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Regarding the studied species, the literature has shown a variety of topographic, origin and distribution differences of the arterial supply compared to mammals, although they are not fully identified. The aim of this article is the macroscopical study of the arterial supply of the digestive tract of Gallus domesticus. The biological material was represented by 12 adult chicken bodies with an average weight of 2 kg. After procurement of the biological material, the feathers, skin, muscles and sternum were removed for easy access to the heart. After left ventricular cannulation, epoxy resin mixed with red dye was injected. The body was immersed in 5% formaldehyde for 24 hours. Next, stratigraphic dissection was performed. The celiac artery erupted from the right face of the descending aorta, on a level with the junction of the esophagus and the proventriculus. It gave off the Aa. esophageales, A. proventricularis dorsalis, then bifurcated into left and right branches. The left branch of the celiac artery gave off A. proventricularis ventralis and A. gastrica ventralis then continued with the A. gastrica sinistra.

Fragments of the common carotid arteries were collected from 8 goats that had succumbed to accidents. These samples underwent histological processing, involving fixation and embedding in paraffin. Sections, 5 µ in thickness, were then stained using the Trichrome Goldner method for overall assessment and Verhoeff staining for elastic tissue analysis. Upon using Trichrome Goldner staining, it was observed that goat carotid arteries exhibited a typical appearance of muscular arteries, with the thickest layer being the media, primarily composed of muscular components. Verhoeff staining further revealed a well-represented elastic tissue presence within the adventitia, exhibiting a distinct arrangement. Both staining methods indicated that goat common carotid arteries possess tunics comparable in thickness to muscular arteries, with a predominantly muscular media. However, the adventitia was notably distinguished by a significantly higher concentration of elastic tissue compared to typical muscular arteries. Consequently, with these findings, we propose classifying goat common carotid arteries as musculoelastic transitional arteries.

The presence of muscle islands in the tunica media of elastic arteries has been reported in both large and small ruminants. According to some authors, these islands can have a certain influence on the physical-mechanical properties and the pattern of diseases in the aortic wall. The aim of the current study was to highlight the muscle islands and their distribution throughout the aortic segments in the goat and to understand the reason why they are present only in certain species of animals, including the goat. Gross anatomical dissection of the aorta was performed and samples from the following segments were harvested for histological investigations: ascending aorta, aortic arch, descending thoracic aorta and descending abdominal aorta. The muscle islands in the wall of the aortic segments are formed by smooth muscle cells interconnected with connective tissue and are preferentially vascularized by vasa vasorum and innervated by nervi vasorum. The aorta in the goat presents polymorphic muscle islands, arranged in the outer two thirds of the tunica media in the ascending aorta, the outer half at the level of the aortic arch and the descending thoracic aorta, but they are absent in the descending abdominal aorta. Their presence completes the windkessel function of the aortic wall, thus constituting an additional pump necessary to propel the blood towards the abdominal viscera, which in goats, in addition to those present in monogastrics, also contain three large and very active organs, namely the rumen, the reticulum and the omasum.

The rat is the most widely used experimental model in surgical research due to several factors, including that it is easy to handle and inexpensive. It can be used in investigations related to liver regeneration, liver metastases, or transplant immunology. This study highlights the venous components of the hepatic circulation in the Wistar rat by intravascular injection of a polymer that allows the assessment of the distribution of vessels, regardless of their caliber. Five cadavers of 11-month-old male Wistar rats from the USAMV Cluj-Napoca biobase destined for incineration, were used to highlight the liver venous system. A dye mixture, consisting of epoxy resin-catalyst-blue acrylic dye in a 2:1:1 ratio, was injected. After 24 hours, biological tissues were macerated by immersion in 10% KOH solution for five days. The intrahepatic venous system is represented by the venous branches that continue into the liver lobes. Those vessels follow a parallel trajectory with the hepatic artery branches represented by the right and left ramifications. The right portal vein presents branches to the lateral and medial parts of the right lobe of the liver and the caudate lobe. The left branch of the portal vein has ramificationsfor the lateral and medial parts of the left lobe and the quadrate lobe. The technique of injecting the venous circulation of the liver, followed by tissue maceration, allowed the removal by anatomical dissection of all liver components that permits the identification of all components of the venous system, including the finest venous branches of the hepatic circulation.

