Mammary carcinoma arising in an adenoma in a ewe

A large, firm, multi-cystic mammary gland mass grew slowly over 4 y in a 12-y-old, female Finn–Shetland cross sheep. A diagnosis of epithelial malignancy was suspected following fine-needle aspiration cytology at 30 mo after initial observation. The sheep was euthanized when the flock was downsized 18 mo later. A field postmortem examination revealed a large mammary mass, but an absence of metastases to internal organs. Imprint cytology of the mammary tissue supported a benign proliferative process. Histologically, mammary tissue was obliterated by cystic, tubular, and papillary adenomatous arrangements of mammary epithelium, with an anaplastic component, consistent with mammary carcinoma arising in an adenoma. IHC showed strong nuclear positivity to the antibody against progesterone receptor and minimal positivity to the antibody against estrogen receptor alpha expression. Intrinsic subtyping for basal or luminal epithelial origin was attempted through adaptation of companion animal IHC classification panels; high- and low-molecular-weight cytokeratins (CK5, CK8, CK18) failed to stain, but p63 expression for basal epithelium was positive.     

Comparing the behavioural thermoregulation response to heat stress by Atlantic salmon parr (Salmo salar) in two rivers

Climate change is expected to increase the frequency and magnitude of extreme thermal events in rivers. The Little Southwest Miramichi River (LSWM) and the Ouelle River (OR) are two Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) rivers located in eastern Canada, where in recent years, water temperatures have exceeded known thermal limits (~23°C). Once temperature surpasses this threshold, juvenile salmon exploit thermal heterogeneity to behaviourally thermoregulate, forming aggregations in coolwater refuges. This study aimed to determine whether the behavioural thermoregulation response is universal across rivers, arising from common thermal cues. We detailed the temperature and discharge patterns of two geographically distinct rivers from 2010 to 2012 and compared these with aggregation onset temperature. PIT telemetry and snorkelling were used to confirm the presence of aggregations. Mean daily maximum temperature in 2010 was significantly greater in the OR versus the LSWM (p = 0.005), but not in other years (p = 0.090–0.353). Aggregations occurred on 14 and 9 occasions in the OR and LSWM respectively. Temperature at onset of aggregation was significantly greater in the OR (T_onset = 28.3°C) than in the LSWM (T_onset = 27.3°C; p = 0.049). Logistic regression models varied by river and were able to predict the probability of aggregation based on the preceding number of hours >23°C (R² = 0.61 & 0.65; P₅₀ = 27.4°C & 28.9°C; in the OR and LSWM respectively). These results imply the preceding local thermal regime may influence behaviour and indicate a degree of phenotypic plasticity, illustrating a need for localised management strategies.     

The value of sea urchin,Lytechinus variegatus,egesta consumed by shrimp,Litopenaeus vannamei

Sea urchins produce high‐energy, membrane‐bound fecal pellets that contain residual nutrients and large quantities of microbiota. These egesta are readily consumed by the shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei. Egesta of the sea urchin, Lytechinus variegatus, were evaluated as a feed supplement or total replacement for a commercial shrimp diet. Shrimp were stocked at 0.49 g ± 0.06 g initial body weight and housed individually in 2.8‐L tanks in a commercial recirculating zebrafish system. Shrimp were assigned to one of six diets: commercial shrimp feed, reference sea urchin feed, collected dried sea urchin egesta, collected wet sea urchin egesta, half ration of shrimp feed and half collected wet sea urchin egesta, and egesta naturally produced by two sea urchins in polyculture. Equivalent dry matter amounts of each diet were proffered to shrimp in each treatment twice daily, except for those that had complete access to natural egesta excreted by sea urchins in polyculture. Sea urchins were proffered a reference sea urchin feed at 2% body weight daily. After 27 days, shrimp proffered collected dried or wet egesta did not differ significantly in percent weight gain and showed the lowest weight gain. The percent weight gain of shrimp fed the commercial shrimp diet did not differ significantly from that of the shrimp fed half commercial shrimp diet and half egesta. The highest weight gain was recorded for those shrimp that consumed the untouched egesta produced by sea urchins in polyculture. These data suggest that consumed egesta have noteworthy nutritional value and therefore would be beneficial to the culture of extractive species in an integrated multitrophic aquaculture system.     

Pilot study of the effect of acemannan in cats infected with feline immunodeficiency virus.

