An unusual relationship between the axillary artery and brachial plexus in a cross-breed dog cadaver: a proposal for revising the terminology for nerve loops.

In the left axilla of a formalin-embalmed adult female cross-breed dog, an unusual course of the axillary artery in relation to the brachial plexus was noted. A part of the axillary artery after the origin of the subscapular artery coursed through the loop formed by the contributions of the caudal pectoral and lateral thoracic nerves and then between the median and ulnar nerves. Thus, the common trunk for the latter two nerves was missing. Instead, in the proximal brachium, they communicated with each other in both directions. A communicating branch between the cranial and caudal pectoral nerves forming a nerve loop, ansa pectoralis lacked the axillary artery and was instead traversed by the subscapular artery. This is a variation in the relationship between the axillary artery and brachial plexus in the domestic dog and has not been reported in the literature yet. The axillary artery entrapped by the contributions of the caudal and lateral thoracic nerves may be considered as a risk factor for the neuroarterial compressions with non-specific signs and should be taken into account both in surgery and imaging.

Intraspecific anatomical variations of the extensor tendons of the carpus and digits with a reexamination of their insertion sites in the domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris): a cadaveric study.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the current study was to investigate the frequency of variations of the extensor tendons of the carpus and digits in the domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris) with a reexamination of their insertions as well as the morphometric measurements of the tendons and the brachioradialis muscle. In total, we investigated 68 paired thoracic limbs of the domestic dog (16 females and 18 males) which were fixed in a 10% formalin solution. RESULTS: The extensor carpi radialis (ECR) tendons showed striking variations in both splitting and insertion sites. In 4.4% of dissections, ECR had three tendons. Of these tendons, the extra tendon either attached independently on the fourth metacarpal bone (one right) or joined its counterpart tendon at the distal end (cross-connections) (one bilateral). It is worth mentioning that one of the ECR tendons split into two or three slips which inserted on the first, second, third, or fourth metacarpal bone in 11 (16.2%) of the specimens. In addition, we found a long tendinous slip originating from the ECR tendons to digit II or III in 7.4% of the distal limbs. The most common type of contribution to digit III was a third tendon of the extensor digiti I et II (ED III) joining the extensor digitorum lateralis (EDL III) with a frequency of 17.6%. In other types of variations, the contribution to digit III was incomplete. A part of the abductor pollicis longus (APL) deep to the superficial part of the flexor retinaculum seemed to continue up to the flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS) tendon. CONCLUSIONS: The rare intraspecific variations of the extensor tendons of the manus described in the current research are valuable from both clinical and phylogenetic perspectives. Nonetheless, their functional importance needs more studies.

Calcitriol combined with fish oil in the diet of Chukar partridge can ameliorate laying performance by improving oviduct histomorphometry and functions.

The effects of calcitriol (CT) and/or fish oil (FO) on performance, oviposition time, sex ratio and morphology of the reproductive system of laying Chukar partridges were studied. Female (n = 48) and male (n = 16) partridges were used in a completely randomised design using a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement and were randomly allocated to either of four experimental treatments with four cage replicates of three females and one male each. Female birds received no FO (CON - FO) or were orally administered with 0.2 mL (0.24 g)/500 g body weight FO (CON + FO) or 0.2 mL solution containing 10 µg CT (CT - FO), or their combination (CT + FO) for 42 successive days. The eggs were collected every two hours between 07:00 and 23:00 h. Administering FO along with CT had considerably increasing effect on the male-biased sex ratio. FO and CT administration interacted to increase serum calcium concentration. Experimental treatments increased the number of leucocytes and erythrocytes. Serum cholesterol was decreased in CON + FO partridges compared with those of the CT - FO and CON - FO birds. There was an interaction between FO and CT on the weight of eggs and hatchlings, number of medium white follicles, diameter and the number of small yellow follicles, the weight and diameter of the fifth follicles (F5), and thickness of secondary mucosal folds in both uterus and vagina. Administering CT alone or with FO increased the feed intake, egg production, oviductal weight, diameter and number of large yellow follicles, the weight and diameter of the second (F2) and first (F1) follicles compared with those of the CON - FO females. Further studies are required to elucidate the mechanisms by which such changes in the sex ratio skew, ovary and oviduct are mediated.

Aberrant arrangement of the musculocutaneous and median nerves in the thoracic limbs of a mixed-breed dog cadaver.

