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.

Filogenia de la articulación de la cadera. Plasticidad del fenotipo. ¿Paradigma Lamarckiano o Darwiniano? Parte II / Hip Joint phylogenesis. Phenotypic plasticity. Lamarckian or Darwinian paradigm? Part II

Objetivo. El objetivo de este trabajo es analizar el origen de los cambios plásticos del fenotipo en una estructura biológica, en nuestro caso la cadera. Como hipótesis de trabajo se presenta la posibilidad de que los cambios se puedan interpretar según el paradigma Lamarckiano, en contraposición al paradigma Darwiniano. La sección material y método del trabajo se menciona en la parte I. Se han añadido estudios de plantas y peces. Discusión. Los resultados muestran que el diseño de la cadera, como relación de bola y cuenco, no cambia. El fenotipo, en los elementos que costituyen los tejidos de la articulación de la cadera, muestra cambios plásticos significativos. Conclusión. Sugerimos: que los cambios de la plasticidad del fenotipo de la cadera son inmanentes al fenotipo, y no se interpretan según el paradigma Lamarckiano ni Darwiniano (AU)

Objective. The aim of this work is to analyse the origin of phenotypic plastic changes into a biologic structure, in this case the hip. As a hypothesis of the work, the possibility that changes could be explained following the Lamarckian paradigm, opposed to the Darwinian paradigm, is shown. The section material and methods of this work have been published in part I. Studies in plants and fish have been added. Discussion. Results showed that the ball-and-socket design of the hip joint remains unchanged. Phenotype in the elements that form the hip joint tissues showed significant plastic changes. Conclusion. Interpretation of our results suggest that changes in phenotype plasticity of the hip joint are immanent to phenotype and cannot be explained by following Lamarck's or Darwin's paradigm (AU)

[Hip Joint phylogenesis. Phenotypic plasticity. Lamarckian or Darwinian paradigm? Part II]. / Filogenia de la articulación de la cadera. Plasticidad del fenotipo. ¿Paradigma Lamarckiano o Darwiniano? Parte II.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this work is to analyse the origin of phenotypic plastic changes into a biologic structure, in this case the hip. As a hypothesis of the work, the possibility that changes could be explained following the Lamarckian paradigm, opposed to the Darwinian paradigm, is shown. The section material and methods of this work have been published in part I. Studies in plants and fish have been added. DISCUSSION: Results showed that the ball-and-socket design of the hip joint remains unchanged. Phenotype in the elements that form the hip joint tissues showed significant plastic changes. CONCLUSION: Interpretation of our results suggest that changes in phenotype plasticity of the hip joint are immanent to phenotype and cannot be explained by following Lamarck's or Darwin's paradigm.

Severe hypoxaemia with a left ventricular assist device in a minipig model with an undiagnosed congenital cardiac disease.

We describe the placement of a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) in a pig with spontaneously occurring atrial septal defect (ASD) (incidental finding) that created a right-left cardiac shunt, with subsequent severe hypoxaemia. Early diagnosis was critical in order to prevent end-organ damage due to hypoxaemia. Adequate monitoring alerted us to the deterioration in oxygenation, haemodynamics and cerebral oxygen metabolism. This forced us to change the level of assistance provided by the pump, and thus dramatically correct this impairment. Necropsy revealed an ostium secundum ASD. In conclusion, if hypoxaemia presents after implementation of an LVAD, the presence of a right-left shunt must be ruled out. The first step must be a judicious reduction in assist device flow to minimize intracardiac shunting. Subsequently, atrial septal closure of the defect should be considered. We report an experimental model of severe hypoxaemia after placement of an LVAD as part of a larger research project.

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.

Evolutional patterns of articular cartilage following growth plate injury in rats.

BACKGROUND: No study to date has analyzed the damage of the articular cartilage and its relation to growth plate injury. The purpose of this study was to test whether primary injury to the growth plate contributes to secondary damage to the articular cartilage in rats. METHODS: A total of 109 two-week-old male Wistar rats were allocated to four lesional groups. In group I (controls) no surgery took place. In the remaining animals, an injury was caused in the proximal physis of the left tibia: group II, perichondrial ring injury; group III, direct injury to the growth plate; group IV, traumatic separation of the epiphysis where a Salter-Harris II-type injury was created. The results were assessed at 1 week, 6 weeks, and 6 months. A growth plate score was used. The stereological and histological changes in the articular cartilage were analyzed, and the results were subjected to statistical analysis. RESULTS: Histological studies showed discrete degenerative changes in the articular cartilage in the injured growth plate. Changes in the cell density, mean cell volume, and articular cartilage occurred in the injured growth plate. The changes appeared to be transient in groups II and III. CONCLUSIONS: Primary injury to the growth plate contributes to secondary damage to the articular cartilage in young rats. Our data -- extrapolated to the clinical view -- suggests that a Salter-Harris type II injury does not seem to have impunity to subsequent joint degeneration.