THE EFFECT OF 4-VINYLCYCLOHEXENE DIEPOXIDE ON FEMALE NUTRIA (MYOCASTOR COYPUS) FERTILITY IN CAPTIVITY-A PILOT STUDY.

The nutria (Myocastor coypus) is a globally widespread invasive species. Attempts to eradicate nutria by shooting, poisoning, and trapping have been mostly unsuccessful, leading to calls for the development of new control methods. The compound 4-vinylcyclohexene diepoxide (VCD) is known to cause follicular atresia in mammals and may control conception when administered orally. It was hypothesized that VCD administered PO will cause follicular destruction in female nutria. VCD (250 mg/kg PO) was administered or coconut oil, as a control, to five nutria females each for 12 d. Sixty days following VCD exposure, males were introduced to the females. Over the following 7 mon, the effect of VCD on nutria fertility was assessed by conducting ultrasound monitoring to determine pregnancy status and measuring blood serum progesterone and estradiol levels. Finally, after performing ovariectomies, viable follicles were counted on histologic ovarian cortical sections. It was found that the female estrous cycles became synchronized, suggesting a Whitten effect in this species. Also, an increase in the females' serum progesterone levels following the introduction of males occurred, suggesting a male presence effect. Orally administered doses of 250 mg/kg VCD for 12 d had no significant effect on nutria pregnancy rates or on the number of follicles in the ovaries examined. Further studies, using a higher dose or longer administration period, are necessary to conclude whether orally administered VCD can be used as a contraceptive agent for nutria.

Comparison of canine colostrum and milk using a multi-omics approach.

BACKGROUND: A mother's milk is considered the gold standard of nutrition in neonates and is a source of cytokines, immunoglobulins, growth factors, and other important components, yet little is known about the components of canine milk, specifically colostrum, and the knowledge related to its microbial and metabolic profiles is particularly underwhelming. In this study, we characterized canine colostrum and milk microbiota and metabolome for several breeds of dogs and examined profile shifts as milk matures in the first 8 days post-whelping. RESULTS: Through untargeted metabolomics, we identified 63 named metabolites that were significantly differentially abundant between days 1 and 8 of lactation. Surprisingly, the microbial compositions of the colostrum and milk, characterized using 16S rRNA gene sequencing, were largely similar, with only two differentiating genera. The shifts observed, mainly increases in several sugars and amino sugars over time and shifts in amino acid metabolites, align with shifts observed in human milk samples and track with puppy development. CONCLUSION: Like human milk, canine milk composition is dynamic, and shifts are well correlated with developing puppies' needs. Such a study of the metabolic profile of canine milk, and its relation to the microbial community, provides insights into the changing needs of the neonate, as well as the ideal nutrition profile for optimal functionality. This information will add to the existing knowledge base of canine milk composition with the prospect of creating a quality, tailored milk substitute or supplement for puppies.

Effects of Hormone Replacement Therapy on Women's Lung Health and Disease.

This review provides an overview of menopausal hormone therapy and pulmonary disease risk, with a focus on the effect of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) on pulmonary function and its relation to lung diseases. This summary is based on authors' knowledge in the field of HRT and supplemented by a PubMed search using the terms "menopause hormone therapy," "asthma", "lung cancer", "chronic obstructive pulmonary disease", "lung function", and "pulmonary hypertension". Available evidence indicates that there is limited research on the role of sex hormones in the susceptibility, severity, and progression of chronic respiratory diseases. However, some studies suggest that the hormonal changes that occur during the menopausal transition may have an impact on pulmonary function and respiratory diseases. Women are in need of convenient access to a safe and effective modality for personalized HRT based on an artificial intelligence (AI)-driven platform that will enable them to receive personalized hormonal treatment through frequent, convenient, and accurate measurements of hormone levels in peripheral blood.

Anesthesia, pain management and surgical approach of ovariectomy or orchiectomy in six Egyptian fruit bats (Rousettus aegyptiacus): A case report.

