Japanese Journal of Veterinary Research最新文献

The anesthetic effects of alfaxalone were investigated in mice. Mice were administered alfaxalone (100 mg/kg) alone or the combinations of 0.3 mg/kg of medetomidine and 5 mg/kg of butorphanol with alfaxalone at doses of 20 mg/kg (M/B/A20), 40 mg/kg (M/B/A40), 60 mg/kg (M/B/A60), or 80 mg/kg (M/B/A80). Control mice received 0.3 mg/kg of medetomidine, 4 mg/kg of midazolam, and 5 mg/kg of butorphanol (M/M/B). Each drug was administrated by intraperitoneal (IP) or subcutaneous (SC) routes. M/M/B IP did not achieve surgical anesthesia but M/M/B SC achieved surgical anesthesia within 10 min after administration and maintained anesthesia for 45 min. The anesthetic scores were very low after IP or SC administration of alfaxalone alone. M/B/A20 IP and SC did not achieve surgical anesthesia. M/B/A40 IP did not achieve surgical anesthesia but M/B/A40 SC achieved surgical anesthesia within 10 min after administration and maintained anesthesia for 35 min. M/B/A60 SC achieved surgical anesthesia within 5 min after administration and maintained anesthesia for 75 min. By contrast, M/B/A60 IP did not achieve surgical anesthesia. M/B/A80 SC achieved surgical anesthesia within 5 min after administration and maintained anesthesia for 85 min. By contrast, M/B/A80 IP did not achieve surgical anesthesia and one mouse died about 10 min after drug administration. Administration of atipamezole rapidly reversed anesthesia induced by M/B/A60 in mice. These results suggest that M/B/A60 SC, an alfaxalone-based combination, is suitable for inducing surgical anesthesia in laboratory mice.

We evaluated the efficacy of weekly bathing in reducing methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus (MRS) colonization in canine allergic dermatitis in a pilot clinical trial. Six dogs with allergic dermatitis controlled by prescription medications were treated with weekly bathing for 1 month. The Canine Atopic Dermatitis Extent and Severity Index version 3 (CADESI-03) and pruritus scores and frequency of mecA-positive Staphylococcus spp. isolated from three body sites between weeks 0 and 4 were compared. There was no significant difference in CADESI-03 scores with bathing, whereas the pruritus scores were significantly reduced (p < 0.05). Furthermore, MRS frequency was decreased in four of the six dogs (p < 0.05). In conclusion, weekly bathing should be considered for reducing MRS colonization in canine allergic dermatitis.

A 10-month-old female toy poodle was referred to the University of Tokyo Veterinary Medical Center with a urogenital anomaly found during sterilization. An exploratory laparotomy revealed a cyst adhering to the cervix and a unilateral renal agenesis. Histopathology and immunohistochemical analysis of the cyst was consistent with remnants of the Wolffian duct or a Gartner duct cyst. This is a rare case of a canine Gartner duct cyst with renal agenesis and uterine anomaly. We discuss the similarity of this case to that of humans and introduce a classification in the literature for these complex urogenital malformations for further clinical research into the precise diagnosis and appropriate surgical planning.

Water intoxication is a common disorder in calves and is usually characterized by transient hemoglobinuria. In contrast, the condition is very rare in adult cattle, with few reports on naturally occurring cases. In the present report, four female Japanese Black cattle, aged 16-25 months, showed neurological signs when they drank water following a water outage. Hemoglobinuria was not grossly observed, while severe hyponatremia was revealed by laboratory tests. Autopsy indicated cerebral edema with accumulation of serous fluid in expanded Virchow-Robin spaces. These results indicate the possibility of water intoxication associated with cerebral edema due to severe dilutional hyponatremia in adult cattle.

A better understanding of the role played by shellfish regarding the manner of pathogen contamination, persistence, and selection may help considering epidemiology of noroviruses. Thus, norovirus genotype profiles in shellfish (Crassostrea gigas and Mitilus galloprovincialis) were investigated by using Next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology. In genogroup I (GI), 7 genotypes (abbreviated as GI.2 to GI.7, and GI.9) were detected from C. gigas, whereas 9 genotypes (GI.1 to GI.9) were detected from M. galloprovincialis. The genotype with the highest proportion found in both C. gigas and M. galloprovincialis was GI.4, and the second highest was GI.3. In genogroup II (GII), 17 genotypes (GII.1 to GII.9, GII.11 to GII.17, GII.21 and GI.22) were detected from C. gigas, whereas 16 genotypes (GII.1 to GII.8, GII.11 to GII.17, GII.21 and GI.22) were detected from M. galloprovincialis. The genotype with the highest proportion in both C. gigas and M. galloprovincialis was GII.4, the next highest differed between C. gigas and M. galloprovincialis. To our knowledge, this study may be the first trial to utilize the latest technology in this field, and reveal the diversity of norovirus genotypes present in shellfish.