Acemannan, a complex carbohydrate shown to stimulate interleukin-1, tumor necrosis factor alpha and prostaglandin E2 production by macrophages, has also demonstrated antiviral activity in vitro against human immunodeficiency virus, Newcastle disease virus and influenza virus. A pilot study was undertaken to determine acemannan's effect in 49 feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) infected cats with clinical signs of disease (Stage 3, 4 or 5), 23 of which had severe lymphopenia. Cats received acemannan either by intravenous (Group 1) or subcutaneous (Group 2) injection once weekly for 12 weeks, or by daily oral (Group 3) administration for 12 weeks. Upon entry into the study, cats were randomly assigned to one of the three groups. Laboratory analyses were performed at the beginning of the study and at Weeks 6 and 12. Cats were allowed to continue with a predetermined maintenance regimen of acemannan after completing the 12-week study. Thirteen cats died during the course of treatment. Upon necropsy, the most frequent histopathologic findings were neoplastic, kidney and pancreatic disease. Friedman's two-way ANOVA test showed no significant differences in efficacy among groups administered acemannan by the different routes. Therefore, groups were combined and a signed-ranks test was used to determine changes over time. A significant increase was seen in lymphocyte counts (P < 0.001). Neutrophil counts decreased significantly (P = 0.007), as did incidence of sepsis (P = 0.008). When cats entering with lymphopenia were analyzed separately, a much greater increase in lymphocyte counts was noted (235%) compared with non-lymphopenic cats (42%). A survival rate of 75% was found for all three groups. Thirty-six of 49 animals are alive 5-19 months post-entry. These results suggest that acemannan therapy may be of significant benefit in FIV-infected cats exhibiting clinical signs of disease.     

THE EFFECT OF A COMBINATION OF MEDETOMIDINE-BUTORPHANOL AND MEDETOMIDINE, BUTORPHANOL, ATROPINE ON GLOMERULAR FILTRATION RATE IN DOGS

The effects of intramuscularly administered medetomidine and butorphanol (MB), and medetomidine, butorphanol, atropine (MBA) on glomerular filtration rate (GFR) were determined in six dogs as measured by 99m-Tc-labeled diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (99mTc-DTPA) nuclear scintigraphy. Direct systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial blood pressures and heart rate were measured at regular time intervals before, during, and after GFR calculations. The mean GFR measurement following MB was significantly greater (4.44 ml/min/kg) than following MBA (3.82 ml/min/kg) or saline treatment (3.41 ml/min/kg). There was no significant difference between the mean GFR measurements following MBA injection and following saline injection. Diastolic and mean arterial pressures following MBA injection were significantly higher than the values recorded after either MB or saline alone. Heart rate following MB administration was significantly lower than that recorded for dogs receiving MBA or saline alone. The results of this study indicate that the administration of medetomidine in combination with butorphanol significantly increases total GFR in healthy dogs, while the administration of the combination of medetomidine, butorphanol, and atropine does not.     

Pharmacokinetic evaluation of ceftiofur in serum, tissue chamber fluid and bronchial secretions from healthy beef-bred calves.

Ceftiofur is a new broad spectrum cephalosporin marketed for the treatment of acute bovine respiratory disease. In this investigation ceftiofur was administered by intramuscular injection, at 24 h intervals, to healthy beef-bred calves for four days at dosages of 2.2 and 4.4 mg/kg of body weight, with 4 wk intervals between dosing regimens. Serum, tissue chamber fluid (TCF), and bronchial secretion (BS) concentrations of ceftiofur were measured by microbiological assay after the first and fourth dose of each dosing regimen. Peak serum concentrations (Cmax) of 8.8 micrograms/mL and 17.3 micrograms/mL were obtained approximately 2 h (Tmax), the time of mean peak concentration) after single injections of 2.2 mg/kg and 4.4 mg/kg, respectively. The Cmax was increased approximately twofold following multiple doses of 2.2 mg/kg (Cmax = 13.1 micrograms/mL) and 4.4 mg/kg (Cmax = 24.1 micrograms/mL). Ceftiofur accumulated slowly into TCF and peak concentrations were found to be approximately 14% of those observed in serum after the first dose and approximately 24% after multiple dosing. Concentrations of ceftiofur in BS were obtained rapidly with peak concentrations reaching 45% of the serum Cmax after the first dose. After multiple dosing the Cmax for BS was approximately 25% of the serum Cmax. This study found that both the 2.2 mg/kg and 4.4 mg/kg dosing regimens resulted in continuous serum, TCF and BS concentrations of ceftiofur that exceeded the minimal concentration required to inhibit the bacteria most frequently isolated from calves with acute bovine respiratory disease.     