The purpose of this report is to describe the anesthetic and analgesic management and the surgical procedures of gonadectomy in six (four females and two males) healthy adult Egyptian fruit bats (Rousettus aegyptiacus). Bats were anesthetized with a combination of alfaxalone, midazolam, and morphine administered subcutaneously. Incisional line infiltration using bupivacaine was administered in all bats, and additional bilateral intratesticular injection was administered in the males. Ovariectomy was performed via a dorsal approach, by bilateral midline skin incisions at the paralumbar fossa level. Orchiectomy was performed via a ventral approach, by bilateral midline incisions of scrotal skin above the testes. Following surgery, all bats were administered flumazenil for midazolam reversal, and meloxicam for postoperative analgesia, subcutaneously. All bats recovered from anesthesia uneventfully. Bats were monitored for complications up to 10 days following surgery, when skin sutures were removed. No morbidities or mortalities occurred during this period in any of the bats. In conclusion, ventral approach orchiectomy and dorsal approach ovariectomy using the injectable combination alfaxalone-midazolam-morphine in conjunction with local anesthesia and meloxicam are feasible procedures in Egyptian fruit bats and can be performed with relative ease. However, further studies using these techniques in a larger group of bats should be performed to establish their safety.

Developmental intestinal microbiome alterations in canine fading puppy syndrome: a prospective observational study.

Fading puppy syndrome (FPS) is a fatal condition in neonatal dogs. Intestinal microbial alterations, although never investigated, may be involved in its pathophysiology. The study examined the occurrence of FPS and its associations with dam, puppy, and husbandry characteristics, compared the intestinal microbial diversity of healthy puppies and those with FPS, and examined whether intestinal microbiomes are predictive of FPS. Day 1 and 8 post-partum (PP) rectal swabs were collected from healthy puppies and puppies which later developed FPS. Microbial compositional structure, including alpha and beta diversities and relative abundance of specific taxa were compared between groups, and microbial data was applied to a machine-learning model to assess the predictive performance of microbial indices of FPS or death. FPS occurred in 22/165 puppies (13%), with a 100% mortality rate. FPS was associated (P < 0.001) with decreased Day 1 PP puppy activity. Day 1 (P = 0.003) and 8 (P = 0.005) PP rectal beta diversities were different in puppies with FPS vs healthy ones. Increased Proteobacteria/Firmicutes ratio, increased relative abundance of Pasteurellaceae, and decreased relative abundance of Clostridia and Enterococcus were associated with FPS. A machine-learning model showed that Day 1 PP rectal microbiome composition accurately predicted FPS-related death. We found that specific rectal microbial phenotypes are associated with FPS, reflecting the significant role of microbiome alterations in this phenomenon. These findings may serve as useful microbial indices for early diagnosis of puppies at risk of FPS and may provide specific therapeutic targets.

Short Term Safety, Immunogenicity, and Reproductive Effects of Combined Vaccination With Anti-GnRH (Gonacon) and Rabies Vaccines in Female Feral Cats.

Overpopulation of free-roaming cats is a major problem leading to negative impacts on animal health and welfare, public nuisance, transmission of zoonotic diseases, and well-documented harm to wildlife. Surgical sterilization had failed to provide a practical solution to free-roaming cats' overpopulation under field conditions; therefore, efficient and safe non-surgical immunocontraception methods are aspired. Rabies is a deadly virus that may infect people and animals. However, the safety and efficacy of combined vaccination with anti-GnRH and rabies vaccines in feral cats, which often suffer from disrupted health conditions and experienced high stress level, has never been studied. Therefore, our objective was to examine the short-term safety and efficacy of anti-GnRH vaccine (Gonacon), in combination with rabies vaccine in female feral cats. Mature feral female cats were captured and divided into the following groups: (I) GonaconX1-Rabies: queens vaccinated with both Gonacon and rabies (n = 5); (II) GonaconX2-Rabies: queens vaccinated twice with Gonacon (3 weeks apart) and with Rabies (n = 4); (III) OVx-Rabies: queens ovariohysterectomized and vaccinated with rabies (n = 4); (IV) Intact-Rabies: queens vaccinated against rabies and remained intact (n = 3). Comprehensive veterinary examinations and blood tests were performed every 2 weeks for 14 weeks. Data were analyzed by Repeated-Measures-ANOVA or Fisher-Exact-Test. There were neither systemic nor local adverse reactions at the vaccination sites. Blood count (PCV, TS, RBC, HGB, HCT, WBC) and chemistry (Total protein, Total globulin, Albumin, Urea, Creatinine, Creatine kinase, Bilirubin, GGT, ALT, AST) analyses revealed no differences among groups. There were no differences in serum rabies antibodies titers among groups, and queens kept a protective titer (>0.5 IU/mL) starting at 2-4 weeks after vaccination. Anti-GnRH antibodies were detected in all Gonacon-vaccinated queens, excluding one queen (GonaconX2-Rabies group). Anti-müllerian hormone serum concentrations reduced significantly after ovariohysterectomy, as well as gradually following vaccination with Gonacon, but it remained high in intact queens. Evaluation of vaginal cytology and ovarian histology suggested that reproductive cyclicity was suppressed in Gonacon-vaccinated queens. Our results support the conclusion that in the short term, the combined vaccination with Gonacon and rabies is safe and effective in female feral cats. However, further long-term studies are warranted to test this immunologic regimen in feral cats.

