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1.
Anat Histol Embryol ; 53(1): e13004, 2024 Jan.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37994544

RESUMO

The bone texture of Rhea americana was evaluated through the examination of a postnatal ontogenetic series. The hind limb bone surfaces of specimens of one, three and five months old, and adults were compared to characterize each stage according to the morphological features generated by their differential ossification. The results suggest a similar process of tissue maturation concerning neognathous birds, although with some differences. A spongy or striated surface with abundant pores in the femur and longitudinal grooves in the tibiotarsus and tarsometatarsus characterizes chicks. Vascularity decreases, and the bone texture gradually changes acquiring a more homogeneous surface, to eventually reach the smooth appearance of adult bones. The establishment of particular textures corresponding to different bones and ontogenetic stages permits the accurate interpretation of remains in ecological, archaeological and paleontological contexts in which bones are fragmented and/or incomplete.


Assuntos
Paleógnatas , Reiformes , Animais , Reiformes/anatomia & histologia , Aves , Osso e Ossos , Membro Posterior/anatomia & histologia
2.
J Morphol ; 284(7): e21596, 2023 07.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37313766

RESUMO

In birds, the jaw musculature is a crucial adaptive feature involved in feeding. The morphological traits and postnatal growth patterns of jaw muscles constitute a useful proxy to interpret feeding function and ecology. This study aims to describe the jaw muscles of Rhea americana and explore their postnatal growth pattern. A total of 20 specimens of R. americana representing four ontogenetic stages were studied. Jaw muscles were described, weighed and their proportions with respect to body mass were calculated. Linear regression analysis was used to characterize ontogenetic scaling patterns. The morphological patterns of jaw muscles were characterized by their simplicity: bellies with few or no subdivisions and similar to those described for other flightless paleognathous birds. In all stages, the muscles pterygoideus lateralis, depressor mandibulae, and pseudotemporalis had the greatest mass values. The proportion of total jaw muscle mass decreased with age from 0.22% in 1-month-old chicks to 0.05% in adults. Linear regression analysis showed that all muscles scaled with negative allometry with respect to body mass. The progressive decrease of jaw muscle mass relative to body mass in adults could be related to the generation of less force, which is in accordance with the herbivorous diet of adults. In contrast, the diet of rhea chicks includes a large proportion of insects thus, this greater muscle proportion could be associated with the ability to generate more force, thus providing better abilities to grasp and hold more mobile prey.


Assuntos
Paleógnatas , Reiformes , Struthioniformes , Animais , Galinhas , Ciclo Celular
3.
Lancet ; 400(10358): 1095, 2022 10 01.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36183718
4.
J Morphol ; 283(8): 1015-1047, 2022 08.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35673834

RESUMO

The Greater Rhea (Rhea americana, Rheidae) is a flightless paleognath with a wide geographical distribution in South America. The morphology of its shoulder girdle and wings are different from those of flying birds and some characteristics are similar to basal birds and paravian theropods. We present a detailed osteological, myological, and functional study of the shoulder and the wing of the Greater Rhea. Particular features of the anatomy of the pectoral girdle and wing of Rhea include the lack of triosseal canal, reduced origin area of the mm. pectoralis p. thoracica and supracoracoideus and the lack of a propatagium. The wing muscle mass is markedly reduced, reaching only 0.89% of total body mass (BM). Forelimb muscles mass values are low compared to those of flying birds and are congruent with the non-use of wings for active locomotion movements. R. americana does not flap the wings dorso-ventral as typical for flying birds, but predominantly in cranio-caudal direction, following a craniolateral to caudomedial abduction-adduction arc. When the wings are fully abducted, they are inverted L-shaped, with the inner surface caudally faced, and when the wings are folded against the body, they do not perform the complete automatic wing folding nor the circumduction of the manus, a movement performed by extant volant birds. This study complements our knowledge of the axial musculature of the flightless paleognaths and highlights the use of the Greater Rhea as a model, which may help understand the evolution of Palaeognathae, as well as the origin of flapping flight among paravian theropods.


