Growth efficiency in transgenic tilapia (Oreochromis sp.) carrying a single copy of an homologous cDNA growth hormone

Growth hormone (GH) has been shown to have a profound impact on fish physiology and metabolism. However, detailed studies in transgenic fish have not been conducted. We have characterized the food conversion efficiency, protein profile, and biochemical correlates of growth rate in transgenic tilapia expressing the tilapia GH cDNA under the control of human cytomegalovirus regulatory sequences. Transgenic tilapia exhibited about 3.6-fold less food consumption than nontransgenic controls (P < 0.001). The food conversion efficiency was significantly (P < 0.05) higher (290%) in transgenic tilapia (2.3 +/- 0.4) than in the control group (0.8 +/- 0.2). Efficiency of growth, synthesis retention, anabolic stimulation, and average protein synthesis were higher in transgenic than in nontransgenic tilapia. Distinctive metabolic differences were found in transgenic juvenile tilapia. We had found differences in hepatic glucose, and in agreement with previous results we observed differences in the level of enzymatic activities in target organs. We conclude that GH-transgenic juvenile tilapia show altered physiological and metabolic conditions and are biologically more efficient.

An Analysis of the Use of Anesthetic Blocks versus Local Anesthesia Infiltration in Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty Surgery

Objectives: The aim of this study is to analyse the efficacy of using a combined infiltration between a popliteal artery and knee cap (IPACK) anaesthetic block and a selective saphenous nerve block compared to local infiltration with anaesthetic in knee replacement surgery. Methods: A retrospective observational study was conducted. A total of 312 patients who underwent primary total knee arthroplasty in our hospital between January 2019 and December 2022 were reviewed. Local intra-articular anaesthesia was used in 207 patients and combined nerve block in 105 patients (IPACK group). The mean age in the LIA group was 72.9 years and 70.4 years in the IPACK group. There were 44% men in the LIA group and 53.3% in the IPACK group. The primary outcome was the presence of poorly controlled pain requiring rescue opioid analgesia in the postoperative period. Secondary outcomes included pain scores, range of motion and length of hospital stay. Results: There were no significant differences in the age or gender distribution of patients between the two groups. One patient treated with anaesthetic blocks required rescue analgesia with opioids, while in the LIA group this occurred in 28.5% of cases. There were statistically significant higher VAS scores in the LIA group (p < 0.001). Range of motion was slightly greater in the block group (4.6°, p < 0.05). There were significant differences in hospital stay (2.4 days in the blocks group and 2.8 days in the LIA group (p < 0.05). Conclusions: In our series, patients treated with anaesthetic blocks showed better results with similar postoperative pain control. However, further studies are needed.