Presence of cervical vertebral malformation in Dobermann puppies and the effects of diet and growth rate

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between diet, growth rate and the presence of caudal cervical malformation in Doberman puppies. DESIGN: A prospective study of 15 Dobermann puppies from three unrelated litters, aged from 0 to 16 weeks. PROCEDURE: The growth rate in terms of body weight gain and increase in ulna length were measured weekly for all puppies. In addition the nutritional quality of the diets was assessed. Radiographs of the cervical spine were taken at 6 and between 12 and 16 weeks of age and examined for the presence of caudal cervical vertebral malformation. A mixed model for repeated measures data was used to investigate the relationship between the growth rate of the puppies and the fixed effects age, dam, diet, gender and presence of caudal cervical malformation. RESULTS: Five of the puppies had changes consistent with caudal cervical malformation. The diets fed were either balanced or transiently deficient in protein, calcium, phosphorus and/or magnesium. There was no significant association between growth rate and the variables dam, gender and the presence of caudal cervical vertebral malformation. There was no significant association between diet and increase in ulna length, but a trend existed between body weight gain and the feeding of a balanced diet (P = 0.0672). CONCLUSION: Caudal cervical vertebral changes can be detected radiographically as early as 6 weeks of age in some Dobermann puppies. A balanced diet and growth rate are not significant factors in its initial development.     

Lens formation in the absence of optic cup in rat embryos irradiated with soft X-ray

In order to investigate the effect of soft X-ray irradiation on ocular development, pregnant rats were exposed to a single 12.5 Gy irradiation on embryonic day 9 (ED 9). The embryos obtained by laparotomy on ED 12 and 21 were examined for ocular abnormalities under a binocular stereo-microscope and a light microscope. The ED 12 embryos were stained with osmium tetroxide to facilitate the observation. The stereo-microscopic examination on ED 12 and 21 revealed various types of ocular abnormalities characterized primarily by aplasia or hypoplasia of the optic cup and invaginated lens placode. The light microscopic examination further confirmed these findings histomorphologically, and the hypoplastic abnormalities were classified into three types: (1) hypoplasia of the optic cup and invaginated lens placode, (2) complete malformation of the optic cup and hypoplasia of the invaginated lens placode, and (3) complete malformation of the optic cup and invaginated lens placode. Because the lens was formed in the complete absence of the retina, the development and differentiation of the retina and lens do not seem to be tightly synchronized. Thus, this sequential analysis on ocular abnormalities during the early stage of development supports the notion that the presence of the retina is not always necessary for the development of the lens.     

A PROPOSED RADIOGRAPHIC CLASSIFICATION SCHEME FOR CONGENITAL THORACIC VERTEBRAL MALFORMATIONS IN BRACHYCEPHALIC “SCREW‐TAILED” DOG BREEDS

Congenital vertebral malformations are common in brachycephalic “screw‐tailed” dog breeds such as French bulldogs, English bulldogs, Boston terriers, and pugs. The aim of this retrospective study was to determine whether a radiographic classification scheme developed for use in humans would be feasible for use in these dog breeds. Inclusion criteria were hospital admission between September 2009 and April 2013, neurologic examination findings available, diagnostic quality lateral and ventro‐dorsal digital radiographs of the thoracic vertebral column, and at least one congenital vertebral malformation. Radiographs were retrieved and interpreted by two observers who were unaware of neurologic status. Vertebral malformations were classified based on a classification scheme modified from a previous human study and a consensus of both observers. Twenty‐eight dogs met inclusion criteria (12 with neurologic deficits, 16 with no neurologic deficits). Congenital vertebral malformations affected 85/362 (23.5%) of thoracic vertebrae. Vertebral body formation defects were the most common (butterfly vertebrae 6.6%, ventral wedge‐shaped vertebrae 5.5%, dorsal hemivertebrae 0.8%, and dorso‐lateral hemivertebrae 0.5%). No lateral hemivertebrae or lateral wedge‐shaped vertebrae were identified. The T7 vertebra was the most commonly affected (11/28 dogs), followed by T8 (8/28 dogs) and T12 (8/28 dogs). The number and type of vertebral malformations differed between groups (P = 0.01). Based on MRI, dorsal, and dorso‐lateral hemivertebrae were the cause of spinal cord compression in 5/12 (41.6%) of dogs with neurologic deficits. Findings indicated that a modified human radiographic classification system of vertebral malformations is feasible for use in future studies of brachycephalic “screw‐tailed” dogs.     