Assuntos
Reiformes , Struthioniformes , Animais , Voo Animal/fisiologia , Osteologia , Asas de Animais/anatomia & histologia
5.
Toxicon ; 214: 104-107, 2022 Jul 30.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35613655

RESUMO

Aflatoxins are mycotoxins capable of contaminating food, and can cause toxic effects, teratogenicity, mutagenicity, carcinogenicity, and immune system depression. The presence of fungi which produce this metabolite in ingredients that compose the animal feed increased the risk of the emergence of aflatoxicosis. The objective of this study was to report an aflatoxicosis outbreak in rheas (Rhea americana) from a farm in Teresina, PI, Brazil, fed with commercial feed. After the deaths of four animals, epidemiological data were collected and complementary examinations were performed, including necropsy, histopathology, parasitology, blood culture, in addition to the analysis of the presence of toxins in the birds' feed. The diagnosis was based on the acute clinical signs, necropsy findings, which included carcass jaundice, an oedematous, yellowish, friable liver of increased size, and histopathological findings of moderate to severe congestion in all organs. The parasitological and microbiological tests performed were negative, not indicating systemic infectious causes. The analysis of the presence of mycotoxins revealed the existence of Aflatoxins B1, B2 and G1 in the commercial feed supplied, constituting a total of 66.89 µg/kg. This amount of aflatoxin exceeds the maximum level allowed by the Brazilian legislation. To our knowledge this is the first report of aflatoxicosis in rheas, and emphasizes the importance of the diagnosis, control, and prevention of mycotoxins in the quality of food provided to animals kept ex situ.


Assuntos
Aflatoxinas , Doenças Transmitidas por Alimentos , Micotoxicose , Micotoxinas , Reiformes , Aflatoxinas/análise , Aflatoxinas/toxicidade , Ração Animal/análise , Animais , Brasil/epidemiologia , Surtos de Doenças/veterinária , Doenças Transmitidas por Alimentos/veterinária , Micotoxicose/epidemiologia , Micotoxicose/veterinária , Micotoxinas/análise
6.
J Exp Zool A Ecol Integr Physiol ; 337(6): 594-599, 2022 07.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35614573

RESUMO

Maternal hormones in avian egg yolks may signal and prepare offspring for the prevailing conditions. However, this adjustment requires some degree of flexibility in regulating yolk hormone deposition. The Greater Rhea (Rhea americana) has a particular mating system that combines mixed polygyny and polyandry, communal nesting, and exclusive paternal care of chicks. In this species, we previously found that yolk hormone deposition varies among eggs of different captive populations and could influence chicks' physiology and behavior. However, it is still unknown whether females can modify yolk hormone deposition in a changing social environment. Using a captive population of Greater Rheas, in this study, we quantified yolk hormone levels before and after a reduction in the number of females present in the population. We found that females deposited on average higher yolk corticosterone and lower yolk progesterone after the change in their social environment. Since corticosterone deposited into the yolk comes exclusively from the female's plasma, our results suggest that females had, on average, higher plasma corticosterone levels. The change in the number of females may increase the events of male-male competitions, courtships, and matings, leading to an increase of corticosterone in the females' plasma and then into their eggs. Since we previously found that higher yolk corticosterone and lower yolk progesterone were associated with the production of chicks that have an attenuated stress response, the present study results suggest that yolk hormone deposition is mediated by flexible mechanisms that could adjust development to the prevailing conditions.


Assuntos
Reiformes , Animais , Galinhas , Corticosterona , Feminino , Masculino , Progesterona , Reiformes/fisiologia , Meio Social
7.
J Dev Orig Health Dis ; 13(5): 566-574, 2022 10.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34859763

