The use of nuclear imaging for a mixed C cell microfollicular carcinoma of the thyroid gland in a mature horse

A 15‐year‐old Boerperd stallion presented for thyroid enlargement associated with inappetance. Ultrasonographic examination of the thyroid gland revealed an enlarged left lobe, which, on cytological examination, contained numerous anaplastic cells. A mixed C cell microfollicular thyroid carcinoma was diagnosed following histopathological examination of the excisional biopsy specimen. In order to determine metastasis, pulmonary radiographs revealed a poorly‐marginated soft tissue opacity caudo‐dorsal to the cardiac silhouette. Thyroid and pulmonary scintigraphy was performed comparing ^99mTc‐sestamibi with ^99mTc‐pertechnetate and no metastasis was detectable. Following hemithyroidectomy, the stallion made a full recovery without the need for neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Six months later, repeated thyroid and pulmonary scintigraphy using ^99mTc‐sestamibi was normal.     

黄芩汤治疗索拉非尼相关性腹泻的临床研究

目的 观察黄芩汤治疗索拉非尼所致腹泻的临床疗效。方法 将30例服用索拉非尼后出现腹泻的原发性肝癌患者随机分为治疗组和对照组,各15例。治疗组给予黄芩汤煎服,对照组给予胃黏膜保护剂蒙脱石散及肠道菌群调节剂地衣芽孢杆菌活菌胶囊口服治疗,两组患者均治疗4周。观察两组患者腹泻持续时间、腹泻程度、肠道菌群变化、不良反应的发生情况及中医证候积分。结果 治疗后治疗组腹泻持续时间明显短于对照组（P<0.05）,腹泻程度改善明显优于对照组（P<0.05）,不良反应发生率明显低于对照组（P<0.05）;在调节肠道菌群方面,治疗组肠球菌、肠杆菌数较治疗前及对照组均有所下降（P<0.05）,对照组无明显变化;证候总积分治疗组下降幅度明显大于对照组（P<0.05）,治疗组总有效率93.3%明显优于对照组60.0%（P<0.05）。结论 黄芩汤能明显改善索拉非尼所致腹泻,可调节肠道菌群稳态,维护肠道正常功能。     

蛋鸡脂肪肝综合征模型的建立

试验旨在建立蛋鸡脂肪肝综合征病理模型。选取5日龄的海兰褐蛋鸡公雏280只，随机分为对照组（基础日粮组）和3个模型组（A、B、C组），试验第1~10天给模型组饲喂不同配比的高脂饲料，第11~20天饲喂常规基础日粮，每天观察并记录试验鸡精神状态、外观体征、饮水量和食欲情况，试验第0、10、20天从各组随机抽取15只鸡进行翅静脉采血并剖取肝脏和腹脂，测定肝脏系数、肝脂率、腹脂率，血清总胆固醇（TC）、甘油三酯（TG）、谷丙转氨酶（ALT）和谷草转氨酶（AST）水平。结果显示，试验第10天，3个模型组剖检时可见腹腔和肠系膜有大量的脂肪沉积，肝脏系数、肝脂率和腹脂率，以及血清中总胆固醇、甘油三酯、谷丙转氨酶和谷草转氨酶指标均符合鸡脂肪肝综合征模型的诊断标准；试验第20天，模型A、B组谷丙转氨酶和谷草转氨酶水平有所恢复，其他指标仍高于对照组，而模型C组的临床症状和各项检测指标仍符合鸡脂肪肝综合征模型的诊断标准。因此采用连续饲喂高脂饲料C（74.5%基础日粮、6%胆固醇、14%猪油、5%蔗糖、0.5%丙基硫氧嘧啶）可成功建立蛋鸡脂肪肝综合征模型。     

Random-effects linear model application to herd-level assessment of bovine hepatic trace mineral concentrations

To evaluate the utility of random-effects linear modeling for herd-level evaluation of trace mineral status, we performed a retrospective analysis of the results for trace mineral testing of bovine liver samples submitted to the Michigan State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory between 2011 and 2017. Our aim was to examine random-effects models for their potential utility in improving interpretation with minimal sample numbers. The database consisted of 1,658 animals distributed among 121 herds. Minerals were assayed by inductively coupled plasma–mass spectroscopy, and included cobalt, copper, iron, molybdenum, manganese, selenium, and zinc. Intraclass correlation coefficients for each mineral were significantly different (p < 0.001) from zero and ranged from 0.38 for manganese to 0.82 for selenium, indicating that the strength of herd effects, which are presumably related to diet, vary greatly by mineral. Analysis of the distribution and standard errors of best linear unbiased predictor (BLUP) values suggested that testing 5–10 animals per herd could place herds within 10 percentile units across the population of herds with 70–95% confidence, the confidence level varying among minerals. Herd means were generally similar to BLUPs, suggesting that means could be reasonably compared to BLUPs with respect to the distributions reported here. However, caution in interpreting means relative to BLUPs should be exercised when animal numbers are small, the standard errors of the means are large, and/or the values are near the extremes of the distribution.     

