Ovarian Filariasis in a Wild Southern Tamandua (Tamanduatetradactyla; Mammalia: Myrmecophagidae)

Knowledge of reproductive health in wild southern tamanduas (Tamandua tetradactyla; Mammalia: Myrmecophagidae) is fragmentary. During necropsies of roadkill xenarthran species in Brazil, a case of ovarian filariasis in an adult female southern tamandua was observed. Macroscopically, both ovaries were irregularly enlarged and had numerous smooth protuberances. Histologically, the affected ovarian parenchyma presented adult nematodes (including females with microfilaria) surrounded by pleocellular inflammatory infiltrates. The morphological characteristics of the nematodes were consistent with the superfamily Filarioidea (order Spirurida). The adjacent ovarian parenchyma had developing and atretic follicles at different stages of maturation. Filarial nematodes were not observed in other tissues. The cause of death of this tamandua was fatal acute polytrauma as a consequence of the motor vehicle collision. This case adds to a prior report of ovarian filariasis in two southern tamanduas in Nicaragua and Guatemala, dating back almost 100 years, and suggests filarial infections could potentially have an impact on reproductive success in southern tamanduas and possibly other xenarthrans. Several xenarthran species are under different levels of threat and knowledge of their basic reproductive health is crucial for conservation programs

Sistematização da origem, da distribuição e dos territórios da artéria cerebral caudal na superfície do encéfalo em gatos Systematization of the origin, distribution and territory of the caudal cerebral artery on the surface of the encephalon in cats

Foram estudados 26 encéfalos de gatos, adultos, sem diferenciação de sexo, sem raça definida, corados com látex e fixados por solução aquosa de formaldeído. As artérias cerebrais caudais, direita e esquerda, apresentaram-se únicas em 96,1 e 88,4% dos casos, respectivamente. Em 69,2% dos casos no antímero direito e 80,8% no esquerdo, a artéria cerebral caudal originou-se pela anastomose entre o ramo caudal da artéria carótida interna, com maior contribuição, e o ramo terminal da artéria basilar. Em 88,4% dos casos no antímero direito e em 84,6% no esquerdo, a artéria cerebral caudal originou a artéria tectal rostral e um ramo caudal. O ramo caudal bifurcou-se e vascularizou os colículos rostrais e caudais dos corpos quadrigêmeos e em alguns casos contribuiu na formação do plexo coroide do terceiro ventrículo. A artéria tectal rostral seguiu ventralmente ao lobo piriforme e durante seu trajeto liberou ramos para o hipocampo e, no antímero esquerdo, supriu a superfície dorsal do tálamo, contribuindo para a formação do plexo coroide do terceiro ventrículo.<br>In this study were used 26 brains of adult cats, without sex differentiation and definable race, colored with latex and fixed in formaldehyde aqueous solution. The right and left caudal cerebral arteries were single in 96.1% and 88.4% of the sample, respectively. In 69.2% of the samples on the right side and 80.8% on the left, the caudal cerebral artery fin from the anastomosis behind the caudal branch of the internal carotid artery, with a large contribution, and the basal artery terminal branch. In 88.4% of the samples on the right side and 84.6% on the left, the caudal cerebral artery showed the tectal rostral artery and one caudal branche. The caudal branch forked in two branches that supplied the rostral and caudal colliculis of the quadruplet bodies and formed the choroid plexus of the third ventricle. The tectal rostral artery followed ventrally to the piriform lobe and during his way sent some branches to hippocampus. In the left side, this vessel supplied the dorsal surface of thalamus and contributed to the formation of the choroid plexus of the third ventricle