Birds of prey are at the top of the food chain and play an essential role in controlling populations of birds and rodents that are harmful to habitat. This study was conducted on 11 bird carcasses, 5 Falco tunniculus carcasses and 6 Tyto alba carcasses, donated by the UBB Zoological Museum of Academic Cultural Heritage, in order to examine the gross anatomical structures of the digestive system and to highlight the anatomical differences in both carnivorous species. Dissections were conducted at the Department of Comparative Anatomy at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in Cluj-Napoca, according to an established protocol. The beak is short and slightly curved in both species studied, the tomial tooth being highlighted in Falco tunniculus. Conical papillae and salivary duct openings are more numerous in both species. The oropharyngeal cavity has lateral longitudinal folds of the tongue and glottis, with a distensible esophagus along its whole length in Tyto alba. Falco tunniculus, however, has ingluvium and a less distensible oesophagus. The stomach is undeveloped in both species, with the appearance of an elongated pear, and the small intestine varies in length, shorter in Falco tunniculus than in Tyto alba, but in both species it is arranged in several loops with the help of the mesenterium. The cecum is different, poorly developed, vestigial type in Falco tunniculus, and well developed, with two elongated caecal protrusions in Tyto alba. The digestive system is characteristic of carnivorous species and is a reflection of how it has adapted to feeding behavior.

The knowledge of normal microscopical peculiarities of the digestive system in mammals is essential, but information regarding certain structures is still scarce in numerous species. Our study aims to highlight the normal morphological features of the cardia region in domestic rabbits, as regards the overall appearance, structure, and dimensions of the gastric pits, including a description of the cells located in gastric glands. The cardia region of five domestic rabbits underwent tissue sampling, followed by fixation in 10% buffered formalin, paraffin embedding, and later sectioned at 5 µm in thickness. Eventually, the samples were stained by Goldner’s trichrome method. The microscopical examination has revealed the presence of gastric pits and glands in the entire cardia region of the rabbit, with a different morphological appearance from one zone to another. Gastric pits have the smallest depth immediately after the oesophagogastric junction, which gradually increases and decreases afterwards as it approaches the fundic zone. The gastric glands contain basically four cell types in various proportions, including serous cells, mucous cells, parietal cells, and chief cells. Other peculiarities of the gastric mucosa in the cardia region in rabbits include a thick mucosa with a loose and prominent lamina propria, and an ill-defined muscularis mucosae that is not organized in distinct layers as in other species. The detailed microanatomical structure of the cardia region of the stomach is necessary for understanding the digestion processes in rabbits, species used as a model in diverse fields of research including the pathology of the digestive system.

Animal stress is a current topic intensely addressed. The general adaptation syndrome, following short exposure to stressors with low or medium intensity, has a positive effect, inducing eustress and improving adaptive capacity. Exposure to strong stressors or over a long period of time has the effect of inducing distress. The aim was to evaluate the stressful effect they have on horses, the specific activities of equine-assisted therapy, in the case of children with autism spectrum disorders. Were used 10 riding horses (8 females and 2 males), of purebred English breed, divided into 2 groups, aged between 4-8 years. The animals had the same maintenance conditions and lifestyle. Samples were taken from the jugular vein in 5 ml heparinized tubes. The parameters were determined using a ProCyte Dx Hematology Analyzer. The data obtained were statistically analyzed, calculating the Mean and Standard Deviation (Microsoft Excel). The results show that the specific activities of equine-assisted therapy do not have a stressful effect on the pathways used. These activities were less stressful than regular recreational riding activities in a riding school, subjecting the animal to less intense physical exertion than daily activities.

