Neurobrucellosis in a common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) stranded in the Canary Islands.

BACKGROUND: Brucella spp. isolation is increasingly reported in cetaceans, although associated pathologies, including lesions of the musculoskeletal and nervous systems, are less frequently described. Concerning the nervous system, Brucella sp. infection causing meningitis, meningoencephalitis or meningoencephalomyelitis have been extensively reported in striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba), and less frequently in other cetacean species. CASE PRESENTATION: A juvenile female common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) was found stranded alive in Lanzarote (Canary Islands, Spain) in 2005, but died shortly after. On physical examination, the dolphin showed a moderate body condition and was classified as code 2 (fresh dead) at the time of necropsy. The main gross findings were severe multiorgan parasitism, thickened and congested leptomeninges, and (sero)fibrino-suppurative and proliferative arthritis of the shoulder joint. Histopathological examination revealed the distinct features of a sub-acute systemic disease associated with Cetacean Morbillivirus (CeMV) infection. However, brain lesions diverged from those reported in systemic CeMV infection. This led to suspect that there was a coinfecting pathogen, based on the characteristics of the inflammatory response and the lesion distribution pattern in the central nervous system. Brucella sp. was detected in the brain tissue by PCR and Brucella antigen was demonstrated by immunohistochemistry in the brain and shoulder joint lesions. CONCLUSIONS: The zoonotic potential of marine mammal strains of Brucella has been demonstrated both in natural and laboratory conditions. In this study, PCR detected Brucella sp. in the brain of a common bottlenose dolphin stranded in the Canary Islands; the dolphin was also co-infected with CeMV. This is the first detection of Brucella sp. infection in a stranded cetacean in this archipelago. Therefore, we stress the importance of taking adequate measures during the handling of these species to prevent the transmissions of the infection to humans.

Boron Toxicity Reduces Water Transport from Root to Shoot in Arabidopsis Plants. Evidence for a Reduced Transpiration Rate and Expression of Major PIP Aquaporin Genes.

Toxic boron (B) concentrations cause impairments in several plant metabolic and physiological processes. Recently we reported that B toxicity led to a decrease in the transpiration rate of Arabidopsis plants in an ABA-dependent process within 24 h, which could indicate the occurrence of an adjustment of whole-plant water relations in response to this stress. Since plasma membrane intrinsic protein (PIP) aquaporins are key components influencing the water balance of plants because of their involvement in root water uptake and tissue hydraulic conductance, the aim of the present work was to study the effects of B toxicity on these important parameters affecting plant water status over a longer period of time. For this purpose, transpiration rate, water transport to the shoot and transcript levels of genes encoding four major PIP aquaporins were measured in Arabidopsis plants treated or not with a toxic B concentration. Our results indicate that, during the first 24 h of B toxicity, increased shoot ABA content would play a key role in reducing stomatal conductance, transpiration rate and, consequently, the water transport to the shoot. These physiological responses to B toxicity were maintained for up to 48 h of B toxicity despite shoot ABA content returning to control levels. In addition, B toxicity also caused the down-regulation of several genes encoding root and shoot aquaporins, which could reduce the cell to cell movement of water in plant tissues and, consequently, the water flux to shoot. All these changes in the water balance of plants under B toxicity could be a mechanism to prevent excess B accumulation in plant tissues.

Cetaceans Humerus Radiodensity by CT: A Useful Technique Differentiating between Species, Ecophysiology, and Age.

Cetaceans are mammals that underwent a series of evolutionary adaptations to live in the aquatic environment, including morphological modifications of various anatomical structures of the skeleton and their bone mineral density (BMD); there are few studies on the latter. BMD is related to the radiodensity measured through computed tomography (CT) in Hounsfield units (HU). This work aimed to test and validate the usefulness of studying humeral bone radiodensity by CT of two cetacean species (the Atlantic spotted dolphin and the pygmy sperm whale) with different swimming and diving habits. The radiodensity was analysed at certain levels following a new protocol based on a review of previous studies. Humeral radiodensity values were related to four aspects: species, diving behaviour, swimming activity level, and age. We observed that the consistent differences in the radiodensity of the cortical bone of the distal epiphysis between animals of different life-history categories suggest that this bone portion could be particularly useful for future ontogenetic studies. Hence, this technique may be helpful in studying and comparing species with different ecophysiologies, particularly distinguishing between swimming and diving habits.

Pulmonary and Systemic Skeletal Muscle Embolism in a Beaked Whale with a Massive Trauma of Unknown Aetiology.

An adult female Sowerby's beaked whale was found floating dead in Hermigua (La Gomera, Canary Islands, Spain) on 7 December 2016. Severe traumas of unknown aetiology were attributed, and the gross and microscopic findings are consistent with catastrophic trauma as a cause of death. Rib fractures affected the intercostals, transverse thoracis skeletal muscles, and thoracic rete mirabile. Degenerated muscle fibres were extruded to flow into vascular and lymphatic vessels travelling to several anatomic locations into the thoracic cavity, including the lungs, where they occluded the small lumen of pulmonary microvasculature. A pulmonary and systemic skeletal muscle embolism was diagnosed, constituting the first description of this kind of embolism in an animal. The only previous description has been reported in a woman after peritoneal dialysis. Skeletal pulmonary embolism should be considered a valuable diagnostic for different types of trauma in vivo in wild animals. This is especially valuable when working with decomposed carcasses, as in those cases, it is not always feasible to assess other traumatic evidence.

