Evaluation of the Venous System of Wistar Rat Liver by Injection with Epoxy Resin

The rat is the most widely used experimental model in surgical research due to several factors, including that it is easy to handle and inexpensive. It can be used in investigations related to liver regeneration, liver metastases, or transplant immunology. This study highlights the venous components of the hepatic circulation in the Wistar rat by intravascular injection of a polymer that allows the assessment of the distribution of vessels, regardless of their caliber. Five cadavers of 11-month-old male Wistar rats from the USAMV Cluj-Napoca biobase destined for incineration, were used to highlight the liver venous system. A dye mixture, consisting of epoxy resin-catalyst-blue acrylic dye in a 2:1:1 ratio, was injected. After 24 hours, biological tissues were macerated by immersion in 10% KOH solution for five days. The intrahepatic venous system is represented by the venous branches that continue into the liver lobes. Those vessels follow a parallel trajectory with the hepatic artery branches represented by the right and left ramifications. The right portal vein presents branches to the lateral and medial parts of the right lobe of the liver and the caudate lobe. The left branch of the portal vein has ramificationsfor the lateral and medial parts of the left lobe and the quadrate lobe. The technique of injecting the venous circulation of the liver, followed by tissue maceration, allowed the removal by anatomical dissection of all liver components that permits the identification of all components of the venous system, including the finest venous branches of the hepatic circulation

Morphometric Features and Microanatomy of the Lingual Filiform Papillae in the Wistar Rat

The mammalian tongue plays a fundamental role in various physiological and behavioral activities. Significant morphological variations have been recorded in the tongue of several species. This study aims to obtain detailed histological and morphometric information about the filiform papillae on the surface of rat tongue. The tongues of five 10-month-old Wistar rats were utilized, which were later examined with a stereo-microscope. Fragments from the three regions of the tongue were collected for histological investigations. The tongue of the Wistar rat has an intensely keratinized stratified squamous epithelium, with the highest degree of keratinized epithelium covering the filiform papillae. The filiform papillae differ in density, with the highest density recorded on the posterior part of the lingual body and the lowest density on the protuberance. The shortest filiform papillae were observed on the apex of the tongue and the tallest on the anterior part of the lingual body. Interestingly, the orientation of the filiform papillae on the lingual protuberance was inclined posteroanteriorly, in the opposite way as compared to the papillae from all the other regions of the tongue. Histologically, a difference was recorded in the structure of the covering epithelium of the anterior vs. the posterior face of the filiform papillae

Biological Activities and Chemical Profile of Gentiana asclepiadea and Inula helenium Ethanolic Extracts

This study aimed to investigate the antioxidant, antimicrobial, and cytotoxic potential of ethanolic extracts obtained from Gentiana asclepiadea L. and Inula helenium L. roots, in relation to their chemical composition. The total polyphenols, flavonoids, and phenolic acids were determined by spectrophotometric methods, while LC-MS analysis was used to evaluate the individual constituents. The antioxidant properties were tested using the FRAP and DPPH methods. The standard well diffusion and broth microdilution assays were carried out to establish in vitro antimicrobial efficacy and minimum inhibitory and bactericidal concentrations. The cytotoxicity was tested on rat intestinal epithelial cells using the MTT assay. The results pointed out important constituents such as secoiridoid glycoside (amarogentin), phenolic acids (caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, trans-p-coumaric acid, salicylic acid), and flavonoids (apigenin, chrysin, luteolin, luteolin-7-O-glucoside, quercetin, rutoside, and naringenin) and promising antioxidant properties. The in vitro antimicrobial effect was noticed towards several pathogens (Bacillus cereus > Staphylococcus aureus > Enterococcus faecalis > Salmonella typhimurium and Salmonella enteritidis > Escherichia coli), with a pronounced bactericidal activity. Rat intestinal epithelial cell viability was not affected by the selected concentrations of these two extracts. These data support the ethnomedicinal recommendations of these species and highlight them as valuable sources of bioactive compounds