Serum vascular endothelial growth factor in dogs with soft tissue sarcomas

This work aimed to evaluate serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in 25 dogs with soft tissue sarcoma, and in 30 healthy dogs. Blood was collected once time from the control animals and three times, in the same way, from animals with sarcoma. Blood count was performed in the blood collected, and serum VEGF was measured by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay quantitative method. Serum VEGF in control animals was similar to patients with soft tissue sarcoma. There was a reduction in serum VEGF after the sarcoma resection. There was positive correlation between serum VEGF and neutrophil counts, and negative between VEGF and hemoglobin content in animals with sarcoma. Animals with hemangiopericytoma showed higher serum VEGF levels compared to the patients with malignant peripheral nerve sheath. Circulating blood cells can contribute to elevate VEGF serum concentrations in dogs with soft tissue sarcomas and a possible role of VEGF in the angiogenesis of these tumors.     

Involvement of ATP‐sensitive K+ channels in the peripheral antinociceptive effect induced by ketamine

ObjectiveTo investigate the contribution of K⁺ channels on peripheral antinociception induced by ketamine.Study designProspective experimental study.Animals110 male Wistar rats weighing 160–200 g.MethodsThe paw pressure required to elicit limb flexion was designated as the nociceptive threshold. Hyperalgesia was induced by intraplantar injection of prostaglandin E₂. All drugs were administered locally into the right hind paw of rats. Ketamine was administered into the right hind paw 2 hours and 55 minutes after local injection of PGE₂. Tetraethylammonium was administered 30 minutes prior to ketamine and the other K⁺ channel blockers, glibenclamide, dequalinium and paxilline, were administered 5 minutes prior to ketamine.ResultsProstaglandin E₂ (2 μg per paw) induced hyperalgesia. Ketamine (10, 20, 40 and 80 μg per paw) elicited a local peripheral antinociceptive effect that was antagonized by a specific blocker of ATP‐sensitive K⁺ channels, glibenclamide (20, 40 and 80 μg per paw). In another experiment, the non‐selective voltage‐dependent K⁺ channel blocker tetraethylammonium (30 μg per paw) and small and large conductance blockers of Ca²⁺‐activated K⁺ channels, dequalinium (50 μg per paw) and paxilline (20 μg per paw), were ineffective at blocking the effect of a local ketamine injection.Conclusions and clinical relevanceAnalysis of these results provides evidence that ketamine, may in part, induce peripheral antinociceptive effects by ATP‐sensitive K⁺ channel pathway activation.     

Lithothamnion muelleri Controls Inflammatory Responses,Target Organ Injury and Lethality Associated with Graft-versus-Host Disease in Mice

Lithothamnion muelleri (Hapalidiaceae) is a marine red alga, which is a member of a group of algae with anti-inflammatory, antitumor, and immunomodulatory properties. The present study evaluated the effects of treatment with Lithothamnion muelleri extract (LM) in a model of acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), using a model of adoptive splenocyte transfer from C57BL/6 donors into B6D2F1 recipient mice. Mice treated with LM showed reduced clinical signs of disease and mortality when compared with untreated mice. LM-treated mice had reduced tissue injury, less bacterial translocation, and decreased levels of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines (interferon-γ (IFN-γ), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 2 (CCL2), chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 3 (CCL3) and chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 5 (CCL5)). The polysaccharide-rich fraction derived from LM could inhibit leukocyte rolling and adhesion in intestinal venules, as assessed by intravital microscopy. LM treatment did not impair the beneficial effects of graft-versus-leukaemia (GVL). Altogether, our studies suggest that treatment with Lithothamnion muelleri has a potential therapeutic application in GVHD treatment.     

Geospatial variation of physical attributes and sugarcane productivity in cohesive soils

Precision Agriculture - Sugarcane productivity is highly variable across space, and knowledge about the spatial distribution of soil physical attributes is important to guide management practices...     

Synthesis and phytotoxic activity of ozonides

The [4 + 3] cycloaddition of the proper furans with the oxyallyl cation, generated in situ from 2,4-dibromopentan-3-one, produced a series of 8-oxabicyclo [3.2.1]oct-6-en-3-ones. Exposure of the oxabicycles to ozone afforded the corresponding 8,9,10,11-tetraoxatricyclo[5.2.1.1 (2,6)]undecan-4-ones in variable yields (7-100%). The phytotoxic properties of these ozonides (or 1,2,4-trioxolanes) and their oxabicycle precursors were evaluated as the ability to interfere with the growth of Sorghum bicolor and Cucumis sativus seedlings. Among oxabicycles, the highest inhibitory activity was shown by compounds possessing a alpha,beta-unsaturated carbonyl moiety. A differential sensitivity of the two crops was evident with ozonides. The most active compounds were also tested against the weed species Ipomoea grandifolia and Brachiaria decumbens. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first article describing ozonides as potential herbicides.     

