ABSTRACT
A simple mini-butane burner or "artificial rat," for calibration of small animal indirect calorimeters (modified Benedict and Haldane systems), was developed. Substitution of this burner for a live animal at regular intervals in an experimental protocol provides a means by which whole system function can be verified without disturbing respirometer conditions. Heat production, degree of total combustion of butane, proportion of unburned butane, and the CO2 production (VCO2)-to-O2 consumption (VO2) ratio were determined in animal and burner experiments by direct measurement or were derived from mass equations. Burner security was also discussed. VCO2/VO2 obtained in calibration experiments using the Benedict system remained constant and was not significantly different from the expected value for total combustion of butane. Observation of a stabilization phase in the Haldane burner experiments illustrated the utility of calibration over the duration of a normal animal experiment. This miniburner gave highly reproducible results and simulated the daily VO2, VCO2, and heat production of an adult rat.
Subject(s)
Calorimetry, Indirect/instrumentation , Animals , Calibration , Calorimetry, Indirect/methods , Carbon Dioxide/metabolism , Equipment Design , Oxygen Consumption , TemperatureABSTRACT
The authors report a case of false aneurysm of the superior mesenteric artery, complicating acute pancreatitis. They insist on the sonographic signs of "the cyst within a cyst"; the presence of a cystic lesion located within a larger mass an US Scanning is highly suggestive of a false aneurysm included in a pseudocyst. They demonstrate the correlation between US Scanning, CT Scan and arteriogram.
