Plasma interleukin-6 response is predictive for severity and mortality in canine systemic inflammatory response syndrome and sepsis

BACKGROUND: Sepsis is still a major cause of death in both human and veterinary medicine. Early diagnosis is essential for appropriate treatment. Identification of patients at risk for developing sepsis is already possible in human medicine through the measurement of plasma interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels. In veterinary medicine, however, this has been investigated only in canine experimental models. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to measure IL-6 plasma levels in dogs with naturally occurring systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and sepsis and to analyze the value of IL-6 as a predictive parameter for severity and mortality. METHODS: Included in the study were 79 dogs that had been admitted to the small animal clinics of Munich and Berlin from July 2004 to July 2005 and that satisfied the diagnostic criteria for SIRS and sepsis as defined using established parameters. Measurement of plasma IL-6 levels on days 0, 1, and 2 was performed by the use of a colorimetric bioassay based on IL-6-dependent cell growth. RESULTS: Septic foci were identified in 43 patients (septic group), and 36 patients were enrolled in the SIRS group. The frequency of positive blood cultures was 11%. The overall mortality rate was 48%. Higher plasma IL-6 levels on the day of admission were significantly correlated with a more severe degree of disease, increased mortality rate, and earlier fatality. CONCLUSIONS: Plasma IL-6 concentration is predictive of outcome in canine SIRS and sepsis and may be a valuable laboratory parameter for assessing critically ill dogs.     

Virucidal effects of various agents—including protease—against koi herpesvirus and viral haemorrhagic septicaemia virus

In a search for alternative, environmentally friendly and effective disinfecting agents, a commercially available protease—Neutrase^®—was tested in this work for inactivation of koi herpesvirus (KHV) and of viral haemorrhagic septicaemia virus (VHSV). For comparison, the stability of these viral pathogens in similar configurations at various pH values and concentrations of peracetic acid or quicklime, typically used for disinfection, was tested. Therefore, virus suspensions were incubated with various concentrations of different agents for 24 hr and the titre of the remaining infectious particles was determined by virus titration. Furthermore, the treatment of both viruses, with the agents at concentrations that were previously appointed as effective, was also examined in the presence of solid material (quartz sand). All procedures investigated in this study, including the protease treatment, were able to reduce the titre of KHV and VHSV below the detection limit of the titration. Although further studies are necessary, this is the first report of the application of a protease for the inactivation of the selected fish pathogens, demonstrating the great potential of the latter for disinfection.     

Tree girdling provides insight on the role of labile carbon in nitrogen partitioning between soil microorganisms and adult European beech

Nitrogen (N) cycling in terrestrial ecosystems is complex since it involves the closely interwoven processes of both N uptake by plants and microbial turnover of a variety of N metabolites. Major interactions between plants and microorganisms involve competition for the same N species, provision of plant nutrients by microorganisms and labile carbon (C) supply to microorganisms by plants via root exudation. Despite these close links between microbial N metabolism and plant N uptake, only a few studies have tried to overcome isolated views of plant N acquisition or microbial N fluxes. In this study we studied competitive patterns of N fluxes in a mountainous beech forest ecosystem between both plants and microorganisms by reducing rhizodeposition by tree girdling. Besides labile C and N pools in soil, we investigated total microbial biomass in soil, microbial N turnover (N mineralization, nitrification, denitrification, microbial immobilization) as well as microbial community structure using denitrifiers and mycorrhizal fungi as model organisms for important functional groups. Furthermore, plant uptake of organic and inorganic N and N metabolite profiles in roots were determined.Surprisingly plants preferred organic N over inorganic N and nitrate (NO₃⁻) over ammonium (NH₄⁺) in all treatments. Microbial N turnover and microbial biomass were in general negatively correlated to plant N acquisition and plant N pools, thus indicating strong competition for N between plants and free living microorganisms. The abundance of the dominant mycorrhizal fungi Cenococcum geophilum was negatively correlated to total soil microbial biomass but positively correlated to glutamine uptake by beech and amino acid concentration in fine roots indicating a significant role of this mycorrhizal fungus in the acquisition of organic N by beech. Tree girdling in general resulted in a decrease of dissolved organic carbon and total microbial biomass in soil while the abundance of C. geophilum remained unaffected, and N uptake by plants was increased. Overall, the girdling-induced decline of rhizodeposition altered the competitive balance of N partitioning in favour of beech and its most abundant mycorrhizal symbiont and at the expense of heterotrophic N turnover by free living microorganisms in soil. Similar to tree girdling, drought periods followed by intensive drying/rewetting events seemed to have favoured N acquisition by plants at the expense of free living microorganisms.     

Fear-related behaviour of dogs in veterinary practice

To investigate further the occurrence of fear-related behaviour in dogs in veterinary practice and to evaluate associated factors, 135 dogs were observed under practice conditions within the framework of a standardised test examination and the owners interviewed using a questionnaire. Most dogs exhibited fear reactions, particularly on the examination table, with 78.5% (106/135) categorised as ‘fearful’ based on their behaviour. Unlike weight and castration, age, gender and previous experience were significantly (P < 0.05) associated with fearful behaviour. Male dogs were significantly less ‘fearful’ than females and animals under <2 years were significantly less ‘fearful’ compared with older dogs. Those with only positive previous experiences in veterinary surgeries were significantly less ‘fearful’ than dogs that had a previous negative experience. Fear-related behaviour in veterinary practice is an issue of importance.     

