Repositório RCAAP

Objectives of this study were to investigate the influence of low environmental temperature on the experimentally induced inflammatory response in post-metamorphic Rana catesbeiana (bullfrogs). To accomplish these goals, 120 specimens of Rana catesbeiana were kept at 6ºC and 24ºC, and treated by transfixion of thigh muscular tissue with a 5-0 suture or IM carrageenan injection. Results obtained through qualitative and quantitative evaluations showed that the lower environmental temperature significantly modulates the inflammatory process development. The animals in both models that were kept at 6ºC showed a significantly lower number of inflammatory cells in the lesion site than the one verified at 24ºC, apart from the evolution time. On the other hand, any factor related to the host mechanism of defense ought not to be blocked by the temperature, since the area of reaction to the injury showed to be equivalent in most of the studied time.

This study was undertaken to determine whether bovine seminal plasma contained protein markers associated with semen freezability. Seminal plasma was obtained from ten Gir bulls of known fertility and freezability, set into two groups of High (up to 80% of viable sperm after thawing) and Low freezability (less than 50%). SDS-PAGE of seminal plasma samples indicated that one protein (Mr =-20.3;-MW-=-61,800Da) predominated in high-freezability semen. These findings indicate that bull seminal plasma contains freezability-associated proteins which can be used as markers for predicting semen freezability.

Foram examinadas, pelo Laboratório de Doenças Parasitárias do Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, da Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia da Universidade de São Paulo, no período de janeiro de 1991 a janeiro de 1995, amostras de 353 cães e de 187 gatos, com idades variadas e de diferentes áreas da cidade de São Paulo. Os métodos de diagnóstico empregados foram: centrífugo-flutuação em solução de sacarose e centrífugo-sedimentação em água-éter. Aproximadamente 45,0% das amostras de cães examinadas (160 amostras) apresentaram-se positivas e o percentual de ocorrência de parasitos, em relação ao total de amostras foi: Ancylostoma spp. 20,40; Toxocara canis 8,49; Giardia sp. 7,65; Cryptosporidium parvum 2,83; Cystoisospora spp. 2,55; Sarcocystis spp. 1,70; Hammondia heydorni 0,85; e Spirocerca lupi, Trichuris vulpis e Dipylidium caninum 0,28. Das 187 amostras recebidas, provenientes de gatos, somente oito eram negativas e observou-se a ocorrência (%) de Cystoisospora spp. 38,5; Toxocara sp. 34,22; Giardia sp. 16,04; Cryptosporidium parvum 14,44; Ancylostoma spp. 13,37; Dipylidium caninum 10,69; Sarcocystis spp. 8,56; Physaloptera spp. 4,81; oocistos tipo "Hammondia-Toxoplasma" 1,60; Strongyloides stercoralis 1,60; e Platynosomum concinum 1,07. Em cães, as associações mais freqüentemente observadas foram: Ancylostoma spp. + T. canis em oito amostras e Ancylostoma spp. + Giardia sp. e Ancylostoma spp. + T. vulpis em cinco amostras. Em gatos, Toxocara sp. e Cystoisospora spp., encontrados em 24 amostras, e Toxocara sp. + Ancylostoma spp. em cinco amostras, foram as associações mais comumente observadas.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of uterine presensitization with sperm or seminal antigens on replacement gilt fertility. One hundred and forty one hybrid-gilts at the age of 160-165 days were housed. Oestrus was induced with PMSG and hCG injection at housing. Oestrus detection was done twice daily using a boar. Intrauterine preinfusions were performed 24 hours after the onset of oestrus at the first and second oestrus. Groups of gilts were subjected to 5 different treatments: dead sperm (DS, n = 29), seminal plasma (SP, n = 29), seminal plasma and dead sperm (SP + DS, n = 28), physiological saline solution (SS, n = 28) and control (n = 27). Gilts which always had a positive backpressure test (BPT) at infusion time were analysed separately (Group 1) from those which had at least one negative BPT at infusion time (Group 2). Only one artificial insemination (AI) was performed 24 hours after the onset of the BPT at the third oestrus. Twenty-eight to thirty-two days after AI the gilts were slaughtered, fetuses and corpora lutea counted. In the group 1 the pregnancy rates by SP gilts (100%) was significantly (p<0.05) superior than the control (90%), SP + DS (90.9%) and SS (80%), however was similar to DS (92.9%) infused gilts. In the group 2 there were no differences (p<0.05) among groups. There was no difference among treatments with regard to the ovulation rates, number of normal embryos and embryonic loss rates. These results suggest that any significant improvement caused by uterin presensitization might only be observed when overall herd reproductive indexes are low.

