Comparative effect of advanced soy products or corn protein concentrate with porcine meal on growth,body composition,and distal intestine histology of Florida pompano,Trachinotus carolinus

The present study was designed to investigate the effects of diets containing advanced soy products (enzyme‐treated soy and fermented soy) or corn protein concentrate (CPC) in combination with porcine meal (PM) to completely replace poultry byproduct meal (PBM) on growth performance, body composition, and distal intestine histology of Florida pompano, Trachinotus carolinus. Four experimental diets were formulated to be isonitrogenous and isolipidic, to contain 400 g/kg crude protein and 80 g/kg lipid. A reference diet (PBM diet [PBMD]) contained 150 g/kg PBM and 495 g/kg soybean meal (SBM), and three test diets were formulated replacing PBM with 15 g/kg of CPC (CPC diet [CPCD]) or replacing all SBM and PBM with 535 g/kg fermented soy (fermented soybean meal diet [FSBMD]) or 451.3 g/kg enzyme‐treated soy (enzyme‐treated soybean meal diet [ESBMD]). All three test diets were supplemented with 38 g/kg of PM. Diets were fed based on a percentage of bodyweight adjusted after sampling the fish every 2 weeks to triplicate groups of Florida pompano juveniles (mean weight 8.06 ± 0.22 g). After 8 weeks of feeding, fish fed CPCD and ESBMD performed equally well in terms of final body weight, thermal growth coefficient, and percentage weight gain in comparison to fish fed PBMD. In all cases, feeding FSBMD resulted in poor feed conversion and lower feed intake compared to other treatments. Protein retention efficiency, whole‐body proximate composition, phosphorus, sulfur, potassium, magnesium, calcium, sodium, and zinc contents were not significantly influenced by the dietary treatments. The results obtained in the present histological study showed no significant differences in the thickness of serous layer, muscular layer, and submucosal layer of the intestine among treatments. Fish fed CPCD showed a significant widening of the lamina propria with an increase of cellular infiltration and higher presence of goblet cells compared to other dietary treatment. Based on these results, 451 g/kg ESBM or combination of 150 g/kg of CPC and 495 g/kg SBM supplemented with 38 g/kg PM can be utilized to develop a practical diet for juvenile Florida pompano without impacting growth, nutritive parameters, and several distal intestine health parameters.     

Capnographic documentation of nasoesophageal and nasogastric feeding tube placement in dogs

Objective: To evaluate the ability of capnography to document proper placement of nasoesophageal (NE) and nasogastric (NG) feeding tubes. This study was conducted in 3 phases. Phase I of this study was designed in order to test the efficacy of capnography to distinguish placement of a feeding tube in the alimentary tract versus the respiratory tract. Phase II was designed in order to document that carbon dioxide (CO₂) could be measured through a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) feeding tube. Phase III was performed in order to evaluate the technique of continuous monitoring during insertion of the feeding tube into the esophagus and stomach as would be performed during a clinical‐tube placement. Design: Prospective study. Setting: Research laboratory. Animals: 24 adult dogs. Interventions: In Phase I, sedated dogs were instrumented with an intratracheal catheter and an 8 French feeding tube placed nasally into the distal esophagus and later advanced into the stomach. In Phase II, dogs were anesthetized and an 8 French feeding tube was placed down the endotracheal tube, then into the esophagus and later advanced into the stomach. In Phase III, sedated dogs were instrumented with an 8 French feeding tube inserted intranasally and then advanced to the level of the nasopharynx, distal esophagus and, lastly, the stomach. Fluoroscopy was used in order to determine location of the feeding tube. Measurements and main results: Phase I measurements included respiratory rate and CO₂ from the trachea, esophagus, and stomach and pH of gastric fluid sample. Phase II measurements included respiratory rate and CO₂ from the endotracheal tube, feeding tube in the endotracheal tube, feeding tube in the distal esophagus, and feeding tube in the stomach. Phase III data collection included respiratory rate and CO₂ as the tube was passed through the nasal cavity, nasopharynx, esophagus and stomach. Phase I fluid samples were collected from 5 of the 9 dogs and had pH values from 1.68 to 4.20. In both phases, values for the respiratory rate and CO₂ from the esophagus and stomach were 0 ± 0, significantly lower (P < 0.001) than the values from the trachea. In Phase II, there was no significant difference between the respiratory rates (P = 0.886) and CO₂ (P = 0.705) readings obtained from the endotracheal tube compared to readings from the feeding tube in the endotracheal tube. In Phase III, there was a significant difference (P < 0.001) between the respiratory rates and CO₂ readings obtained from the nasal cavity and the nasopharynx when compared to those readings obtained from the esophagus and stomach. Measurement of CO₂ and respiratory rate resulted in a reading of 0 every time the feeding tube was in the esophagus or stomach. Conclusions: Capnography may be used in order to detect airway placement of NE and NG tubes.     