一期后矢状入路肛门直肠成形术治疗中,高位无肛（附5例报告）

１９９１～１９９３年６月，采用一期后矢状入路肛门直肠成形术治疗５例中、高位无肛病儿。结果：５例中除１例术后第２天因硬肿症死亡外，余４例术后大便控制功能与同龄正常儿相近（其中１例术后在熟睡时偶有少许稀便排出，但３个月后与正常儿相近）。讨论了该术式的可行性及优越性，并提出了适应征及注意事项。     

猪肛门闭锁候选基因FN1的克隆及其编码区突变

利用猪的SNP芯片筛选锁肛致病候选基因,在猪15号染色体候选区域筛选出纤连蛋白1(fibronectin 1,FN1)基因。分别用锁肛猪和正常猪cDNA池克隆得到FN1基因开放阅读框的7 437bp序列,鉴定3个选择性剪切外显子,并通过直接测序获得21个编码区单核苷酸多态位点(SNPs)。其中第22外显子的148AG和第27外显子的50GC引起氨基酸的改变(1 167IleVal,1 435Glu-Asp),且这2个SNPs在现有锁肛猪和正常猪样品中基因型频率和基因频率均差异显著。研究结果提示FN1基因的突变可能影响肛门直肠的正常发育过程,但还需要进一步的功能验证。     

Pathogenesis-related (PR)-proteins: Chitinase and β-1,3-glucanase in defense mechanism against malformation in mango (Mangifera indica L.)

Mango, the king of fruits in India is cultivated commercially in many tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Undoubtedly, mango malformation is a serious disease affecting mango production in India and many other countries around the world. It is now shown that the malady is inflicted by Fusarium, a fungus, and also that the plants have the capacity to suppress or reduce pathogen attack by inducing the synthesis of antimicrobial metabolites such as chitinase and/or the synthesis of lignin, both of which may enhance plant defense system. The present study was aimed at investigating the variability and relationship between activities of chitinase, β-1,3-glucanase and content of lignin in the leaves using 12 mango cultivars with the different degree of resistance to floral malformation. Results revealed that the activity of chitinase and β-1,3-glucanase in the leaves were significantly high in mango cultivars resistant to malformation (r = −0.90 and r = −0.91, respectively) during the flowering period, whereas lignin content did not show a significant correlation with malformation. The highest activity of chitinase (1.977–2.011 units) and β-1,3-glucanase (80.54–82.06 units) was recorded in resistant mango cultivars Bhadauran and Elaichi. In contrast, these activities were less than 1.010 and 25.21 respectively in highly susceptible mango cultivars such as Amrapali, Eldon and Neelum. Lignin content was highest in resistant cultivar Bhadauran, but it did not show significant relation to the malformation intensity of the cultivars. Thus, leaf chitinase and β-1,3-glucanase may be contributing towards resistance to malformation in mango and that the relative activities of these enzymes can be used as a criterion to predict and screen the mango germplasm and cultivars for resistance to floral malformation.     

ECTRODACTYLY (SPLIT-HAND DEFORMITY) IN THE DOG

Radiographs of 14 dogs with ectrodactyly of the forelimb were evaluated and the defect classified according to the site of division of the longitudinal axis of the paw. The majority of separations occurred between metacarpal bones one and two, although separations were also noted between metacarpal bones two and three, two and four, and three and four. Other lesions noted in affected limbs included digit contracture, digit aplasia, metacarpal hypoplasia and metacarpal fusions. Bilateral involvement was noted in only one of 14 cases. No breed or sex predisposition was found and there was equal involvement of the left and right limbs.     

Syringomyelia: current concepts in pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment

Syringomyelia is a condition that results in fluid-containing cavities within the parenchyma of the spinal cord as a consequence of altered cerebrospinal fluid dynamics. This review discusses the history and the classification of the disorder, the current theories of pathogenesis, and the advanced imaging modalities used in the diagnosis. The intramedullary pulse pressure theory (a new pathophysiologic concept of syringomyelia) also is presented. In addition, the current understanding of the painful nature of this condition is discussed and the current trends in medical and surgical management are reviewed.