Normal Computed Tomography and Radiographic Study of the Nasal Cavity and Paranasal Sinuses in Shal Sheep (Ovis arries)

Understanding anatomical structures from the past to the present has been one of the guidelines for advancing medical and veterinary science worldwide. The lack of comprehensive information on the anatomy of the paranasal sinuses and the Shal sheep nasal cavity (Ovis aries) encouraged us to write this article. Computed tomography (CT) scan is a method that shows different parts of the body without superimposition of adjacent structures. Radiographic imaging also gives very high-resolution images of bones to examine bone structures. Paranasal sinuses of Shal sheep were composed of frontal, maxillary, lacrimal, and palatine sinuses, and the nasal sinuses were composed of dorsal, and middle nasal sinuses, which were identified and labeled in keeping with cheek teeth as landmarks. The width of the frontal bone and length of the nasal cavity at the level of the 6th cheek tooth were 7 ± 0.3 and 13 ± 0.8 cm, respectively. The volumes of both the right and left sinuses were measured automatically, and the accurate location of sinuses, canals, nasal folds, conchae, and meatuses, and connections between different parts of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses were described. The volume of the frontal, maxillary, and palatine sinuses were 279.3 ± 16.4, 80.6 ± 2.6, and 13.5 ± 0.2 cm3, respectively. Frontal, maxillary, and lacrimal sinuses were observed like other ruminants. But the palatine sinus in this breed was not present in the Egyptian sheep, Saanen, and Markhz goats. Also, unlike Sanan and Markhz goats and like Egyptian sheep, ventral nasal sinus was not observed in this breed

Decellularized Lung Extracellular Matrix Scaffold Promotes Human Embryonic Stem Cell Differentiation towards Alveolar Progenitors

Objective: Efficient production of functional and mature alveolar epithelial is a major challenge for developing any cellreplacement therapy for lung degenerative diseases. The extracellular matrix (ECM) pro-vides a dynamic environmentand mediates cellular responses during development and maintenance of tissue functions. The decellularized ECM(dECM) which retains its native-like structure and bio-chemical composition can provide the induction of embryonicstem cell (ESC) differentiation toward the tissue-specific lineages during in vitro culture. Therefore, the aim of this studywas to evaluate the effect of sheep lung dECM-derived scaffold on differentiation and further maturation of ESC-derivedlung progenitor cells.Materials and Methods: This study was an experimental study. In the first step, a sheep lung was decellularizedto achieve dECM scaffolds and hydrogels. Afterwards, the obtained dECM scaffold was evaluated for collagen andglycosaminoglycan contents, DNA quantification, and its ultrastructure. Next, the three experimental groups: i. Sheeplung dECM-derived scaffold, ii. Sheep lung dECM-derived hydrogel, and iii. Fibronectin-coated plates were comparedin their abilities to induce further differentiation of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs)-derived definitive endoderm(DE) into lung progenitor cells. The comparison was evaluated by immuno-staining and real-time polymerase chainreaction (PCR) assessments.Results: We found that the dECM-derived scaffold preserved its composition and native porous structures whilelacking nuclei and intact cells. All experimental groups displayed lung progenitor cell differen-tiation as revealed by theRNA and protein expression of NKX2.1, P63 and CK5. DE cells differenti-ated on dECM-derived scaffold and dECMderivedhydrogel showed significant upregulation of SOX9 gene expression, a marker of the distal airway epithelium.DE cells differentiated on the dECM-derived scaffold compared to the two other groups, showed enhanced expressionof SFTPC (type 2 alveolar epithelial [AT2] cell marker), FOXJ1 (ciliated cell marker), and MUC5A (secretory cell marker)genes.Conclusion: Overall, our results suggest that dECM-derived scaffold improves the differentiation of DE cells towardslung alveolar progenitor cells in comparison with dECM-derived hydrogel and fibronectin-coated plates

Clinical features, management and in-hospital outcome of ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) in young adults under 40 years of age

Objectives: This study was designed to evaluate the demographic and clinical findings and in-hospital management and outcome in patients with an acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Material and methods: By review of the Cardiovascular Tehran Heart Center Registry (CVDTHCR), 2028 patients were found to have the acute STEMI. We compared the patients’ characteristics in 109 (5.4%) subjects ≤40 and 1919 subjects > 40 years old. Results: The young patients had less diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia and history of MI or prior revascularization, and were more likely to be male (92.7% vs. 74%), smoker (58.7% vs. 31.7%) and have family history of CVD (50.5% vs. 23.4%). The young patients had higher prevalence of angiographically normal coronary artery (13.7% vs. 0.9%; p<0.001). The young patients were more likely to undergo percutaneous coronary intervention (38.5% vs. 18.6%), whereas coronary artery bypass grafting was more common in the old ones (p<0.001). In-hospital death was markedly different among young and old patients (0.9% and 6.1%, respectively; p<0.01). Conclusion: In STEMI population, the risk profile, clinical findings and severity of coronary disease of the young differ substantially from the elderly counterparts. Young patients with STEMI have a favorable outcome compared with that in older patients

The Effects of Oral Consumption of Selenium Nanoparticles on Chemotactic and Respiratory Burst Activities of Neutrophils in Comparison with Sodium Selenite in Sheep

