Effects of lidocaine infusion during experimental endotoxemia in horses.

BACKGROUND: The clinical efficacy of IV infusion of lidocaine for treatment of equine endotoxemia has not been studied. HYPOTHESIS: Lidocaine infusion after exposure to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) will inhibit the inflammatory response and have inhibitory effects on the hemodynamic and cytokine responses to endotoxemia. ANIMALS: Twelve horses. METHODS: Two equal groups (n=6): saline (GI) and lidocaine (GII). In all animals, endotoxin (500 ng/kg body weight [BW]) was injected intraperitoneally over 5 minutes. Twenty minutes later, animals received a bolus of GI or GII (1.3 mg/kg BW) over 5 minutes, followed by a 6-hour continuous rate infusion of GI or GII (0.05 mg/kg BW/min). Treatment efficacy was judged from change in arterial blood pressure, peripheral blood and peritoneal fluid (PF) variables (total and differential cell counts, enzyme activities, and cytokine concentrations), and clinical scores (CS) for behavioral evidence of abdominal pain or discomfort during the study. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, horses treated with lidocaine had significantly lower CS and serum and PF tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) activity. At several time points in both groups, total and differential cell counts, glucose, total protein and fibrinogen concentrations, and alkaline phosphatase, creatine kinase, and TNF-alpha activities were significantly different from baseline values both in peripheral blood and in PF. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Lidocaine significantly decreased severity of CS and inhibited TNF-alpha activity in PF.

Soroprevalência de Maedi-Visna em ovinos na região de Araçatuba, SP / Occurrence of Maedi-visna in sheep from Araçatuba region - SP - Brazil

The seroprevalence of Maedi-Visna in sheep from Araçatuba region - SP, was determined and correlated to age, gender, breed, or sheep production systems. Blood samples were collected from 444 sheep, aging from two to 12 year-old. Both sexes and different breeds were sampled in 20 farms of this region. Physical examination was performed in all animals. Agar gel immunodiffusion test kit was used to diagnose in serum samples. Twelve animals, from five different farms, were AGID positive, yielding a seroprevalence of 2.7%, with no correlation among breed, gender, or sheep production systems and the detection of the disease. No animal considered positive for Maedi-Visna showed clinical signs compatible with Maedi-Visna.

Proteinogramas séricos de ratos Wistar experimentalmente infectados com Trypanosoma evansi / Serum protein concentrations in Wistar rats experimentally infected with Trypanosoma evansi

Estabeleceu-se o perfil eletroforético de proteínas séricas de ratos Wistar experimentalmente infectados com Tripanosoma evansi, utilizando-se 40 ratos, distribuídos em oito grupos de cinco animais cada. Um grupo foi mantido como testemunho (G1), e os demais (G2 a G8) foram inoculados, via intraperitoneal, com cerca de 10³tripomastigota de T. evansi. Amostras de sangue para obtenção de soro foram coletadas no quinto (G2), 10º (G3), 15º (G4), 30º (G5), 45º (G6), 60º (G7) e 75º (G1 e G8) dia após as inoculações. O fracionamento das proteínas foi realizado pela técnica SDS-PAGE. Foram identificadas 31 proteínas, sendo sete de fase aguda: ceruloplasmina (101KD), hemopexina (83KD), transferrina (75KD), albumina (66KD), antitripsina (60KD), haptoglobina (44KD) e glicoproteína ácida (38KD). As proteínas com pesos moleculares 12KD; 22KD; 25KD; 28KD; 32,5KD; 35KD; 53,5KD; 63KD e 72KD apareceram apenas nos ratos inoculados com T. evansi.

This study established the electrophoretic profile of serum proteins of Wistar rats experimentally infected with Tripanosoma evansi. For such, 40 rats were allocated into eight groups of five animals. A group was kept as control (G1) and the others (G2 to G8) were intraperitoneally inoculated with 1.0 x 10³ tripomastigote of T. evansi. Blood samples were collected at 5th (G2), 10th (G3), 15th (G4), 30th (G5), 45th (G6), 60th (G7), and 75th (G1 and G8) days after inoculation (DAI). The serum protein concentrations were determined by means of sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Thirty-one distinct proteins were identified, seven of these were identified as acute phase proteins: ceruloplasmin (110KD), hemopexin (83KD), transferrin (75KD), albumin (66KD), antitrypsin (60KD), haptoglobin (44KD), and acid glycoprotein (38KD). The proteins with molecular weights 12KD; 22KD; 25KD; 28KD; 32,5KD; 35KD; 53,5KD; 63KD, and 72KD were found only in infected rats.

Experimental Trypanosoma evansi infection in donkeys: hematological, biochemical and histopathological changes

Five adult donkeys were experimentally infected with Brazilian strain of Trypanosoma evansi originally isolated from a naturally infected dog to study the hematological biochemical and histopathological alterations during the evolution of the disease. The course of the experimental infection was followed up to 145 days. Hematological analyses of the infected donkeys revealed a marked decline in hemoglobin, packed-cell volume, and erythrocyte count. Anemia was observed after successive peaks of parasitemia. Biochemical analyses showed increased levels of icterus index, serum globulins and decreased serum albumin and glucose values. All infected donkeys revealed enlargement of spleen and its white pulp, enlargement of mediastinal lymph nodes and lungs congestion. The main histopathological features consisted of meningoencephalitis. Demyelination in some areas of the cerebellum pediculus and neuropil vacuolization were observed. This study showed that donkeys infected with a Brazilian strain of T. evansi developed a chronic disease.

Cinco jumentos, adultos foram infectados experimentalmente com cepa brasileira de Trypanosoma evansi, isolada de um cão naturalmente infectado, com o intuito de observar as alterações hematológicas, bioquímicas e histopatológicas durante a evolução da enfermidade. O curso da infecção experimental foi de 145 dias. Análise hematológica dos jumentos infectados revelou declínio nos valores de hemoglobina, hematócrito e contagem total de eritrócitos. Notou-se anemia após sucessivos picos de parasitemia. Análise bioquímica indicou aumento dos níveis de índice ictérico, globulinas séricas e diminuição dos valores séricos de albumina e glicose. Todos os jumentos infectados apresentaram aumento do baço e de sua polpa branca, aumento de linfonodos mediastínicos e congestão pulmonar. Meningoencefalite foi o principal achado histopatológico. Em algumas áreas do pedículo cerebelar foram observadas desmielinização, além de vacuolização do neurópilo. O estudo mostrou que jumentos infectados com a cepa brasileira do T. evansi desenvolveram doença crônica.

Características físico-químicas e citológicas do líquido sinovial da bainha tendínea digital de eqüinos / Physical, biochemical and cytological characteristics of the equine digital flexor tendon sheath synovial fluid

Foram estudadas as características físico-químicas e citológicas do líquido sinovial da bainha tendínea digital de nove eqüinos hígidos. Verificou-se que o líquido é viscoso, amarelo claro, límpido, livre de partículas e que não coagula à temperatura ambiente. Sua concentração média de ácido hialurônico foi 60,20mg/dl, a taxa de glicose, similar à plasmática e sua concentração protéica não ultrapassou 1,74g/dl, com relação média albumina:globulina de 0,94. O número médio de células nucleadas foi de 313 células/æl, com predominância de grandes células mononucleares e linfócitos. Houve correlação significativa (r = - 0,649, P<0,01) entre o aumento da concentração de ácido hialurônico e a diminuição percentual de linfócitos. As mensurações das características pesquisadas no líquido sinovial da bainha tendínea digital de eqüinos são de execução simples e passíveis de implantação na rotina de atendimentos clínico-cirúrgicos.

Estudo clínico, cirúrgico e anatomopatológico de intussuscepçäo em quatro bovinos / Clinical, surgical, and anatomopathologic study of four intussusception cases in cattle

Descrevem-se os achados clínico, cirúrgico e anatomopatológico de intussuscepçäo em quatro bovinos fêmeas. Observaram-se intussuscepçäo do jejuno, com obstruçäo total, em três animais, e intussuscepçäo do cólon, com obstruçäo parcial, em um animal. A presença de parasitismo intenso por Oesophagostomum sp. em dois animais sugere a participaçäo desse parasita na gênese da intussuscepçäo