Testicular perfusion after standing laparoscopic peritoneal flap hernioplasty in stallions.

Acquired inguinal herniation is a very common condition in stallions, usually leading to unilateral or bilateral castration to prevent future recurrence. Recently, several surgical techniques such as the standing laparoscopic peritoneal flap hernioplasty (SLPFH) have been developed to avoid herniation recurrence and also preserve the breeding activity of high economic value stallions. However, studies on SLPFH lack more comprehensive and systematic data about reproductive-related adverse effects and outcomes. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether SLPFH of the internal inguinal rings produces changes in the testicular blood flow in a 1-year follow-up. For that purpose, six healthy stallions were used and testicular blood flow was assessed before, 3, 6, and 12 months (T0, T3, T6, and T12) after the procedure. Blood flow was evaluated ultrasonographically, using the pulsed-wave color Doppler mode. Peak systolic velocity, end-diastolic velocity, the time-averaged maximum velocity, and the derived indexes (resistive index) and pulsatility index) of the testicular artery were measured in two localizations: in the spermatic cord and on the caudal epididymal edge of the testicle. On the spermatic cord, the peak systolic velocity of the testicular artery increased significantly at T12. However, on the epididymal edge location of the artery, the pulsatility and resistive indexes were decreased at T12 (P < 0.05). This pattern of blood flow was related to a hyperemic process. Furthermore, SLPFH might have compressed the spermatic cord, causing a slight occlusion of the testicular artery and triggering a compensatory hyperemia to compensate the deficit of blood flow that supplies the testes. The SLPFH of the internal inguinal ring affected the testicular perfusion in stallions in a 1 year follow-up, although there was no effect on sperm production during this time. The spectral Doppler ultrasound is a useful tool to asses the testicular perfusion after reproductive surgical procedure and provides information which anticipates vascular supply compromise of the stallion testicles.

Development of a technique for standing hand-assisted laparoscopic splenectomy in five horses.

OBJECTIVES: To develop an experimental standing hand-assisted laparoscopic splenectomy (HALS) technique, report the associated peri-operative complications and document the short-term surgical outcomes. METHODS AND RESULTS: Five healthy 300-470 kg horses that underwent standing HALS. Spleens of different weights (2.25-7.0 kg) were removed using this technique. The main complication during surgery was difficulty sectioning the gastrosplenic ligament. The postoperative complications included adhesions of the colon to the nephrosplenic ligament stump and incisional discharge in two horses. CONCLUSIONS: Standing HALS is a feasible experimental procedure for medium-sized horses, which avoids rib excision and general anaesthesia, but requires further development.

Use of colour and spectral Doppler ultrasonography in stallion andrology.

Doppler ultrasonography is an important tool in the andrological evaluation in humans; however, this method is not so extensively used by equine andrologists. Spectral or pulse Doppler is a useful non-invasive method for the early diagnosis of subfertility problems in the male, especially those triggered by vascular disturbance. The identification of any disturbance in the blood flow of the testis is crucial for a correct diagnosis of various testicular and scrotal disorders but also to monitor the therapeutic outcome following treatment. The aim of this review is to provide an update on the current use of colour and spectral Doppler ultrasound in stallion andrology, and to promote the use of this technique during the soundness reproductive examination of the stallion, as this particular branch of reproductive medicine is receiving increasing interest.

Caspase activation, hydrogen peroxide production and Akt dephosphorylation occur during stallion sperm senescence.

To investigate the mechanisms inducing sperm death after ejaculation, stallion ejaculates were incubated in BWW media during 6 h at 37°C. At the beginning of the incubation period and after 1, 2, 4 and 6 h sperm motility and kinematics (CASA), mitochondrial membrane potential and membrane permeability and integrity were evaluated (flow cytometry). Also, at the same time intervals, active caspase 3, hydrogen peroxide, superoxide anion (flow cytometry) and Akt phosphorylation (flow cytometry) were evaluated. Major decreases in sperm function occurred after 6 h of incubation, although after 1 h decrease in the percentages of motile and progressive motile sperm occurred. The decrease observed in sperm functionality after 6 h of incubation was accompanied by a significant increase in the production of hydrogen peroxide and the greatest increase in caspase 3 activity. Additionally, the percentage of phosphorylated Akt reached a minimum after 6 h of incubation. These results provide evidences that sperm death during in vitro incubation is largely an apoptotic phenomena, probably stimulated by endogenous production of hydrogen peroxide and the lack of prosurvival factors maintaining Akt in a phosphorylated status. Disclosing molecular mechanisms leading to sperm death may help to develop new strategies for stallion sperm conservation.

4-Alkylidenyl glutamic acids, potent and selective GluR5 agonists.

Twenty-four 4-alkylidene glutamic acids were synthesised and tested as potential subtype selective GluR5 and 6 ligands. It was found that a critical size of alkylidene group gave potent and selective GluR5 receptor agonists. LY339624 had Kis of 0.0326 and >100 microM on GluR5 and 6 receptors, respectively.

4-Alkyl- and 4-cinnamylglutamic acid analogues are potent GluR5 kainate receptor agonists.

