Assessment of the potential toxicity of a poison for rabbits, pindone (2-pivalyl 1, 3 indandione), to domestic animals

The toxicity of pindone, a rabbit poison, to horses, cattle, goats, chickens, dogs and cats was investigated, using extension of prothrombin time (PT) as an index of poisoning. The daily dose of pindone, administered for 5 days, ranged from 0.3 mg/kg for dogs to 2.5 mg/kg for chickens. This range of dose rates was considered to be indicative of the worst possible case that could arise following a campaign of baiting for rabbits. Although significant elevations in PT (more than double baseline values) were noted in all species other than horses, clinical signs of anticoagulant poisoning were not observed in any of the species tested. From the observed PT, cattle and cats appeared to be the most susceptible, and horses the least susceptible, to pindone toxicity. The half-lives of the elevated PT were calculated as 3.1 days for cattle, 2.8 days for goats and chickens, 1.9 days for horses and dogs and less than one day for cats. It is proposed that these half-lives can be used as a guide for determining the duration of treatment of pindone-affected animals.     

Use of Cholesterol‐Loaded Cyclodextrin in Donkey Semen Cryopreservation Improves Sperm Viability but Results in Low Fertility in Mares

The use of cholesterol‐loaded cyclodextrin (CLC) on semen cryopreservation has been related with better sperm viability in several species; however, the effect on fertility is not known in donkey semen. Ejaculates (n = 25) from five donkeys were diluted in S‐MEDIUM with 0, 1, 2 or 3 mg of CLC/120 × 10⁶ spermatozoa. Semen was frozen, and thawed samples were evaluated by computer‐assisted sperm analyser system (CASA), supravital test, hyposmotic swelling test and fluorescent dyes to assess the integrity of sperm membranes. Mares (n = 60) were inseminated with frozen‐thawed semen treated with the doses of 0 or 1 mg CLC. Percentages of sperm with progressive motility and with functional plasma membrane were greater (p < 0.05) in the CLC‐treated groups than in the control. Percentages of intact plasma membrane and intact plasma membrane and acrosome detected by fluorescent dyes were also greater (p < 0.05) in CLC‐treated groups. Although no difference (p > 0.05) in conception rates was detected between groups (control, 3/30, 10%; CLC‐treated, 1/30, 3.3%), fertility was low for artificial insemination programs in mares. Therefore, we firstly demonstrated that frozen semen treated with CLC in S‐MEDIA extender before freezing improves the in vitro sperm viability, but semen treated or not with CLC in S‐MEDIUM extender results in a very low conception rate in mares inseminated with thawed donkey semen.     

Equatorial X-ray Emissions: Implications for Jupiter's High Exospheric Temperatures

Observations with the High Resolution Imager on the Rontgensatellit reveal x-ray emissions from Jupiter's equatorial latitudes. The observed emissions probably result from the precipitation of energetic (>300 kiloelectron volts per atomic mass unit) sulfur and oxygen ions out of Jupiter's inner radiation belt. Model calculations of the energy deposition by such heavy ion precipitation and of the resulting atmospheric heating rates indicate that this energy source can contribute to the high exospheric temperatures(>800 kelvin at 0.01 microbar) measured by the Galileo probe's Atmospheric Structure Instrument. Low-latitude energetic particle precipitation must therefore be considered, in addition to other proposed mechanisms such as gravity waves and soft electron precipitation, as an important source of heat for Jupiter's thermosphere.     

Locomotor effects in sheep of alkaloids identified in Australian Tribulus terrestris

Fresh, mature, ungrazed Tribulus terrestris plant material was subjected to a standard alkaloid extraction procedure. The extract was fractionated by thin layer chromatography (TLC) and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Two major alkaloid fractions were demonstrated. These fractions were identified by means of TLC, ultraviolet spectrofluorimetry (UVS) and HPLC, as the beta-carboline indoleamines harmane and norharmane. The extractable alkaloid content was determined to be 44 mg/kg dry matter. Synthetic harmane and norharmane were administered subcutaneously to sheep at a dose rate of 54 mg/kg. Both compounds caused similar nervous effects. The main effect observed was limb paresis, which in some sheep was body side blased. The clinical signs observed in the experimental sheep were consistent with those described for naturally occurring cases of Tribulus terrestris staggers. It was proposed that harmane and norharmane accumulate in tryptamine-associated neurones of the central nervous system, during months of tribulus ingestion, and gradually interact irreversibly with a specific neuronal gene DNA sequence.     

Testosterone serum profile,semen characteristics and testicular biometry of Mangalarga Marchador stallions in a tropical environment

This study was conducted to characterize the daily profile of testosterone secretion and its mean concentrations in the four seasons as well as to evaluate the semen characteristics and testicular biometry of Mangalarga Marchador stallions throughout the year in a tropical region. Three stallions were submitted to semen collections and evaluation of testicular biometry every 14 days along a year. Blood samples were collected once at the middle of each season, in a 20‐min interval during 24 hr in order to evaluate the testosterone secretion profiles among seasons. Testosterone concentrations along the day were higher at the beginning of the afternoon (from 12:00 to 15:00 hr), but a circadian secretion was not clearly observed. Mean testosterone concentrations did not differ among seasons (p > .05), but a pattern of secretion along the day showed variations with higher concentrations in the afternoon during the winter. Ejaculate volume was higher during summer; however, sperm motility decreased in summer and spring. Total sperm in ejaculate, sperm morphology and testicular biometry kept constant along the year showing no differences among the seasons. The results demonstrated that in a tropical region, reproductive aspects of stallions did not show a clearly defined seasonal variation, and months of autumn and winter were not unsuitable for reproduction of the males.     

Identification of the SP22 Sperm Protein in Santa Inês and Dorper Rams

The sperm membrane protein referred to as SP22 has been identified in different species and, at least in rats, is highly correlated with fertility. The goals of this study were to identify and to quantify the SP22 protein on spermatozoa from adult rams (Dorper and Santa Inês breeds), and to correlate its levels to morphological and kinematics parameters. SP22 on ram sperm was effectively quantified by both enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and fluorescein isothiocyanate immunostaining analysis and the two methods were significantly correlated (R² = 0.70). Clustering analysis of motility parameters obtained by computer‐assisted semen analysis system was used to establish that three distinct kinematic subpopulations with different vigour and progressiveness coexistent within ejaculate. While there were significant differences in the distribution of the three subpopulations in the rams, there was no significant correlation between the proportion of each subpopulation in the rams and the SP22 levels. Quantification of SP22 immunostaining intensity was not correlated with any of the sperm parameters. However, SP22 levels obtained by ELISA were negatively correlated with morphological abnormalities and positively correlated with membrane integrity (three variable R² = 0.47). Future breeding studies are now needed to validate that this protein is a biomarker of fertility in this species.     

Phytoplankton community structure and the drawdown of nutrients and CO2 in the southern ocean

Data from recent oceanographic cruises show that phytoplankton community structure in the Ross Sea is related to mixed layer depth. Diatoms dominate in highly stratified waters, whereas Phaeocystis antarctica assemblages dominate where waters are more deeply mixed. The drawdown of both carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrate per mole of phosphate and the rate of new production by diatoms are much lower than that measured for P. antarctica. Consequently, the capacity of the biological community to draw down atmospheric CO2 and transport it to the deep ocean could diminish dramatically if predicted increases in upper ocean stratification due to climate warming should occur.