Seeds of Crotalaria spectabilis, containing the pyrrolizidine alkaloid (PA) monocrotaline (MCT), were fed to a lactating dairy goat. Milk from this goat was fed to rats for 8 weeks to determine whether MCT or its toxic metabolites are transferred into the goat’s milk. Rats from the experimental group showed significantly higher (p<0.05) serum levels of ALT, AST, GGT and LDH and less weight gains (p<0.05) than control rats. The most significant lesions in rats consuming the experimental ration were mild to moderate interstitial pneumonia and a vacuolar degeneration and occasionally necrosis of periportal hepatocytes. The results of this study indicate that the PA and/or its metabolites are eliminated in milk.

An investigation was carried out to determine the occurrence of cutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis in the urban canine population of the District of Cuiabá, State of Mato Grosso. In the period from August of 1997 to July of 1998 blood samples of 800 dogs were collected, from different neighborhoods of Cuiabá, chosen at random and sent to the Service of Parasitology of the Municipal Institute of Veterinary Medicine Jorge Vaitsman, in Rio de Janeiro, for examination by the indirect immunofluorescent test. At the beginning 62 serum samples were processed, from which 64.5% (40 samples) were positive for leishmaniasis. In relation to the titters found in the reacting serum, 92.5% (37 samples) presented titters above 1:160, what suggests strong suspicion of the presence of visceral leishmaniasis. From this total, 72.5% (29 samples) of the positive serum came from dogs of the South-East region and 27.5% (11 samples) of the Center-East region of Cuiabá. This is the first report of the detection of serum positive dogs for leishmaniasis in urban area of the State of Mato Grosso.

Twenty four Holstein calves were alloted in a randomized block design, from 7 to 42 days of life. Four treatments, milk replacers used as the only feed source, were applied with several degrees of substitution of digestible protein from milk to soybean concentrate protein (SCP) (71% CP) as follows: (A) 100% of milk protein, (B) 80% of milk protein and 20% protein from SCP, (C) 60% of milk protein and 40% of protein from SCP; and (D) 40% of milk protein and 60% protein from SCP. Average daily weight gains and dry matter feed conversions were statistically different (p<0.01) in a linear regression behaviour: (A) 405g and 1.78; (B) 388g and 1.87; (C) 258g and 2.81 and (D) 228 and 3.43. Days with diarrea had no differences among treatments.

Estudamos a placenta quanto aos seus aspectos morfológicos em 30 caprinos sem raça definida, adultos oriundos do Estado do Piauí, mediante a análise de esquemas de modelos obtidos pela injeção de látex Neoprene "650". Obtivemos 17 casos, ou seja, 56,66% de gestações únicas e 13 casos, ou seja, 43,33% de gestações gemelares. A área do hilo placentário varia de 1 a 6 cm de diâmetro e está situada no centro da placenta, região caracterizada pela apresentação do pedículo umbilical. O formato dos cotilédones varia de ovóide, circular, elíptica, piriforme ou reniforme, sendo que a maioria mostra-se ovóide. O número total de cotilédones em 30 gestações é igual a 3.117, sendo a média 104 cotilédones por gestação. Nas gestações únicas em 16 casos (94,11%), o corno uterino gestante apresenta maior número de cotilédones do que o corno uterino não-gestante. Nas gestações gemelares, em 7 observações (53,84%), o corno uterino esquerdo mostra maior número de cotilédones do que o corno uterino direito.

