Cardiopulmonary effects of desflurane in horses

OBJECTIVE: To determine the cardiopulmonary effects of desflurane (DES) in horses. ANIMALS: Six healthy adult horses, three males and three females, aged 9 +/- 4 (mean +/- SD) years and weighing 370 +/- 36 kg. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Anaesthesia was induced with an O2 (10 L minute(-1)) and DES mixture (vaporizer setting 18%). After oro-tracheal intubation, horses were positioned in right lateral recumbency. Anaesthesia was maintained with DES in O2 (20 mL kg(-1) minute(-1)) delivered through a large animal circle breathing system. The minimum alveolar concentration of DES (MAC(DES)) that prevented purposeful movement in response to 60 seconds of electrical stimulation of the oral mucous membranes was determined for each horse. The delivered concentration of DES was then increased to achieve end-tidal concentrations corresponding to 1.5 x MAC(DES), 1.75 x MAC(DES), and 2.0 x MAC(DES). Heart rate (HR), mean arterial blood pressure (MAP), respiratory rate (fr), tidal volume (VT), minute volume (VM) and core temperature were determined, and blood samples for arterial blood gas analysis taken at each DES concentration. All data were analysed by two-way anova for repeated measures and Fisher's test for multiple comparisons. A probability level of p < 0.05 was applied. RESULTS: Desflurane concentrations of 2.0 x MAC(DES) increased HR whereas lower concentrations did not. Mean arterial pressure was not affected by 1.0 x MAC(DES) 1.5 x MAC(DES) or 1.75 x MAC(DES), whereas it decreased at 2.0 x MAC(DES). All concentrations of DES examined significantly depressed fr, VT and VM. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Desflurane concentrations between 1.0 and 1.75 x MAC(DES) reduces fr and VM but does not affect HR or MAP in horses.     

Integrating Fire Risk Considerations in Forest Management Planning in Spain – A Landscape Level Perspective

It is reasonable to assume that there is a relationship between the spatial distribution of forest fuels and fire hazards. Therefore, if fire risk is to be included into numerical forest planning, the spatial distribution of risky and non-risky forest stands should be taken into account. The present study combines a stand-level fire risk model and landscape level optimization to solve forest planning problems in which the fire risk plays an important role. The key point of the method was to calculate forest level fire resistance metrics from stand level indices and use these metrics as objective variables in numerical optimization. This study shows that maximizing different landscape metrics produces very different landscape configurations with respect to the spatial arrangement of resistant and risky stands. The landscapes obtained by maximizing different metrics were tested with a fire spread simulator. These tests suggested that the mean fire resistance of the landscape, which is a non-spatial metric, is the most important factor affecting the burned area. However, spatial landscape metrics that decrease the continuity of fire resistance in the landscape can significantly improve the fire resistance of the landscape when used as additional objective variables.     

A PCR technique for the detection of Jaagsiekte sheep retrovirus in the blood suitable for the screening of ovine pulmonary adenocarcinoma in field conditions

Ovine pulmonary adenocarcinoma (OPA) is a naturally occurring contagious lung neoplasia caused by jaagsiekte sheep retrovirus (JSRV). Although no specific circulating antibodies against the virus can be detected in infected sheep, JSRV proviral DNA sequences can be found in peripheral blood leukocytes (PBLs) in clinically affected and in a proportion of in contact animals. In this study, existing hemi-nested PCR procedure is compared with a new one-step PCR technique that was developed to minimise potential DNA contamination and reduce sample and reagent handling. Different blood preparations were assessed and the best results were achieved on DNA prepared from buffy coat. The sensitivity of this PCR was lower in JSRV infected sheep without lesions of OPA than in clinically affected sheep, which indicate that this PCR may not be not fully appropriate for screening of individual sheep, but rather to provide results at flock level. This PCR is the only currently available blood test for detection of JSRV infected sheep and may be useful in epidemiological studies and in control programmes of OPA.     

