PURPOSE The authors studied retinal gene expression changes in rats after experimental intraocular pressure elevation and optic nerve transection to elucidate molecular mechanisms of retinal ganglion cell (RGC) death. METHODS Translimbal laser photocoagulation was used to induce unilateral IOP elevation in 41 albino Wistar rats. In 38 additional animals, unilateral transection of the optic ne...

To test the hypothesis that baroreceptor reflexes are involved in the reduced nociceptive responses associated with hypertension, the effects of acute intravenous doses of serotonin (0.75-144 micrograms/kg) on inhibition of the tail-flick reflex, blood pressure, and heart rate were examined in lightly pentobarbital-anesthetized Sprague-Dawley, Wistar-Kyoto, and spontaneously hypertensive rats b...

OBJECTIVES In monoamniotic twin pregnancies discordant for fetal anomaly, parents may opt for selective feticide. However, the normal co-twin remains at risk of sudden demise from cord entanglement. We report on three cases of successful selective feticide by cord occlusion combined with cord transection. METHODS We describe technical details and outcome of three monoamniotic twin pregnancies...

BACKGROUND Blood loss and the requirement of blood transfusions during liver transection have been shown to correlate well with higher morbidity and mortality rates and a worse prognosis. Various devices for liver parenchymal transection have been developed to reduce intraoperative blood loss. The goal of this study is to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of BiClamp® forcep transection comp...

We tested the hypothesis that after skeletal muscle regeneration in old compared with young rats damage to the motor nerve rather than damage to muscle fibers determines the magnitude of the deficits in muscle mass and maximum force (Po). The mass and Po of extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscles of young (4 months) and old (24 months) male rats were compared two months following (i) Marcaine t...

An effort was made to corroborate earlier reports that the central nervous system rostral to a functionally complete transection of the human spinal cord remains responsive to noxious stimulation of sites below the level of the transection. Nine patients were studied who had sustained a functionally complete transection of the thoracic spinal cord between T5 and T11 spinal segments. Noxious ele...

Medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) transection enhances social interaction in an open arena test. Social interaction enhances dopaminergic activity in the nucleus accumbens (NAC). In the present set of experiments, microdialysis probes were implanted in the NAC, and glutamate, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and dopamine (DA) were measured during electrical stimulation of the MPFC, after coronal tr...

Through producing a variety of cytotoxic factors upon activation, microglia are believed to participate in the mediation of neurodegeneration. Intervention against microglial activation may therefore exert a neuroprotective effect. Our previous study has shown that the electro-acupuncture (EA) stimulation at 100 Hz can protect axotomized dopaminergic neurons from degeneration. To explore the un...

OBJECTIVES To describe the natural evolution of recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) reinnervation in an animal model. STUDY DESIGN Twenty Sprague Dawley rats underwent unilateral RLN transection and anastomosis. Animals were sacrificed at 4, 8, 12, 16, and 20 weeks. Prior to sacrifice, each rat underwent electromyography (EMG) and visual grading of vocal fold motion. Bilateral RLNs were harvested...

BACKGROUND Prior studies have compared the effect of spinal cord injury elicited using distinct approaches on motor and visceral function. However, the impact of such discrete modes of injury specifically on bladder muscle contractility has not been explored in detail. The goal of this study is to compare the impact of complete spinal cord transection versus clip compression at thoracic vertebr...