In the left thoracic limb of a male cadaver (adult mixed-breed dog), the median nerve (MN) after departing from the common median/ulnar nerve (UN) trunk received two branches. One from the lateral thoracic nerve (LTN) and the other from the musculocutaneous nerve (MCN). These both passed cranial to the axillary artery at the level of the lateral thoracic artery and joined the median nerve. Thus, in the proximal brachium, the axillary artery was cradled by this union, similar to the ansa axillaris of large animals and similar formations reported in human and non-human primates. In the distal brachium, the communicating branch ran unusually from the MN to the MCN on the left, and in both directions on the right. Awareness of such anatomical variations of the terminal branches of the brachial plexus (BP) in addition to the embryonic and evolutionary aspects can be useful in explaining neuroarterial signs with unknown origin, as those reported in human medicine.

Revision of the morphology of longissimus capitis, longissimus atlantis, longissimus cervicis, and the cranial part of longissimus thoracis in the domestic goat (Capra hircus): a cadaveric study.

Veterinary anatomical texts have generally described the longissimus muscle only in terms of its attachment in the ox as the basic species and have not thoroughly addressed its morphology in small ruminants. Hence, the present study was designed to present the anatomical features of longissimus capitis, longissimus atlantis, longissimus cervicis, and the cranial part of longissimus thoracis of domestic goats by comparing them with the existing descriptions of these muscles in the ox. Bilateral dissections of the neck and the cranial thoracic regions of 10 domestic adult goats of both sexes were carried out. The longissimus capitis and longissimus atlantis consisted of about 5 muscle slips originating from the articular processes of C3-C7 (including their bony ridges) or T1 and the transverse process of T2. In 7 (37%) of the 19 muscles dissected, the last slips in the longissimus capitis and longissimus atlantis or in one of them showed no attachment to the vertebrae. Rather, the thoracolumbar fascia in the cranial part of the thoracic region, the cranial edge or the deep face of longissimus thoracis, and the deep face of longissimus cervicis served as the origins of the muscles. The attachment sites of the longissimus cervicis and the cranial part of the longissimus thoracis in the goat demonstrated no remarkable differences with those of the ox. Whether the attachment sites of these variants should be considered as normal or anomalous needs to be evaluated with a larger number of animals of different breeds.

Glycine Supplementation Ameliorates Retinal Neuronal Damage in an Experimental Model of Diabetes in Rats: A Light and Electron Microscopic Study.

PURPOSE: To investigate the potential neuroprotective effect of glycine supplementation on the retinal ultrastructure of streptozocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. METHODS: Adult male Wistar rats weighing 200-250 g (n = 40) were randomly divided into four groups of 10 each: normal group (C), glycine + normal group (G), STZ group (D), and glycine + STZ group (DG). The G and DG groups received glycine (130 mM and 1% w/v) freely in their drinking water seven days after the induction of diabetes for up to 16 weeks. Retinal samples for histopathology were examined using light and electron microscopy. RESULTS: Diabetes-induced histological changes were attenuated in the retinas of rats in the DG group. The ultrastructural alterations produced by experimental diabetes in the inner nuclear layer, outer nuclear layer, and ganglion cell layer were significantly ameliorated by glycine supplementation. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that glycine supplementation effectively attenuates retinal neuronal damage in experimental diabetic rats, and thus may be a potential candidate to protect retinal ultrastructure against diabetes.

Combination Therapy with Pirfenidone plus Prednisolone Ameliorates Paraquat-Induced Pulmonary Fibrosis.

Pirfenidone is known to slow the decline in vital capacity and increase survival in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Besides, administration of glucocorticoids, e.g., prednisolone has been the conventional strategy to the treatment of patients with this disease, although their efficacy is under debate. Since multiple coactivated pathways are involved in the pathogenesis of IPF, combination therapy is a foundation strategy to cover many more synergetic mechanisms and increase response. The aim of the present study was to compare the therapeutic efficacy of prednisolone plus pirfenidone with pirfenidone alone in PQ-induced lung fibrosis. After development of PQ-induced lung fibrosis, pirfenidone, prednisolone, and their combination were administered for 14 consecutive days. Lung pathological lesions, along with increased hydroxyproline were determined in the paraquat group. Paraquat also caused oxidative stress and increasing the proinflammatory and profibrotic gene expression. Pirfenidone attenuated the PQ-induced pulmonary fibrosis from the analysis of antioxidant enzymes but prednisolone had no such effect. Co-treatment with pirfenidone and prednisolone suppressed lung hydroxyproline content, TGF-ß1, and TNF-α; however, prednisolone alone could not suppress pulmonary fibrosis which was significantly suppressed only by pirfenidone. Pirfenidone also suppressed the increase in MMP-2 and TIMP-1 induced by PQ. All of these effects were exaggerated when pirfenidone coadministered with prednisolone. These findings suggest that pirfenidone exerts its antifibrotic effect through regulation of hydroxyproline content, oxidative stress and proinflammatory and profibrotic gene expression during the development of PQ-induced pulmonary fibrosis in rats and combination therapy with prednisolone can represent more potent therapeutic effects.

