Contrary to conventional research animals, horses naturally develop asthma, a
disease in which the extracellular matrix of the lung plays a significant role.
Hence, the horse lung extracellular matrix appears to be an ideal candidate
model for in vitro studying the mechanisms and potential treatments for asthma.
However, so far, such model to study cell–extracellular matrix interactions in
asthma has not been developed. The aim of this study was to establish a protocol
for equine lung decellularization that maintains the architecture of the
extracellular matrix and could be used in the future as an in vitro model for
therapeutic treatment in asthma. For this the equine lungs were decellularized
by sodium dodecyl sulfate detergent perfusion at constant gravitational pressure
of 30 cmH2O. Lung scaffolds were assessed by immunohistochemistry
(collagen I, III, IV, laminin, and fibronectin), scanning electron microscopy,
and DNA quantification. Their mechanical property was assessed by measuring lung
compliance using the super-syringe technique. The optimized protocol of lung
equine decellularization was effective to remove cells (19.8 ng/mg) and to
preserve collagen I, III, IV, laminin, and fibronectin. Moreover, scanning
electron microscopy analysis demonstrated maintained microscopic lung
structures. The decellularized lungs presented lower compliance compared to
native lung. In conclusion we described a reproducible decellularization
protocol that can produce an acellular equine lung feasible for the future
development of novel treatment strategies in asthma.
This study aimed to characterize the patterns of arterial vascularization in swine hearts. Ninety swine hearts were submitted to the Spalteholz diaphanization technique in order to dissect the coronary arteries. Three types of arterial vascularization patterns were characterized through the behaviorof the rami circumflexus and interventricularis, namely: balanced, right and left types. The balanced pattern was the most frequently (42.2%); in this case, the rami circumflexus and interventricularis occupied their respective sulci. The right type (40%) was further categorized into three vascularization subtypes. In the first, ramus circumflexus dexter branched from the ramus interventricularis subsinuosus. In the second, the arteria coronaria dextra branched from ramus interventricularis subsinuosus and ramus circumflexus. In the third model, arteria coronaria sinister branched from ramus interventricularis paraconalis. The left type (17.7%) exhibited two subtypes. In the first, ramus interventricularis paraconalis ran through the entire corresponding sulcus and the ventral third of sulcus interventricularis subsinuosus, and ramus interventricularis subsinuosus occupied the dorsal and middle third of its respective sulcus. In the second, ramus interventricularis subsinuosus branched from arteria coronaria dextra and ran through the dorsal and medium thirds of its respective sulcus, and the ventral third was occupied by the collateral branch of ramus circumflexus sinister. Our results reinforce the thesis that the blood distribution system through the coronary artery in swine is similar to human, not only in qualitative but also by a quantitative comparison.INDEX TERMS: Heart, cardiovascular system, coronary circulation, swine, animal models.
The present study describes the embryonic and fetal development of the central nervous system in rabbits from the seventh day after conception until the end of the full-term fetal period. A total of 19 embryonic and fetal samples were carefully dissected and microscopically analyzed. Neural tube closure was observed between 7.5 and 8 days of gestation. Primordial encephalic vesicle differentiation and spinal canal delimitation were observed on the 12th day of gestation. Histologically, on the 15th day of gestation, the brain, cerebellum, and brain stem were delimited. On the 18th day of gestation, the cervical and lumbar intumescences of the spinal cord were visible. On the 28th day of gestation, four-cell layers could be distinguished in the cerebral cortex, while the cerebellar cortex was still differentiating. Overall, the morphological aspects of the embryonic and fetal developmental phases in rabbits were highly similar to those in humans. Thus, the present study provides relevant information highlighting rabbits as an excellent candidate animal model for preclinical research on human neurological diseases given the high adaptability of rabbits to bioterium conditions and the similarity of morphological events between rabbits and humans.
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