Thyroid hormones concentrations and ECG picture in the dog

Disorders of the thyroid gland activity are the most commonly encountered disturbances of endocrine origin in the dog. Hypo- or hyperthyroidism may disturb the function of the cardiovascular system and cause arrhythmias. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of thyroid gland activity on electrocardiogram (ECG) picture in the dog by comparing ECG curves of healthy dogs, dogs with hypothyroidism and dogs with cardiac insufficiency caused by endocardiosis of the mitral valve. The study was performed on 38 dogs, patients of the Department of Internal and Parasitic Diseases with Clinic for Horses, Dogs and Cats in Wroc?aw. The animals were assigned to 3 groups: Group I--control group, 13 clinically healthy dogs; Group II--14 dogs with diagnosed cardiac insufficiency caused by endocardiosis of the mitral valve; Group III--11 dogs with hypothyroidism. Clinical examination of the animals was conducted according to the following pattern: anamnesis, general clinical examination, cardiological examination (ECG, USG of the heart) and laboratory analysis (triacylglycerydes, cholesterol, T3, T4, FT4). In this study, the significant influence of thyroid gland activity on ECG picture of the evaluated dogs was found. In the dogs with hypothyroidism a decrease in the sino-atrial node activity was observed, which led to decreased heart rate. In dogs with hypothyroidism, the innerheart conduction was reduced, which was demonstrated by prolongation of the P wave, QRS complex and the QT interval.     

Upregulation of LENK and VIP in paracervical ganglion neurons supplying the urinary bladder of tetrodotoxin- and resiniferatoxin-treated female pigs

Both resiniferatoxin (RTX) and tetrodotoxin (TTX) have been reported to be effective in several clinical trials aiming to cure urinary bladder dysfunction. The goal of this experiment was to study the effect of intravesical administration of RTX and TTX on the chemical coding of paracervical ganglion (PCG) neurons that supply the urinary bladder in pigs. The vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) and the opioid family member Leu5-enkephalin (LENK) are both known for their regulatory effects in the function of the porcine genitourinary tract. The PCG neurons innervating the urinary bladder were identified by application of the retrograde tracer Fast Blue (FB), injected into the bladder wall prior to intravesical RTX or TTX administration. Immunocytochemical detection of LENK and VIP expression in the FB-labelled perikarya revealed that in the control group 25.15% of the FB-positive PCG neurons contained LENK, and 9.22% of them expressed VIP. Intravesical infusion of RTX resulted in an increase in the number of LENKIR neurons to 48.19% and VIP-IR perikarya to 11.25%. Optional treatment with TTX induced increase of LENK-IR neurons up to 81.67% and VIP-IR population to 16.46% of the FB-positive PCG cells. The present results show that both neurotoxins affect the chemical coding of PCG nervous cells supplying the porcine urinary bladder and that they stimulate both LENK and VIP expression. Furthermore, the results indicate a possible involvement of LENK and VIP neurons in the mechanisms of action of RTX and TTX in the therapy of overactive bladder disorder.     

Effect of cadmium injected in ovo on hatching results and the activity of plasma hydrolytic enzymes in newly hatched chicks

The aim of the study was to determine the toxicity of cadmium ions in chick embryos, using plasma hydrolytic enzyme as its biomarker. Hatching eggs (n = 300) from Ross 308 broilers were incubated under standard conditions. On day 4 of incubation, 50 μl of saline solution, containing Cd ions at a concentration from 0 (control group) to 24 μg, was injected in ovo into the egg albumen. The results indicate that the administration of cadmium at doses exceeding 1 μg/egg caused a gradual decrease in hatchability, with an LD50 of 3.9 μg/egg. The greatest differences between the groups in the enzymatic activities studied were found for N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase (NAG), β-D-mannosidase (β-MAN) and arylsulphatase (ARYL). Compared to the control group, in the blood serum of chicks from the groups receiving 3, 6 and 12 μg Cd/egg the NAG activity increased by 79, 108 and 54% and β-MAN activity by 33, 119 and 108%, respectively. Exposure to cadmium at a dose of 1 to 6 μg per egg caused an about 60% increase in ARYL activity while a dose of 12 μg decreased the activity by about 35% below the level observed in the control group. These findings show that cadmium has a similar toxicity mechanism in mammals and birds, which opens the possibility of using NAG activity as a biomarker of the cytotoxic effect of cadmium in birds.     

