Effect of food on the pharmacokinetics of oral cefuroxime axetil in dogs

Cefuroxime axetil pharmacokinetic profile was investigated in 12 Beagle dogs after single intravenous and oral administration of tablets or suspension at a dose of 20 mg/kg, under both fasting and fed conditions. A three-period, three-treatment crossover study (IV, PO under fasting and fed condition) was applied. Blood samples were withdrawn at predetermined times over a 12-hr period. Cefuroxime plasma concentrations were determined by HPLC. Data were analyzed by compartmental analysis. No statistically significant differences were observed between formulations and feeding conditions on PK parameters. Independently of the feeding condition, absorption of cefuroxime axetil after tablet administration was low and erratic. The drug has been quantified in plasma in 3 out of 6 and 5 out of 6 dogs in the fasted and fed groups. For this formulation, the bioavailability (F), peak plasma concentration (C_max), and area under the concentration–time curve (AUC) of cefuroxime axetil were significantly enhanced (p < .05) by the concomitant ingestion of food (32.97 ± 13.47–14.08 ± 7.79%, 6.30 ± 2.62–2.74 ± 0.66 µg/ml, and 15.75 ± 3.98–7.82 ± 2.76 µg.hr/ml for F, C_max, and AUC in fed and fasted dogs, respectively), while for cefuroxime axetil suspension, feeding conditions affected only the rate of absorption, as reflected by the significantly shorter absorption half-life (T_½(a)) and time to peak concentration (T_max) (0.55 ± 0.27–1.15 ± 0.19 hr and 1.21 ± 0.22–1.70 ± 0.30 for T_½(a) and T_max in fed and fasted dogs, respectively). For cefuroxime axetil tablets, T > MIC (≤1 µg/ml) was <2 hr in fasted and ≈4 hr in fed animals, and for cefuroxime axetil suspension, T > MIC (≤1 µg/ml) was ≈5 hr and for T >MIC (≤4 µg/ml) was ≈2.5 hr for fasted and fed dogs, respectively. Cefuroxime axetil as a suspension formulation seems to be a better option than tablets. However, its short permanence in plasma could reduce its clinical usefulness in dogs.     

Fate of humic acids isolated from natural humic substances

Composition of humic acids (HA) is a function of plant-derived inputs, degradation processes regulated by microorganisms, organo-mineral interactions and age. Characterization of different origin humic substances is important for evaluation of their contribution to stabile and labile carbon pool in the environment. The relative abundance of chemical components in HA isolated from soils, compost, commercial lignohumates, alginite, acadiane and lignite was studied with aim to quantify content of important biomarkers such as amino acid, lipids and polyphenols. HA were considered as a heterogeneous complex and high concentration of peptides, polyphenols and lipids was determined in acadian-HA to compare with soil-HA. Compost-HA contained much more amino acids to compare with soil-HA samples. Alginite-HA and lignite-HA were similar in biomarkers content to soil-HA. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy confirmed that chemical composition and functional groups content differs with the origin, humification degree and the age of studied samples. Soil-HA are typically composed of a variety of ?OH, COOH?, C–O, C–H₂, (aliphatic and aromatic) groups, quinines, lignin fragments, polysaccharide, monosaccharide and proteins fragments, which are linked together by ?O?, ?NH?, ?H=, >C=O, metal ions and –S? groups. ¹³C NMR spectroscopy showed that aromatic carbon content was the highest in lignite-HA and soil-HA.     

Interaction between jasmonic and gibberellic acids on in vitro tuberization of potato plantlets

Summary A reverse of the delaying effect of gibberellic acid (GA₃) was observed in in vitro tuberization of potato plantlets when the medium contained 0.8×10⁻⁵ M jasmonic acid (JA). The promoting effect of JA seemed to be correlated with the initial absence of growing roots, probably through direct activity of JA in microtuber-producing buds in the stoloniferous shoots. This is based on the fact that JA did not inhibit root growth a posteriori. Endogenous gibberellins (GAs) synthesized by roots did not interfere with the previous activity of JA in tuberization. The absence of a JA promoting-effect on tuberization of previously-rooted plantlets could be related to the capacity of potato roots to synthesize endogenous GAs which might antagonize the JA effect on buds of stoloniferous shoots.     

STAGING OF LUMBAR INTER VERTEBRAL DISC DEGENERATION IN NONCHONDRODYSTROPHIC DOGS USING LOW-FIELD MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING

Recognition of disc degeneration in vivo is important in the investigation of the pathophysiology of intervertebral disc disease as well as the assessment of patients. The purpose of this study was to compare low-field magnetic resonance imaging and histopathologic findings of disc degeneration in the canine caudal lumbar spine. A simple four-stage classification system for disc degeneration is proposed. Most common signs of disc degeneration in magnetic resonance imaging included nuclear clefts, decreased signal intensity of the nucleus pulposus and tears of the annulus fibrosus, or disc herniations. The association between magnetic resonance images and histopathologic findings was highly significant. A sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 79% for magnetic resonance imaging was calculated using histopathology as the gold standard.     

The effects of landscape patterns on ecosystem services: meta-analyses of landscape services

Purpose

The recently introduced concept of ‘landscape services’—ecosystem services influenced by landscape patterns—may be particularly useful in landscape planning by potentially increasing stakeholder participation and financial funding. However, integrating this concept remains challenging. In order to bypass this barrier, we must gain a greater understanding of how landscape composition and configuration influence the services provided.

Methods

We conducted meta-analyses that considered published studies evaluating the effects of several landscape metrics on the following services: pollination, pest control, water quality, disease control, and aesthetic value. We report the cumulative mean effect size (E₊₊), where the signal of the values is related to positive or negative influences.

Results

Landscape complexity differentially influenced the provision of services. Particularly, the percentage of natural areas had an effect on natural enemies (E₊₊ =?0.35), pollination (E₊₊?=?0.41), and disease control (E₊₊?=?0.20), while the percentage of no-crop areas had an effect on water quality (E₊₊?=?0.42) and pest response (E₊₊?=?0.33). Furthermore, heterogeneity had an effect on aesthetic value (E₊₊?=?0.5) and water quality (E₊₊ =???0.40). Moreover, landscape aggregation was important to explaining pollination (E₊₊?=?0.29) and water quality (E₊₊?=?0.35).

Conclusions

The meta-analyses reinforce the importance of considering landscape structure in assessing ecosystem services for management purposes and decision-making. The magnitude of landscape effect varies according to the service being studied. Therefore, land managers must account for landscape composition and configuration in order to ensure the maintenance of services and adapt their approach to suit the focal service.