Evaluation of short-term safety of ultrasound-guided foetal fluid sampling in the dog (Canis lupus familiaris).

BACKGROUND: In humans, analysis of amniotic fluid is widely used for diagnostic and prognostic purposes. Amniocentesis has scarcely been used in veterinary medicine to date, despite a tremendous potential for clinical and research applications in dogs. Our study aimed to establish a safe method for foetal fluid sampling in female dogs. METHODS: Two transabdominal ultrasound-guided methods were assessed: the "free hand" and the needle-guided bracket sampling. In addition, through a subsequent routinely scheduled ovariohysterectomy, fluid was directly collected. Samples from 98 conceptuses were collected at day 46.7 ± 7.5 of pregnancy. RESULTS: The amount of fluid retrieved varied between 0.5 and 5.0 ml per collection. Macroscopic examination of the uterus and conceptuses identified 53% of the puncture sites. Neither fluid leakage nor foetal injury was detected, and six hematomas (5.8%) were visible. Ultrasound-guided foetal fluid collection was found to be potentially safe, and it can be performed by using either transabdominal method. CONCLUSION: Foetal fluid collection is possible with relative ease and low short-term risk, and may open paths for diagnostic, therapeutic and research purposes in dogs. The procedure can provide new insights into prenatal clinical medicine, including diagnostics of foetal deaths, early identification of heritable diseases and so on.

Evaluation of two chemiluminescent assays compared with radioimmunoassay for serum progesterone measurement in bitches.

Serum progesterone (sP4) measurement is commonly used to determine the optimal time for mating in bitches, and to diagnose reproduction-related abnormalities. Radioimmunoassay (RIA) is the gold standard assay, but is becoming less available, and has several practical disadvantages. Chemiluminescence immunoassays (CLIA) are commonly used in human medicine for sP4 measurement, and are becoming more available in veterinary medicine. Our objective was to compare the sP4 results obtained by RIA and two CLIA systems (Immulite-Siemens [IS-CLIA] and Elecsys-Roche [ER-CLIA]) in the same sera in 60 client-owned healthy bitches at different estrous cycle stages. The agreement between the two CLIAs and RIA was examined using the Passing-Bablok regression and Bland Altman plots. Comparing sP4 concentrations measured by the IS-CLIA to the RIA yielded an intercept of 0.16 ng/mL (95% confidence interval [95%CI], 0.03-0.25) with a slope of 0.45 (95%CI, 0.44-0.47) and a median difference of -2.10 ng/mL (P < 0.0001) that was strongly correlated to the average of measurements (r = -0.97; P < 0.0001). Comparing sP4 concentrations measured by the ER-CLIA to the RIA yielded an intercept of -0.23 ng/mL (95%CI, -0.56 to -0.09) with a slope of 1.06 (95%CI, 1.00-1.12) and a median difference of -0.09 ng/mL (P = 0.9), that was weakly correlated to the average of measurements (r = 0.34; P = 0.018). The performance of the ER-CLIA was similar to the RIA, while the IS-CLIA showed significantly different results compared to the RIA. Our study supports the conclusion that sP4 results generated by the ER-CLIA can be used interchangeably with RIA results for clinical purposes, while IS-CLIA results require adjustment to RIA results for clinical practice.

Time course of serum cobalamin, folate, and total iron binding capacity concentrations in pregnant bitches and association with hematological variables and survival.

