Effects of theophylline on tracheal mucociliary clearance rates in healthy cats

OBJECTIVE: To determine tracheal mucociliary clearance rate (TMCCR) by use of a standard protocol in healthy anesthetized cats and to determine the effect of theophylline on TMCCR in healthy anesthetized cats. ANIMALS: 6 healthy cats. PROCEDURE: Cats were anesthetized with propofol, and a droplet of the radiopharmaceutical technetium Tc 99m macroaggregated albumin was placed endoscopically at the carina. Dynamic acquisition scintigraphic imaging was performed, using the larynx as the end point. The TMCCR was determined by measuring the distance the droplet traveled by frame rate. Each cat was imaged 6 times as follows: 3 times following placebo administration and 3 times following the administration of sustained release theophylline (25 mg/kg, PO). Serum theophylline concentrations were assessed during imaging to ensure therapeutic concentrations. RESULTS: The TMCCR in healthy adult cats anesthetized with propofol was 22.2 +/- 2.8 mm/min. Tracheal mucociliary clearance rate in cats receiving theophylline was 21.8 +/- 3.5 mm/min. Theophylline administration did not significantly alterTMCCR. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Theophylline has been shown to increase TMCCR in humans and dogs. In our study, we determined TMCCR in healthy anesthetized cats and found that it was not accelerated by the administration of theophylline.     

Isolation and characterisation of bacteria from pyothorax (empyaemia) in cats

Samples from 19 cases of feline empyaemia were examined. All cases had no prior treatment and specimens were collected by thoracocentesis after preparation of the skin as for aseptic surgery. Of the 87 bacterial strains isolated, 70 (80.5%) were anaerobes and 17 (19.5%) were facultative anaerobes. Fourteen cases contained mixtures of anaerobes and facultative anaerobes, and five contained anaerobes only. Bacteroides was the most commonly isolated genus (42.5% of all isolates). Clostridium villosum (16.1%) was the most frequently isolated bacterial species followed by Peptostreptococcus anaerobius and Pasteurella multocida (each 12.6%). The most commonly isolated anaerobic species was Clostridium villosum sp.nov. (20% of anaerobic isolates and 16.1% of all isolates) and Pasteurella multocida was the most commonly isolated facultatively anaerobic species (64.7% of facultative isolates and 12.6% of all isolates).     

Protein electrophoresis of psittacine plasma

BACKGROUND: Although protein electrophoresis (EPH) has been widely applied in human and veterinary medicine, it has only recently been implemented in the analysis of avian samples. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine the application of protein EPH to the analysis of psittacine plasma samples. Our goals were to describe protein fraction mobility, establish reference intervals for some common species, determine the coefficient of variation (CV) of the chosen method, and examine the effects of sample handling and sample condition. METHODS: Heparinized plasma samples from several common psittacine species (minimum sample size 50 each) were examined using the Beckman Paragon system and SPEP-II gels. Total protein was measured by refractometry. Reference intervals (95%) were calculated by the rank methods. RESULTS: Fraction migration patterns were found to vary among common psittacine species. Day-to-day CV for the EPH fractions ranged from 2.2% to 10.5%; within-run CV ranged from 4.8% to 10.8%; and total CV ranged from 3.2% to 14.8%. The highest CV was noted for the poorly defined alpha-globulin fraction. Prolonged refrigeration, repeated freeze-thawing, hemolysis, and lipemia altered the results. CONCLUSIONS: Protein fractions from psittacine species were variable in terms of migration pattern and protein concentration, which necessitates the use of species-specific reference intervals. Avian protein electrophoretic patterns and values should be interpreted based on knowledge of the CV associated with the technique as well as on the effects of sample handling and condition.     

Nitrate uptake by Enteromorpha spp. (Chlorophyceae): Applications to aquaculture systems

Enteromorpha linza and E. intestinalis thrive in aquatic systems rich in inorganic fixed nitrogen. At 15°C and ca. 1800 μW cm^?2 these algae showed a V_max for nitrate uptake of 129 μmol h^? g^?1 dry weight ( = ca. 22 μmol h^?1 g^?1 wet weight) and a K_s of 17 μM. At 20 μM rates averaged 70 ± 21 μmol h^?1 g^?1. They dropped to 19% of this value at 5°C, and at 0°C nitrate uptake ceased. In the first hour of darkness, nitrate uptake decreased to 35% and in the second hour to 10% of the rate in light. Enteromorpha spp. scavenged nitrate from the medium at concentrations < 0.5 μM, and no nitrate leaked out of the tissue into nitrate-free water. Information from this study may be useful in designing nutrient feeding strategies in aquaculture systems.     

