RCAAP Repository

An inquiry about the cases of myiasis by Cochliomyia hominivorax larvae in cats presented to 227 veterinary establishments of the Northern, Southern, and Western Zones of Rio de Janeiro municipality in 2000 was performed, to identify predisposing factors and to contribute to the comprehension of the epidemiological features of this parasitic disease. In one hundred and fifty two establishments, at least one case of myiasis by C. hominivorax larvae in cats was presented, and dogs were most infested than cats. Incidence was higher in hot weather months or periods of the year: January, February, November, and December. Adult, dark and short-haired, intact males, and mixed-breeding cats were the most affected. Because myiasis by C. hominivorax larvae are often in Rio de Janeiro City, as concluded in this inquiry, and it is not necessary to report the cases to authorities, a lot of clinicians did not consider it as a disease of great importance. Preventive programs against screwworm infestation should be developed according to identified predisposing factors, such as phenotypic features of infested animals (breed, hair color, hair size, sex, and age) and months of highest incidence, when programs should be intensified. Pet owners should be warned by veterinary clinicians about harm caused by myiasis and should receive directions about preventive rules, including maintenance of environment hygiene and avoidance of more common myiasis causes.

An inquiry about the cases of myiasis by Cochliomyia hominivorax larvae in dogs presented to 34 veterinary establishments of the Southern Zone of Rio de Janeiro municipality in 2000 was performed, to identify predisposing factors and to contribute to the comprehension of the epidemiological features and prevention of this disease. In 31 establishments, at least one case of myiasis by Cochliomyia hominivorax larvae in dogs was presented. Adult, dark and short-haired, and pure breed dogs, living in houses, were the most infested, but no predilection for sex was noticed. Ears were the most affected, due to otitis. Occurrence was higher in warmer weather months of the year. Most owners did not try to treat their pets by themselves, and adequate treatment of the wound, prescribed by the clinician, led to short healing period and absence of complications during and after the treatment. Myiasis is seen as a consequence of owner's negligence, but some dogs had already presented this disease before. It is necessary to develop prevention programs against screwworm infestation based on identified predisposing factors, such as phenotypical features of infested animals and body regions more affected. Causes that lead to larvae infestation, such as otitis and wounds, should be avoided and environment hygiene must be maintained. Besides, prevention programs should be intensified during the months of the highest incidence of the disease.

In the Southern Zone of Rio de Janeiro municipality, it was performed an inquiry about myiasis by Dermatobia hominis larvae in dogs presented to 34 veterinary establishments during 2000, to identify predisposing factors, and to contribute to the comprehension of epidemiological features and prevention of this disease. At least one case was presented to 24 establishments, and adult, male, light and short-haired, and pure breed dogs were most infected. Most affected body regions were those that flies can easily access: limbs, dorsal region, lumbar region, head, and neck. In most cases, no complications were observed during and after the treatment, and healing time was less than five days. As no month of the year presented higher occurrence of cases, prevention programs should be developed during all the year, based on epidemiological data as phenotypical features (breed, hair color, hair size, age, and sex) of infested animals. Pet owners should be encouraged to look for veterinary assistance when larvae are found on the animals, and to maintain environmental hygiene. Prevention programs should be developed specially in areas where D. hominis and flies that play the role of D. hominis egg vectors are found, because most dogs have became infected when traveling to small farms outside the studied area, and, then, cases of myiasis were found in a predominantly urban area as the Southern Zone.

