Surgical procedures.
inflammation, fibrosis
INFLAMMATION, FIBROSIS
Rats were fed rat chow and housed under a 12-hour light/12-hour dark cycle at 21°C and 50% humidity. All animals had free access to tap water and food. After preoperative buprenorphine (0.03 mg/kg subcutaneous), rats were anesthetized with 3% isoflurane, intubated, and ventilated. The thorax was shaved and sterilized with 2% w/v chlorhexidine gluconate in 70% v/v isopropyl alcohol. Animals were then randomized to sham operation (Three days after surgery, all rats underwent invasive electrophysiological testing (A separate cohort of female rats underwent surgery to evaluate the persistence of talc ± EV effects on fibrosis and inflammation (