The effect of diets supplemented with fish broth and fish oil on the health of weaners

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of fish-based feed materials, as a source of readily available protein contained in fish broth and essential polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) found in fish oil, on the health of piglets and rearing results. The experiment was conducted on a commercial pig fattening farm. The study involved a total of 80 weaners with an approximate body weight of 15 kg. The experiment was carried out over a period of 40 days. Feed samples were subjected to laboratory analyses. Blood samples were collected from experimental group animals to determine serum biochemical and immunological parameters. The body weight gains of weaners, mortality rates and average feed intake per animal were calculated for the entire experimental period. The addition of fish broth and fish oil significantly improved the n3:n6 fatty acid ratio in diets. The presence of EPA and DHA in the experimental diet could have had a positive health effect on piglets, comparable with that exerted by therapeutic doses of zinc often administered to pigs of this age group. During the experiment, feed conversion ratio (FCR) gain was considerably reduced in the experimental group, with similar daily gains in the control and experimental group.     

The examination of biophysical parameters of skin (transepidermal water loss, skin hydration and pH value) in different body regions of normal cats of both sexes

The purpose of this study was to evaluate transepidermal water loss (TEWL), skin hydration and skin pH in normal cats. Twenty shorthaired European cats of both sexes were examined in the study. Measurements were taken from five different sites: the lumbar region, the axillary fossa, the inguinal region, the ventral abdominal region and the left thoracic region. In each of the regions, TEWL, skin hydration and skin pH were measured. The highest TEWL value was observed in the axillary fossa (18.22g/h/m(2)) and the lowest in the lumbar region (10.53g/h/m(2)). The highest skin hydration was found in the inguinal region (18.29CU) and the lowest in the lumbar region (4.62CU). The highest skin pH was observed in the inguinal region (6.64) and the lowest in the lumbar region (6.39). Statistically significant differences in TEWL were observed between the lumbar region and the left side of the thorax region (P=0.016), the axillary fossa (P=0.0004), the ventral region (P=0.005), and the inguinal region (P=0.009). There were significant differences in skin hydration between the lumbar region and the left thorax (P=0.000003), the axillary fossa (P=0.002), the ventral abdomen (P=0.03), and the inguinal region (P=0.0003) as well as between the thorax and the ventral abdomen (P=0.005). TEWL was higher in females (15g/h/m(2)) than in males (4.57g/h/m(2)). Skin hydration was higher in females (13.89CU) than in males (12.28CU). Significant differences were not found between males and females for TEWL and skin hydration. Skin pH was higher in males (6.94) than in females (6.54), which was significant (P=0.004).     

Identification of genome‐wide selection signatures in the Limousin beef cattle breed

The study is aimed at identifying selection footprints within the genome of Limousin cattle. With the use of Extended Haplotype Homozygosity test, supplemented with correction for variation in recombination rates across the genome, we created map of selection footprints and detected 173 significant (p < 0.01) core haplotypes being potentially under positive selection. Within these regions, a number of candidate genes associated inter alia with skeletal muscle growth (GDF15, BMP7, BMP4 and TGFB3) or postmortem proteolysis and meat maturation (CAPN1 and CAPN5) were annotated. Noticeable clusters of selection footprints were detected on chromosomes 1, 4, 8 and 14, which are known to carry several quantitative trait loci for growth traits and meat quality. The study provides information about the genes and metabolic pathways potentially modified under the influence of directional selection, aimed at improving beef production characteristics in Limousin cattle.     

