Milk composition of free-ranging red hartebeest, giraffe, Southern reedbuck and warthog and a phylogenetic comparison of the milk of African Artiodactyla.

The composition of major nutrients and fatty acids of the milk of three species, red hartebeest, Southern reedbuck and warthog, and milk fatty acids of giraffe, that have not been published before, are reported, and together with the same parameters of 11 species previously published, were incorporated in a phylogenetic comparison. Unique properties of milk composition have been observed. Southern reedbuck milk seems to have a complex casein composition, similar to that of sheep. Milk composition varies between species. Although some differences may be ascribed to biological condition, such as stage of lactation, or ecological factors, such as availability of certain nutrients, the contribution by evolutionary history is not well documented and the emphasis is usually on the composition of the macro nutrients. Phylogenetic comparisons often lack representatives of multiple species of taxonomic groups and sub-groups. To date phylogenetic comparisons of milk composition have been carried out by using data from different publications. The problem with this approach is that the ecological factors cannot be completely ruled out. A statistical phylogenetic comparison by PCA between 15 species representing 7 different suborders, families or subfamilies of African Artiodactyla was carried out. The phylogenetic properties showed that the milk composition of the Bovinae, represented here by the subfamilies Bovini and Tragelaphini, differs from the other taxonomic groups, in that the Alcelaphinae had a high milk fat content of the medium chain length fatty acids C8-C12 (>17% of total fatty acids) and the Hippotraginae high amounts of oligosaccharides (>0.4%).

Pathology and immunohistochemistry of papillomavirus-associated cutaneous lesions in Cape mountain zebra, giraffe, sable antelope and African buffalo in South Africa.

Skin lesions associated with papillomaviruses have been reported in many animal species and man. Bovine papillomavirus (BVP) affects mainly the epidermis, but also the dermis in several species including bovine, the best-known example being equine sarcoid, which is associated with BVP types 1 and 2. This publication describes and illustrates the macroscopic and histological appearance of BPV-associated papillomatous, fibropapillomatous or sarcoid-like lesions in Cape mountain zebra (Equus zebra zebra) from the Gariep Dam Nature Reserve, 2 giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis) from the Kruger National Park, and a sable antelope (Hippotragus niger) from the Kimberley area of South Africa. An African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) cow from Kruger National Park also had papillomatous lesions but molecular characterisation of lesional virus was not done. Immunohistochemical staining using polyclonal rabbit antiserum to chemically disrupted BPV-1, which cross-reacts with the L1 capsid of most known papillomaviruses, was positive in cells of the stratum granulosum of lesions in Giraffe 1, the sable and the buffalo and negative in those of the zebra and Giraffe 2. Fibropapillomatous and sarcoid-like lesions from an adult bovine were used as positive control for the immunohistochemistry and are described and the immunohistochemistry illustrated for comparison. Macroscopically, both adult female giraffe had severely thickened multifocal to coalescing nodular and occasionally ulcerated lesions of the head, neck and trunk with local poorly-circumscribed invasion into the subcutis. Necropsy performed on the 2nd giraffe revealed neither internal metastases nor serious underlying disease. Giraffe 1 had scattered, and Giraffe 2 numerous, large, anaplastic, at times indistinctly multinucleated dermal fibroblasts with bizarre nuclei within the sarcoid-like lesions, which were BPV-1 positive in Giraffe 1 and BPV-1 and -2 positive in Giraffe 2 by RT-PCR. The sable antelope presented with a solitary large lesion just proximal to the right hind hoof, which recurred after excision, and was BPV-1 positive by RT-PCR. Other wart-like growths were present elsewhere on the body. The Cape mountain zebra either succumbed from their massive lesions or were euthanased or removed from the herd because of them. The lesions were BPV-1 and/or -2 positive by RT-PCR. The buffalo lesions were wart-like papillomatous projections in the inguinal and udder region. Stratum granulosum cells that stained immunohistochemically positive in the various species appeared koilocyte-like, as described in human papillomaviral lesions.

Increased activation of the left hippocampus region in Complex PTSD during encoding and recognition of emotional words: a pilot study.

To gain insight into memory disturbances in Complex Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (Complex PTSD), we investigated declarative memory function and medial temporal lobe activity in patients and healthy non-traumatized controls. A case-control study was performed in nine patients with Complex PTSD and nine controls. All respondents performed a declarative memory task with neutral and emotional, negative words during functional magnetic resonance imaging. Memory performance of neutral words was impaired in Complex PTSD with a relative conservation of recall of negative words. Deep encoding of later remembered negative words, as well as correct recognition of negative words and false alarms, was associated with an enhanced Blood Oxygenation Level Dependent (BOLD) response in the left hippocampus extending into the parahippocampal gyrus of Complex PTSD patients compared with controls. Post-hoc volumetric comparisons did not reveal significant anatomical differences in the medial temporal lobe between Complex PTSD patients and controls. We conclude that in Complex PTSD preferential recall of negative words is associated with increased activation in the left hippocampus and parahippocampal gyrus during both successful and false recall. These findings support a model of an abnormally functioning hippocampus in Complex PTSD.

Descriptive study of an outbreak of equine sarcoid in a population of Cape mountain zebra (Equus zebra zebra) in the Gariep Nature Reserve.

An outbreak of equine sarcoid occurred in a population of Cape mountain zebra (Equus zebra zebra) at the Gariep Nature Reserve located in the southern Free State Province of South Africa in 1996. The course of the outbreak during 1996 to 2003 is described. During this period the average population size was 69 animals. Initially (1996) all affected animals were removed from the population. New cases continued to manifest and the incidence varied between 4.6% and 17.6%. Prevalence reached 24.7% in 2002. No sexual predilection was noticed in the 39 recorded cases. Of the affected individuals, 64% had a single lesion and no animal had more than 4 lesions. In males, the majority of lesions occurred in the inguinal area (55.17%), whereas in females they mostly occurred on the head and neck (41.38%). Lesions can increase 260% in size annually and may impede movement.

Capture and immobilisation of aardvark (Orycteropus afer) using different drug combinations.

Nine aardvarks (Orycteropus afer) were captured in the southern Free State, South Africa, for the placement of abdominal radio transmitters. Five combinations of ketamine hydrochloride with xylazine hydrochloride, midazolam or medetomidine hydrochloride were used to induce anaesthesia. In some cases the level of anaesthesia was maintained with 1.5% halothane. A mixture of ketamine hydrochloride and medetomidine hydrochloride was found to be most effective. Atipamizole reversed the affects of medetomidine hydrochloride, resulting in a smooth and full recovery within 8 minutes. The immobilisation and subsequent anaesthesia of these animals on cold winter nights resulted in hypothermia, and keeping the animals warm was essential to the success of the procedures undertaken. Reversal of the sedative medetomidine hydrochloride proved to be important, because animals that were released before they were fully conscious took refuge in their burrows so that care was impossible.

[Chronic active hepatitis caused by nitrofurantoin: a case report]. / Chronies aktiewe hepatitis veroorsaak deur nitrofurantoïen. 'n Gevalbeskrywing.

A case of nitrofurantoin-induced chronic active hepatitis in a woman of 79 years is presented. The patient recovered spontaneously when the drug was withdrawn. Liver function tests should be performed on patients undergoing intermittent treatment with nitrofurantoin.

[The dangers of mammography in diagnosing a palpable lump in the breast]. / Die gevare van mammografie in die diagnose van 'n tasbare knop in die bors.

The success of mammography screening programmes in the detection of unsuspected and impalpable breast cancer has led to reliance on a negative mammographic report as assurance that no malignancy is present even in palpable breast lumps. Pre-operative mammography was performed on 38 patients with palpable lumps who were subsequently proven by histology to have carcinoma of the breast. In 4 patients (10.8%) the mammogram was negative; 3 were also assessed as benign clinically. In 5 cases (13.5%) the report was negative but biopsy was recommended; 3 of the 5 were assessed as benign clinically. Therefore, in 9 of the 38 patients (24%) malignancy was not diagnosed unequivocally on mammography, although 3 of these patients had clinical stigmata of malignancy. Twenty-nine patients (76%) were diagnosed correctly by mammography; 5 of these cases were assessed as benign clinically. Six of the 38 cases (16%) were thought to be benign on both mammography and clinical examination. Thus, even confirmation by mammography that a breast lump without clinical signs of malignancy is indeed benign, does not rule out the possibility of carcinoma.

Successive urinary papillomavirus excretion, condylomata acuminata and urogenital epithelial malignant disease after renal transplantation.

Of 3 renal allograft recipients who were found to excrete papillomavirus in the urine, 1 has since developed a condyloma, 1 a condyloma and a keratinizing squamous carcinoma and 1 a transitional cell carcinoma. Peroxidase-antiperoxidase staining has confirmed the presence of papillomavirus antigen in the condylomas. The significance of these findings is discussed.