Evaluation of adverse effects of long-term oral administration of carprofen, etodolac, flunixin meglumine, ketoprofen, and meloxicam in dogs

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate adverse effects of long-term oral administration of carprofen, etodolac, flunixin meglumine, ketoprofen, and meloxicam in dogs. ANIMALS: 36 adult dogs. PROCEDURES: Values for CBC, urinalysis, serum biochemical urinalyses, and occult blood in feces were investigated before and 7, 30, 60, and 90 days after daily oral administration (n = 6 dogs/group) of lactose (1 mg/kg, control treatment), etodolac (15 mg/kg), meloxicam (0.1 mg/kg), carprofen (4 mg/kg), and ketoprofen (2 mg/kg for 4 days, followed by 1 mg/kg daily thereafter) or flunixin (1 mg/kg for 3 days, with 4-day intervals). Gastroscopy was performed before and after the end of treatment. RESULTS: For serum gamma-glutamyltransferase activity, values were significantly increased at day 30 in dogs treated with lactose, etodolac, and meloxicam within groups. Bleeding time was significantly increased in dogs treated with carprofen at 30 and 90 days, compared with baseline. At 7 days, bleeding time was significantly longer in dogs treated with meloxicam, ketoprofen, and flunixin, compared with control dogs. Clotting time increased significantly in all groups except those treated with etodolac. At day 90, clotting time was significantly shorter in flunixin-treated dogs, compared with lactose-treated dogs. Gastric lesions were detected in all dogs treated with etodolac, ketoprofen, and flunixin, and 1 of 6 treated with carprofen. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Carprofen induced the lowest frequency of gastrointestinal adverse effects, followed by meloxicam. Monitoring for adverse effects should be considered when nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are used to treat dogs with chronic pain.     

Ultrastructural changes in Tritrichomonas foetus after treatments with AlPcS4 and photodynamic therapy

The Tritrichomonas foetus is an amitochondrial parasitic protist which causes bovine trichomoniasis, a major sexually transmitted disease in cattle. No effective drugs for this disease have been approved to this date. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an experimental treatment that shows great potential for treating bacteria, fungi, yeasts, and viruses. However, the cytotoxic effect of PDT on protozoan has been poorly studied. In this study, PDT with aluminum phthalocyanine tetrasulfonated (AlPcS4) photosensitizer was efficient in killing T. foetus. The mode of cell death in T. foetus after PDT was investigated by transmission electron microscopy. Morphological changes, such as membrane projections, nucleus fragmentation with peripheral masses of heterochromatin, endoplasmic reticulum proliferation, intense cytoplasmic vacuolization, fragmented axostyle-pelta complex, and internalized flagella could be observed. This is the first report to demonstrate cell death in T. foetus after PDT, and thus will open up new lines of investigation to develop new treatments for bovine trichomoniasis.     

Potato Virus Y NTN : A Coat and P1 Protein Sequences Analysis of a Brazilian Isolate

Potato tubers (Solanum tuberosum L. cv. Monalisa) showing superficial necrotic rings typical of Potato virus Y ^NTN (PVY^NTN) infection were collected from commercial potato fields in the State of São Paulo (Brazil). An isolate named IAC-PVY^NTN was characterized by sequencing 822 and 836 nucleotides from the coat protein and P1 protein coding genes, respectively. The IAC-PVY^NTN was observed as a European/North American recombinant isolate closely related to three Eu-PVY^NTN isolates that share an alternative recombination site in the coat protein cistron near position 144. Therefore, the IAC-PVY^NTN isolate may represent a novel recombinant variant between PVY^N N-605 Swiss (European) and PVY O-139 Canadian (North American). Cluster analysis of the P1 sequences found IAC-PVY^NTN in the sub-cluster of Eu-PVY^N/NTN/N:O. This study supports previous evidence of a common origin for PVY^N/NTN in Europe and Brazil.     

Dietary oils influence ovary and carcass composition and embryonic development of zebrafish

To evaluate the effect of different dietary lipids on zebrafish reproduction, we examined parameters including ovary and carcass composition, oestradiol (E2) levels, eclosion rate and embryonic development. In our study, zebrafish were subjected to a 5‐month feeding trial whereby olive (OLV), linseed (LIN), fish (FIS) or corn (CRN) oil were used to compose four isonitrogenous and isoenergetic diets. A positive correlation was found between ovary EPA and whole‐body E2 concentration (P = 0.005). The developmental dynamics was affected by dietary lipids and embryos from CRN treatment females; which had higher percentage of ARA in ovary (1.48 ± 0.44%) (P = 0.015), developed faster at 8–9 h postfertilization (hpf) than the ones originated from females receiving other diets (P = 0.0069). This effect was not sustained during later observation periods, suggesting ARA may act as a modulator of developmental dynamics only during initial phases. There was no clear effect of dietary lipid source on ovary protein content (P = 0.304) and eclosion rates at 72 hpf (P = 0.0623). Dietary fatty acids play an important role in reproductive outcome; however, additional studies are necessary to elucidate the mechanisms by which HUFA affect embryonic development.     

Spontaneous emission spectrum in double quantum dot devices

A double quantum dot device is a tunable two-level system for electronic energy states. A dc electron current was used to directly measure the rates for elastic and inelastic transitions between the two levels. For inelastic transitions, energy is exchanged with bosonic degrees of freedom in the environment. The inelastic transition rates are well described by the Einstein coefficients, relating absorption with stimulated and spontaneous emission. The most effectively coupled bosons in the specific environment of the semiconductor device used here were acoustic phonons. The experiments demonstrate the importance of vacuum fluctuations in the environment for quantum dot devices and potential design constraints for their use for preparing long-lived quantum states.     

