Can 18F-FDG-PET show differences in myocardial metabolism between Wistar Kyoto rats and spontaneously hypertensive rats?

Positron emission tomography (PET) is useful for evaluating the cardiac metabolism of free fatty acid, glucose and oxygen both in human clinical practice and in experimental animal models. However, no data are available for such an evaluation in a model of stable compensated left ventricular hypertrophy in 14-month-old spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs). This study was designed to assess the metabolism of myocardial glucose in SHRs using 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-D-glucose ((18)F-FDG) using PET. The study was performed on 14-month-old male SHRs (n = 4) and age-matched Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats (n = 4). PET scans were performed after the administration of anaesthesia with isoflurane and injection of a bolus of 39.37 ± 3.25 (mean ± SD) MBq (1.06 mCi) of (18)F-FDG. The standardized uptake value (SUV) was used to evaluate (18)F-FDG uptake by the heart. The analysis of SUV showed increased metabolism in the left ventricle of SHRs compared with WKY rats. Our results show that small animal PET using (18)F-FDG can be performed in 14-month-old SHRs to evaluate new therapies in the regression of left ventricular hypertrophy in SHRs because pathological myocardial metabolism in the SHR differs from the normal metabolism of the WKY rat.

Carta en relación al artículo «Cirugía en lado erróneo: implicación del paciente y los profesionales. Experiencia en la Cirugía Mayor Ambulatoria de la Unidad de Pie» / Letter in reference to the article "Surgery on the wrong side: Implication for the patient and the professional. Experience in a Major Ambulatory Surgery of the Foot Unit"

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An approach to comparative anatomy of the acetabulum from amphibians to primates.

The objective of this study was to investigate the anatomy, both macroscopic and microscopic, of the soft tissue internal structures of the hip joint in animal species and in three human hips (an adult and two fetuses). We dissected the hip joints of 16 species and compared the anatomical features of the soft tissue from the respective acetabula. In addition, a histological study was made of the specimens studied. In amphibians, we found a meniscus in the acetabulum, which was not observed in any of the other species studied. The isolated round ligament is observed from birds onwards. In the group of mammals analysed, including the human specimens, we found a meniscoid structure in the acetabular hip joint. Furthermore, we found that the meniscoid structure forms an anatomo-functional unit with the round ligament and the transverse ligament of the coxofemoral joint. These discoveries suggest the participation of the soft tissue anatomy in adaptative changes of species.

Ultrasound validity in the measurement of knee cartilage thickness.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the multiexaminer reproducibility and the accuracy comparing with cadaver anatomic specimens of ultrasound (US) measurement of femoral articular cartilage (FAC) thickness. METHODS: In 8 flexed cadaver knees, FAC thickness was blindly, independently and consecutively measured twice by 10 rheumatologists at the lateral condyle (LC), medial condyle (MC) and intercondylar notch (IN) with US. After the US measurements, the knees were dissected. Articular cartilage integrity was evaluated macroscopically in the femoral condyles. FAC thickness was blindly measured in the specimens using a stereoscopic magnifying loupe and a digitised image software. Interexaminer and intraexaminer reliability of US FAC thickness measurement and agreement between US and anatomic measurements were assessed by estimating the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). RESULTS: Interexaminer ICCs were higher than 0.90 for MC (p<0.001) and IN (p<0.001) and higher than 0.75 for LC (p<0.01). Mean intraexaminer ICCs were 0.832 for MC (p<0.001), 0.696 for LC (p<0.001) and, 0.701 for IN (p<0.001). Agreement between US and anatomic FAC thickness measurements was good for MC (ICC 0.719; p = 0.020) and poor for LC (p = 0.285) and IN (p = 0.332). Bland-Altman analysis showed that the difference between US and anatomic values was considerably high in the one knee with severely damaged FAC. After eliminating this knee from the analysis, ICCs were 0.883 (p<0.001) for MC, 0.795 (p = 0.016) for LC and 0.732 for IN (p = 0.071). CONCLUSION: US demonstrated a good reproducibility in FAC thickness measurement by multiple examiners. In addition, US FAC thickness measurement was accurate in normal to moderately damaged cartilage.