C. Iben

Resveratrol protects quail hepatocytes against heat stress: modulation of the Nrf2 transcription factor and heat shock proteins

In the present study, the effects of dietary resveratrol on the induction of heat shock proteins, transcription factors and antioxidative enzyme system in liver of quails under heat stress were investigated. A total of 180 (55-day-old) female Japanese quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica) were reared either at 22 °C for 24 h/day (thermoneutral, TN) or 34 °C for 8 h/day (heat stress, HS; 09:00-17:00 hours) for 12 weeks. Birds in both environments were randomly fed one of three diets: basal diet and basal diet added with either 200 or 400 mg of resveratrol per kg of diet. The results showed that exposure to high ambient temperature induced decreases in feed intake, egg production, and hepatic superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities but increases in hepatic malondialdehyde (MDA) concentrations (p < 0.001). Liver Hsp70, Hsp90 and NF-κB expression was greater while Nrf2 expression was lower for quails reared under the heat stress than for those reared under the TN environment (p < 0.0001). There were linear increases in feed intake, egg production, hepatic SOD, CAT, and GSH-Px activities as well as Nrf2 expression, but linear decreases in hepatic MDA concentrations and Hsp70, Hsp90, and NF-κB expressions with increasing supplemental resveratrol level (p < 0.0001). Two-way treatment interactions revealed that the degree of restorations in all response variables was more notable under the high ambient temperature than that of the TN environment as dietary resveratrol concentration was increased. The results of the present study suggest that supplemental resveratrol reduces oxidative stress in heat-stressed quails through modulating the hepatic heat shock proteins and nuclear transcription factors.

Dietary NaCl Does Not Affect Blood Pressure in Healthy Cats

The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of dietary salt intake on systolic blood pressure, water intake, urine output, and urine concentration in cats. Ten healthy young adult cats (mean age 2.5 years) were randomly divided into 2 groups and fed either a control diet (0.46% Na and 1.33% Cl on a dry matter [DM] basis) or a diet with a moderately increased salt content (1.02% Na and 2.02% Cl on a DM basis) for 2 weeks. After a 1-week wash-out period, each group was switched to the opposite diet for 2 weeks. During each 2-week study period, food and water intake, urine volume, urine specific gravity, and urine osmolality were measured daily. Systolic blood pressure (calculated as the mean of 5 readings measured with a Doppler flow detector) was assessed twice daily. No significant effect of diet composition was found on systolic blood pressure, and blood pressure measurements remained within reference limits throughout the study in all 10 cats. However, animals fed the higher salt diet had significantly increased water intake and urine osmolality, and significantly decreased urine specific gravity in comparison to animals fed the control diet. Examination of results of this preliminary study suggests that feeding a diet with moderately increased salt content increases water intake and causes diuresis without increasing systolic blood pressure in healthy adult young cats.

Risk factors of colic in horses in Austria

A hospital-based case study was conducted at the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna for a 1-year period. The purpose of this study was to determine possible alterable and non-alterable risk factors of equine colic in Austria. The investigated parameters were obtained from hospital medical records (individual factors, duty of the horse, deworming, change in diet and water intake), from questionnaires (feed intake, watering types, housing and pasture practices) and from http://www.orf.at (weather-related factors). Moreover, 221 collected feed samples were investigated through hygienic quality sensory evaluation and mould, yeast and bacteria presumptive samples were confirmed by microbiological investigation. Variables that were observed from the hospital medical records and found to be significantly associated with colic in a univariate analysis were included in multivariate analysis and the only remaining risk factor was decreased water consumption (p < 0.001, OR = 5.025). Consequently, a total of 2743 horses and 366 cases of colic were observed during the study period. The risk factors for colic in Austria were identified for the first time in this study and these increased risk factors were decreased water consumption, high amount of concentrate intake (p = 0.037), low hygienic quality of hay (p = 0.027) and high temperature on the arrival date (p = 0.003). Results suggest that the occurrence of colic may not stop, but may decrease with better feed management practices in Austria.

Evacuation of sand from the equine intestine with mineral oil, with and without psyllium.

