Hepatic Lipidosis in Banded Armadillos (Euphractus sexcinctus) Bred in Captivity

Background: Wild animals bred in captivity may develop steatosis due to unbalanced dietary intake and obesity caused by sedentary behaviour. In some rural areas, six-banded armadillos are raised in captivity inside some metal barrels, with restricted space, and are often overfeed. After getting fattening, armadillos they are slaughtered and used as food. Theunfavorable conditions may somehow contribute to likely underlie the development of many diseases, among them we can including hepatic steatosis. The present report aims to describe the pathological fndings of hepatic lipidosis in banded armadillos (Euphractus sexcinctus), bred in captivity.Case: The animals were three female adult six-banded armadillos (Euphractus sexcinctus), caught in the native forest of the city of Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil and raised in domestic environment in a small enclosure and fed with human food leftovers. After eight months kept in these conditions armadillos had severe obesity and then were donated to the city zoo, where they were quarantined and presented clinical symptoms of anorexia for two weeks, weight loss and exhaustion. After being found dead during daily inspection carried out by the veterinarian zoo, the six-banded armadillos were sent to the Animal Pathology Laboratory of Federal Rural University of the Semi-Arid (UFERSA) for pathological examination.The animals presented with a history of anorexia were extremely obese and the autopsy detected had extensive deposits of fat in the carcass and liver. Histopathologically, the liver cells hepatocytes showed marked intracytoplasmic vacuolization and with peripheral displacement of the nucleus to the periphery, with and positive staining for lipids using scarlet Sudan III. To our knowledge, this is the frst report of hepatic lipidosis in banded.Discussion: Hepatic lipidosis can be categorized into normal liver and mild, moderate, or severe fatty liver. In severe cases, it is estimated that 80% of the hepatocytes are affected. Therefore, we classifed the hepatic lipidosis of the three studied female six-banded armadillos as severe, since the lipids were deposited diffusely. Based on the severity of the lesions and absence of other fndings, we concluded here that hepatic lipidosis contributed to the cause of the six-banded armadil los death. The weight of the animals in this report may be associated with innapropriate enclosure dimensions and a diet based on human food leftovers. Such diet was reportedly composed of rice, beens, spaghetti, and bread, which are food with high levels of carbohydrate. The armadillos of the Euphractus sexcinctus species usually weigh between 3 and 6 kg and hence, the animals of this report showed twice the normal weight. The occurrence of hepatic lipidosis associated with anorexia triggered by a stressful event such as a change of environment and diet armadillos observed in the present study is in agreement with literature data pointing anorexia in obese animals as a major predisposing factors for the occurrence of hepatic lipidosis by promoting energy restriction, peripheral lipolysis and large intake of fatty acids to the liver.Keywords: Euphractus sexcinctus, armadillos, anatomopathology, liver, lipidosis

Qualidade de vida e percepção ambiental dos moradores de uma comunidade rural de Mossoró, RN

The purpose of this work was to assess the main social and environmental troubles, the environmental awareness, the quality of life and health conditions of Bom Jesus rural area residents, located in Mossoró, RN. It was applied a hundred semi-structured and pre-tested questionnaires in residences randomically choosed. The majority of population lives in poverty conditions, receiving up to a minimum wage, and the mean social and environmental troubles related was the violence, random garbage disposal and development of arthropods and rodents, disease vectors. The absence of basic sanitation, and overcrowded houses, has contributed to the increase of the frequency in the vomiting and diarrhea cases, and influenza and viral diseases. The most part of the population in this study thought the environmental quality in Mossoró regular or bad, and knows about the individual participation of the community to contribute with a healthier environment, but they don’t do anything to turns the environment into better. So, with this problems, we wait a major participation of the public power to produce actions of education and promotion of health.Com o objetivo de delinear os principais problemas sócio-ambientais, a percepção ambiental, a qualidade de vida e condições de saúde dos moradores da comunidade do Bom Jesus na zona rural de Mossoró, RN, foram aplicados 100 questionários semi-estruturados, e pré-testados em residências escolhidas randomicamente. Observou-se que a maioria da população vive em condições de pobreza, com até um salário mínimo, e que os principais problemas sócio-ambientais da comunidade estão associados à violência, esgoto a céu aberto e desenvolvimento de artrópodes e roedores vetores de doenças. A falta de saneamento básico e as moradias superlotadas foram associadas às doenças, sendo as mais freqüentes, vômito/diarréia e gripe/virose. A maioria da população estudada classificou o meio ambiente de Mossoró de regular a ruim e afirmou saber da participação individual para a contribuição com um ambiente mais saudável, apesar de não contribuem para a melhoria do meio em que vivem. Diante dos problemas identificados, espera- se uma maior participação do poder público na realização de ações de educação e promoção da saúde.Con el objetivo de delinear los principales problemas socio-ambientales, la percepción ambiental, la calidad de vida y condiciones de salud de los habitantes de la comunidad del Bueno Jesus en la zona rural de Mossoró, RN, fueron aplicados 100 cuestionarios semi-estructurados, y pre-probados en residencias escogidas randomicamente. Se observó que la mayoría de la población vive en condiciones de pobreza, con hasta un salario mínimo, y que los principales problemas socio-ambientales de la comunidad están asociados a la violencia, alcantarillado a cielo abierto y desarrollo de artrópodos y roedores vetores de enfermedades. La falta de saneamiento básico y las viviendas superlotadas fueron asociadas a las enfermedades, siendo las más frecuentes, vômito/diarrea y gripe/#virose. La mayoría de la población estudiada clasificó el medio ambiente de Mossoró de regular la ruim y afirmó saber de la participación individual para la contribución con un ambiente más saludable, a pesar de no contribuyen para la mejoría del medio en que viven. Delante de los problemas identificados, se espera una mayor participación del poder público en la realización de acciones de educación y promoción de la salud

