Topographical anatomy of the mandibular foramen in the dromedary camels (Camelus dromedarius): an extraoral approach for the inferior alveolar nerve blocks

Understanding the clinical anatomy of the head is essential for performing proper inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) block anesthesia to facilitate invasive dental procedures in camels. However, osteometric data related to the IAN in camels are lacking. This study was carried out to accurately locate the mandibular foramen (MF) and the course of the IAN in the camel head and to establish an approach for its localization in clinical practice. To achieve these aims, eight osteometric measurements were used to determine the location of the MF in relation to its surrounding structures in six cadaveric skulls of adult camels. Four camel heads were dissected, and the course of the IAN inside the mandibular canal was studied. In addition, four heads were used as a trial for the extraoral approach to the IAN block using contrast radiographs based on established metric indices. Dissection of the four camel heads revealed that the MF was located near the intersection of two lines passing through the occlusal surface of the mandibular cheek teeth and at the midpoint of the zygomatic process of the temporal bone. Significant differences were not observed between the right and left mandibles. Successful deposition of the contrast medium near the MF was observed in all examined specimens. This study reports a new, simple approach to reaching the IAN at the MF. However, further clinical validation of the proposed technique is required.

Diagnosis and Surgical correction of salivary affections in buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis); a retrospective study

AIM

This study aimed to describe the diagnosis and treatment of various surgical salivary affections in buffaloes.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This study included 135 buffaloes examined at Dakahlia Governorate between 2011 and 2022 suffering from various surgical salivary affections. The recorded surgical affections had salivary fistula (n = 44), ectasia of Stenson's duct (n = 11), ranula/mucocele (n = 46), and cervical sialocele (n = 34). The buffaloes were sedated using an intramuscular injection of xylazine (0.05 mg/kg) and local infiltration analgesia of lidocaine for specific surgical interventions.

RESULTS

The salivary duct fistula cases were surgically corrected using a retrograde infusion of povidone-iodine into the duct and its double ligation with Prolene following fistulectomy. Intraoral marsupialization was done in buffaloes suffering from ectasia of the parotid duct. The mucocele /ranula was surgically incised with daily flushing with povidone-iodine. The cervical sialocele was treated by giving an elliptical excision on the sialocele, and sialoadenectomy of the mandibular salivary gland was performed to facilitate dynamic fluid/saliva drainage. A 92.5% of diseased buffaloes showed an uneventful recovery without any postoperative complications after the first treatment, whereas 7.5% of animals tended to recur. The most common and almost equally distributed salivary affections recorded in adult buffaloes were parotid duct fistula, mucocele, and cervical sialocele. The Stenson's duct ectasia was commonly registered in calves, being congenital.

CONCLUSION

Ranula was the most common salivary affection encountered in adult buffaloes, closely followed by parotid duct fistulae and cervical sialoceles. Stenson's duct ectasia was the least encountered salivary affection in calves and was congenital. All salivary affections were corrected easily and safely, with satisfactory outcomes.

Biostimulation effect of platelet-rich fibrin augmented with decellularized bovine pericardium on full-thickness cutaneous wound healing in Donkeys (Equus asinus)

AIM

The current research aimed to evaluate the potential effect of adding platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) to the decellularized bovine pericardium (DBP) on the distal limb of donkeys' full-thickness cutaneous wounds healing (Equus asinus).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Healthy male donkeys (n = 12) were used in this study. Under general anesthesia, 6 cm2 full-thickness incisions were made on the middle dorsolateral surface of both forelimbs' metacarpi. The left forelimbs were control wounds, while the right wounds were treated with PRF/DBP. Control wounds were bandaged with a standard dressing after saline irrigation and were evaluated at days 4, 7, 10, 13, 16, 19, 22, 25, and 28 post-wounding. PRF/DBP-treated wounds were dressed with a combination of PRF/DBP at the first, second, and third weeks post-wounding. Clinical and histopathological examinations of the wounds were performed to assess the healing process. Additionally, the immunohistochemical evaluation and gene expression profiles of myofibroblastic and angiogenic genes (transforming growth factor-β1, vascular endothelial growth factor-A, fibroblast growth factor 7 (FGF-7), and collagen type 3α1) were analyzed.

