Chronotropic effect of propofol or alfaxalone following fentanyl administration in healthy dogs

ObjectiveTo compare the effect of alfaxalone and propofol on heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP) after fentanyl administration in healthy dogs.Study designProspective, randomised clinical study.AnimalsFifty healthy client owned dogs (ASA I/II) requiring general anaesthesia for elective magnetic resonance imaging for neurological conditions.MethodsAll dogs received fentanyl 7 μg kg⁻¹ IV and were allocated randomly to receive either alfaxalone (n = 25) or propofol (n = 25) to effect until endotracheal (ET) intubation was possible. Heart rate and oscillometric BP were measured before fentanyl (baseline), after fentanyl (Time F) and after ET intubation (Time GA). Post-induction apnoea were recorded. Data were analysed using Fisher’s exact test, Mann Whitney U test and one-way anova for repeated measures as appropriate; p value <0.05 was considered significant.ResultsDogs receiving propofol showed a greater decrease in HR (-14 beat minute⁻¹, range -47 to 10) compared to alfaxalone (1 beat minute⁻¹, range -33 to 26) (p = 0.0116). Blood pressure decreased over the three time periods with no difference between groups. Incidence of post-induction apnoea was not different between groups.ConclusionFollowing fentanyl administration, anaesthetic induction with propofol resulted in a greater negative chronotropic effect while alfaxalone preserved or increased HR.Clinical relevanceFollowing fentanyl administration, HR decreases more frequently when propofol rather than alfaxalone is used as induction agent. However, given the high individual variability and the small change in predicted HR (-7.7 beats per minute after propofol), the clinical impact arising from choosing propofol or alfaxalone is likely to be small in healthy animals. Further studies in dogs with myocardial disease and altered haemodynamics are warranted.     

Hypoxanthine enhances the cured meat taste

We evaluated the enhancement of cured meat taste during maturation by sensory analysis. We focused on the heat‐stable sarcoplasmic fraction (HSSF) to identify the factors related to cured meat taste. Because the dry matter of HSSF contained more than 30% nitrogen, nitrogen compounds such as free amino acids, small peptides and adenosine triphosphate‐related compounds seemed to be the important components of HSSF. The samples cured with HSSF for 2 h exhibited the same taste profile as ones cured without HSSF for 168 h. Therefore, the changes in the amount and fractions of nitrogen compounds were examined in HSSF during incubation from 0 to 168 h. The concentration of hypoxanthine (Hx) gradually increased, while inosine‐5′‐monophosphate decreased during the incubation. The samples cured with pickles containing various concentrations of Hx were subjected to sensory analysis. The addition of Hx, in a dose‐dependent fashion, enhanced cured meat taste by maturation for 2 h. It was concluded that Hx is essential for the enhancement of cured meat taste.     

Release of dissolved free amino acids from biofilms in stream water

We investigated the origin of dissolved free amino acids (DFAA) in stream water focusing on biofilms in the river bed by means of incubation experiments in the laboratory. Stones were placed in the Toyohira River, Hokkaido, Japan, for 3 months, allowing formation of biofilms, and then incubated for 24 h in the laboratory at stream water temperature. After incubation, the composition and concentrations of DFAA in the incubation solution and total hydrolyzed amino acids (THAA) in biofilms were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography. The amount of chlorophyll a (Chl. a) and the number of bacteria were also measured. The DFAA concentration increased greatly in the biofilm incubation solution, but the DFAA composition (mol %) did not change relative to the inception of incubation, where it was similar to stream water. There was no correlation between the increase in DFAA concentration and the THAA concentration, Chl. a amount, or the number of bacteria in biofilms. These results suggest that biofilms are one of the major sources of DFAA in stream water.     

Immunohistochemical detection of virus antigen in the nasal planum of rabid dogs

The rabies virus is one of the most neurotropic of all viruses infecting mammals. During the terminal phases of infection, the virus spreads to peripheral tissues, including the skin. The external skin of the nose, called the nasal planum, is a sensory organ where numerous nerve bundles and terminal nerves are distributed. Therefore, the nasal planum is expected to serve as a postmortem diagnostic material. However, the distribution of rabies virus antigens in the nasal planum in rabid animals has not yet been studied. In this study, the nasal planum was obtained from 45 rabid dogs. In all rabid dogs, the viral antigen was detected in the peripheral nerve tissues, Merkel cells, and squamous cells. The viral antigen in the epidermis exhibited three patterns: first, a diffuse positive pattern from the basal layer to the squamous layer; second, a reticular positive pattern along the cell membrane in the squamous layer; and third, a basal layer pattern of the epidermis. In the dermis, viral antigens were detected more often in lamellated corpuscles just beneath the rete pegs. These results suggest that the nasal planum could serve as a useful alternative source for postmortem diagnosis in rabies endemic countries.     

