Spontaneous hormonal variations in male cats following gonadectomy

The increased prevalence of obesity after neutering in cats is problematic in veterinary practice. Although many factors seem to be involved, the role of prolactin (PRL) and insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), both implicated in adipose tissue development and glucose intolerance, should be considered. Seven male cats were castrated when 11 months old. Body weight was then recorded for 56 weeks and PRL, IGF-I and leptin assayed for 44 weeks. Body weight increased steadily but only significantly after 36 weeks. It stabilised after 44 weeks, and the cats then gained about 20% of their initial body weight. IGF-I increased rapidly and was significantly higher by week 3. PRL and leptin increased with initial peaks during the eighth and eleventh weeks, respectively. This study confirms that castration rapidly modifies the hormonal balance, partly explaining the body weight increase, and that hormonal changes precede this body weight increase. Hyperleptinaemia is apparently a consequence of excess weight.     

Chemotherapy against babesiosis

Babesiosis is caused by a haemotropic protozoal parasite of the genus Babesia, member of the phylum Apicomplexa and transmitted by the bite of an infected tick. There are many Babesia species affecting livestock, dogs, horses and rodents which are of economic significance. Infections can occur without producing symptoms, but babesiosis may also be severe and sometimes fatal caused by the intraerythrocytic parasite development. The disease can cause fever, fatigue and haemolytic anemia lasting from several days to several months. There are a number of effective babesiacides, but imidocarb dipropionate (which consistently clears the parasitaemia; often the only available drug on the market) and diminazene aceturate are the most widely used. Some Babesia spp. can infect humans, particularly Babesia microti and Babesia divergens, and human babesiosis is a significant emerging tick-borne zoonotic disease. Clinical manifestations differ markedly between European and North American diseases. In clinical cases, a combination of clindamycin and quinine is administered as the standard treatment, but also administration of atovaquone-azithromycin is successful. Supportive therapy such as intravenous fluids and blood transfusions are employed when necessary. More specific fast-acting new treatments for babesiosis have now to be developed. This should be facilitated by the knowledge of the Babesia spp. genome and increased interest for this malaria-like parasite.     

Chemical Composition of Rainwater Near Two Historical Monuments The Thann Collegiate (Alsace,France) and the Tours Cathedral (Indre et Loire,France)

In the present study, included within the framework of a Franco-German Research Program for Conservation of HistoricalMonuments, the chemical composition of rainwater was investigated in Thann (Alsace, France) and in Tours (Indre etLoire, France) between 1992 and 1993. A total of 78 and 24samples, respectively, were collected, near the Thann collegiateand the Tours cathedral on a weekly basis and analysed for Cl^-, NO₃ ^-, SO₄ ^2-, Na⁺, NH₄ ⁺, K⁺, Mg²⁺ and Ca²⁺. Results showpH ranged from 3.60 to 6.58 and from 5.49 to 7.01 for Thann andTours, respectively. In Thann, SO₄ ^2- is the major anion and rainwater acidity is neutralised by compounds ofterrigenic origin which come from the soil of the upper Rhinevalley (Ca²⁺; ‘loess’) and the potash mines of Alsace. In Tours, SO₄ ^2- is also the major anion and the acidity is neutralised partially by atmospheric ammonia and partially by compounds of terrigenic origin and by dust fromthe erosion of the cathedral and the works of restoration, in the form of CaCO₃.     