RESULTS

PRF/DBP wounds had a significantly faster healing process (61.3 ± 2.6 days) than control wounds (90.3 ± 1.4 days) (p < 0.05). The immunohistochemical examination and gene expression profile revealed significant enrichment in PRF/DBP wounds compared to control wounds.

CONCLUSION

PRF/DBP dressing can be considered a natural and cost-effective biomaterial for enhancing the recovery of donkeys' distal limb injuries.

Acellular bovine pericardium as a biological dressing for treatment of cutaneous wounds of the distal limb in donkeys (Equus Asinus)

This research was performed to determine the impact of repeated topical dressing with acellular bovine pericardium (ABP) on healing distal limb wounds in donkeys. Twelve male clinically healthy donkeys were subjected to general anesthesia, and full-thickness wounds of six cm2 (2 × 3 cm) were created on the middle dorsolateral surface of the metacarpi. Two defects were made on each donkey’s forelimbs; the right limb was considered a control wound, and the left one was considered a treated wound. Moreover, the control wounds were irrigated with saline every three days postoperatively and bandaged with a standard dressing. The treated wounds were covered with ABP dressings. The ABP dressing was reapplied thrice at 7-, 14- and 21-days post-wound induction. In addition, the wound healing process was monitored clinically, histopathologically, and immunohistochemically of tissue as growth factor-β1, epidermal growth factor receptor, and vascular endothelial growth factor. Besides, the gene expression profile of angiogenic and myofibroblastic genes was applied as vascular endothelial growth factor-A, collagen type 3α1, fibroblast growth factor 7, and the transforming growth factor-β1.

The results revealed that the wounds treated with ABP healed more quickly than the control wounds. Additionally, the mean days required for healing were significantly shorter in the ABP-treated wounds (p < 0.05; 69.5 ± 1.6) compared to control wounds (86.3 ± 3). Furthermore, immunohistochemical and gene expression analyses were significantly improved in ABP wounds than in control wounds. In conclusion, ABP is considered a natural biomaterial and promotes the healing of distal limb wounds in donkeys if applied weekly during the first three-week post-wound induction.

Evaluation of the in vitro and in vivo inhibitory effects of Artemisia herba-alba against the growth of piroplasm parasites

Objective:

The effect of Artemisia herba-alba methanolic extract monotherapy and combination therapies on the in vitro growth of several Babesia and Theileria parasites in vitro and mice was investigated in this study.

Materials and Methods:

Fluorescence assay using SYBR Green I stain was used to evaluate the antibabesial efficacy inhibitory of A. herba-alba either in vitro or in vivo. Hematological parameters in the treated mice were analyzed using a Celltac MEK-6450 computerized hematology analyzer.

Results:

Artemisia herba-alba reduced the growth of Babesia bovis, Babesia bigemina, Babesia divergens, Theileria equi, and Babesia caballi in vitro in a dose-dependent manner. The in vitro inhibitory impact of A. herba-alba on B. divergens and B. caballi cultures was amplified when combined with either diminazene aceturate (DA). In B. microti-infected mice, a combination therapy consisting of A. herba-alba and a low DA dose inhibited B. microti growth significantly (p < 0.05) better than treatment with 25 mg kg⁻¹ DA.

Conclusions:

These data show that A. herba-alba, when paired with a modest DA dose, could be a promising medicinal plant for babesiosis treatment.

Dose-dependent effect of romifidine on intraocular pressure in clinically healthy buffalo (Bubalus bubalis)

