Clinical findings and progression of 10 cases of equine ulcerative keratomycosis (2004–2007)

Ulcerative keratomycosis is a serious sight‐threatening disease of horses and the veterinary literature is replete with cases of poor visual outcome following this condition. During a 3 year period, 10 horses were treated for confirmed keratomycosis at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital (VTH) of the University of Cordoba (Spain). Ulcerative keratomycosis accounted for an average of 8.62% of the total equine ophthalmic admissions during this time and an average of 33.3% of horses were diagnosed with infectious keratitis. Fungi were diagnosed using cytology (n = 4) and/or culture (n = 8) and histopathology (n = 1). Aspergillus sp. was the most commonly isolated fungus. Medical therapy alone or combined medical and surgical treatment was utilised for therapy depending on the clinical condition. Miconazole 1% was the most common topical antifungal therapy employed. Median duration of treatment was 73.12 days. Records were evaluated to determine visual outcome and globe survival.     

Apoptotic and free radical scavenging properties of the methanolic extract of Gentianella alborosea

Gentianella alborosea ("Hercampure") is a Peruvian species used in folk medicine for the treatment of a variety of health disorders. We tested the free radical scavenging (DPPH) and induction of apoptosis on a human uterus tumor cell line (HeLa) by its methanolic extract. The results showed a noticeable radical scavenging activity and a dose-dependent apoptotic effect.     

Kinetics of Plasma Cell‐Free DNA and Creatine Kinase in a Canine Model of Tissue Injury

Background

Cell‐free DNA (cfDNA) comprises short, double‐stranded circulating DNA sequences released from damaged cells. In people, cfDNA concentrations correlate well with disease severity and tissue damage. No reports are available regarding cfDNA kinetics in dogs.

Objectives/Hypothesis

Cell‐free DNA will have a short biological half‐life and would be able to stratify mild, moderate, and severe tissue injury. Our study aims were to determine the kinetics and biological half‐life of cfDNA and to contrast them with those of creatine kinase (CK).

Animals

Three groups of 10 dogs undergoing open ovariohysterectomy, surgery for cranial cruciate ligament rupture (CCLR), or hemilaminectomy.

Methods

Plasma for cfDNA and CK analysis was collected at admission, at induction of anesthesia, postsurgery (time 0) and at 6, 12, 24, 36, 48, 60, and 72 hours after surgery.

Results

The biological half‐life of plasma cfDNA and CK were 5.64 hours (95% confidence interval [CI 95], 4.36–7.98 hours) and 28.7 hours (CI95, 25.3–33.3 hours), respectively. In the hemilaminectomy group, cfDNA concentrations differed significantly from admission at 6–12 hours after surgery. Creatine kinase activity differed among the surgical groups and reached a peak 6 hours after surgery. In the ovariohysterectomy and CCLR groups, plasma CK activity 72 hours after surgery did not differ from admission activity of the ovariohysterectomy group. In contrast, in the hemilaminectomy group, plasma CK activity after 72 hours did not return to the ovariohysterectomy group admission activity.

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

Plasma CK activity has a longer biological half‐life than previously thought. In contrast to plasma CK activity, cfDNA has a short half‐life and could be a useful marker for peracute severe tissue injury.     

Objective determination of pelvic movement during hind limb lameness by use of a signal decomposition method and pelvic height differences

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate pelvic movement over a large number of strides in sound horses and in horses with induced hind limb lameness by applying methods to the pelvis that have been described for evaluating vertical head movement in horses with induced forelimb lameness. ANIMALS: 17 adult horses. PROCEDURE: Horses were filmed while trotting on a treadmill before and after induction of transient mild and moderate hind limb lamenesses. Vertical pelvic movement was measured by a signal decomposition method. The vertical pelvic signal was decomposed into a periodic component (A1) that occurred at half the stride frequency (representing vertical pelvic movement caused by lameness) and another periodic component (A2) that occurred at stride frequency (representing normal vertical pelvic movement of a trotting horse). Vertical pelvic and foot positions were correlated for each stride to compare the difference between the minimum and maximum heights of the pelvis during and after stance of the right hind limb to the minimum and maximum heights of the pelvis during and after stance of the left hind limb. RESULTS: Maximum pelvic height difference and lameness amplitude (A1) differed significantly between sound and mild or moderate hind limb lameness conditions. Mean A1 value for vertical pelvic movement in sound horses was less than that previously reported for vertical head movement. CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Pelvic height differences and signal decomposition of pelvic movement can be used to objectively evaluate hind limb lameness in horses over a large number of strides in clinical and research settings.     

An unusual clinical presentation of a dog with gastrinoma

Gastrinoma is a rare malignant neuroendocrine neoplasia that results in autonomous gastrin secretion that stimulates hypersecretion of gastric acid, resulting in severe gastric and proximal small intestinal ulcerations. The principal clinical manifestation of gastrinoma is persistent vomiting. This report describes an uncommon manifestation of pancreatic gastrinoma in a dog.     

