XY male pseudohermaphroditism in a captive Arabian oryx (Oryx leucoryx).

A 2-yr-old Arabian oryx (Oryx leucoryx) was presented for evaluation of abnormal genitalia and infantile behavior. The oryx had a penis and a scrotum, but testes were not palpable within the scrotum or inguinal canal. The total serum testosterone for the individual was lower than in age-matched males of the same species. Surgical exploration showed markedly hypoplastic intra-abdominal gonads, which demonstrated both testicular and uterine tissue on histologic examination. After karyotype analysis, the individual was classified as an XY male pseudohermaphrodite. This condition resembles two human intersex syndromes: embryonic testicular regression syndrome and partial gonadal dysgenesis syndrome, which occur in familial lines.     

Novel inhibitors of sterol C-14 demethylase and Δ14 Reductase/Δ8 → Δ7 isomerase for cereal disease control

The activity of five experimental fungicides combining structural elements responsible for sterol C-14 demethylase inhibition and sterol nuclear double-bond transformations has been investigated by examining sterol accumulation in Ustilago maydis (DC.) Corda, inhibition of sterol-biosynthesis enzymes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae Meyer using a cell-free system and protective activity in cereals against Erysiphe graminis DC. and Puccinia coronata Corda. Combining the fenpropidin/fenpropimorph basic structure with a pyridine moiety offered no advantage in fungicidal activity. However, the combination of the pyrifenox structure with a morpholine moiety yielded a compound which was a good inhibitor of C-14 demethylase and Δ⁸ → Δ⁷ isomerase in vitro and gave good cereal protection.     

The dietary toxicity of flocoumafen to hens: Elimination and accumulation following repeated oral administration

In a dietary toxicity study, laying hens received a diet containing the rodenticide flocoumafen at concentrations of 1.5, 5, 10 and 50 mg kg^?1 for five consecutive days. The LC₅₀ at termination following a 28-day observation period was 16.4 mg kg^?1. Livers of birds which received doses of flocoumafen between 5 and 50 mg kg^?1 had concentrations of flocoumafen (1.5 nmol g^?1) that were independent of dose. The data indicate the presence in hen liver of a saturable high-affinity flocoumafen binding site with similar characteristics and capacity to that of the quail and rat. Residues of flocoumafen in samples of breast and leg muscle were low in all exposure groups. Higher, dose-related residues were found in samples of abdominal fat and skin-associated fat and there was a clear demonstration of the transfer of dose-related residues into eggs. In a separate study in which hens were dosed with [¹⁴C]flocoumafen for five consecutive days at a daily rate of 1 and 4 mg kg^?1 body weight, the majority (68 %) of the daily radioactive dose was eliminated over the following 24 hours via excreta. Residues in liver at death or when killed accounted for < 1 % of the cumulative administered radioactivity. Residues in eggs were located primarily in the yolk with maximum concentrations 1.0 mg kg^?1 or 0.18% of the low dose; 2.1 mg kg^?1 or 0.06% of the high dose as [¹⁴C]flocoumafen equivalents were observed at 10 days after start of dosing. Some 40 % of the total activity in the yolk was unchanged flocoumafen.     

Serum total and ionized magnesium concentrations and urinary fractional excretion of magnesium in cats with diabetes mellitus and diabetic ketoacidosis

OBJECTIVE: To determine magnesium (Mg) status in cats with naturally acquired diabetes mellitus (DM) and diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), evaluate changes in Mg status after treatment for DKA, and correlate Mg status with systemic blood pressure and degree of glycemic control. DESIGN: Case series and cohort study. ANIMALS: 12 healthy cats (controls), 21 cats with DM, and 7 cats with DKA. PROCEDURE: Serum total magnesium (tMg) and ionized magnesium (iMg) concentrations and spot urinary fractional excretion of magnesium (FEmg) were determined, using serum and urine samples obtained from all cats when they were entered in the study and from cats with DKA 12, 24, and 48 hours after initiating treatment. Indirect blood pressure and degree of glycemic control were determined in 10 and 21 cats with DM, respectively. RESULTS: Initially, 2 and 13 cats with DM and 1 and 4 cats with DKA had serum tMg and iMg concentrations, respectively, less than the low reference limit (mean-2 SD) determined for controls. In cats with DKA, serum tMg concentration decreased significantly over time after initiating treatment. Urinary FEmg was significantly higher in cats with DM or DKA, compared with controls. Systemic hypertension was not detected nor was there a correlation between Mg status and degree of glycemic control in cats with DM. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Hypomagnesemia was a common finding in cats with DM and DKA and was more readily identified by measuring serum iMg concentration than tMg concentration. The clinical ramifications of hypomagnesemia in such cats remain to be determined.     

