Short communication: Heat stress does not affect induced luteolysis in Holstein cows.

Heat stress (HS) has deleterious effects on bovine reproduction, including prolongation of the luteal phase in Holstein cows, perhaps due to compromised luteolysis. The objective was to characterize effects of HS on luteolytic responses of nonlactating Holstein cows given 25 or 12.5 mg of PGF2α on d 7 of the estrous cycle. Cows were randomly distributed into 2 environments: thermoneutral (n = 12; 25°C) or HS (n = 12; 36°C). In each environment, cows were treated with 2 mL of saline, 25 or 12.5 mg of PGF2α (n = 4 cows per group). The HS environment induced a significant increase in rectal temperature and respiratory rate compared with the thermoneutral environment. Heat stress did not have significant effects on luteolytic responses or circulating progesterone concentrations. Rapid and complete luteolysis occurred in all cows given 25 mg of PGF2α and in 4 of 8 cows given 12.5 mg; the other 4 cows given 12.5 mg had partial luteolysis, with circulating progesterone concentrations initially suppressed, but subsequently rebounding. Therefore, we conclude that HS does not change corpus luteum sensitivity to PGF2α.

Practical and functional classification of the double urethra: A variable, complex and fascinating malformation observed in 20 patients.

INTRODUCTION: Urethral duplication is a rare and variable malformation of the urinary tract, with non-univocal and complex management. In addition, different classification schemes have been proposed, but none have considered all the possible variants. OBJECTIVE: To report experience with the management of 20 urethral duplication patients and propose a classification of this anomaly. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis collecting information regarding 20 patients (Table) with urethral duplication treated at a single institution over the past 40 years. Three females and 17 males were treated: two had vesico-urethral duplication, eight had urethral duplication with a single bladder, and eight had 'λ' duplication. RESULTS: Immediate postoperative complications included urethral dehiescence (n = 1) and urethral stenosis (n = 2). The progressive augmentation by dilating the urethra (PADUA) technique was ineffective. During follow-up, the following were recorded: urinary incontinence (n = 2), urinary tract infection (n = 3), hypertension (n = 3) and erectile dysfunction (n = 1). All patients were satisfied with the aesthetic result. DISCUSSION: Urethral duplication is a rare anomaly with male preponderance. Four types of duplication were described, on the basis of anatomy and management: vesical and urethral duplication (type 1), urethral duplication with single bladder (type 2), 'λ-type' duplication (type 3) and 'miscellanea' (multiple urethral channels, spindle urethra, other female forms, type 4). A full description of the malformation and surgical approach was given for each type. The advantages of the classification were compared with the literature. CONCLUSIONS: The proposed classification should be a useful tool, based on the required surgical approach, even if surgery should be tailored to the patient. It is important to restore the anatomy and achieve urinary continence. Surgery can be challenging and a multi-step process, especially in cases of 'λ' duplications.

Effects of concanavalin A on the progesterone production by bovine steroidogenic luteal cells in vitro.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of concanavalin A (CONA) on the progesterone (P4) production by bovine steroidogenic luteal cells (LCs) in vitro. Luteal cells were collected during the mid-luteal stage (at 10-12 days following ovulation) and processed in the laboratory. Luteal cells were grown for 7 days in a humid atmosphere with 5% CO2 , with or without 10% foetal bovine serum, and were subjected to the following treatments: control: no treatment; CONA (10 µg/ml); LH (100 µg/ml); CONA + LH; LH (100 µg/ml) + prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α) (10 ng/ml); CONA + LH + PGF2α. Samples of the culture media were collected on days 1 (D1) and 7 (D7) for P4 quantification. The cells were counted on D7 of culture. Differences between treatments were considered statistically significant at p < .05. Culture in the presence of CONA decreased the P4-secreting capacity of LCs on D7 of culture, particularly in the absence of serum. The cell numbers did not change between treatments.

Long-term follow-up after esophageal replacement in children: 45-Year single-center experience.

PURPOSE: We evaluated the results of esophagocoloplasty (ECP) in children by performing a 45-year retrospective cohort study in a single center. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We collected all of the medical charts of patients who underwent ECP at our hospital from January 1969 to January 2014. We reviewed the medical history for each patient and then contacted the patients by phone to obtain responses to a questionnaire. The questionnaire evaluated the following four areas: overall general state, gastrointestinal function, dependence on the Health Sanitary System, and their aesthetic satisfaction. RESULTS: We contacted 96 patients, and 72 completed our questionnaire. There were 45 males and 27 female respondents, with a mean age of 34.5 years. The mean Karnofsky performance status index was 96.4%. There were excellent scores obtained from 55 patients and fairly good scores from 16 patients. There was 1 patient with a low score, and there were no scores reported below 70%. Most patients (58/72) reported regular bowel habits, and no patients required drugs or other measures to facilitate defecation. Gastroesophageal reflux was present in 51 patients, and 62.8% have bothersome symptoms. Twenty-five patients used pharmacological therapies. Forty-eight patients (66.6%) were satisfied with the aesthetic result of surgery (mean score in a scale from 0 to 5, is 3). CONCLUSIONS: ECP can be used in children who require esophageal substitution. The resulting long-term QoL is acceptable. However, the aesthetic outcomes remain a problem.

Ovarian activity reversibility after the use of deslorelin acetate as a short-term contraceptive in domestic queens.

The objective was to evaluate ovarian activity reversibility in domestic queens after short-term contraceptive treatment with deslorelin acetate. Ten mature queens were used. In all queens, the estrous cycle was evaluated every 72 h by vaginal cytology (VC) and behavior assessments. When queens had VC characteristic of interestrus or diestrus, one deslorelin acetate implant (4.7 mg) was placed in the subcutaneous tissue of the interscapular region (day of insertion = Day 0). Thereafter, VC was performed every 48 h and on Day 90, implants were removed. At Day 100, estrus and ovulation were induced with 100 IU eCG (im), followed by 100 IU hCG (im), 84 h later (Day 103.5). Queens were ovariohysterectomized on Day 106. Corpora lutea (CL) were counted, oviducts were flushed, and oocytes were identified, isolated and stained to assess viability. In all queens, blood samples for plasma progesterone concentrations were collected once a week, from Days -21 to 106. After deslorelin acetate application, four queens had VC and behavior typical of estrus, and one ovulated. Furthermore, ovulation occurred in three queens that did not have VC or behavior consistent with estrus. After the initial ovarian stimulation, all females had anestrous VC during the deslorelin treatment period. Implants were readily removed. Following implant removal, all females responded to treatments to induce estrus and ovulation. There were (mean ± SEM) 13.1 ± 5.5 CL and 8.1 ± 5.5 oocytes per queen; the oocyte recovery rate was 56.8 ± 25.4% and all recovered oocytes were viable. We concluded that deslorelin acetate can be used as a reversible short-term contraceptive in domestic cats, because estrus and ovulation were successfully induced following implant removal.

Placental grade and pulmonary maturity in premature fetuses.

The correlation between the placental echographic appearances and pulmonary maturity was studied in 32 cases of normal pregnancy between the 29th and 33d weeks. The placental appearance was classified according to Grannum's criteria, and an amniocentesis was performed in each case. Both an L/S ratio and a foam stability (Clements') test were performed on the amniotic fluid. There were 10 cases of grade I and 22 cases of grade II placenta in the series. There was one mature L/S ratio in each placental grade; both had intermediate results with Clements' test. These findings differ significantly from those published in the literature on the subject, which are based on investigations in more mature fetal populations.

[Ultrasonics in diagnosis of the upper abdomen]. / Il sonar nella diagnosi dell'addome superiore

On the basis of seven cases of suspected liver pathology, an albeit modest contribution has been made to the significance and diagnostic possibilities of ultrasonographic investigation of the upper abdomen. In four cases, ultrasound findings were confirmed by scintigraphy and in three cases by necropsy and histological reports.

Determination of fetal maturity and of development of the fetal lungs by means of combined methods.

The validity of the assessment of the fetal age and pulmonary maturity was evaluated on 369 patients at various stages of normal pregnancy and complicated by diabetes, toxemia and fetal anencephaly. Gestational maturity was assessed by ultrasonic measurement of the fetal biparietal diameter and by analysing constituents of amniotic fluid (creatinine, bilirubin, fat cells) while pulmonary maturity was assessed from the L/S ratio in the amniotic fluid. Each individual method has a wide margin of error, however, ultrasound cephalometry gave the best prediction for determination of fetal age. In 135 selected cases lung maturity was assessed by using two techniques, a thin layer chromatographic determination of the lecithin/sphingomyelin ratio in the amniotic fluid and a rapid semiquantitative test to determine the titre of surfactant which generates stable foam in presence of ethanol. The results obtained by the two methods correlated well and were reliable in predicting the respiratory distress syndrome. It appears that these methods make it possible to obtain greater margins of reliability. The role of fetal and maternal factors in the maturation of fetal lungs was also studied in several pathological conditions and it was noted that in many cases of maternal diabetes mellitus lung maturity was reached at a later age than in normal pregnancies. It is condluded that if termination of pregnancy is indicated, the physician should rely more on the assessment of lung maturity than on indicators of gestational age.