Clinical, histopathological and therapeutic considerations in a flock of sheep with facial staphylococcal-associated dermatitis

In a flock of 290 sheep, a total of 20 ewes (6.9%) with an age range of 1.5-4 years, developed a nonpruritic dermatitis characterized by alopecia/hypotrichosis, erythema, hyperpigmentation, crusting, superficial ulcers, exudation and thickening of the skin that was localized mainly to the peri-ocular area. Frequent and massive feeding of swarming sucking flies on the lesional sites was witnessed. In every instance (n = 6), Staphylococcus aureus was cultured from the exudate and the aseptically obtained skin biopsy samples from both recurrent and new cases. The main predisposing factor was the presence of small troughs, which forced the sheep to compete for food. Intramuscular administration of cefalexin for 7 days resulted in the resolution of lesions over a 2-week period. No further cases or recurrences were seen over the 16-month follow-up period. The main histopathological feature of this skin disease was a superficial and deep, perivascular to interstitial eosinophilic and mononuclear dermatitis.     

Ameliorative Effects of Melatonin against Hydrogen Peroxide‐Induced Oxidative Stress on Boar Sperm Characteristics and Subsequent In Vitro Embryo Development

Melatonin, the major secretory product of the pineal gland, scavenges a variety of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species in vivo and in vitro, indicating that melatonin is a potent function as an antioxidant. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of melatonin in the presence or absence of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) on sperm characteristics (motility, viability, survival rate, membrane integrity, lipid peroxidation (LPO) and mitochondria activity) and also to examine the developmental rates to the blastocysts stage of porcine oocytes fertilized in vitro with semen treated with or without melatonin (100 nm ) in the presence or absence of H₂O₂ (250 μm ). The sperm were treated with melatonin in the presence or absence of H₂O₂ for 3, 6, 9 and 12 h at 37°C and then analysed for the sperm characteristics. The porcine embryos were produced by in vitro maturation and in vitro fertilization (IVM/IVF) using semen treated with or without melatonin (100 nm ) in the presence or absence of H₂O₂ (250 μm ) for 6 h. The semen characteristics, including motility, viability, survival rate, membrane integrity and mitochondria activity, were higher in the groups that were treated with melatonin in comparison to other groups, irrespective of incubation periods. Malondialdehyde levels in control, melatonin and melatonin + H₂O₂ groups were lower than H₂O₂ only group. A positive correlation was shown among motility, viability, survival rate and membrane integrity, but a negative correlation was observed between LPO and the other evaluation methods. The developmental rates to blastocysts of IVM/IVF porcine oocytes fertilized by semen treated with melatonin were significantly increased compared with any other groups, with the cell number of blastocysts shown to have a similar trend to the developmental rates. These results demonstrate that melatonin can improve the semen characteristics during in vitro storage and support the developmental ability of IVM/IVF embryos in pigs.     

Chronic canine ehrlichiosis (Ehrlichia canis): a retrospective study of 19 natural cases

Nineteen dogs from Greece with chronic ehrlichiosis were studied. The dogs exhibited bicytopenia or pancytopenia, bone marrow hypoplasia, seroreactivity to Ehrlichia canis (E. canis) antigens, and had no history of drug or radiation exposure. Anorexia, depression, severe bleeding tendencies, hypoalbuminemia, and increased serum alanine aminotransferase activity were also hallmarks of the disease. All these animals eventually died, irrespective of the treatment applied. Some dogs were also serologically positive for Rickettsia conorii, Leishmania infantum (L. infantum), and Bartonella vinsonii subspp. berkhoffii. Polymerase chain reaction testing of bone marrow samples revealed E. canis, Anaplasma phagocytophilia, Anaplasma platys, and L. infantum in some dogs. Concurrent infections did not appear to substantially influence the clinical course and final outcome of the chronic canine ehrlichiosis.     

A randomised, blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial with allopurinol in canine leishmaniosis.

A total of 45 non-uremic dogs, with clinical signs indicating leishmaniosis, entered the study. Diagnosis was confirmed by indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) on serum and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on bone marrow samples. The dogs were randomly allocated into Group A (n=37) that received allopurinol (10mg/kg B.W., per os, twice daily) for 4 consecutive months, and Group B (n=8) that were placebo-treated. Clinical signs were scored just before and at monthly intervals throughout the study period, in a blinded and independent fashion. Complete blood count, serum biochemistry profile, urinalysis, lymph node and bone marrow parasitology, IFA and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) serology and bone marrow PCR were carried out at the beginning and at the end of the trial. A total of three Group A and one Group B dogs died of end stage kidney disease that developed during the trial. In Group A animals that endured the trial there was a significant improvement in the general body condition, conjunctivitis, peripheral lymphadenopathy, splenomegaly, masticatory muscle atrophy, ulcerative stomatitis, epistaxis, exfoliative dermatitis, cutaneous ulcerations, blepharitis and nasodigital hyperkeratosis. The same observation was made for anemia, lymphopenia, hyperproteinemia, hyperglobulinemia, hyperphosphatemia, increased alkaline phosphatase activity and the low albumin/globulin ratio. By contrast, no improvement of any kind was seen in Group B dogs. Lymph node and bone marrow parasite numbers were significantly decreased in Group A animals. In Group B, that occurred only in the lymph nodes. Apart from remission of clinical signs and restoration to normal of clinicopathological abnormalities, allopurinol did not eliminate Leishmania organisms, as the PCR result on bone marrow was still positive in all the dogs that finished the trial.     

