DETERMINATION OF ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF CHLORHEXIDINE GEL.

Many researchers have advocated in recent times that antiseptic use in healing wounds should be discouraged. Antiseptics have been found to retard healing of wounds. Poloxamer 407 shows thermoreversible properties, which are of the utmost interest in optimizing drug formulation (fluid state at room temperature facilitating administration and gel state above sol-gel transition temperature, at body temperature, promoting prolonged release of pharmacological agents). Chlorhexidine, a commonly used antiseptic, is known to be less toxic on granulation cells. Acting as an antiseptic, it is an effective bactericidal agent against the most categories of microbes, including bacteria, yeast, and viruses. Objective of this study was to evaluate antimicrobial activ- ity of chlorhexidine containing poloxamer gel to Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria in vitro. Chlorhexidine gels and chlorhexidine aqueous solutions have different antibacterial activity to S. amis, E.faecalis, E. coli and P. aemginosa strains in vitro. It depends on concentration and dosage form of antiseptic. Study results confirmed that antimicrobial activity of gel depends on active ingredient concentration in antiseptic. The best inhibition effect for both of reference and wild-type bacteria was obtained for 1% chlorhexidine gel. Summarizing the results and assessing the characteristics of the gel ingredients, it can be suggested using chlorhexidine gels in veterinary medicine.

Effects of Medetomidine-Butorphanol and Medetomidine-Buprenorphine on Oxidative Stress and Vital Parameters in Dogs Undergoing Ovariohysterectomy.

Oxidative stress (OS) is caused by an imbalance between the production of oxygen-containing free radicals and their elimination. General anesthesia increases the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and therefore causes oxidative stress. Our objective was to determine the effects of medetomidine-butorphanol (MEDBUT) and medetomidine-buprenorphine (MEDBUP) on oxidative stress and cardiorespiratory parameters in dogs undergoing ovariohysterectomy (OHE). Ten healthy female dogs were randomly assigned to two groups: the MEDBUT group (n = 5) received medetomidine and butorphanol, while the MEDBUP group (n = 5) received medetomidine and buprenorphine. OS was evaluated by measuring total antioxidant status (TAS), total oxidant status (TOS), and oxidative stress index (OSI) during five different time points (from the administration of anesthetic drugs to 2 h after surgery). The observed vital cardiorespiratory parameters included heart rate (HR), respiratory rate (fR), noninvasive systolic (SAP) and diastolic (DAP) arterial blood pressures, oxygen saturation (SpO2), end-tidal CO2 (EtCO2), and body temperature (BT). Cardiorespiratory parameters were altered at a significantly greater degree in animals sedated with MEDBUT (p < 0.05). The administration of medetomidine-butorphanol was more likely to increase OS parameters, while medetomidine-buprenorphine showed decreased levels of oxidative stress throughout the study.

A Comparative Study of the Chemical Properties and Antibacterial Activity of Four Different Ozonated Oils for Veterinary Purposes.

Infectious skin diseases are quite common in veterinary medicine. These diseases can be caused by both bacteria and pathogenic fungi. Antimicrobial drugs are usually used for treatment. An alternative to these drugs could be ozonated oils with antibacterial and antifungal properties. Four different ozonated oils (linseed, hemp seed, sunflower, and olive) were tested in order to develop an optimal pharmaceutical form for the treatment of skin infections in animals. Chemical parameters such as acid and acidity value, iodine and peroxide value, viscosity, and infrared spectres were analysed. The ozonation of oils resulted in changes in their chemical composition. The antimicrobial activity of the tested oils was evaluated by determining the minimum inhibitory concentrations and zones of inhibition in agar. After ozonation, the acid content increased in all the tested oils. The highest acidity was found in linseed oil (13.00 ± 0.11 mg KOH/g; 6.1%). Hemp oil, whose acidity was also significant (second only to linseed oil), was the least acidified by ozonation (11.45 ± 0.09 mg KOH/g; 5.75%). After ozonation, the iodine value in oils was significantly reduced (45-93%), and the highest amounts of iodine value remained in linseed (47.50 ± 11.94 g Iodine/100 g oil) and hemp (44.77 ± 1.41 Iodine/100 g oil) oils. The highest number of peroxides after the ozonation of oils was found in sunflower oil (382 ± 9.8 meqO2/kg). It was found that ozonated hemp and linseed oils do not solidify and remain in liquid form when the temperature drops. The results showed a tendency for the reference strains of S. aureus, E. faecalis, and E. coli to have broader zones of inhibition (p < 0.001) than clinical strains. Overall, ozonated linseed oil had the highest antibacterial activity, and ozonated olive oil had the lowest, as determined by both methods. It was found that ozonated linseed oil was the most effective on bacteria, while the most sensitive were S. aureus ATCC 25923, MRSA, and S. pseudointermedius (MIC 13.5 mg/mL, 4.6 mg/mL, and 13.5 mg/mL, respectively, and sterile zones 20.67 ± 0.98 mm, 20.25 ± 0.45 mm, and 18.25 ± 0.45 mm, respectively). The aim and new aspect of this work is the characterisation of selected ozonated vegetable oils, especially hemp oil, according to chemical and antibacterial parameters, in order to select suitable candidates for preclinical and clinical animal studies in the treatment of bacterial or fungal skin infections in terms of safety and efficacy.

