Laparoscopic nephron-sparing surgery for the treatment of canine dioctophymosis

This paper reports on two cases of laparoscopic nephrotomy employed in the treatment of canine dioctophymosis, which is considered a unusual procedure and a new treatment proposal heretofore not performed in veterinary medicine. Two patients were treated, one with a history of hematuria and the other with incidental finding of the parasite in the abdominal cavity during elective ovariohysterectomy. Both dogs were subjected to abdominal ultrasound, which produced images indicating the presence of the parasite in the right side kidney, but with partial parenchymal preservation. The patients were therefore subjected to laparoscopic nephrotomy. The surgical procedure was effective in treating dioctophymosis and enabled minimum tissue invasion during surgery, in addition to preservation of the kidney.     

Reference Values on Serum Biochemical Parameters of Brazilian Donkey (Equus asinus) Breed

Seventeen serum biochemical variables were determined in 40 donkeys of the Brazilian breed (34 females and 6 males) aged from 3 to 19 years. Mean ± standard deviation (SD) (minimum–maximum) values, obtained by automated analysis, were as follows: glucose, 58.35 ± 10.40 (44.00–90.00) mg/dL; cholesterol, 88.41 ± 9.86 (73.58–124.26) mg/dL; serum protein, 6.82 ± 0.40 (6.00–7.52) g/dL; albumin, 3.13 ± 0.21 (2.65–3.69) g/dL; creatinine, 1.80 ± 0.14 (1.51–2.19) mg/dL; urea, 24.25 ± 5.37 (14.12–34.39) mg/dL; lactate, 20.10 ± 4.58 (12.99–33.47) mg/dL; aspartate aminotransferase (AST), 295.81 ± 62.79 (173.71–466.07) IU/L; creatine kinase (CK), 158.00 ± 76.94 (51.69–440.33) IU/L; γ-glutamil-transferase (GGT), 45.82 ± 13.34 (26.17–86.38) IU/L; lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), 576.02 ± 156.32 (213.53–1162.81) IU/L; alkaline phosphatase (AP), 345.36 ± 65.90 (227.25–490.16) IU/L; calcium (Ca), 8.54 ± 0.18 (8.19–8.90) mg/dL; phosphorus (P), 2.76 ± 0.38 (1.99–3.97) mg/dL; chloride (Cl), 106.05 ± 3.20 (99.00–112.00) mEq/L; sodium (Na), 121.50 ± 4.14 (116.00–132.00) mEq/L; and potassium (K), 3.70 ± 0.42 (2.80–4.40) mEq/L. Comparisons of biochemical ranges obtained for the Brazilian donkey breed with reference ranges for other donkey breeds suggested that most values were similar. Biochemical values determined in the present study serve as reference ranges for donkey populations and can be used for health control and diagnosis of diseases.     

Can testicular artery Doppler velocimetry values change according to the measured region in dogs?

Testicular tissue maintenance is performed by the testicular artery, and the hemodynamics of this artery can be evaluated using Doppler ultrasonography. The aim of this study was to characterize the peak systolic velocity (PSV), end diastolic velocity (EDV), pulsatility index (PI) and resistivity index (RI) of five regions of the testicular artery in dogs, including two proposed regions and three that have been previously described. Twenty‐two dogs were used, and the PSV, EDV, PI and RI of the testicular artery were measured in five regions: proximal, medial and distal supratesticular; marginal; and intratesticular. The median values for PSV (cm/s), EDV (cm/s), PI and RI in the five regions were as follows: proximal supratesticular (23.1, 3.7, 2.1 and 0.8); medial supratesticular (17.2, 4.5, 1.5, and 0.7); distal supratesticular (12.2, 5.7, 0.8, and 0.5); marginal (11.3, 6.5, 0.5, and 0.4); and intratesticular (5.7, 3.5, 0.5, and 0.4). There was a difference between the PSV of the medial and distal supratesticular regions. There were differences in the PSV, EDV, PI and RI among the distal supratesticular, marginal and intratesticular regions. Measurements of PSV, EDV, PI and RI of the testicular artery in dogs at the proposed regions showed different results due to the hemodynamic and morphological differences of the artery during its course in the spermatic cord and to the testicles. It is necessary to identify the region in testicular artery Doppler velocimetric evaluations of dogs, given that there is a difference according to the region measured.     

Cultivar influence on virgin olive (Olea europea L.) oil flavor based on aromatic compounds and sensorial profile

Sensory quality is an important property of virgin olive oil and is affected by different volatile and phenolic compounds. Their levels may be influenced by many factors, and one of the most important is the cultivar. Volatiles and phenols were correlated to sensory notes in virgin olive oils from 18 local cultivars in northern Italy assessed for 4 years in the same orchard.     

Perturbations in the uterine luminal fluid composition are detrimental to pregnancy establishment in cattle

Background: A major,unresolved issue is how the uterine microenvironment determines pregnancy success in cattle.Before implantation,conceptus development depends on the uterine secretome(i.e.,histotroph).Despite its pivotal role,little is known about the dynamics of histotroph synthesis and changes in composition throughout the early diestrus and the relevance to pregnancy establishment.We hypothesize that disturbances on histotroph composition affect the establishment of pregnancy.Aim was to disturb histotroph composition at early diestrus and verify the effects on:(Exp.1) timing to restore its composition; and(Exp.2) pregnancy rate after multiple-embryo transfer.Estrous cycle of multiparous Nelore cows were synchronized and estrus was considered d 0(D0) of the experiments.Disturbance was through flushing each uterine horn with 30 m L of DMPBS and collecting the resulting uterine luminal flushing(ULF) on D1; D4; D7; D1 + D4 + D7.Control group remained not-collected.In Exp.1,ULF was collected on D7.5 from all animals and used for quantification of total protein concentration and abundance of albumin.In Exp.2,three in vitro-produced embryos were transferred to the uterine horn ipsilateral to the ovary containing the CL on D7.5 and pregnancy was checked on D25 by ultrasound.Results: In Exp.1,ULF collection on D4 or D7 increased(1.5-to 2.2-folds) the total protein concentration and albumin abundance.ULF collection on D1 did not alter(P 0.10) these endpoints.In Exp.2,ULF collected on D4 or D7 decreased pregnancy rates to approximately half of that measured in the remaining groups.Conclusions: Subtle perturbations imposed to the native intrauterine milieu,such as those caused by a single,low-volume collection of ULF,profoundly disturbs intrauterine composition and pregnancy success.At least 4 d were necessary for the uterus to recover its composition and the functional capacity to carry post-implantation gestation.     

Label‐free proteome of water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) seminal plasma

The study aimed to describe the Bubalus bubalis seminal plasma proteome using a label‐free shotgun UDMS^E approach. A total of 859 nonredundant proteins were identified across five biological replicates with stringent identification. Proteins specifically related to sperm maturation and protection, capacitation, fertilization and metabolic activity were detected in the buffalo seminal fluid. In conclusion, we provide a comprehensive proteomic profile of buffalo seminal plasma, which establishes a foundation for further studies designed to understand regulation of sperm function and discovery of novel biomarkers for fertility. MS data are available in the ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD003728.