Ocular abnormalities in healthy Standardbred foals

Objective To determine the prevalence and describe ocular abnormalities in healthy Standardbred foals within 48 h of birth. Animals One hundred and two neonatal foals. Procedures All foals had an unassisted delivery. On the basis of physical examination and the results of hematological and biochemical parameters, all foals were unaffected by systemic diseases. A complete ophthalmic examination was performed within 48 h of birth. Foals with ocular hemorrhages were re‐examined weekly until the abnormalities were resolved. Results 65/102 (63.7%) foals did not show ocular abnormalities, while in 37/102 (36.3%) cases, ocular abnormalities were present. Retinal and subconjunctival hemorrhages were recorded in 19/102 (18.6%), and in 13/102 (12.7%), respectively. In 4/102 (3.9%) animals, an entropion of the lower eyelid was present. Only one foal (1%) showed a congenital nuclear unilateral cataract. No other ocular abnormalities were detected. However, all foals showed various degrees of remnants of hyaloid system. One week after the first ocular examination, retinal hemorrhages had resolved in 100% of the eyes, whereas subconjunctival hemorrhages had disappeared in all eyes by the second week following the first examination. Conclusions The acquired ocular lesions observed with relatively high frequency in the examined healthy Standardbred foals were ocular hemorrhages, which always showed a good outcome. Although these abnormalities were present at birth, they were not considered strictly congenital but likely acquired during parturition. Instead, congenital ocular abnormalities were rarely diagnosed, and the entropion of the lower eyelid was the most common disease in the breed.     

Romifidine and low doses of tiletamine‐zolazepam in dogs

ObjectiveTo evaluate clinical effects of romifidine and low doses of tiletamine‐zolazepam (TZ) in dogs.Study designRandomized “blinded” cross‐over study.AnimalsSix healthy beagle dogs (two males, four females).MethodsIn separate preliminary experiments dogs received intravenous (IV) tiletamine‐zolazepam (TZ) at 1 and 2 mg kg^?1. For the main trial, dogs received romifidine (R) followed 5 minutes later by IV at six dose regimens: R40TZ1, R60TZ1, R80TZ1 (Romifidine at 40, 60, 80 μg kg^?1 and TZ at 1 mg kg^?1), R40TZ2, R60TZ2 and R80TZ2 (Romifidine at 40, 60, 80 μg kg^?1 and TZ at 2 mg kg^?1). Dogs underwent endotracheal intubation, but breathed room air. Cardiorespiratory variables were measured and arterial blood analyzed. Quality of sedation, duration of anaesthesia and time to recovery (TR) were recorded. Data were analysed by anova or Friedman test as relevant.ResultsEndotracheal intubation was possible with all romifidine/TZ combinations but not with TZ alone. Mean times (minutes) from TZ injection to return of pedal reflex were 1–3 minutes for TZ alone, and 9–17 minutes for romifidine combinations. In the main trial (romifidine combinations) mean time (minutes) to standing increased with increasing dosage (R40TZ1 13; R80TZ2 32). Five minutes after TZ administration, when compared with baseline arterial blood pressures and arterial carbon dioxide had increased, and respiratory rate, pH and arterial oxygen tensions decreased, these changes becoming statistically significant with the higher dose rates. One dog in R60TZ2 and three dogs in R80TZ2 became hypoxaemic.Conclusions and clinical relevanceRomifidine improves the quality and lengthens the duration of anaesthesia induced by TZ. The combination provides a suitable protocol for induction of or short‐term anaesthesia in healthy dogs. However, the higher doses cause cardiovascular stimulation and respiratory depression, and precautions should be taken accordingly.     

Outbreak of swimmer's itch in Central Italy: Description,causative agent and preventive measures

Swimmer's itch is caused by the penetration of free‐swimming larvae of trematodes of the family Schistosomatidae in human skin. It is usually reported in people engaged in recreational water activities in freshwater bodies and in most of cases, it is provoked by bird schistosomes of the genus Trichobilharzia. In the summer 2017, many cases of dermatitis were recorded in people bathing in the waters of the Albano Lake (Rome, Italy) and a parasitological investigation was carried out in order to ascertain the causative agent of these cases. Snails of the family Lymnaeidae, natural intermediate hosts of bird schistosomes, were collected from lake shallow waters to detect the presence of trematodes of the genus Trichobilharzia. Pools of maximum 10 snails were placed in Petri dishes, and cercarial emergence was stimulated exposing snails to strong artificial light intensity at 25°C. Three hundred and thirty‐seven snails were collected and screened for the shedding of cercariae. Furcocercariae of the family Schistosomatidae, with a morphology overlapping that of the genus Trichobilharzia, were detected in seven Petri dishes. Assuming that in each positive Petri dish just one snail was shedding furcocercariae, the minimum infectious rate was 2.1%. Molecular analysis of furcocercariae allowed ascribing them to the species Trichobilharzia franki. Snails of the species Radix auricularia were identified as intermediate hosts of the parasite. This is the second record of T. franki causing cercarial dermatitis in Central Italy, the third in Italy. The 2017 was in Italy exceptionally warm and dry. Trematodes are sensitive to changes in temperature, being cercarial production and emission rates temperature dependent. Small increases in water temperature would speed up parasite development and transmission, leading to a manifold increase in cercarial emergence. Moreover, high temperatures raise chances to acquire the infection, due to increased time spent in water by people.     

