Claudio Severo Lombardo de Barros

Neurological Disease in Cattle in Southern Brazil Associated with Bovine Herpesvirus Infection

The occurrence of neurological disease in cattle caused by Bovine herpesvirus in 11 farms from southern Brazil between 1987 and 2007 is described. Twenty-two animals were necropsied. Major clinical signs included excessive salivation, nasal and ocular discharge, circling, recumbency, depression, incoordination, grinding of teeth, and paddling movements. Necropsy findings in 10 of 22 cattle included hyperemia and softening of the rostral portions of the telencephalic cortex, with flattening of gyri, and malacia. Cattle in 10 cases did not show any gross lesions. Histological examination in most cases revealed nonsuppurative and necrotizing meningoencephalitis with acute neuronal necrosis, edema, eosinophilic intranuclear inclusion bodies in astrocytes and neurons, and infiltration of gitter cells. No histologic lesions could be detected in 4 cases. The initial diagnosis was based upon the clinical, epidemiological, and pathological findings. The diagnosis was confirmed by virus isolation in cell culture followed by virus identification by a glycoprotein C–based polymerase chain reaction. Seven isolates were identified as Bovine herpesvirus 5, and 4 were identified as Bovine herpesvirus 1.

Estudo retrospectivo de 761 tumores cutâneos em cães

The biopsy files in dogs from the Veterinary Pathology Laboratory of the Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, RS, Brazil, from 1964 to 2003, were reviewed for skin tumors. In the 703 files, 570 (81.0%) it was reported that the dog had only one skin tumor and in 133 (19.0%), more than one tumor was described in the skin. Six hundred and fifty four (93.1%) dogs had only one histologic type of tumor and 41 (5.8%) had two tumors of different histologic types. In seven (1.0%) dogs there were three tumors of different histologic types and in one (0.1%) four histologically unrelated tumors were diagnosed, performing 761 tumors. Out of the total of 761 skin tumors found, 673 (88.4%) were neoplastic and 88 (11.6%) were non-neoplastic. The 15 more frequently found tumors, in decreasing order of frequency, were: mast cell tumor, squamous cell carcinoma, perianal adenoma, lipoma, trichoblastoma, perianal carcinoma, papilloma, follicular cysts, hemangioma, hemangiosarcoma, melanoma, sebaceous adenoma, histiocytoma, nodular sebaceous hyperplasia and fibroma.

The effect of NADPH-oxidase inhibitor apocynin on cognitive impairment induced by moderate lateral fluid percussion injury: Role of inflammatory and oxidative brain damage

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a devastating disease that commonly causes persistent mental disturbances and cognitive deficits. Although studies have indicated that overproduction of free radicals, especially superoxide (O2(-)) derived from nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase is a common underlying mechanism of pathophysiology of TBI, little information is available regarding the role of apocynin, an NADPH oxidase inhibitor, in neurological consequences of TBI. Therefore, the present study evaluated the therapeutic potential of apocynin for treatment of inflammatory and oxidative damage, in addition to determining its action on neuromotor and memory impairments caused by moderate fluid percussion injury in mice (mLFPI). Statistical analysis revealed that apocynin (5mg/kg), when injected subcutaneously (s.c.) 30min and 24h after injury, had no effect on neuromotor deficit and brain edema, however it provided protection against mLFPI-induced object recognition memory impairment 7days after neuronal injury. The same treatment protected against mLFPI-induced IL-1β, TNF-α, nitric oxide metabolite content (NOx) 3 and 24h after neuronal injury. Moreover, apocynin treatment reduced oxidative damage (protein carbonyl, lipoperoxidation) and was effective against mLFPI-induced Na(+), K(+)-ATPase activity inhibition. The present results were accompanied by effective reduction in lesion volume when analyzed 7days after neuronal injury. These data suggest that superoxide (O2(-)) derived from NADPH oxidase can contribute significantly to cognitive impairment, and that the post injury treatment with specific NADPH oxidase inhibitors, such as apocynin, may provide a new therapeutic approach to the control of neurological disabilities induced by TBI.

Dioctofimose em cães: 16 casos

From 1978 to 1996, out of a total of 3,259 dogs necropsied, sixteen (0.49%) were parasitized by Dioctophyma renale. Twelve of those (75%) were stray dogs. Thirteen dogs (81.2%) presented one or more specimens of D. renale in the right kidney. In three dogs (18.7%), the parasite was observed in the abdominal cavity. In those cases of renal parasitism, there was marked atrophy of the kidney which became a fibrous-walled bag within which the parasite was found imersed in a semiliquid necro-hemorrhagic exudate. In five cases, compensatory hypertrophy of the contralateral kidney was observed. The life cycle of D. renale is complex and not fully understood. It envolves intermediate and parathenic hosts. The high incidence of the disease in stray dog suggests that the infection is related to the poor selective feeding habits of this kind of dog.

Aspectos epidemiológicos, clínicos e distribuição das lesões histológicas no encéfalo de bovinos com raiva

The type, distribution and intensity of the histopathological changes were determined in the brain of 25 cattle which had neurological signs and were confirmed as rabies cases by direct immunofluorescent antibody or biological assay in mice. Sections of the brain examined included medulla at the obex; pons and cerebellar peduncles/ cerebellum; mesencephalon at the level of rostral colliculi; diencephalon and telencephalon through the mamillary bodies; and telencephalon at the level of frontal cortex. The cervical spinal cord was also examined in seven of those cases. The duration of clinical course averaged five days and was characterized by ascendent paresia. Specific necropsy findings were absent. Microscopically brainstem, cerebellum and cervical spinal cord were more affected than the thalamus and telencephalon, including hippocampus. The type of lesions were characteristic of viral infection and included non-suppurative encephalomyelitis with neuronal degeneration, nodular gliosis, and mononuclear perivascular infiltrate. Negri bodies were observed in 17 (68%) of the examined brains. The observed intensity and distribution of the lesions were correlated with the signs and duration of the clinical disease.

