Inherited congenital extrahepatic portosystemic shunts in Cairn terriers

The pathogenesis of congenital portosystemic shunt (CPSS) in dogs still is incompletely understood. In Irish Wolfhounds and Yorkshire Terriers, CPSS is reported to be hereditary. The aim of this study was to investigate a possible genetic basis and the mode of inheritance of CPSS in Cairn Terriers. Between July 1990 and July 2001, 6-week-old pups of the Dutch Cairn Terrier population were screened by measuring venous ammonia concentrations and in the presence of hyperammonemia by ultrasonography, autopsy, portal vein angiography, or exploratory celiotomy. The same successfully operated female was used 3 times in test matings with an unrelated affected male, her unaffected sire, and an affected offspring. The prevalence of CPSS in the general Cairn Terrier population, the direct progeny of frequently used males, and the offspring of the test matings were tested for significant differences. In total, 6,367 Cairn Terriers were screened; 32 males and 26 females had CPSS. In 3 large family groups, significantly higher prevalences were found compared with the general population (P < .0001, P < .0001, and P < .044). The prevalence of CPSS in the offspring of the test matings was significantly higher (P < .002) than in the general population. No sex predisposition occurred among the affected dogs. The higher prevalence of CPSS in the test matings and the 3 family groups compared with the general population indicates that CPSS in Cairn Terriers is a genetic disease. The inheritance is autosomal and most likely polygenic or monogenic with variable expression.     

Rhabdomyosarcoma associated with the lead wire of a pacemaker generator implant

An 11‐year‐old female spayed Labrador Retriever was presented for a draining, painful subcutaneous mass palpated over a previously implanted pacemaker generator. Infection was suspected and the mass was removed surgically. On cut surface, the mass was friable and mottled tan to brown with firm pale tan nodules, surrounding the pacemaker lead wire adjacent to the pacemaker generator. Cytologic interpretation of impression smears was consistent with a sarcoma, and suggestive of a rhabdomyosarcoma due to the presence of strap‐like cells. On histopathologic examination, a highly invasive nodular mass surrounded the pacemaker lead, composed of pleomorphic round, spindle and strap cells, and multinucleated giant cells. The population exhibited microscopic invasion into the deep portion of the fibrous capsule surrounding the pacemaker generator. There were tumor emboli within small to medium subcutaneous veins adjacent to the mass. Immunohistochemically, the neoplastic cells stained positive for α‐sarcomeric actin and vimentin, and negative for α‐smooth muscle actin, consistent with a rhabdomyosarcoma arising at the site of the pacemaker generator. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a rhabdomyosarcoma associated with the lead wire of a pacemaker generator in a dog.     

Effects of Exogenous Glycine Betaine on the Physiological Characteristics in Medicago sativa Seedlings under Low-temperature Stress北大核心CSCD

In this study,the 'Ganong 5th' alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) was used as experimental material,and two application methods (leaf application,root application) and six exogenous betaine concentrations (0,10,20,30,40 and 50 mmol·L-1) were used to treat the seedlings of alfalfa. Plant growth and related physiological indexes were measured after 7 days of low temperature (4?) stress,and the physiological mechanism of exogenous betaine to alleviate the low temperature stress of alfalfa was explored. The results showed that exogenous GB alleviated the loss of plant height,root length,leaf dry weight,root dry weight and chlorophyll content,and increase the content of soluble sugar (SS) and free proline (Pro),and reduced the increase in leaf relative membrane permeability and MDA content. Exogenous GB increased antioxidant enzyme activities and non-enzymatic antioxidant content. And also,exogenous GB enhanced the osmotic adjustment capacity of the plant by increasing endogenous GB accumulation and BADH activity. These results indicated that exogenous GB enhanced the resistance of Medicago sativa to low-temperature stress under low temperature adjustment. The membership function analysis indicated that spraying 30 mmol·L-1 GB on the leaves and spraying 40 mmol·L-1 GB on the roots had the best effect on alleviating the low-temperature stress of alfalfa seedlings. © 2019 Ｊｏｕｒｎａｌ ｏｆ Ｒｅｆｒｉｇｅｒａｔｉｏｎ. All rights reserved.     