ULTRASONOGRAPHIC FINDINGS IN CHOLECYSTOKININ-INDUCED PANCREATITIS IN DOGS

Pancreatitis can be induced in dogs by intravenous infusion of supraphysiologic doses of synthetic cholecystokinin octapeptide (CCK-8). Eight anesthetized female beagles were given either CCK-8 or saline in a randomized, blinded fashion and had abdominal ultrasonography to study the development of pancreatic lesions. Pancreatic lesions were apparent 2 hours after the start of CCK-8 infusion and included swelling, interlobular and subcapsular fluid accumulation and patchy hypoechogenicity of the gland parenchyma. CCK-8 had a variable effect on gallbladder emptying. No signs of biliary obstruction or duodenal lesions were identified. Dogs given CCK-8 had severe edematous pancreatitis at necropsy six hours after the start of the infusion. Compared to the oleic acid model of pancreatitis, CCK-8 infusion induces a rapid onset of pancreatitis and an ultrasonographic appearance that reflects diffuse edema of the gland. The short time-scale of the experiment may account for the relative absence of secondary lesions affecting the biliary tract or duodenum compared to the naturally-occurring disease.     

Effects of Dietary Protein Concentration on Growth, Survival, and Body Composition of Muskellunge Esox musquinongy and Tiger Muskellunge Esox masquinongy × E. luscius Fingerlings

Growth rate, survival and body composition of muskellunge Esox musquinongy (initial mean total length = 125 mm) and tiger muskellunge E. masquinongy × E. lucius (initial mean total length = 115 mm) fed semi-purified diets differing in protein level from 31 to 40% and 34 to 45%, respectively, were evaluated in 8-wk trials. The minimum protein level that yielded satisfactory growth rates for muskellunge was 37%, whereas tiger muskellunge growth rates were highest for fish fed a 45% protein diet. Growth differences were caused by changes in protein quantity, not quality, as amino acid ratios were similar for test diets and showed no imbalances among diets. Condition factors for both fishes increased with dietary protein. Survival of muskellunge (73%) and tiger muskellunge (97%) was not pffected by diet type. Body protein increased and fat content decreased in both fishes when fed higher dietary protein. Results suggest that both fishes respond similarly to dietary changes, but that substantial differences exist in protein requirements.     

Heinz Body Formation Associated With Ketoacidosis in Diabetic Cats

Oxidative damage plays an important role in the pathophysiology of diabetes and diabetic complications. Feline hemoglobin is uniquely susceptible to oxidative denaturation; therefore, Heinz body formation is a highly sensitive indicator of in vivo oxidative stress in this species. Heinz bodies also contribute to anemia. We investigated hematological and clinical biochemical changes in 30 cats with spontaneous diabetes mellitus (as compared to 15 healthy control cats) and evaluated the relationship of these changes to erythrocyte oxidative damage. Cats were categorized as ketoacidotic or nonketoacidotic based on their clinical presentation and the presence of urine ketones. Ketoacidotic cats had significantly ( P = .0009) more Heinz bodies (28.3% ± 9.1 %) than nonketotic diabetic cats (6.5% ± 1.60%) and healthy control cats (0.6% ± 0.2%). Percent Heinz bodies in diabetic cats directly correlated with plasma β-hydroxy-butyrate concentration ( r = .622; P = .0002), as well as with serum chloride concentration ( r = -0.576; P = 0.0009) and the number of monocytes ( r = .536; P = .0023). Percent Heinz bodies were negatively correlated with erythrocyte glutathione concentrations. Erythrocyte membrane lipid peroxidation was slightly but not significantly increased in diabetic cats. There were no significant associations between percent Heinz bodies and degree of anemia, hyperglycemia, or glycohemoglobin. These data indicate that ketones are associated with oxidative hemoglobin damage in cats, and suggest that ketone metabolism, ie by cytochrome P450 2E1, may be a potential source of in vivo oxygen radical generation in animals with ketosis.