The present study was designed to compare the effects of nano-selenium and of sodium selenite on the chemotactic and respiratory burst activities of neutrophils in sheep. Fifteen sheep were randomly divided into three groups. Groups 1 and 2 received selenium nanoparticles (1 mg/kg) or sodium selenite (1 mg/kg) orally, respectively, for ten consecutive days, and the third group was considered as the control. To determine the chemotactic and respiratory burst activities of the neutrophils, the leading front assay and the NBT test were used on heparinized blood samples that were collected at different intervals (days 0, 10th, 20th, and 30th). The results obtained showed that the chemotactic activities in groups 1 and 2 increased significantly on the 10th, 20th, and 30th day, compared to day 0, and on the 20th day in comparison with the 10th day, while in group 2, there was a significant decrease on the 30th day compared to the 20th day. The chemotactic activities in group 1 were significantly higher than in group 2 on the 10th day and in the control group on the 10th, 20th, and 30th day, but the chemotactic activities in group 2 were significantly higher than those in the control group only on the 20th day. On the 30th day into the experiment, the respiratory bursts in groups 1 and 2 were significantly stronger in comparison with those at day 0. Overall, nano-selenium increased the chemotactic and respiratory burst activities more significantly than sodium selenite, which is suggestive of a stronger stimulatory effect of the Se nanoparticles on intracellular activities

Nanoparticles of Selenium as Species with Stronger Physiological Effects in Sheep in Comparison with Sodium Selenite

The present study was designed to compare the effects of nano red selenium and sodium selenite on the antioxidative activities of neutrophils and the hematological parameters in sheep. Fifteen sheep were randomly allocated into three groups. Groups 1 and 2 received selenium nanoparticles orally at 1 mg/kg and sodium selenite at 1 mg Se/kg for 10 consecutive days; group 3 served as the control. To assess the degrees of oxidative stress and of lipid peroxidation of the cellular membranes, the levels of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) were determined in serum samples that were collected at different supplementation intervals, i.e., after 0, 10, 20, and 30 days. In addition, hematological parameters in the serum samples were measured by routine procedures. It was found that TBARS levels in groups 1 and 2 were significantly higher on days 20 and 30 compared to the basal level on day 0. It was also found that on day 30, the TBARS activities in both treated groups were significantly higher than those of the controls (P < 0.05). These findings may explain the seemingly paradoxical effects of supplemental selenium on the indicators of oxidative stress, as the levels of TBARS were generally expected to decrease in the presence of selenium. There were no significant differences between the PCV and RBC values in the three groups. The white blood cell count (WBC) in group 1 showed a significant increase on days 20 and 30 in comparison with the control group. However, in group 2, there was a significant increase of the WBC value just on day 20 in comparison with the control group. Also, there were significant increases of the neutrophil counts and significant decreases of the lymphocyte counts on day 10 in group 1, in comparison with those in group 2 and controls, and on days 20 and 30 in groups 1 and 2 in comparison with those in the control group

Intrapulmonary autologous transplant of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells improves lipopolysaccharide-induced acute respiratory distress syndrome in rabbit

Abstract Background Lung diseases such as acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) have a high incidence worldwide. The current drug therapies for ARDS have supportive effects, making them inefficient. New methods such as stromal cell therapy are needed for this problem. Methods This research was performed with ten New Zealand rabbits in two groups. Bone marrow aspiration was performed on the treated group, and mesenchymal stem cells were isolated and cultured. The experimental model of ARDS was induced using LPS from Escherichia coli strain O55:B5. Then, 1010 bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) were autologously transplanted intrapulmonary in the treatment group, and 1–2 ml of PBS in the control group. The clinical signs, computed tomographic (CT) scans, echocardiography, blood gas analysis, complete blood count, and cytokine levels were measured before and at 3, 6, 12, 24, 48, 72, and 168 h after BM-MSC transplant. Finally, the rabbits were killed, and histopathological examination was performed. Results The results showed that BM-MSCs decreased the severity of clinical symptoms, the number of white blood cells and heterophils in the blood, the total cell count, and number of heterophils and macrophages in bronchoalveolar lavage, and balanced the values of arterial blood gases (increase in partial pressure of oxygen and O2 saturation and decrease in the partial pressure of carbon dioxide). They also downregulated the tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-6 concentrations and increased the IL-10 concentrations at different times compared with time 0 and in the control group, significantly. In the CT scan, a significant decrease in the Hounsfield units and total lung volume was found by echocardiography, and in comparing the two groups, a significant difference in the parameters was noticed. The histopathology demonstrated that the BM-MSCs were able to reduce the infiltration of inflammatory cells and pulmonary hemorrhage and edema. Conclusions This study indicated that BM-MSCs play a significant role in the repair of lung injury

Fractional Flow Reserve and Appropriateness of Angioplasty in Moderate Coronary Stenosis

Percutaneous coronary angioplasty (PTCA) of a coronary stenosis without documented ischemia at noninvasive stress testing is often performed, but its benefit is unproven. Coronary pressure– derived fractional flow reserve (FFR) is an invasive index of stenosis severity defined as the ratio of maximal blood pressure in a stenotic vessel to the normal maximal pressure in the same vessel. FFR is a reliable substitute for noninvasive stress testing and values below 75% identifies stenoses with hemodynamic significance. It is a method that can provide a reliable assessment of coronary stenosis especially in those with intermediate lesions. It can highly impact on decision-making in therapeutic planning and prevent many unnecessary procedures that are routinely done in these cases. In the present study, we report the results of FFR measurements in a series of patients, and this is the first report on the FFR measurement in Iran. The FFR measurement was performed for eleven vessels with intermediate stenosis, and in seven lesions (63.6%) it led to changes in the treatment strategy. On the basis of FFR, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) was changed into medical follow-up in five lesions, medical follow-up changed to PCI in one lesion, and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) changed to medical follow-up in another