Insulin and glucose regulation.

Abnormally high or low blood glucose and insulin concentrations after standardized glucose tolerance tests can reflect disorders such as pituitary dysfunction, polysaccharide storage myopathies, and other clinical disorders. Glucose and insulin responses, however, are modified by the diet to which the animal has adapted, time since it was last fed, and what it was fed. Body fat (obesity), fitness level, physiologic status, and stress also alter glucose and insulin metabolism. Therefore, it is important to consider these factors when evaluating glucose and insulin tests, especially if only one sample it taken. This article describes the factors affecting glucose and insulin metabolism in horses and how they might influence the interpretation of standardized tests of glucose tolerance.     

蛋白质营养的未来是肽营养

优化蛋白质营养不再仅仅是对日粮进行大致的氨基酸平衡。蛋白质的形式对猪的健康和生长会产生长远的影响。　　蛋白质摄入量是生长猪营养中的一个基本要素。要提高瘦肉生长率,就需要平衡良好的氨基酸以供蛋白质合成之用,这些氨基酸需要以一定的形式通过日粮来提供。现在能够对饲料进行精确的分析,并且有来源可靠的合成氨基酸,已经为猪的蛋白质营养提供了坚实的基础。然而,有时候这会导致过量氮的排泄,因为并非提供的所有的蛋白质都会被猪吸收。过量氮的排出,不但会造成浪费,而且还会对环境造成污染。近年来,新的证据表明,单独提供氨基酸可能…     

Bacterial-associated diarrhea in the dog: a critical appraisal.

The clinical documentation of enteropathogenic bacteria causing diarrhea in dogs is clouded by the presence of many of these organisms existing as normal constituents of the indigenous intestinal flora. The diagnosis of a putative bacterial enteropathogen(s) in dogs should be made based on a combination of parameters, including signalment and predisposing factors, clinical signs, serologic assays for toxins, fecal culture, and PCR. Relying on results of fecal culture alone is problematic, because C perfringens, C difficile, Campylobacter spp, and pathogenic and non-pathogenic E coli are commonly isolated from apparently healthy dogs [10,13,33]. Nevertheless, culture may be useful in procuring isolates for the application of molecular techniques, such as PCR, for detection of specific toxin genes or molecular typing of isolated strains to establish clonality in suspected outbreaks. The oversimplistic attempt to characterize bacterially associated diarrhea by anatomic localization of clinical signs should be discouraged, because most of the previously mentioned bacteria have been associated with small and large intestinal diarrhea. Accurate diagnosis of infections may require diagnostic laboratories to incorporate PCR-based assays using genus- and species-specific primers to facilitate detection of toxin genes and differentiation of species that appear phenotypically and biochemically similar. There has been tremendous interest in the application of microarray technology for the simultaneous detection of thousands of genes or target DNA sequences on one glass slide. This powerful tool could be used for detection of specific pathogenic bacterial strains in fecal specimens obtained from dogs in the future.     

Extreme eosinophilia with disseminated eosinophilic granulomatous disease in a horse

Extreme eosinophilia with disseminated eosinophilic granulomatous disease is described in a 4-year-old Arabian mare. Clinical signs included weight loss, coughing, jugular distention, and ventral edema. Cutaneous lesions were not observed. Eosinophilic inflammation was observed in cytologic specimens from the respiratory tract, body cavities, and lymph nodes. At necropsy, a 20-cm diameter intrathoracic mass was observed. Smaller nodules were present in the lymph nodes, liver, spleen, adrenal glands, pancreas, and skeletal muscle. Histologically, these masses and nodules were characterized by infiltrates of eosinophils, macrophages, and multinucleated giant cells, reactive fibroplasia; and multifocal eosinophilic coagula. Microscopically, mild eosinophilic infiltrates were observed in sections of stomach, small intestine, colon, and pleura; however, gross lesions were not observed in these tissues at necropsy. The etiology of the extreme eosinophilia and disseminated eosinophilic granulomatous disease in this horse was not determined.     