Pigs are some of the most widely used experimental models, an advantage being the characteristics of homeostasis and many morphological features comparable to those in humans. For this reason, we addressed this topic in this paper, with the major objective of completing the data and even identifying some features not described in the literature. The present study was performed on 20 pig carcasses, with different weights and ages (2-4 months). The aim was to highlight some peculiarities regarding the coronary artery system in this species, using as a method the injection of vessels with contrasting plastic material. The collaterals and terminals of the coronary arteries, their distribution territories as well as the identified individual variants were described. As a general conclusion, regardless of the polymorphism in all dissected cases, the left coronary artery was the dominant artery, there being no exception from the data known in the literature.

Mucin plays a very important role in the physiological function of the stomach in all species, but the representation of mucin-secreting cells differs from species to species. The aim of this study was to highlight these cells in the stomach of the Wistar rat. For histological investigations, fragments of the stomach from the three main regions (cardiac, fundic and pyloric) were harvested from four Wistar rats and further stained with PAS and Alcian blue methods. The histochemical results showed the presence of mucin-secreting cells in the examined tissues. An intense PAS positive reaction was found in the surface epithelium cells of the gastric mucosa and in the cells lining the gastric crypts in all the three segments. In the deep glandular structures, the cells of the cardiac and fundic glands are PAS negative, while those of the pyloric glands are all PAS positive. For Alcian blue reaction, the cells lining the gastric mucosa and the crypts in the three regions of the stomach were negative. In the glands, the cells of the cardiac and fundic glands were Alcian negative while in the pyloric glands, a limited number of cells arranged in the deep third of the glands showed a weak positive Alcian reaction. In conclusion, the vast majority of glandular cells in the rat's stomach do not synthesize acidic mucins, except for cells in the deep part of the pyloric glands, which synthesize small amounts of such mucins.

In this study, the caecum of five guinea pigs was anatomically, histologically, and histochemically analyzed. From an anatomical point of view, it has been proved that the caecum in guinea pigs occupies the caudal segment of the abdominal cavity and consists of three parts: the ampullary portion, the body of the caecum, and the apex of the caecum, without a caecal appendix. In our histological analysis, we observed that the caecum has a simple structure, and the cecal mucosal glands are rare and contain, in addition to enterocytes, a small number of goblet cells, which are better represented in the deep part of the glands. Histochemically it has been observed that goblet cells are PAS and Alcian blue positive, which shows that they secrete both neutral and acidic mucins. The intensity of these two histochemical reactions is similar to that of goblet cells from other intestinal segments, proving that they are typical goblet cells. The large volume of the caecum suggests that this is an important section for the digestion process, although the relatively simple structure of the caecal mucosa suggests that the digestion here is not preponderant, but only complements the intestinal one.

Hepatocytes represent the majority of the liver cell population and are arranged in the form of cords placed in intimate contact with the sinusoidal capillaries. The functional complexity corroborated with the intensity of the activity of hepatocytes requires large amounts of energy. The organelles involved in the production of chemical energy used in the activity of hepatocytes are the mitochondria. The purpose of this study was to verify the mitochondrial load of hepatocytes in all areas of the classical hepatic lobules, in order to indirectly assess the intensity of hepatocyte activity in each area. Materials and Methods Five fresh corpses of chinchilla (Chinchilla lanigera) from an independent breeder from Bistrița-Năsăud county were used. Liver fragments were harvested and fixated in Kolster’s solution for 24 hours, stained with Heidenhain ferric hematoxylin, and assessed using Olympus BX41 microscope. Fixation with Kolster's solution and the staining with Heidenhain's iron hematoxylin clearly shows the hepatocytic mitochondria in shades from gray to black. The liver lobules displayed an uneven distribution of mitochondria depending on the area. In zone 1 of the classical hepatic lobule, the degree of loading of hepatocytes with mitochondria is larger than in zone 2 and much larger than in zone 3. Morphological features of the hepatocytes, including the number and distribution of mitochondria in the hepatic lobules, should improve the understanding of the physiology and pathology of the liver.