Changes in Parameters Registered by Innovative Technologies in Cows with Subclinical Acidosis.

The hypothesis of this study was that there were changes in biomarkers registered by innovative technologies in cows with subclinical acidosis. The aim of this study was to identify changes in the in-line milk fat-to-protein ratio and cow feeding behaviors such as reticulorumen pH, reticulorumen temperature, cow activity, and water intake with subclinical acidosis. From a total of 98 cows, 59 cows were selected to meet the following criteria (2 or more lactations, with 31 days in milk (DIM)). The selected animals were separated into two groups based on general clinical examination and reticulorumen pH: the subclinical acidosis group (SCA, n = 23) and the healthy group (HC, n = 36). During the diagnosis of subclinical acidosis and following the clinical examination of the healthy group using the BROLIS HerdLine system, the daily averages of milk yield (kg/day), milk fat (%), milk protein (%), and the milk fat-to-protein ratio were recorded. Simultaneously, by using Smaxtec technology, reticulorumen parameters and cow activity, including pH, temperature (°C), rumination time (minutes/day), and water intake (hours/day), were registered. Changes in parameters measured using innovative technologies were able to identify cows with subclinical acidosis. Cows with subclinical acidosis had a lower reticulorumen pH by 18.8% (p < 0.0001), a decreased milk yield by 10.49% (p < 0.001), a lower milk fat-to-protein ratio by 11.88% (p < 0.01), and a decreased rumination time by 6.59% (p < 0.01). However, the activity of these cows was higher by 57.19% (p < 0.001) compared to healthy cows. From a practical point of view, we suggest that veterinarians and farmers track parameters such as reticulorumen pH, milk yield, milk fat-to-protein ratio, rumination time, and activity for the identification of subclinical acidosis.

Osteochondral Repair and Electromechanical Evaluation of Custom 3D Scaffold Microstructured by Direct Laser Writing Lithography.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to assess a novel 3D microstructured scaffold seeded with allogeneic chondrocytes (cells) in a rabbit osteochondral defect model. DESIGN: Direct laser writing lithography in pre-polymers was employed to fabricate custom silicon-zirconium containing hybrid organic-inorganic (HOI) polymer SZ2080 scaffolds of a predefined morphology. Hexagon-pored HOI scaffolds were seeded with chondrocytes (cells), and tissue-engineered cartilage biocompatibility, potency, efficacy, and shelf-life in vitro was assessed by morphological, ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) and PCR (polymerase chain reaction) analysis. Osteochondral defect was created in the weight-bearing area of medial femoral condyle for in vivo study. Polymerized fibrin was added to every defect of 5 experimental groups. Cartilage repair was analyzed after 6 months using macroscopical (Oswestry Arthroscopy Score [OAS]), histological, and electromechanical quantitative potential (QP) scores. Collagen scaffold (CS) was used as a positive comparator for in vitro and in vivo studies. RESULTS: Type II collagen gene upregulation and protein secretion was maintained up to 8 days in seeded HOI. In vivo analysis revealed improvement in all scaffold treatment groups. For the first time, electromechanical properties of a cellular-based scaffold were analyzed in a preclinical study. Cell addition did not enhance OAS but improved histological and QP scores in HOI groups. CONCLUSIONS: HOI material is biocompatible for up to 8 days in vitro and is supportive of cartilage formation at 6 months in vivo. Electromechanical measurement offers a reliable quality assessment of repaired cartilage.

Preclinical study of SZ2080 material 3D microstructured scaffolds for cartilage tissue engineering made by femtosecond direct laser writing lithography.

Over the last decade DLW employing ultrafast pulsed lasers has become a well-established technique for the creation of custom-made free-form three-dimensional (3D) microscaffolds out of a variety of materials ranging from proteins to biocompatible glasses. Its potential applications for manufacturing a patient's specific scaffold seem unlimited in terms of spatial resolution and geometry complexity. However, despite few exceptions in which live cells or primitive organisms were encapsulated into a polymer matrix, no demonstration of an in vivo study case of scaffolds generated with the use of such a method was performed. Here, we report a preclinical study of 3D artificial microstructured scaffolds out of hybrid organic-inorganic (HOI) material SZ2080 fabricated using the DLW technique. The created 2.1 × 2.1 × 0.21 mm(3) membrane constructs are tested both in vitro by growing isolated allogeneic rabbit chondrocytes (Cho) and in vivo by implanting them into rabbit organisms for one, three and six months. An ex vivo histological examination shows that certain pore geometry and the pre-growing of Cho prior to implantation significantly improves the performance of the created 3D scaffolds. The achieved biocompatibility is comparable to the commercially available collagen membranes. The successful outcome of this study supports the idea that hexagonal-pore-shaped HOI microstructured scaffolds in combination with Cho seeding may be successfully implemented for cartilage tissue engineering.