Prevalence of Babesia canis, Borrelia afzelii, and Anaplasma phagocytophilum infection in hard ticks removed from dogs in Warsaw (central Poland)

The purposes of this study were to specify the occurrence and prevalence of Babesia canis, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, and Anaplasma phagocytophilum in ticks removed from dogs in Warsaw, and to determine the Borrelia species occurring in Ixodes ricinus ticks. Among 590 collected ticks, 209 were identified as I. ricinus, and 381 as Dermacentor reticulatus. DNA of B. canis was detected in 11% of D. reticulatus ticks. We found that 6.2% of I. ricinus ticks harbored B. burgdorferi s.l. specific DNA and 2.9% harbored A. phagocytophilum DNA. In these samples sequencing of the detected Borrelia amplicon confirmed infection with Borrelia afzelii genospecies. New sequences were submitted to the GenBank database (accession no. EU152128, EU152127, EU152126). This work is the first detection of B. afzelii and A. phagocytophilum in ticks from Warsaw, and the first survey for the prevalence of B. canis, B. afzelii, and A. phagocytophilum in ticks in central Poland.     

Preliminary results of monitoring research on zearalenone presence in blood of women with neoplastic lesions in reproductive system

The aim of the monitoring of zearalenone presence in the blood plasma of women with neoplastic lesions in the reproductive tract was to asses whether the phytosteride is noted in the patients blood and whether the correlation exists between its presence and the incidence of particular neoplasm. The presence of zearalenone or its metabolite--alpha-zearalenole, was noted in 13.51% of the examined women. In 60% of the patients with the confirmed presence of the xenobiotic it was noted in the lowest concentrations. These patients had neoplastic lesions of Carcinoma corpus uteri type.     

The effect of copper nanoparticles and copper (II) salt on redox reactions and epigenetic changes in a rat model

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of a diet containing different levels of Cu in two different chemical forms (carbonate and nanoparticles) on redox reactions and epigenetic changes in a rat model. For 4 weeks, five experimental groups (eight rats in each) were fed diets with two dosages of added Cu (standard—6.5 mg/kg or half of the standard dosage—3.25 mg/kg, and as a negative control no additional Cu in the mineral mixture) in two forms (standard—CuCO₃ and copper nanoparticles). Addition of Cu nanoparticles resulted in higher Cp (ceruloplasmin) activity and LOOH (lipid peroxides) and MDA (malondialdehyde) content, as well as decrease the CAT (catalase) activity and level of PC (protein carbonyl), 3‐NT (3‐nitrotyrosine), 8‐OHdG (8‐hydroxydeoxyguanosine), GSH + GSSG (total glutathione) and DNA methylation. Reducing the dose of copper resulted in a decrease in the level of LOOH and GSH + GSSG as well as CAT activity, but increased the level of PC and methylated DNA. Based on these evidence, we concluded that addition of copper nanoparticles in the diet reduces protein oxidation and nitration as well as DNA oxidation and methylation. Lowering the level of Cu in the diet increases the oxidation of proteins and DNA methylation.     

Decreases in urine specific gravity and urinary creatinine in dogs with different diseases but with normal renal function

The subject of this study was to determine urine specific gravity (USg) and urinary creatinine (UCrn) in dogs with different diseases but with normal renal function. Sick dogs with different diseases were divided into nine groups. Dogs suffering from polyuria/polydipsia, vomits, diarrhoea and females in oestrus or pregnant were excluded from the studies. The healthy dogs served as a control group. Over a three-year period, a total of 267 dogs were examined clinically as well as using imaging and laboratory diagnostics methods. In sick dogs, USg and UCrn were found to be essentially decreased (except animals with neurological and uterine diseases, and neurological diseases, respectively), as compared with normal dogs. In clinically healthy animals of the control group, UCrn and USg did not significantly differ between the females and males. As for the control group, no correlation between UCrn/USg and the body weight/age was found, either.