Application of mycorrhizal roots improves growth of tropical tree seedlings in the nursery: a step towards reforestation with native species in the Andes of Ecuador

Most tree species in tropical mountain rain forests are naturally associated with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Previous studies in southern Ecuador of 115 tree species revealed that only three species were not associated with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Seedlings of tropical tree species raised in the nursery may need to be associated with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi to survive transplantation shock in higher numbers. Methods for establishing plantations with native tree species are not yet established for Ecuador. Thus, we investigated the feasibility of using mycorrhizal roots of seedlings of Inga acreana, Tabebuia chrysantha, Cedrela montana and Heliocarpus americanus that had trapped mycorrhizal fungi from forest humus in the nursery to inoculate C. montana and H. americanus with native arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Inoculation with either a mixture of mycorrhizal roots from the four species or only with mycorrhizal roots from the same tree species were compared with effects of moderate fertilization. Assessment of plant growth and mycorrhizal status of 6-months-old Cedrela montana and Heliocarpus americanus revealed an improvement in growth and diverse associated fungi through mycorrhizal root inoculation in comparison with moderate fertilization. Moderate fertilization did not suppress mycorrhization.     

Health of farmed fish: its relation to fish welfare and its utility as welfare indicator

This brief review focuses on health and biological function as cornerstones of fish welfare. From the function-based point of view, good welfare is reflected in the ability of the animal to cope with infectious and non-infectious stressors, thereby maintaining homeostasis and good health, whereas stressful husbandry conditions and protracted suffering will lead to the loss of the coping ability and, thus, to impaired health. In the first part of the review, the physiological processes through which stressful husbandry conditions modulate health of farmed fish are examined. If fish are subjected to unfavourable husbandry conditions, the resulting disruption of internal homeostasis necessitates energy-demanding physiological adjustments (allostasis/acclimation). The ensuing energy drain leads to trade-offs with other energy-demanding processes such as the functioning of the primary epithelial barriers (gut, skin, gills) and the immune system. Understanding of the relation between husbandry conditions, allostatic responses and fish health provides the basis for the second theme developed in this review, the potential use of biological function and health parameters as operational welfare indicators (OWIs). Advantages of function- and health-related parameters are that they are relatively straightforward to recognize and to measure and are routinely monitored in most aquaculture units, thereby providing feasible tools to assess fish welfare under practical farming conditions. As the efforts to improve fish welfare and environmental sustainability lead to increasingly diverse solutions, in particular integrated production, it is imperative that we have objective OWIs to compare with other production forms, such as high-density aquaculture. However, to receive the necessary acceptance for legislation, more robust scientific backing of the health- and function-related OWIs is urgently needed.     

Plant genetic resources of Lemnos (Greece), an isolated island in the Northern Aegean Sea, with emphasis on landraces

Lemnos Island is located in the Northern Aegean Sea and presents a rich biodiversity in plant genetic resources including wild species and crop landraces. Landraces have been cultivated under traditional agricultural systems and many have survived genetic erosion. They are mainly conserved in home gardens or in small fields, usually by elderly people, and are limited to local consumption. Two collecting expeditions were organized in Lemnos, a minor one in 2009 and a larger one in 2010. The results of the two current expeditions are discussed and compared with previous expeditions in the island. An overview is given on the crops cultivated, the landraces collected and those considered as lost, alongside with some information about their traditional uses. Finally, the importance of landraces in modern agriculture and preservation policies in Lemnos are discussed.     

Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and chemometrics to identify pine nuts that cause taste disturbance

Nontargeted 400 MHz (13)C and (1)H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy was used in the context of food surveillance to reveal Pinus species whose nuts cause taste disturbance following their consumption, the so-called pine nut syndrome (PNS). Using principal component analysis, three groups of pine nuts were distinguished. PNS-causing products were found in only one of the groups, which however also included some normal products. Sensory analysis was still required to confirm PNS, but NMR allowed the sorting of 53% of 57 samples, which belong to the two groups not containing PNS species. Furthermore, soft independent modeling of class analogy was able to classify the samples between the three groups. NMR spectroscopy was judged as suitable for the screening of pine nuts for PNS. This process may be advantageous as a means of importation control that will allow the identification of samples suitable for direct clearance and those that require further sensory analysis.     

Antimicrobial susceptibility testing of German Campylobacter fetus subsp. venerealis isolates by agar disk diffusion method

Campylobacter fetus subsp. venerealis is the causative agent of bovine genital campylobacteriosis and is transmitted by asymptomatic carrier bulls via contaminated semen during artificial insemination. The aim of the present study was to determine the in vitro susceptibility of Campylobacter fetus subsp. venerealis isolated from bovine specimens in the years from 2000 to 2009 in Germany to antibiotics generally used in semen treatment. The susceptibilities of 50 strains to spectinomycin (10 microg), gentamicin (10 microg), streptomycin (25 microg), penicillin (10 microg), lincomycin (10 microg), ciprofloxacin (5 microg), erythromycin (30 microg) and tetracycline (30 microg) were determined using a disk diffusion susceptibility test. All strains were susceptible to gentamicin. A considerably reduced susceptibility to one or more antimicrobial agents was detected in seven out of 50 isolates (14%) with the most frequent reduction in susceptibility to lincomycin and spectinomycin. Furthermore, strains with reduced susceptibility to more than one antimicrobial agent were always associated with reduced susceptibility to lincomycin. It is recommended to determine the antimicrobial susceptibility of Campylobacter fetus subsp. venerealis isolates in order to evaluate the efficacy of the generally used antibiotic treatment of bull semen and to detect possible resistances.