Reproductive seasonality in Saanen goats kept under tropical conditions

Tropical Animal Health and Production - This study aimed to verify the reproductive seasonality in Saanen goats from distinct parity orders (nulliparous, primiparous, and pluriparous) throughout an...     

Intranasal Osteosarcoma in a Dog—A Case Report

Osteosarcoma is the most commonly reported bone tumor in dogs, typically affecting the axial and appendicular skeleton. Involvement of the paranasal sinuses and the nasal cavity is extremely rare. This report describes a 6-year-old, female, cross-breed dog presented with signs of 90 days duration and diagnosed with a mass located in the right nasal cavity. Radiography, rhinoscopy, and computed tomography findings suggested the presence of an intranasal tumor. Osteosarcoma in the nasal cavity was diagnosed based on histopathological examination and clinical and imaging findings. Survival time was 12 months from diagnosis.     

Characterization of the LH peak after short and long fixed‐time artificial insemination protocols in sheep raised in the tropics

The aim of this study was to evaluate the peak in luteinizing hormone (LH) and the pregnancy rate of sheep (Texel × Santa Inês) in the tropics using short‐ (6 days) and long‐term (12 days) progesterone protocols followed by artificial insemination (AI) both in and out of the breeding season. Experiment 1 was conducted within (IN) the breeding season (autumn, n = 36), and experiment 2 was conducted outside (OUT) of the breeding season (spring, n = 43). In each experiment, the sheep were divided into two groups (6 or 12 days) according to the duration of treatment with a single‐use progesterone release vaginal device (CIDR^®, Pfizer, São Paulo, SP, Brazil), and blood samples were collected from 10 animals per group every 4 hr to measure the LH and progesterone concentrations. In the spring, the characteristics of the LH peak did not differ between groups; but in the autumn, there were differences between groups at the beginning (G‐6 IN: 36.44 ± 5.46 hr; G‐12 IN: 26.57 ± 4.99 hr) and end of the LH peak (G‐6 IN: 46.22 ± 7.51 hr; G‐12 IN: 34.86 ± 8.86 hr). The results showed alterations in the LH peak during the breeding season only in the sheep undergoing the short‐term protocol.     

Protective activity against oocyst shedding in cats vaccinated with crude rhoptry proteins of the Toxoplasma gondii by the intranasal route

This study evaluated a vaccine made from crude rhoptry proteins of Toxoplasma gondii with Quil-A, which was administered to cats by the intranasal route. Eleven short-hair domestic cats were divided into four groups: G1 (n=3) received three doses (200 microg/dose) of the rhoptry vaccine with Quil-A (20 microg); G2 (n=3) received PBS with Quil-A (20 microg); G3 (n=3) and G4 (n=2) received only PBS. Treatments were administered at days 0, 21, and 42 by the intranasal route. Challenge was done to G1, G2, and G3 animals with 600 cysts of the VEG strain on day 51 (challenge day); G4 animals were unchallenged. The anti-T. gondii IgG and IgA antibody levels from sera were measured by indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). At challenge, two animals from G1 revealed antibody levels for both IgG and IgA; oocysts were not detected in feces of these two cats. There were no differences in hematological values between groups throughout the experiment (p>0.10). Preventable fractions were 67% in G1 and 0% in G2 and G3. Comparatively, G1 animals shed 89.3% and 90.8% less oocysts than G3 and G4, respectively. Two out of three cats were protected against T. gondii oocyst shedding when the rhoptry vaccine was administered by the intranasal route. This is the first study using crude rhoptry proteins as vaccine by the intranasal route in cats to evaluate protection against oocysts shedding.     

Effects of dietary arginine on hematological parameters and innate immune function of channel catfish

The effects of elevated dietary arginine on the hematology and immune function of juvenile channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus were evaluated by means of in vivo and in vitro experiments. Healthy juvenile channel catfish (average weight, 34.8 g) were fed casein-gelatin-based diets containing 28% crude protein and supplemented with crystalline L-arginine (ARG) at 0.5, 1, 2, or 4% of diet. An intact-protein diet containing 1.3% arginine also was included to investigate the effects of amino acid form (crystalline-free amino acids versus intact protein). Each purified diet was fed to apparent satiation to triplicate groups of fish for 6 weeks. At the end of the experimental feeding period, the fish were injected intraperitoneally with two doses (3 d apart) of 2 mg lipopolysaccharide/kg body weight. Six days after the initial injection, the fish were anesthetized and tissue samples were obtained to evaluate hematological and humoral and cellular immune parameters, including phagocytic activity of peritoneal macrophages, hemoglobin, hematocrit, mean corpuscular volume (MCV), blood cell counts, plasma protein, and hepatic superoxide dismutase activity. High dietary levels (4% ARG) resulted in significantly higher levels of hemoglobin, hematocrit, and circulating erythrocytes. Dietary ARG did not significantly affect MCV and the number of circulating leukocytes, lymphocytes, eosinophils, and monocytes. In vitro, a moderate level (2 mM) of ARG in the culture media was found to be ideal in significantly enhancing phagocytosis. This study demonstrates that some aspects of the immune system of channel catfish are sensitive to changes in dietary ARG.     