Hepatic encephalomyelopathy in a calf with congenital portosystemic shunt (CPSS)

A 4-month-old female Holstein Friesian calf was referred to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, University of Berne, Switzerland for evaluation of ataxia, weakness, apathy and stunted growth. Clinical examination revealed generalized ataxia, propioceptive deficits, decreased menace response and sensibility. Postmortem examination did not reveal macroscopic changes of major organs. Histologically, the brain and the spinal cord lesions were characterized by polymicrocavitation, preferentially affecting the white matter fibers at the junction of grey and white matter and by the presence of Alzheimer type II cells. The liver revealed lesions consistent with a congenital portosystemic shunt, characterized by increased numbers of arteriolar profiles and hypoplasia to absence of portal veins. The pathological investigations along with the animal history and clinical signs indicated a hepatic encephalomyelopathy due to a congenital portosystemic shunt.     

Photodynamic therapy for the treatment of periocular squamous cell carcinoma in horses: a pilot study

Objective  Local photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a novel cancer therapy in veterinary ophthalmology. A prospective pilot study seeking to demonstrate proof of principle and safety for the treatment of equine periocular squamous cell carcinoma (PSCC) was therefore conducted. We hypothesized that surgical excision with adjunctive local PDT is an effective and safe treatment for equine PSCC.
Procedures  Nine horses (10 eyes) with PSCC were treated with surgical resection, local infiltration of resulting wound beds with 2-[1-hexyloxyethyl]-2-devinylpyropheophorbide-a (HPPH) and irradiation with 665-nm wavelength diode laser. Regular follow-up ophthalmic examinations were performed.
Results  Surgical resection and PDT yielded disease-free intervals of 25–68 months in our study horses as of January, 2008. These results were obtained following a single treatment in seven horses and two treatments in one horse. In one horse, carcinoma in situ developed 2.5 months after partial surgical excision and PDT, requiring local excision under standing sedation.
Conclusions  Preliminary results suggest that surgical resection and adjunctive local PDT is a safe and effective novel treatment for PSCC in horses. More research is needed before PDT for the treatment of equine PSCC can be adequately compared with other current modalities. Important to future investigations regarding PDT, tumor recurrence rate, length of hospitalization, number of treatment episodes required to effect tumor remission, and total treatment costs should be examined in a controlled manner. Our present results and experiences suggest that this treatment may be useful in the treatment of equine PSCC.     

Intestinal microbiota of broilers submitted to feeding restriction and its relationship to hepatic metabolism and fat mass: Fast‐growing strain

The present study was conducted to verify how feed restriction affects gut microbiota and gene hepatic expression in broiler chickens and how these variables are related to body weight gain. For the experiment, 21‐d‐old Cobb500^TM birds were distributed in a completely randomized experimental design with three treatments: T1. Control (ad libitum—3.176 Mcal/kg ME—metabolizable energy—and 19% CP—crude protein); T2. Energetic restriction (2.224 Mcal/kg ME and 19% CP) from 22 to 42 days with consumption equivalent to control; T3. Quantitative restriction (70% restriction, i.e., restricted broilers ingested only 30% of the quantity consumed by the control group—3.176 Mcal/kg ME and 19% CP) for 7 days, followed by refeeding ad libitum from 28 to 42 days. Ileum and caecum microbiota collections were made at 21, 28 and 42 days of age. Hepatic tissue was collected at 28 and 42 days old for relative gene expression analyses. At 43‐d‐old, body composition was quantified by DXA (Dual‐energy X‐ray Absorptiometry). Both feed restriction programmes decreased Lactobacillus and increased Enterococcus and Enterobacteriaceae counts. No differences were found in the refeeding period. Energetic restriction induced the expression of CPT1‐A (Carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1A) gene, and decreased body fat mass. Quantitative feed restriction increased lipogenic and decreased lipolytic gene expression. In the refeeding period, CPT1‐A gene expression was induced, without changing the broilers body composition. Positive associations were found between BWG (Body Weight Gain) and Lactobacillus and Clostridium cluster IV groups, and negatively associations with Enterobacteriaceae and Enterococcus bacterial groups. In conclusion, differences found in microbiota were similar between the two feed restriction programmes, however, hepatic gene expression differences were only found in quantitative restriction. Higher counts of Lactobacillus and Clostridium cluster IV groups in ileum are likely to be related to better broiler performance and low expression of lipogenic genes.