Enantiomerically pure (2S,4R)-4-substituted glutamic acids were prepared and tested for homomeric GluR5 and GluR6 kainate subtype receptor affinity. Some of the 4-cinnamyl analogues showed high selectivity and potency (K(i) < 25 nM) for the GluR5 receptors. The greatest selectivity and potency were achieved with the 3-(2-naphthyl)prop-2-enyl compound. This compound, LY339434, has negligible activity at the AMPA and kainate receptors GluR1, -2, -4 and -6. Although, LY339434 shows agonist activity at NMDA receptors in cultural hippocampal neurons (approximate EC(50) of 2.5 microM), we consider that LY339434 should be a useful pharmacological tool for the investigation of the functional role of GluR5 kainate receptors.

Short synthesis and anti-rhinoviral activity of imidazo[1,2-a]pyridines: the effect of acyl groups at 3-position.

Various 2-amino-3-acyl-6-[(E)-1-phenyl-2-N-methylcarbamoylvinyl]-imidazo[1 ,2-a]pyridines, structurally related to Enviroxime were prepared to determine the effect of acyl groups on the anti-rhinoviral activity. A short and efficient means for the construction of the imidazo nucleus as well as biological evaluation of the final compounds are disclosed.

(2S,4S)-amino-4-(2,2-diphenylethyl)pentanedioic acid selective group 2 metabotropic glutamate receptor antagonist.

(2S,4S)-2-Amino-4-(4,4-diphenylbut-1-yl)-pentane-1,5-dioic acid 1m, is a novel metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR) antagonist with insignificant ionotropic affinity. It is selective antagonist of negatively-coupled cAMP-linked mGluRs with no effect on phosphoinositide coupled mGluRs. A series of 4-substituted glutamic acid analogues were prepared and it was found that compound 1k is tenfold more potent than 1m. Compound 1k has neither significant affinity for ionotropic glutamate receptors nor group 1 and 3 metabotropic receptors.

2,3'-disubstituted-2-(2'-carboxycyclopropyl)glycines as potent and selective antagonists of metabotropic glutamate receptors.

2-(9-Xanthylmethyl)-2-(2'-carboxycyclopropyl) glycine 6e is a novel metabotropic glutamate receptor antagonist. A series of alpha, C-3' disubstituted (carboxycyclopropyl)glycines 6f-n were prepared. Antagonist activity was observed for all these compounds at group 2 and group 3 mGluRs. Although they were slightly less active on group 2 mGluRs than non C-3' substituted 6e, the compounds 6f-n were more selective with lesser or no activity on group 1 mGluR subtypes (IC50 values greater than 100 microns).

Proteinase inhibition of fish muscle enzymes using legume seed extracts.

Seed extracts from indigenous and introduced legumes were prepared and used to search for inhibitors of fish muscle proteinases. Fish flesh extracts were prepared from samples of Merluccius productus (Pacific whiting or merluza) obtained off the Oregon coast and in the Gulf of California, respectively. The proteinase activity in the fish muscle for the Pacific whiting was the highest, followed by parasitized merluza. The lowest proteinase activity was for the nonparasitized merluza. Six out of 12 seed extracts reduced the proteinase activity from the fish flesh by more than 50%. The reduction of enzyme activity was higher for samples of fish flesh extracts from the Gulf of California than for the Oregon samples. Seed extracts also reduced the proteinase activity of commercial serine and cysteine proteinases such as trypsin, chymotrypsin, and papain. This inhibitory capacity was maintained even after heating the seed extracts to 90 degrees C for 15 min. Several seed extracts show promise for use as proteinase inhibitors during production of surimi, the intended commercial product of massive fisheries such as Pacific whiting or merluza.

[Phage count in the waters of the Canal Imperial de Aragón and the Ebro River in Saragossa]. / Recuento de fagos en aguas del Canal Imperial de Aragón y del río Ebro en Zaragoza.

Saragossa city supply channel and the river Ebro (up and downstream urban sewage) were studied for the presence of coliphages and B. fragilis phages and their relationship with the bacterian faecal indicators. In the supply channel the coliphages geometric mean was of 130 ufp/100 ml, and showed no correlation with faecal and total coliforms, but it showed indirect correlation with ambient temperature. In the river Ebro the coliphages geometric mean ranged from 290 to 8,000 ufp/100 ml; the relationship with total and faecal coliforms and faecal streptococci was high, but they were temperature independent. With the methodology utilized B. fragilis phages only were recovered in samples with faecal coliforms levels > 1 x 10(4) ufc/100 ml.

[Microbiological study of 30 samples of heroin]. / Estudio microbiológico de 30 muestras de heroína.

In the present study, 30 samples of heroin from material seized by the police in Vizcaya from 7-1-1987 to 6-30-1988 were investigated. Bacillus spp were isolated in 19 samples (63.3%), coagulase negative staphylococci in 14 (46.6%), Aspergillus in 3 (10%) and S. aureus in one (3.33%). In addition, chemical analysis of the purity of heroin was carried out with gas chromatography. The purity of the samples ranged from 1.1% to 94.3%. No relation was found between the weight of the sample, its purity and its degree of microbiological contamination. In the microbiological study of 4 lemons used to dissolve the drug, Candida krusei was isolated from three samples, Aspergillus in two and Geotrichum in one.