Determination of Efficacy of Single and Double 4.7 mg Deslorelin Acetate Implant on the Reproductive Activity of Female Pond Sliders (Trachemys scripta).

The use of long-acting gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists to suppress fertility has been poorly investigated in reptiles, and the few available studies show inconsistent results. The efficacy of single and double intramuscular 4.7 mg deslorelin acetate implants in captive pond sliders (Trachemys scripta) was investigated, with 20 animals divided into three groups: a single-implant group (6 animals), a double-implant group (6 animals), and a control group (no implant). During one reproductive season (March to October), plasmatic concentration of sexual hormones (estradiol, progesterone, and testosterone) and ovarian morphometric activity via computed tomography were monitored about every 30 days. A significative decrease in the number of phase II ovarian follicles was detected in the double-implant group compared with the control group, but no significant difference was noted in the number of phase III and phase IV follicles, egg production, and plasmatic concentration of sexual hormones. Results show that neither a single nor a double deslorelin acetate implant can successfully inhibit reproduction in female pond sliders during the ongoing season, but the lower number of phase II follicles in the double-implant group can possibly be associated with reduced fertility in the following seasons.

Analytic variability in the enumeration of neutrophil subpopulations in canine blood.

BACKGROUND: Conventional differential leukocyte counts do not enumerate hyposegmented neutrophils (Hypo-PMN), ie, immature neutrophils that already lost the band morphology but are not yet completely segmented. They may be early indicators of acute inflammation. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the analytic variability of counts of segmented neutrophils (Seg-PMN), band neutrophils (Band), hyposegmented neutrophils (Hypo-PMN), non-Bands (Hypo-PMN + Seg-PMN), and Young-PMN (Bands + Hypo-PMN) assess if Hypo- or Young-PMN identify inflammation better than Bands. METHODS: Neutrophil subpopulations were counted by 2 observers on 2 sets of 100 cells in 267 blood smears from dogs with changes potentially consistent with inflammation to calculate the intra- and inter-observer variability. RESULTS: Median intra-observer CVs were < 5.0% for Seg-PMN and non-Bands, and 20.0% and 28.0% for Hypo-PMN and Young-PMN for observer 1 and 2, respectively; median inter-observer CVs for Seg-PMN, non-Bands, Hypo-PMN, and Young-PMN were 4.6%, 5.0%, 60.0%, and 47.1%, respectively. Median CV of Band counts in blood smears with bands was 141%. CONCLUSIONS: The analytic variability of Hypo- and Young-PMN is lower than that of Bands. This retrospective study did not allow us to investigate the diagnostic potential or the clinical relevance of these cells. However, the low inter- and intra-observer variabilities with these cell populations suggest that the count of Hypo- or Young-PMN may better identify acute inflammation than the count of Bands.