P.R.O. Paes

Biochemical profile of dogs experimentally envenomed with Tityus serrulatus scorpion venom.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the canine blood and urinary profiles after envenomation by Tityus serrulatus venom. Twelve dogs were randomly distributed into two equal groups. Control group animals received 0.5 mL phosphate buffered saline (PBS) injected subcutaneously into the internal portion of the left thigh, whilst dogs in the envenomed group were injected with scorpion venom (250 microg/kg in 0.5 mL PBS). No significant alterations were detected in the urine of envenomed dogs. Levels of plasma glucose and serum urea, creatinine, total protein, potassium, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), creatine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and amylase were determined. Semi-quantitative analysis of serum cardiac troponin I (cTnI) was performed using an immunochromatographic test. The concentrations of cortisol and insulin were determined using commercial radioimmunoassay kits. Increases in serum cortisol levels in experimental group animals coincided with hyperglycaemia and was probably a response to pain. Increased insulin levels were observed during the hyperglycaemic peaks. Envenomed dogs presented discreet increases in ALT, AST and CK, but no alterations in LDH, amylase, cTnI, urea, creatinine and potassium levels were observed. It was concluded that the venom of T. serrulatus induces blood and urinary biochemical changes in dogs.

Ocorrência de Trypanosoma vivax no estado de Minas Gerais

A cow from Igarape city, Minas Gerais state, Brazil, showing vision damage was referred at the Veterinary Hospital of the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais. Clinical examination revealed anemia and a flagellated protozoan was observed in the blood smears obtained from the animal. The morphometric analysis demonstrated that the protozoan was Trypanosoma vivax. This is the first report of T. vivax occurrence in Minas Gerais state. An epidemiological investigation is currently being conducted on the farm and neighbor areas in order to estimate the parasite prevalence and the distribution of this trypanosomiasis in the region.

Intoxicação experimental com extratos de Mascagnia rigida (Malpighiaceae) em camundongos

Foi realizado o fracionamento quimico do extrato aquoso da Mascagnia rigida Griseb., uma importante planta toxica no Brasil, para se obter cinco substratos ricos em diferentes grupos quimicos - alcaloides, flavanoides, taninos, saponinas e acucares, acidos orgânicos e aminoacidos -, e investigar a toxicidade dessas fracoes, exceto a ultima, em 75 camundongos. Os animais, distribuidos aleatoriamente em cinco grupos, receberam: grupo I - alcaloides; grupo II - flavanoides; grupo III - taninos; grupo IV - saponinas e grupo V - placebo, este ultimo funcionando como controle negativo. Todos os grupos, com excecao do grupo-controle, redistribuidos em tres subgrupos, A, B e C, com cinco animais cada, receberam, respectivamente, 9g/kg, 18g/kg e 27g/kg de cada substrato. As fracoes foram fornecidas via oral, diariamente, por sete dias; no setimo dia, foi coletado sangue para o estudo do perfil sanguineo e dosagem de enzimas musculares. As fracoes de alcaloides e taninos foram capazes de causar alteracao no perfil enzimatico-muscular, com aumento significativo da enzima miocardica. Observou-se, tambem, aumento significativo na porcentagem da CK-MB apos a administracao das fracoes de saponinas e taninos, comprovando a acao toxica da M. rigida sobre a fibra muscular cardiaca.

Clinical, hematological and biochemical parameters of dairy cows experimentally infected with Vaccinia virus

Vaccinia virus (VACV) is the etiological agent of bovine vaccinia (BV), an important zoonosis that affects dairy cattle. There are many aspects of the disease that remain unknown, and aiming to answer some of these questions, the clinical, hematological, and biochemical parameters of VACV experimentally infected cows were evaluated. In the first part of the study, lactating cows were infected with VACV-GP2 strain. In the second part, animals previously infected with VACV-GP2 were divided into two treatment groups: Group 1, immunosuppressed cows; and Group 2, re-infected cows. In this study, BV could be experimentally reproduced, with similar lesions as observed in natural infections. Moreover, a short incubation period and local lymphadenopathy were also observed. VACV could be detected by PCR and isolated from scabs taken from teat lesions of all inoculated and re-inoculated animals. Lymphocytosis and neutrophilia were observed in all animals from the first part of the experiment, and lymphopenia and relative neutrophilia were observed in the immunosuppressed animals. Detection of viral DNA in oral mucosa lesions suggests that viral reactivation might occur in immunosuppressed animals. Moreover, clinical disease with teat lesions may occur in previously VACV-infected cows under the experimental conditions of the present study.