The inherent variability of water stress indicators in apple, nectarine and pear orchards, and the validity of a leaf-selection procedure for water potential measurements

The following two topics were examined: (1) The variability in the measurement of leaf water potential (LWP), stem water potential (SWP), maximum daily trunk shrinkage (MDS), and soil water tension (SWT) in apple, nectarine and pear orchards; and (2) The validity of a leaf-selection procedure for SWP measurements in commercial apple orchards. 27 trees were selected in an apple orchard, 27 in a nectarine orchard, and 30 in a pear orchard. The trees were close to each other. The measurements comprised of: midday SWP in apple, nectarine and pear; midday LWP in apple; MDS in apple and nectarine; and SWT in pear. The mean and standard errors (SEs) of each water status indicator in each species were calculated for an increasing sample size. The sample sizes required for stable averages were: SWP – 4, 5, and 8 trees for apple, nectarine and pear, respectively; MDS – 17 and 16 trees for apple and nectarine, respectively; SWT – 21 for pear trees. The relative SEs (i.e. percent of population mean) were 2.4, 6.1 and 10.1% in SWP/LWP, MDS and SWT, respectively. Possible explanations for the differing variability of the various water status indicators are discussed. The results show that smaller samples were sufficient to represent SWP and LWP properly than what was required for MDS and SWT. 9 commercial apple plots were selected and about 25 randomly selected leaves were used for midday SWP measurements in each plot (i.e. experimental sets). About 5 leaves on closely adjacent “representative” trees were selected in each of the commercial plots (i.e. commercial sets) and midday SWP was measured. The average difference in SWP between the experimental and the commercial sets was –0.127 MPa. The choice of closely adjacent trees increased the deviation from the experimental sets. The use of a reasonable sample size (n=7) may enable midday SWP to be measured within ±0.15 MPa in most commercial orchards.     

Glandular structures in the major interlobular and extrapancreatic ducts in the guinea pig

The morphology of the pancreatic duct system did not receive much attention as compared to the microanatomy of the exocrine and endocrine pancreas. The histological peculiarities of the excretory duct system are of major importance especially in laboratory animals like guinea pigs. The paper describes the histological peculiarities of the major interlobular and extrapancreatic ducts in guinea pigs. The pancreatic tissue samples were collected from five guinea pigs. For histological investigation, several pancreatic fragments underwent fixation in 10% buffered formalin and were later processed by the standard paraffin technique. Subsequentially, tissue sections were stained by Goldner's trichrome staining. The mucous substances were assessed by Alcian blue and Periodic acid–Schiff staining methods. The interlobular and main pancreatic ducts in the guinea pig present a simple columnar epithelium surrounded by a thick layer of dense connective tissue. The aforementioned epithelium of the main pancreatic ducts includes principal cells, goblet cells and basal cells. Additionally, the ductal epithelium presents occasional unicellular multiloculated intraepithelial mucous glands and prominent extraepithelial glands. The latter adopts a simple or compound tubular feature. The mucus elaborated by the three glandular types is mostly neutral in goblet cells, predominantly acidic in extraepithelial ductal glands, and a similar amount of acidic and neutral mucin in intraepithelial glands. In conclusion, the epithelium-associated mucous glands in the interlobular and main pancreatic ducts in the guinea pig are restricted not only to goblet cells. A substantial mucous discharge probably with a protecting role against irritative pancreatic juice derives from the main ductal intraepithelial and extraepithelial glands.     

Intermediate syndrome of chlorpyriphos toxicity (Polaris) in a caracal (Caracal caracal)

A 5-yr-old spayed female caracal (Caracal caracal) was presented with complaints of acute onset of mental dullness, ataxia, and ventroflexion of 24-hr duration. The animal's garden territory was sprayed a day earlier with an organophosphate (OP) insecticide (chlorpyriphos-methyl). The caracal was treated for OP toxicosis and mildly improved. It was discharged a day later at the owner's request, although clinical signs did not resolve. During the following week, the caracal was confined to prevent further toxin exposure but did not improve and was presented 8 days later with similar clinical signs. Serum butyril-cholinesterase activity was markedly low. The relatively long interval from OP exposure, along with the duration of clinical signs, suggested an intermediate syndrome of OP toxicity. The caracal was treated symptomatically and progressively improved. It was discharged after 8 days of hospitalization and made full recovery 30 days later. This is the first report of OP toxicity in a caracal, suspected to progress to an intermediate syndrome of OP poisoning.     

Septal tryptophan-5-hydroxylase: divergent response to raphe lesions and parachlorophenylalanine

A soluble form of tryptophan-5-hydroxylase activity was found to be present in areas rich in serotonergic terminals (colliculi, hippocampus, septal area, and remaining telencephalon) as well as in brainstem, an area rich in cell bodies. The enzymatic activity in all brain regions, except the septal area, was inhibited to varying degrees following administration of parachlorophenylalanine. Destruction of the raphe nuclei in the midbrain led to a large and comparable decrease in both serotonin content and tryptophan hydroxylase activity of the hippocampus. In contrast, these lesions did not significantly affect the enzymatic activity of the septal area although the serotonin content was decreased by 72 percent. These findings suggest that the major portion of the tryptophan hydroxylase activity of the septal area is uniquely different from that found in other telencephalic areas in that it is not localized in serotonergic nerve terminals nor is it inhibited by parachlorophenylalanine.