The following three regimens of anesthesia in mice were compared: (1) Ketamine 100 mg--xylazine 5 mg/kg b.wt. i.m., (2) pentobarbitone 50 mg/kg b.wt. i.p., and (3) carfentanyl 0.003 mg--etomidate 15 mg/kg b.wt. i.m. For these dosage rates the respiratory variables, i.e., respiratory rate, paO2, paCO2, pHa, BEa, HCO-3a, and the circulatory parameters, i.e., heart rate, mean arterial pressure and hematocrit, were determined during the conscious state, during surgical anesthesia, and at waking time. With ketamine and xylazine, the respiration was moderately decreased whereas the cardiovascular system was strongly depressed. Pentobarbitone induced a high respiratory depression but a lesser degree of circulatory depression. Analgesia was inadequate. Although there was a moderate respiratory and circulatory depression during anesthesia with carfentanyl and etomidate the drug-induced excitation and muscle spasms do not recommend this anesthetic combination for mice. Of these three methods, the combination of ketamine and xylazine is considered the most reliable for anesthesia of mice.

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The effects of preservation and sterilization on the structural properties of cortical bone were investigated. Specimens of cortical bone from rat tibiae were frozen (-70 degrees C for 28 days), freeze-dried, irradiated (1, 5, 25 and 50 kGy) or autoclaved (at 134 degrees C for 3 or 5 min), and examined by scanning electron microscopy. Cryopreservation and irradiation had no deleterious effects on the surface structure of the cortical bone. Freeze-drying caused microcracks running parallel to the mineralized fiber bundles. After autoclaving, a time-dependent distension, swelling and amalgamation of the fibrillary matrix was observed. This denaturation of the organic matrix was more pronounced after 5 min than 3 min autoclaving. The alterations of the fibrillary structure described above might be due to a preservation- and sterilization-induced decrease of the biological and biomechanical potential of bone grafts.