Alterações anatomopatologicas do estomago, intestino delgado, figado e rins de ratos (Rattus norvergicus) intoxicados experimentalmente com Daphnopsis racemosa Griseb. (Embira-branca)

Resumo: Foram avaliadas as alterações morfológicas através de microscopia óptica do estômago, intestino delgado, figado e rins de ratos (Rattus norvegícus) intoxicados experimentalmente com suspensão aquosa das partes aéreas de Daphnopsis racemosa Griseb. (embira-branca). A suspensão aquosa obtida das folhas e ramos da planta previamente dessecadas, moidas e dissolvidas em água destilada foi administrada concentrada e em diluições crescentes para cada grupo experimental: tratamento 1 (T-l), 2 (T-2), 3 (T- 3) e 4 (T-4), por via oral, uma vez ao dia, durante 30 dias consecutivos, através de sonda orogástrica flexivel. Os ratos do grupo testemunha (T5) receberam apenas água destilada. Os pesos de cada animal foram registrados em várias fases do experimento e analisados através de gráfico. No final do periodo do experimento realizou-se o sacrifício dos animais. Após avaliação macroscópica, os órgãos foram fixados em solução de formol a 10% e processados conforme técnicas histológicas. Macroscopicamente, os ratos apresentaram congestão hepática, espessamento da parede intestinal com a serosa e a mucosa avermelhadas. Ao exame histopatológico, foi observada gastroenterite catarral em todos os grupos, aumentando proporcionalmente nos animais que receberam maior concentração da suspensão aquosa da planta. Em figado observou-se megalocitose, necrose de hepatócitos isolados e centrolobular, hemorragias focais, fibrose nos espaços Porta e hiperplasia ductal. O quadro renal foi o de leve nefrose. As lesões foram proporcionalmente mais acentuadas nos grupos que receberam maior concentração da suspensão aquosa da planta

Presence of infectious agents and co-infections in diarrheic dogs determined with a real-time polymerase chain reaction-based panel

BACKGROUND: Infectious diarrhea can be caused by bacteria, viruses, or protozoan organisms, or a combination of these. The identification of co-infections in dogs is important to determine the prognosis and to plan strategies for their treatment and prophylaxis. Although many pathogens have been individually detected with real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), a comprehensive panel of agents that cause diarrhea in privately owned dogs has not yet been established. The objective of this study was to use a real-time PCR diarrhea panel to survey the frequencies of pathogens and co-infections in owned dogs attended in a veterinary hospital with and without diarrhea, as well the frequency in different countries. Feces samples were tested for canine distemper virus, canine coronavirus, canine parvovirus type 2 (CPV-2), Clostridium perfringens alpha toxin (CPA), Cryptosporidium spp., Giardia spp., and Salmonella spp. using molecular techniques. RESULTS: In total, 104 diarrheic and 43 control dogs that were presented consecutively at a major private veterinary hospital were included in the study. Overall, 71/104 (68.3%) dogs with diarrhea were positive for at least one pathogen: a single infection in 39/71 dogs (54.9%) and co-infections in 32/71 dogs (45.1%), including 21/32 dogs (65.6%) with dual, 5/32 (15.6%) with triple, and 6/32 (18.8%) with quadruple infections. In the control group, 13/43 (30.2%) dogs were positive, all with single infections only. The most prevalent pathogens in the diarrheic dogs were CPA (40/104 dogs, 38.5%), CPV-2 (36/104 dogs, 34.6%), and Giardia spp. (14/104 dogs, 13.5%). CPV-2 was the most prevalent pathogen in the dual co-infections, associated with CPA, Cryptosporidium spp., or Giardia spp. No statistical difference (P = 0.8374) was observed in the duration of diarrhea or the number of deaths (P = 0.5722) in the presence or absence of single or co-infections. CONCLUSIONS: Diarrheic dogs showed a higher prevalence of pathogen infections than the controls. Whereas the healthy dogs had only single infections, about half the diarrheic dogs had co-infections. Therefore, multiple pathogens should be investigated in dogs presenting with diarrhea. The effects of multiple pathogens on the disease outcomes remain unclear because the rate of death and the duration of diarrhea did not seem to be affected by these factors