Malignant transformation of a unicameral bone cyst in a cat

A unicameral bone cyst in the proximal humerus of a 3-year-old Norwegian forest cat was diagnosed by dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging, surgical exploration, and histopathology. Surgical curettage and incorporation of bone cement led to full recovery. An osteosarcoma developed at the surgical site 17 months later. Thoracic radiographs showed pulmonary lesions consistent with metastasis.     

Metabolic differentiation of bloodstream forms of Trypanosoma brucei brucei into procyclic forms. Effect of hydroxyurea, arabinosyl adenine, and serum omission

Bloodforms of Trypanosoma brucei brucei STIB 247 taken from rats and containing more than 80 per cent short stumpy forms, differentiated in vitro to procyclic forms in medium SDM 79 (Brun and Sch?nenberger 1979), enriched with 3 mmol.dm-3 cis-aconitate. Cell division was abolished by the addition of hydroxyurea (200 micrograms.ml-1) or arabinosyl adenine (20 micrograms.ml-1 to the cultivation medium, or by the omission of serum from the medium. The ultrastructure of exponentially growing controls was rearranged within 24 h. The endogenous respiration and the respiration stimulated by proline, succinate, and 2-oxoglutarate were detectable within 12 h; after 48 h the respiration rates were comparable to those found in the established procyclic forms. After 12 h the respiration was inhibited by 200 mumol.dm-3 KCN, and by 20 mumol.dm-3 antimycin to the extent found in procyclic forms. Hydroxyurea did not significantly affect respiration. Activities of procyclic-stage enzyme markers malate dehydrogenase, threonine dehydrogenase, succinate: cytochrome c reductase, and NADH: cytochrome c reductase rose within 48 h of differentiation to values which were close to those found in established procyclic forms. The activity of glutamate dehydrogenase (NAD-specific), however, was only 1/3 of that in the procyclics, and no citrate synthase was detected in differentiating culture. Glycosomal malate dehydrogenase was detected after 6 h. In the presence of hydroxyurea or arabinosyl adenine, or in the absence of serum, respiration rates, marker enzyme activities, and glycosomal malate dehydrogenase developed to the extent comparable to the untreated controls. The results suggest that it is possible to separate the process of differentiation from cell proliferation. Cell division is not a necessary prerequisite of differentiation.     

Ultrastructure of the excretory system of Brachylaimus aequans (Trematoda: Brachylaimoidea)

The ultrastructure of the flame cell, excretory capillaries, ducts, collecting ducts, excretory bladder, and excretory pore of Brachylaimus aequans was studied 6-8 days p.i. The excretory ducts, collecting ducts and excretory bladder are provided with numerous lamellae on the luminal side. The cilia of lateral flames in the excretory ducts have a triated rootlet. The excretory pore is covered by a tegument identical with the body tegument. The syncytium of the excretory bladder is connected with the tegument of the excretory pore by means of a septate desmosome. No lipid or excretory corpuscles have been demonstrated in the excretory system.     

Entamoeba histolytica--the virulence of imported strains

We tested the virulence of 15 strains of Entamoeba histolytica, imported to Czechoslovakia, by intracaecal inoculation of laboratory rats. According to the scoring system of Neal, none of the 15 strains possessed the virulence index greater than 2. This indicates that all the organisms tested should be classified as avirulent. However, it should be noted that all the strains produced infection of the caecum and thus should be considered infective for rat. For 7 strains, isoenzyme patterns were determined for PGM, HK and ME. One imported strain, obtained from student from Congo, demonstrated isoenzyme pattern for PGM and HK indicated that the strain was virulent. This organisms had the index of virulence 1.8 (avirulent) in animal experiment; it was isolated from cysts of clinically asymptomatic patient. Examination of the rectal mucosa of the donor of the strain indicated typical chronic catarrhal proctitis of mild degree. Examination of the patient's serum demonstrated the presence of anti E. histolytica antibodies by CIEP, while the ELISA test was negative. Twenty-one cyst carriers were examined by rectoscopy. Pathologic changes were observed in 20 of these, as follows: altered vascular structure (13X), roughened mucosa (12X), mucosal reddening (10X), decreased glistening (7X), mucus in mucosa (5X), inflammatory pseudopolypes (2X), ulcers (2X), enanthema (1X). Histological biopsies were obtained in 15 cases. One was considered normal. Remaining 14 biopsies exhibited following morphological changes: increased mucus secretion (8X), edema (7X), lymphocytic and plasmocytic infiltration (6X), lymphocytic and plasmocytic infiltration in addition to the presence of eosinophilic granulocytes (6X), presence of mucophages (5X), haemorrhages (4X), increased vascularity (3X), lymphocytic and plasmocytic infiltration with presence of extremely abundant eosinophilic granulocytes (1X), erosive-ulcerative changes of mucosa (1X). The changes observed indicated chronic catarrhal proctitis with expression to greater or less degree of signs of chronic catarrhal inflammation.     

Colonization of Ascaris lumbricoides eggs by the fungus Verticillium chlamydosporium Goddard.

The process of colonization of Ascaris lumbricoides eggs by the fungus Verticillium chlamydosporium was studied by scanning electron microscopy. The preparations were made by fractionation of egg suspension exposed to the fungus for four days and frozen in liquid nitrogen according to St?rba and Milácek (1986). Ovicidal fungus forms an abundant ramifying mycelial network in the area between the eggs. However, egg-shells are penetrated only by some hyphae without any penetration organs produced (simple hyphal penetration). In a liquid medium, after penetration, hyphae inside the eggs rapidly grow among inner structures of egg-shells and on the surface of developing larvae. In the next phase, hyphae colonize the developing larva. The eggs attacked by this fungus remain morphologically unchanged for a long time except the sites of penetration. Verticillium chlamydosporium is a fungus with unique ovicidal properties. It colonizes the eggs of Ascaris lumbricoides at all stages of embryo development and also attacks larvae inside the eggs.     