Considerando a importância do sêmen na transmissão da leptospira bovina, foi realizado o presente estudo que teve como objetivo aplicar a reação em cadeia pela polimerase (PCR) para a detecção de leptospiras em sêmen bovino experimentalmente contaminado. A reação de PCR foi capaz de amplificar um fragmento de DNA específico de 330 pares de bases a partir de cultivos puros de 26 sorovares de Leptospira spp. A contaminação experimental de sêmen com Leptospira interrogans serovar hardjo revelou que a técnica de PCR conseguiu detectar 10 bactérias/ml, concentração sensivelmente mais baixa que as 1.000 bactérias/ml detectadas através do cultivo microbiológico. Os resultados observados revelam o grande potencial da reação de PCR para a detecção de Leptospira spp. em sêmen bovino, notadamente em centrais de inseminação artificial.

Com o objetivo de estudar a fauna parasitológica dos ofídios do serpentário da UNIFENAS - Universidade de Alfenas, MG, foram necropsiados alguns espécimes de cascavéis (Crotalus durissus terrificus) e urutus (Bothrops alternatus), mantidos em cativeiro. Esses animais apresentavam anorexia, desidratação, diarréia, anemia e morte em torno de dois meses após o início dos sinais clínicos. Foram identificados helmintos dos gêneros Kalicephalus, Ophidascaris, Rhabdias e Oxyuris; protozoários do gênero Haemogregarina e acarinos do gênero Ophionysus. Aos sobreviventes foi administrado tratamento específico com Ivermectin, bem como terapia auxiliar à base de vitamina A e complexo B.

Up to the present, the DEA 1 system has been regarded as the most important dog blood group as far as blood transfusion is concerned. It occurs because the DEA 1 system is highly antigenic and may elicit the production of alloantibodies in a DEA 1 negative recipient, following a transfusion with DEA 1 positive red cells. As a consequence, the recipient will develop a hemolytic transfusion reaction if it receives a second transfusion with DEA 1 type cells. The frequency of appearance of the DEA 1 system is well known in other countries but no information was available for dogs reared in Brazil. In the present experiment 150 dogs were typed, using specific reagents purchased from "The Immunohematology and Serology Laboratory" of Michigan State University, in order to clarify the prevalence of the DEA 1 system (1.1 and 1.2 subgroups) in pure breeds and mongrel dogs reared in Brazil and referred to the Veterinary Hospital of São Paulo State University. The results obtained showed a general prevalence of 91.3% for the DEA 1 system, comprising 51.3% of DEA 1.1 type dogs, while 40% of the animals were positive for DEA 1.2 type. Only 8.7% of tested dogs were negative for DEA 1 system. The prevalence found in this study for dogs reared in Brazil is higher than those ones, described by foreign authors, for dogs reared in other countries. Moreover, through a statistic study, it was found that the potential risk for the occurrence of a hemolytic transfusion reaction in a mongrel dog reared in Brazil is minimum.

Preprandial and postprandial (2 and 4 hours) serum bile acids (SBA) and pre and postprandial (2 hours) plasma ammonia concentrations were evaluated. Additionally, the effects of freezing (for 24 and 48 hours at -20ºC) were observed on plasma ammonia concentrations in 22 healthy dogs. The preprandial SBA concentration was 2.1 ± 0.3 mmol/l and 7.5 ± 1.2 mmol/l and 7.8 ± 1.4 mmol/l for samples obtained 2 and 4 hours after feeding, respectively. Fasting and postprandial (2 hours) plasma ammonia concentrations were significantly different when measurement was performed within 30 minutes after blood collection (118.2 ± 13.2 mg/dl or 67.3 ± 7.5 mmol/l and 227.9 ± 59.2 mg/dl or 129.9 ± 33.7 mmol/l), but the difference between pre and postprandial concentrations was not observed when ammonia was measured in samples stored (-20º) for 24 and 48 hours. Plasma freezing makes ammonia concentrations fall considerably when these levels were initially too high, mainly in postprandial samples. From these results it may be suggested that canine plasma cannot be stored for later ammonia determination by using freezing as the sole stabilizer, and for SBA determinations, blood samples might be collected 2 or 4 hours after feeding. Plasma ammonia values obtained in this study should allow comparisons to data obtained from dogs with hepatic disease or hepatoencephalopathy, so as to confirm the importance of its use as means of diagnosis and prognosis in future.