A Study on the Pathological Effects of Trypanorhyncha Cestodes in Dusky Groupers Epinephelus marginatus from the Canary Islands.

Trypanorhyncha are cestodes commonly infecting marine fish. Numerous studies have detailed the biology of Trypanorhyncha species, but information on the pathological changes produced by these parasites is limited. Dusky groupers are keystone species necessary for the preservation of several marine ecosystems. Considering their vulnerable state of conservation and the efforts being made to culture them, identification of the effects caused by Trypanorhyncha is vital. Here, we aimed to determine the prevalence and pathological changes produced by Trypanorhyncha in dusky groupers from the Canary Islands. The prevalence of trypanorhynch plerocerci was 96%. Grossly, in the abdominal cavity, there were numerous larvae-filled cysts and nodules. These were embedded in abundant fibrosis, producing visceral adhesions. Histologically, affecting the peritoneum, stomach, and intestine there were numerous degenerated encysted plerocerci and extensive deposition of mature connective tissue. These findings indicate that Trypanorhyncha is highly prevalent in adult dusky groupers from the Canary Islands, producing a progressive and chronic response. Furthermore, fish immune system appears to attempt to eliminate the parasites through fibrous encapsulation. Nonetheless, extensive fibrosis may have a detrimental impact on fish health when adjacent cells or tissues are compressed and their functions impaired.

Myoglobin Concentration and Oxygen Stores in Different Functional Muscle Groups from Three Small Cetacean Species.

Compared with terrestrial mammals, marine mammals possess increased muscle myoglobin concentrations (Mb concentration, g Mb · 100g-1 muscle), enhancing their onboard oxygen (O2) stores and their aerobic dive limit. Although myoglobin is not homogeneously distributed, cetacean muscle O2 stores have been often determined by measuring Mb concentration from a single muscle sample (longissimus dorsi) and multiplying that value by the animal's locomotor muscle or total muscle mass. This study serves to determine the accuracy of previous cetacean muscle O2 stores calculations. For that, body muscles from three delphinid species: Delphinus delphis, Stenella coeruleoalba, and Stenella frontalis, were dissected and weighed. Mb concentration was calculated from six muscles/muscle groups (epaxial, hypaxial and rectus abdominis; mastohumeralis; sternohyoideus; and dorsal scalenus), each representative of different functional groups (locomotion powering swimming, pectoral fin movement, feeding and respiration, respectively). Results demonstrated that the Mb concentration was heterogeneously distributed, being significantly higher in locomotor muscles. Locomotor muscles were the major contributors to total muscle O2 stores (mean 92.8%) due to their high Mb concentration and large muscle masses. Compared to this method, previous studies assuming homogenous Mb concentration distribution likely underestimated total muscle O2 stores by 10% when only considering locomotor muscles and overestimated them by 13% when total muscle mass was considered.

Comparative morphology, histology, and cytology of odontocete cetaceans prostates.

The prostate is the only male accessory gland in cetaceans. However, little is known about this organ in these species. Anatomical and histological characteristics of the prostate have been described in only a few cetacean species, further, one study reported a high incidence of prostatic pathologies in cetaceans that may impair reproduction. The objective of this work was to describe and compare the morphological, histological, and cytological characteristics of the prostate in different odontocete cetaceans. To this end, the prostate glands of 47 animals from nine different species of cetaceans were macroscopically and microscopically studied. Members of the families Delphinidae, Ziphiidae, and Physeteridae were included. In general, the prostate appeared as a musculo-glandular organ with two distinct parts-the Corpus prostatae and the Pars disseminata prostatae. In the pygmy sperm whale (Kogia breviceps) and the Cuvier's beaked whale (Ziphius cavirostris), the prostate was a discrete gland with a small Corpus prostatae. Microscopically, the prostates of different delphinids species shared similarities; however, the prostate of the pygmy sperm whale revealed significant histological differences compared to those of the delphinids. Immunohistochemical analysis was performed using low- and high-molecular-weight cytokeratin, vimentin, and prostatic specific antigen commercial antibodies. Electron microscopy analysis was performed on the prostate of a bottlenose dolphin and the cytomorphological differences among the major epithelial components of the prostatic epithelium were described. Anat Rec, 2019. © 2019 American Association for Anatomy Anat Rec, 303:2036-2053, 2020. © 2019 American Association for Anatomy.

Retrospective Study of Fishery Interactions in Stranded Cetaceans, Canary Islands.

