The objective of this study was to evaluate the correlation between the ability to walk (gait score), incidence of femoral degeneration, tibial dyschondroplasia, valgus and varus deformity and leg symmetry of broiler chickens. Male chickens of the Cobb strain from a commercial poultry farm were utilized in this experiment. Fifty 35 and 42-day-old birds were evaluated according to the gait score and valgus or varus incidence. To assess the bilateral symmetry and the lesion score for femoral degeneration and tibial dyschondroplasia, broilers were weighed and euthanized for the removal of the femur and tibia of both legs. The lesion scores for femoral degeneration and tibial dyschondroplasia, varus or valgus deformity, bone symmetry and gait scores of the chickens were then correlated. It was found that weight, age and the incidence of femoral degeneration and tibial dyschondroplasia are not always correlated with the gait score and that only valgus deformity is more correlated.

Opossum is considered one of the most primitive mammals, with transition evolutive characteristics. In mammals, the aorta artery is referred as the main body blood vessel. The arteries wall structural organization follows a basic pattern, being contituted of three tunics: Intima, Median and Adventicial. After euthanasia, three samples of opossum had segments from the aorta artery ascendent, thoracic descending and abdominal descending portions removed, fixed in phormalin at 10% for 48 hours. Then, the material was washed in alcohol 70% several times, dehydrated in alcohois of growing concentrations, diafanized in xylol and included in "paraplast". Cuts with 5 to 7µm of thickness were placed in histological laminae and submitted to color methods of Hematoxilin-Eosin, Masson, Mallory and Calleja Tricromics. It was observed that in the different portions ascendent, thoracic and abdominal descending of aorta, the intima tunic presents much thick, made up of a layer of smooth muscular cells and elastic fibers, forming a limiting internal elastic membrane. In the three portions studied, the median tunic was the most evident layer, constituted of colagen fibers, smooth muscular cells arranged in a circular manner and elastic fibers, showing a variation in the mural elements proportion. It was evidenced the presence of a external elastic lamina, marking the transition between the median and adventicial tunic, formed by elastic fibers condensation. The aortic adventicial tunic showed to be little organized, having in its structure predominantely colagen fibers beans with some isolated smooth muscular fibers or in small fascicules among a few elastic fibers.

El zorrillo es considerado uno de los mamíferos más primitivos, con transición de características evolutivas. En los mamíferos, la arteria aorta se refiere como el principal vaso sanguíneo del cuerpo. La organización estructural de la pared de las arterias sigue un patrón básico, siendo contituida por tres túnicas: íntima, media y adventicial. Después de la eutanasia, tres muestras de zorrillos fueron seccionadas desde las porciones de la arteria aorta ascendente, descendente torácica y abdominal descendente, removidas, y fijadas en formalina al 10% durante 48 horas. Luego, el material se lavó varias veces en el alcohol al 70%, deshidratados en alcoholes en concentraciones crecientes, diafanizadas en xilol y se incluyeron en paraplast. Cortes de 5 a 7 mm de espesor fueron colocados en láminas histológicas y sometidas a los métodos de tinción de Hematoxilina-Eosina, Masson, Mallory y tricrómico de Calleja. Se observó que en las diferentes porciones ascendente, torácica y abdominal descendente de la aorta, la túnica íntima se presentó mucho más gruesa, formada por una capa de células musculares lisas y fibras elásticas, formando una membrana limitante elástica interna. En las tres porciones estudiadas, la túnica media fue la capa más evidentes, constituida por fibras de colágeno, células musculares lisas dispuestas en forma circular y fibras elásticas, mostrando una variación en la proporción de elementos murales. Se evidenció la presencia de una lámina elástica externa, que marca la transición entre la túnica media y adventicia, formada la por condensación de las fibras elásticas. La túnica adventicia aórtica demostró ser poco organizada, presentando en su estructura predominantemente fibras de colágeno con algunas fibras musculares lisas aisladas o en pequeños fascículos entre unas pocas fibras elásticas.