Twenty-six capuchin monkeys (Cebus apella) were intramuscularly immunized with 1.0 ml dose of a veterinary inactivated suckling mouse brain rabies vaccine (SMBV) employed in campaigns for rabies prevention in dogs and cats. The animals belonged to three experimental groups previously vaccinated with SMBV and different schemes, were kept in captivity from June, 1996 to June, 1997. All animals received a booster dose. Serum samples were obtained at the 0th, 30 th, 180th and 365 th days and kept stored at -20ºC. The antibodies dosage was carried out through the simplified inhibition fluorescent test. After a booster dose 17/25 (68%) of animals belonged to groups I, II and III, that had neutralizing antibodies above 0.5 IU/ml produced a humoral immune response equal or higher than 0.5 IU/ml, and another five animals that had neutralizing antibodies higher than 0.5 IU/ml kept in these levels. In relationship to longer humoral immune response there is no statistical difference between all groups, G-I x G-II, G-I x GIII, G-II x G-III (p>;0,05). The SMBV induced humoral immune response in capuchin monkeys after a booster dose, producing neutralizing antibodies equal to or higher than 0.5 IU/ml; however, they were short-lasting, being therefore not appropriate as an immunogen to be used routinely in the immunization of these animals which are difficult both to be dealed with and to be kept in captivity.

A angiogênese participa de inúmeros processos fisiológicos e patológicos. Vários modelos experimentais são encontrados na literatura mostrando a importância de seu estudo. Estabelecemos um modelo de angiogênese utilizando duas membranas biológicas -pericárdio e membrana amniótica eqüinas conservadas em glicerina, implantadas em microbolsa em córnea de 63 ratos. Implantou-se pericárdio na córnea direita e membrana amniótica na córnea esquerda, de tal forma que pudemos analisar os resultados em um mesmo animal. As córneas dos animais foram submetidos à análise histológica aos 1, 3, 7, 15, 30 e 60 dias de pós-operatório. A angiogênese induzida pelo pericárdio xenólogo foi mais intensa e mais duradoura que a membrana amniótica xenóloga. Concluímos que ambas as membranas biológicas induziram angiogênese corneana após terem sido implantadas no interior do estroma em ratos, podendo ser utilizadas como modelo de angiogênese.

Para avaliar a influência da gestação e do puerpério sobre os constituintes do leucograma de caprinos da raça Saanen foram colhidas 150 amostras de sangue, distribuídas em 5 grupos com 30 animais cada: cabras não prenhes; fase inicial da gestação (30 -| 60 dias de prenhez); fase média da gestação (60 -| 120 dias de prenhez); fase final da gestação (>; 120 dias de prenhez); e recém-paridas (< 30 dias de puerpério). Nas amostras de sangue, colhidas em frascos contendo EDTA, foi realizada a contagem do número total de leucócitos em câmara de Neubauer, utilizando-se o líquido de Thoma como diluidor e a contagem diferencial de leucócitos,efetuada em esfregaços sangüíneos, corados pelo Método de Rosenfeld. Observou-se a influência da gestação sobre o leucograma, pois o quadro leucocitário foi caracterizado por uma diminuição gradual do número de leucócitos com o avançar da gestação, atingindo seus menores valores no final da gestação e no puerpério. Essa diminuição ocorreu devido ao comportamento observado para o número absoluto de linfócitos, que também diminuiu com a evolução da gestação. Dessa forma, o quadro leucocitário tornou-se, predominantemente, neutrofílico na fase final da gestação e no puerpério.

The finding of four clusters of M. avium (PIG-A, B, C and D), typed by the IS1245-RFLP method, infecting the swine population of the south region of Brazil, the possible existence of virulence differences among them, the role of the virulence in the transmission mechanisms of infections and the existence of reasonable doubts regarding the importance of horizontal transmission for swine micobacteriosis, the virulence of these four strains of M. avium were compared. Bacteria from each cluster were inoculated in 48 hamsters by intra-peritoneal route. On the 2nd, 13th, 26th, and 40th days after inoculation, (T1 to T4), 12 animals of each cluster were sacrificed with vapors of ethyl ether and the bacteria were quantified in the liver, spleen and lung. Results were expressed as cfu/g of organ. The presence of the strains was verified in the blood and histological exams were also accomplished. The four strains induced granulomatous lesions in the liver and spleen since 2 days after inoculation and were disseminated to the lungs through the blood stream. The cfu counts from spleen were always bigger them that obtained from liver and lungs. Differences among strains were observed through the analysis of cfu counts from spleen (T1: p; PIG-A>; PIG-D>; PIG-C.

