Diagnostic possibilities of ANP blood measurements in dogs]

Atrial natriuretic peptide has been considered to be a major regulator in the body's water and salt homeostasis. Antagonizing those mechanisms leading to volume retention and overload (renin, angiotensin, aldosterone), ANP has been suggested to play a critical role in the pathology of certain diseases like renal failure, congestive heart failure or hypertension. In this regard, we measured ANP plasma concentration in normal healthy dogs and dogs with renal failure, congestive heart failure and Cushing syndrome. ANP levels were slightly decreased in dogs with Cushing disease (n = 9; 5.5 +/- 2 fmol/ml), increased in renal failure (n = 7; 16.2 +/- 5.8 fmol/ml, p less than 0.05) and markedly augmented in dogs with congestive heart failure (n = 14; 52.9 +/- 29.75 fmol/ml, p less than 0.01) as compared to healthy dogs (n = 6; 8.3 +/- 3.5 fmol/ml). Furthermore, characterization of the measured immunoreactivity (IR-ANP) revealed, that up to 50% of the IR-ANP in dogs with congestive heart failure corresponds to the ANP precursor molecule, not found in healthy subjects. This fact might present one possible explanation for the attenuated response to ANP in congestive heart failure. In addition, this finding may also serve a diagnostical purpose.     

Atrial natriuretic peptide. II. Pathophysiology and possible clinical significance. Review

The heart atrium, as well as under certain pathophysiological conditions the ventricle, synthesize and release ANP. Exerting natriuretic, diuretic and vasorelaxant effects, this peptide plays an important role in the body's blood volume and blood pressure homeostasis. Whereas the pharmacological actions of ANP have been quite convincingly demonstrated, its physiological and pathophysiological role is less well defined. ANP plasma levels tend to be increased in diseases with salt and water retention, such as essential hypertension, congestive heart failure, renal failure or liver cirrhosis. With regard to its hemodynamic effects, ANP seems to be beneficial in patients with hypertension. ANP appears to have little therapeutic potential as a diuretic in patients with congestive heart failure and liver cirrhosis, possibly due to the decreased renal responsiveness to ANP in these diseases. However, ANP might to be a valuable therapeutic agent in acute renal failure.     

Suspected myocardial necrosis in farmed Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L.: a field case

Arteriosclerosis of the coronary artery has been described as a 'fact of life' for Pacific and Atlantic salmonids due to the high prevalence in spawning fish. The lesions are believed to be the result of overstretching of the highly distensible bulbus arteriosus whereby the endothelium of the main coronary vessel becomes mechanically damaged and a smooth muscle proliferation ensues with resultant partial occlusion of the vessel. The physiological significance for the function of the heart has yet to be demonstrated, but experimental studies show that, for example, swimming performance is compromised in fish in which the coronary artery has been ligated. This paper describes a case of myocardial necrosis in harvest-size Atlantic salmon during and after transportation to the slaughterhouse. Mortality during this process reached 10% in some of the transports and affected fish showed characteristic signs of congestive cardiac failure. Histology revealed extensive myointimal proliferation in the coronary artery and patchy necrosis of the compact ventricular myocardium. Several unfavourable factors such as high water temperature, skeletal malformations and crowding all probably contributed to extra cardiac workload. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported field case showing a link between coronary lesions and severe cardiac pathology.     

Functional pyloric stenosis in sheep]

The clinical findings, the autopsy and the histology of functional pyloric stenosis in three sheep between four and eight years old are described. A chronic ulcer with structural alterations of the pyloric protuberance was found in the first animal. In the second sheep there were several polyps in the pylorus, and in the third erosions throughout the whole pylorus, and a few hyperplastic areas of epithelium at the junction between pylorus and duodenum. The abomasum was moderately to extremely congested and the contents weighed between 6.7 and 13 kg. In addition to these findings chronic and unspecific abomaso-duodenitis was found in all three sheep. These three cases can be attributed to the distal functional pyloric stenosis (Hoflund syndrome).     

Incidence, primary site and pattern of metastasis in hemangioendothelioma in the dog. An evaluation of autopsy material from 1970 to 1985

In 16 years 13,869 dogs were autopsied. Angiosarcomas were found in 321 cases (2.3%). The frequency has increased since 1981 and was doubled. Alsations and boxers were found to have a statistically significant predisposition. Dogs affected with this tumor were between 3 and 15 years old, the average being 9.4 years. The tumour could more frequently be found in male dogs than in bitches. Primary localizations were mainly spleen, heart, or liver. Haematogenous metastases were very common, in some cases a primary multiplicity was supposed. The distribution of the metastases depended on the organ primarily involved.     

