Nayro Xavier de Alencar

Canine hepatozoonosis in Brazil: description of eight naturally occurring cases.

Eight cases of canine hepatozoonosis were diagnosed at the Veterinary Hospital (Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Campus de Botucatu), between October 1993 and April 1994. Clinical signs included anorexia, pale mucous membranes, weight loss, pain, diarrhoea, vomit, gait abnormalities, fever, polyuria and polydipsia. Haematologic findings revealed anaemia in seven cases, leucocytosis with neutrophilia in three cases, lymphopenia in three cases and monocytosis in four cases. Serum biochemistries included alterations in many parameters. The micrometry of Hepatozoon canis gametocytes ranged from 6.8 x 4.0 microns to 7.5 x 4.5 microns. Parasitaemia ranged from less than 0.5% to 2%. In all the cases reported other concurrent diseases were present. Diagnosis of canine hepatozoonosis was made by identifying H. canis gametocytes within leucocytes in stained blood smears.

Hepatozoon canis infection of wild carnivores in Brazil

Hepatozoon canis was diagnosed in a crab-eating fox (Cerdocyon thous) found on a highway in the region of Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil, after being hit by a car. The fox had bilateral fractures of the olecranon, which was corrected by osteosynthesis. Hematologic findings included a neutrophilia, eosinophilia, monocytosis and mild anemia. In the Leishman-stained blood film, gametocytes of Hepatozoon canis in neutrophils were identified measuring 9.1 +/- 0.54 x 5.3 +/- 0.46 microns.

Hemogram of healthy nelore breed (Bos indicus) calf at the first month of life, raised in São Paulo state, Brazil

Changes on the hemogram parameters were evaluated for healthy Nelore purebreed bovines at the first month age, with 71 male and 56 female, and raised in Sao Paulo State, Brazil. For this purpose, 127 samples of blood were collected, and divided in five groups ; 0-3 , 3-7 . 7-14 , 14-21 and 21-30 days of age. The mean values were: erithrocyte counts 8.31± 1.84 x 106/ m l; Package Cell Volume 39 ± 6%: hemoglobin 12.89 ± 2.04g/dl; Mean Corpuscular Volume 48.19 ± 5.68fl; Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin Concentration 32.81 ± 1.84 ; Reticulocytes 0.27 ± 0.54%; erythroblast 214 ± 594/ml; leukocytes (m l): 10593 ± 3008; band neutrophils 97 ± 165; segmented neutrophils 4837 ± 2201; lymphocytes 5222 ± 1909; eosinophils 86 ± 139: monocytes 346 ± 221; basophils 3 ± 24. Sex had no influencing the hemogram values except to reticulocytes and erythroblast that were higher in females. Age significantly influenced the leucogram and eritrogram values (p≤0.0 3). The Package Cell Volume, erythrocytes, and hemoglobin decreasing and the Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin Concentration and reticulocytes increasing until the thirth to seventh days. There was an subsequent inversion of this variation in this period until the thirtieth day. The lymphocyte percentage regression curve increasing and neutrophils decreasing after birth. The intersection between the two leukocytes curves occurred between the seventh and the fourteenth day of life.

Bioquímica sérica e hemograma de bovinos antes e após a técnica de biópsia hepática

The effects of liver biopsy technique on GGT (gama glutamil transferase), AST (aspartate amino transferase), FA (alcaline transferase) serum activity, complete blood counting and fibrinogen were evaluated in 36 Nelore breed heifers. The animals were submitted to liver biopsy, using biopsy needle for mineral element determination. The biochemical profile evaluation were obtained in 20 heifers, being divided in two groups. In group 1 (n=10), blood was obtained with vacuum tubes without anticoagulant before and 24h after biopsy, while in group 2 (n=10) before and 96h after biopsy. The complete blood count and fibrinogen values were obtained before and 96h after biopsy (n=16). The AST serum activity increased (54.4%) 24h after biopsy, but was within normal range after 96h. The GGT and FA serum activity did not increase 24h and 96h after biopsy. The total serum protein showed increase of 0.24g/dL 96h after biopsy. The others parameters evaluated were within normal range for the species. The results allowed to conclude that the liver biopsy technique used shows safety and efficiency as it has not caused significant liver injury and has obtained fragments suitable for bromatologic and histopathologic analyses promptly.

Metabolismo oxidativo de neutrófilos em ovelhas naturalmente infectadas por nematódeos gastrintestinais e correlação entre nível sérico de cortisol e carga parasitária

The relationships between neutrophils oxidative metabolism, cortisol serum levels and worm burden, estimated by fecal egg count (EPG), were studied in sheep naturally infected by gastrointestinal parasites at the end of pregnancy, during lactation, and after weaning. Twenty-two Suffolk sheep three to four year-old, of same parity and season of parturition were used. Serum cortisol was determined by radioimmunoassay and the neutrophils oxidative metabolism by the nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) reduction test. The highest EPG values were observed on the fifth week of lactation while the highest rates of cortisol and reduction of NBT occurred on the fourth week after weaning. A positive correlation (r = 0.52; P<0.01) was observed between the neutrophils capacity to reduce the NBT and the serum cortisol concentration in the pre-parturition period. Otherwise, the neutrophils oxidative metabolism decreased near to the parturition. A negative correlation (r = -0.39; P<0.01) between EPG and NBT reduction test was observed after weaning, which was coincident with the increase in the neutrophils capacity to reduce NBT, indicating that animals showing better immune response after weaning have neutrophils with higher oxidative metabolism and lower worm burden.

Cytology profile and age influence in the equine bronchoalveolar lavage in healthy and asymptomatic inflammatory airway disease

Pulmonary inflammatory diseases have been observed in equine since their domestication. Non-infectious disease processes of the lower airways are amongst the most important diseases of the equine respiratory tract. This study aims to determine the cytology profile and effect of age on the evaluation of equine bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) obtained from healthy animals and from horses with asymptomatic inflammatory airway disease (IAD). Thirty two horses, including 20 males and 12 females, without clinical signs of pulmonary disease and with age varying from 4 to 21 years, were assigned to two groups: 15 animals in the control group and 17 in the asymptomatic group. Groups were divided according to physical examination and mucous accumulation observed during tracheal endoscopy. The BAL results from healthy and asymptomatic horses were, respectively: 56.9% and 48.0% macrophages, 37.2% and 40.0% lymphocytes, 3.3% and 7.1% neutrophils, 1.7% and 1.4% mast cells, 0.3% and 0.7% eosinophils; 0,5% and 0.4% epithelial cells. When horses in the two groups were analyzed according to their age range, no differences were found. In conclusion, IAD in the asymptomatic group was significantly different from the control group. The asymptomatic horses presented a discrete infiltrate of neutrophils, which does not influence cytological evaluation of BAL.