Glyoxalase 1 expression is downregulated in preimplantation blastocysts of diabetic rabbits

In a diabetic pregnancy, an altered maternal metabolism led to increased formation of reactive α‐dicarbonyls such as glyoxal (GO) and methylglyoxal (MGO) in the reproductive organs and embryos. The enzyme glyoxalase (GLO) 1 detoxifies reactive α‐dicarbonyls thus protecting cells against malfunction or modifications of proteins by advanced glycated end products (AGEs). The aim of this study was to analyse the influence of a maternal insulin‐dependent diabetes mellitus (IDD) on GLO1 expression and activity in preimplantation embryos in vivo and human trophoblast cells (Ac‐1M88) in vitro. Maternal diabetes was induced in female rabbits by alloxan before conception and maintained during the preimplantation period. GLO1 expression and activity were investigated in 6‐day‐old blastocysts from healthy and diabetic rabbits. Furthermore, blastocysts and human trophoblast cells were exposed in vitro to hyperglycaemia, GO and MGO and analysed for GLO1 expression and activity. During gastrulation, GLO1 was expressed in all compartments of the rabbit blastocyst. Maternal diabetes decreased embryonic GLO1 protein amount by approx. 30 per cent whereas the enzymatic activity remained unchanged, indicating that the specific GLO1 activity increases along with metabolic changes. In in vitro cultured embryos, neither hyperglycaemia nor MGO and GO had an effect on GLO1 protein amount. In human trophoblast cells, a stimulating effect on the GLO1 expression was shown in the highest GO concentration, only. Our data show that maternal diabetes mellitus affects the specific activity of GLO1, indicating that GLO1 was post‐translationally modified due to changes in metabolic processes in the preimplantation embryos.     

Hypolipidemic effects of Citrus bergamia Risso et Poiteau juice in rats fed a hypercholesterolemic diet

Citrus bergamia Risso et Poiteau fruits have been traditionally utilized, in Calabria (Italy), as a popular remedy for their hypolipidemic properties. C. bergamia juice total phenol content (2474.35+/-38 microg/mL) was evaluated by the Folin-Ciocalteu method; moreover, HPLC analysis led to the identification of naringin (520 ppm), neoeriocitrin (370 ppm), and neohesperidin (310 ppm). The present study was designed to investigate the hypolipidemic effects of C. bergamia juice and its protective effect on liver of hyperlipidemic rats. Chronic administration of C. bergamia (1 mL/rat/day) provoked a significant reduction in serum cholesterol, triglycerides, and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels and an increase in high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels; moreover, histopathological observations showed, in rats submitted to C. bergamia treatment, a protection of hepatic parenchyma. In addition, fecal neutral sterols and fecal bile acid excretion was found to be increased after C. bergamia treatment. These results suggest that the hypocholesterolemic effect of C. bergamia may be mediated by the increase in fecal neutral sterols and total bile acids excretion. In addition to the hypolipidemic effect, the juice shows radical scavenging activity in the diphenylpicrylhydrazyl (DPPH) test; probably the two effects are related. These observations suggest that the positive intake of C. bergamia may reduce the risk of some cardiovascular diseases through its radical scavenging function and hypocholesterolemic action.     

Ingestion of energy, protein and amino acids from pasture by grazing European wild boar (Sus scrofa L.) in a semi-extensive production system

The aim of the study was to determine the apparent consumption of dry matter (DM), gross energy (GE), crude protein (CP) and amino acids (AA) from pasture by European wild boar in a pastoral system. Two pasture-types were used, one consisting predominantly of Lolium perenne L. and the other predominantly of Plantago lanceolata L. The study was conducted in Spring and repeated in Summer. Twelve purebred European Wild Boar of 18.8 ± 0.8 kg (mean ± sem) with nose rings were randomly grouped into six pairs. Each day of the 19-day study, a pair of animals was placed into each of three areas of a pasture strip (1.4 × 6.3 m per area) from each pasture type from 8:30 h until 16:30 h, after which the animals entered a barn and had free access to a commercial diet for 45 min, with each pasture strip being grazed once. Pasture samples were taken on days 4 to 19 from each grazed area pre- and post-grazing and the DM content of these samples was used to calculate DM consumption of the animals. Additional pasture samples were collected and analysed for gross energy, crude protein and amino acids. The wild boar consumed (mean + SEM) 418 ± 72.2 and 210 ± 38.3 g of DM per day in the L. perenne paddock during Spring and Summer, respectively, and 550 ± 85.9 and 226 ± 44.8 g DM per day in the P. lanceolata paddock during Spring and Summer, respectively. The amount of DM, energy, crude protein and amino acids that the animals consumed varied markedly between days, but did not significantly differ in amount between the L. perenne and P. laceolata paddocks. However, the consumptions were significantly lower in Summer than in Spring. It is estimated that the wild boar would have satisfied somewhat less than 90 and 45% of their daily maintenance digestible energy requirements through consumption of pasture when grazing the L. perenne paddock in Spring and Summer, respectively.