Changes in ultrasonic properties of liver tissue in vitro during heating-cooling cycle concomitant with thermal coagulation.

The present work considers the ultrasonic properties of porcine liver tissue in vitro measured during heating concomitant with thermal coagulation followed by natural cooling, so as to provide information about changes in the ultrasonic properties of the tissue after thermal coagulation. The excised liver samples were heated in a degassed water bath up to 75°C and naturally cooled down to 30°C. The tissue was observed to begin thermally coagulating at temperatures lower than 75°C. The ultrasonic parameters considered include the speed of sound, the attenuation coefficient, the backscatter coefficient and the nonlinear parameter of B/A. They were more sensitive to temperature when heating than during natural cooling. All of the parameters were shown to rise significantly on completion of the heating-cooling cycle. At 35°C after thermal coagulation, the B/A value was increased by 96%, the attenuation and backscatter coefficients were increased by 50%∼68% and 33%∼37%, respectively, in the typical frequency ranges of 3 MHz∼5 MHz used for ultrasonic imaging and the speed of sound was increased by 1.4%. The results of this study added to the evidence that tissue characterization, in particular, based on the B/A could be valuable for ultrasonically imaging the thermal lesions following high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) surgery.

Immunohistochemical localization of heat shock protein 27 in the retina of pigs.

The expression of heat shock protein 27 (HSP27) was examined in the retinas of pigs. Western blot analysis detected the expression of HSP27 in the retinas of 1-day-old piglets and showed that it was enhanced in the retinas of 6-month-old adult pigs. Immunohistochemically, HSP27 immunostaining was seen mainly in ganglion cell bodies in the ganglion cell layer, and in some processes of astrocytes in the innermost nerve fiber layer. In 1-day-old piglets, HSP27 was detected weakly in the inner plexiform, inner nuclear cell, outer plexiform, and rod and cone layers. The HSP27 immunoreactivity across the retinal layers was enhanced in the retinas of 6-month-old pigs compared with newborn piglets. The HSP27 immunoreactivity in the radial processes of Müller cells was particularly prominent in adult pig retinas. In summary, this finding suggests that HSP27 plays an important role in signal transduction of glial cells and neuronal cells in the retina.

Temporal expression of osteopontin and CD44 in rat brains with experimental cryolesions.

Expression of osteopontin and CD44 in the brain was studied after cryolesioning to understand how osteopontin and its receptor, CD44, are involved in processes in the brains of rats with cryolesions. Western blot analysis showed that osteopontin increased significantly at days 4 and 7 post-injury and declined slightly thereafter in cryolesioned brains in comparison with levels in sham-operated controls. An immunohistochemical study localized osteopontin in activated microglia/macrophages in the core lesions, where the majority of macrophages proliferate. Osteopontin was also detected temporarily in some neurons and a few astrocytes in the lesion periphery on days 4 and 7 post-injury, but the immunoreactivity in macrophages, neurons, and astrocytes disappeared by day 14 post-injury. There was some CD44, a receptor for osteopontin, in the brain cells of sham-operated rats. After injury, intense CD44 immunostaining was seen in the majority of macrophages and in reactive astrocytes, but not in neurons, in the ipsilateral lesions after day 4 post-injury, and this immunoreactivity remained on day 14 post-injury. These findings suggest that activated microglia/macrophages and some neurons are major sources of osteopontin during the early stage of brain damage induced by a cryolesion and that osteopontin interacts with CD44 expressed on astrocytes and activated microglia/macrophages in the damaged cerebral cortex, possibly mediating cell migration after cryolesioning in the rat brain.

Electroacupuncture and moxibustion for correction of abomasal displacement in dairy cattle.

This study was performed to investigate the therapeutic effect of electroacupuncture and moxibustion on abomasal displacement in dairy cattle. After acupuncture needles were inserted bilaterally into the acupoints, 'Pi yu', 'Wei yu' and 'Guan yuan yu' , electronic stimulation (5 Hz and 10 V, 20 minutes) was conducted once a day for 3 days consecutively. Modified moxa patch was also applied at the same acupoints as in acupuncture for 3 days consecutively. Ten among twelve cows with abomasal displacement were recovered by electroacupuncture and moxibustion, but two were treated with paramedian abomasopexy. It is considered that electroacupuncture and moxibustion may be convenient, safe and economical therapeutic alternatives available instead of surgical procedures on abomasal displacement in dairy cattle.