
DOI: 10.3390/medicina59101778 -
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 -
Annals of Dermatology May 2023Nevus sebaceus is a hamartomatous lesion characterized by epidermal, follicular, sebaceus, and apocrine gland abnormalities. Approximately 25% of affected individuals...
Nevus sebaceus is a hamartomatous lesion characterized by epidermal, follicular, sebaceus, and apocrine gland abnormalities. Approximately 25% of affected individuals may develop benign or malignant secondary neoplasms within the preceding nevus sebaceus. Primary cutaneous apocrine carcinoma (PCAC) is a rare malignant skin tumor affecting elderly adults in their sixth decade of life. Histologically, PCAC appears as a dermal tumor displaying apocrine differentiation with decapitation secretion and malignant features. Secondary malignancy arising from nevus sebaceus is a rare complication, especially for apocrine carcinoma. To date, approximately 200 cases of PCAC have been reported in the literature, and only a few cases have developed PCAC on the scalp. Very few cases (approximately only 12) of PCACs developing in nevus sebaceus have been reported. Here, we report an extremely rare case of the coexistence of PCAC and syringocystadenoma papilliferum arising within nevus sebaceus of the scalp.
PubMed: 37853855
DOI: 10.5021/ad.21.039 -
European Review For Medical and... Sep 2023The objective of our study was to evaluate whether ovarian suppression by two different hormonal methods may spare the ovary the cytotoxic effects of isotretinoin in a...
The protective effects of hormonal suppression by a gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist or an oral contraceptive on the decreased ovarian reserve in female rats exposed to isotretinoin.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of our study was to evaluate whether ovarian suppression by two different hormonal methods may spare the ovary the cytotoxic effects of isotretinoin in a rat model.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Four groups (n=8 Sprague-Dawley albino rats per group) were studied: control (Group I), 7.5 mg/kg/day isotretinoin (Group II), isotretinoin plus the combination of 0.030 mg ethinyl estradiol/0.15 mg levonorgestrel (combined oral contraceptive, COC), and isotretinoin plus 100 μg (microgram) leuprolide acetate (GnRHa) (Group III and IV, respectively). Four rats from each group were decapitated on the 30th day of treatment, and the remaining rats were decapitated on the 30th day of untreated follow-up. Serum anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) concentrations, healthy and atretic follicle numbers, and apoptotic activity of follicles in oophorectomy specimens were compared between the groups.
RESULTS
There were no significant differences in AMH levels among the study groups before, immediately after (first month), and one month after their last medication (second month) (p=0.08, 0.47, and 0.08, respectively). At the end of the first month, the control group had a higher median count of healthy primordial follicles compared to the study groups: 13.5 (8-22), 5.5 (3-11), 6 (2-13), and 1 (0-1) in control, isotretinoin, isotretinoin+COC, and isotretinoin+GnRHa groups, respectively (p=0.02). However, there was no statistically significant difference in the number of healthy primordial follicles between the groups one month after the last medication (p=0.33). The median atretic antral follicle counts in the first month were 2 (1-4), 3.5 (1-4), 0 (0-2), and 0 (0-0) in the control, isotretinoin, isotretinoin+COC, and isotretinoin+GnRHa groups, respectively (p=0.02). Otherwise, there were no significant differences in other types of follicles among the control and treated groups (p>0.05). There was also no statistical difference between the groups regarding immunostaining intensity for active caspase-3 evaluated in the first or second month of treatment (p=0.8 and 0.2, respectively).
CONCLUSIONS
Our results show that GnRH agonists or COC have no protective effects on ovarian reserve when co-administered with isotretinoin in the rat model.
Topics: Female; Rats; Animals; Humans; Contraceptives, Oral; Isotretinoin; Ovarian Reserve; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Anti-Mullerian Hormone; Immunologic Factors; Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone
PubMed: 37782196
DOI: 10.26355/eurrev_202309_33808 -
Frontiers in Plant Science 2023Sweet sorghum has emerged as a promising source of bioenergy mainly due to its high biomass and high soluble sugar yield in stems. Studies have shown that...
Sweet sorghum has emerged as a promising source of bioenergy mainly due to its high biomass and high soluble sugar yield in stems. Studies have shown that loss-of-function locus alleles have been selected during sweet sorghum domestication, and decapitation can further boost sugar accumulation in sweet sorghum, indicating that the potential for improving sugar yields is yet to be fully realized. To maximize sugar accumulation, it is essential to gain a better understanding of the mechanism underlying the massive accumulation of soluble sugars in sweet sorghum stems in addition to the locus. We performed a transcriptomic analysis upon decapitation of near-isogenic lines for mutant (, juicy stems, and green leaf midrib) and functional (, dry stems and white leaf midrib) alleles at the locus. Our analysis revealed that decapitation suppressed photosynthesis in leaves, but accelerated starch metabolic processes in stems. negatively correlates with sugar levels supported by genotypes ( vs. ), treatments (control vs. decapitation), and developmental stages post anthesis (3d vs.10d). locus gene and other programmed cell death-related genes were downregulated by decapitation, while sugar transporter-encoding gene was induced. Both and were detected in phloem companion cells by RNA assay. Loss of the homolog, in led to a sugar accumulation increase. This study provides new insights into sugar accumulation enhancement in bioenergy crops, which can be potentially achieved by reducing reproductive sink strength and enhancing phloem unloading.