The first clinical and laboratory evidence of co-infection by Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Ehrlichia canis in a Brazilian dog.

Information on Anaplasma phagocytophilum in Brazil is very restricted. The aim of this study was to report clinical, parasitological, hematological and molecular evidence of a natural A. phagocytophilum infection of an urban Brazilian dog. The dog was an eight-month-old male French bulldog. Veterinary clinical examinations were performed three times: in April, June and December 2013. Biochemical and hematological analyses were performed during all examinations, and blood samples were collected for parasitological surveys in June and December. Morulae were present within neutrophils in blood smears from June. Both samples were PCR positive for A. phagocytophilum and Ehrlichia spp. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the phylogenetic topology placed samples from this study in close proximity to other A. phagocytophilum isolates. Ehrlichia isolates from this dog were 100% identical to E. canis isolates, thus E. canis and A. phagocytophilum co-infection was diagnosed in this dog. Lethargy and skin lesions were the clinical signs observed in this dog. Abnormal hematological parameters, among those, severe thrombocytopenia, were observed in all three occasions. This finding highlights the growing importance of A. phagocytophilum in South America.

Alterações citológicas do sangue periférico e da medula óssea de cães com cinomose

The myelogram, the hemogram, and the occurrence of apoptosis in peripheral blood and bone marrow in dogs with canine distemper (CD) of natural occurrence were studied. Fifteen dogs were distributed into two groups: (a) control - six clinically healthy animals with RT-PCR negative for canine distemper virus (CDV); and (b) infected - nine animals showing clinical CD manifestations and RT-PCR positive. The majority of dogs with CD (88.9%) presented discrete to moderate (hematocrit: 30.6%), normocytic (MCH: 67.9fL) and normochromic (MCHC: 34.1g/dL) anemia. All animals showed total leukocytes counting (11,600 cells/µL) and segmented neutrophils (8,802 cells/µL) within the limits of reference. Lymphopenia and left shift neutrophils were observed in 55.6% and 88.9% of the dogs, respectively. Additionally, the average counts of lymphocytes and neutrophils were 1,054 and 1,508cells/µL, respectively. The myelogram of all animals presented cellularity and M:E relation within the limits of reference. Haemogram and bone marrow of the control dogs had no alteration. Moreover, no apoptotic cells were detected in the smear of the peripheral blood of control animals. On the other side, dogs with CD presented a higher apoptotic index (AI), both in the peripheral blood (AI: 0.73%) and in the bone marrow (AI: 1.87%). Therefore, apoptosis may contribute to hematological changes observed in CD.

Hemograma de cães submetidos ao envenenamento experimental por Tityus serrulatus

The canine blood profile after scorpion envenomation was evaluated using 12 healthy mongrel male dogs (14.2±5.4kg) distributed in two groups, with six animals in each: group I (control group) and group II (venom group). The lyophilized yellow scorpion (Tityus serrulatus) venom (250µg/kg) diluted in 0.5mL phosphate buffered saline (PBS) was given to group II animals by subcutaneous injection, in the medial face of the left thigh. Group I animals received only 0.5mL of PBS, by subcutaneous injection, in the medial face of the left thigh. Blood samples were collected with EDTA before (T0) and 2 (T1), 6 (T2), 12 (T3), 24 (T4), 48 (T5), and 72h (T6) after envenomation. Significant increases (P<0.05) in erythrocytes counting, hematocrit and hemoglobin concentration, 2 and 6h after envenomation were observed. Leukocytosis with significant increases (P<0.05) of neutrophils and lymphocytes 2 and 6h after envenomation was found. Then, T. serrulatus venom may induce alterations in blood profile in dogs, probably due to spleen contraction evoked by pain and catecholamines releasing.

Avaliação hematológica e bioquímica de equinos suplementados com óleo de arroz semirrefinado, rico em gamaorizanol

The effect of the supplementation with rice oil was evaluated on the weight and hematologic profile of equines submitted moderate physical exercise. Fourteen male equines, averaging 411kg, were distributed into treated group (GT; n=7), supplemented daily with rice oil added to the diet (0.5ml/kg/BW); and control group (GC; n=7), treated with soybean oil (0.5ml/kg/BW). Three evaluations were made before the treatment, and 20 and 40 days after the beginning of the treatment, consisting of the determination of the weight, the clinical examination, and the collection of blood samples before and after the exercise for hematocrit, hemogram, glucose, lactate, and total protein determinations. There was no difference between the groups, neither between evaluations for weight nor total protein. The glucose increased significantly after the exercise in the second collection in the GC and in the third in the GT. The GC lactate increased significantly in the collections after exercise; while in the GT, the results were similar before and after treatments. The supplementation of the diet with rice oil was determinant to hinder the lactate increase in the animals submitted to exercise, what could be relevant to increase their athletic performance.

Perfil eletroforético e concentração de imunoglobulinas G (IgG) do soro sanguíneo de cabras Saanen com mastite experimental induzida por Staphylococcus aureus suplementadas com vitamina E

The objective was to evaluate the electrophoretic profile of proteins and serum concentration of immunoglobulin G (IgG) in Saanen goats with mastitis experimentally induced by Staphylococcus aureus (dl-α-tocopherol acetated). 14 adult goats, (supplemented with vitamin E DL-α-tocopherol) primiparous pregnant, seronegative for caprine arthritis encephalitis (CAEV), clinically healthy, were divided into two groups of seven animals: Not supplemented group (G1) and group supplemented with 2.000 UI of DL-α-tocopherol (G2 Vit E), by intramuscular injection on the day of the parturition and seven days later. At the 9th day after delivery 300 UFCs of the S. aureus ATCC 225923 strain were inoculated into the left half of the mammary gland of each animal. The mastitis was determined through collection of milk samples for evidence of infection by means of bacteriological examination, somatic cell count (SCC) and California Mastitis Test (CMT). Then samples were collected after 12, 24, 48 and 72 hours, antimicrobial intra-mammary gland treatment was initiated, with new evaluation 48 hours after treatment. The electrophoretic profile of serum protein of the goats, showed five fractions, as follows: albumin and globulin (α, β1, β2 e γ-globulin). There was an increase in the production of γ-globulin and lower production of β2-globulin fraction 12 hours after infection, and faster decrease in the supplemented group, showing the influence of vitamin E in the production of acute phase proteins. There was no influence of vitamin E in the serum concentration of immunoglobulin G (IgG) in supplemented animals. The supplementation with vitamin E increased the concentration of immunoglobulin and decreased the production of acute phase proteins, probably the antioxidant effect minimizing the tissue injury during the inflammatory process in the mammary gland.

Estudo longitudinal da infecção por enteropatógenos em bezerros neonatos, com diarreia, sob diferentes estratégias de aleitamento

Seventeen Holstein newborn calves were used with the objective of evaluating the influence of milk replacer volume in the pattern of pathogens causing neonatal diarrhea. The animals were divided into two groups, 8 calves in group 1 and 9 calves in group 2. The calves were fed twice daily in the total of 4 liters of milk replacer to group 1 and 6 liters to group 2. From the 1st day of arrival of the calves feces were evaluated daily after the morning feeding for the classification of diarrheal feces or without diarrhea. The first day of diarrhea until the seventh day, feces were collected on alternate days (1st, 3rd, 5th and 7th day) directly from the rectum to evaluate enteropathogens. Were collected blood samples from calves with five days of age for determination of total protein. The average total protein was 6.33 and 6.21g/dL in groups 1 and 2, respectively. The group 2 tended (p 0.05). Also, there was no difference (p>0.05) on the pattern of the frequency of positive samples for evaluated pathogens. The frequency of pathogens in the samples was 100 and 75% for Cryptosporidium, 28.5 and 43.7% for Salmonella spp., 28.5 and 15.6% for E. coli pathotypes, 3.5 and 6.2% for Rotavirus and 10.7 and 9.4% for Giardia in groups 1 and 2, respectively. Serotypes of Salmonella infantis and muenster were found. The isolated pathotypes of E. coli isolates were classified as Escherichia coli enteropathogenic, enterotoxigenic and Shiga-toxin-producing 1 and 2. Associations between Cryptosporidium spp. and E. coli pathotypes, and between Cryptosporidium spp. and Salmonella spp. were found in 30% of the samples in group 1 and in 45.5% in group 2, respectively. Our results showed that the different volumes of milk replacer did not influence the incidence and etiology of neonatal diahrrea. Longitudinal evaluation of enteropathogens during patency demonstrated that the association between the etiologic agents starts from the first day of disease. This result highlighted the great importance of the infection by Cryptosporidium spp. which was present in every moments and animals evaluated.