No abstract

Urolithiasis is a common diagnostic and therapeutic problem in small-animal veterinary practice. The traditional diagnostic approach usually consists of clinical, radiological and ultrasonographic examination of the patient. The main diagnostic material is still urine sediment, ignoring the fact that presence of crystalluria is not always of pathological significance. In order to establish the most effective therapeutic and preventative strategies, especially in the case of multicomponent stone, it is crucial to define the exact elemental composition of the given stone including crystallization nidus chemical contents. In the course of the research, the usefulness of scanning electron microscopy combined with X-ray-dispersive spectrometry in analysis of canine mixed and compound stones was investigated. The obtained results indicated that the tested method allows one to trace the dynamics of the crystallization process, including crystallization nucleus detection, and concurrently and quantitatively assess the elemental composition of the given urinary concrement. Moreover, the conducted research showed epidemiological data of urolithiasis occurrence in a population of dogs coming from the southern part of Poland.

No abstract

The fascial system is an integral part of the musculoskeletal system. It is a three-dimensional network of connective tissue spreading ubiquitously throughout the body, surrounding muscles, bones, internal organs, nerves, vessels, and other structures. The basic biophysical properties of the fascial system are determined by its structure and chemical composition. This study aimed to determine the elemental composition of pathologically unchanged fascia lata of the thigh, collected during autopsies on humans and dogs. The wide spectrum of elements analysed included both macro and micro elements. The analyses were conducted using scanning electron microscopy with X-ray microanalysis (SEM-EDS). Concentrations of the following macro and micro elements were dermined: C, N, O, Na, Mg, Al, Si, P, S, Cl, K, Ca, Ti, Fe Co, Ni, Cu, and Zn. The obtained results showed significant differences between human and canine fascia lata regarding the content of most of the examined elements (p < 0.05), except for N. These data may in future provide a starting point for the establishment of reference values for the content of various elements in normal fascial tissue and may also serve to verify the usefulness of experimental animal material as a substitute for human tissue.