The domestic rabbit is often preferred as an experimental model in diverse research and especially those regarding pathologies of the oral cavity, both in human and veterinary medicine. From five domestic mixed breed rabbits, fragments were harvested from the three regions of the tongue: apex, body and root, for histological investigations. The samples were processed by embedding in paraffin, sectioned at a thickness of 5 µm and stained with Goldner’s trichrome method. The histological examination highlighted the presence of the filiform papillae on the entire dorsal surface of the tongue, with morphological particular carachteristics for each portion. The dimension of the filiform papillae of the rabbit’s tongue differs both regarding the length as well as the thickness and density. The shortest filiform papillae were found on the tip of the tongue, then the length increases progressively, reaching the maximum level on the middle portion and decreases in the last portion. The density also differs, in in the three compartments examined, being the highest in the anterior part and the lowest in the posterior part. The thickness of the filiform papillae is inversely proportional to their density. The thickness of the papillae is smaller where the density is higher and highest where the density is lowest. The upper surface of the filiform papillae is variably keratinized depending on the lingual segment. The papillae with the highest level of keratinization are arranged in the body part of the tongue, and those at the tip and root are slightly lower.

The biologic material used in this study is represented by 6 rabbits, 3 males and 3 females, aged 11 months and having an average weight of 4 kg. After general anaesthesia was performed, 2 mm diameter titanium implants were surgically inserted in the femur. Postoperative care of the animals included daily observation. After 4 weeks the animals were euthanized according to the guidelines. The femurs were collected along with the implants and processed for histological examination. The samples were placed in Stieve mixture for fixation, dehydrated with ethylic alcohol, clarified with 1-Butanol, and followed by paraffin embedding. 5 micrometers sections were cut using a microtome, and then stained using the Goldner trichrome staining method and were examined using an Olympus BX41 microscope with an attached digital camera for image capturing. In all animals, the implant was well tolerated by the bone and soft tissue implantation bed. The osteointegration process took place through bone formation around the implant, with variations in thickness and structure throughout the bone-implant interface. Except for the accelerated speed of osteointegration steps, observed in males, the osteointegration process follows certain stages and no gender related differences. The rapid progress of osteointegration in males resulted in a faster process in this gender compared to females. This aspect is clinically relevant for the appropriate evaluation of waiting periods from implant placement to prosthetic mounting, which according to this study is different in males and females.

The electrocardiogram (ECG) is a graphical recording of the cardiac electric activity during cardiac revolutions. This bio-current triggers and maintains the mechanical activity of the heart. Within this research, the amplitudes values of the electrocardiographic waves were determined in 6 leads: I, II, III, aVL, aVR and aVF. Thus, some electrocardiograms were recorded using limb lead in clinically healthy kids, aged 1 month, 3 months and 5 months, in order to achieve the proposed objectives. Then, the statistical analysis of the obtained results was performed using t (student) test. As a consequence of the interpretation of the obtained results, it was noticed that the limb leads can be used successfully for recording the electrocardiogram in kids because it provides an easy aspect to interpret. The highest amplitude of the electrocardiographic waves is recorded in I lead, in the case of the 1 month old kids (having the following values: 0.115 mV ± 0.010 for P wave; 0.625 mV ± 0.078 for QRS complex; 0.460 mV ± 0.045 for T wave) and in II lead (having the following values for the 3 months old kids: 0.071 mV ± 0.015 for P wave; 0.540 mV ± 0.064 for QRS complex; 0.310 mV ± 0.052 for T wave and having the following values for the 5 months old kids: 0.071 mV ± 0.015 for P wave; 0.455 mV ± 0.028 for QRS complex; 0.430 mV ± 0.026 for T wave). It also found that the lowest amplitude of electrocardiographic waves is recorded in the aVF lead, but this lead cannot be used for ECG recording in kids.