RESUMO

Accumulating evidence suggests that in utero exposures can influence the development of the immune system. Few studies have investigated whether prenatal exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) is associated with allergy-related phenotypes in childhood, nor explored sex differences. We examined the association between prenatal exposure to POPs and offspring allergic outcomes in early and mid-childhood. We included 682 mother-child pairs from the prospective birth cohort Rhea. We measured dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE), hexachlorobenzene (HCB) and 6 polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners in maternal first trimester serum. Parents completed the questionnaires adapted from the International Study on Asthma and Allergy in Childhood (ISAAC) for allergy-related phenotypes when their children were 4 and 6 years old. We used Poisson regression models to estimate Risk Ratios. Prenatal HCB was associated with increased risk for rhinoconjunctivitis at 6 years (RR (95% CI): 2.5; (1.3, 4.8) for a doubling in the exposure). Among girls, prenatal DDE was associated with increased risk for current wheeze, current asthma and current rhinoconjunctivitis at 4 years (RR (95%CI): 1.4 (0.8, 2.6), 1.6 (1.1, 2.4) and 1.8 (1.0, 3.3) and p-interaction = 0.035, 0.027 and 0.059, respectively), with increased risk for current rhinoconjunctivitis at 6 years (RR (95%CI): 1.7 (0.7, 3.8) and p-interaction = 0.028) and total PCBs were associated with increased risk for current eczema at 4 years (RR (95%CI): 2.1 (1.1, 4.2) and p-interaction = 0.028). In boys, prenatal DDE was associated with decreased risk for current wheeze and current asthma at 4 years. Our findings suggest that even low levels of exposure to POPs prenatally may affect the development of childhood allergy-related outcomes in a sex and age-specific manner.


Assuntos
Asma , Poluentes Ambientais , Hipersensibilidade , Bifenilos Policlorados , Efeitos Tardios da Exposição Pré-Natal , Reiformes , Animais , Asma/epidemiologia , Asma/etiologia , Diclorodifenil Dicloroetileno/efeitos adversos , Exposição Ambiental/efeitos adversos , Poluentes Ambientais/efeitos adversos , Feminino , Grécia/epidemiologia , Hexaclorobenzeno/efeitos adversos , Humanos , Hipersensibilidade/epidemiologia , Hipersensibilidade/etiologia , Masculino , Relações Mãe-Filho , Poluentes Orgânicos Persistentes , Bifenilos Policlorados/efeitos adversos , Gravidez , Efeitos Tardios da Exposição Pré-Natal/induzido quimicamente , Efeitos Tardios da Exposição Pré-Natal/epidemiologia , Estudos Prospectivos , Sons Respiratórios/etiologia
8.
Pediatr Obes ; 17(1): e12843, 2022 01.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34369080

RESUMO

BACKGROUND: Early-life antibiotic use has been hypothesized to promote weight gain and increase the risk of childhood obesity. OBJECTIVES: To examine the associations of prenatal and infant antibiotics with childhood growth, adiposity and cardiometabolic traits in the Greek Rhea cohort. METHODS: We used data from 747 mother-child pairs with anthropometric measurements drawn from medical records or measured at 4 and 6 years of age. Antibiotic exposure was assessed by maternal report during pregnancy and at the first year of life. Children were classified as exposed to antibiotics prenatally if the mother received at least one course of oral antibiotics during pregnancy and postnatally if the mother reported that the child received at least one oral antibiotic treatment during the first year of life. Outcomes included repeated weight, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, body fat (%), total cholesterol and blood pressure. We applied mixed effects, linear and log-binomial regression models after adjusting for important covariates. RESULTS: Around 14.6% of the participating children were prenatally exposed to antibiotics and 32.4% received antibiotics during the first year of life. Prenatal exposure to antibiotics was associated with a twofold increase in the risk for obesity (risk ratio [RR]; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.09 [1.58, 2.76]) and abdominal obesity (RR [95% CI]: 2.56 [1.89, 3.47]) at 6 years. Postnatal exposure to antibiotics was associated with increased weight (beta [95% CI]: 00.25 [0.06, 0.44]) and BMI (beta [95% CI]: 0.23 [0.003, 0.45]) SD scores from 2 to 7 years of life. CONCLUSION: Early-life antibiotic use was associated with accelerated childhood growth and higher adiposity.


