Ultra‐long‐acting recombinant insulin for the treatment of diabetes mellitus in dogs

BackgroundFor the treatment of diabetes mellitus (DM) in dogs, novel insulins with decreased injection frequency while maintaining safety and efficacy are desirable. Insulin fused with immunoglobulin‐fragment‐crystallizable (Fc) has an ultra‐long plasma half‐life because it recycles through cells, protected from proteolysis.HypothesisGlycemic control can be achieved in diabetic dogs with a recombinant fusion protein of a synthetic insulin and canine Fc (AKS‐218d) administered subcutaneously once‐weekly.AnimalsFive client‐owned dogs with naturally occurring DM.MethodsProspective clinical trial in dogs with DM that were recruited from the UC Davis Veterinary Teaching Hospital and local veterinary clinics. Dogs previously controlled using intermediate‐acting insulin q12h were transitioned to once‐weekly injections of a preliminary construct identified as AKS‐218d. The dose of AKS‐218d was titrated weekly for 8 weeks based on clinical response and continuous interstitial glucose monitoring. Clinical signs, body weight, serum fructosamine concentrations, and mean interstitial glucose concentrations (IG) over the preceding week were compared between baseline (before AKS‐218d) and during the last week of treatment. Data were compared using nonparametric paired tests.ResultsOnce‐weekly AKS‐218d, compared to baseline twice‐daily insulin therapy, resulted in no significant changes in clinical signs, median (range) body weight (+0.4 kg [−0.5‐1.1]; P = .6), fructosamine concentration (−75 mmol/L [−215 to +126]; P = .4), or mean IG (+81 mg/dL [−282 to +144]; P = .8). No adverse reactions were reported.ConclusionControl of clinical signs, body weight, and maintenance of glycemia was achieved with this once‐weekly novel insulin construct in 4 of 5 dogs.     

Erysiphe australiana: the cause of powdery mildew on Lagerstroemia speciosa in Brazil

Powdery mildew symptoms and signs were observed on seedlings of Lagerstroemia speciosa within an ornamental plant nursery in Viçosa, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Signs were most prominent as intense mycelial growth and sporulation on the shoots, new branches and leaves, which led to tissue necrosis. Based on morphological characteristics and phylogenetic analyses of ITS and 28S rDNA sequences, the powdery mildew pathogen of L. speciosa was identified as Erysiphe australiana, a well‐known powdery mildew pathogen infecting Lagerstroemia spp. worldwide. To our knowledge, this is the first report of E. australiana causing powdery mildew on L. speciosa in Brazil.     

Interleukin-8 as a prognostic serum marker in canine mammary gland neoplasias

Mammary gland tumors in female dogs are an excellent model for the clinic-pathological, diagnostic and prognostic investigation of mammary neoplasias. Prognostic and predictive markers are effective in research and routine diagnosis. Interleukins play a fundamental role in cancer, with a particular function in tumor growth, invasion and metastatic potential. Interleukin-8 (IL-8) is known to possess tumorigenic and pro-angiogenic properties, and its overexpression is seen in a number of human tumors. IL-8 serum levels were determined and correlated with the clinic-pathological features and clinical evolution of mammary gland neoplasias in female dogs. IL-8 was measured by an immunoenzymatic assay in 30 female dogs with mammary neoplasias within a 12 month follow-up and in 50 control animals. The correlation between IL-8 concentration and clinical parameters was investigated. A statistically significant difference in the IL-8 serum levels was found in tumor-bearing dogs compared to the controls. In addition, when the individual parameters were evaluated, IL-8 content showed a positive correlation with the tumor progression, lymph node involvement, recurrence and death. Single and multivariate analyses showed associations between tumor recurrence, metastasis, high clinical staging and high IL-8, and also with the death risk. This was also consistent with the high IL-8 content in dogs showing tumor recurrence and metastasis. IL-8 superexpression has been detected in a number of human tumors, usually associated with a poor prognostic. Besides promoting angiogenesis, IL-8 is strongly related with the metastatic phenotype of mammary tumor cells. High IL-8 concentration was found in mammary gland cancer patients with advanced disease stages. Our results show that IL-8 can be used as a non-invasive prognostic marker for mammary gland cancer, and can be useful for the prediction of disease progression and recurrence in dogs with mammary neoplasias. The increased level of this cytokine acts as an independent prognostic marker of survival and the identification of animals with the poor prognostic.     

Density and Organic Matter Influence on Egg‐laying and Hatching of Branchiura sowerbyi (Oligochaeta)

This study aimed to assess the combined effects of density of adults of Branchiura sowerbyi and the source of organic matter on the production of eggs and young species. The experimental units used were 250‐mL beakers with 100 mL of fine sand (0.074–0.210 mm) and 150 mL of chlorine‐free water with constant aeration at the temperature 25 C. The experiment was conducted based on a two‐factor model with six treatments and three repetitions, applied in a completely random design. The densities 5 individuals/38.5cm² (D5; 1298/m²) and 8 individuals/38.5cm² (D8; 2078/m²) were assessed with commercial fish feed (FF), commercial poultry feed (PF), and turkey manure (TM) as sources of organic matter. A total of 1223 cocoons and 2138 eggs were produced, with average hatching of 40.0 ± 15.1%. The highest number of cocoons and eggs was found with the use of PF, D8 having produced the highest number of cocoons and eggs. The hatching rate was not influenced by the source of organic matter or density and no influence was registered from the density of adults on the survival. The PF provided the highest growth of adults, and generally the use of TM provided the worst performance.     

