Effects of ketamine, diazepam, and their combination on intraocular pressures in clinically normal dogs

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of ketamine, diazepam, and the combination of ketamine and diazepam on intraocular pressures (IOPs) in clinically normal dogs in which premedication was not administered. ANIMALS: 50 dogs. PROCEDURES: Dogs were randomly allocated to 1 of 5 groups. Dogs received ketamine alone (5 mg/kg [KET5] or 10 mg/kg [KET10], IV), ketamine (10 mg/kg) with diazepam (0.5 mg/kg, IV; KETVAL), diazepam alone (0.5 mg/kg, IV; VAL), or saline (0.9% NaCl) solution (0.1 mL/kg, IV; SAL). Intraocular pressures were measured immediately before and after injection and at 5, 10, 15, and 20 minutes after injection. RESULTS: IOP was increased over baseline values immediately after injection and at 5 and 10 minutes in the KET5 group and immediately after injection in the KETVAL group. Compared with the SAL group, the mean change in IOP was greater immediately after injection and at 5 and 10 minutes in the KET5 group. The mean IOP increased to 5.7, 3.2, 3.1, 0.8, and 0.8 mm Hg over mean baseline values in the KET5, KET10, KETVAL, SAL, and VAL groups, respectively. All dogs in the KET5 and most dogs in the KETVAL and KET10 groups had an overall increase in IOP over baseline values. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Compared with baseline values and values obtained from dogs in the SAL group, ketamine administered at a dose of 5 mg/kg, IV, caused a significant and clinically important increase in IOP in dogs in which premedication was not administered. Ketamine should not be used in dogs with corneal trauma or glaucoma or in those undergoing intraocular surgery.     

A variant of the HTRA1 gene increases susceptibility to age-related macular degeneration

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of irreversible vision loss in the developed world and has a strong genetic predisposition. A locus at human chromosome 10q26 affects the risk of AMD, but the precise gene(s) have not been identified. We genotyped 581 AMD cases and 309 normal controls in a Caucasian cohort in Utah. We demonstrate that a single-nucleotide polymorphism, rs11200638, in the promoter region of HTRA1 is the most likely causal variant for AMD at 10q26 and is estimated to confer a population attributable risk of 49.3%. The HTRA1 gene encodes a secreted serine protease. Preliminary analysis of lymphocytes and retinal pigment epithelium from four AMD patients revealed that the risk allele was associated with elevated expression levels of HTRA1 mRNA and protein. We also found that drusen in the eyes of AMD patients were strongly immunolabeled with HTRA1 antibody. Together, these findings support a key role for HTRA1 in AMD susceptibility and identify a potential new pathway for AMD pathogenesis.     

Low body fat content prior to declining day length in the autumn significantly increased growth and reduced weight dispersion in farmed Atlantic salmon Salmo salar L.

Based on the regulatory effects of body fat on appetite and seasonal variations in fat deposition and growth of Atlantic salmon, the present study tested the hypothesis that body fat content prior to declining day length in the autumn can significantly modulate growth rate. The growth rate of salmon (mean initial body weight, BW = 2.3 kg) with different muscle fat content prior to autumn, subjected to natural photoperiod and temperature, during a 7‐month period (mean final BW = 6.6 kg) was studied. In August, three fish groups (HF, LF and 0.5LF group) with significantly different muscle fat content (HF = 16.4%, LF = 13.2% and 0.5LF = 11.3%), individually marked with PIT‐tag, were mixed into the four net‐pens and fed a standard high‐energy diet until March the following year. The muscle fat content prior to the autumn had a highly significant (p < .0001) effect on growth during the 7‐month main‐dietary period, even after identical fat stores among the groups were restored, indicating a more complex explanation than just a lipostatic regulation mechanism. Mean thermal growth coefficients were HF = 2.9, LF = 3.4 and 0.5 LF = 3.9, resulting in increased final weight gain for LF and 0.5LF of 590 g and 980 g, respectively, compared to the HF group. The LF groups obtained a significantly higher homogeneity in BW and shape than HF‐fed fish in March, optimizing automatic gutting and filleting at slaughter. The improved growth response among the LF groups by reducing lipid levels can potentially be utilized in closed and semi‐closed production units where photoperiod can be manipulated.     

Sinap Orlovsky triploid apple cultivar: Its origin and cytoembryological characteristic

This paper gives the development history of the best apple cultivar of the temperate zone of Russia— the Sinap Orlovsky apple cultivar with fruit of a long storage life, which has hitherto been considered to be a diploid one. The assumption of its triploidy has come into existence due to DNA-markers. Cytoembryological studies showed in 2016 that the cultivar was a triploid. It is characterized by vigorousness and regular fruit bearing. The long-term experimental data show that the cultivar is of little promise as an initial form for the development of a large hybrid fund owing to its low fruit output, hybrid seeds, and one-year seedlings relative to pollinated flowers in case of its being used as a maternal and paternal parent.