Ichthyophonus-induced cardiac damage: a mechanism for reduced swimming stamina in salmonids

Swimming stamina, measured as time-to-fatigue, was reduced by approximately two-thirds in rainbow trout experimentally infected with Ichthyophonus. Intensity of Ichthyophonus infection was most severe in cardiac muscle but multiple organs were infected to a lesser extent. The mean heart weight of infected fish was 40% greater than that of uninfected fish, the result of parasite biomass, infiltration of immune cells and fibrotic (granuloma) tissue surrounding the parasite. Diminished swimming stamina is hypothesized to be due to cardiac failure resulting from the combination of parasite-damaged heart muscle and low myocardial oxygen supply during sustained aerobic exercise. Loss of stamina in Ichthyophonus-infected salmonids could explain the poor performance previously reported for wild Chinook and sockeye salmon stocks during their spawning migration.     

荷包红鲤与德国镜鲤四种同工酶电泳比较研究

采用聚丙炮酰胺凝胶园盘电泳法分析了荷包红鲤和德国镜鲤的心脏、肝脏、肌肉和眼睛等组织中的过氧化物酶（POD）、酯酶（EST）、苹果酸脱氢酶（MDH）、乳酸脱氢酶（LDH）等四种同工酶的谱带。结果表明：荷包红鲤POD在肌肉中不显带，在心、肝、眼中显3－4条带；EST在心、肌、眼中均显2条主带，尚可见1－3条痕量带，在肝中多1条主带，MDH在心、肝、肌、眼组织中显示1－5条带，各组织不同；LDH在心、肌、眼中均显1条带在肝脏显4条带。德国镜鲤POD在肌肉中不显带，在心、肝、眼组织中显3－5条带；EST在心、肌、眼组织中均显2条主带，1－2条痕量带；MDH在心、肝、肌、眼组织中显1－3条带；LDH在心、肌、眼组织中均显1条带，而在肝脏显示1条弥漫性宽带。可见荷包红鲤和德国镜鲤POD、EST、MDH和LDH等同工酶在不同组织中均在程度不同的组织特异性。在这两种鱼的同一组织中，四种同工酶的酶带既有一定的差异，又有很大的相近性。而在同一种鱼的不同个体中，同工酶电泳带无明显不同。     

Quality of raw and smoked fillets from clinically healthy Atlantic salmon,Salmo salar L., following an outbreak of pancreas disease (PD)

Pancreas disease (PD) is a viral disease of farmed salmonid fish, which causes huge economic losses. Pathological changes in skeletal muscle, pancreas and heart are hallmarks of PD. Stakeholders in the fish‐smoking industry have claimed that fillets from PD‐affected Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., are of poor quality. We therefore examined harvest‐ready, clinically healthy Atlantic salmon from a population of fish previously affected by PD. Histopathological changes in skeletal muscle tissues ranged from minor to severe. Fillet quality measurements showed that fish with severe skeletal muscle changes provided a paler raw fillet and a yellowish and harder cold‐smoked fillet than normal. PD had no significant effect on fillet gaping, bacteriological quality or off‐odour development during storage. An unexpected finding was a significant subendocardial fibrosis in 23% of the PD‐affected fish. The latter may indicate susceptibility to stress‐related heart failure.     

Morphological features of coronary arteries and lesions in hearts from five species of sharks collected from the northwestern Atlantic Ocean

Morphological features of coronary arteries and incidental lesions are reported from hearts in five species of sharks, the shortfin mako shark, Isurus oxyrhinchus Rafinesque, thresher shark Alopias vulpinus (Bonaterre), blue shark, Prionace glauca L., the smooth dogfish, Mustelus canis (Mitchill), and spiny dogfish, Squalus acanthias L. Sharks were collected from the northwestern Atlantic between June and August from 1996 to 2010. They were necropsied dockside and the hearts were preserved in buffered formalin. Routine sections including ventricle/conus arteriosus and the atrio-ventricular junctions were embedded in paraffin, stained with common histological and immunohistochemical methods and examined by brightfield microscopy. Myointimal hyperplasia, medial myo-myxomatous hyperplasia and bifurcation pads were observed commonly, and medial muscle reorientation and epicardial myeloid tissues were rare. All the above features differed in severity, prevalence and distribution depending on anatomical site and shark species/size. Morphometric analysis indicated that myomyxomatous hyperplasia is associated with luminal narrowing of blood vessels. As suggested previously, the described morphological features are most likely physiological responses to blood flow characteristics. Vascular and cardiac lesions were uncommon and included, granulomatous proliferative epicarditis with fibroepitheliomas, myxomatous epicardial expansions, medial arterial vacuolation, myocardial fibrosis, acute ventricular emboli and parasitic granulomas. The lesions of embolism, proliferative and granulomatous epicarditis and myocardial fibrosis were in all sharks associated with capture events including retained fishing hooks. The significance and aetiopathogenesis of medial vacuolation and epicardial myxomatous expansions remains unclear.     