The atlanto-occipital (AO) overlap in combination with atlanto-axial (AA) instability was found in a dog. We hypothesized that ventral fixation of the AA junction can stabilize the atlas and prevent AO overlap by reviewing our past cases with AA instability. A standard ventral fixation of the AA junction using stainless k-wires and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) was performed. The dog fully recovered, and no complication was noted. The results of the postoperative CT imaging supported our hypothesis. The ventral fixation of the AA junction is a feasible treatment option for similar cases, although craniocervical junction abnormalities (CJA) including AA instability are varied, and careful consideration is required for each case.

Increase in consumption of consumer items such as plasticizers have resulted in a sharp rise in the presence of xenobiotics like phthalic acid esters (PEs) in freshwater and marine environments due to contaminated runoff and improper release of effluents. The sublethal toxicity of Di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) was investigated in juvenile Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus, in an attempt to determine the biological effect of exposure to 1/2 and 1/3 median lethal concentration (96-h LC50) which, in our study was experimentally determined to be 11.8 mg/l. Following four days of exposure, indices of the oxidative potential [Malondialdehyde content (MDA)], antioxidant parameters [superoxide dismutase activity (SOD) and reduced glutathione level (GSH)] and DNA damage were evaluated by single-cell gel electrophoresis (Comet assay). Hepato-renal markers [alanine aminotransferase activity (ALT), creatinine and urea level] and cortisol levels were also quantified in serum. Additionally, histopathological investigations of liver, kidney and gill tissues were conducted. Comparative results between the 1/2 96-h LC50 group and the 1/3 96-h LC50 group clearly showed that there was a significant elevation in MDA levels and a marked increase in DNA damage in addition to inhibition of antioxidant barriers as represented by attenuation of SOD activity and GSH level in the group that was exposed to higher concentration of DBP (1/2 96-h LC50). The hepatorenal markers and cortisol levels were also observed to be elevated. Histopathological examination of the liver, kidney and gills showed pathological alterations that could be correlated with changes in the biochemical profile of the exposed fish. Additionally, anomalous clinical signs were noted. Based on these findings, we conclude from our study that exposure of juvenile O. niloticus to DBP has the potential to induce biochemical as well as tissue morphological alterations associated with oxidative injury and DNA damage.

The aims of this study were to investigate the level of acute phase proteins in dairy cows with urinary tract infection (UTI) and to evaluate their diagnostic and prognostic value. Eighty-four lactating cows with clinical and laboratory evidence of UTI and 15 healthy controls were included in this study. Serum samples were evaluated for the levels of Haptoglobin (Hp), serum amyloid A (SAA), fibrinogen (Fb), α1-Acid glycoprotein (AGP), total protein, and globulin. The diagnostic and prognostic performance of each parameter was evaluated by estimating the area under receiver operating characteristics curve (AUROC). Escherichia coli and Corynebacterium spp. were the primary bacteria associated with UTI. The levels of serum Hp, SAA, Fb, AGP, total protein, and globulin were significantly higher in UTI cows. Successfully treated cows (n = 51) had lower levels of Hp, SAA, AGP, total protein, and globulin than non-responsive cows. Overall, Hp, SAA, Fb, and AGP showed comparable diagnostic accuracy (AUROC ranged from 0.93 to 0.98). Both Hp and SAA showed high accuracy in predicting treatment response (AUROC > 0.95), whereas Fb level was of no prognostic value (AUROC = 0.48). From this study, acute phase proteins levels can be used as markers for UTI in cows and higher levels of Hp, SAA and AGP are related to poor treatment response.

We investigated the seroprevalence of antibodies against Erysipelothrix in wild animals in Japan. Serum samples were collected from 48 wild boar, 26 Yezo deer and 26 Japanese deer in Japan. Growth agglutination (GA) test was performed to estimate antibody titers. As a result, positive results were obtained from 32 (66.7%), 1 (3.6%) and 6 (23.1%) samples from wild boar, Yezo deer and Japanese deer, respectively. Our findings suggest that wild animals may be an important reservoir of Erysipelothrix.