Introduction: The aim of this study was to investigate fluorescein use in the diagnosis of bladder ruptures in rabbits as an experimental model.

Introduction: The aim of the study was to explore the effect of enrofloxacin on production of selected cytokines by porcine peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs).

Introduction: The study aimed to investigate the anti-fertility effect of fennel (Foeniculim vulgare Mill) seed extract in male rats.

Introduction: To identify novel pathways involved in the pathogenesis of ketosis, an isobaric tag for relative and absolute quantitation/mass spectrometry was used to define differences in protein expression profiles between healthy dairy cows and those with clinical or subclinical ketosis.

Introduction: Due to the high heterogeneity of canine lymphoma, the aim of the present study was to test in vitro the chemosensitivity of canine high-grade primary lymphoma cells to various cytostatic drugs commonly used to treat dogs: 4-HO-cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, dexamethasone, prednisolone, vincristine, etoposide, chlorambucil, lomustine, and cytosine arabinoside. Material and Methods: To determine the cell viability and drug ability to induce apoptosis two different tests were used: an MTT assay and annexin V/propidium iodide staining. Results: Both in vitro tests were found to be useful tools. Significant differences in the sensitivity, depending on the drug type, between B-, T- and mixed/null-type lymphoma cells were found for the majority of the tested drugs. B-type cells were the most sensitive in vitro, whereas T-type cells seemed to be the most resistant. Doxorubicin, chlorambucil, etoposide, and vincristine most strongly reduced the cell viability and induced apoptosis. Conclusion: In vitro assays, such as the MTT test and especially the annexin V/PI assay, may be useful tools for predicting a response to the treatment of high-grade lymphoma in dogs or improving the treatment outcomes in individual animals.

Introduction: Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) is a leading cause of extraintestinal infection and heavy economic losses. Imparting immunity after vaccination with live attenuated strain vaccination is an ideal strategy for infection control. This study considers an FtsK knockout mutant strain as a candidate. Material and Methods: An FtsK knockout mutant of APEC strain E058 was constructed and the pathogenicity of the mutant and wild-type strains was further evaluated in chickens. Results: The 50% lethal doses of each strain for one-day-old specific-pathogen-free (SPF) chickens challenged experimentally via trachea were 105.5 and 107.0 colony-forming units (CFU) respectively. Chickens challenged with the wild-type strain exhibited typical signs and lesions of avian colibacillosis, while those inoculated with the mutant strain showed mild pericarditis and pulmonary congestion. The growth rate of the FtsK mutant strain was much slower than the wild-type strain in the heart, spleen, liver, and lung of infected chickens. Conclusion: These results indicated that the APEC FtsK mutant can be attenuated for chickens, and that this mutant has the potential for the development of an APEC vaccine.

Introduction: The study examined the concentration of total mercury and correlation coefficients between fish size or FCF (condition factor) and the content of Hg in muscle tissue of six freshwater fish: bream (Abramis brama L.), roach (Rutilus rutilus L.), whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus L.), vendace (Coregonus albula L.), perch (Perca fluviatilis L.), and pike (Esox lucius L.). Material and Methods: The fish were caught from the Lake Pluszne located in the Olsztyn Lake District (Poland). Mercury was analysed by atomic absorption spectrometry using Milestone DMA-80 (with dual-cell). Results: The content of the element in the muscles of the examined fish was as follows: pike (0.197 mg/kg) ≈ perch (0.173 mg/kg) > vendace (0.114 mg/kg) ≈ roach (0.095 mg/kg) and roach ≈ whitefish (0.065 mg/kg), and whitefish ≈ bream (0.042 mg/kg) (p ≤ 0.05). In all cases, the content of mercury correlated positively with the body weight and total length of the fish. Only the correlation coefficients between mercury concentration and weight or length of bream were slightly higher (0.979 and 0.977 respectively, p ≤ 0.001). The length and weight relationship of the fish was also determined. Conclusion: The results showed that the levels of mercury were lower than the maximum acceptable limit established by the Commission Regulation (EC) No 629/2008 of 2 July 2008. Thus, they are safe from consumer health point of view.

Introduction: Thyroid hormones affect protein turnover, and in the case of hypothyroidism a decrease in protein synthesis and reduced release of certain amino acids from skeletal muscles are observed. Changes in the amino acid system of skeletal muscles may be responsible for the occurrence of muscle disorders. Material and Methods: The study measured the content of selected amino acids in the gastrocnemius muscle of Wistar rats during experimental hypothyroidism induced by oral administration of methimazole at a concentration of 0.05% in drinking water for 90 d. The rats were divided into four groups: E1 (n = 6) - experimental males, E2 (n = 6) - experimental females, C1 (n = 6) - control males, and C2 (n = 6) control females. Results: A statistically significant reduction occurred in leucine, isoleucine, and 1-methylhistidine levels in males, and 1-methylhistidine in females, in comparison to the control groups. Conclusion: The hypothyroidism-induced changes in amino acid content may be responsible for the occurrence of skeletal muscle function disorders.

Little is known about the occurrence of feline upper respiratory tract disease agents, namely Feline Herpesvirus type 1 (FHV-1) and Chlamydophila felis, and co-infection of these agents with Feline Immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV) in non-domestic felids in Brazil. Between 2009 and 2010, 72 conjunctival swab and serum samples were collected from eight non-domestic felid species (Leopardus pardalis, Leopardus tigrinus, Panthera leo, Panthera tigris, Puma concolor, Puma yagouaroundi, Oncifelis colocolo, and Panthera onca) maintained in captivity in Brazilian zoos. DNA extracted from conjunctival swabs were used in PCR assays for the detection of Chlamydophila sp, FHV-1, and retrovirus DNA, respectively. Antibodies to FIV and FeLV antigen were detected in non-domestic felid serum samples using a commercial ELISA kit. Antibodies to FIV were found only in five (6.9%) felids. No sampled non-domestic felid was positive for FeLV antigen detection. One (1.3%) out of 72 non-domestic felid conjunctival swab samples was positive for Chlamydophilasp. and Feline Herpesvirus-1 in PCR. This felid was an ocelot and was negative for FIV and FeLV. The results of this survey showed the occurrence of co-infection with C. felis and FHV-1 in an ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) in Brazil.

O conhecimento do comportamento das artérias que emergem do arco aórtico é importante, pois estas artérias irrigam órgãos vitais encontrados na cabeça, pescoço, cavidade torácica e membros torácicos de animais domésticos e selvagens. Com o objetivo de contribuir com o conhecimento anatômico em gambás e colaborar com a clínica médica e cirúrgica de animais selvagens, descreveu-se neste estudo, a ramescência do arco aórtico em dezoito gambás. Os resultados indicaram que o tronco braquiocefálico e a artéria subclávia esquerda se originaram do arco aórtico em todos os animais estudados. Este padrão de ramescência do arco aórtico é similar ao descrito para a cobaia, chinchila, paca, mão-pelada, nutria, esquilo-vermelho e jaguatirica. O tronco braquiocefálico apresentou como ramos colaterais, a artéria subclávia direita e o tronco bicarotídeo, o qual se bifurcou nas artérias carótidas comuns direita e esquerda (77,7%). O tronco bicarotídeo não apareceu em quatro animais (22,2%). As artérias subclávias direita e esquerda originaram a artéria vertebral, o tronco costocervical e, as artérias torácica interna e cervical superficial. A ramescência encontrada nas artérias subclávias do gambá mostrou similaridades quando comparada com a descrita para outros animais selvagens como a paca, jaguatirica e o mocó.