Leishmaniasis phytotherapy. Nature's leadership against an ancient disease.

The use of phytotherapy to treat human diseases has its roots in pre-historical times. Despite the modern advances achieved in the field of synthetic chemistry, the most efficient drugs available have their genesis directly or indirectly related with the vegetal kingdom. Indigenous communities have long used plant extracts to treat illnesses. Many of these extracts have shown effective action, with new bioactive compounds being extracted and screened every year. These extracts have also proven to be good sources of therapeutic agents to the treatment of Leishmaniasis. This work highlights some of these agents, while trying to emphasize the importance of plants as a source of new and powerful drugs against this widespread disease.     

Evaluation of Corn Gluten Feed as a Dietary Ingredient for Pond-Raised Channel Catfish Ictalurus punctatus

Abstract.— This study was conducted to evaluate corn gluten feed as an alternative feedstuff in the diet of pond-raised channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus . Three 32%-protein diets containing 0%, 25%, or 50% corn gluten feed were tested. Channel catfish fingerlings (average weight: 57 g/fish) were stocked into 15 0.04-ha ponds at a rate of 18,530 fish/ha. Five ponds were used for each dietary treatment. Fish were fed to satiation once daily for a 147-d growing period. No differences were observed in feed consumption, weight gain, feed conversion ratio, survival, or fillet protein concentration among fish fed the test diets. Fish fed diets containing 25% and 50% corn gluten feed exhibited a lower level of visceral fat and a higher carcass yield than fish fed the control diet without corn gluten feed. The diet containing 50% corn gluten feed resulted in a lower level of fillet fat and a higher level of moisture than the control diet. There were no visible differences in the coloration of skin or fillet of channel catfish fed diets with and without corn gluten feed. Results from this study indicated that channel catfish can efficiently utilize corn gluten feed at levels up to 50%n without adverse effect on feed palatability, weight gain, or feed efficiency. Corn gluten feed may be beneficial in reducing fattiness of channel catfish and improving carcass yield by reducing the digestible energy to protein ratio of the diet.     

Inland commercial fisheries management in France

The French fisheries management regime is based on public and private ownership of fishing waters associated with a complex multilevel management system. A total of 730 operational commercial inland fisheries were examined by analysis of thematic interviews and questionnaires. Commercial fishermen are beginning to understand the nature of their own activity and its relationship to the concept of sustainable management. Nevertheless, fishermen have to face two major problems: first, they are poorly represented on decision making bodies where anglers are dominant, and secondly their activities are governed by two separate ministries. Opportunities for future development may lie in decision making at the catchment level.     

Cubicle refusal in Norwegian dairy herds.

In order to survey the behaviour of choosing the alley area instead of a cubicle as a lying place (cubicle refusal), a questionnaire was sent to the 273 dairy farms in Norway known to keep cows in cubicle housing systems. Sixty-six percent of the farmers contacted were included in the study. The median herd size was 18 cows (range 7-118). More than 85% of the herds had sheds providing one or more cubicles per cow. The mean herd occurrence of cubicle refusal was 6%, but showed great variation (range 0-55%). Regression analysis showed a significant association between rearing heifers in slatted floor pens and an increased cubicle refusal occurrence (p = 0.02, R2 = 0.05), while herd size, use of litter, or cubicle-to-animal ratio were not found to be associated with cubicle refusal. The practice of rearing heifers in slatted floor pens accounted for about one half of the observed cubicle refusal (etiologic fraction = 0.51).     

Flow cytometric analysis of intracellular complexity and CD45 expression for use in rapid differentiation of leukocytes in bovine blood samples.

OBJECTIVE: To develop an efficient and reliable method that accurately differentiates bovine lymphocytes from monocytes in leukograms. SAMPLE POPULATION: Blood samples from 30 healthy cows and 1 calf with bovine leukocyte adhesion deficiency. PROCEDURE: Flow cytometric analysis of intracellular complexity and CD45 expression on bovine leukocytes was compared with results for conventional light microscopy methods. Verification of leukocyte subpopulations determined by intracellular complexity and CD45 expression was conducted, using 2-color phenotypic analysis with selected monoclonal antibodies. RESULTS: The CD45 and side-scatter properties of bovine leukocytes clearly differentiated cell types, including neutrophils, eosinophils, monocytes, and lymphocytes. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This is a rapid assay that is simple to use. More importantly, it is more accurate than the conventional method that involves the use of blood slides and light microscopy, because of the ability of the assay to readily distinguish bovine monocytes and lymphocytes. Rapid preparation of samples and short analysis times allow for efficient and reliable examination of a large number of samples, and the task of viewing slides by light microscopy is eliminated. The labor-savings benefit of this procedure is most apparent in research environments that require frequent processing of batches of blood samples.     

Coxofemoral Luxation in the Dog and Cat

The medical records from 95 cases of coxofemoral luxation in dogs and cats were reviewed. Unilateral craniodorsal luxation was most common, (78.1% of dogs, 72.7% of cats). Trauma from being struck by an automobile was the most frequent cause (59.0%). Treatment was closed (manual) or open (surgical) reduction. The failure rate following single closed reduction was 64.8%. The surgical reduction procedure included capsular repair (capsulorrhaphy) via a craniolateral approach to the hip or via trochanteric osteotomy or gluteal tenotomy. The success rate following reduction via the craniolateral approach was 82%; no failure was recorded with trochanteric transposition, but reluxa-tion followed the single gluteal tenotomy. The Ehmer sling was the most common external fixation and was kept in place an average of 12.5 days. Thirty-three animals were available for follow-up, and no difference was recorded in limb function between the two groups of animals treated by closed vs surgical reduction. Patients with degenerative joint disease at the time of luxation were less likely to be successfully reduced; 64.3% of these animals were eventually treated by femoral head and neck excision. Thirty-eight patients had associated major injuries. Long-term follow-up results were better in those patients with concomitant orthopedic injuries than in those without other injuries.     

Long-term variation in brown trout, Salmo trutta L., stocking success in a large lake: interplay between availability of suitable prey and size at release

Abstract –  Factors affecting long-term variation in brown trout, Salmo trutta L., stocking success were examined in a large lake, Lake Oulujärvi, in central Finland. Brown trout were stocked in spring (late May to early June) in 1974–1991 and in summer (late June to early July) in 1992–2001. The biomass of the vendace, Coregonus albula (L.), population (prey) at release time had the largest positive effect on stocking success within both periods: biomass of adult vendace in spring and both 0+ and adult vendace in summer. Increasing the size of stocked fish had a positive effect if the vendace available at release were only adults. The increasing trend of predator-catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) [combined CPUE of northern pike Esox lucius L., burbot Lota lota (L.), and pike-perch Stizostedion lucioperca (L.)] through the study period and its negative effect on trout stocking success suggested an increasing effect of predation within the entire time series.     

Periodontal disease. Therapy and prevention

Success in veterinary dentistry lies in good home care and regular, thorough dental prophylaxis. The removal of supragingival and subgingival calculus must be accomplished before periodontal disease can be controlled. When gingival sulcus depths exceed 4 or 5 mm, the gingivae must be excised or reflected to allow proper treatment of the pocket area. Antibiotic therapy should be instituted in the extensively involved veterinary dental patient.