Aurantiochytrium sp. meal as DHA source in Nile tilapia diet,part I: Growth performance and body composition

This study evaluated the inclusion of Aurantiochytrium sp. (ALL‐G‐RICH?), a source of docosahexaenoic acid (22:6 n‐3, DHA), in the diet of Nile tilapia and its effect on growth performance indexes and body composition. Fish (initial mean weight 8.35 ± 0.80 g) were fed different dietary inclusion levels of ALL‐G‐RICH?: 0.00, 0.05, 0.10, 0.20, and 0.40 g/kg and a control diet using cod liver oil (CLO), to provide DHA content comparable to the inclusion of 0.10 g/kg ALL‐G‐RICH?. Although there was no significant effect (p > 0.05) on weight gain, specific growth rate, feed conversion, protein retention rate, and proximal body composition, the inclusion of ALL‐G‐RICH? in the Nile tilapia diet influenced positively the fatty acid profile in the body, resulting in a high DHA concentration. CLO‐fed fish accumulated significantly more DHA compared to those fed 0.10 g/kg ALL‐G‐RICH? (p < 0.05). A digestibility trial was also performed for ALL‐G‐RICH with 65.86 g mean‐initial‐weight fish. The digestibility was high for DHA (96.10%); however, it was low for palmitic acid (70.81%). The results show that the inclusion of up to 0.40 g/kg ALL‐G‐RICH? can be used in Nile tilapia diets without impairing growth performance.     

Botryosphaeriaceae species causing dieback on Annonaceae in Brazil

In Brazil, the Annonaceae species Annona muricata, A. squamosa, A. cherimola and atemoya (a hybrid of A. cherimola and A. squamosa) are cultivated in several regions, and produce fruits that are highly appreciated by consumers and are of great economic importance. Among the several diseases that can affect these crops, dieback is one of the most important, causing damage and, in the most severe cases, death of the plants. Due to the lack of suitable diagnostic studies up to now, this work aimed to identify the Botryosphaeriaceae species that cause dieback on Annonaceae in Brazil. Based on combined phylogenetic analyses of ITS, TEF-1α, TUB2 and RPB2, eight species of Botryosphaeriaceae were identified, namely Lasiodiplodia brasiliense, L. crassispora, L. hormozganensis, L. iraniensis, L. pseudotheobromae, L. subglobosa, L. theobromae and Pseudofusicoccum stromaticum. All species found in this study were pathogenic and caused symptoms of necrosis in stems and dieback. Thus, this study confirms species of Botryosphaeriaceae as causal agents of dieback on Annonaceae in Brazil.     

Detection of rubber tree orchards infested by Meloidogyne exigua using vegetation indexes obtained from satellite images

New Forests - Hevea brasiliensis natural rubber production is strategic for the world economy. Meloidogyne exigua causes the main root disease in this crop in Brazil. Its early diagnosis allows...     

Potential of Limestone Tailings for Correction and Fertilization of an Oxisol in the Brazilian Savanna

ABSTRACT

Limestone mining industries produce large quantities of by-products that can generate environmental impacts if disposed inappropriately. This study aimed to evaluate the agronomic viability of limestone tailings as soil aciditys and the availability of Ca + Mg in an Oxisol. The experiment was carried out under a randomized complete design, in a 6 × 5 factorial scheme, with four replications. Six sources of limestone [Blended Limestone 1 (BL1), Unblended Limestone 1 (UL1), Blended Limestone 2 (BL2), Unblended Limestone 2 (UL2), Commercial Limestone (CC) and Pure Limestone (PL)] were studied at five application doses (0.0, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0 and 4.0 t ha^?1). During the incubation time of the soil, it was determined the active (pH) and potential acidity (H + Al), as well as the contents of Ca + Mg. It is concluded that the maximum efficiency dose for the limestone sources BL1, UL1, BL2 and UL2 was 4.0 t ha^?1, with responses higher than or equal to commercial limestone. Thus, these sources (BL1, UL1, BL2 and UL2) can be used as soil acidity correctors, since they have adequate reactivity and neutralization power, contributing positively and promisingly in the correction of both active and potential acidity, in addition to increasing the availability of Ca and Mg.     

A morphological classification proposal for curimba (Prochilodus lineatus) sperm damages after cryopreservation

The present study evaluated some cryoprotectants and concentrations for curimba (Prochilodus lineatus) semen preservation from a simple methodology of analysis of sperm morphology. Semen of nine males was diluted (1:4) into eight cryosolutions, all of them containing 5% of BTS^? Minitüb, still comprising methanol or dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO) at four concentrations: 5%, 7.5%, 10% and 12.5%. Morphological sperm analysis was performed on an optical microscope at × 1000 magnification. Damages on the head, midpiece and tail rest (the main and terminal portions) were investigated and classified as primary or secondary, according to the assumed influence on fertilization. There was a linear reduction in the total damages with an increase in the cryoprotectant concentration. Samples with DMSO showed the lowest percentage of fractured tails and tail stumps. The cryopreservation protocol retained the fertilizing potential of the sperm after freezing and both methanol 5% and DMSO 7.5% conferred adequate protection to the curimba sperm cells. Sperm morphology, as pointed out here, must be incorporated into routine fish sperm (cryopreserved or not) analysis once sperm defects influence fertilization directly. To the best of our knowledge, this was the first report on curimba sperm damages after cryopreservation by optical microscopy. The classification model presented in this study can be adequate to tackle fish sperm damages.