Evaluation of autologous bone marrow-derived nucleated cells for healing of full-thickness skin wounds in rabbits

The aim of the study was to evaluate the potential of autologous bone marrow-derived nucleated cells to enhance the rate of healing of full-thickness excisional skin wounds in rabbits. The study was conducted on 20 New Zealand white rabbits of either sex. Two, 2 x 2 cm full-thickness skin (thoracolumabar region) excisional wounds were created; one on each side of the dorsal midline in each animal. The wounds were randomly assigned to either injection of autologous bone marrow-derived nucleated cells into the wound margins (BI), or topical application of sterile saline solution (normal saline, NS), which served as control. The wound healing was assessed by evaluation of granulation tissue formation, wound contraction, epithelisation and histopathological and histochemical changes up to 28 days after creation of the wound. Granulation tissue appeared significantly faster in BI-treated wounds (3.22 +/- 0.22 days) than in NS-treated wounds (4.56 +/- 0.47 days). Better epithelisation was seen histologically in BI wounds than in NS-treated wounds. Wound contraction was significantly more in BI wounds when compared with NS wounds on 21 post-surgery. Histopathological examination of the healing tissue showed early disappearance of inflammatory reaction, significantly more neovascularisation, and more fibroplasias and early lay down and histological maturation of collagen in BI wounds than in control wounds. It was concluded that injection of autologous bone marrow-derived nucleated cells in the wound margins induced faster and better quality healing of excisional skin wounds in rabbits when compared with normal saline. The injection of autologous bone marrow-derived nucleated cells can be used to promote healing of large full-thickness skin wounds in rabbits

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The effects of adding epinephrine or xylazine to lidocaine solution for lumbosacral epidural analgesia in fat-tailed sheep

This blinded, randomised experimental study was designed to compare the analgesic effects of lumbosacral epidural administration of lidocaine-epinephrine or lidocaine-xylazine combinations in fat-tailed sheep. Nine healthy fat-tailed male lambs (mean ± s.d. age, 4.6 ± 0.4 months; weight, 24.6 kg ± 2.5 kg) were randomly allocated into four groups of six sheep: lidocaine 2% (LID), lidocaine-epinephrine 5 µg/mL (LIDEP), lidocaine-xylazine 0.05 mg/kg (LIDXY) or bupivacaine 0.5% (BUP). The onset and duration of flank, perineum and hindlimb anaesthesia and the onset and duration of hindlimb paralysis were recorded. Epidural administration of LID, LIDEP, LIDXY or BUP produced anaesthesia within 6.6 min, 7.6 min, 3.4 min and 8.4 min, respectively. The mean onset of anaesthesia in the LIDXY group was significantly shorter compared with the BUP group (p = 0.02). The mean duration of anaesthesia was 107.9 min, 190.4 min, 147.6 min and 169.7 min for LID, LIDEP, LIDXY and BUP, respectively. The onset of hindlimb paralysis was faster in the LIDXY group than in the BUP group; however, the duration of hindlimb paralysis was shorter in LIDXY compared with LIDEP. Epidural administration of LIDEP or LIDXY provides a comparable duration of local anaesthesia without any adverse effects in fat-tailed sheep. Epidural LIDXY did not appear to be advantageous over epidural LIDEP