Efficacy and safety of glucose, glucose and polidocanol combination, liquid polidocanol and polidocanol foam in the treatment of reticular veins: A randomized study in rabbits

Objective To compare the efficacy and safety of sclerosing agents injected in dorsal veins of rabbit ears. Methods Sixty ears of 30 rabbits were randomly allocated in: 1% liquid polidocanol, 1% polidocanol foam, 0.2% polidocanol-glucose 70% solution, glucose 75% or 0.9% saline. Outcomes included efficacy (luminal occlusion), complications (phlebitis, neovascularization, ulceration at the puncture site, necrosis and local inflammation) and histology (sclerosis, recanalization vein and surrounding tissues inflammation, blood extravasation, recanalization, lymphangiogenesis, destruction of cartilage and neoangiogenesis). Results Sclerosis was superior in Foam Group (76.9%), but also with 30.7% necrosis ( p = 0.003), 46.15% ulceration ( p = 0.003), and 69.2% local inflammation ( p < 0.0001). Neovascularization were similar. Histology showed 38.5% phlebitis (p = 0.004) and necrosis ( p = 0.03) in the foam group. Conclusions Sclerosis with foam and liquid polidocanol were superior to the other groups, but specially polidocanol foam at the expense of greater frequency of adverse events.

Effects of Botulinum Toxin Type A on Microvessels in Hypertrophic Scar Models on Rabbit Ears

Background. Although Botulinum Toxin Type A (BTXA) has been applied to scar prevention and treatment, the mechanisms still require further exploration. Objective. To investigate the effects of BTXA on microvessels in the hypertrophic scar models on rabbit ears. Methods. Eight big-eared New Zealand rabbits (males or females) were selected to establish scar models. One ear of each rabbit (4 models in each ear) was selected randomly to be injected with BTXA immediately after modeling and included in the treated group, while the opposite ear was untreated and included in the control group. The growth of scars in each group was observed and recorded, and 4 rabbits were sacrificed on days 30 and 45 after modeling. Then, scar height was measured by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression was detected by immunohistochemical (IHC) testing, and microvessel density (MVD) was calculated based on CD34 (human hematopoietic progenitor cell antigen). Results. The wounds in each group were well healed and free from infection or necrosis. On days 30 and 45, the scar height, MVD value, and VEGF expression in the treated group were lower than those in the control group (P<0.05). For the treated group, the above indicators on day 45 were lower than on day 30 (P>0.05). Besides, there was a positive correlation between the MVD value and the VEGF expression in the treated group (P<0.05). Conclusion. The injection of BTXA immediately after modeling inhibits VEGF expression and reduces angiogenesis, thereby inhibiting hypertrophic scar formation.

The Electronic Structure of Water: Pulling Rabbit-Ears out of a Wave Function

<div>The electronic structure of water is typically thought of exhibiting lone-pairs of electrons, described by some as "rabbit-ears'". This is not the universal view, and does not mesh with an interpretation based on the one-electron wavefunctions which emerge from molecular orbital theory. Here we show, by analysing the antisymmetrized wavefunction (Slater determinant) rather than the Hartree product, that the water wavefunction indeed exhibits equivalent lone pairs. The observed photoelectron spectrum is reconciled with this view in terms of a relaxation of this structure upon the loss of an electron. It is therefore shown that the lone-pair viewpoint is completely consistent with both the experimental results and the calculated wavefunction.<br></div>

The Electronic Structure of Water: Pulling Rabbit-Ears out of a Wave Function

<div>The electronic structure of water is typically thought of exhibiting lone-pairs of electrons, described by some as "rabbit-ears'". This is not the universal view, and does not mesh with an interpretation based on the one-electron wavefunctions which emerge from molecular orbital theory. Here we show, by analysing the antisymmetrized wavefunction (Slater determinant) rather than the Hartree product, that the water wavefunction indeed exhibits equivalent lone pairs. The observed photoelectron spectrum is reconciled with this view in terms of a relaxation of this structure upon the loss of an electron. It is therefore shown that the lone-pair viewpoint is completely consistent with both the experimental results and the calculated wavefunction.<br></div>