Radiographic evaluation of cardiac size in flying fox species (Pteropus rodricensis, P. hypomelanus, and P. vampyrus).

Dilated cardiomyopathy is a relatively common pathology in captive flying foxes (Pteropus spp.). The goal of this study was to establish quantitative reference range measurements that could be used to support a diagnosis of cardiac disease in these animals. Lateral and ventrodorsal thoracic radiographs from apparently healthy flying foxes (n = 66) of three species (Rodriguez island flying fox, P. rodricensis, n = 18; small island flying fox, P. hypomelanus, n = 16; and Malaysian flying fox, P. vampyrus, n = 32) were evaluated objectively to describe the cardiac appearance. Absolute and relative cardiac dimensions also were measured. The same methods were used to evaluate radiographs from flying foxes (n = 9) with known dilated or acute cardiomyopathy. The following ratios were most appropriate for categorizing normal cardiac silhouette size. In the ventrodorsal projection, heart width to thoracic width and heart width to clavicle length were the preferred measurements. In the lateral projection, heart width compared with thoracic height was the preferred measurement. From radiographs of the bats with known dilated and acute cardiomyopathy, the apicobasilar heart length compared with thoracic height and heart width compared with thoracic height on lateral films were the most sensitive ratios for diagnosing cardiomegaly.     

Corazón Cerdo: Sistema Papilo-Tendino-Valvular del Ventriculo Derecho

The right ventricle was studied in 75 anatomically normal swine hearts. Nine parameters in the papillo-tendino valvular system and three corresponding to the tricuspid orifice, pulmonary orifice and length of the inflow tract were measured. Correlations were established between the parameters and heart weight in grams, between the different parameters themselves, and between heart weight and body weight. The results were compared with similar data from human hearts, and were considered of use to researchers planning to use the swine heart as an experimental model to study congenital or induced heart diseases, or as a reference for the clinical interpretation of spontaneous cardiac, anomalies in swine.     

Fusaproliferin effects on the photosystem in the cells of maize seedling leaves

The possible role of the fusariotoxin, fusaproliferin in plant pathology was investigated with respect to cell membrane potential. Electron microscopy was used to study both the early effect of fusaproliferin on the host’s plasma membrane and ultrastructure responses in the cells of maize leaves. The seedlings of resistant (Lucia) and susceptible (Pavla) to the fusaproliferin maize cultivars were grown in the presence of fusaproliferin at different concentrations, namely 5 and 35 μg ml⁻¹, respectively, and electrophysiological measurements were compared with those obtained using two different toxic compounds, namely fusicoccin and 3-3(3,4 dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea (DCMU). It was observed that only the higher concentration of fusaproliferin induced the onset of visible symptoms on the leaves. Comparing the effect of fusaproliferin to that of fusicoccin and DCMU at the higher toxin concentration, it was observed that functional differences in membrane potential induced severe damage to the mesophyll and outer chloroplast membrane; the extent of changes in electrophysiology and ultrastructure disturbances depended on the toxin concentration and was greater in the susceptible cv. Pavla. Results indicated that fusaproliferin could be involved in Fusarium pathogenesis either as a virulence factor or by enhancing the activity of other toxins that might be concomitantly present in infected plants.     

Supplementation with exogenous coenzyme Q10 to media for in vitro maturation and embryo culture fails to promote the developmental competence of porcine embryos

The coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is a potent antioxidant with critical protection role against cell oxidative stress, caused by the mitochondrial dysfunction. This study evaluated the effects of CoQ10 supplementation to in vitro maturation (IVM) or embryo culture media on the maturation, fertilization and subsequent embryonic development of pig oocytes and embryos. Maturation (Experiment 1) or embryo culture (Experiment 2) media were supplemented with 0 (control), 10, 25, 50 and 100 μM CoQ10. The addition of 10–50 μM CoQ10 to the IVM medium did not affect the percentage of MII oocytes nor the fertilization or the parameters of subsequent embryonic development. Exogenous CoQ10 in the culture medium neither did affect the development to the 2–4‐cell stage nor rates of blastocyst formation. Moreover, the highest concentration of CoQ10 (100 μM) in the maturation medium negatively affected blastocyst rates. In conclusion, exogenous CoQ10 supplementation of maturation or embryo culture media failed to improve the outcomes of our in vitro embryo production system and its use as an exogenous antioxidant should not be encouraged.     

Assessment of Detoxifying Markers for Florfenicol in Rainbow Trout Liver

Florfenicol (FF) is employed in fish farms to contest or prevent bacterial infections. However, this pharmaceutical may produce reactive oxygen species that may cause biochemical changes in antibiotic-treated fish. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of FF on Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus mykiss treated for 10 d with 7.5 and 15 mg/kg FF followed by a withdrawal period of 5 d. Superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, glutathione S-transferase, glyoxalase I and glyoxalase II, total glutathione, lactic dehydrogenase, and alkaline phosphatase were investigated in the livers of treated and untreated fish. A general impairment of antioxidant enzymes and metabolic indicators was measured in FF-treated Rainbow Trout. Onset of oxidative damage may have occurred during the antibiotic treatment as a consequence of the effect of FF toxicity at mainly the highest dose. Nevertheless, the rise in levels of total glutathione and glutathione S-transferase even after the withdrawal period may shield the antibiotic-mediated oxidative processes.