In the present study, changes in intraocular pressure (IOP) associated with romifidine sedation in buffalo were evaluated. Eighteen healthy adult, non-pregnant, buffalo without ocular abnormalities were used in a prospective randomized trial. Buffalo were allocated into three groups (six each). Buffalo in the treated groups received an intramuscular injection (IM) of romifidine at 40 or 50 μg/kg. The control group was administrated an equivalent volume of sterile saline (0.9% NaCl; 0.4 ml/100 kg). Baseline IOP (T0) values were obtained using applanation tonometry. Immediately afterwards, romifidine was administered and IOP values of both eyes were measured at 5, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, and 180 min post-administration. The pre-administration values (T0) of IOP for both the left and right eyes ranged from 30-36 (mean, 33 ± 1.5) mmHg and 30–35 (mean, 33.7 ± 1.4), respectively. IOP values decreased significantly after administration of both doses of romifidine compared with the placebo (P < 0.01). Compared with the control, the IOP decreased significantly in animals treated with both doses from 5-90 min post-administration in both eyes (P < 0.05). In the right eye, the lowest IOP value in the romifidine treated groups was observed at T30 (21.6 ± 1.0 and 23.3 ± 1.4 mmHg), respectively. In the left eye, the lowest IOP was observed at T60 (22.5 ± 3.0 and 23.3 ± 2.8 mmHg), respectively. In conclusion, romifidine could be recommended as an alternative analgesic in buffalo, especially for ocular affections associated with increased IOP. A dose of 40 μg/kg could be used at a low cost.

Enhancement of abdominal wall defect repair using allogenic platelet-rich plasma with commercial polyester/cotton fabric (Damour) in a canine model

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has an important role in musculoskeletal surgery; however, it has been underutilized for accelerating the healing of abdominal wall defects in veterinary practice. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the use of commercial polyester/cotton fabric (Damour) as a new composite mesh for the repair of experimentally induced abdominal wall defects in canine models, and to investigate the possible role of PRP for improving such repair and reducing allied complications. For this purpose, abdominal wall defects were created in 24 healthy mongrel dogs and then repaired with mesh alone (control group) or mesh and allogenic PRP (PRP group). Dogs were euthanized after 2 or 4 months for gross examination of implantation site, detection of adhesion score and hernia recurrence. Moreover, tissue samples were collected for histological and gene expression analyses for neovascularization, collagen formation and tissue incorporation. Hernia recurrence was not recorded in PRP-treated dogs that also displayed significantly more neovascularization and less severe adhesion to the underlings (1.08 ± 0.51) in comparison to control group (2.08 ± 0.99). Histological and molecular evaluation confirmed the gross findings that collagen deposition, new vessel formation, and overexpression of angiogenic and myofibroplastic genes (COL1α1, COL3α1, VEGF and TGFβ1) were observed more frequently in the PRP group, at both time points. In conclusion, we found that addition of allogenic PRP to Damour mesh enhanced neovessel formation, and increased tissue deposition and incorporation, with subsequent reduction of peritoneal adhesion and recurrence rate.

Utility of ultrasonography for diagnosis of superficial swellings in buffalo (Bubalus bubalis)

We studied 72 buffalo with superficial swellings in the head (n=4), neck (n=5), chest wall (n=4), abdominal wall (n=28), limbs (n=16), gluteal region (n=8), perineal region (n=6) and udder (n=1). Ultrasonographically, the swellings varied according to type, duration, content and location. The clinical use of ultrasound to assess these superficial swellings allowed diagnosis of abscesses (n=21), hematomas (n=11), hernias (n=17), bursitis (n=13), urethral diverticula (n=6) and tumors (n=4). Ultrasonography could precisely discriminate each lesion type (sensitivity, 71-100%; specificity, 75-100%; odds ratio, 1.0-8.4; Confidence Interval, 74.2-20; and P value 0.001). The specificity for ultrasonographic evaluation of superficial swellings was 100% for hernias, urethral diverticula and tumors, whilst the lowest specificity was recorded for hematomas (75%) and abscesses (92%). In conclusion, ultrasonography provides a precise, non-invasive and fast technique for the evaluation, classification and subsequent treatment of a variety of superficial swellings in buffalo.

Prosthetics and Techniques in Repair of Animal's Abdominal Wall

The management of abdominal wall repair continues to present a challenging problem, especially in the repair of major defects. Many abdominal wall defects can be repaired by primary closure; however, if the defect is large and there is a tension on the closure of the wound, the use of prosthetic materials becomes indispensable. Many studies have been performed with various materials and implant techniques, without the comparison of their degrees of success, based on sound meta-analysis and/or inclusive epidemiologic studies. This review covered the effectiveness of recent advances in prosthetic materials and implant procedures used in repair of abdominal wall, based on biomechanical properties and economic aspects of reconstructed large abdominal wall defects and hernias in animals. The presented results in this review helped to reach treatment algorithms that could maximize outcomes and minimize morbidity.