Estimating cetacean interactions with fishery activities is challenging. Bycatch and chronic entanglements are responsible for thousands of cetacean deaths per year globally. This study represents the first systematic approach to the postmortem investigation of fishery interactions in stranded cetaceans in the Canary Islands. We retrospectively studied 586 cases necropsied between January 2000 and December 2018. Of the cases with a known cause of death, 7.4% (32/453) were due to fishery interactions, and the Atlantic spotted dolphin (Stenella frontalis) was the most affected species [46.9% (15/32)]. Three types of fishery interactions were recognized by gross findings: bycatch [65.6% (21/32)], chronic entanglements [18.8% (6/32)], and fishermen aggression [15.6% (5/32)]. Among the bycaught cases, we differentiated the dolphins that died because of ingestion of longline hooks [23.8% (5/21)] from those that died because of fishing net entrapments [76.2% (16/21)], including dolphins that presumably died at depth due to peracute underwater entrapment (PUE) [37.5% (6/16)], dolphins that were hauled out alive and suffered additional trauma during handling [43.8% (7/16)], and those that were released alive but became stranded and died because of fishery interactions [18.7% (3/16)]. Gross and histologic findings of animals in each group were presented and compared. The histological approach confirmed gross lesions and excluded other possible causes of death. Cetaceans in good-fair body condition and shallow diving species were significantly more affected by fishery interactions, in agreement with the literature. Low rates of fishery interactions have been described, compared with other regions. However, within the last few years, sightings of entangled live whales, especially the minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) and Bryde's whale (B. edeni), have increased. This study contributes to further improvement of the evaluation of different types of fishery interactions and may facilitate the enforcement of future conservation policies to preserve cetacean populations in the Canary Islands.

Congenital hamartoma of the scalp with meningothelial, sebaceus, muscular, and immature glandular components.

A 4-month-old boy presented with a congenital, solitary, yellowish-red, eroded tumor on the scalp, histologically characterized by an ectopic proliferation of vascular and meningothelial elements intimately admixed with mature connective-tissue elements, adipose tissue, and smooth-muscular fibers. In addition, the presence of characteristic histopathological features of a nevus sebaceus and areas with immature glandular differentiation were observed. The diagnosis of a congenital hamartoma of the scalp with meningothelial, sebaceus, immature glandular, and muscular components was established. We review the heterogeneous group of cutaneous lesions with meningothelial elements and their pathogenesis.

Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging features of the temporomandibular joint in two normal camels.

Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) image features of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and associated structures in two mature dromedary camels were obtained with a third-generation equipment CT and a superconducting magnet RM at 1.5 Tesla. Images were acquired in sagittal and transverse planes. Medical imaging processing with imaging software was applied to obtain postprocessing CT and MR images. Relevant anatomic structures were identified and labelled. The resulting images provided excellent anatomic detail of the TMJ and associated structures. Annotated CT and MR images from this study are intended as an anatomical reference useful in the interpretation for clinical CT and MR imaging studies of the TMJ of the dromedary camels.

Paraganglioma extraprostático / Periprostatic paraganglioma

En revisión multicéntrica de marzo 1994 a febrero 2003 se evaluaron 4.882 biopsias de la celda prostática. La edad promedio fue 64,5 años. En dos pacientes de 70 y 72 años de edad, (0,04 por ciento) el diagnóstico fue paraganglioma paraprostático. La clínica fue síndrome obstructivo urinario bajo en un caso y asintomático el otro, con PSA menor a 4ng-ml. El tacto rectal presentó próstatas aumentadas de tamaño. La ecografía constató agrandamiento prostático simétrico y la presencia de una lesión focal sólida paraprostática de 12 x 15 mm en un paciente y de 15 x 20 mm en el otro. Se realizó punción prostática y de la lesión, con diagnóstico histopatológico de paraganglioma benigno. La evolución fue favorable sin modificaciones en controles posteriores en ambos pacientes. Los paragangliomas pueden presentarse en cualquier punto de la cadena ganglionar simpática. Su presentación en la región subvesical es infrecuente, siendo un hallazgo del screening. La TRUS es el examen de elección para su detección

Paraganglioma extraprostático / Periprostatic paraganglioma

En revisión multicéntrica de marzo 1994 a febrero 2003 se evaluaron 4.882 biopsias de la celda prostática. La edad promedio fue 64,5 años. En dos pacientes de 70 y 72 años de edad, (0,04 por ciento) el diagnóstico fue paraganglioma paraprostático. La clínica fue síndrome obstructivo urinario bajo en un caso y asintomático el otro, con PSA menor a 4ng-ml. El tacto rectal presentó próstatas aumentadas de tamaño. La ecografía constató agrandamiento prostático simétrico y la presencia de una lesión focal sólida paraprostática de 12 x 15 mm en un paciente y de 15 x 20 mm en el otro. Se realizó punción prostática y de la lesión, con diagnóstico histopatológico de paraganglioma benigno. La evolución fue favorable sin modificaciones en controles posteriores en ambos pacientes. Los paragangliomas pueden presentarse en cualquier punto de la cadena ganglionar simpática. Su presentación en la región subvesical es infrecuente, siendo un hallazgo del screening. La TRUS es el examen de elección para su detección (AU)