Características relevantes das instalações e da gestão de abrigos públicos de animais no estado do Paraná, Brasil, para o bem-estar animal / Relevant characteristics of facilities and management of public animal shelters in the state of paraná, Brazil, for animal welfare

Animais podem ser eventualmente recolhidos em abrigos públicos no Brasil e o ambiente de alojamento afeta diretamente sua qualidade de vida. Este trabalho estudou características relevantes das instalações físicas e da gestão dos estabelecimentos vinculados ao poder público municipal que abrigam cães, gatos e cavalos no estado do Paraná. Foram registrados 17 municípios com 20 abrigos, dos quais 18 participaram da pesquisa. Todos os municípios mantinham cães, sete (41,2%) mantinham gatos e oito (47,1%) mantinham cavalos. Todos os abrigos apresentavam recintos coletivos; dois (11,8%) de cães e cinco (71,5%) de gatos mantinham um animal por recinto; quatro (22,2%) mantinham recintos sem visualização além do próprio recinto; 11 (64,7%) realizavam limpeza adequadamente; cinco (29,4%) abrigos de cães e um (14,3%) de gatos não tinham área para quarentena ou isolamento sanitário; camas estavam disponíveis em 15 (88,2%), cinco (71,4%) e um (12,5%) dos recintos de cães, gatos e cavalos, respectivamente. Os abrigos de animais no Paraná devem banir recintos de isolamento social, incluir uma cama por animal e socializar os animais. Adicionalmente, há oportunidade de aumentar o grau de bem-estar animal por meio de melhorias no manejo dos animais e no manejo sanitário, as quais não dependem de reformas nas instalações.(AU)

Animals may be eventually collected by public shelters in Brazil and the shelter's environment directly affects their quality of life. This work studied relevant characteristics of the physical facilities and the management of establishments liked to the municipal public power that shelter dogs, cats and horses in the state of Paraná. It was registered 17 municipalities with 20 shelters, of which 18 participated in the research. All the municipalities maintained dogs, seven (41.2%) maintained cats and eight (47.1%) kept horses. All the shelters had social housing; two (11.8%) of dogs and five (71.5%) of cats housing one animal per pen; four (22,2%) there were pens that didn't have visualization for outside; 11 (64.7%) had cleaning correctly; five (29.4%) shelters that sheltered dogs and one (14.3%) that sheltered cats didn't have area for quarantine and isolation restroom; beds were available in 15 (88.2%), five (71.4%) and one (12.5%) of the pens of dogs, cats and horses, respectively. Animal shelters in Paraná should ban pens isolation, include one bedding per animal and socialize the animals. In addition, there is an opportunity to increase the animal welfare through improvements in animal management and sanitary management, which do not depend on the housing improvements.(AU)

Is there an association between T102C polymorphism of the serotonin receptor 2A gene and urinary incontinence?

The regulation of bladder function is influenced by central serotonergic modulation. Several genetic polymorphisms related to serotonin control have been described in the literature. T102C polymorphism of the serotonin receptor 2A gene (5-HT2A) has been shown to be associated with certain diseases such as non-fatal acute myocardial infarction, essential hypertension, and alcoholism. In the present study, we examined the association between 5-HT2A gene polymorphism and urinary incontinence in the elderly. A case-control study was performed in 298 elderly community dwellers enrolled in the Gravataí-GENESIS Project, Brazil, which studies gene-environmental interactions in aging and age-related diseases. Clinical, physical, biochemical, and molecular analyses were performed on volunteers. 5-HT2A genotyping was determined by PCR-RFLP techniques using the HpaII restriction enzyme. The subjects had a mean age of 68.05 ± 6.35 years (60-100 years), with 16.9 percent males and 83.1 percent females. The C allele frequency was 0.494 and the T allele frequency was 0.506. The CC genotype frequency was 21.78 percent, the CT genotype frequency was 55.24 percent and the TT genotype frequency was 22.98 percent. We found an independent significant association between the TT genotype (35.7 percent) and urinary incontinence (OR = 2.06, 95 percentCI = 1.16-3.65). Additionally, urinary incontinence was associated with functional dependence and systolic hypertension. The results suggest a possible genetic influence on urinary incontinence involving the serotonergic pathway. Further investigations including urodynamic evaluation will be performed to better explain our findings.

Possible involvement of superoxide radical in biochemical lesions induced by nitrous oxide.

