Pathological study of rabbits' femoral arteries subjected to gunshot wounds combining with seawater immersion.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate pathological characteristics of gunshot wounds concomitant seawater immersion in rabbits' femoral arteries.


METHODS
Thirty rabbits were divided randomly into 3 groups: simple gunshot-wound group (Group I, n = 10), gunshot wound with seawater immersion for 30 mins (Group II, n = 10), and 60 mins group (Group III, n = 10). Femoral arteries were impacted by 0.38 g steel spheres fired with a 7.62 mm rifle. After being wounded, rabbits in Groups II and III were immersed in seawater for 30 or 60 mins, but those in Group I were not. At 2, 4, 6, 8, 12 hours following injury, a 40 mm segment of the artery on each side of the gunshot point were excised and observed by light and electron microscopy.


RESULTS
The patterns of arterial injuries were mainly contusion and transection. Completely transected artery was classified as primary-wound-tract area, contused area and shocked area. Compared with those in Group I, the primary-wound-tract and contused areas in Group II manifested obvious swelling in the arterial wall especially at the outside 2/3 of the media. Vacuolar structures were often seen in smooth muscle cells of the media. Intercellular space among the smooth muscle cells were filled with homogeneous acidophilic substances. Deep rugae among endothelial cells flattened or rugal folds lost their longitudinal orientation, and marked fibrin and platelet deposition were noticed. No significant difference was detected between Group II and III. The pathological changes in the shocked area were similar in 3 groups.


CONCLUSIONS
For gunshot wounds concomitant seawater immersion in rabbits' femoral arteries, there was a marked swelling of cells and intercellular space in primary-wound-tract area and contusion area. The influence of these pathological changes on surgical reparation deservers further study.
Liu
Peng
P
Orthopedic Department, Research Institute of Field Surgery, Daping Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400042, China. 13983013862@vip.163.com
Liu
Jin-cai
JC
Lai
Xi-nan
XN
Peng
Xue-liang
XL
Wu
Guo-ping
GP
Zhang
Liang-chao
LC
Wang
Li-li
LL
D000818:Animals; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D005263:Femoral Artery / Q000293:injuries* / Q000473:pathology*; D007101:Immersion; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D011817:Rabbits; D011897:Random Allocation; D012623:Seawater / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology; D014948:Wounds, Gunshot / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology*