José Reck Junior

Intoxicação experimental por Trema micrantha (Cannabaceae) em equinos

The aim of this study was to confirm the toxicity and characterize the clinical and pathological aspects of poisoning by Trema micrantha in horses. The green leaves of the plant were spontaneously consumed by three ponies at single doses of 20, 25, and 30g/kg. The three ponies developed clinical disease characterized by apathy, equilibrium deficit, deglutition difficulty, sternal or lateral recumbency, paddling, coma and death. Affected ponies had also enhanced seric activity of gamma-glutamyl transferase, seric ammonia apart of diminished glycemia. An additional pony, that received 15 and 25g/kg of T. micrantha with a 30 day interval between the two doses, showed no clinical disease. The three ponies were necropsied and fragments from organs were collected for histology and immunostaining (IS) procedures. The main pathological findings were in the liver and encephalon. There were enhanced lobular pattern of the liver and yellowish areas in the cut surface of the encephalon, especially visualized in the cerebellar white matter. Microscopically, there was hepatocellular swelling and coagulative hepatic necrosis predominantly centrilobular with hemorrhages. Generalized perivascular edema and Alzheimer type II astrocytes were observed in the encephalon. The Alzheimer type II astrocytes showed weak or absent anti-glial fibrillar acid protein IS associated with positive IS for S-100 protein. The minimal lethal dose of Trema micrantha leaves was established at 20g/kg. The sensibility of horses to this plant, its wide distribution and high palatability reinforces the importance of Trema micrantha in accidental poisoning of horses.

Electrocardiogram assessment in non-anaesthetized clinically healthy agouti (Dasyprocta primnolopha, Wagler 1831)

The agouti is one of the most intensely hunted species throughout the Amazon and the semiarid regions of north-eastern Brazil. Considering the current tendency of wild animal management in captivity, the objective of this study was to determine heart reference values for agouti raised in captivity, based on electrocardiographic assessments (ECG). Adult agouti were selected without clinical signs of heart disease (n=30). The animals were restrained physically and then the ECG was performed. Standardized measurements were taken to establish the statistical analysis of the data. Analysis of the QRS complex showed values compatible with previous reports in peer animals and the limited data available for other wild and exotic species, except for the T wave that showed similar amplitude to the R wave in all the animals studied. The data obtained provided the first reference values for ECG tracings in agouti, contributing to a better understanding of heart electrophysiology in identifying myocardial pathology in these animals.