Abnormal pituitary-gonad function in two feral populations of goldfish, Carassius auvatus (L.), suffering epizootics of an ulcerative disease

Abstract. The activity of the pituitary-gonad axis was examined in goldfish, Carassius auratus (L.), collected from two populations exhibiting epizootics of an ulcerative disease. One population, collected from a pond in Toronto, Ontario, exhibited a significant linear relationship between the extent of lesions and the ovarian state. In a second population, collected from Hamilton Harbour, Lake Ontario, there was no correlation between the high prevalence of oocyte atresia, or the ovarian state with the extent of the ulcerative lesions. Additionally, in the Hamilton Harbour population there were no seasonal changes in the stages of egg development, frequency of mature ova, activity of the pituitary-gonad axis or gonadosomatic index consistent with gamete release. This apparent spawning failure of the Hamilton Harbour population was supported by the age distribution in the population (no fish younger than 4 years of age were found), and probably accounts for the drastic decline in the capture success of goldfish at that site since 1978. This decline in capture success was correlated with the outbreak of a persistent epizootic of ulcerative disease, suggesting that either the lesions themselves caused the spawning failure, or that the spawning failure and lesion outbreak were both correlated with undetermined changes in the environment, possibly a deterioration in the water quality in Hamilton Harbour.     

Myocardial fibrosis and degeneration with heart failure (cardiomyopathy) in two goats]

Myocardial fibrosis and degeneration of unknown etiology is described in two adult, female goats of the Saanen and Pfauen breeds. Both animals presented with clinical signs of cardiac failure with subcutaneous edema, hydrothorax and ascites. The pathological lesions were characterized by cardiomegaly with ventricular and auricular dilatation and hypertrophy, massive subcutaneous edema and body cavity edema. The first goat additionally showed chronic liver congestion due to cardiac failure. Histologically, the most prominent changes were focally extensive cardiomyocyte degeneration and cardiac fibrosis. The clinical history and pathologic lesions are comparable to those of dilatative cardiomyopathy in SixRH cattle.     

Immunohistochemical detection of rabies virus antigen in the cardiac ganglia of dogs in paraffin sections

The hearts of five naturally infected rabid dogs were studied by immunohistochemistry on paraffin sections using a monoclonal antibody and the peroxidase labelled streptavidin-biotin method to detect rabies ribonucleoprotein. In all cases distinct small granular and ring-shaped antigen deposits were found within the nerve cells of the cardiac ganglia thus reflecting the early centrifugal spread of virus along the pathway of the vagal nerve to the heart. Histologic findings consisted only of single small eosinophilic inclusions in some nerve cell bodies. These findings may be of diagnostic value.     

Effects of paraquat treatment on fish transaminase molecular subforms

The effects of paraquat (PQ; 1,1′-dimethyl-4,4′-bipyridylium dichloride) treatment were investigated in carp, silver carp and wels. The serum glutamic-oxalacetic transaminase (GOT; L-aspartate: 2-oxoglutarate aminotransferase, EC 2.6.1.1.) level was enhanced by 50% at 1 ppm exposure and by 100% at 10 ppm exposure in all species, and there was a change in the distribution of the molecular subforms of GOT in the liver and heart. The activities of the individual subforms decreased with increasing PQ concentration or after a longer exposure. In some cases, one of the subforms was no longer present in the liver. An increased serum GOT activity, a decreased enzyme activity in different organs and the disappearance of molecular subform indicate tissue damage.     

