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.     

Evaluation of the Hennessy grading probe to predict yields of lamb carcasses fabricated to multiple end points.

Lamb carcasses (n = 278) were selected immediately after slaughter and fat thickness was measured with the SP2 Hennessy grading probe (HP) at the interface of the 12th and 13th ribs, 3.8 cm from the backbone. After a 24-h chilling period, carcasses were graded by a USDA grader and probed with the HP to obtain a fat thickness measure on the chilled carcass. One hundred sixty-five carcasses were fabricated into wholesale cuts (.64 cm of external fat trim), and 113 carcasses were fabricated into tray-ready retail cuts (.25 cm of external fat trim). Carcass weight, fat thickness (metal probe), adjusted fat thickness, hot and chilled carcass HP fat measures, as well as kidney and pelvic fat percentage and USDA yield grade, were highly correlated to cutting yield for both fabrication methods. Regression models developed to predict wholesale cut yields using HP or grader-collected measures were similar with respect to predictive accuracy. Fat thickness explained most of the variation in wholesale and tray-ready cut yields among the variables collected by the grader. Kidney and pelvic fat accounted for more of the variation in yield of wholesale cuts during stepwise regression to determine HP equations, but for predicting tray-ready yields, fat thickness taken with the HP accounted for the largest amount of variation. Equations developed to predict tray-ready retail cut yields using the HP or USDA grader-collected carcass measures were similar in the amount of variation explained. Kidney and pelvic fat percentage must be included in equations to maximize predictive accuracy when this depot site is left in carcasses.     

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.     

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.     

Plasma Cell Myeloma in the Horse

Plasma cell myelomas in horses have been reported infrequently. Data from 10 cases, 9 from the literature and 1 new case, are used to characterize the disease in the horse. Hot-blooded horses (7/10), specifically Quarter Horses (4/10), were most often affected. Median age at diagnosis was 11 years (range, 3 mo-22 yr) and both male (5) and female horses (5) were represented equally. Clinical findings included weight loss (6/8), anorexia (4/8), fever (4/8), limb edema (4/8), pneumonia (3/8), rear leg paresis/ataxia (3/8), epistaxis (3/8), palpable lymphadenopathy (2/8), and bone pain (2/8). Anemia (8/8) was present routinely, and in three horses, RBCs were macrocytic. Leukopenia (2/8), thrombocy-topenia (2/8), and circulating plasma cells (3/8) were variable findings. Except for abnormal protein concentrations and hyponatremia (3), abnormal results from serum biochemical analysis including hypo-cholesterolemia (1), hypercalcemia (1), and azotemia (1) were reported infrequently. Hyperproteinemia (8/9), hypoalbuminemia (7/9), and hyperglobulinemia (8/9) were characteristic but not invariable findings. Monoclonal proteins (7/7) were detected in the α₂, β, or γ region by serum electrophoresis. The paraprotein's heavy chain, determined in four horses, was a subclass of IgG. Three horses had decreased concentrations of normal immunoglobulins. Variable proteinuria (trace to 4+) was detected by routine urinalysis in four of six horses. Bence Jones proteinuria was detected in one of five horses (heat precipitation) and monoclonal proteins were detected in two of three electrophoresed urine samples. Three of the horses had lytic bone lesions detected radiographically. Bone marrow aspirates were diagnostic in two of five horses. Atypical plasma cells or increased numbers of plasma cells or both were present in histologic sections of bone marrow in six of eight horses. Common extraosseous sites of plasma cell infiltration included lymph nodes (8/8), kidney (5/8), spleen (5/8), liver (3/8), lung (3/8), brain (2/8), and orbit (2/8). Two horses had intracellular and extracellular crystalline deposits.     

猪的"动物福利"问题

我国即将加入WTO ,这对我国畜牧业而言无疑是一大机遇 ,但同时也是一大挑战。许多国家对动物产品的要求 ,不仅要有满意的质量和合理的价格 ,还要求在饲养、运输和屠宰过程中给动物以一定的“福利”。事实上 ,动物福利与动物的生产性能也有多方面的联系。“动物福利”即“动物善待” ,我国许多畜牧兽医工作者对这方面还缺乏了解。为此 ,我们刊登上海市畜牧兽医站王永康推广研究员翻译的这篇文章以供读者参考。     

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.     

Use of an antineoepitope antibody for identification of type-II collagen degradation in equine articular cartilage.

OBJECTIVE: To develop an antibody that specifically recognizes collagenase-cleaved type-II collagen in equine articular cartilage. SAMPLE POPULATION: Cartilage specimens from horses euthanatized for problems unrelated to the musculoskeletal system. PROCEDURE: A peptide was synthesized representing the carboxy- (C-) terminus (neoepitope) of the equine type-II collagen fragment created by mammalian collagenases. This peptide was used to produce a polyclonal antibody, characterized by western analysis for reactivity to native and collagenase-cleaved equine collagens. The antibody was evaluated as an antineoepitope antibody by ELISA, using peptides +/- an amino acid at the C-terminus of the immunizing peptide. Collagen cleavage was assayed from equine articular cartilage cultured with interleukin-1 (IL-1), +/- a synthetic MMP inhibitor, BAY 12-9566. Cartilage specimens from osteoarthritic and nonarthritic joints were compared for antibody staining. RESULTS: An antibody, 234CEQ, recognized only collagenase-generated 3/4-length fragments of equine type-II collagen. This was a true antineoepitope antibody, as altering the C-terminus of the immunizing peptide significantly decreased competition for binding in an inhibition ELISA. The IL-1-induced release of type-II collagen fragments from articular cartilage was prevented with the MMP inhibitor. Cartilage from an osteoarthritic joint of a horse had increased staining with the 234CEQ antibody, compared with normal articular cartilage. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: We generated an antineoepitope antibody recognizing collagenase-cleaved type-II collagen of horses. This antibody detects increases in type-II collagen cleavage in diseased equine articular cartilage. The 234CEQ antibody has the potential to aid in the early diagnosis of arthritis and to monitor treatment responses.