The aim of this study was to determine the evacuation of sand from the equine intestine after a double treatment with psyllium and mineral oil or mineral oil only. A crossover study was conducted. Twelve healthy horses were fed 1 kg sand once a day for 5 days. Subsequently, these horses were divided into two groups: A and B. From day 6-10, both groups were treated with 2 l of mineral oil once a day and group B received an additional 0.5 kg of psyllium twice a day. The trial was repeated after 2 weeks with treatment crossover of groups A and B. The horses were housed sand free and 1.8 kg hay/100 kg body weight was offered to meet the maintenance energy requirement. Prior to the sand administration, faeces were collected from each horse for 3 days and the crude ash was determined to establish a baseline output of ash. There was no difference between the baseline crude ash output of the first and second treatment. From day 6-10, faeces were collected daily and the fresh weight and the dry matter and the crude ash contents were determined. For administration, sand or psyllium was mixed with 1 l of Irish mash (concentrate mixed with water), respectively, and mineral oil was administered via a nasogastric tube. All horses showed higher crude ash excretion when treated with psyllium and mineral oil compared with the mineral oil administration only. On the second, third and fourth day of the treatment, the difference was significant. Faeces crude ash weight corrected for baseline crude ash output while treated with psyllium plus oil and oil solely, reached a mean of 51.0 (SD 20.5) and 26.1 (SD 17.7) % of the administered sand mass, respectively. The results of this trial show that the ash output differed highly between the horses. Nevertheless, all horses showed a higher total ash output within the 5 days treatment period when the psyllium semen and mineral oil were used for the treatment than when treated with mineral oil solely.

Effect of hen's egg yolk on capacitation and acrosome reaction of diluted canine spermatozoa.

UNLABELLED The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of progesterone, cholesterol and calcium (Ca(2+)) in an egg-yolk-containing extender on capacitation and acrosome reactions (AR) of diluted canine spermatozoa during 4 days of cooled-storage. For this purpose, we first investigated the effect of supplementation of a Tris-citrate-fructose buffer (TCF) with progesterone in a final concentration of 0.1, 0.2 and 1.0 microg progesterone/ml TCF-diluted semen. We then compared the effects of TCF and the same buffer-containing 20% egg yolk (TCF-EY). In egg yolks and the TCF-EY, progesterone was measured by enzyme immunoassay, cholesterol by enzymatic colorimetry and Ca(2+) by flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry. For both experiments, ejaculates from eight dogs were used. For the comparison of diluents, one ejaculate was divided and one half diluted with TCF, the other with TCF-EY. One half of each TCF- and TCF-EY-diluted sample was evaluated immediately (D1), the other after storage for 4 days at +4 degrees C (D4). In diluted semen, motility and viability were measured by a computer assisted sperm analyzer (CASA; Sperm Vision, Minitüb, Germany), capacitation and AR were evaluated with a modified chlortetracycline assay (CTC) and the AR additionally by flow cytometry. RESULTS Supplementation of progesterone revealed, that between D1 and D4, total and progressive motility decreased with all progesterone concentrations, while viability as well as percentage of capacitated and acrosome reacted spermatozoa stayed constant. Progesterone-, cholesterol- and Ca(2+) concentrations in egg yolks were 524.8+/-131.4 ng/g, 13.9+/-2.03 mg/g and 1.27+/-0.17 mg/g, respectively. In the TCF-EY-diluent, the respective values were 210.9 ng/g, 2.52 mg/g and 1.1mg/g. In TCF-semen, at D1, motility and viability were significantly higher than in TCF-EY-samples (p<0.05), however at D4, no significant differences were detectable. Further, in TCF-semen, percentages of spermatozoa with intact membranes decreased significantly (p<0.05) and capacitated spermatozoa increased (p<0.05), which was not seen in TCF-EY-samples. In all samples, low percentages of AR were detected and after 4 days, the highest value of AR in TCF-EY-samples was 5.3% on average, as detected by flow cytometry. We therefore conclude that progesterone from egg yolk in routine extenders does not substantially influence semen longevity or AR of canine semen during cold-storage for 4 days. In contrary, egg yolk seems to prevent a significant increase in capacitated spermatozoa.