Effects of dietary supplementation with probiotic live yeast Debaryomyces hansenii on the immune and antioxidant systems of leopard grouper Mycteroperca rosacea infected with Aeromonas hydrophila

Two trials were conducted to determine the efficacy of fish fed live yeast Debaryomyces hansenii strain CBS 8339 on immune and antioxidant systems in leopard grouper Mycteroperca rosacea infected with Aeromonas hydrophila. Juveniles (12±0.5 g) were fed with a control diet or a D. hansenii‐supplemented diet (10⁶ colony‐forming units per gram) for 5 weeks. The live weight of fish was registered on a weekly basis. After 4 weeks, fish from each treatment were immunocompromised with pathogenic A. hydrophila and further fed for 1 week in order to evaluate the effect on immunological and antioxidant parameters. Generally, the results showed enhanced growth performance in fish fed the diet containing yeast compared with the control. Addition of live yeast had no significant effect on the immunological parameters after 4 weeks of feeding. However, post infection with A. hydrophila fish fed the yeast‐supplemented diet resulted in a significant increase in the levels of plasmatic immunoglobulin M. Superoxide dismutase and catalase (CAT) activities were significantly higher in the yeast group. In this fish, CAT and heat shock protein 70 genes were up‐regulated before and after infection of A. hydrophila. The present study is the first one reporting that yeast (D. hansenii) can enhance immunity and resistance against A. hydrophila.     

Influence of Dietary Oil Sources on Muscle Composition and Plasma Lipoprotein Concentrations in Nile Tilapia,Oreochromis niloticus

To investigate the impact of different dietary lipid sources on fillet composition and lipid transport, we conducted a feeding trial and evaluated the proximate composition of muscle tissue, fatty acid profiles, total cholesterol (in muscle and plasma), triglycerides, and lipoprotein concentrations in Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus. Five semi‐purified diets, containing different oils (soybean – SO, corn – CO, linseed – LO, fish – FO, and olive – OO), were supplied to tilapia for 160 d. Fish fed with LO and FO diets had a lower percentage of total lipids in muscle compared with the others (P < 0.05). The highest percentage of protein was found in fish fed with FO diet (P < 0.05). The muscle fatty acid profile was influenced differently by diets (P < 0.05). The group supplemented with SO and CO had a higher concentration of 18:2n‐6, whereas the fish fed with LO diet had a higher level of 18:3n‐3 and those that received the FO diet had more 22:6n‐3 in comparison with those supplemented with vegetable oils. Plasma lipid transport was also affected by the diets: the fish fed with FO diet had higher total cholesterol and high‐density lipoprotein and lower very‐low‐density lipoprotein concentrations (P < 0.05).     

Induced resistance: a tool for fungicide resistance management

Induced resistance to the apple scab fungus Venturia inaequalis was demonstrated in greenhouse tests with 12-day-old seedlings of the apple cultivar Golden Delicious treated with methyl 2,6-dichloro-isonicotinate or 3,5-dichlorosalicylic acid prior to inoculation with the causal fungus. Studies of the dose-response of flusilazole on induced resistant plants revealed synergistic effects between both crop protection principles. Therefore, the use of such resistance-inducing compounds in the field might allow a reduction in the number of fungicide applications, and possibly a reduction in dose, thus resulting in improved efficacy of fungicides. There was also evidence that induced resistance could prove to be a valid strategy for the treatment of pathogen populations with reduced sensitivity to a given fungicide. © 1998 SCI     

Outbreaks of severe myositis in cultured white sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus L.) associated with Streptococcus iniae

Outbreaks of an infectious disease affecting cultured white sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) were investigated. Clinical signs included erratic swimming, arching of the back and mortality. Necropsy findings included poorly demarcated yellow to dark-red and friable lesions in the epaxial muscle, ulcerative skin lesions and haemorrhages in the swim bladder and coelomic wall. Histological evaluation revealed areas of necrotizing and heterophilic myositis with aggregates of bacterial cocci. The lumen of blood vessels in the dermis, under ulcerated areas, and in the posterior kidney, was occluded by fibrin thrombi. Aggregates of Gram-positive cocci were observed in the muscle lesions and within the fibrin thrombi in the dermis and kidney. Genetically homogeneous Streptococcus iniae strains were recovered from affected fish from different outbreaks. The isolates shared high degree of similarity at gene locus (gyrB) with previously characterized S. iniae from cultured fish in California, confirming the emergence of this particular strain of S. iniae in US aquaculture.