0–7–21 Radiation Therapy for the Treatment of Canine Oral Melanoma

Eighteen dogs with malignant melanoma of the oral cavity were treated with high-dose per fraction (0–7–21) radiation therapy. Eight hundred cGy was administered on days 0, 7, and 21 for a total dose of 2,400 cGy in 3 weeks. Of 17 dogs evaluated, 9 (53%) had a complete remission and 5 (30%) achieved a partial remission with an overall response rate of 83%. Local failure occurred in 2 of the 9 dogs where a complete response was initially observed. One dog died of intercurrent disease, and one died of metastatic disease without evidence of local recurrence. Five dogs are alive and free of disease 9 to nineteen months from the initiation of therapy. The 0–7–21 protocol was well-tolerated, and acute radiation reactions were low-grade and limited to the skin. The results of this study demonstrate that oral melanomas in dogs are responsive to radiation. 0–7–21 radiation therapy offers a viable alternative to radical excision, especially when tumor volume or location would require cosmetically or functionally debilitating surgery.     

Severe mortality in broiler chickens associated with Mycoplasma synoviae and Pasteurella gallinarum.

Severe economic loss due to high mortality and condemnation rates occurred on two commercial broiler facilities. Chickens had moderate-to-severe airsacculitis, pericarditis, perihepatitis, tracheitis, and synovitis. Pasteurella gallinarum was isolated from 16 of 18 pericardia, four of 14 livers, 11 of 16 air sacs, six of seven joints and one of 28 tracheas in pure culture. In addition, Mycoplasma synoviae was isolated from trachea and air sac. Lesions were suggestive of an Escherichia coli septicemia, but E. coli was isolated from only four of 28 tracheas and one of 14 livers in pure culture. A coronavirus was isolated from trachea and lung. Whether this coronavirus represented a vaccine or field strain of infectious bronchitis was not determined. These findings suggested that the severe lesions were due to a concomitant infection with an atypical strain of P. gallinarum.     

Effect of feeding high-oleic-acid peanuts to growing-finishing swine on resulting carcass fatty acid profile and on carcass and meat quality characteristics.

A high-oleic-acid peanut breeding line was used in a study designed to determine the effects of feeding swine diets containing elevated levels of monounsaturated fatty acids as a means to increase the level of monounsaturates and total unsaturates in the resulting carcass fat. Forty-eight pigs were allotted to four treatments that consisted of corn-soybean meal diets that contained 1) high-oleic peanuts (HOP), 2) regular commercial peanuts (RP), or 3) canola oil (CO), each added at a dietary level to provide 10% added fat/oil, and 4) a control diet with no added fat/oil. The oil of HOP averaged 75% oleic acid vs 60% for CO and 53% for RP. The pigs were fed the experimental diets from 33 to 102 kg BW, after which all pigs were slaughtered. All three dietary oil sources resulted in increases (P < .01) of monounsaturates in the backfat; the HOP diet resulted in the greatest increase (32% greater than control). Both CO and RP increased (P < .01) the level of polyunsaturates by nearly twofold; HOP resulted in a small decrease. Total unsaturates increased (P < .01) by 24, 24, and 27% for HOP, RP, and CO treatments, respectively, over that obtained from the control treatment. Carcass fat was softer/oilier (P < .05) from pigs fed CO and RP diets, but not from those fed HOP diets, compared with carcass fat of pigs fed the control diet. Dietary fat/oil source had no effect (P > .05) on other carcass compositional traits and various meat quality attributes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Chemical Decapsulation of Artemia franciscana Resting Cysts Does Not Necessarily Produce More Nauplii

Decapsulation of Artemia spp. cysts in strong hypochlorite solutions reportedly increases the number of nauplii that hatch. Commercial cysts of Artemia franciscano were subjected to four decapsulation methods prior to hatching them in aerated seawater. Samples were removed from the hatch vessels every 5 h from 15 through 45 h, and fully hatched nauplii were counted. The experiment was performed three times. No significant difference was seen between mean numbers of control nauplii and nauplii obtained using the decapsulation method that yielded the best hatch: oxidation for 15 min in equal parts Clorox® and seawater plus 6 mL of a 40% NaOH solution, followed by reduction with 100 mL of 0.7 M sodium thiosulfate. A third treatment was inferior to either of these, and two others produced very low yields. It was concluded that of the methods evaluated, none is superior to no treatment at all, and some are clearly detrimental to developing Artemia embryos.