Congenital aganglionosis in a 3-day-old Holstein calf

Necropsy of a 3-day-old Holstein heifer revealed proximal megacolon and distal colorectal hypoplasia. Histologically, the hypoplastic distal colon and rectum lacked submucosal and myenteric ganglia. Clinical history, physical examination, and pathologic findings were consistent with intestinal aganglionosis, a congenital anomaly well documented in humans and foals but not previously reported in cattle.     

Effects of hemolysis, lipemia, hyperbilirrubinemia, and anticoagulants in canine C-reactive protein, serum amyloid A, and ceruloplasmin assays

The objective of the present study was to determine the effects that hemolysis, lipemia, bilirubinemia, and anticoagulants might have on the most commonly used assays for C-reactive protein and serum amyloid A, and determination of ceruloplasmin values in dogs. Solutions of hemoglobin, lipid, and bilirubin were added to serum aliquots. Additionally, serum and plasma samples with different anticoagulants (heparin, EDTA, and citrate) were obtained from healthy dogs. Hemolysis, lipemia, and hyperbilirubinemia interfered significantly with the C-reactive protein and ceruloplasmin results, but not with those for the serum amyloid A assay. The use of anticoagulants produced significant changes in the results for the assays tested. However, the magnitude of the differences caused by the interfering substances does not appear to have an important impact on the clinical interpretation of the tests.     

Use of ear tags and injectable transponders for the identification and traceability of pigs from birth to the end of the slaughter line

A total of 557 newborn piglets were used to compare eight identification devices, including one plastic ear tag as a control (C, n = 348) and two types of electronic ear tags (E1, n = 106; and E2, n = 103), and five types of injectable transponders (n = 557): small 12-mm (D12, n = 116; and S12, n = 110), medium 23-mm (T23, n = 108), and large (32-mm, T32, n = 115; and 34-mm, S34, n = 108). Injections were made s.c. in the auricle base (n = 248) and intraperitoneally (n = 309) using a new technique. All piglets were identified with two devices, but using electronic ear tags in conjunction with injection in the auricle was avoided on the same pig. Readability of devices was checked during fattening (until 110 kg BW) and slaughtering. On-farm losses were lower for control than for electronic ear tags (C = 1.1%; E1 = 8.8%; and E2 = 44.9%; P < 0.01); the latter also suffered electronic failures (E1 = 5.5%; and E2 = 55.1%; P < 0.001). On-farm losses of transponders injected in the auricle base were greater in large (S34 = 72.5%; and T32 = 46.3%; P < 0.05) than in small transponders (S12 = 19.4%; and D12 = 17.1%), but T23 (29.8%) only differed from S34. Transponder size did not affect on-farm losses for intraperitoneal injections in which only one loss was recorded (0.4%). All ear tags had similar losses during transportation to the slaughterhouse (1.2%), but no losses were observed in injectables. Slaughtering losses did not differ between ear tags (C = 11.2%; and E1 = 6.4%), but apart from losses, 12.8% of E1 failed electronically. Injection site affected losses and breakages during slaughtering (auricle base = 6.4%; and intraperitoneal = 0%), but recovery time did not significantly differ (auricle base = 28.6 s; and intraperitoneal = 18.9 s). Transponders in the auricle base were recovered by sight (30.2%), palpation (27.4%), or by cutting (42.5%). Intraperitoneal transponders were mainly recovered loose in the abdominal cavity (81.4%), whereas 18.6% fell on the floor. As a result, traceability varied significantly (P < 0.05) between control (86.7%) and electronic ear tags (0 to 68.1%) and injectable transponders, with the auricle base (17.8 to 75.0%) having lower values than intraperitoneal (98 to 100%). Intraperitoneal injection was a very effective tool for piglet identification and traceability, ensuring the transfer of information from farm to slaughterhouse. To warrant the use of this technique in practice, transponder recovery requires further investigation.     