The improvement of techniques to maximize reproductive potential of females needs the whole comprehension of the controlling mechanisms of follicular development. An alternative for this purpose is the quantification of relative gene expression from those genes involved in recruitment, selection and follicular development, using reverse transcriptase - polymerase chain reaction (RT - PCR). The present study aimed to quantify relative gene expression from insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) and follicle stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR) in cattle (Bos primigenius indicus), using as internal control the gliceraldheyde 3 phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) gene. Ovaries in different estral cycle stages were obtained from slaughtered animals. Total RNA from follicles and ovarian tissue was purified and the RT-PCR conditions were standardized. PCR products were analyzed in ethydium bromide agarose gels and the bands submitted to densitometric analysis. Exponential amplification curves were constructed and the method's validation was performed using regression analysis to determine the amplification coefficient (E) for each of the three genes. Relative expression for each gene was calculated using the formula described by Prelle et al.12. In every sample there was gene expression detected for each gene showing differences related to cycle temperature. Amplification coefficient (E) was similar between control gene (GAPDH) and IGFI, independently of the class analyzed. IGFI linear amplification could be related to the constitutive characteristic of this protein since the transcripts are not dependents of FSH levels. It was observed difference in FSHR mRNA expression between the classes analyzed. It could be due to the variation of the receptor number in granulosa cells for each different phase of estral cycle. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR has a large application in biotechnology since it is useful to help us the better understanding of follicular dynamics. However these studies must be conducted using other genes in order to provide new clues for the physiology of folliculogenesis.

Relatively little research has been carried out on the behavioral ecology of B. microplus larvae in pasture, this being the principal objective of the current work. Six releases were made in winter (June-August, 1998) and in summer (November-January, 1998/1999). The tick larvae were laboratory reared in 20 adapted plastic syringes. Its were opened and placed in pastures of Brachiaria decumbens, at the research center of the Embrapa Gado de Leite, in Juiz de Fora city, Minas Gerais estate, Brazil. The larvae were observed three times per day, three days per week. The time taken for the larvae to reach the extremities of the grass was mainly related to the air temperature. In summer, the larvae formed smaller and less active aggregations than in winter. This behavior was considered to be a mechanism to avoid overheating and increase ventilation to save energy. Their horizontal and vertical migrations were considered a behavioral strategy to avoid the direct rays of the sun.

Foi feita uma avaliação histológica de moluscos da espécie Biomphalaria glabrata submetidos a soluções aquosas de niclosamida, em concentracões subletais. Os experimentos foram realizados de acordo com os parâmetros descritos pela Organização Mundial da Saúde para testes com moluscicidas. Os resultados demonstraram lesões focais na glândula digestiva, rim e gônadas, e uma correlação entre a concentração da solução e a extensão das lesões.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi estudar os efeitos da idade, do grupo genético e da interação entre idade e grupo genético, sobre as biometrias testiculares (circunferência escrotal e consistência testicular) Foram avaliados, aos 20 e 24 meses de idade, 190 touros Nelore e 447 touros cruzados Nelore-europeu. Aos 24 meses os exames foram repetidos. A circunferência escrotal e a consistência testicular foram influenciadas pelo grupo genético, idade e interação grupo genético x idade. Foram encontradas maiores médias de circunferência escrotal e menores de consistência testicular em cruzados que em Nelore, tanto aos 20 quanto aos 24 meses. Correlações entre circunferência escrotal As correlações entre circunferência escrotal e idade, observadas no presente experimento, foram baixas para os touros Nelore aos 20 meses e aos 24 meses assim como para os cruzados aos 20 meses e aos 24 meses, entretanto, as correlações entre circunferência escrotal e peso corporal foram maiores. As correlações entre consistência testicular e idade e entre consistência testicular e peso corporal foram baixas para a maioria dos cruzados, para os cruzados em conjunto e para os Nelores.