Crops use-efficiency of nitrogen from manures permitted in organic farming

The current increase in the organic agriculture segment has created a new market for fertilisers permitted for use in organic farming. Off-farm N sources for organic farming are scarce, considering the restriction on the use of chemical fertilisers. Thus, when some products are permitted in organic agriculture, commercial opportunities become available. In this study we compare the performances of Vegethumus (Veg) and Phenix (Phe), two manures that are permitted in organic farming, with several other manures, ammonium nitrate (AN) and control treatments. A 3-year field trial and a pot experiment were carried out in order to estimate dry matter yield, N uptake, and N nutritional status of the crops, as well as soil N availability, the latter was assessed by using anion exchange membranes inserted into the soil. Apparent N recovery (ANR) values in the field trial were 6.3% and 58.2% in Veg and AN plots, respectively, after the application of 380 kg N/ha in the previous five growing seasons. In the pot experiment, the ANR of Veg and Phe, the organic amendments permitted in organic farming, were 5.0% and 13.6%, while Beiraadubo (Bei) and Nutrisoil (Nut) had ANR of 27.2% and 42.0%. The poor results of the amendments permitted in organic farming, in light of their high prices suggest that their use must be carefully considered by farmer in their fertilization strategies.     

Superovulatory Response of Zebu Cows Treated with pFSH in a Single Subcutaneous Injection Followed by an Additional Intramuscular Sub‐Dose 48 h Later

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether an additional intramuscular (im) injection of pFSH would increase the embryo production in zebu cows superovulated with a single subcutaneous (sc) pFSH injection. Twenty‐one Nelore cows were treated with a progesterone vaginal implant (Controlled Internal Drug Relased – CIDR B^®) and injected im with 2.5 mg estradiol benzoate. Four days later, cows were assigned randomly into three groups and superovulated with pFSH. Groups A and B received single sc injections of 400 and 320 IU, respectively; Group C received multiple im injections of 400 IU in decreasing doses at 12‐h intervals over 4 days. In the morning (07:00 am) of day 3 after starting superovulation, cows received im 150 mcg cloprostenol and Group B was additionally injected im with 80 IU of pFSH. CIDR‐B was withdrawn in the afternoon (07:00 pm). Cows were inseminated 48 and 62 h after the cloprostenol injection. Embryo collection and corpora lutea (CL) estimation were done 7 days after insemination. Alternation of treatments (crossover design) occurred at a 60‐day interval. There was no significant difference (p > 0.05) of CL counts among treatments. The total (transferable and no transferable) number of recovered embryos from Group A (6.9 ± 1.5) was not different from Group C (9.8 ± 1.2), whereas Group B (5.7 ± 1.5) was lower than Group C (p < 0.05). The number of transferable embryos from Groups A (2.4 ± 0.7) and B (1.7 ± 0.6) was lower (p < 0.05) than Group C (4.6 ± 1.2). Lesser (p < 0.05) embryo production from Group B was related to lower recovery rate (46.4%), compared with Groups A (65.1%) and C (81.7%). It was concluded that an additional im subdose of pFSH, injected 48 h after a single subcutaneous (sc) dose of pFSH, does not improve the embryo production in zebu cows.     

Mini‐cutting technique application in Corymbia and Eucalyptus: effects of mini‐tunnel use across seasons of the year

New Forests - The forestry sector has been able to sustainably satisfy the increasing global demand for forest products, thereby positively impacting the economy, while mitigating climate change....     

Effects of Hormonal Supplementation on Nuclear Maturation and Cortical Granules Distribution of Canine Oocytes During Various Reproductive Stages

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of hCG, progesterone and oestradiol supplementation on nuclear and cytoplasmic maturation of canine oocytes cultured for 24, 48, 72 and 96 h. Oocytes obtained from 18 healthy bitches were divided into three groups according to their reproductive status (follicular, luteal and anoestrus stages) and cultured in TCM 199 + 25 UI/ml of hCG + 1 μg/ml of progesterone + 1 μg/ml of 17‐β oestradiol or without hormonal supplementation (control) for different periods. Then, they were stained with FITC‐LCA‐Hoescht for chromatin configuration and cortical granules distribution and evaluated under an epifluorescence microscope. Culture time and the influence of different stages of the oestrous cycle were also evaluated. The present study demonstrated that there was no significant difference among the reproductive stages. With regards to culture medium, only oocytes from the supplemented medium were able to complete meiosis; however, significant difference was only noticed in the percentage of MI stage oocytes (p < 0.05) in the follicular and luteal group at 72 h of culture. Most oocytes in germinal vesicle, germinal vesicle breakdown and metaphase I stage had cortical granules distributed throughout the cytoplasm (immature pattern), irrespective of the culture period (p < 0.05). Cortical granules distributed immediately beneath the plasma membrane (mature) was only observed in metaphase II stage oocytes, but not all of them presented matured cytoplasm. Our results reveal that cortical granules distribution in canine oocytes matured in vitro did not progressed in correspondence with nuclear stage changes and are in accordance with those from other species.