Objective assessment of dermal fibrosis in cutaneous scarring, using optical coherence tomography, high-frequency ultrasound and immunohistomorphometry of human skin.

BACKGROUND: Noninvasive quantitative assessment of dermal fibrosis remains a challenge. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) and high-frequency ultrasound (HFUS) can accurately measure structural and physiological changes in skin. OBJECTIVES: To perform quantitative analysis of cutaneous fibrosis. METHODS: Sixty-two healthy volunteers underwent multiple sequential skin biopsies (day 0 and 1-8 weekly thereafter), with OCT and HFUS measurements at each time point supported with immunohistomorphometry analysis. RESULTS: HFUS and OCT provided quantitative measurements of skin thickness, which increased from uninjured skin (1·18 and 1·2 mm, respectively) to week 1 (1·28 mm, P = 0·01; 1·27 mm, P = 0·02), and compared favourably with haematoxylin and eosin. Spearman correlation showed good agreement between techniques (P < 0·001). HFUS intensity corresponded to dermal density, with reduction from uninjured skin (42%) to week 8 (29%) (P = 0·02). The OCT attenuation coefficient linked with collagen density and was reduced at week 8 (1·43 mm, P < 0·001). Herovici analysis showed that mature collagen levels were highest in uninjured skin (72%) compared with week 8 (42%, P = 0·04). Fibronectin was greatest at week 4 (0·72 AU) and reduced at week 8 (0·56 AU); and α-smooth muscle actin increased from uninjured skin (11·5%) to week 8 (67%, P = 0·003). CONCLUSIONS: Time-matched comparison images between haematoxylin and eosin, OCT and HFUS demonstrated that epidermal and dermal structures were better distinguished by OCT. HFUS enabled deeper visualization of the dermis including the subcutaneous tissue. Choice of device was dependent on the depth of scar type, parameters to be measured and morphological detail required in order to provide better objective quantitative indices of the quality and extent of dermal fibrosis.

Eucalyptus leaves powder, antibiotic and probiotic addition to broiler diets: effect on growth performance, immune response, blood components and carcass traits.

The study was conducted to investigate the effects of different levels of eucalyptus powder (EP), virginiamycin and probiotic on performance, immunity, blood components and carcass traits of broiler chickens. A total of 250, 1-day-old male broiler chickens (Ross 308) were randomly allocated to five treatments with five replicates and 10 chicks each, as a completely randomized design. The dietary treatments consisted of: basal diet (BD), BD+0.25% EP, BD+0.5% EP, BD+0.01% of diet probiotic (Protexin), BD+0.02% of diet antibiotic (virginiamycin). Dietary supplementation did not affect feed intake, BW gain (BWG) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) during starter and grower phases, but BWG and FCR were affected during the finisher and whole periods (P<0.05).The highest BWG and lowest FCR were obtained in birds fed with virginiamycin and 0.5% EP. Dietary supplementation significantly increased the relative weight of carcass and breast (P<0.05). Treatments had no effect on relative weights of internal organs and small intestine except for bursa that increased by treatments. Relative length of jejunum also increased by treatments (P<0.05). Antibody production against sheep red blood cells did not changed in primary titer (day 35), but it significantly increased in secondary titer (day 42) by 0.5% EP. White blood cell counts were increased and cholesterol decreased by dietary supplementation (P<0.05). In conclusion, the results of this study showed that 0.5% EP served as a useful replacement for antibiotic and would improve performance and immune response of broiler chickens.

Effect of lemon verbena powder and vitamin C on performance and immunity of heat-stressed broilers.

An experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of lemon verbena powder and vitamin C on performance and immunity of broilers under heat stress. The experiment was carried out with a total of 160-day-old male Ross 308 broiler chickens in a completely randomized design. From 25 days of age, the birds were assigned to four diets including control diet and treatment diets which were supplemented with 2 levels of lemon verbena (0.5% and 1.0%) and one level of vitamin C (250 mg/kg) in 16-floor pens with 10 chickens each and reared to 42 days of age. To induce chronic heat stress, birds were exposed to an ambient temperature of 35 ± 2 °C for 8 h daily (from 09:00 AM until 17:00 PM) between 25 and 42 days of age. At the end of experiment, one chick/pen was randomly selected, and the performance and blood parameters were evaluated. Dietary supplementation of 1.0% lemon verbena increased (p < 0.05) average weight gain and feed intake by 5.81% and 3.29%, and reduced feed conversion ratio by 2.59% respectively compared to control group. Birds fed diets containing 1.0% lemon verbena had significantly higher relative weight of bursa of fabricius and breast (p < 0.05). LDL decreased by 15.85% and 17.57%, for birds fed 0.5% and 1.0% lemon verbena respectively. The ratio of heterophyl to lymphocyte was reduced (p < 0.05) by 20.68% via significant decrease in heterophyl by 15.55% and significant increase in lymphocyte by 4.51% in birds fed lemon verbena at the rate of 1.0% compared to those fed the control diet. 1.0% lemon verbena and vitamin C elevated (p = 0.0005) the level of glutathione peroxidase by 51.81% and 27.90%, respectively. In conclusion, lemon verbena and vitamin C improved some performance data and blood metabolites which somehow suppressed the negative effects of heat stress.