Babesiose cerebral em bovinos: 20 casos

In a retrospective study carried out in 1,071 necropsies of cattle, 20 cases of cerebral babesiosis were found. All the cases were confirmed by examination of tissue smears from telencephalic cortex. Most of these cases occurred in the summer in adult cattle of European breeds and their crosses. Clinical signs included neurological disturbances, hemoglobinuria, anorexia, fever, tachycardia, tachypnea and drop in milk yield. Blood cell counts performed in five affected cattle revelead marked regenerative anemia with an average of 20% of Babesia bovis parasitized erythrocytes. At necropsy of all cases the gray matter of the telencephalic and cerebellar cortices and of the basal ganglia consistently had a typically pink-cherry discoloration due to sequestration of red blood cells in brain capillaries. Both in nervous tissue smears and in histological preparations, it was observed that the red blood cells that clogged the capillaries of the gray matter contained organisms with morphology compatible with B. bovis. Other necropsy findings included red urine, dark-red kidneys, enlarged liver and spleen, red-orange discoloration of the liver, icterus, epicardial and endocardial hemorrhages, and congestion and edema of mesenteric lymph nodes.

Criptococose pulmonar granulomatosa em um eqüino

A case of cryptococcal granulomatous pneumonia is described in an 8-year-old, male, Quarter Horse with chronic laminitis of 2 years duration. Multiple soft gelatinous nodules were randomly distributed in the lungs. Microscopically, there were cavities filled with numerous yeast-like organisms surrounded by a clear halo and evoking a mild granulomatous reaction. An Alcian blue- and PAS-positive mucinous capsule surrounded the yeast-like structures morphologically typical of Cryptococcus neoformans.

Intoxicação experimental por sementes de Crotalaria spectabilis (Leguminosae) em suínos

To study the effects of the ingestion of Crotalaria spectabilis seeds, fourteen pigs were alloted in 5 groups. Four groups (A-D) consisted each of three pigs and the other (Group E) of two pigs. With the exception of those from Group A, which served as control, pigs were fed a ration containing 0.3 and 0.5% (groups B and C) and 1% (Groups D and E) of ground seeds of C. spectabilis for 32 (group D), 44 (group E), and 120 (groups B and C) days. One pig from Group D and two pigs from Group B died at 8, 70, and 137 days after the beginning of the experiment; the remaining 11 pigs were euthanatized at periods varying from 52 to 159 days from the beginning of the experiment. Ten of the 11 treated pigs had loss of apetite and poor growth rate. Depression, localized loss of hair, and respiratory distress were other observed clinical signs. Main pathological changes occurred in the liver. They were acute in one case and consisted of accentuation of the lobular pattern; due to centrilobular to massive hepatic necrosis. The remaining 11 treated pigs had chronic hepatic lesions, which included firmness, thickening of the capsule and fibrous adhesions between lobes and between hepatic capsule and adjacent structures. Histologically there was capsular, interlobar, interlobular, and intralobular fibrosis, hepatomegalocytosis and proliferation of bile ducts. In two case there was bilestasis and, in one pig, nodular regeneration was observed. The lungs of 4 pigs were reddened and firm. Histologically there was thickenning of interalveolar and interlobular septa by edema, fibrosis, cell infiltration and type II pneumocytes proliferation. The kidneys were grossly unremarkable. Histologically there was megalocytosis of the tubular epithelium and of the cells of the glomerular tuft. Hialinization of the glomerular tuft was also observed. Mild to moderate cavitary edema (ascites, hydrothorax and hydropericardium) was observed in 6 pigs. Microscopic vascular lesions consisting of arterial wall thickening and hialinization were seen in the lung of 5 pigs and in the kidney of 3 pigs. Four pigs had microscopic changes suggestive of hepatic encephalopathy. Those changes were not observed in the controls.

Aspectos patológicos de 155 casos fatais de cães atropelados por veículos automotivos

Motor vehicle-related trauma significantly contributes to death statistics of dogs. There are however few documented reports on the pathological aspects of such cases. This paper describes 155 fatal cases of dogs victimized by motor vehicle accidents. In 138 (89.0%) of the 155 dogs hit by motor vehicles there were lesions that could explain the death or reason for these dogs being euthanatized. These lesions included vertebrospinal trauma (43 [27.7%]), rupture of parenchymal organs (40 [25.8%]), cranioencephalic trauma (28 [18.1%]), rupture of hollow organs (16 [10.3%]), rib fracture with subsequent laceration of parenchymal organs (15 [9.7%]), and diaphragmatic rupture with displacement of abdominal viscera into the thoracic cavity (10 [6.4%]).

Neoplasmas da bexiga associados à hematúria enzoótica bovina

Three cases of bovine enzootic hematuria (BHE) are described in cattle from the municipality of Jaguari, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The pastures of all affected farms were highly infested with bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum). Three 4-7-year-old bovine had clinical signs of progressive weight loss, intermittent hematuria, and mucosal pallor. The main lesions were observed in the urinary bladder and consisted of three types of neoplasms: capillary hemangioma, hemangiosarcoma, and squamous cell carcinoma. The epidemiology, the clinical signs, and the gross and microscopic lesions observed in all three bovine were of BHE.