Plantago ovata in broiler chicken nutrition: Performance,carcass criteria,intestinal morphology,immunity, and intestinal bacterial population

In this experiment, the effect of dietary Plantago ovata (PO) on performance, carcass criteria, intestinal morphology, immunity, and intestinal bacterial population of broiler chickens was evaluated. A total of 250 one‐day‐old male broiler chicks (Ross 308) were randomly assigned to five treatments containing 0, 5, 10, 15, or 20 g/kg of PO with five replicate pens and 10 birds in each replicate. Dietary PO increased body weight gain and decreased feed conversion ratio in the finisher period, improving the performance index (p < .05). Dietary treatments had no effects on carcass criteria, but breast meat percentage showed an increasing trend with incremental levels of PO in the diet (p = .069). The length of small intestine, especially jejunum section, as well as the villus height, villus width, villus area, and goblet cell numbers were significantly increased with supplemental PO (p < .05). Humoral and cellular immunity parameters, and oxidation stability of meat were improved due to use of dietary PO (p < .05). Dietary PO decreased the CFU of Escherichia coli, whereas the Lactobacilli population was increased (p = .001). Broken‐line regression revealed that dietary PO at the rate of 10 g/kg may results in the best performance in broiler chickens. This study showed that PO at the level of 10 g/kg could be considered as a beneficial feed additive in broiler diet.     

In ovo injection of branched‐chain amino acids: Embryonic development,hatchability and hatching quality of turkey poults

In this study, the influence of a branched‐chain amino acid blend (BCAA composed of 3 l ‐leucine:1 l ‐valine:2 l ‐isoleucine) injected into the amniotic fluid was evaluated for embryonic growth, yolk‐sac (YS) utilization and development of gastrointestinal tract (GIT) and skeletal muscles of turkey embryos from day 24 of incubation (24E) to hatching, together with hatchability, poult quality and liver L* (lightness), a* (redness) and b* (yellowness) values at hatch. At day 22 of incubation, embryonated eggs (n = 240) were assigned to three treatments, that is, eggs were not injected (control, NC) or injected with 1.5 ml sterile solution with 0.9% salt (SA) or 0.2% BCAA blend (BCAAb). These solutions were injected manually into the amniotic fluid of the embryonated eggs. To determine weights and lengths (where appropriate) of the studied organs and tissues, four embryonated eggs and poults per treatment were selected at 24E and at hatch. While the BCAAb decreased the YS and embryo weight, hatchability and the liver L* value, it increased the weight and quality of poults and the weights of breast and thigh muscles at hatch. In conclusion, the in ovo feeding of the BCAA blend negatively affected hatchability but positively affected hatching weight and poult quality by improving development of skeletal muscles and by regulating energy metabolism.     

Treatment of cervical oesophageal rupture in horses

Oesophageal rupture in horses has only been previously described in detail in isolated case reports. The objectives of this study were to describe the clinical findings, specific treatment and outcome of oesophageal rupture in horses. Medical records of horses diagnosed with oesophageal rupture between 1994–2008 were reviewed. Clinical findings, treatment and outcome were recorded. Seven horses with cervical oesophageal perforations were included in the study. Two horses were subjected to euthanasia without treatment and 5 were treated surgically. Treatment involved a fasciotomy of the cervical musculature and oesophageal tube placement. Three of 5 horses survived long‐term (>one year). Our study showed that surgical treatment of cervical oesophageal rupture involving fasciotomy and oesophagostomy tube placement can be successful with 3/5 of treated horses surviving more than one year.     

A physiologically based pharmacokinetic model for quinoxaline‐2‐carboxylic acid in rats,extrapolation to pigs

A multi‐compartment physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model to describe the disposition of cyadox (CYX) and its metabolite quinoxaline‐2‐carboxylic acid (QCA) after a single oral administration was developed in rats (200 mg/kg b.w. of CYX). Considering interspecies differences in physiology and physiochemistry, the model efficiency was validated by pharmacokinetic data set in swine. The model included six compartments that were blood, muscle, liver, kidney, adipose, and a combined compartment for the rest of tissues. The model was parameterized using rat plasma and tissue concentration data that were generated from this study. Model simulations were achieved using a commercially available software program (ACSLX_Libero version 3.0.2.1). Results supported the validity of the model with simulated tissue concentrations within the range of the observations. The correlation coefficients of the predicted and experimentally determined values for plasma, liver, kidney, adipose, and muscles in rats were 0.98, 0.98, 0.98, 0.99, and 0.95, respectively. The rat model parameters were then extrapolated to pigs to estimate QCA disposition in tissues and validated by tissue concentration of QCA in swine. The correlation coefficients between the predicted and observed values were over 0.90. This model could provide a foundation for developing more reliable pig models once more data are available.     

IMAGING DIAGNOSIS—MULTIMODALITY FINDINGS IN AN ADULT DOG WITH PRIMARY SARCOMA OF THE PULMONARY ARTERY AND MYOCARDIAL METASTASES

Intravascular pulmonary artery sarcomas in combination with myocardial metastasis are rare in dogs. We describe the radiographic, echocardiographic, and electrocardiographic‐gated (ECG‐gated) computed tomographic angiography (CTA) findings in a dog with pulmonary artery sarcoma. All imaging studies demonstrated severe main pulmonary artery enlargement. Echocardiography and ECG‐gated CTA revealed a mass occluding the lumen of the right pulmonary artery. In addition, CTA revealed focal left ventricular myocardial contrast enhancement and parenchymal lung changes. Postmortem examination confirmed the presence of a large thrombus associated with arteriosclerosis and an intravascular sarcoma in the right pulmonary artery with metastases to the myocardium, lungs and brain.     

Molecular cloning and expression of kidney‐type glutaminase from common carp (Cyprinus carpio) and its up‐regulation by glutamine in primary culture enterocyte

Glutaminase (GLS) is the key enzyme of glutamine (Gln) metabolism and utilization. In this study, a cDNA encoding GLS protein was identified from common carp Cyprinus carpio intestine. The open reading frame of GLS cDNA encodes a polypeptide of 595 amino acids, which shows a high similarity with its zebrafish Danio rerio counterpart. Bioinformatic analysis showed the protein belongs to kidney‐type GLS. The putative protein has glutaminase domain and ankyrin repeats domain, which are highly conserved among vertebrate orthologues. Real‐time quantitative PCR analysis revealed that the abundance of GLS mRNA was the highest in the white muscle, followed by the brain, eyeball and pituitary. Glutaminase was ubiquitously expressed in all intestinal segments of common carp. The activity of GLS did not distribute uniformly along the entire length of the intestine. In primary culture enterocyte, and the expression of GLS mRNA is up‐regulated quickly and effectively by Gln.