Relationship between acoustic traits of protesting cries of domestic kittens (Felis catus) and their individual chances for survival.

Domestic cat (Felis catus) mothers may rely on offspring cries to allocate resources in use of individuals with greater chances for survival and sacrifice the weak ones in case of impossibility to raise the entire large litter. Potential victims of this maternal strategy can enhance their chances of survival, by producing vocalizations with traits mimicking those of higher-quality offspring. We compared acoustic traits of 4990 cries produced during blood sampling by 57 two-week-old captive feral kittens (28 males, 29 females); 47 of them survived to 90 days of age and 10 died by reasons not related to traumas or aggression. No relationship was found between acoustic parameters and kitten survival, however, positive relationship was found between survival and body weight. The cries had moderate cues to individuality and lacked cues to sex. Body weight correlated positively with fundamental frequency and negatively with call rate, duration, peak frequency and power quartiles. We discuss that dishonesty of acoustic traits of kitten quality could develop as adaptation for misleading a mother from allocation resources between the weaker and stronger individuals, thus enhancing individual chances for survival for the weaker littermates. Physical constraint, as body weight, may prevent extensive developing the deceptive vocal traits.

Application of Felid Hair for Non-Invasive Tracking of Animal Reproductive Status and Adrenal Activity.

Hair can be a useful matrix to examine the hormonal status of an animal, although it is difficult to correlate the results to a specific time point. The aim of this study was to evaluate seasonal changes in cortisol and testosterone levels in the hair of four feline species (lynx, Lynx lynx, n = 8; Amur wildcat, Prionailurus bengalensis euptilurus, n = 8; caracal, Caracal caracal, n = 6 and domestic cat, Felis catus, n = 17) with different breeding strategies. Animals of both sexes were sampled over the year, once per season (every three months), and the concentrations of hair testosterone and cortisol were measured by EIA. Both hormones showed annual dynamic changes, which coincided with the reproductive seasonality of the studied species. Sexual differences in testosterone level were found only during the mating season (spring for lynx and Amur wildcats, spring-summer for domestic cats), when testosterone levels were higher in males than in females. Cortisol levels were higher in males than in females in domestic cats and Amur wildcat, but also only during the mating season. Seasonal increases in testosterone were observed in three seasonal breeders (lynx, Amur wildcat and domestic cat) but not in caracal, which had high testosterone levels over the whole year. In lynx and Amur wildcat, it decreased sharply in the summer. Cortisol levels increased during the mating period in domestic cat males and lynx of both sexes; in caracal, an increase in cortisol was related to the transfer of animals to smaller winter cages. Measurements of steroids in hair can provide a reliable method for evaluating the reproductive status and the activity of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis in several felid species.

The First Case of Cytauxzoon spp. in Russia: The Parasite Conquers Eurasia.

Over the last two decades, Cytauxzoon spp. has been conquering Eurasia, although this fact has only been brought to light through recent more intensive research after the discovery of C. manul in Pallas' cat. In Europe, Cytauxzoon was detected mainly in southern countries and later in central Europe. This pathogen has now been found in Russia for the first time (50 km from Moscow), this being the most northern sighting in Eurasia. A captive serval (Leptailurus serval) was found to be infected. Hematological analysis showed a crucial decrease in the number of leukocytes and erythrocytes, as well as in hemoglobin concentration. Genetic analysis confirmed the presence of Cytauxzoon spp. in serval blood at the beginning of the disease period. The identical pathogen was found in one bobcat at the same breeding center. Two other haplotypes of Cytauxzoon spp. were obtained from domestic cats at the same location, identical to the samples from Italy. One new haplotype, which was sequenced for the first time, was found in 7/7 investigated Amur wildcats (100%). The high occurrence and diversity of these pathogens suggest that they are present in free-ranging domestic cats and wild felids in Russia, and may be considered a potential threat to the endangered species. Current research shows that the genetic diversity of this pathogen may be even higher than it was suggested previously. Further genetic research is necessary to describe the diversity and phylogeny of this pathogen in Eurasia.

Inbreeding Coefficient and Distance in MHC Genes of Parents as Predictors of Reproductive Success in Domestic Cat.

Inbreeding and low diversity in MHC genes are considered to have a negative effect on reproductive success in animals. This study presents an analysis of the number and body mass of offspring in domestic cat, depending on the inbreeding coefficient and the degree of similarity in MHC genes of class I and II in parents. Inbred partners had a lower number of live kittens at birth than outbred ones. At the same time, the inbreeding coefficient did not affect the litter size and the number of offspring who survived until the period of transition to solid food. The most significant predictor for the number of surviving offspring was the degree of parental similarity in MHC genes: the parents with the maximum distance in MHC genes had more survived kittens. Moreover, this effect was most pronounced immediately after birth. A significant percentage of kittens from parents with a minimum distance in MHC genes were either stillborn or died on the first day after birth. By the age of transition to solid food, this effect is no longer so pronounced. Furthermore, neither the inbreeding coefficient nor the distance in MHC genes of parents had any effect on the body mass of kittens.

Leukocytes count and profile during early postnatal ontogenesis in domestic cat: Effect of litter size and multiple paternity.

Since blood cells count is the most important indicator of animals' physiological status, we investigated the effects of age, litter size, and multiple paternity on the total number of white blood cells, the number of their individual types (lymphocytes, neutrophils, eosinophils, monocytes), and the ratio of neutrophils to lymphocytes in domestic cat during early postnatal ontogenesis. The study was conducted on kittens living in outdoor conditions, aged from birth to 6 months. The number of white blood cells was evaluated using a hemoanalyzer, the leukocyte formula and the proportion of cell types were determined manually from blood smears. Age significantly affected the number of leukocytes in the first 3 months of kittens' age. The number and proportion of neutrophils were the highest after birth and gradually decreased during the first month. Lymphocytes number, on the contrary, increased during this period. Monocytes and eosinophils increased in number in the first 2 months. The litter size affected the number of leukocytes and neutrophils in the first 2 months of life, their number being significantly higher in kittens from the small litters than from the large ones. In kittens from the litters with multiple paternity, the number of leukocytes and the proportion of neutrophils was higher than in litters from a single male. Thus, age, litter size and type of paternity may affect the hematological indices in domestic cats, which must be taken into account during the estimation of the health status of kittens in domestic and wild cats.

Botulinum Toxin Type A as a Tool for Correcting Capsular Contracture after Reconstructive Breast Surgery.

Capsular contracture is one of the most common complications after breast reconstruction. Surgical treatment is the main option for capsular contracture correction and includes capsulotomy, capsulectomy, and removal/replacement of the affected implant. However, the surgical trauma from reoperation, along with reduced quality of life, in patients with clinically significant capsular contracture has prompted a search for alternative treatment options. The use of the botulinum toxin type A in the treatment of neurological diseases and of keloid scars in aesthetic practice nudged the idea of using the same toxin for the correction of capsular contractures in breast cancer patients. Botulinum toxin type A injection is an easy procedure requiring no anesthesia or inpatient care. The treatment has few side effects. In addition, the injection does not cause sensory loss or dysesthesia. We described a clinical case of the capsular contracture correction using incobotulinumtoxin A. Capsular contracture IV developed 4 months post surgery after long-term lymphorrhea. Radiation therapy was not performed. According to the internal protocol, the patient was advised to undergo incobotulinumtoxin A treatment instead of surgery. Within 1 week after the second injection, all symptoms decreased-specifically, the general shape of the reconstructed breast. Also, the pain syndrome disappeared.

Stressed by Maternity: Changes of Cortisol Level in Lactating Domestic Cats.

Lactation is the most energetically expensive component of maternal care in mammals. Increased reproductive investment can lead to physiological stress for the mothers, based on the exhaustion of energy resources and increase in glucocorticoids level. This study aimed to estimate the changes in cortisol concentrations during lactation in domestic cats and compared the differences among litter sizes. Eleven females gave birth to 27 litters, which were divided in two groups-small (1-3 kittens) and large (4-7 kittens) litters. Blood samples were collected from each female before mating, after parturition, at 4 and 8 weeks of lactation. We showed that the cortisol level in females changed significantly during lactation-the highest concentrations were observed at the peak of lactation at 4 weeks. Cortisol levels varied significantly among females but did not depend on their maternal experience. We also revealed that there were no differences in cortisol levels between females with small and large litters, but at 4 weeks of lactation, the hormone concentrations were higher in females with small litters. It is likely that these females initially invested less in reproduction, giving birth to fewer offspring.

Mutation Frequency in Main Susceptibility Genes Among Patients With Head and Neck Paragangliomas.

Head and neck paragangliomas (HNPGLs) are rare neuroendocrine tumors that have a high degree of heritability and are predominantly associated with mutations in ten genes, such as SDHx, SDHAF2, VHL, RET, NF1, TMEM127, MAX, FH, MEN2, and SLC25A11. Elucidating the mutation prevalence is crucial for the development of genetic testing. In this study, we identified pathogenic/likely pathogenic variants in the main susceptibility genes in 102 Russian patients with HNPGLs (82 carotid and 23 vagal paragangliomas) using whole exome sequencing. Pathogenic/likely pathogenic variants were detected in 43% (44/102) of patients. We identified the following variant distribution of the tested genes: SDHA (1%), SDHB (10%), SDHC (5%), SDHD (24.5%), and RET (5%). SDHD variants were observed in the majority of the patients with bilateral/multiple paragangliomas. Thus, among Russian patients with HNPGLs the most frequently mutated gene was SDHD followed by SDHB, SDHC, RET, and SDHA.

The method matters: The effect of handling time on cortisol level and blood parameters in wild cats.

Blood analysis has recently become a popular tool to assess the welfare of the wild cats. However, the estimates of blood parameters may depend on the sampling method. We have tested (1) if the sampling procedure influences blood parameters and (2) what parameters are the most efficient in assessing the physiological status in wild cat species. We assessed the effect of handling time on red blood cells (RBC) and white blood cells (WBC) counts, the ratio of neutrophils to lymphocytes (N/L ratio), and serum cortisol level within 1 hr after the capture of the animal in six far-east wild cats (Prionailurus bengalensis euptilura). Also, we analyzed literature data in 17 cat species to assess the effect of place of study, type of immobilization, and handling time on WBC count and N/L ratio. Serum cortisol level varied significantly with the handling time. RBC and WBC counts were strongly affected by the handling time. N/L ratio was very robust and did not depend on the handling time. However, the analysis of literature data has shown that the prolonged handling time (over 1 hr) and the type of immobilization significantly influence the N/L ratio, whereas the WBC count does not depend on any of considered factors. We conclude that while most blood parameters of cats are affected by routine handling time, the N/L ratio does not vary if the samples are collected within 1 hr after the capture of the animal. All other tested parameters should be treated with caution.