A úlcera gástrica figura como uma importante causa de desconforto abdominal em eqüinos jovens. De acordo com a localização das lesões na mucosa gástrica, a presença ou ausência de sinais clínicos e possíveis complicações resultantes de sua ocorrência, quatro síndromes clínicas são freqüentemente descritas em potros: 1) Úlceras assintomáticas ou silenciosas; 2) Úlceras sintomáticas ou ativas; 3) Úlceras perfuradas; e 4) Obstruções gástrica ou duodenal. Com o objetivo de se verificar a distribuição de lesões gástricas (úlceras e/ou erosões) e descamações do epitélio aglandular no estômago de eqüinos jovens assim como uma possível relação entre as alterações mencionadas (lesão/descamação) sessenta potros da raça Quarto de Milha não-portadores de sinais clínicos compatíveis com úlceras gástricas foram submetidos à gastroscopia. Os potros foram divididos em quatro faixas etárias de 15 animais cada uma, sendo: 1 a 30 dias, 31 a 60 dias, 61 a 90 dias e 91 a 120 dias de idade. As lesões ocorreram em ordem decrescente de freqüência nas regiões aglandular próximo ao margo plicatus ao longo da curvatura maior, aglandular próximo à cárdia ao longo da curvatura menor, fundo glandular e aglandular e antro. As descamações do epitélio aglandular ocorreram de forma similar nas regiões de fundo e margo plicatus. Não houve associação entre a ocorrência de lesões e descamações.

Rabies virus was isolated from a frugivorous bat, Artibeus lituratus, captured in downtown Rio Claro, SP, Brazil, in 1997. There was not any animal rabies since 1986, and this is the first isolation of rabies virus in a frugivorous bat in Rio Claro. Implications of Public Health were discussed.

The paper describes a chondroma affecting the left metacarpus of a free-ranging rufescent tiger-heron (Tigrisoma lineatum). There are very few reports of such neoplastic process in this avian species.

Samples of peripheral blood were collected from 10 healthy Caiman crocodilus yacare and stained with Leishman, for morphological analysis, or submitted to the following cytochemical methods: PAS, Sudan black B, o-toluidine and mercury bromophenol blue. Seven types of cells were identified: erythrocytes, thrombocytes, heterophils, eosinophils, basophils, lymphocytes and azurofilic monocytes. Erythrocytes were elliptical and positive for bromophenol blue. Some mitotic figures were noted. Spindle-shaped thrombocytes showed large nucleus with striking indentation. The cytoplasm was attenuated at one or both poles into knob-like projections containing glycogen. Heterophils revealed round eccentric nuclei and cytoplasm containing glycogen and many polymorphic granules. These granules showed partial positive reaction for Sudan and activity for myeloperoxidase. Eosinophils showed eccentrically located lenticular-shaped nuclei and numerous round granules stained positive with myeloperoxidase and Sudan. Basophils revealed a round central nuclei and cytoplasm with few basophilic round granules. Lymphocytes appeared as polygonal or irregular cells with thin cytoplasm forming bleb-like protrusions. Azurophilic monocytes were round with eccentrically located nuclei and basophilic cytoplasm containing numerous azurophilic granules.

Four crossbred Holstein 2 month lactating cows with 470 kg of average live-weight, fitted with rumen canulas, were used in a change over design, in a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement with four treatments: without or with sodium lasalocid (200 mg/cow/day); and two concentrate/roughage ratios: 30%-70% and 60%-40%. Milk and fat production, dry matter consumption, ruminal pH and liquid turnover rates were measured. Lasalocid resulted in higher but not statistically significant increase in milk production with the 70% roughage diet. Rich concentrate diets (60%) resulted in higher, but not statistically significant, dry matter consumption; these diets increased milk, fat corrected milk and milk protein production, and decreased fat milk production, as well as the ruminal pH at 6 hours after the first meal.