Stomach fragments from 3 guinea pigs were collected from the three regions: cardiac, fundic and pyloric, for histochemical investigations. The anatomical segments were processed by the classical method of inclusion in paraffin and the histological sections were stained with PAS reaction for highlighting the neutral mucins and the Alcian blue method for acid mucins. All the surface cells of the gastric mucosa and in the crypts were positive on the PAS reaction and negative in the case of the alcian blue reaction. This demonstrates that cells on the surface and in the crypts synthetize neutral mucins. In the case of the cardiac region glands, only a small number of cells were positive on the two histochemical reactions, which shows that the cardiac glands in guinea pig synthesize a very small amount of neutral and acidic mucins. There are no positive cells in neither reaction used in the fundic glands case, which shows that these glands do not synthesize mucins, neither neutral nor acidic content. The glands located in the pyloric region have cells in the deep half of the wall which were positive on both histochemical reactions, which shows that they synthesize both neutral mucins and acidic mucins.

This study aimed to obtain as much and as accurate information as possible about the process of osseointegration of titanium implants, through histological processing. For this purpose, the combination of a mercury chloride fixator (Stieve mixture) and a complex staining method (Goldner’s trichrome) was used, which can highlight the microscopic structures in several colors and shades. The Stieve mixture proved to have distinguished qualities both in the preservation of basophilic and acidophilic structures and especially in the chemical preparation of the substrate for the binding of each structural component with a specific acidophilic dye. On the substrate thus prepared, the acidophilic dyes used in the Goldner’s trichrome staining highlighted the structural components in different colors and shades, offering the possibility of high precision assessment of the newly proliferated bone, in different stages of proliferation, consolidation and reshaping. Complex information was obtained, which allows the appreciation of osseointegration for endosseous implants and the amount of proliferated bone at the bone-implant interface, the stage of proliferation, consolidation and reshaping of the mature bone, the degree of fixation to deep bone structures. The possibility of complex assessment of the osseointegration process for endosseous implants at a given time is of great practical importance for correct assessment of the waiting time required for safe installation of prosthesis. The combination of Stieve fixator mixture with Goldner’s trichrome staining method has proven to be very effective in histology, highlighting on excellent level the existing structural components of each stage, in which the osseointegration process goes through. A very important role in this combination was achieved by mercury chloride mixture, which prepared the substrate for specific reaction with dyes. Regarding the results obtained, we recommend this combination for histological investigations aimed on bone proliferation and repair.

In birds, in contrast to mammals, two brachiocephalic trunks are the origin in the arch of aorta and give rise to the subclavian arteries and common carotid. The aim of this study was to investigate the vascular branching morphology of the aortic arch in Gallus Domesticus with the purpose of providing accurate data with regards to the arterial supply of these segments to researchers and clinicians. The biological material was represented by 10 adult chicken bodies with an average weight of 2 kg, females. After procurement of the biological material, the feathers, skin, muscles and sternum were removed for easy access to the heart. After left ventricular cannulation, epoxy resin mixed with red dye was injected. The body was immersed in 5% formaldehyde for 24 hours. Next, stratigraphic dissection was performed. Two brachiocephalic trunks branched continually from aortic arch caudoventral to the primary bronchi. The left subclavian artery gave rise to sternoclavicular, thoracic, axillary and intercostal and the same was observed to the right side. Due to this method we could observe the aortic arch of Gallus Domesticus being different from mammals in that the left and right brachiocephalic trunks are detached from it.

Cadmium’s mechanism of toxicity is manifested by its fixation in mitochondria, inhibition of cellular respiration and oxidative phosphorylation. Vitamin E could act as a protective factor against the harmful effect of Cadmium intoxication. The experimental animals were randomly allocated into 3 experimental groups of 6 rats. The collected blood samples were used to determine hematocrit, hemoglobin concentration, blood erythrocyte count and leukocyte count. The following derived red blood cell parameters were calculated in parallel according to the standard methodology. Between groups 1 and 2 there are no significant differences, a sign that vitamin E exerts an effective protective role. We found a significant increase in the white blood cell count and the neutrophil count in group 3 compared to group 1. Between groups 1 and 2 there are no significant differences, a sign that vitamin E has annihilated the cadmium-induced specific effect. In the case of cadmium poisoned rats, we found a decrease in the number of red blood cells, the hematocrit and the hemoglobin level, but also a significant increase in the number of white blood cells. If rats were treated with cadmium and vitamin E, there were not significant differences from the control group.