Partial characterization of phagocytic activity in neutrophils of the nine-banded armadillo Dasypus novemcinctus

Though the armadillo is important as a research model in leprosy studies, the activity of armadillo's neutrophils is an aspect of little research. The aim of this study was carried out to partially characterize the chemotaxis, endocytosis and bacteriocidal ability of the neutrophils found in the nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus). Results showed that the chemotactic activity of the neutrophils, evaluated by the movement of the neutrophils through a nitrocellulose membrane (5 microm) in response to a chemo-attractive substance, was greater towards the armadillo serum (5.16+/-1.35 migration index, p<0.05) than towards the formil methionyl leucil phenylalanine (fMLP, 1.43+/-0.18 migration index) or human serum (0.56+/-0.18 migration index). Regarding endocytic capacity of the neutrophils and the monocytes against Escherichia coli was evaluated by a flow cytometry and using opsonized and non-opsonized E. coli-FITC at the following incubation times: 5, 10, 20, 30 and 60 min. The largest percentage of endocytosis by the neutrophils was 92.32+/-0.12% with opsonized bacteria and 77.73+/-14.33% with non-opsonized bacteria at 10 min incubation time, while the largest percentage of endocytosis by monocytes was 89.94+/-1.40% with opsonized bacteria and 73.07+/-15.6% with non-opsonized bacteria at 20 min incubation time. Evaluation of the bacteriocidal capacity of neutrophils using the methyl-thiazol-tetrazolium salts (MTT) reduction color-measurement assay showed an 89.0+/-10% mortality rate of non-opsonized E. coli and 89.0+10% of opsonized E. coli. In conclusion, the armadillo neutrophils show a good phagocytosis and bacteriocidal activity; however, a deficiency in the migration towards the fMLP was observed. This deficiency could be a cause so that the armadillo neutrophils do not respond quickly to invading microorganism.     

In vitro generation of mature neutrophils from canine Lin- bone marrow cells

The major goal of this work was to describe the in vitro generation of mature functional neutrophils derived from a canine enriched haematopoietic progenitor cell population. We have utilised lineage depletion by immunomagnetic selection to isolate a canine haematopoietic progenitor cell population. The physical, immunological, metabolical and morphological methodologies employed in this study have permitted us to isolate and define a cell population enriched in Rh-123low and CD34+ cells. Irradiated pre-established long-term bone marrow cultures (LTBMC) were utilised to determine the self-renewal ability of lineage negative (Lin-) cells, as well as their capacity to differentiate into mature functional neutrophils. The authors demonstrate for the first time that canine neutrophils derived from Lin- cells are able to produce oxyradicals, express a specific neutrophil surface antigen, and contain gelatinase granules. These characteristics enable them to migrate through basement membranes to act as a first line defence mechanism. The fact that these cells are able to differentiate into functional mature cells, and give rise to long-term culture-initiating cells (LTC-IC) after 35 days of culture, allows the authors to assure that the isolated canine enriched haematopoietic cell population exhibit functional characteristics, associated with primitive haematopoietic cells.     

Immunoglobulin G and E responses in various stages of canine leishmaniosis

Pathogenesis in visceral leishmaniosis is associated with depressed cellular immunity and a significant rise of antileishmanial antibodies. We assessed the relative levels of immunoglobulin E anti-Leishmania infantum, together with those of IgG, IgG1 and IgG2, using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test, in non-infected and infected dogs with or without symptoms, and their association with symptoms to differentiate the stages of the infection. The expression of all immunoglobulins (IgG, IgG1, IgG2 and IgE) was higher in symptomatic dogs than in all other categories. IgG and IgG2 expression was higher in the infected asymptomatic group than in the non-infected group, whereas IgG1 and IgE expression was only higher in symptomatic animals. This correlation between the expression of IgG1 and IgE and the pathology of leishmaniosis points to their potential role as markers of the active disease.