Trends in monitoring residues of prohibited pharmacologically active substances in primary products of animal origin in Lithuania and the European Union from 1999 to 2008.

Group A pharmacologically active substances monitoring data in the Republic of Lithuania (LR) during the period 1999-2008 are presented. Peer review is based on data taken from residue monitoring plans of the years 1999-2008 and the National Food and Veterinary Risk Assessment Institute (NFVRAI) reports on analyses performed in various foods. The data were analysed with the SPSS statistical package, using descriptive statistics and generalised linear modelling methods. Retrospective analysis of residue monitoring results showed that food processed from animal products presented no risk to consumers as regards to substances of Group A1, A2, A3, A4 and A5. One substance of Group A6 (chloramphenicol) was detected in bovine milk in 2003 (9%), 2006 (2%) and 2008 (1.4%). The decreasing trend is confirmed by statistical data analyses, where year of monitoring (P ≤ 0.0001), product (P ≤ 0.1) and their interaction (P ≤ 0.0001) proved the positive effect of the monitoring system.

[Preparation, analysis and anti-anemic action of peroral powders with ferrous oxalate. Ferosol-1]. / Geriamuju milteliu su gelezies (II) oksalatu gamyba, analize bei ju antianeminis poveikis. Ferosolis-1.

Investigation of new stable iron (II) compounds is still an actual problem of today. Therefore we synthesized ferrous oxalate and prepared a stable antianaemic powder Ferosol-1 including copper, zinc and cobalt. We used colour tests, precipitation reactions and paper chromatography for identification of components of this powder. Quantitative analysis of iron and other elements was performed using atomic absorption spectroscopy. We used Lichfield and Wilkinson method modificated by Roth to detect acute Ferosol-1 toxicity. To estimate a local action of this powder we used guinea pigs which were grouped into control and trial ones. We determined bioavailability of Ferosol-1 by giving it to rabbits with experimental posthemorrhagic anemia. Iron resorption was tested on 20-25 days old piglets. We also tried this drug on newborn piglets while atching their weight gain and calculation daily weight gain. This data was used to estimate indirect impact of Ferosol-1 on metabolism of piglets. According to our data Ferosol-1 is of low toxicity (LD50 = 2.25 g/kg), it does not irritate mucosa of duodenum and ventriculus and could be used orally. Iron from Ferosol-1 was found to be well assimilated and to take place in hemopoetic processes of rabbit. After administration of Ferosol-1 to piglets iron concentration in their serum increased from 35.03 +/- 0.66 to 54.88 +/- 6.63 mumol/l, hemoglobin concentration increased to 96.4 +/- 2.5 g/l, erythrocyte number increased to 4.4 +/- 0.14 x 10(12)/l. The same data of control piglets were respectively 83.7 +/- 3.1 g/l and 3.52 +/- 0.3 x 10(12)/l. According to our results Ferosol-1 is an effective drug for prevention of iron-deficiency anemia and causes slight weight gain of piglets.

[Preparation, analysis and anti-anemic action of peroral powders with ferrous oxalate. Ferosol. 2]. / Geriamuju milteliu su gelezies (II) oksalatu gamyba, analize bei ju antianeminis poveikis. Ferosolis-2.

Experiments with piglets showed good assimilation and metabolism of iron (II) in antianaemic powder Ferosol-1. In order to improve this drug, manganese, calcium (Ferosol-2, 1 composition) and ascorbic acid (Ferosol-2, 2 composition) were added. Manganese and ascorbic acid stimulate erythropoiesis and being strong reductants stabilize iron (II) on storage and in gastrointestinal tract. Components of Ferosol-2 were identified using colour, precipitation- and extraction tests, as well as paper chromatography and absorption spectroscopy. Quantitative analysis of microelements and ascorbic acid was performed using absorption spectroscopy, extraction photometry and iodometric titration methods. Ferosol-2 proved to be more stable than Ferosol-1. Lichfield and Wilkinson method modificated by Roth was used for detection of acute toxicity of Ferosol-2. A local action was estimated on quine pigs. Iron resorption was on 20 days old piglets. Antianaemic effectiveness of Ferosol-2 was evaluated on newborn piglets watching their weight. Experiments with white mice showed low toxicity of Ferosol-2 (LD50 = 4.3 g/kg, for 1 composition and 4.6 g/kg for 2 composition). It does not irritate mucosa of duodenum and ventriculus. Iron in Ferosol-2 was found to be well assimilated in gastrointestinal tract of piglets, easily gets into blood and joins albumen of plasma. After administration of Ferosol-2 to piglets increased iron concentration in blood serum was observed for 3 hours (1 composition) and 6 hours (2 composition). Experimental data showed increased resorption of iron in Ferosol-2, 2 composition due to ascorbic acid. Components of Ferosol-2 are well assimilated and join erythropoetic processes. Ferosol-2 leads to quicker weight gain as well as significantly higher amount of hemoglobin and red blood cells in piglets.