Determination of uric acid in canine serum and urine by high performance liquid chromatography

A reproducible high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was developed for analysis of uric acid in canine serum and urine. The method consists of precipitating serum proteins with phosphotungstic acid prior to HPLC analysis. Urine is analyzed after dilution with buffer. Chromatography is performed on a reversed-phase C-18 column with UV detection at 292 nm. Sensitivity of the method will allow reproducible measurement of uric acid at concentrations of 0.05 mg/dl in serum and 0.1 mg/dl in urine. The HPLC method has been used to quantify hundreds of canine serum and urine samples. The method is superior to UV absorption or colorimetric methods because its lower limit of detection allows measurement of uric acid at concentrations found in canine serum and urine.     

Distribution and Activity of Fatty Acid Amide Hydralase (FAAH) in the Gastrointestinal Neurons of Mouse

The endocannabinoid anandamide may regulate intestinal motility through activation of CB1 receptors. Anandamide is then inactivated by fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH), a membrane bound enzyme. Under pathological conditions, inactivation of such enzymatic activity may lead to inhibition of the intestinal motility. Here, preliminary reports on the distribution of Fatty Acid Amide Hydrolase (FAAH) immunoreactivity in the mouse gastrointestinal neurons, and the pharmacological effects of N‐arachidonoylserotonin (AA‐5HT), a selective inhibitor of FAAH, are reported. FAAH was revealed by an indirect immunofluorescence. Laminar preparations containing the myenteric or the submucous plexus adhered, were peeled off after the whole gut wall had been stretched out and fixed in 4% paraformaldehyde. They were subsequently incubated with a polyclonal anti‐serum directed against a region near the N‐terminus of the human FAAH and revealed by a FITC‐conjugated goat anti‐rabbit secondary anti‐serum. FAAH‐immunoreactive neurons were observed within the myenteric ganglia throughout the GIT. The positive nerve cells varied in size and density of immunoreactivity. Stomach and large intestine showed the highest neuronal density. AA‐5HT significantly reduced both gastric emptying and gastrointestinal tract transit. Such inhibitory effect was reduced by the C1 receptor antagonist SR141716A. Both morphological and pharmacological results suggest that FAAH may play a critical role in controlling gut anandamide levels.     

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in veterinary ophthalmology.

Uveitis is a common sequela to many ocular diseases. Primary treatment goals for uveitis should be to halt inflammation, prevent or control complications caused by inflammation, relieve pain, and preserve vision.Systemic and topical NSAIDs are essential components of the pharmaceutic armamentarium currently employed in the management of ocular inflammation by general practitioners and veterinary ophthalmologists worldwide. NSAIDs effectively prevent intraoperative miosis; control postoperative pain and inflammation after intraocular procedures, thus optimizing surgical outcome; control symptoms of allergic conjunctivitis;alleviate pain from various causes of uveitis; and circumvent some of the unwanted side effects that occur with corticosteroid treatment. Systemic NSAID therapy is necessary to treat posterior uveitis, because therapeutic concentrations cannot be attained in the retina and choroid with topical administration alone, and is warranted when diseases, such as diabetes mellitus or systemic infection, preclude the use of systemic corticosteroids.Risk factors have been identified with systemic and topical administration of NSAIDs. In general, ophthalmic NSAIDs may be used safely with other ophthalmic pharmaceutics; however, concurrent use of drugs known to affect the corneal epithelium adversely, such as gentamicin, may lead to increased corneal penetration of the NSAID. The concurrent use of NSAIDs with topical corticosteroids in the face of significant preexisting corneal inflammation has been identified as a risk factor in precipitating corneal erosions and melts in people and should be undertaken with caution[8]. Clinicians should remain vigilant in their screening of ophthalmic and systemic complications secondary to drug therapy and educate owners accordingly. If a sudden increase in patient ocular pain (as manifested by an increase in blepharospasm, photophobia, ocular discharge, or rubbing)is noted, owners should be instructed to contact their veterinarian promptly.