Correction to: Combination Therapy with Pirfenidone plus Prednisolone Ameliorates Paraquat-Induced Pulmonary Fibrosis.

Unfortunately, the original publication of this article contained mistakes, and the authors would like to correct them. The corrected details are given below.

Short-term Effects of Date Palm Extract (Phoenix dactylifera) on Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury Induced by Testicular Torsion/Detorsion in Rats.

BACKGROUND: Antioxidants are potent scavengers of free radicals and have beneficial effects on human health. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the potential protective antioxidant activity of the edible portion of date fruit extract in an experimental testicular torsion/detorsion (T/D) model in rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: To investigate the potential protective effects of date palm (DP), 30 male Spraque-Dawley rats were divided into three groups: sham-operated, T/D, and T/D + DP-treated (500 mg/kg, PO) groups. Testicular ischemia was induced via keeping the left testis under 720° clockwise torsion for 2 h (h), afterward, detorsion was performed. All rats were sacrificed 4 h after detorsion. Serum malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration, total oxidative status (TOS), total antioxidant status (TAS), oxidative stress index (OSI), and histopathological damage score were evaluated. RESULTS: Serum MDA, TOS, and OSI levels rose significantly in the T/D group. These values were lower in the T/D + DP group. TAS values decreased significantly in T/D group and rose in T/D + DP group. Severe injury was seen in the twisted testes of T/D group. In contrast, ipsilateral-twisted testicular tissue in the DP-treated group showed moderate-to-mild changes. Contralateral testicular tissue in the T/D group had a mild-to-moderate tissue injury; meanwhile, treated group revealed normal-to-mild changes. Spermatogenesis was significantly improved in DP-treated group when compared with the T/D group. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest a possible protective effect of DP against testicular oxidative damage induced by T/D; however, more detailed studies are warranted. SUMMARY: Given the presence of several phenolic compounds possessing high antioxidant activity in DP, it could potentially be used to reduce testis ischemia/reperfusion-induced damage. Abbreviations Used: TAS: Total antioxidant status,TOS: Total oxidative status; OSI: Oxidative stress index; MDA: Malondialdehyde; C: Congestion; H: Hemorrhage, E: Edema; SG: Sloughed germinal cells; SA: Spermatogenesis arrest; STD: Seminiferous tubules disorganization; STA: Seminiferous tubules atrophy; G: Giant cells; T/D: Torsion/detorsion; DP: Date palm.

Third eyelid in the small Indian mongoose (Herpestes javanicus): a morphological and histological study.

The Indian mongoose (Herpestes javanicus) is native to parts of Asia, Iran. The purpose of this study was to describe the gross anatomy of the cartilage and histology of the superficial gland of the third eyelid of two adult mongooses. The animals, in terminal stages of disease and near death due to aging or unknown reasons, were referred from Park Zoo (Shiraz, Iran) to our center. By using a modified maceration technique, the morphological characteristics of the cartilage were examined. For histological examinations of the superficial gland of the third eyelid, the samples were stained with haematoxylin and eosin. Also, to detect the elastic fibers in the cartilage sections were stained with orcein and Weigert's resorcin-fuchsin. The cartilage consisted of an ovoid appendix and a mild reverse sigmoid crossbar. Elastic fibers were scattered throughout the cartilage but were more concentrated in the center. The superficial gland of the third eyelid was compound tubuloacinar with serous acini.

Abnormal bisubclavian trunk arising from the aortic arch determined by cadaver dissection of a native dog: A case report.

Congenital anomalies of the great thoracic vessels have been reported in 20% of dogs and cats. In some cases, the vascular ring anomalies remain unrecognized throughout the lifetime of an animal. This report describes a case with an unusual vascular ring anomaly (VRA) that was detected during dissection on a cadaver of an approximately two-year-old male native mixed breed dog. No history of the animal's life was available. But, good physical condition and age of the animal based on dentition indicated the anomaly was perhaps asymptomatic. Two main branches of the aorta were identified with the initial branch being a bicarotid trunk followed by a bisubclavian trunk. The left subclavian and aberrant right subclavian arteries formed a very short trunk and arose directly from the aortic arch. No dilatation cranial to the esophageal sulcus was found. To the authors' knowledge, our case is the first report of such anomalies perhaps without any clinical signs in a native dog in Iran.