Changes in the fish species composition of all Austrian lakes >50 ha during the last 150 years

Abstract  The fish communities of all Austrian natural lakes ( n  = 43) larger than 50 ha in surface area were assessed and the historical fish communities in c . 1850 were reconstructed. During the last 150 years, the fish communities of Austrian lakes have altered: in 49% of lakes at least one indigenous fish species, usually sensitive or small-bodied taxa, is now missing. Conversely, in all but one of the 43 lakes the number of fish species has increased. In particular, certain fish species of interest to angling and commercial fisheries now occur in more lakes. Generalised linear models were used to identify variables that would explain the loss of fish species using categories of lake use (ranking score). The category human population density around the lakes seemed to be one of the main causes for the loss of fish species.     

Antioxidative Effects of Astaxanthin against Nitric Oxide‐Induced Oxidative Stress on Cell Viability and Gene Expression in Bovine Oviduct Epithelial Cell and the Developmental Competence of Bovine IVM/IVF Embryos

The aim of the present study was to elucidate the fundamental mechanism of bovine oviduct epithelial cell (BOEC) co‐culture on developmental capacity of bovine in vitro oocyte maturation/in vitro fertilization (IVM/IVF) embryos. We examined the effects of astaxanthin against nitric oxide‐induced oxidative stress on cell viability by MTT assay, lipid peroxidation (LPO) by using thiobarbituric acid (TBA) reaction for malondialdehyde (MDA) and the expression of antioxidant genes (CuZnSOD, MnSOD and Catalase) or apoptosis genes (Bcl‐2, Caspase‐3 and Bax) by RT‐PCR in BOEC. We also evaluated the developmental rates of bovine IVM/IVF embryos co‐cultured with BOEC pre‐treated with astaxanthin (500 μm ) in the presence or absence of sodium nitroprusside (SNP, 1000 μm ) for 24 h. Cell viability in BOEC treated with SNP (50–2000 μm ) lowered, while astaxanthin addition (50–500 μm ) increased it in a dose‐dependent manner. Cell viability in astaxanthin plus SNP (1000 μm ) gradually recovered according to the increase in astaxanthin additions (100–500 mm ). The LPO in astaxanthin group (50–500 μM) gradually decreased in a dose dependent manner and among SNP or astaxanthin plus SNP group, SNP alone and astaxanthin (50 μM) plus SNP shown a significant increase than other groups (p < 0.05). Expression of apoptosis or antioxidant genes was detected by RT‐PCR. Bcl‐2 and antioxidant genes were detected in astaxanthin or astaxanthin plus SNP group, and Caspase‐3 and Bax genes were only found in SNP group. When bovine IVM/IVF embryos were cultured for 6–7 days under co‐culture system such as BOEC treated with astaxanthin in the presence or absence of SNP, the developmental ability to blastocysts in 500 μm astaxanthin group was the highest of all groups. These results suggest that astaxanthin has a antioxidative effect on cell viability and LPO of BOEC, and development of bovine IVM/IVF embryos due to the induction of antioxidant genes and suppression of apoptosis genes.     

Bronchoalveolar lavage in horses: effect of exercise and repeated sampling on cytology

SUMMARY Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was performed at weekly intervals in 10 Thoroughbred horses in race training (group 1) and in 4 rested horses (group 2) for 10 weeks. Lavages were continued on a weekly basis in 4 group 1 horses for an additional 9 weeks (group 3). Cytological analysis of samples included leukocyte counts, erythrocyte counts, differential leukocyte counts, and haemosiderophage score. The mean leukocyte concentration was significantly lower in group 1(92.1 ± 4.6 cells/μL) when compared with group 2 (133.5 ± 8.2 cells/μL), P = 0.037. The differential leukocyte data were not significantly different between groups. There was a large amount of variability in the percent-age of macrophages and lymphocytes in the differential counts over time with no obvious trends. The proportion of neutrophils demonstrated a tendency to decrease over time for both groups 1 and 2. Erythrocyte counts and haemosiderin scores were significantly higher in the exercising group than the rested horses. Neither exercise nor the technique itself evoked an inflammatory response in the BAL fluid.     

工业型城乡交错区土壤重金属含量及其空间分异的特征-以无锡典型城乡交错区为例

Phosphorus （P） is necessary for growth and nitrogen fixation, and thus its deficiency is a major factor limiting legume production in most agricultural soils. The effect of phosphorus supply on nodule development and its role in soybeans （Glycine max L.） was studied in a nutrient solution. Plants were inoculated with Bradyrhizobium japonicum and grown for 35 days in a glasshouse at a day and night temperature of 25℃ and 15℃, respectively. Although increasing P supply increased the concentrations of P and N in the shoots and roots, the external P supply did not significantly affect the P concentration in the nodules, and the N fixed per unit nodule biomass decreased with increasing P supply. The nitrogen content in the shoots correlated well with the P content （r=0.92＊＊）. At an inoculation level of 10^2 cells mL^-1, the P supply did not affect the number of nodules; however, at inoculation levels of 10^3.5 and 10^5 cells mL^-1, increasing P supply increased both the number and size of nodules. Irrespective of the inoculation level, increasing P supply increased the nodule biomass relative to the biomass of the host plant. It is suggested that the P deficiency specifically inhibited the nodule development and thereby the total N2 fixation.