Felix-Patrício Bruno, De Souza Diogo Benchimol, Gregório Bianca Martins, Costa Waldemar Silva, Sampaio Francisco José
Urogenital Research Unit, State University of Rio de Janeiro, Boulevard 28 de Setembro, 87 Fundos, Vila Isabel, 20551-030 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil ; Institute for Humanities and Health, Federal Fluminense University, Rua Recife, s/n, Jardim Bela Vista, Rio das Ostras, RJ, Brazil.
Urogenital Research Unit, State University of Rio de Janeiro, Boulevard 28 de Setembro, 87 Fundos, Vila Isabel, 20551-030 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
Biomed Res Int. 2015;2015:832156. doi: 10.1155/2015/832156. Epub 2015 Aug 27.
The use of morphometrical tools in biomedical research permits the accurate comparison of specimens subjected to different conditions, and the surface density of structures is commonly used for this purpose. The traditional point-counting method is reliable but time-consuming, with computer-aided methods being proposed as an alternative. The aim of this study was to compare the surface density data of penile corpus cavernosum trabecular smooth muscle in different groups of rats, measured by two observers using the point-counting or color-based segmentation method. Ten normotensive and 10 hypertensive male rats were used in this study. Rat penises were processed to obtain smooth muscle immunostained histological slices and photomicrographs captured for analysis. The smooth muscle surface density was measured in both groups by two different observers by the point-counting method and by the color-based segmentation method. Hypertensive rats showed an increase in smooth muscle surface density by the two methods, and no difference was found between the results of the two observers. However, surface density values were higher by the point-counting method. The use of either method did not influence the final interpretation of the results, and both proved to have adequate reproducibility. However, as differences were found between the two methods, results obtained by either method should not be compared.
在生物医学研究中使用形态测量工具能够对处于不同条件下的标本进行准确比较，为此通常会使用结构的表面密度。传统的点计数法可靠但耗时，于是有人提出将计算机辅助方法作为替代。本研究的目的是比较两组不同大鼠阴茎海绵体小梁平滑肌的表面密度数据，由两名观察者分别使用点计数法或基于颜色的分割法进行测量。本研究使用了10只血压正常的雄性大鼠和10只高血压雄性大鼠。对大鼠阴茎进行处理以获得平滑肌免疫染色的组织切片，并拍摄显微照片用于分析。两名不同的观察者分别通过点计数法和基于颜色的分割法测量了两组大鼠的平滑肌表面密度。高血压大鼠通过这两种方法测得的平滑肌表面密度均有所增加，且两名观察者的结果之间未发现差异。然而，点计数法测得的表面密度值更高。使用这两种方法中的任何一种均不影响结果的最终解读，且两种方法均具有足够的可重复性。然而，由于两种方法之间存在差异，不应比较通过任何一种方法获得的结果。