Inactivation of methionine synthase (MS) by nitrous oxide (N2O) administration to animals and man has been postulated to be mediated by hydroxyl radical (OH). An alternate mechanism has been proposed which involves superoxide radical (O2.-) originating from N2O in the inactivation of MS by OH that may arise from O2.- through Fenton/Haber-Weiss reaction. Rats inhaling a mixture of N2O:O2 (1:1) for 5 hr showed inactivation of MS in liver to nearly 90% which could not be reversed by prior administration of either dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) or sodium benzoate. Pretreatment of rats with superoxide dismutase (SOD) at two doses, 0.1 mg and 3.5 mg/100 g body weight, retarded the in vivo inactivation of MS by N2O, to 76% and 47% respectively. In vitro inactivation of MS with N2O could not be retarded by DMSO or Na-benzoate, or either exogenous SOD or catalase.

Folylpolyglutamate synthetase in Lactobacillus leichmannii: in vitro synthesis and characterization of polyglutamylfolates.

In vitro synthesis of folylpolyglutamates by folylpolyglutamate synthetase from Lactobacillus leichmannii has been studied and optimal conditions for enzyme activity determined. It is found that while ATP (5 mM) is essential for the synthesis of folylpolyglutamates homocysteine augments the same. Replacement of vitamin B12 (2 ng/ml) with deoxyuridine (20 micrograms/ml) in growth medium does not alter the enzymatic parameters studied. DEAE-cellulose column chromatography of in vitro synthesised folylpolyglutamates indicates that folylpolyglutamate synthetase of L. leichmannii can synthesize polyglutamates up to a chain length of four glutamate residues.

Deranged folic acid metabolism in diabetes-induced rats.

Metabolic changes in the folic acid and their conjugated polyglutamyl derivatives have been studied in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Conjugated folates which constituted about 70% in normal rat liver get rapidly hydrolysed to simple unconjugated forms as the diabetes progressed leaving behind only 2% after 25 days of the onset of diabetes. Chromatographic analysis shows significant alterations in the formyl- and methyltetrahydrofolate derivatives and their polyglutamylation profiles. A 7-8 fold higher urinary excretion of mainly methyltetrahydrofolate is also observed in diabetic rats.

An indirect role of vitamin B12 in regulation of thymidylate synthase in Lactobacillus leichmannii.

Vitamin B12 augments thymidylate synthase function in L. leichmannii by facilitating indirectly the availability of suitable nonmethylpolyglutamylfolate cofactors. This is effected by the demethylation of trapped methyltetrahydrofolates, catalysed by a vitamin B12 requiring methionine synthase. Deoxyuridine supplemented cells, lacking in B12, have decreased levels of methionine synthase and thymidylate synthase. Addition of active and inactive conjugase preparation as a source of mono and polyglutamylfolates indicated that the latter are the preferred cofactors for thymidylate synthase.

Effects of ingestion of thermally oxidized edible oils on plasma lipids, lipoproteins and postheparin lipolytic activity of rats.

Acute (after 4 hr) and short-term (after 7 days) effects of ingesting heated and unheated groundnut, coconut and safflower oils on plasma lipids, lipoproteins and postheparin lipopolytic activity (PHLA) were studied in rats. All heated oils were characterized by increases in carbonyl value, peroxide value and free fatty acid (FFA) content, except heated coconut oil which showed a decrease in FFA content. Heating procedure also did not alter to an appreciable extent their fatty acid compositions. Acute and short-term effects of feeding heated and unheated oils showed no significant differences in rat plasma levels of total cholesterol (TC), total triglycerides, total phospholipids, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol + very-low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, TC/HDL-C ratio and PHLA. Inspite of certain changes in some of the indices of thermal alteration of these heated oils, consumption of such heated oils by rats did not have any significant effect on various plasma parameters in these animals.

Effect of cod liver oil supplementation on plasma lipids, lipoproteins, lipase activity and platelet aggregation in normotensive and hypertensive volunteers.

No significant change in plasma levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides, phospholipids, very-low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), lipase activity and TC/HDL-C ratio could be observed in both normotensive and hypertensive individuals after cod liver oil supplementation. Measure of platelet aggregation rates did not also show any significant change after cod liver oil ingestion in both normotensive and hypertensive individuals. The results suggest that supplementation of normal diets with 600 mg cod liver oil per day for 50 days neither affects plasma lipids, lipoproteins and lipase activity nor affects platelet aggregation in both normotensive and hypertensive individuals.