Preparation and Characterization of Starch Particles for Use in Pickering Emulsions

Particle‐stabilized emulsions, called Pickering emulsions, can be produced by using starch particles. In this work we studied how the properties of the starch particles affect the droplet size and creaming of such emulsions. In the study, various sizes of starch particles were generated by two different methods and used to stabilize Pickering emulsions. Sedimentation according to Stokes’ law was used to separate small and large starch granules. Acid hydrolysis was another method used to obtain smaller particles. All samples were modified with octenyl succinic anhydride (OSA) to increase their hydrophobicity with a level of OSA substitution between 1.8 and 3.1%. The size of starch particles was the main factor influencing emulsion droplet sizes. Furthermore, the droplet size decreased as the starch concentration increased. Using small starch particles with sizes <10 μm produced stable emulsions with smaller droplet size compared with larger sizes of starch particles, >10 μm. When subjected to acid hydrolysis, smaller starch particles were generally obtained, which could subsequently create smaller emulsion droplets. The emulsion index increased for the acid‐hydrolyzed starch owing to the size reduction of starch particles. The shape of the starch seemed to have a minor impact on the droplet size and the creaming of Pickering emulsions.     

Genetic Diversity and Relationships of Wheat Landraces from Oman Investigated with SSR Markers

Little is known about genetic diversity and geographic origin of wheat landraces from Oman, an ancient area of wheat cultivation. The objectives of this study were to investigate the genetic relationships and levels of diversity of six wheat landraces collected in Oman with a set of 30 evenly distributed SSR markers. The total gene diversity, (H_T), conserved in the three durum wheat (Triticum durum desf.) landraces (H_T = 0.46) was higher than in the three bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) landraces (H_T = 0.37), which were similar to Turkish and Mexican bread wheat landraces calculated in previous studies. Genetic variation partitioning (G_ST) showed that variation was mainly distributed within rather than among the durum (G_ST = 0.30) and bread wheat (G_ST = 0.19) landraces. Based on modified Rogers’ distance (MRD), the durum and bread wheat landraces were distinct from each other except for a few individuals according to principal coordinate analysis (PCoA). One bread wheat landrace (Greda) was separated into two distinct sub-populations. A joint cluster analysis with other landraces of worldwide origin revealed that Omani bread wheat landraces were different from other landraces. However, two landraces from Pakistan were grouped somewhat closer to Omani landraces indicating a possible, previously unknown relationship. Implications of these results for future wheat landrace collection, evaluation and conservation are discussed.     

Tea enhances insulin activity

The most widely known health benefits of tea relate to the polyphenols as the principal active ingredients in protection against oxidative damage and in antibacterial, antiviral, anticarcinogenic, and antimutagenic activities, but polyphenols in tea may also increase insulin activity. The objective of this study was to determine the insulin-enhancing properties of tea and its components. Tea, as normally consumed, was shown to increase insulin activity >15-fold in vitro in an epididymal fat cell assay. Black, green, and oolong teas but not herbal teas, which are not teas in the traditional sense because they do not contain leaves of Camellia senensis, were all shown to increase insulin activity. High-performance liquid chromatography fractionation of tea extracts utilizing a Waters SymmetryPrep C18 column showed that the majority of the insulin-potentiating activity for green and oolong teas was due to epigallocatechin gallate. For black tea, the activity was present in several regions of the chromatogram corresponding to, in addition to epigallocatechin gallate, tannins, theaflavins, and other undefined compounds. Several known compounds found in tea were shown to enhance insulin with the greatest activity due to epigallocatechin gallate followed by epicatechin gallate, tannins, and theaflavins. Caffeine, catechin, and epicatechin displayed insignificant insulin-enhancing activities. Addition of lemon to the tea did not affect the insulin-potentiating activity. Addition of 5 g of 2% milk per cup decreased the insulin-potentiating activity one-third, and addition of 50 g of milk per cup decreased the insulin-potentiating activity approximately 90%. Nondairy creamers and soy milk also decreased the insulin-enhancing activity. These data demonstrate that tea contains in vitro insulin-enhancing activity and the predominant active ingredient is epigallocatechin gallate.     

Lobomycosis in Atlantic bottlenose dolphins from the Indian River Lagoon, Florida

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of lobomycosis, a mycotic infection of dolphins and humans caused by a yeastlike organism (Lacazia loboi), among dolphins in the Indian River Lagoon in Florida. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. ANIMALS: 146 Atlantic bottlenose dolphins. PROCEDURE: Comprehensive health assessments of bottlenose dolphins in the Indian River Lagoon of Florida (n = 75) and in estuarine waters near Charleston, SC (71), were conducted during 2003 and 2004. Bottlenose dolphins were captured, examined, and released. Skin lesions were photographed and then biopsied. Tissue sections were stained with H&E and Gomori methenamine silver stains for identification of L. loboi. RESULTS: 9 of 30 (30%) dolphins captured in the southern portion of the Indian River Lagoon had lobomycosis, whereas none of the 45 dolphins captured in the northern portion of the lagoon or of the 71 dolphins captured near Charleston, SC, did. Affected dolphins had low serum alkaline phosphatase activities and high acute-phase protein concentrations. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results suggest that lobomycosis may be occurring in epidemic proportions among dolphins in the Indian River Lagoon. Localization of the disease to the southern portion of the lagoon, an area characterized by freshwater intrusion and lower salinity, suggests that exposure to environmental stressors may be contributing to the high prevalence of the disease, but specific factors are unknown. Because only dolphins and humans are naturally susceptible to infection, dolphins may represent a sentinel species for an emerging infectious disease.