Assuntos
Obesidade Pediátrica , Efeitos Tardios da Exposição Pré-Natal , Reiformes , Animais , Antibacterianos/efeitos adversos , Índice de Massa Corporal , Criança , Estudos de Coortes , Feminino , Grécia/epidemiologia , Humanos , Lactente , Relações Mãe-Filho , Obesidade Pediátrica/induzido quimicamente , Obesidade Pediátrica/epidemiologia , Gravidez , Efeitos Tardios da Exposição Pré-Natal/induzido quimicamente , Efeitos Tardios da Exposição Pré-Natal/epidemiologia , Fatores de Risco
9.
Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry ; 31(3): 511-517, 2022 Mar.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33599859

RESUMO

Previous evidence suggests a link between attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms and disordered eating behaviours; however, the direction of the causal association remains unclear. Building on our previous research, we aimed to examine the longitudinal association between eating behaviours at 4 years, ADHD symptoms at 6 years of age, and the role of body mass index (BMI). We included children from the RHEA mother-child cohort in Greece, followed up at 4 and 6 years (n = 926). Parents completed the Children's Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (CEBQ) to assess children's eating behaviour at 4 years and the ADHD Test (ADHDT) and Child Behaviour Checklist for ages 6-18 (CBCL/6-18) to evaluate ADHD symptoms at 4 and 6 years, respectively, as well as measures of BMI. Longitudinal structural equation modeling (SEM) was carried out to evaluate the associations of all variables between 4 and 6 years. Food responsiveness at 4 years was positively associated with hyperactivity at age 6, whereas emotional overeating was negatively associated with hyperactivity. There was no evidence of an association between eating behaviours of preschoolers and BMI at 6 years, or BMI at 4 years and later ADHD symptoms and vice versa. Findings suggest that food responsiveness is an early marker of ADHD symptoms at 6 years of age. In contrast to our hypothesis there was no significant association between ADHD at age 4 and BMI at age 6.


Assuntos
Transtorno do Deficit de Atenção com Hiperatividade , Reiformes , Adolescente , Animais , Transtorno do Deficit de Atenção com Hiperatividade/diagnóstico , Transtorno do Deficit de Atenção com Hiperatividade/epidemiologia , Criança , Pré-Escolar , Estudos de Coortes , Comportamento Alimentar/psicologia , Seguimentos , Humanos
10.
Braz J Biol ; 82: e240386, 2021.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34105647

RESUMO

Helminths are endoparasites that infect a variety of bird species. Endoparasite infections can cause severe diseases, including kill captive avian hosts and represents a problem to maintenance and conservation. The eggs and larval forms of these parasites are usually eliminated in the host feces. The main interest of this study is to report the occurrence of eggs and oocysts in feces from captive wild birds in Goiânia Zoo and free-living birds in its surroundings. The fecal samples were subjected to parasitological examination to identify the presence of helminths and to classify their eggs based on morphological characteristics. Eggs of nematode parasites (Positive/N) were identified as Ascaridia spp. in Brotogeris chiriri (2/2), Dromaius novaehollandiae (1/1) and Rhea americana (2/2); Ascarididae in Pavo cristatus nigripensis (1/1); Capillaria spp. in Ara chloropterus (1/1) and Penelope jacucaca (1/1); Capillaria plagiaticia in Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus (1/2) and Ara spp. (2/2); Capillaria venusta in Rhamphastus tucanus (1/2); and unidentified nematode eggs from Amazona amazonica (2/2). Eimeria spp. oocyst was founded in feces from A. hyacinthinus (1/2). Considering free-living birds, Diphyllobothrium spp. eggs were founded in Ardea alba (2/2) and Nycticorax nycticorax (2/3). Co-infection of Eustrongylides spp. was founded in A. alba (1/2). This is the first occurrence of: Ascaridia spp. parasitizing B. chiriri; and C. venusta parasitizing R. tucanus. In conclusion, the helminth eggs found in the abovementioned host bird species are consistent with those reported in the literature, and treatment and control protocols were based on their identification.


Assuntos
Doenças das Aves , Enteropatias Parasitárias , Parasitos , Reiformes , Animais , Animais Selvagens , Animais de Zoológico , Fezes , Enteropatias Parasitárias/veterinária
11.
Environ Sci Pollut Res Int ; 28(22): 27681-27693, 2021 Jun.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33515150

RESUMO

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are still globally distributed and can exert different effects on ecosystems. Little is known about the occurrence of these contaminants in terrestrial birds from South America. In this study, POPs were assessed for the first time in a flightless herbivorous species from the Pampas grasslands, the Greater rhea (Rhea americana). Concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) were determined in 18 samples of feathers from free-ranging and captive individuals inhabiting four sites with different land uses in central Argentina. Among the 16 POPs tested in those feathers, 6 PCBs (28, 52, 101, 138, 153, and 180) and 8 OCPs (α-HCH, ß-HCH, γ-HCH, p,p'-DDE, p,p'-DDD, o,p'-DDT, p,p'-DDT, and HCB) were quantified. No PBDEs were detected. The total concentration of POPs was higher in populations living in an intensive crop production area (agriculture 159 ng g -1 and farm: 97.53 ng g-1) compared with the population in an urban area (zoo 45.86 ng g-1) and an agroecosystem with extensive rearing of livestock (cattle rearing 36.77 ng g-1). PCBs were the most abundant pollutants in all the populations studied. Lower chlorinated CB 52 and CB 101 were the principal PCB congeners detected, representing at least 70% of the total quantified. All populations studied showed a DDE + DDD/DDT ratio > 1, indicating a historical application of this insecticide. This study provides a new contribution to the scarce data on POP concentrations in South American bird species. Further investigations are needed to evaluate their potential effects on the health of individuals and populations.


Assuntos
Poluentes Ambientais , Hidrocarbonetos Clorados , Praguicidas , Bifenilos Policlorados , Reiformes , Animais , Argentina , Aves , Bovinos , Ecossistema , Monitoramento Ambiental , Poluentes Ambientais/análise , Pradaria , Hidrocarbonetos Clorados/análise , Poluentes Orgânicos Persistentes , Praguicidas/análise , Bifenilos Policlorados/análise , América do Sul
12.
J Epidemiol Community Health ; 75(1): 29-35, 2021 01.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32907915

RESUMO

BACKGROUND: Maternal thyroid hormones' supply is crucial for fetal neurodevelopment; however, the role of maternal mild thyroid dysfunction is not clear. We aimed to assess the association of maternal mild thyroid dysfunction with child neuropsychological development from infancy to early childhood. METHODS: We included 757 mother-child pairs from the prospective 'Rhea' cohort on Crete, Greece. Maternal thyroid functioning was assessed by quantitative analysis of serum thyroid-stimulating hormone, free thyroxine, thyroid peroxidase antibodies and thyroglobulin antibodies at early gestation (mean=14 weeks). Neuropsychological assessment was based on Bayley Scales of Infant Development (18 months of age), McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities (4 years of age), Raven's Coloured Progressive Matrices, Trail Making Test and Finger Tapping Test (6 years of age). RESULTS: In multivariate adjusted linear regression analyses, maternal hypothyroxinemia was associated with decreased verbal scores at 4 years and reduced motor speed at 6 years of age. Maternal thyroid autoimmunity was associated with decreased child perceptual and motor ability at 4 years of age. Four trajectories of longitudinal non-verbal cognitive development were identified and children exposed to maternal thyroid autoimmunity had increased risk for belonging to an adverse trajectory ('low': adjusted relative risk ratio (RRR) = 2.7 95% CI: (1.4, 5.2), 'high-decreasing': adjusted RRR = 2.2 95% CI: (1.2, 4.0), 'low-increasing': adjusted RRR = 1.8 95% CI: (1.0, 3.2)). CONCLUSION: Maternal hypothyroxinemia is associated with reduced offspring verbal and motor ability. Maternal thyroid autoimmunity is associated with decreased offspring perceptual performance and motor ability and increased risk for adverse non-verbal cognitive development from infancy to childhood.


Assuntos
Efeitos Tardios da Exposição Pré-Natal , Reiformes , Animais , Desenvolvimento Infantil , Pré-Escolar , Cognição , Estudos de Coortes , Feminino , Grécia/epidemiologia , Humanos , Lactente , Recém-Nascido , Relações Mãe-Filho , Gravidez , Efeitos Tardios da Exposição Pré-Natal/epidemiologia , Estudos Prospectivos , Glândula Tireoide
13.
Anat Histol Embryol ; 50(2): 345-349, 2021 Mar.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33236380

RESUMO

Heart diseases in birds are frequent and generate significant production disorders. Morphometry is a valuable tool to provide fundamental information about heart conditions. Few studies have addressed morphological aspects of the heart of ratite birds, such as the Greater rhea. The present study aimed to analyse rhea heart morphometry, comparing young and adult subjects, in order to provide relevant information for the diagnosis of heart disease in this species. Hearts of young (n = 10) and adult (n = 10) female rheas were used in this research. Heart length and width and sternum length were measured using a caliper. Heart length and width and sternum length in adults were approximately three times greater than in young individuals. The left ventricular wall (LVW) was thicker than the right ventricular wall (RVW) at all ages, and the RVW was thicker in adults when compared to young subjects. The basal and middle RVW regions thicken with advancing age, and the thickness of the interventricular septum (ISW) occupies an intermediate position between the LVW and RVW. In general, an increase in rhea heart thickness and size relative to age is observed. The morphometric variations between young and adult rhea hearts observed in the present study may serve as a comparative subsidy for the diagnosis of cardiac abnormalities observed in this species.


Assuntos
Reiformes , Animais , Aves , Feminino , Coração
14.
Int J Dev Neurosci ; 80(7): 613-635, 2020 Nov.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32767787

RESUMO

In the current study, we examined adult neurogenesis throughout the brain of the common ostrich (Struthio camelus) and emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae) using immunohistochemistry for the endogenous markers PCNA which labels proliferating cells, and DCX, which stains immature and migrating neurons. The distribution of PCNA and DCX labelled cells was widespread throughout the brain of both species. The highest density of cells immunoreactive to both markers was observed in the olfactory bulbs and the telencephalon, especially the subventricular zone of the lateral ventricle. Proliferative hot spots, identified with strong PCNA and DCX immunolabelling, were identified in the dorsal and ventral poles of the rostral aspects of the lateral ventricles. The density of PCNA immunoreactive cells was less in the telencephalon of the emu compared to the common ostrich. Substantial numbers of PCNA immunoreactive cells were observed in the diencephalon and brainstem, but DCX immunoreactivity was weaker in these regions, preferentially staining axons and dendrites over cell bodies, except in the medial regions of the hypothalamus where distinct DCX immunoreactive cells and fibres were observed. PCNA and DCX immunoreactive cells were readily observed in moderate density in the cortical layers of the cerebellum of both species. The distribution of putative proliferating cells and immature neurons in the brain of the common ostrich and the emu is widespread, far more so than in mammals, and compares with the neognathous birds, and suggests that brain plasticity and neuronal turnover is an important aspect of cognitive brain functions in these birds.


Assuntos
Proliferação de Células/fisiologia , Hipotálamo/fisiologia , Ventrículos Laterais/fisiologia , Neurogênese/fisiologia , Neurônios/fisiologia , Animais , Dromaiidae , Células-Tronco Neurais/fisiologia , Reiformes
15.
J Anat ; 236(6): 1137-1145, 2020 06.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31972872

RESUMO

Knowledge of the ontogenetic pattern of morphological features is essential to improve biological interpretations. The study of morphological features of the pelvic girdle and hind limb apparatus throughout growth is an excellent approach to understand how the skeletal morphology and muscles are interrelated during growth in a bird with a specialized mode of locomotion. The Greater Rhea (Rhea americana) is a large cursorial palaeognathous bird with long legs and powerful musculature. The postnatal shape changes of the pelvis of this bird were studied with geometric morphometric techniques, using landmarks and semilandmarks. In addition, regression analyses were used to explore the association between pelvic shape changes with muscle and body mass. The pelvises of 16 specimens of Rhea americana from 1 month old to adulthood were studied in dorsal and lateral views. Noticeable differences in pelvic shape were noted between ages, particularly in lateral view. In young birds, the pre- and post-acetabular ilium was subequal in length, whereas in adults the pre-acetabular ilium became shorter. In dorsal view, the main shape changes observed were the progressive thinning of both ilium portions and the elongation of the vertex craniolateralis ilii from chicks to adulthood. In this view, the only clear differentiation was between young and adult birds. Shape differences were influenced by body mass and pelvic muscles; the post-acetabular muscle mass explained the highest percentage of the variation. The specialized locomotion of Greater Rhea is reflected in their pelvic musculoskeletal system, in which the change to a longer post-acetabular ilium correlates with the growth of the powerful post-acetabular muscles. The actions of these muscles provide the necessary strength to support the body mass, minimize the body swinging movements and propel the body forward during locomotion. Bone morphology is affected by the forces produced by body mass and the muscle activity, demonstrating the presence of common growth mechanisms, which are primordial and gave rise to a functional and properly proportioned adult.


Assuntos
Evolução Biológica , Membro Posterior/anatomia & histologia , Locomoção/fisiologia , Pelve/anatomia & histologia , Corrida/fisiologia , Animais , Feminino , Membro Posterior/fisiologia , Masculino , Pelve/fisiologia , Reiformes
16.
Bioinformatics ; 36(6): 1896-1901, 2020 03 01.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31688925

RESUMO

MOTIVATION: To provide high quality computationally tractable enzyme annotation in UniProtKB using Rhea, a comprehensive expert-curated knowledgebase of biochemical reactions which describes reaction participants using the ChEBI (Chemical Entities of Biological Interest) ontology. RESULTS: We replaced existing textual descriptions of biochemical reactions in UniProtKB with their equivalents from Rhea, which is now the standard for annotation of enzymatic reactions in UniProtKB. We developed improved search and query facilities for the UniProt website, REST API and SPARQL endpoint that leverage the chemical structure data, nomenclature and classification that Rhea and ChEBI provide. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION: UniProtKB at https://www.uniprot.org; UniProt REST API at https://www.uniprot.org/help/api; UniProt SPARQL endpoint at https://sparql.uniprot.org/; Rhea at https://www.rhea-db.org.


Assuntos
Reiformes , Animais , Bases de Dados de Proteínas , Bases de Conhecimento
17.
Parasitol Res ; 119(2): 755-758, 2020 Feb.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31811426

RESUMO

The ciliate species Balantioides coli can be cross-transmitted between humans and several animal species. Usually harmless, sometimes it can be pathogenic and cause the death of the host. In birds, B. coli has been confirmed in ostriches by genetic analysis, but the identification from South American greater rheas (Rhea americana) and lesser rheas (Rhea pennata pennata) is tentative. Since these species are reared for commercial purposes and for reintroduction into the wild, it is necessary to elucidate whether the ciliate from rheas is B. coli to minimize health risks for humans and for other domestic and wild animals. Individual parasite cells are collected from Argentinean isolates of reared greater rheas and of wild and reared lesser rheas, and their ITS region was PCR amplified; the cloning products were sequenced and compared with sequences available in public databases. The results have shown that several sequence types are expressed at the same time in the parasite cells, and all correspond to B. coli, confirming the possibility of cross-transmission of the parasite between wild and reared South American rheas and several mammal species and humans.


Assuntos
Infecções por Cilióforos/veterinária , Cilióforos/genética , Cilióforos/isolamento & purificação , Reiformes/parasitologia , Animais , Animais Selvagens , Aves , Infecções por Cilióforos/epidemiologia , Infecções por Cilióforos/parasitologia , Humanos , América do Sul/epidemiologia
18.
J Parasitol ; 105(5): 733-737, 2019 10.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31584862

RESUMO

The prevalence of anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibodies was investigated among 104 ratites: 68 rheas (Rhea americana), 16 emus (Dromaius novaehollandiae), and 20 ostriches (Struthio camelus) in 4 Brazilian states. The prevalence in rheas was 26.5% (18 of 68), and titers were 1:100 (n = 8), 1:200 (n = 1), 1:400 (n = 4), 1:800 (n = 4), and 1:1,600 (n = 1). In emus, the prevalence was 50% (8 of 16), and titers were 1:50 (n = 1) and 1:100 (n = 7). The ostriches were slaughtered for human consumption, and 80% (16 of 20) were seropositive with titers of 1:200 (n = 1), 1:400 (n = 9), and 1:800 (n = 6). Sera were tested with a modified agglutination test, and the results confirmed the distribution of the parasite in ratite species from Brazil. The data obtained in this study show that T. gondii is prevalent among ratites from Brazil, and therefore ratite meat should also be considered a potential source of human infection. This is the first report of T. gondii seroprevalence in emus.


Assuntos
Doenças das Aves/parasitologia , Paleógnatas/parasitologia , Toxoplasma/imunologia , Toxoplasmose Animal/epidemiologia , Toxoplasmose Animal/imunologia , Testes de Aglutinação/veterinária , Animais , Anticorpos Antiprotozoários/sangue , Doenças das Aves/epidemiologia , Doenças das Aves/imunologia , Brasil/epidemiologia , Dromaiidae/parasitologia , Feminino , Masculino , Carne/normas , Prevalência , Reiformes/parasitologia , Distribuição por Sexo , Struthioniformes/parasitologia
19.
Syst Parasitol ; 96(8): 735-745, 2019 11.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31529331

RESUMO

A detailed description of Procyrnea uncinipenis (Molin, 1860) (Habronematidae) is provided based on light- and scanning electron microscopy of newly collected material ex Rhea americana (L.) from a private conservation breeding park located in Cachoeiro de Itapemirim (State of Espírito Santo, Brazil). Of the four host specimens analysed, two were infected with P. uncinipenis; a total of 441 nematodes were collected in the proventriculus and gizzard. The specimens represented large nematodes, sexually dimorphic, with females larger than males, reddish in vivo, with two well developed lateral pseudolabia and two interlabia, one dorsal and one ventral, long oesophagus, divided into a muscular and glandular portion, didelphic ovaries, opisthodelphic uteri, two phasmids and a rounded chitinous structure near the caudal end. Males possess posterior extremity curved in spiral ventrally, with bilateral caudal alae and unequal in size and shape spicules. This study adds new morphological data, thus contributing to the knowledge on P. uncinipenis, a common parasite of R. americana.


Assuntos
Nematoides/classificação , Nematoides/fisiologia , Reiformes/parasitologia , Animais , Brasil , Feminino , Masculino , Nematoides/anatomia & histologia , Especificidade da Espécie
20.
Horm Behav ; 114: 104534, 2019 08.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31129284

RESUMO

Maternal corticosterone in avian eggs may modify offspring phenotype in order to increase survival in poor environments. In the Greater Rhea (Rhea americana), we previously found that yolk immunoreactive corticosterone is influenced by the quality of the maternal environment: eggs laid by females of the intensive rearing system (IRS), living in poor captive conditions, had higher yolk immunoreactive corticosterone than those produced by females of the semi-extensive rearing system (SRS), living in better conditions. Here, we evaluate if these different hormone levels are associated with the production of different phenotypes. We collected eggs from the IRS and SRS for hormonal quantification and artificial incubation. Then, half of the chicks selected from each environment were exposed to a capture and restraint protocol, and the rest remained undisturbed and were used as controls. In the IRS, we found that higher yolk immunoreactive corticosterone was associated with the production of chicks that had reduced hatchability, lower hatchling mass and higher baseline fecal glucocorticoid metabolites (FGM) than those produced by SRS females. Moreover, after capture and restraint, IRS chicks did not modify their FGM nor their behaviors compared to their controls, while SRS chicks increased their FGM and spent more time ambulating and less time pecking, compared to their controls. These results indicate that yolk immunoreactive corticosterone could modify offspring phenotype. Although future studies are needed to elucidate their implications for fitness, our results suggest that yolk corticosterone could be mediating an adaptive maternal effect that allows individuals to better cope with poor conditions.


Assuntos
Córtex Suprarrenal/metabolismo , Comportamento Animal/fisiologia , Corticosterona/metabolismo , Gema de Ovo/metabolismo , Exposição Materna , Reiformes/fisiologia , Animais , Embrião de Galinha , Galinhas , Corticosterona/análise , Feminino , Imuno-Histoquímica , Masculino , Exposição Materna/efeitos adversos , Óvulo/metabolismo , Fenótipo , Restrição Física/fisiologia , Reiformes/metabolismo
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