Previous studies reported that rats (Rattus norvegicus) kept under microenvironmental ventilation systems (MEV) present better productive and health parameters when compared to animals kept under general diluting ventilation (GDV). The objective of the present research trial was to evaluate hematological and biochemical profiles of rats kept under MVS. In order to achieve this objective, two different trials were designed: Trail 1 (E1), in which it was evaluated the reproductive performance of males and females submitted to two different air speed limits - FV1, from 0.03 to 0.26 m / sec and FV2, from 0.27 to 0.80 m / sec. In Trial 2 (E2) it was evaluated different bed change intervals (3, 5, 7 and 9 days), for males kept under constant air speed (0.5 m / sec). Values for hemogram and biochemical patterns of these animals were compared to those of rats kept under GDV. Results show statistical differences in some of the studied parameters not only for the comparison between GVD and E1 and GVD and E2, but also between both groups submitted to MEV (E1 and E2). However, values found for all studied parameters are inside the normal range reported for this species, what indicates that MEV does not induce important changes in the physiological parameters evaluated.

We have been studied histological aspect of 40 pairs of spermatic cord in adults Corriedale sheep. It was observed that structures were wrapped up a thin layer of dense fibroelastic connective tissue with variable thickness and folding, recovered by mesotelium, which involves all the neurovascular cord, and forms the mesoductus deferents. Under this arrangement there was a layer of loose fibroelastic tissue involving partially the cord and insulating in the deferential and abdeferential regions the vessels and nerves of the epididimus. Around the mesoductus deferents the subcapsular tissue forms with the internal layer of the meso, which protects vessels and nerves. In the abdeferential region we can see a little fatty tissue between vessels and nerves. A dense connective tissue with elastic fibers occurs between vessels and nerves of the testis and vessels of the deferential an abdeferential regions. The vascular arrangement shows in the cord the sinuous trajectory of the testicular artery recovered by the plexus pampiniformis, whose veins shows connections and have no valves. The veins of the epididimus and ductus deferents are subcapsular. The length of the intra spermatic cord segment of the testicular artery has a medium, maximum and minimal ranges, respectively 150.4 cm, 198.0 cm and 73.3 cm, on the right, and 149.6 cm, 189.2 cm and 90.0 cm, on the left. There were no statistical differences between the right and left medium ranges.

The testicular arteries, as well as the number of branches, and the distribution of its penetrating branches were studied in 30 pairs of adult equine testis of the English Thoroughbreds, provided from São Paulo Jockey Club, by using vascular corrosion models after injecting the vinyl acetate into the testicular arteries. In this species, the testicular arteries presented 5 distinct types of vascular arrangements, as follows: the testicular artery splits into a variable number of branches, from 2 to 10 medians, and 3 to 11 lateral branches (35 times - 58.4%); or it splits into 2 to 8 additional rami and at the half the way of its distance; at the free edge of the organ, it divides into two branches, one medial and the other, lateral one (12 times - 20.0%); or divides the organ irrigation into the so called complementary branches, that is, 1 branch (6 times - 10.0%) and 3 branches (1 time - 1.6%); or it gives the medial and lateral branches, with predominance of lateral one (3 times - 5.0%) or medial one (3 times - 5.0%). In respect to the penetrating into their different quadrants, its was observed that the medians, presented in order of their magnitude, the right testicles presented great number of penetrating arteries in the craniomedial (10.5), caudolateral (7.0) and caudomedial (6.5). For the testicles, the craniomedial quadrant was found with the largest number of penetrating arteries, followed by the craniolateral (10.0), and with equivalency to caudomedial and caudolateral (7.,0) quadrants. The anastomoses (8 times - 13.3%) were all found in the ventral face of the organ. By comparing the number of penetrating vessels of the right and left testis, no statistically significant differences were found, in relation to the English equine Thoroughbreds.