Sage Grouse Groceries: Forb Response to Piñon-Juniper Treatments

Juniper and piñon coniferous woodlands have increased 2- to 10-fold in nine ecoregions spanning the Intermountain Region of the western United States. Control of piñon-juniper woodlands by mechanical treatments and prescribed fire are commonly applied to recover sagebrush steppe rangelands. Recently, the Sage Grouse Initiative has made conifer removal a major part of its program to reestablish sagebrush habitat for sage grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) and other species. We analyzed data sets from previous and ongoing studies across the Great Basin characterizing cover response of perennial and annual forbs that are consumed by sage grouse to mechanical, prescribed fire, and low-disturbance fuel reduction treatments. There were 11 sites in western juniper (Juniperus occidentalis Hook.) woodlands, 3 sites in singleleaf piñon (Pinus monophylla Torr. & Frém.) and Utah juniper (Juniperus osteosperma [Torr.] Little), 2 sites in Utah juniper, and 2 sites in Utah juniper and Colorado piñon (Pinus edulis Engelm). Western juniper sites were located in mountain big sagebrush (A. tridentata ssp. vaseyana) steppe associations, and the other woodlands were located in Wyoming big sagebrush (A. tridentata ssp. wyomingensis) associations. Site potential appears to be a major determinant for increasing perennial forbs consumed by sage grouse following conifer control. The cover response of perennial forbs, whether increasing (1.5- to 6-fold) or exhibiting no change, was similar regardless of conifer treatment. Annual forbs favored by sage grouse benefitted most from prescribed fire treatments with smaller increases following mechanical and fuel reduction treatments. Though forb abundance may not consistently be enhanced, mechanical and fuel reduction conifer treatments remain good preventative measures, especially in phase 1 and 2 woodlands, which, at minimum, maintain forbs on the landscape. In addition, these two conifer control measures, in the short term, are superior to prescribed fire for maintaining the essential habitat characteristics of sagebrush steppe for sage grouse.     

Prevalence of dog-derived Sarcocystis spp. in some New Zealand lambs

Pepsin: hydrochloric acid digestion and histological examination of the myocardium of 51 hearts from five to nine month-old lambs from the southern half of the North Island, showed that 47 (92%) were infected with microscopic sarcocysts that are presumed to be dog-derived. Of 157 sarcocysts detected histologically, 32 corresponded morphologically with Sarcocystis ovicanis and 120 with Sarcocystis tenella (Syn. S. arieticanis). The remainder could not be identified as to type.     

Incomplete surgery, local immunostimulation, and recurrence of some tumour types in dogs and cats

Histologically confirmed inadequate treatment resulted in a lower than expected recurrence percentage in dogs with haemangiopericytoma (38%) and mastocytoma (30%). Clinical suspicion of inadequate tumour treatment did not always correlate with the histologically assessed inadequacy, nor with the appearance of local recurrence. Local recurrence did not seem to be correlated with histological grade of malignancy and tumour size. Local injection of C. parvum vaccine did not result in a lower percentage of local recurrence or longer recurrence-free intervals in any of the three tumour groups (canine haemangiopericytoma, canine mastocytoma, feline mammary carcinoma). Nor was palliative local adjuvant injection of Cp successful in dogs and cats with soft tissue sarcomas or in dogs with gingival melanoma. Re-operation of locally recurrent tumour was successful in some dogs with haemangiopericytoma, in a few with mastocytoma, but not in cats with mammary carcinoma. A trend toward histological progression of recurrences and metastases, when compared with the primary tumours, was not evident. The possible reasons for the relatively low recurrence rate of some tumour types and for the failure of Cp-treatment are discussed.     

Pharmacokinetics of oxytetracycline hydrochloride in rabbits

Pharmacokinetics of oxytetracycline HCl (OTC) was studied in rabbits. After 10 mg of OTC/kg of body weight was administered IV, the distribution half-life was 0.06 hour, terminal half-life was 1.32 hours, volume of distribution area was 0.861 L/kg, and total body clearance was 0.434 L/kg/h. After 10 mg of OTC/kg was given IM, the absorption half-life was 2.09 hours, extent of absorption was 71.4%, and total body clearance of the absorbed fraction was 0.576 L/kg/h. Based on these kinetic data, a dosage of 15 mg of OTC/kg, every 8 hours was developed. This dose given IM for 7 consecutive days resulted in observed steady-state maximum and minimum concentrations (mean +/- SD) of 4.7 +/- 0.3 micrograms/ml and 3.2 +/- 0.6 micrograms/ml, respectively. Twice this dose (30 mg of OTC/kg, every 8 hours) given IM caused anorexia and diarrhea.