An end‐to‐end urethral anastomosis after inguinal tunnelization: a new technique in a dog

An 8‐year‐old male dog was presented with a peri‐urethral intrapelvic mass with the characteristics of a sarcoma on computed tomography and cytology evaluation. A two‐step procedure leading to a permanent urinary diversion was performed. During the same procedure, the caudal pelvic urethra and mass were resected and an extrapelvic anastomosis of the pelvic portion of the urethra to its penile portion was performed after passage of the pelvic urethra through the inguinal canal. The procedure successfully produced a tension‐free end‐to‐end urethral anastomosis and no complications were observed during the postoperative period. Histologically, the lesion was reported as a narrowly excised liposarcoma. A 4‐week course of curative intent of radiotherapy was initiated 2 weeks after surgery. Eight months later, the dog was free of clinical signs.     

Flow Cytometric Chromosomal Sex Sorting of Stallion Spermatozoa Induces Oxidative Stress on Mitochondria and Genomic DNA

To date, the only repeatable method to select spermatozoa for chromosomal sex is the Beltsville sorting technology using flow cytometry. Improvement of this technology in the equine species requires increasing awareness of the modifications that the sorting procedure induces on sperm intactness. Oxidative stress is regarded as the major damaging phenomenon, and increasing evidence regards handling of spermatozoa – including sex sorting – as basic ground for oxidative damage. The aim of this study was to disclose whether the flow cytometric sorting procedure increases the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and to identify if ROS production relates to DNA damage in sorted spermatozoa using specific flow cytometry‐based assays. After sorting, oxidative stress increased from 26% to 33% in pre‐ and post‐incubation controls, to 46% after sex sorting (p < 0.05). Proportions of DNA fragmentation index post‐sorting were approximately 10% higher (31.3%); an effect apparently conduced via oxidative DNA damage as revealed by the oxyDNA assay. The probable origin of this increased oxidative stress owes the removal of enough seminal plasma due to the unphysiological sperm extension, alongside a deleterious effect of high pressure on mitochondria during the sorting procedure.     

The Effect of Oxidative Stress on Thawed Bulk‐Sorted Red Deer Sperm

The aims of this study were to assess the effects of the sex‐sorting process on post‐thaw sperm quality as well as on induced oxidative stress damage (H₂O₂ 0 mm  = H000; H₂O₂ 50 mm  = H050; H₂O₂ 100 mm  = H100) and the protective action of reduced glutathione (GSH) and Trolox, when comparing sorted (BSS) and non‐sorted (NS) red deer spermatozoa incubated at 37°C. Sperm samples from three stags were collected by electroejaculation and frozen. Immediately after thawing, sperm motility was higher (p < 0.05) for NS (59% ± 3.3) than BSS (36.9% ± 5.8) sperm. Furthermore, the percentage of apoptotic sperm was higher (p < 0.05) for BSS (21.6% ± 5.0) than NS sperm (14.6% ± 1.2). The presence of H₂O₂ increased DNA damage in NS (H000 = 4.1% ± 0.9; H050 = 9.3% ± 0.7; and H100 = 10.9% ± 2.3), but not in BSS sperm. However, in the presence of oxidant, GSH addition improved (p < 0.05) sperm motility in both groups of sperm samples as compared to their controls (NS: 44.5 ± 4.8 vs 21.1 ± 3.9 and BSS: 33.3 ± 8.1 vs 8.9 ± 1.8). These results demonstrate that the sperm‐sorting process induces sublethal effects, albeit selecting a sperm population with a chromatin more resistant to oxidative stress than that in non‐sorted sperm. Moreover, addition of GSH at 1 mm may be a good choice for maintaining the quality of stressed sperm samples, unlike Trolox, which inhibited sperm motility.     

Skin disease affecting the conservation of the western swamp tortoise (Pseudemydura umbrina)

Objective To review the present position of the western swamp tortoise ( Pseudemydura umbrina ) as an endangered species and significant health issues affecting efforts to save it from extinction.
Procedure A retrospective analysis of the husbandry, hospital and pathology records of the western swamp tortoise captive breeding program at Perth Zoo.
Results In 1987 a captive breeding project was developed to prevent the extinction of the western swamp tortoise but an outbreak of a necrotising dermatitis in 1989 threatened the survival of the captive bred hatchlings. Less severe outbreaks occurred in 1990 and 1993, with isolated cases in between. Of 283 tortoises that were born in captivity or came into captivity from the wild, 37 (13.1%) were affected, comprising 37% of all males, 26% of all females and 13% of animals of unknown gender. Of the affected animals, 70% were less than 2 years of age and 29% were older. Males were 1.6 times more likely to be infected than females but this difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.27). Culture of the lesions consistently yielded unidentified Pseudomonas sp.
Conclusion Improved husbandry, such as strict maintenance of water quality and temperature conditions similar to that of the animal's natural habitat, and monitoring the health of individual tortoises have successfully controlled skin disease in the captive breeding of the western swamp tortoise.     

禽用活疫苗SPF化现状及对兽用生物制品企业的影响

目前,禽病防疫仍以疫苗免疫接种为主,疫苗安全性直接影响疫病防控效果,优质疫苗能预防疾病,提高家禽的生产性能,创造经济效益。相反,劣质疫苗可能对动物造成伤害,对环境造成污染,乃至威胁人类的健康。因此,选择安全高效的优质疫苗是做好家禽疫病防疫的关键。为保证疫苗质量安全,实行禽用活疫苗SPF化已经势在必行。