Foi realizada a infecção experimental de Physa cubensis Pfeiffer, 1839, com miracídios de Fasciola hepatica. Para tanto, cada um dos cem moluscos, selecionados para o experimento, foram infectados com três miracídeos. Alguns exemplares, escolhidos ao acaso, foram mantidos até o 60º dia para observação da emergência de formas larvais. Os moluscos restantes foram fixados após 0,5; 1; 2; 3; 4; 5; 24; 48; 72; 96; 120 e 144 horas de infecção, utilizando Raillet & Henry. O trabalho foi realizado de forma comparativa com Lymnaea columella. Os resultados demonstraram o desenvolvimento das formas larvais do trematódeo em L. columella e a presença de esporocistos em vários estágios de degeneração na região cefalopodal e na região do manto nos primeiros dias de infecção em P. cubensis.

Este experimento, realizado na região de Jaboticabal (SP), utilizou uma cultura de pêssego (Prunus persica L.), durante a sua florada com a finalidade de verificar a atuação dos insetos visitantes nas flores na produção de frutos. A concentração média de açucares no néctar e a quantidade média produzida por dia de néctar é de 27,9% e de 3,2 mg, respectivamente. O peso médio das anteras por flor foi de 1,59 mg. A abelha Apis mellifera (73%) foi o principal inseto visitante seguida da Trigona spinipes (17%) e Xylocopa sp (4%). Observou-se a presença de beija-flores (6%), coletando néctar. A freqüência máxima das abelhas A. mellifera, para coleta de néctar e pólen, ocorreu as 12 horas. O número de frutos resultantes do tratamento em que as flores recebiam as visitas foi 14% maior que no tratamento em as flores não eram visitadas. Do total de frutos colhidos no tratamento coberto (sem visitas), 82% apresentaram-se perfeitos, com boa formação e simetria. No tratamento descoberto, 90,2% apresentaram-se com boa formação, havendo diferença estatística entre os dois tratamentos.

Paternity misidentification is harmful due to the reduction in annual genetic earnings of the population and because it endangers an efficient genetic improvement program. The objectives of the present study was to evaluate nine microsatellites in Paternity Testing and to investigate misidentification paternity frequency in families of Gyr breed bovines population. In the present experiment blood samples from forty Gir breed families ( bull / cow / calf ), registered pure breed in the Zebu Breeders Brazilian Association (ABCZ) were used. The most part of the microsatellites used in this work were recommended by the International Society of Animal Genetics (ISAG). The genomic DNA extraction was performed from whole blood samples. The microsatellites TGLA122, TGLA126, BM1824, BMS2533, SPS115, ETH3, ETH10, ETH225 and POTCHA were amplified by PCR. The amplification products were separated by electrophoresis in denaturing polyacrylamide gel. from the obtained data, allele frequencies, Gene Diversity, Polymorphism Informative Content and Probability of Exclusion for each microsatellite marker were calculated. the genotype frequencies, Heterozygosity, Combined Probability of Exclusion and Probability of Paternity have also been calculated in the considered families. The Combined Exclusion Probability for all microsatellites was around 0.9789. The Paternity Testing results showed misidentification in eleven of the 40 studied families, that means, 27.5% of the sample. The Paternity Probability ranged from 0.8691 to 0.9999, and the mean was 0.9512.

Venous blood samples of 300 healthy female Holstein calves were used to study the effect of the age on the acid-base balance in the neonatal period. The calves were divided in 15 age groups: from birth to 8 h; 8 to 16 h; 16 to 24 h; 2 d; 3 d; 4 d; 5 d; 6 and 7 d; 8 and 9 d; 10 and 11 d; 12 and 13 d; 14 and 15 d; 16 to 20 d; 21 to 25 d; and 26 to 30 d. Blood pH, pCO2, pO2, HCO3-, TCO2, BE, StB and SatO2 values were measured and the results were analysed through ANOVA. The correlation between the variables and age in the first day of life was studied. The influence of the type of parturition (normal versus assisted or dystocic) on the acid-base status was compared. Blood pH and pCO2 values were respectivelly lower and higher in the first age group; BE and StB were reduced in the first 16 h of life, showing a trend to increase up to the 5th day of life. The older the calf, in the first day of life, the higher the blood pH, BE, and StB; the lower the blood pCO2. Few changes occurred in the acid-base status of calves born from different types of parturition. These results reforced the evidence that mixed acidosis presented at birth tend to be reverted during the first days of life. The acid-base vriables remained stable along the rest of the neonatal period.

