Background:The use of animals in biomedical research is of great importance. It is fundamental for the development and improvement of new practices and technologies. The selection of the species must take into consideration the practicality of handling and the suitability for the experiment, and it must have low operational costs. Swine are important as an experimental model in several experiment areas, because the functionality of many of their organic systems is developed similarly as it is in humans. Swine are animals that become easily stressed. For that reason, their conditioning is necessary to allow the obtainment of data that is closer to normal parameters. This study aims at reporting the physiological values obtained from awake swine, under normal conditions and minimum stress. Materials, Methods & Results:The animals were maintained under ideal environmental conditions, and they were always handled and conditioned by the same persons. Twenty crossbred swine were evaluated, aged between 60 and 90 days and with a body mass ranging between 17 and 25 kg. The parameters considered were cardiac frequency (FC), hemoglobin oxygen saturation (pulse oxymetry -SPO 2 ), respiratory frequency (fR), end tidal carbon dioxide (ETCO 2 ), systolic (PAM), diastolic (PAD) and mean (PAM) arterial pressure and arterial blood gas values -pH, arterial pressure of CO 2 (PACO 2 ), arterial pressure of O 2 (PAO 2 ), total CO 2 (TCO 2 ), base excess (EB), bicarbonate (HCO 3 ) and O 2 saturation (SATO 2 ). The experiment was developed in compliance with the Standards of Animal Ethics and Welfare recommended by the National Council on the Control of Animal Experiments and with Law 11.794 of October 2008, being further approved by the Ethics Committee of the Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre. To obtain the FC, fR, ETCO 2 and SPO 2 values, 20 animal samples were used. FC presented mean values (± standard deviation) of 134 ± 20.67 beats per minute (bpm), showing a maximum value of 180 bpm and a minimum of 103 bpm. The mean fR was 24.5 ± 5.61 breaths per minute (bpm), with a maximum value of 34 bpm and a minimum of 14 bpm, and SPO 2 was 96 ± 2.10 %. Moreover, the values obtained in the analysis of exhaled gases showed a ETCO 2 at 44.6 ± 5.41 mmHg, with a maximum value of 53 mmHg and minimum value of 34 mmHg. The arterial pressure was obtained from 19 animals, yielding the following values: 135.8 ± 16.29 mmHg for systolic pressure, 81.6 ± 14.10 mmHg for diastolic pressure and 103.3 ± 12.65 mmHg for mean pressure. Samples from 18 animals were used to measure the arterial blood gas. The values obtained were as follows: 7.497 ± 0.019 for Mean pH , 41.7 ± 6.95 mmHg for partial O 2 pressure, 90.65 ± 2.5 mmHg for partial CO 2 pressure, 32.8 ± 2.18 mmol/L for total CO 2 , 7.57 ± 1.9 mmol/L for base excess, 31.5 ± 2.12 mmol/L for bicarbonate and 97.55 ± 0.64 for oxygen saturation. Discussion: The animals seemed submissive and able to be conditioned and therefore it was easy to obtain basal values. These data were slightly different from the ...

Bloqueio de plexo braquial em um bugio-ruivo (Alouatta guariba): relato de caso [Brachial plexus

The measurement of blood pressure (BP) is an important assessment of the cardiovascular system, being influenced by physical and pathological conditions. Certain situations of stress and anxiety during

This study compared the accuracy of dye placement on the maxillary nerve by using the percutaneous subzigomatic (SBZ) and infraorbitary (IO) approaches in cats’ cadavers. A second aim was to compare the accuracy of dye placement on the maxillary nerve between different untrained anesthetists. This was a prospective, randomized, blinded study, performed in 40 heads obtained from feline cadavers. Three veterinarians (A, B and C) with no previous experience with the IO approach performed the experiments. The SBZ approach was randomly performed on one side of the head and the IO approach was performed in the contralateral side of the same head. For each approach, 0.2ml of 1% methylene blue dye was injected. Scores for length of nerve staining were as follows: 0 (failure), no staining; 1 (moderate), <6mm of nerve stained; and 2 (ideal), ≥6mm of nerve stained. Median scores (interquartile range) for the SBZ and IO approaches were 2.0 (0.3-2.0) and 1.0 (0.0-2.0), respectively. Scores for length of nerve staining were higher with the SBZ approach than the IO approach (P=0.016). Considering the scores for both the SBZ and IO approaches, there was a significant difference among the three veterinarians (P=0.002). Results of this study do not support the IO approach to perform a maxillary nerve block in cats. A greater accuracy of methylene blue dye placement was observed with the SBZ approach. A variable accuracy may exist between different veterinarians when performing a maxillary nerve block employing the SBZ and IO techniques in cats.

RESUMO: Linfonodo axilar como sentinela de neoplasia mamária em cadelas. O estudo dos tumores de mama em cadelas é de grande importância devido à alta frequência com que surgem na clínica de pequenos animais. O presente estudo teve como objetivo avaliar a importância do linfonodo axilar como sentinela em neoplasias mamárias de cadelas. Foram avaliadas 49 fêmeas com neoplasia mamária, submetidas à mastectomia unilateral total, utilizando o corante azul patente para a identificação do linfonodo axilar, o qual foi submetido à análise histopatológica com a coloração de hematoxilina-eosina e imuno-histoquímica (IHQ) com anticorpo citoqueratina (AE1/AE3) para procura de metástase. Oito cadelas apresentaram metástases em linfonodo axilar, sendo sete detectadas por histopatologia e por IHQ e uma somente pela IHQ (micrometástase). Uma paciente que apresentava tumor em mamas abdominal caudal e inguinal tinha metástase no linfonodo axilar e inguinal. Assim, observa-se que o tumor pode causar alteração na drenagem linfática provocando metástase em linfonodos que normalmente não drenam determinadas mamas, por isso a retirada do linfonodo axilar deve ser incluída como técnica de rotina para permitir melhor estadiamento das neoplasias mamárias de cadelas.