BACKGROUND: Hypocobalaminemia, hypofolatemia and iron deficiency are associated with pregnancy-related anemia (PRA) and neonatal survival (NS) in women. Similar associations have not been investigated in pregnant bitches. OBJECTIVES: To investigate time course and associations of serum cobalamin, folate and iron status indicators with hematological variables and NS in pregnant bitches. ANIMALS: Forty-eight pregnant bitches. METHODS: A prospective cohort study. Pregnancy was confirmed by abdominal ultrasonography twice during mid- and late pregnancy, concurrently with blood sampling. Associations among pregnancy stage, NS and laboratory variables were assessed by generalized estimating equations. RESULTS: Compared with midpregnancy, serum cobalamin (adjusted mean [95% confidence interval, CI]) decreased at late pregnancy (430 pg/mL [394-466] versus 330 pg/mL [303-357], respectively; P < .001), whereas serum folate did not. Every increment of 1 in parity number or litter size corresponded to 28.6 pg/mL (95% CI, 5.6-51.6; P = .02) and 20.3 pg/mL (95% CI, 10.9-29.7; P < .001) decrease in serum cobalamin concentration. Compared with midpregnancy, serum iron (P < .001) and transferrin saturation (P = .01) increased at late pregnancy. The decrease in red blood cell count (P < .001) at late pregnancy was significantly, albeit weakly, correlated with decreasing serum folate concentration (r = 0.33; P = .02). None of the measures was associated with NS. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Pregnancy-related anemia was common at late pregnancy. Unlike in women, in pregnant bitches, serum iron and transferrin saturation were increased at late pregnancy. Future studies are warranted to investigate the clinical ramifications of hypocobalaminemia in pregnant bitches and the utility of prophylactic folate administration in mitigating PRA.

Ultrasound Imaging Reveals Accelerated In-utero Development of a Sensory Apparatus in Echolocating Bats.

Organ development, both in-utero and after birth, follows a different path for every organ depending upon how early the newborn will use it. Perception of the environment using echolocation occurs very early in the life of neonatal bats. In nostril-emitting echolocating bats of the families Hipposideridae and Rhinolophidae, the shape and area of the nasal-horseshoe is crucial for echolocation emission. We therefore hypothesized that most of this organ's ontogeny will be completed in-utero while skull and wings will develop slower and continue their growth after birth. We used intrauterine ultrasonography of pregnant females, and measured newborn Asellia tridens (Hipposideridae) to test our hypothesis at different stages of ontogeny. We found that horseshoe development is completed in-utero and neonates begin emitting precursor echolocation calls already two days after birth. In contrast, skull and forearm only develop to 70% and 40% of adult size (respectively), and continue development after birth.

Global hemostasis in healthy bitches during pregnancy and at different estrous cycle stages: Evaluation of routine hemostatic tests and thromboelastometry.

This study assessed the global hemostasis (including prothrombin time [PT], activated partial thromboplastin time [aPTT], antithrombin activity [ATA], fibrinogen and d-Dimer concentrations, platelet count, plateletcrit and thromboelastometry) in healthy pregnant bitches, comparing the results with those of healthy bitches at different estrous cycle stages, and assessed whether hemostatic changes during pregnancy are associated with serum progesterone concentration or the presence of fetuses in utero. The results show that pregnant bitches have higher fibrinogen concentration, platelet count and platelatecrit, and that fibrin and global clot formations occur faster than in non-pregnant bitches at different estrous cycle stages. Additionally, clot strength was higher in pregnant bitches than in non-pregnant ones. There were no differences in PT, ATA, and D-dimer concentration between all study groups. The aPTT was significantly shorter in bitches at the fourth and last pregnancy weeks, compared to the anestrus group, and shorter in both the fourth and last pregnancy weeks groups, compared to diestrus group. These results all support a hypercoagulable state in healthy pregnant bitches, unassociated with progesterone concentration.

Differences in the sialylation patterns of membrane stress proteins in chemical carcinogen-induced tumors developed in BALB/c and IL-1alpha deficient mice.

We evaluated the patterns of sialylation on fibrosarcoma cell lines arising following 3-methylcholanthrene treatments of wild-type and IL-1alpha-deficient mice; the former induced progressive tumors, whereas the latter cell lines induced regressing tumors or failed to develop into tumors in mice due to immune rejection. In regressing tumors, terminating alpha2-6-Neu5Ac residues were present at lower levels than in progressively growing tumors. In both tumor cells, the amount of alpha2-6-Neu5Ac residues was higher by an order of magnitude relative to the amount expressed in primary fibroblasts harvested from IL-1alpha-deficient and wild-type mice. We focused on membrane proteins, which may interact with the immune system. Interestingly, HSP65, grp75, and gp96 were found on the surfaces of malignant cells and were shown to possess sialylated N-glycans. The amount of trisialylated glycans on gp96 and HSP65 and monosialylated glycans on grp75 of regressing cells was significantly lower than in progressively growing cells, suggesting a dependency of these specific glycoforms on anti-tumor immunity.