A new technique for administering intraperitoneal injections in mice

Intraperitoneal injection is a common and safe method of introducing a substance into an animal. However, conventional techniques for manual restraint and injection can cause high levels of stress. Different handling and restraint techniques could reduce stress, but they must not compromise the efficacy of injections. Jong Min Baek and a team of researchers developed and evaluated a new technique for administering intraperitoneal injections in mice, with the goal of causing less stress. Their results indicate that this novel injection technique delivers substances into the peritoneal cavity effectively, while causing less stress than a conventional intraperitoneal injection technique. This technique might therefore be preferable for studies with mice that don't require conventional handling and restraint.

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Describing a membrane found on normal neonatal piglets

Fetal and placental tissues differ in development and composition among different species of placental mammals. Camelids and pigs, in particular, possess an epidermal membrane during the fetal stage, called the epithelion, that is absent from most other domestic mammals. Researchers who work with fetal and neonatal piglets might therefore fail to recognize it as a normal tissue. Jennifer Pearson and colleagues have provided gross and histological descriptions of this membrane, noting characteristics that distinguish it from other neonatal tissues and materials. This resource can help researchers correctly identify the epithelion as a normal and pathologically insignificant tissue of piglets and camelids.

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