Removal of sperm tail using trypsin and pre-activation of oocyte facilitates intracytoplasmic sperm injection in mice and rats

We examined various methods to enhance the accessibility of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) technology to more users by making the technique easier, more efficient, and practical. First, the methods for artificially removing the mouse sperm tail were evaluated. Trypsin treatment was found to efficiently remove the sperm tails. The resultant sperm cells had a lower oocyte activation capacity; however, the use of activated oocytes resulted in the same fecundity as that of fresh, untreated sperm. Pre-activated oocytes were more resistant to physical damage, showed higher survival rates, and required less time per injection. Testing this method in rats yielded similar results, although the oocyte activation method was different. Remarkably, this method resulted in higher birth rates of rat progeny than with conventional methods of rat ICSI. Our method thereby streamlines mouse and rat ICSI, making it more accessible to laboratories across many disciplines.     

A PCR assay to specifically detect serovar 1a strains of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae and differentiate them from serovar 2 strains possessing an intact ERH_1440 gene

The Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae ERH_1440 gene, which encodes CDP-glycerol:poly (glycerophosphate) glycerophosphotransferase, is conserved in serovar 1a strains. The gene is usually missing or truncated in other serovar strains and therefore has been used for PCR detection of serovar 1a strains. We have previously reported a rare case of an E. rhusiopathiae serovar 2 strain possessing an intact ERH_1440. In this study, we analyzed three additional serovar 2 strains with an intact ERH_1440 and developed a new PCR assay for the specific detection and differentiation of serovar 1a strains from these serovar 2 strains. PCR with primers designed based on serovar 1a-specific gene sequences upstream of ERH_1440 showed 100% specificity for four hundred thirty Erysipelothrix strains isolated from extensive origins.     

Distribution and Fate of Organotin Compounds in Japanese Coastal Waters

In order to elucidate the details of both the distribution and fate of organotin compounds (OTs) in the costal ecosystem, the concentrations of butyltin compounds (BTs) and phenyltin compounds (PTs) were determined in seawater, sediment and blue mussels Mytilus galloprovincialis collected in Maizuru Bay, Japan. The concentrations of tributyltin (TBT) in seawater, sediments and mussels ranged from 3.9 to 27 ng l^?1, from 1.2 to 19 ng g^?1 dry wt and from 0.77 to 11 ng g^?1 wet wt, respectively. Although the levels of TBT in seawater, sediments and mussels from Maizuru Bay were lower than those reported previously at other sites in Japan, the levels can still be toxic to susceptible organisms. Trace amounts of PTs were also found in seawater, sediment and mussel samples, indicating that there is a slight input of triphenyltin (TPT) into the seawater in the bay at present. The highest TBT concentration in seawater among all sites measured in the bay was found near a glass factory, and the lowest concentrations were observed at the center of the bay. The highest concentration of TBT in sediment was detected near a shipyard. In mussels, a high concentration of TBT was detected near a cement plant and timberyard. These results indicate that the major sources of contamination of OTs in the bay are considered to be from those facilities and ships. The proportion of TBT in seawater and mussels showed that, of total BTs, it was the predominant compound at most sites. These results suggested that there is a continuous input of TBT into the seawater and thereafter an accumulation of TBT in mussels due to their low metabolic capacity to degrade TBT. In sediment, the proportion of monobutyltin (MBT) was the highest of BTs at most sites. This could reflect a previous contamination by TBT used before the regulation of its usage in the bay.     

Polyphenol composition of a functional fermented tea obtained by tea-rolling processing of green tea and loquat leaves

Phenolic constituents of a new functional fermented tea produced by tea-rolling processing of a mixture (9:1) of tea leaves and loquat leaves were examined in detail. The similarity of the phenolic composition to that of black tea was indicated by high-performance liquid chromatography comparison with other tea products. Twenty-five compounds, including three new catechin oxidation products, were isolated, and the structures of the new compounds were determined to be (2R)-2-hydroxy-3-(2,4,6-trihydroxyphenyl)-1-(3,4,5-trihydroxyphenyl)-1-propanone 2-O-gallate, dehydrotheasinensin H, and acetonyl theacitrin A by spectroscopic methods. In addition, theacitrinin A and theasinensin H were obtained for the first time from commercial tea products. Isolation of these new and known compounds confirms that reactions previously demonstrated by in vitro model experiments actually occur when fresh tea leaves are mechanically distorted and bruised during the production process.