The experiment was conducted to determine the reproductive performance (lambing rate and litter size) of sheep artificially inseminated at a synchronized estrus in relation to rams, dose of PMSG and number of artificial inseminations performed. During spring cyclic Merino adult ewes were treated with intravaginal sponges impregnated with 60 mg medroxyprogesterone acetate (MAP). After 14 days sponges were removed and the females received an intramuscular injection of either 375 or 400 IU pregnant mare serum gonadotropin (PMSG). Estrus detection was performed with vasectomized rams. Females in estrus were cervically inseminated with fresh diluted semen from different rams either once or twice. Data on lambing rate and litter size were recorded. Lambing rate was not affected by rams or number of inseminations. A higher proportion of ewes that received 400 IU PMSG lambed compared with those receiving 375 IU PMSG (76.47% v 54.32%; p<0.01). Litter size was not affected by any of the variables under study.

Objetivou-se, nesta pesquisa, o desenvolvimento de uma metodologia que permitisse a sexagem de carne bovina pronta para comercialização. Para tanto, utilizou-se primers seqüência macho-específica e posterior análise do produto amplificado. O método proposto mostrou-se eficiente para verificar o sexo, bem como sua utilização prática, a fim de evitar fraudes na comercialização de carne bovina.

O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar os protocolos de capacitação espermática in vitro com 100 mg/ml de heparina e 5 mM de cálcio ionóforo e correlacionar a capacitação com a fertilidade in vivo. A capacitação espermática foi avaliada pela coloração com iodeto de propídio e diacetato de carboxifluoresceína e pela coloração tripla com vermelho congo, vermelho neutro e giemsa. Os espermatozóides foram avaliados quanto a viabilidade (vivos ou mortos) e a qualidade do acrossomo (lesados ou íntegros), sendo caracterizados como capacitados (vivos e lesados), não capacitados (vivos e íntegros) e mortos (lesados ou íntegros). A heparina apresentou 64,54% e 39,16% e o cálcio ionóforo 36,41% e 18,11% de espermatozóides capacitados, respectivamente, pela epifluorescência e coloração tripla. Os touros foram divididos em três grupos de fertilidade, sendo o Grupo A ;68%. Nos três grupos houve diferença significativa (p;0,01) para os espermatozóides capacitados, não capacitados e mortos entre os grupos A, B e C, tanto na epifluorescência quanto na coloração tripla para ambos capacitores (heparina e cálcio ionóforo). Não houve correlação entre os espermatozóides capacitados in vitro e a taxa de fertilidade a campo. A heparina apresentou melhor taxa de espermatozóides capacitados e a epifluorescência mostrou-se mais eficiente na detecção da capacitação espermática (p<0,01).

Histological observations in Lymnaea columella snails to determine the existence or not of changes caused by the use of the Euphorbia splendens's latex were realized. The experiment was realized in agreement with the methods standardized by WHO. Fifty samples of L. columella, with shell 6±1mm long, were submitted at 200ml of the solutions in concentrations of 0,47µl/L; 0,76µl/L; 0,94µl/L and 1,51µl/L, during 24 hours. After the experimental event, the snails were placed in solution of Raillet & Henry, for sacrifice and fixation. The results demonstrated lesions characterized by degeneration, necrosis and liquid accumulation in the digestive gland and in the kidney, in samples maintained in concentrations from 0,47 mul/L on.

This article reports a tetanus case in a 3-year-old male cat 8 days after bilateral orchiectomy, where the animal historic associated with laboratory and clinical findings defined the diagnosis. Even after treatment, the case developed to generalized tetany and death. In this case, the neurotoxin action in skeletal striated musculature of urethral sphincter was an aggravating factor for this disease, causing retention of urinary bladder and postrenal azotaemia.