Since their discovery, Brunner’s glands have been an attractive subject of research. The study aimed to investigate the structure, the topography, and the degree of development of the Brunner’s glands in chinchillas through light microscopy. Transversal fragments from the duodenum of 5 chinchilla males were histologically processed by classical paraffin technique. Brunner glands are much more developed and proportionally, they occupy at least three times more space than the Lieberkuhn glands. In many places, Brunner glands are clustered, suggesting that more than one such gland spills its secretion product through a common Lieberkuhn gland in the space between villi. We can affirm that Brunner glands, after their disposition, appearance and absence of distinct muscularis mucosae, are disposed into the thickness of the mucosa and submucosa in chinchilla (together with the Lieberkuhn glands) and not strictly in the submucosa as in other mammals.

The aim of this study is the detailed description of the esophageal microscopic structure in guinea pigs. Fragments from the cervical, thoracic and abdominal segments of the esophagus were processed for classical paraffin embedding and the sections were stained by hematoxylin-eosin and Goldner’s trichrome methods. The esophagus in guinea pigs is lined by keratinized stratified squamous epithelium and there are no glands in the lamina propria and the submucosa. The muscularis mucosae is formed by smooth muscle cells disposed longitudinally. The muscularis externa is formed by striated muscle cells disposed on 3 layers in the first 2 thirds of the esophagus, while in some regions of the abdominal segment’s circumference, the cells form 4 layers.

The mammalian tongue plays a fundamental role in various physiological and behavioral activities. Significant morphological variations have been recorded in the tongue of several species. This study aims to obtain detailed histological and morphometric information about the filiform papillae on the surface of rat tongue. The tongues of five 10-month-old Wistar rats were utilized, which were later examined with a stereo-microscope. Fragments from the three regions of the tongue were collected for histological investigations. The tongue of the Wistar rat has an intensely keratinized stratified squamous epithelium, with the highest degree of keratinized epithelium covering the filiform papillae. The filiform papillae differ in density, with the highest density recorded on the posterior part of the lingual body and the lowest density on the protuberance. The shortest filiform papillae were observed on the apex of the tongue and the tallest on the anterior part of the lingual body. Interestingly, the orientation of the filiform papillae on the lingual protuberance was inclined posteroanteriorly, in the opposite way as compared to the papillae from all the other regions of the tongue. Histologically, a difference was recorded in the structure of the covering epithelium of the anterior vs. the posterior face of the filiform papillae.

The present study deals with the craniometrical investigation carried on 4 dog crania originating from archaeological diggings dated from Bronze Age in Pecica-„Șanțul Mare”(Arad County) and Sântion (Bihor County). In order to determine the typology of the crania, the classical osteometrical methods were applied, with several cranian point measurements. The cranial, the cranian and facial indices helped us in the morphometrical characterisation of the canid skulls studied. Our results show the prevalence of the mesocephalic individuals in Pecica-„Șanțul Mare” and Sântion.

The present paper deals with the identification and interpretation of the archeozoological material harvested from the archaeological campaign in 2008 under the supervision of specialists from the National History Museum Alba-Iulia in the area of the Olympic Swimming Pool. The Iron Age settlement (pit no 401) revealed the existence of a grave of a horse, buried along a series of artefacts.The material presented was in a very poor state of conservation, allowing, in most cases, only partial measurements. Most of the material belonged to one single horse (Equus caballus) which was evaluated from an anatomical perspective and an osteometrical as well. According to the concluded data, the bones belonged to a young individual, no more than 3-3.5 years old, with an average height calculated, based on the measured long bones, of 139 cm.