Investigation of sandflies (Diptera, Phlebotomidae) in an endemic focus of visceral leishmaniasis in Yugoslavia

The paper presents the results of faunistic, ecological and viral investigations concerning phlebotomine sandflies in an endemic focus of visceral leishmaniasis in Yugoslavia. These investigations were carried out in the period from 1969 to 1981.     

Ultrastructure of a new type of sensory ending in Echinostoma revolutum cercaria (Trematoda: Echinostomatidae)

Two pairs of hitherto unknown multiciliate sensory endings have been demonstrated in free-swimming cercariae of Echinostoma revolutum using transmission and scanning electron microscopy. This type of receptor consists of a bundle of 36--40 short, conically projecting cilia ensheathed by a collar formed by a circular evagination of tegument in shape of a cup. The cilia projecting from the centre of a widened nerve fibre, filled with electron-lucid vesicles, possess a well developed basal body and do not contain a ciliary rootlet. The function of this receptor is discussed.     

The fetlock tunnel syndrome in horses: literature review and retrospective study.]

The annular ligament constriction is characterized by a disproportion between the available space and the contents within the fetlock tunnel. The main symptoms are a persisting lameness, distention of the tendon sheath, a typical "notch" when the fetlock is viewed from the side and a hyperflexion pain in the fetlock. The surgical treatment consists of the transection of the fetlock annular ligament. The conservative management can be considered as a independent therapy or as a preparation for a subsequent desmotomy. The medical records of 75 horses suffering from fetlock tunnel syndrome presented at the Veterinary Surgery Clinic of the University of Zurich were studied. 39 horses with 41 affected limbs were reexamined clinically and ultrasonographically. 70% of the surgical cases and 82% of the conservatively treated cases were judged to be sound. Altogether it can be said that the surgical case group had a success rate of 62% while the conservatively treated group showed a success rate of 58%.     

Plants as de-worming agents of livestock in the Nordic countries: historical perspective, popular beliefs and prospects for the future.

Preparations derived from plants were the original therapeutic interventions used by man to control diseases (including parasites), both within humans and livestock. Development of herbal products depended upon local botanical flora with the result that different remedies tended to develop in different parts of the world. Nevertheless, in some instances, the same or related plants were used over wide geographic regions, which also was the result of communication and/or the importation of plant material of high repute. Thus, the Nordic countries have an ancient, rich and diverse history of plant derived anthelmintic medications for human and animal use. Although some of the more commonly used herbal de-wormers were derived from imported plants, or their products, many are from endemic plants or those that thrive in the Scandinavian environment. With the advent of the modern chemotherapeutic era, and the discovery, development and marketing of a seemingly unlimited variety of highly efficacious, safe synthetic chemicals with very wide spectra of activities, herbal remedies virtually disappeared from the consciousness--at least in the Western world. This attitude is now rapidly changing. There is a widespread resurgence in natural product medication, driven by major threats posed by multi-resistant pest, or disease, organisms and the diminishing public perceptions that synthetic chemicals are the panacea to health and disease control. This review attempts to provide a comprehensive account of the depth of historical Nordic information available on herbal de-wormers, with emphasis on livestock and to provide some insights on potentially rewarding areas of "re-discovery" and scientific evaluation in this field.     

The effects of health classification and housing and management of feeder pigs on performance and meat inspection findings of all-in-all-out swine-finishing herds

The effects of health classification and of housing and management on performance and meat inspection findings were studied in 166 all-in-all-out finishing herds in Finland in 1995 and 1998. Producers could buy either health-classified (certified free of certain diseases) or standard-class pigs for their farms. Herds that had attained a certain level of housing and management were eligible to join the LSO 2000 management system for finishing herds. In 1995, none of the study herds were LSO 2000 units. In 1998, 76 of them had become LSO 2000 units, while 90 had remained as non-LSO 2000 units. Continuous outcome variables (daily gain and time in the finishing unit) were analysed with a mixed-model procedure with repeated measurements from the same farms. Discrete variables were analysed either with Poisson regression (mortality, whole- and partial-carcass condemnations, organ condemnations, arthritis, abscesses) or logistic regression (liver condemnations, pneumonia, pleuritis). The models were adjusted for the year, size of the herd and the average slaughter weight of the batch.The benefits obtained by the health classification of the feeder pigs included a substantial increase in daily gain (37g, about 5%) and decrease in time in the finishing unit (4 days, about 4%), decrease in mortality (odds ratio, OR 0.68), a substantial decrease in pneumonia (OR 0.37) and pleuritis (OR 0.60), and a substantial decrease in liver (OR 0.45) and organ (OR 0.72) condemnations. Classification of the pigs did not have an effect on the prevalence of whole-carcass condemnations, arthritis or abscesses. The health-classified pigs had, unexpectedly, more partial-carcass condemnations (OR 1.15) than the standard-class pigs. The obtained benefits of the LSO 2000 units were an increase in daily gain (14g, about 2%), decrease in time in the finishing unit (2 days, about 2%), a decrease in mortality (OR 0.69) and a decrease in whole-carcass (OR 0.69) and partial-carcass (OR 0.81) condemnations. The LSO 2000 units did not have any advantage over the non-LSO 2000 units in their prevalence of liver or organ condemnations, arthritis, abscesses, pneumonia or pleuritis.