Canine Dal blood type: A red cell antigen lacking in some Dalmatians

BACKGROUND: Based upon alloantibodies produced after sensitizing dogs with transfused blood, more than a dozen blood group systems have been recognized thus far, and some have been classified as dog erythrocyte antigens (DEA). HYPOTHESIS: A new canine red cell antigen was suspected, based on the development of specific alloantibodies in a Dalmatian previously sensitized by blood transfusions. ANIMALS: Twenty-six Dalmatians (including 1 Dalmatian in need of blood compatibility studies); 55 canine blood donors. METHODS: Serologic tests, including blood typing, crossmatching, and direct Coombs' test were performed by standard tube techniques and a novel gel column technology adapted from human blood banking. RESULTS: By day 40 after transfusion of an anemic Dalmatian, all major crossmatch tests to 55 non-Dalmatian dogs were incompatible. The 2 initial donors, who were compatible before transfusion, were also now incompatible, suggesting the development of an alloantibody to a common red cell antigen. No siblings were available, but 4 of 25 unrelated Dalmatians were crossmatch compatible, suggesting that they were missing the same red cell antigen. The patient was blood typed DEA 1.1, 3, 4, and 5 positive, but DEA 7 negative. Further blood typing and crossmatching results did not support an association to any of these known blood types. The alloantibodies produced were determined to be of the immunoglobulin G class. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Based upon the identification of an acquired alloantibody in a Dalmatian, a presumably new common blood type named Dal was identified. Dalmatians lacking the Dal antigen are likely at risk of delayed and acute hemolytic transfusion reactions.     

Risk factors associated with poult enteritis mortality syndrome-positive turkey flocks

Poult enteritis mortality syndrome (PEMS) has been an economically devastating disease in North Carolina since the early 1990s. Though much is known about the disease, many questions remain unanswered about the syndrome, including its cause, transmission of causative agent(s), and control methods. This study was designed to investigate the association between PEMS and farm management factors. A prospective longitudinal study was conducted by collecting farm data and monitoring weekly mortality in 54 commercial turkey flocks raised in PEMS-affected regions. Univariate and multivariate statistical analyses revealed that enhancing rodent control methods was negatively associated (P = 0.0228) with PEMS.     

Pharmacokinetics of voriconazole after oral administration of single and multiple doses in African grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus timneh)

OBJECTIVE: To determine the pharmacokinetics and safety of orally administered voriconazole in African grey parrots. ANIMALS: 20 clinically normal Timneh African grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus timneh). PROCEDURES: In single-dose trials, 12 parrots were each administered 6, 12, and 18 mg of voriconazole/kg orally and plasma concentrations of voriconazole were determined via high-pressure liquid chromatography. In a multiple-dose trial, voriconazole (18 mg/kg) was administered orally to 6 birds every 12 hours for 9 days; a control group (2 birds) received tap water. Treatment effects were assessed via observation, clinicopathologic analyses (3 assessments), and measurement of trough plasma voriconazole concentrations (2 assessments). RESULTS: Voriconazole's elimination half-life was short (1.1 to 1.6 hours). Higher doses resulted in disproportional increases in the maximum plasma voriconazole concentration and area under the curve. Trough plasma voriconazole concentrations achieved in the multiple-dose trial were lower than those achieved after administration of single doses. Polyuria (the only adverse treatment effect) developed in treated and control birds but was more severe in the treatment group. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: In African grey parrots, voriconazole has dose-dependent pharmacokinetics and may induce its own metabolism. Oral administration of 12 to 18 mg of voriconazole/kg twice daily is a rational starting dose for treatment of African grey parrots infected with Aspergillus or other fungal organisms that have a minimal inhibitory concentration for voriconazole < or = 0.4 microg/mL. Higher doses may be needed to maintain plasma voriconazole concentrations during long-term treatment. Safety and efficacy of various voriconazole treatment regimens in this species require investigation.     

Coordinated activation of Hsp70 chaperones

Hsp70s are a ubiquitous family of molecular chaperones involved in many cellular processes. Two Hsp70s, Lhs1p and Kar2p, are required for protein biogenesis in the yeast endoplasmic reticulum. Here, we found that Lhs1p and Kar2p specifically interacted to couple, and coordinately regulate, their respective activities. Lhs1p stimulated Kar2p by providing a specific nucleotide exchange activity, whereas Kar2p reciprocally activated the Lhs1p adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase). The two ATPase activities are coupled, and their coordinated regulation is essential for normal function in vivo.     

Growth rates of rainbow smelt in Lake Champlain: effects of density and diet

Stritzel Thomson JL, Parrish DL, Parker‐Stetter SL, Rudstam LG, Sullivan PJ. Growth rates of rainbow smelt in Lake Champlain: effects of density and diet. Ecology of Freshwater Fish 2010. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S Abstract – We estimated the densities of rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax) using hydroacoustics and obtained specimens for diet analysis and groundtruthed acoustics data from mid‐water trawl sampling in four areas of Lake Champlain, USA–Canada. Densities of rainbow smelt cohorts alternated during the 2‐year study; age‐0 rainbow smelt were very abundant in 2001 (up to 6 fish per m²) and age‐1 and older were abundant (up to 1.2 fish per m²) in 2002. Growth rates and densities varied among areas and years. We used model selection on eight area–year‐specific variables to investigate biologically plausible predictors of rainbow smelt growth rates. The best supported model of growth rates of age‐0 smelt indicated a negative relationship with age‐0 density, likely associated with intraspecific competition for zooplankton. The next best‐fit model had age‐1 density as a predictor of age‐0 growth. The best supported models (N = 4) of growth rates of age‐1 fish indicated a positive relationship with availability of age‐0 smelt and resulting levels of cannibalism. Other plausible models were contained variants of these parameters. Cannibalistic rainbow smelt consumed younger conspecifics that were up to 53% of their length. Prediction of population dynamics for rainbow smelt requires an understanding of the relationship between density and growth as age‐0 fish outgrow their main predators (adult smelt) by autumn in years with fast growth rates, but not in years with slow growth rates.     

Phytoconstituents from Vitex agnus-castus fruits

A new labdane-diterpene, viteagnusin I (1), together with 23 known phytoconstituents were isolated from the fruits of Vitex agnus-castus L, and their structures characterized by spectroscopic methods (NMR and MS). The known compounds include ten flavonoids, five terpenoids, three neolignans, and four phenolic compounds, as well as one glyceride. Biological evaluation identified apigenin, 3-methylkaempferol, luteolin, and casticin as weak ligands of delta and mu opioid receptors, exhibiting dose-dependent receptor binding.     

Monoaminergic substances in the teleost brain: Catecholamine levels in male and female winter flounder,Pseudopleuronectes americanus Walbaum,associated with gonadal recrudescence

High performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection (HPLC-EC) was used to quantitate catecholamine (CA) levels in the winter flounder brain following perchloric acid extraction/alumina purification of CNS tissues. Greater concentrations of norepinephrine (NE) and dopamine (DA) were present in the hypothalamus compared with the CA levels in whole brain. A seasonal study of CA brain levels in reproductively active male and female flounder demonstrated that monoamine levels reach their maxima in October in association with the rapid increases in gonadosomatic index. When perchloric acid extracts of the teleost and rat hypothalamus were submitted to direct HPLC-EC analysis, without alumina purification of CA neurotransmitters, similar hypothalamic profiles were obtained indicating the presence of identifiable biogenic amine neurotransmitters substances including NE, DA and serotonin (5-HT).