Efficacy of plasma ß-hydroxybutyrate concentration as a marker for diabetes mellitus in acutely sick cats☆

Urine ketone measurement is routinely performed in cats with diabetes mellitus to identify impending or established ketoacidosis. Studies using the urinary ketone dipstick test have shown that ketonuria is common in cats with newly diagnosed untreated diabetes mellitus. This test has a low sensitivity as it quantifies the less abundant ketone acetoacetate. The objective of the present study was to determine if ketonaemia is an inherent biochemical finding in untreated feline diabetes mellitus by measuring plasma ß-hydroxybutyrate (ß-OHB) in acutely sick cats. In 122 sick cats (37 diabetic and 85 non-diabetic cats) plasma ß-OHB, glucose, fructosamine, total protein and thyroxine were measured as part of the routine work up. Diabetic cats had significantly elevated ß-OHB values and ß-OHB measurement was a sensitive and specific test to identify diabetes mellitus. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was 0.93. The cut off value with the highest positive likelihood ratio was 0.58 mmol/l. These results suggest that determination of plasma ß-OHB concentration is a useful method to distinguish between diabetic and non-diabetic sick cats.

Allergies, with Focus on Food Allergies, in Humans and Their Animals

Hypersensitivity reactions to respiratory, ingested, percutaneously encountered, or injected allergens are classified according to different pathophysiological mechanisms. In the case that food causes the adverse reactions, most typically symptoms along the digestive route (oral allergy syndrome, angioedema, stomachache, vomiting, diarrhea) but also systemic reactions (urticaria/hives, asthma, up to life-threatening anaphylaxis) may occur. On the contrary, food intolerance reactions are disagreeable but do not elicit dangerous systemic reactions. Therefore, it is important to diagnostically differentiate between immune-mediated hypersensitivities and the more harmless food intolerances. Principally, food adverse reactions may occur in all mammalian species.

Feeding and management practices for racehorses in Turkey

Abstract The aim of this study was to gather information on feeding practices and to identify nutrient imbalances of racehorses in Turkey. A total of 134 racehorses who visited the Turkish Jockey Club Racecourse Equine Hospital in Istanbul were referred for professional nutritional advice in 2013. Each horse was examined, and body weight (BW), body condition score (BCS), exercise level, feeding practices, reasons for the veterinary visit as well as feed and supplement intake were recorded. Intakes of energy, crude nutrients, starch, sugar, and minerals were calculated and compared to the requirements. Descriptive data were calculated using commercial statistical software (IBM SPSS Statistics 24, Chicago, IL). The median age of the population was 3 years. The mean BW of the horses was 423 ± 38.4 kg, and BCS was 4.5/9 ± 0.7. Nearly all (99.2%) horses were fed grass hay, and 61% of the horses received alfalfa as well. The average forage intake was 1.0 ± 0.4% of BW/d. The average intake of concentrate was 1.2 ± 0.4% of BW. Forty‐nine percent of the horses were fed supplements, and only 12% received oil. The mean metabolizable energy (ME) intake was 1.0 ± 0.2 MJ ME/kg BW0.75 for thoroughbreds and 0.9 ± 0.1 MJ ME/kg BW0.75 for Arabians. The calculated mean starch intake was 5.0 ± 2.2 g/kg BW, and the sugar intake was 1.2 ± 0.4 g/kg BW. Communication between horse owners/trainers and the equine nutritionists are needed with regard to formulating a proper diet for each horse. HighlightsFeeding practices of racehorses in Turkey were evaluated.Nearly all horses were fed grass hay, and some of the horses received alfalfa as well.Grass hay was particularly poor on protein level.Lack of roughage and excess of concentrates are the most important faults.In the majority of the diets, at least one of the vitamins, macromineral or micromineral content was deficient.

Ileal absorption of L-carnitine from diets used in reproductive polar fox (Alopex lagopus L.) nutrition

Abstract Five mature ileorectal anastomosed blue foxes (6.18±0.15 kg) were used in digestibility experiments to evaluate the L-carnitine apparent ileal absorption from diets used in reproductive polar fox nutrition over the year-long farm-feeding period on two domestic farms (A and B) differing in reproduction results. The concentration of L-carnitine was higher in diets from farm B (136.1–241.7 mg kg−1 DM) than in the diets from farm A (88.5–135.2 mg kg−1 DM). The coefficients of ileal apparent absorption of L-carnitine ranged from 60.23 to 75.57% for diets A (farm A) composed mainly of fish and poultry offals. The coefficients of ileal apparent digestibility of L-carnitine were higher for diets B (farm B) (83.75–94.78%; P<0.05) based on beef offals. These data indicate high concentration and efficient ileal apparent absorption of L-carnitine from diets used in reproductive polar fox nutrition on both farms examined.