The modes of action of Mentha arvensis essential oil on the granary weevil Sitophilus granarius revealed by a label-free quantitative proteomic analysis

Although synthetic pesticides are still used to control insect pests, greater efforts have been made to develop healthier and more environmentally friendly pesticides. Because of their insecticidal properties, botanical essential oils (EOs) are considered as promising alternatives to the use of synthetic insecticides. However, little is known about mechanisms underlying the insecticidal activity of most these natural compounds. In the present study, we evaluated the contact toxicity and the modes of action of the EO from Mentha arvensis against the granary weevil, Sitophilus granarius L. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), a cosmopolitan insect pest that causes extensive damage to stored cereals. M. arvensis EO caused high contact toxicity in S. granarius adults, resulting in a rapid paralysis and rapid alteration of walking behavior. Our label-free quantitative proteomics approach revealed that M. arvensis EO induced dramatic physiological changes in exposed insects. The majority of the differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were upregulated and are related to the development and functioning of the muscular and nervous systems, cellular respiration, protein synthesis, and detoxification. These results suggest that M. arvensis essential oil is capable of affecting a variety of biological processes, and shed light on the repair mechanisms put in place in surviving insects to counter the damage inflicted. This work opens new perspectives on the proposed mechanisms of insecticidal activity of a promising EO for controlling pests of stored cereals and may represent a first step in the development of novel bio-rational insecticides.

     

Surgical treatment of disk-associated wobbler syndrome by a distractable vertebral titanium cage in seven dogs

Objective: To evaluate a distractable titanium cage for the treatment of disk‐associated wobbler syndrome (DAWS). Study Design: Prospective study. Animals: Dogs (n=7) with DAWS. Methods: After total discectomy of C5–C6 and C6–C7, the median part of the vertebral body of C6 was removed with preservation of the lateral walls and dorsal cortex. The removed cancellous bone was collected. The implant was placed in the bony defect of C6. After placement, the titanium cage was distracted and affixed by 4 screws. Finally, the implant was filled and covered with cancellous bone. Dogs had follow‐up examinations at 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 months. Six months after surgery, cervical radiographs and computed tomography (CT) were performed. Results: Although no intraoperative complications occurred, correct placement of the cage was technically challenging. Revision surgery was necessary in 2 dogs because of implant loosening and aggravation of vertebral tilting. All dogs improved after discharge from the hospital. In 1 dog, recurrence of clinical signs caused by articular facet proliferation at an adjacent intervertebral disk space occurred. Radiographs at 6 months demonstrated cage subsidence in 4 dogs. In all dogs, CT was suggestive for fusion of the bone graft with the vertebral body. Conclusions: Although results are promising, technical adaptations will be necessary to make this specific surgical technique, designed for humans, suitable for routine use in dogs.     

Resistance Evaluation of Some Chinese Leading Rice Maintainer, Restorer lines and Their Hybrids to Magnaporthe grisea

Six isolates of Magnaporthe grisea were selected to inoculate on 10 Chinese leading maintainer lines (B-lines), 14 restorer lines (R-lines) and their F1 hybrid plants. In the tested rice materials, R-lines were proved to be more resistant to blast than B-lines.The resistance frequency of about 25% F1 hybrid plants was less than their parents. In addition, 26 isolates of M. grisea collected from different rice growing areas of China were inoculated on 13 new improved hybrid rice combinations. The resistance frequencies of 5 improved hybrids were better than those of the controls and leading varieties in rice production of China.     

Summer survival and activity patterns of estuary feeding anadromous Salmo trutta

There is generally a very poor understanding of how anadromous brown trout, Salmo trutta, use marine ecosystems. In this study, we use acoustic telemetry techniques to test four alternative hypotheses for estuarine coastal habitat use by this species on a population in the Clyde, west-central Scotland. Anadromous brown trout in their second (or more) summer feeding in the marine environment did not show patterns of estuarine use predicted from studies on other populations of this species. They did not (a) use the inner Clyde Estuary as a staging post for onward migration to open coastal waters, nor did they (b) pass through the estuary rapidly nor did they (c) make multiple incursions into freshwater. In contrast, fish utilised a very geographically constrained area of the inner estuary (<8 km in length), within which fish were highly mobile, exhibiting more activity during a flooding tide and exhibited high survivorship compared with reports from other studies. The reasons why estuarine use by anadromous brown trout in the Clyde may differ from that reported elsewhere is discussed.