Received December 22, 2015; accepted May 26, 2016 Published online October 28, 2016     

Scale matters: performance of European sea bass,Dicentrarchus labrax,L. (1758), reared in cages of different volumes

The effects of rearing volume on on‐growing European sea bass performance and stress parameters were investigated for the first time in a pilot aquaculture farm. Fish were held under the same initial stocking densities in triplicate net‐pen cages of different sizes (1.4, 45 and 252 m³) for a period of 8 months. Results showed significant differences among the experimental groups in most parameters tested, with better performance in the two larger rearing volumes. In particular, growth rate showed a linear association with rearing volume, being 0.68 g day^?1 for the large cage group, 0.56 g day^?1 and 0.32 g day^?1 for the medium and the small groups respectively. The feed conversion ratio and per cent survival (%) were also better in the large cage group. Fish reared in the small and medium‐sized cages showed higher plasma cortisol concentrations than those reared in large cages, which showed low basal cortisol concentrations. Additionally, after an acute chasing stress challenge, fish in the large and small groups, but not the medium group, showed increased cortisol concentrations. Differences also occurred in the ratio of the expression of cortisol receptors, namely the mineralocorticoid (mr) and glucocorticoid receptors (gr). In specific, the ratio of mr to grmRNA expression in the liver was higher in fish reared in the small cages. These findings verify that experimental scale significantly affects experimental results and is a critical factor for the interpretation of results.     

Extended spectrum beta-lactamase SHV-12-producing Salmonella from poultry

Salmonella strains isolated from poultry and poultry products over the period 2005-2006 have been investigated in order to ascertain the presence of extended spectrum cephalosporins (ESC) resistance. Twelve (ESC)-resistant isolates (n=1 S. Enteritidis, n=1 S. Braenderup and n=10 S. Livingstone) were characterized as SHV-12-positive. The multi-drug resistant S. Livingstone SHV-12-producing isolates, untypeable by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), showed a clonal relationship by random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis. The SHV-12 beta-lactamase is reported for the first time in Salmonella enterica strains isolated from poultry in Italy. The results suggest poultry as a source of Salmonella carrying extended spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) genes and highlights the need of monitoring animal productions to prevent spreading of (ESC)-resistant strains.     

Traditional Mediterranean diet and longevity in the elderly: a review

OBJECTIVE: To review the evidence that the traditional Mediterranean diet is associated with longevity. SETTING: Elderly persons of both genders in Greece, Spain, Denmark and Australia studied by different groups of investigators. METHODS: Adherence to the principles of the Mediterranean diet was operationalised through a score devised a priori, and study participants were followed up until death or the end of the study. Proportional hazard models were used. RESULTS: Closer adherence to the Mediterranean diet was associated with a significant decrease in general mortality among the elderly persons studied. CONCLUSION: The Mediterranean diet is positively associated with longevity among the elderly. If the assumption holds that there is no interaction between age and diet with respect to general mortality, it can be inferred that the traditional Mediterranean diet represents a healthy nutritional pattern.     

A genomewide association study in divergently selected lines in rabbits reveals novel genomic regions associated with litter size traits

Uterine capacity (UC), defined as the total number of kits from unilaterally ovariectomized does at birth, has a high genetic correlation with litter size. The aim of our research was to identify genomic regions associated with litter size traits through a genomewide association study using rabbits from a divergent selection experiment for UC. A high-density SNP array (200K) was used to genotype 181 does from a control population, high and low UC lines. Traits included total number born (TNB), number born alive (NBA), number born dead, ovulation rate (OR), implanted embryos (IE) and embryo, foetal and prenatal survivals at second parity. We implemented the Bayes B method and the associations were tested by Bayes factors and the percentage of genomic variance (GV) explained by windows. Different genomic regions associated with TNB, NBA, IE and OR were found. These regions explained 7.36%, 1.27%, 15.87% and 3.95% of GV, respectively. Two consecutive windows on chromosome 17 were associated with TNB, NBA and IE. This genomic region accounted for 6.32% of GV of TNB. In this region, we found the BMP4, PTDGR, PTGER2, STYX and CDKN3 candidate genes which presented functional annotations linked to some reproductive processes. Our findings suggest that a genomic region on chromosome 17 has an important effect on litter size traits. However, further analyses are needed to validate this region in other maternal rabbit lines.     

Immunopathogenesis and immunotherapy of Culicoides hypersensitivity in horses: an update

Culicoides hypersensitivity (CH) is a strongly pruritic dermatitis of horses, characterised histologically by mixed perivascular to diffuse cellular infiltrates of mononuclear cells and eosinophils, and caused by helper T cell (Th)2, immunoglobulin (Ig)E-mediated reactions to antigens present in the saliva of biting Culicoides midges. As treatment of CH is still not satisfactory, a better knowledge of the pathogenesis of CH is needed for the development of new therapeutic modalities. Accordingly, availability of pure Culicoides allergens instead of crude whole body extracts is essential for the improvement of in vitro diagnosis of CH and development of a more effective allergen immunotherapy (AIT). Beside the Th2 cytokines interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-13, recent studies have shown the involvement of thymic stromal lymphopoietin, IL-5 and IL-31 in the pathogenesis of CH. The importance of IL-5 and IL-31 has been confirmed through targeting these cytokines by active immunisation of CH patients, resulting in a significant decrease of CH lesion scores. Thirty Culicoides salivary allergens have been described over the last 10 years and produced as pure recombinant (r-) proteins. Use of a protein microarray has allowed the identification of the most relevant Culicoides r-allergens for CH in central and northern Europe. An immunisation protocol has been developed for preventive AIT against CH. Small amounts of r-Culicoides allergens injected into the submandibular lymph nodes with Alum/MPLA as adjuvants seem to induce a suitable immune response for both preventive and therapeutic AIT. The next years will reveal whether these recent advancements will translate into an improved diagnosis, treatment and prevention of CH.