In this study we have used 10 carcasses of chinchilla females slaughtered by the owner for commercial purposes. The studied animals have been subjected to an antemortem exam in which the semiological constants like: temperature; breats per minute and pulse were recorded. After the examination the subjects were declared clinically healthy. After skinning 30 ml coloring agent was injected intraluminally and dissection of the cranial mesenteric artery was performed. The first collateral branch of this vessel was the caudal pancreatico-duodenal artery (Arteria pancreaticoduodenalis caudalis), followed by 4-5 jejunal arteries (Arteriae jejunales). The cranial mesenteric artery gives off the dorsal cecal artery (Arteria cecalis dorsalis) as one of terminal branches to supply the haustrated part of cecum, the medial cecal artery (Arteria cecalis media) distributed to the tubular part of cecum (second terminal) and ileocolic artery (Arteria ileocolica)(the third terminal). To the best of our knowledge, our results brings significant information about the blood supply of intestines in chinchilla, that could be a real help for clinicians and researchers studying this topic.

Abstract Background Angiostrongylus vasorum is the causative agent of canine angiostrongylosis, a severe snail-borne disease of dogs. Red foxes are important natural reservoirs of infection, and surveys of foxes provide a more objective picture of the parasite distribution. Our aim was to investigate the possibility of the presence of A. vasorum in red foxes from the western part of Romania and to analyse the risk factors related to the sex, age and geographic origin of the foxes. Between July 2016 and April 2017, 567 hunted red foxes from 10 counties of western Romania were examined by necropsy for the presence of lungworms. Results Overall, the infection with A. vasorum has been found in 24 red foxes (4.2%) originating in four counties (Mureș, Hunedoara, Sălaj and Cluj). There was no significant difference between the prevalence in males and females, between juveniles and adults and between counties. Conclusions This is the first report of autochthonous infections of A. vasorum in Romania, showing a relatively low prevalence and extending eastwards the known distributional range of this parasite in Europe. The presence of autochthonous cases in domestic dogs in Romania remains to be confirmed by further studies.

The status of sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) is decisive in staging, prognosis, and therapeutic approach. Using an ultrasonographic examination algorithm composed of B-mode, Doppler technique, contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) and elastography, this study aimed to determine the diagnostic performance of the four techniques compared to histopathological examination. 96 SLNs belonging to 71 female dogs with mammary gland carcinomas were examined. After examinations, mastectomy and lymphadenectomy were performed. Histopathological examination confirmed the presence of metastases in 54 SLNs. The elasticity score had the highest accuracy—89.71%, identifying metastases in SLNs with 88.9.9% sensitivity (SE) and 90.5% specificity (SP), ROC analysis providing excellent results. The S/L (short axis/long axis) ratio showed 83.3% SE and 78.6% SP as a predictor of the presence of metastases in SLN having a good accuracy of 81.2%. On Doppler examination, the resistivity index(RI) showed good accuracy of 80% in characterizing lymph nodes with metastases versus unaffected ones; the same results being obtained by CEUS examination. By assigning to each ultrasonographic parameter a score (0 or 1) and summing up the scores of the four techniques, we obtained the best diagnostic performance in identifying lymph node metastases with 92.2% accuracy. In conclusion, the use of the presented algorithm provides the best identification of metastases in SLNs, helping in mammary carcinoma staging and appropriate therapeutic management.

For the present study a number of 5 female chinchilla carcasses were used. The animals were slaughtered for commercial purpuses (fur). The anatomical dissection started with the identification of the aorta (Aorta abdominalis). The next step was the intra-arterial injection of a colouring substance. The carcasses was fixed in the formaldehyde solution and subsequently the renal arteries were dissected. The first renal artery was the right renal artery (Arteria renalis dextra) and, at 0,5 cm caudally, the left renal artery (Arteria renalis sinister) arose . The origin of those arteries were disposed on the lateral part of the abdominal aorta. The origin, traject and distribution of renal arteries on the studied species have a high degree of similarity with the literature dates described for leporids.