Hypotrichosis and oligodontia, combined with an Xq-deletion, in a calf of the Swiss Holstein breed

Hypotrichosis and oligodontia associated with a chromosomal anomaly (Xq-deletion) are described in a 11-month old cattle (Simmenthal/Red Holstein cross-breed). This chromosomal anomaly was accompanied with hairlessness and grievous teeth abnormalities. The animal had a very thin haircoat, had only one incisor and between one to three molars per mandible or maxilla. This resulted in reduced food intake, reduced rumination, and retarded growth. Post-mortem examination revealed lesions in the kidneys (bilateral chronic interstitial nephritis), adrenals (hyperplasia), pancreas (focal fibrosis) and abomasum (obstipation and multiple ulcers). Some of these abnormalities are comparable with the human "anhidrotic ectodermal dysplasia" (Christ-Siemens-Touraine syndrome) and supports the hypothesis that there are homologies in the X-chromosome of different mammals.     

Cardiac disorders in farmed adult brown trout, Salmo trutta L.

During summer in Brittany, France, sea farmed brown trout, Salmo trutta L., regularly experience a high mortality rate which is associated, at least in part, with cardiac disorders (aneurysms and infarcts). The present study is preliminary to a more extensive research programme, the objective of which is to determine to what extent the physiological performance of the cardiovascular system of brown trout is affected by the environmental conditions the fish experience in farm cages. We conducted a 2-week in situ experiment during which the heart rate of eight sea water acclimatized individuals was telemetered using acoustic tags. During the experimental period, water temperature ranged from 16.0 to 17.6 °C. Water oxygen saturation was above 80% at all times and salinity was very high (35.5‰) but stable. Although they were unfed and not active, seven of out the eight tagged animals displayed near maximum heart beat frequencies, which ranged between 83 and 98 beats per minute (bpm). On the other hand, the eighth animal exhibited medium-range heart rates (50–70 bpm). Using phase delay maps, we established that the maximum heart rate of brown trout at 17 °C was in the range of 96–100 bpm. This result suggests that in our experimental conditions, the heart rate of most of our inactive fish was between 85 and 100% of maximum myocardial performance. We hypothesize that the cardiac failures observed in brown trout during summer are most likely a result of strenuous workloads imposed on the cardiovascular system by a combination of elevated temperature, high salinity and possibly season-related decreased hypo-osmoregulatory abilities.     

中国对虾循环系统的发生

采用组织学方法。研究了中国对虾循环系统的发生过程，在无节幼体第3期，起源于头胸甲皱褶部位的腹侧中胚层细胞通过增殖向背面迁移，在中肠的背面形成一中胚层板，此板两侧向背面上卷，合拢而成心脏，与此同时，该中胚层板两侧周围的中胚层细胞向两侧迁移，与体壁接触形成围心腔，心孔出现在无节幼体第5期，是由该处的心壁细胞直接内陷形成；心脏的形态结构随着幼体的发育而不断完善，至蚤状幼体第1期以后，组成心壁的细胞分化为单层的心肌细胞，随后其外包被一层由结缔组织细胞形成的心外膜，至仔虾期，心脏的外形和结构已与成虾的相似；背腹动脉发生的方式与时间和心脏的相同；中背动脉的发生包括两部分；心脏近端的中背动脉由心脏前端延伸而成，心脏远端的中背动脉则由幼体前端背部中胚层细胞形成，血细胞最早出现在无节幼体第1期。     

Meadow saffron (Colchicum autumnale) in hay and colic in horses

Following feeding of a new delivery of hay (bought in Southern Germany) 3 horses out of a unit of 17 developed colic within a few days one horse died. Post-mortem there was an intensive accumulation of serous or serous-haemorrhagic fluid in the thorax and abdomen. The hay was heavily contaminated by autumn crocus (colchicum autumnale)--about 1.48% of total mass. Other feedstuffs were of good quality and following removal of the affected hay no further cases of colic occurred. The pathological findings also indicated a colchicine intoxication.     

Endometrial cysts in the mare. 1. Post-mortem studies: occurrence and morphology

During macroscopic post-mortem examinations of the genital tract in 104 mares endometrial cysts occurred in 14 (13%) cases. Whereas in mares up to the age of 10 years cystic changes were absent, endometrial cysts occurred in 19% of the animals above the age of 10 years. In 6 mares only 1-2 cysts per uterus were found, and in 8 animals there were between 5 and 18 cystic changes per organ. The cysts were equally distributed in the uterus body and horns. Sporadically occurring cysts were about 11 mm in diameter with a decreasing size to a mean value of 5 mm in multiple cysts. Predominantly in the uterus body very large cysts were found. The largest endometrial cyst was of 30 mm in diameter. Classification into lymphatic cysts and glandular cysts was made based on histological examinations.