Analysis of the capsid protein gene of a feline-like calicivirus isolated from a dog

The authors report the sequence analysis of the capsid protein-encoding gene (ORF2) of a calicivirus strain recently isolated in Italy from a pup with enteritis. Sequence comparison and phylogenetic analysis revealed that the isolate is highly similar to field and reference feline caliciviruses (FCVs). The isolation of a feline-like calicivirus and the results of recent serological investigations suggest that FCV infection frequently occurs in dogs, but the consequences of this interspecies infection in the canine host are still unknown.     

Fine needle aspiration cytology of pilomatricoma in three dogs

Background — Fine needle aspiration cytology is being used for the diagnosis of various neoplasms, but we are unaware of reports dealing with the cytologic features of canine pilomatricoma.
Objective — The purpose of this report was to describe the cytologic features of pilomatricoma in 3 dogs.
Methods — Fine-needle aspirates were obtained from cutaneous masses using a 25-ga needle. Smears were prepared and stained with May-Grünwald-Giemsa and hematoxylin and eosin. The cutaneous masses were excised and routinely processed for histologic examination.
Results — Cytologic features of all 3 tumors included high cellularity and numerous clusters of tightly arranged of basaloid cells with evenly distributed chromatin and small distinct nucleoli surrounding sheets of "ghost cells". Ghost cells were characterized by a central unstained zone corresponding to the site previously occupied by the nucleus. Amorphous keratinized material was observed in 1 tumor. Histopathologic findings confirmed the diagnosis of pilomatricoma in all 3 cases.
Conclusions — Basaloid cells in association with ghost cells are important cytopathologic criteria that may provide a definitive cytologic diagnosis of pilomatricoma in dogs, and may help avoid a false diagnosis of malignancy.     

Characterization of biotype T ofBemisia tabaci associated withEuphorbia characias in Sicily

The T biotype ofBemisia tabaci (Gennadius, 1889), a population found colonizingEuphorbia characias L. plants on the Nebrodi-Peloritani mountains in Sicily, was biologically characterized. The minimum development time was 29.7 days at 28°C. Based on the regression of 1/dayvs T, the rate of development was calculated as 0.00206, the theoretical lower temperature threshold for development as 9.3°C, and the sum of effective temperatures as 485.1. At 25° C, egg-to-adult development was significantly shorter onDatura stramonium (30.1 days) than on eitherEuphorbia pulcherrima orEuphorbia characias (35.6 and 35.4 days, respectively). The fourth instar nymphs grown onD. stramonium had the typical oval outline and seven pairs of dorsal setae located on cone-like processes, often barely visible. The fourth instar nymphs and their pupal cases grown onE. characias had the outline deformed by the presence of hairs on the lower surface of the leaf. The pupae onD. stramonium were significantly larger (both longer and wider) than those reared onE. characias; on both host plants, female pupae were significantly larger than male ones. Analysis of variance showed that width of females onD. stramonium was significantly larger than the width of those reared onE. characias. Attempts at courtship between T- and Q-biotypes were observed, but adults from different biotypes were never seen mating. Only males were obtained from the seven heterologous crossing attempts, either way, whereas homologous, control breeding produced males and females. The T biotype was able to transmitTomato yellow leaf curl Sardinia begomovirus (TYLCSV) fromD. stramonium toD. stramonium, from tomato to tomato and from tomato toD. stramonium. Attempts to transmit TYLCSV fromD. stramonium to tomato were unsuccessful. The transmission efficiency was significantly lower when tomato was the test plant. The diverse biology and ecology of the T biotype confirm that it is genetically different from most Mediterranean biotypes. This paper is dedicated to the dear memory of our colleague Dr Claudio Arnò, who died on March 12, 2004, while this paper was being written.     

PK and PK/PD of doxycycline in drinking water after therapeutic use in pigs

A commercial doxycycline formulation was administered in drinking water to 12 pigs at the recommended dose of 10 mg/kg daily for 5 days. The mean plasma concentration at steady-state was 1.37 +/- 1.21 microg/mL, which was reached at 68 +/- 27.2 h postadministration. Absorption and elimination half-life values were 7.20 +/- 2.42 and 7.01 +/- 2.10 h, respectively. Most plasma concentrations during dosing were higher than the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) described for the main porcine bacterial pathogens of the respiratory tract (Pasteurella multocida, Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae, Bordetella bronchiseptica and Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae). It is concluded that when pigs were treated with doxycycline in drinking water at the recommended rate, therapeutically effective concentrations were achieved throughout the treatment period, supporting the clinical use of this tetracycline in the control of respiratory infections. However, inter-animal differences were marked.     

Pregnancy rate after timed artificial insemination in early post-partum dairy cows after Ovsynch or specific synchronization protocols

The present study was designed to compare the reproductive performance of pre-synchronized post-partum dairy cows subjected, either to the Ovsynch protocol without screening for ovarian status (control group), or to a specific oestrous synchronization protocol applied according to their ovarian status, as determined by transrectal ultrasound (experimental group). The study was conducted on 428 lactating dairy cows. Cows in the Ovsynch group (n = 205) were synchronized and time inseminated after receiving the Ovsynch protocol treatment. Cows in the specific synchronization (Ssynch) group (n = 223) were weekly subjected to transrectal ultrasound exams for 4 weeks, or until AI or starting treatment, and divided into four subgroups according to their ovarian status: (i). corpus luteum (CL) subgroup (n = 130), cows with a CL; (ii). natural oestrus (NE) subgroup (n = 58), cows showing NE; (iii). anovulatory follicles (AF) subgroup (n = 26), cows considered to have AF; and (iv). ovarian cysts (OC) subgroup (n = 9), cows with OC. Cows in the Ssynch group were synchronized and time inseminated following a specific oestrous synchronization protocol, or inseminated at NE. Logistic regression analysis was carried out for the dependent variables ovulation and pregnancy rates to first and to second AI (second AI: first AI + return AI). Cows subjected to Ssynch were 2.1 times more likely to become pregnant at first and at second AI compared with those synchronized using the Ovsynch protocol (P < 0.0001). Our results show that the response of post-partum pre-synchronized cows to a specific oestrous synchronization protocol applied according to their ovarian status is more effective than the response to the Ovsynch protocol applied without taking into account the ovarian status of the animals.     

Pharmacokinetics of albendazole sulfoxide enantiomers administered in racemic form and separately in rats

The pharmacokinetic behaviour of albendazole sulfoxide (ABZSO) enantiomers was studied in rats after the oral administration of 10 mg/kg of rac-ABZSO, 5 mg/kg of (-)-ABZSO or 5 mg/kg of (+)-ABZSO. The disposition profiles of ABZSO enantiomers were similar in all treatments, but the calculated area under the curve for the (-)-ABZSO was higher in all cases compared with (+)-ABZSO. The results suggest that there is no chiral inversion of ABZSO enantiomers. After the administration of rac-ABZSO, 17.2% of the total dose was recovered in urine as albendazole ABZ (0.1%), albendazole sulfone ABZSO(2) (0.3%), albendazole 2-aminosulfone (ABZ-SO(2)NH(2)) (3.1%) and ABZSO (13.7%). The ratio (+) to (-) was similar in urine (1.6) and blood (1.7).