PubMed: 37767289
DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1233813 -
Animals : An Open Access Journal From... Sep 2023Refinement is one of the principles aiming to promote welfare in research animals. The techniques used during an experimental protocol, including euthanasia selection,...
Refinement is one of the principles aiming to promote welfare in research animals. The techniques used during an experimental protocol, including euthanasia selection, must prevent and minimize suffering. Although the current euthanasia methods applied to laboratory rodents are accepted, the controversial findings regarding the potential stress/distress they can cause is a field of research. The objective was to assess the thermal response of Wistar rats during various euthanasia methods using infrared thermography (IRT) to determine the method that prevents or diminishes the stress response and prolonged suffering. Pentobarbital (G), CO (G), decapitation (G), isoflurane (G), ketamine + xylazine (G), and ketamine + CO (G) were evaluated at five evaluation times with IRT to identify changes in the surface temperature of four anatomical regions: ocular (T°), auricular (T°), interscapular (T°), and caudal (T°). Significant differences ( < 0.05) were found in G and G, registering temperature increases from the administration of the drug to the cessation of respiratory rate and heart rate. Particularly, isoflurane showed a marked thermal response in T°, T°, T°, and T°, suggesting that, in general, inhalant euthanasia methods induce stress in rats and that isoflurane might potentially cause distress, an effect that must be considered when deciding humane euthanasia methods in laboratory rodents.
PubMed: 37760220
DOI: 10.3390/ani13182820 -
Iranian Journal of Basic Medical... 2023In the present study, it was evaluated whether morin has a protective effect on testicular toxicity caused by ifosfamide (IFOS), which is used in the treatment of...
Morin provides therapeutic effect by attenuating oxidative stress, inflammation, endoplasmic reticulum stress, autophagy, apoptosis, and oxidative DNA damage in testicular toxicity caused by ifosfamide in rats.
OBJECTIVES
In the present study, it was evaluated whether morin has a protective effect on testicular toxicity caused by ifosfamide (IFOS), which is used in the treatment of various malignancies.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
For this purpose, 100 or 200 mg/kg morin was given to Sprague Dawley rats for 2 days, and a single dose (500 mg/kg) IFOS was administered on the 2nd day. At the 24th hr of IFOS administration, animals were decapitated and testicular tissues were taken and the status of oxidative stress, inflammation, endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS), autophagy, and apoptosis markers were analyzed by biochemical, molecular, and histopathological methods.
RESULTS
According to the data obtained, it was determined that IFOS caused oxidative stress in testicular tissues. It was observed that inflammation, ERS, autophagy, apoptosis, and oxidative DNA damage occurred with oxidative stress. Morin treatment suppressed oxidative stress. Morin showed anti-inflammatory effects by reducing TNF-α and IL-1β protein levels. It also increased the mRNA transcript levels of the ERS marker ATF-6, PERK, IRE1, GRP-78, and CHOP genes, and the apoptosis marker genes Bax, Casp-3, and apaf-1. It up-regulated the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 gene and the cell survival signal AKT-2 gene. Morin caused a decrease in beclin-1 protein levels and showed an anti-autophagic effect. In addition, morin attenuated oxidative DNA damage and decreased 8-OHdG immune-positive cell numbers.
CONCLUSION
As a result, it was observed that IFOS caused cellular damage by activating various signaling pathways in testicular tissue, while morin exhibited protective properties against this damage.
PubMed: 37736509
DOI: 10.22038/IJBMS.2023.71702.15580 -
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 -
La Clinica Terapeutica 2023Each year, there are billions of agricultural work accidents involving the operation of tractors, grain augers, harvest combines, power take-off devices, or balers and...
BACKGROUND
Each year, there are billions of agricultural work accidents involving the operation of tractors, grain augers, harvest combines, power take-off devices, or balers and thrashers. Field accidents of this nature seem more common on afternoons, just as road accidents tend to skew toward nighttime. The lesions can vary widely and depends strictly on the operation of the machinery analyzed.
AIMS
This paper aims to present a peculiar case of decapitation by a combine harvester, showing how, in cases of injury due to agricultural machinery, it is fundamental a correct execution of a scene investigation, autoptic examination, and cooperation with a specialist in engineering.
CASE REPORT
A 54-year-old man was found decapitated on the header of a combine harvester; his extremities were also dismembered. At autopsy, a clean oblique cut across the first cervical vertebra had severed the head at the neck. Although the right arm remained intact, both lower extremities were mutilated, showing numerous exposed and open fractures. A bleeding, penetrating wound to the back was additionally noted. In the days that followed, missing parts (head and left leg) were discovered in other machine components (grain tank and straw walker, respectively). All observed injuries were compatible with the mechanics of the cochlea, its rotating movement inflicting the damages above. Collaboration between pathologists and engineers was fundamental to recreating the dynamics of this rare decapitation accident by a combine harvester.
Topics: Male; Humans; Middle Aged; Decapitation; Farmers; Neck; Autopsy
PubMed: 37674446
DOI: 10.7417/CT.2023.2454