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Objective: To evaluate the primary critical ischemia time for the deep circumflex iliac (DCI) cutaneous flap in cats., Study Design: In vivo model., Animals: Thirteen young adult female cats., Methods: An island skin flap was created on the right side of each cat based on the angiosome of the ventral branches of the DCI vessels. The cats were randomly assigned to a flap ischemia time ranging from 1 to 3 hours in 10-minute intervals. Microvascular clamps were used to occlude the artery and vein for the designated time. Flaps were sutured into position after the ischemic period. On day 3, fluorescein dye was administered and the flaps were evaluated under ultraviolet light to assess percent area of perfusion. On days 7 and 14, the percent area of survival was determined for each flap based on cutaneous morphometry., Results: All flaps had 100 percent area of survival throughout the study. On day 3, all flaps fluoresced uniformly compared with the surrounding skin. On days 7 and 14, all flaps were uniformly viable as confirmed by skin color, consistency, bleeding, and hair re-growth., Conclusion: The DCI cutaneous flap in cats can withstand up to 3 hours of ischemia with predictable survival., Clinical Relevance: In a clinical setting, high success rates can be expected with microvascular transfer of the DCI cutaneous flap in cats when the ischemia time is <3 hours and precise surgical technique is used.

Objective: To determine if CO(2) laser was superior to conventional surgical techniques (CST) for creation of skin flaps in dogs as determined by hemostasis, wound healing, and wound tensile strength., Study Design: In-vivo model, Animals: Six large, mixed-breed dogs., Methods: On each dog's trunk, 3 pairs of identical, dorsally based, pedicled skin flaps were created and sutured back into position. Based on a Latin Square design, flaps on one side were created with a CO(2) laser and on the other side by CST. Intraoperative hemorrhage was measured by weighing sponges used to absorb blood. On days 7, 10, and 14, specimens from the flap-skin junction and the central portion of each pair of flaps were collected. Specimens were subjected to tensile strength testing and histologic examination to evaluate wound healing., Results: Mean (+/- standard error of mean [SEM]) hemorrhage was significantly less (P =.02) with CO(2) laser (4.70 +/- 1.37 g) than CST (10.82 +/- 1.37 g). Wound tensile strength (N/m(2)) after CST (0.49 +/- 0.049) was significantly greater (P =.01) than with CO(2) laser (0.17 +/- 0.049). Laser incisions had partial necrosis of the wound edges and a more extensive inflammatory response; however, healing of the wound beds were similar regardless of technique., Conclusions: The CO(2) laser provided better intraoperative hemostasis than CST. However, overall healing and increase in tensile strength of the skin-flap junction of the flaps created by the laser may be delayed during the first few weeks of wound healing., Clinical Relevance: Skin flaps used to repair large skin defects in dogs can be created and elevated with a CO(2) laser. In areas of increased skin mobility or tension, skin flaps created with CO(2) laser may be more susceptible to complications such as dehiscence, and care should be taken to minimize these complications., (Copyright 2003 by The American College of Veterinary Surgeons)

Purpose: Prostatitis in men is a painful, noninfectious inflammatory condition. It is similar to interstitial cystitis which is associated with increased bladder mast cell and sensory nerve fiber density as well as suprapubic pain. Certain strains of rats may provide a useful model for studies of the development of spontaneous prostatitis. We evaluated the time course, and involvement of mast cells and sensory nerve fibers in this process using Wistar rats., Materials and Methods: The prostates of 4, 6, 8, 10 and 13-week-old male Wistar rats were examined for the degree of inflammation, innervation, mast cell density and nerve mast cell relationship using histochemical and immunocytochemical studies. Bacterial cultures of tissue were performed at 13 weeks., Results: The inflammatory cell index increased progressively with age. Inflammation was moderate and consisted mostly of lymphocytes and macrophages associated with occasional glandular epithelial necrosis and edema. The density of nerve fibers immunoreacting with the neuronal marker protein gene produce 9.5 increased gradually with age and fibers immuno-positive for the sensory neuropeptide calcitonin gene-related peptide more than doubled by 13 weeks compared with by 4 weeks. The density of visible mast cells declined after 4 weeks in a pattern that corresponded with the increased percent of mast cells undergoing degranulation. For the mast cells with calcitonin gene-related peptide immuno-positive nerve fibers within a distance of 40 microm. distance correlated significantly with the degree of degranulation. Bacterial cultures were negative at 13 weeks., Conclusions: Our results confirm previous reports of spontaneous prostatitis in Wistar rats and indicate that moderate inflammation may occur in 80% of rats at as early as age 13 weeks. While the correlation of the nerve mast cell axis with mast cell degranulation does not prove our hypothesis of mast cell mediated inflammatory mediator release in the development of nonbacterial prostatitis, it suggests that such a relationship is possible.