Assessment of the ideal ratios of digestible essential amino acids for pacu,Piaractus mesopotamicus,juveniles by the amino acid deletion method

The present study aimed to determine the ideal ratios of digestible essential amino acids (EAAs) for pacu (Piaractus mesopotamicus) juveniles by the amino acid (AA) deletion method. A completely randomized design which consisted of 11 treatments and three replicates each was used. The treatments included a control diet (CD) containing 55% of nonpurified natural ingredients and 45% of purified synthetic amino acids and ingredients, and other ten isonitrogenous and isoenergetic EAA limiting diets (LDs), each being deficient in 44.4 ± 0.02% of the respective EAA. Pacu juveniles with initial average body weight of 6.22 ± 0.09 g were distributed among 33 fiber glass tanks. Fish were fed with semipurified and extruded diets for 113 days two times a day until apparent satiation. The ideal ratio of each dietary EAA was calculated on the basis of the relationship between body N retention and amount of EAA deleted from the respective EAA LD. Based on the AA deletion method, the ideal ratios of digestible EAAs for pacu juveniles, relative to lysine requirement of 100% were estimated as: methionine 14.6%, threonine 35.0%, tryptophan 6.6%, arginine 62.8%, histidine 13.6%, isoleucine 26.3%, leucine 43.7%, phenylalanine 27.2%, and valine 35.8%.     

Identification of unreported putative new bovine papillomavirus types in Brazilian cattle herds

The amplification by degenerate primers FAP59/FAP64 and sequencing allowed the detection of 15 putative new BPV types in cutaneous warts as well as in healthy skin. Four of these isolates were recently recognized as new BPV types (BPV-7, -8, -9, and -10) after determination of their complete genome sequences. In Brazil, investigations involving the definition of BPV types present in skin warts are still rare. The aim of the current study was to identify the BPV types associated with cutaneous papillomatosis observed in Brazilian cattle herds. Twenty-two cutaneous papilloma specimens were submitted to PCR assay employing the FAP primer pair. All PCR products with approximately 480 bp were submitted to direct sequencing. Cloning was performed for the amplicons which prior analysis revealed as putative new BPV types. From 16 cutaneous lesions, BPV-1, -2, and -6 were identified in two, six, and eight papilloma specimens, respectively. In addition, four putative new BPV types were identified in other six skin warts, and then designated as BPV/BR-UEL2 to -5. The detection of the BPV-1, -2, and -6 types in skin wart specimens supports the existence of these BPV types throughout the Brazilian cattle herd. In addition, the identification of four putative new BPV types is the first report of the presence of different BPV types in the American continent.     

PCR detection of staphylococcal enterotoxin genes in Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from raw and pasteurized milk

Milk is considered a nutritious food because it contains several important nutrients including proteins and vitamins. Conversely, it can be a vehicle for several pathogenic bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus. This study aimed to analyze the frequency of genes encoding the staphylococcal enterotoxins (SEs) SEA, SEB, SEC, SED, SEE, SEG, SEH, SEI and SEJ in S. aureus strains isolated from raw or pasteurized bovine milk. S. aureus was found in 38 (70.4%) out of 54 raw milk samples at concentrations of up to 8.9 x 10(5) CFU/ml. This microorganism was present in eight samples of pasteurized milk before the expiration date and in 11 samples analyzed on the expiration date. Of the 57 strains studied, 68.4% were positive for one or more genes encoding the enterotoxins, and 12 different genotypes were identified. The gene coding for enterotoxin A, sea, was the most frequent (16 strains, 41%), followed by sec (8 strains, 20.5%), sed (5 strains, 12.8%), seb (3 strains, 7.7%) and see (2 strains, 5.1%). Among the genes encoding the other enterotoxins, seg was the most frequently observed (11 strains, 28.2%), followed by sei (10 strains) and seh and sej (3 strains each). With the recent identification of new SEs, the perceived frequency of enterotoxigenic strains has increased, suggesting that the pathogenic potential of staphylococci may be higher than previously thought; however, further studies are required to assess the expression of these new SEs by S. aureus, and their impact in foodborne disease. The quality of Brazilian milk is still low, and efforts from the government and the entire productive chain are required to attain consumer safety.     

The effect of dietary supplementation with 9-cis:12-trans and 10-trans:12-cis conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) for nine months on serum cholesterol, lymphocyte proliferation and polymorphonuclear cells function in Beagle dogs

Conjugated linoleic acids (CLA), 9-cis:11-trans and 10-trans:12-cis, have been shown to be able to modify some immune cells parameters and plasma lipids in a variety of experiment models. Since lymphocytes and polymorphonuclear cells (PMNC) have a large spectrum functions in the immune response, the knowledge in this field has to be expanded. Beagle dogs were fed a control diet or a CLA supplemented diet for nine months. Blood was collected for biochemical analysis and lymphocyte and PMNC isolation. PMNC were assayed for lysosome content, phagocytic activity and superoxide anion production. A lymphocyte proliferation capacity assay was done. The CLA fed dogs had a 34% reduction in total cholesterol (P < 0.05), 28% in LDL (P < 0.05) and 28% non-HDL-cholesterol (P < 0.05). Neither of the PMNC parameters evaluated demonstrated significant alteration. Lymphocytes from CLA group increased by 45% their mitotic capacity (P < 0.05). Our study demonstrates that CLA can successfully modify the lipid profile of dogs (monogastrics) when fed at reasonable levels, but did not significantly alter inflammatory function as would generally predicted. Further, we had some indication that CLA modulated T cell responsiveness.