Clinicopathological and toxicological aspects of poisoning by the clomazone herbicide in sheep

AbstractClomazone (2-[(2-chlorophenyl)methyl]-4,4-dimethyl-3-isoxazolidinone) is a herbicide which has been widely used in southern Brazil in the rice cultivation and can be toxic for humans and animals. This study reports the first outbreak poisoning due to clomazone in a flock of 103 sheep, 20 of which showed mainly neurological and respiratory signs. Clomazone was detected in soil and vegetation samples and in the liver, kidney and muscles of poisoned animals. The poisoning was experimentally reproduced in three sheep by the administration of a 134mgkg body weight dose of clomazone. In both the natural and experimental cases, the clinical signs included tachypnea, anorexia, somnolence, weakness and ataxia. Macroscopically, there were no significant changes. Histologically, vacuolization in the white matter, perineuronal vacuoles and congestion of the leptomeningeal and brain vessels were observed. Ultrastructurally, the vacuolar lesions in the brain corresponded to swelling of the dendrites and astrocytic processes. It is concluded that clomazone causes toxic neuropathy in sheep

Kinetic study of the reaction of leuco methylene blue with 2,6-dimethyl-p-benzoquinone in a reverse micellar system

The kinetics of the reaction of leuco methylene blue (MBH) with 2,6-dimethyl-p-benzoquinone (DMBQ) were studied in a heptane/bis(2-ethylhexyl)-sulfosuccinate (AOT)/water reverse micellar system. The pseudo-first-order rate constant (k (obsd)) obtained in the presence of excess of DMBQ was found to be proportional to the initial concentration of DMBQ for W (0)=3, 5, 10, 15 and 20 (W (0)=[H2O]/[AOT]). The second-order rate constant (k (2)=k (obsd)/[DMBQ](0)) increased with an increase in the W (0) value, but was almost independent of the concentration of the water pool. A mechanism involving the distribution of DMBQ between the reverse micellar interface and bulk organic solvent was proposed to explain these findings.</p

Mutations in the mitochondrial complex I assembly factor NDUFAF6 cause isolated bilateral striatal necrosis and progressive dystonia in childhood

Aim: To perform a deep phenotype characterisation in a pedigree of 3 siblings with Leigh syndrome and compound heterozygous NDUFAF6 mutations. Method: A multi-gene panel of childhood-onset basal ganglia neurodegeneration inherited conditions was analysed followed by functional studies in fibroblasts. Results: Three siblings developed gait dystonia in infancy followed by rapid progression to generalised dystonia and psychomotor regression. Brain magnetic resonance showed symmetric and bilateral cytotoxic lesions in the putamen and proliferation of the lenticular-striate arteries, latter spreading to the caudate and progressing to cavitation and volume loss. We identified a frameshift novel change (c.554_558delTTCTT; p.Tyr187AsnfsTer65) and a pathogenic missense change (c.371T>C; p.Ile124Thr) in the NDUFAF6 gene, which segregated with an autosomal recessive inheritance within the family. Patient mutations were associated with the absence of the NDUFAF6 protein and reduced activity and assembly of mature complex I in fibroblasts. By functional complementation assay, the mutant phenotype was rescued by the canonical version of the NDUFAF6. A literature review of 14 NDUFAF6 patients showed a consistent phenotype of an early childhood insidious onset neurological regression with prominent dystonia associated with basal ganglia degeneration and long survival. Interpretation: NDUFAF6-related Leigh syndrome is a relevant cause of childhood onset dystonia and isolated bilateral striatal necrosis. By genetic complementation, we could demonstrate the pathogenicity of novel genetic variants in NDUFAF6

Productive performance, carcass and meat quality of intact and castrated gilts slaughtered at 106 or 122 kg BW

A total of 200 (Landrace3Large White dam3Pietrain3Large White sire) gilts of 5063 days of age (23.361.47 kg BW) were used to investigate the effects of castration (intact gilt, IG v. castrated gilt, CG) and slaughter weight (SW; 106 v. 122 kg BW) on productive performance, carcass and meat quality. Four treatments were arranged factorially and five replicates of 10 pigs each per treatment. Half of the gilts were ovariectomized at 58 days of age (8 days after the beginning of the trial at 29.861.64 kg BW), whereas the other half remained intact. The pigs were slaughtered at 106 or 122 kg BW. Meat samples were taken at Musculus longissimus thoracis at the level of the last rib and subcutaneous fat samples were taken at the tail insertion. For the entire experimental period, CG had higher ( P,0.05) BW gain and higher ( P,0.001) backfat and Musculus gluteus medius fat thickness than IG. However, IG had higher ( P,0.05) loin and trimmed primal cut yields than CG. Meat quality was similar for IG and CG but the proportion of linoleic acid in subcutaneous fat was higher ( P,0.001) for IG. Pigs slaughtered at 122 kg BW had higher ( P,0.001) feed intake and poorer feed efficiency than pigs slaughtered at 106 kg BW. An increase in SW improved ( P,0.001) carcass yield but decreased ( P,0.05) trimmed primal cut yield. Meat from pigs slaughtered at the heavier BW was redder (a*; P,0.001) and had more ( P,0.01) intramuscular fat and less thawing ( P,0.05) and cooking ( P,0.10) loss than meat from pigs slaughtered at the lighter BW. In addition, pigs slaughtered at 122 kg BW had less ( P,0.01) linoleic acid content in subcutaneous fat than pigs slaughtered at 106 kg BW. Castration of gilts and slaughtering at heavier BW are useful practices for the production of heavy pigs destined to the dry-cured industry in which a certain amount of fat in the carcass is required. In contrast, when the carcasses are destined to fresh meat production, IG slaughtered at 106 kg BW is a more efficient alternative

Vidrios biomédicos y vitrocerámicas como sustitutos de los tejidos óseos

Nowadays, an important research topic related with medical devices are the materials designed as bone tissues substitutes. Hard tissues have a great capacity of self-regeneration but in front of traumatic or pathologic critical bone defects it is necessary the use of bone substitutes or templates as temporal or permanent grafts. Glasses or glass-ceramics are osteoconductive, osteoinductive and biocompatible materials. In addition, they have the ability to link directly to the living bone tissues without any interface (bioactivity). Also, it has been reported that bioglasses favor the angiogenesis process and the cellular adhesion, proliferation and differentiation necessary features for bone tissue engineering scaffolds. This work refers generalities of the bioactive glasses and glass-ceramics compositions, manufacture processes, properties, advantages, disadvantages as well as the main clinical applications and new developments for tissue engineering

Studies on the mineral nutrition of the rice plant: IX. time course on the uptake of macronutrients by the variety IAC-47

Rice plants, variety IAC-47, were grown in the nº 2 nutrient solution of HOAGLAND & ARNON (1950) until the end of the life cycle. Plants were sampled at well defined physiological periods for analyses. It was verified that trends for levvelling off occurred in the case of accumulation of N, K and Ca. Translocation from leaves to grain was observed with respect to N, P and K. Maximum rates of uptake of all elements took place from 50 to 100 days after germination.Foram estudadas, em condições controladas, a acumulação de matéria seca e a de macronutrientes na variedade de arroz IAC-47. Ambos os processos em geral são descritos por sigmóides típicas; picos para os valores totais de produção de matéria seca e de acumulação de elementos entre: 100 e 140 dias depois da germinação