QUALIDADE DE VIDA E PERCEPÇÃO AMBIENTAL DOS MORADORES DE UMA COMUNIDADE RURAL DE MOSSORÓ, RN

Com o objetivo de delinear os principais problemas sócio-ambientais, a percepção ambiental, a qualidade de vida e condições de saúde dos moradores da comunidade do Bom Jesus na zona rural de Mossoró, RN, foram aplicados 100 questionários semi-estruturados, e pré-testados em residências escolhidas randomicamente. Observou-se que a maioria da população vive em condições de pobreza, com até um salário mínimo, e que os principais problemas sócio-ambientais da comunidade estão associados à violência, esgoto a céu aberto e desenvolvimento de artrópodes e roedores vetores de doenças. A falta de saneamento básico e as moradias superlotadas foram associadas às doenças, sendo as mais freqüentes, vômito/diarréia e gripe/virose. A maioria da população estudada classificou o meio ambiente de Mossoró de regular a ruim e afirmou saber da participação individual para a contribuição com um ambiente mais saudável, apesar de não contribuem para a melhoria do meio em que vivem. Diante dos problemas identificados, esperase uma maior participação do poder público na realização de ações de educação e promoção da saúde

Assessment of the interaction between straw size and thawing rate and its impact on in vitro quality of post-thaw goat semen

The objective of this study was to analyze interactions between different straw sizes and thawing rates on the post-thaw goat semen parameters. Twenty-one ejaculates (seven per animal) were collected from three stud bucks by using an artificial vagina. After evaluation, the semen was extended in Tris-egg yolk-glycerol and packed in 0.25 and 0.50 mL straws, followed by storage in liquid nitrogen. Thawing was performed using two different rates: 37 ºC/1 min and 55 ºC/7 s. The interaction between the 0.5-mL straw and the thawing rate of 55 ºC/7 s promoted higher progressive motility. When the effect of straws alone was analyzed, it was verified that the use of the 0.50 mL straw promoted better conservation than the 0.25 mL one for progressive motility and acrosomal integrity, after the frozen-thawing procedures. Optimal results for progressive motility were achieved when goat semen was frozen in 0.5 mL straws and thawed in water at 55 ºC/7 s

Chemical composition, immunostimulatory, cytotoxic and antiparasitic activities of the essential oil from Brazilian red propolis.

Most studies of Brazilian red propolis have explored the composition and biological properties of its ethanolic extracts. In this work, we chemically extracted and characterized the essential oil of Brazilian red propolis (EOP) and assessed its adjuvant, antiparasitic and cytotoxic activities. The chemical composition of EOP was analyzed using gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). EOP was tested for in vitro activity against Trichomonas vaginalis (ATCC 30236 isolate); trophozoites were treated with different concentrations of EOP (ranging from 25 to 500 μg/mL) in order to establish the MIC and IC50 values. A cytotoxicity assay was performed in CHO-K1 cells submitted to different EOP concentrations. BALB/c mice were used to test the adjuvant effect of EOP. The animals were divided in 3 groups and inoculated as follows: 0.4 ng/kg BW EOP (G1); 50 μg of rCP40 protein (G2); or a combination of 0.4 ng/kg BW EOP and 50 μg of rCP40 (G3). Total IgG, IgG1 and IgG2a levels were assessed by ELISA. The major constituent compounds of EOP were methyl eugenol (13.1%), (E)-β-farnesene (2.50%), and δ-amorphene (2.3%). Exposure to EOP inhibited the growth of T. vaginalis, with an IC50 value of 100 μg/mL of EOP. An EOP concentration of 500 μg/mL was able to kill 100% of the T. vaginalis trophozoites. The EOP kinetic growth curve showed a 36% decrease in trophozoite growth after a 12 h exposure to 500 μg/mL of EOP, while complete parasite death was induced at 24 h. With regard to CHO-K1 cells, the CC50 was 266 μg/mL, and 92% cytotoxicity was observed after exposure to 500 μg/mL of EOP. Otherwise, a concentration of 200 μg/mL of EOP was able to reduce parasite proliferation by 70% and was not cytotoxic to CHO-K1 cells. As an adjuvant, a synergistic effect was observed when EOP was combined with the rCP40 protein (G3) in comparison to the administration of each component alone (G1 and G2), resulting in higher concentrations of IgG, IgG1 and IgG2a. EOP is constituted by biologically active components with promising antiparasitic and immunostimulatory activities and can be investigated for the formulation of new vaccines or trichomonacidal drugs

CHO-K1 cell viability after treatment with different concentrations of EOP.

<p>Cell proliferation in CHO-K1 was investigated by the MTT assay, and metronidazole was used as a positive control. Data are expressed as the mean ± SEM of the viabilities of CHO-K1 cells in three independent experiments. (*) indicates a difference between the treatments in CHO-K1 cells. The differences were considered significant at p < 0.05. VC = vehicle control; MTZ = metronidazole.</p

Kinetic growth curve of the <i>Trichomonas vaginalis</i> 30236 isolate after exposure to EOP at 500 μg/mL for 1 h, 6 h, 12 h, 24 h, 48 h, 72 h and 96 h.

<p>Data represent mean ± standard deviation of at least three experiments, all in triplicate. Different letters indicate a significant difference (p < 0.05).</p

Volatile compounds identified by gas chromatography followed by mass spectrometry (GC-MS) of the Brazilian red propolis essential oil.

<p>Volatile compounds identified by gas chromatography followed by mass spectrometry (GC-MS) of the Brazilian red propolis essential oil.</p