The impact of the standard diet, supplemented with glucans extracted from Claviceps purpurea, on some productive parameters in broiler chickens

We have studied the impact of the standard diet, supplemented with glucans extracted from Claviceps purpurea, on some productive parameters. The experiment was performed on 30 broiler chickens, beginning at the age of 25 days. Chickens were bred under semi-intensive conditions, being randomly distributed in three equal groups, according to their body weight. They were fed with specific commercial food, balanced in nutrient principles; each day, the glucanic extracts were added at doses of 20 mg/kg body weight for the group E1 and 40 mg/kg body weight for the group E2. The extracts were mixed with food, after being diluted in 10% distilled water. At the end of the experiment, the control group has reached a weight gain of 644 g. The group E1 (with 20 mg glucanic extract/kg) has reached a weight gain of 696 g, which represented a significant difference in comparison with the control group (+ 52 g). The group E 2 (with 40 mg glucanic extract/kg) has reached a weight gain of 728 g, which was also a significant difference as compared to the control group (+ 84 g). The specific fodder consumption was of 2.11 kg fodder/kg body weight at the group E2, slightly higher at the group E1, representing 2.21 kg fodder/kg body weight, the fodder consumption for the control group being of 2.40 kg fodder / kg body weight, significantly higher than that for groups E1 and E2. The haematological, biochemical blood and histological exams of the internal organs have registered parameters within the physiological limits, without significant differences between the control group and the experimental ones

Brainstem Auditory Evoked Potentials in Raccoon Dogs

Raccoon dogs (Nyctereutes procynoides) are canids indigenous to Eastern Asia being one of the most invasive non-native animals in Europe and potential vectors for several hazardous parasitic and viral diseases. To present, there is a lack of studies regarding objective techniques used to appreciate the integrity and functionality of the nervous system in this species. Brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAER) is a cost-e ective, quick and noninvasive technique to assess the functionality of nervous system. The aim of the study is to provide reference values and evaluates the reliability of BAER recording with needle electrodes in clinically healthy raccoon dogs. Nine individuals were investigated for BAER under xylazine and ketamine general anesthesia. Four waves (I, II, III and V) were identified and evaluated for latencies, morphologically similarity to those previously reported for other species (dogs, horses, cats, and ferret). Our data can be used in further studies to asses objectively the auditory system function in raccoon dogs

Reviewing the Potential Therapeutic Approaches Targeting the Modulation of Gastrointestinal Microflora in Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia (SCZ) is a severe brain disorder characterized by an intriguing clinical panel that has begun to gain interest due to its particular phenotype. Having considered the role of gut microflora in psychiatry, the latest discoveries might offer further insight into the underlying mechanisms. Thus, we aimed to offer an updated overview of the therapeutic potential of microorganism-derived supplements alongside dedicated protocols that target the re-establishment of the host’s eubiosis. Based on combinations of specific keywords, we performed searches in four databases (PubMed/Medline, ISI Web of Knowledge, Scopus, and ScienceDirect) for the established interval (2018–2022) and identified twenty two eligible cases, restricted only to human patients’ experiences. Up until the writing of this manuscript, it has been revealed that the administration of specific lactic acid bacteria strains (Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium), or those combined with vitamin D and selenium, maintain the integrity of the gut flora, preventing antagonistic effects including inflammation, antipsychotic-related body weight gain (olanzapine) and other metabolic dysfunctionalities. However, there are multiple antipsychotics that exert a potent effect upon gut flora, influencing a plethora of pathways and creating a dysbalance ratio between beneficial and opportunistic pathogens. Risperidone, amisulpride, and clozapine are just a few examples, but the current literature is unfortunately inconsistent and reported data is contradictory, which is why we support additional studies in this context. Moreover, we further argue the utility of studying how distinct controlled substances influence microbial communities, considering that ketamine is proved to alleviate depressive-like behavior as opposed to amphetamine and phencyclidine, which are known substances to trigger SCZ-like symptoms in experimental models. Probiotics may be regarded as the most consequential vehicle through which the gut flora can be successfully influenced, in adequate doses exerting a beneficial role as an alternative approach to alleviate SCZ symptoms

Acute idiopathic polyradiculoneuritis with secondary arterial hypertension in a 5-year-old male Siberian Husky

Acute canine idiopathic polyradiculoneuritis (ACIP) is one of the most common generalised neuromuscular diseases affecting dogs. In this report, we describe a 5-year-old, 25-kg, male, intact, Siberian Husky dog with ACIP with secondary induced arterial hypertension fsystolic blood pressure [mean (m) ± standard deviation (sd)], 214 ± 19mmHg; mean blood pressure (m ± sd), 164 ± 6.36mmHg; and diastolic blood pressure (m ± sd), 137 ± 0.7mmHgg and sinus tachycardia. Heart rate variability analysis indicated decreased vagal activity (low root-meansquare values of successive RR interval differences and percentages of the RR intervals differing by more than 50ms in the entire recording) and predominance of sympathetic activity. Arterial hypertension was treated with amlodipine but remained greater than the upper limit for 51 days until the dog recovered ambulation. This is the first case report of ACIP and secondary arterial hypertension in a dog. Routine blood pressure measurements should be included in the monitoring of patients with ACIP if arterial hypertension might interfere with patient prognosis

Cortisol and Oxytocin Could Predict Covert Aggression in Some Psychotic Patients

Background: The covert or indirect type of aggression has a risk of converting in violent acts and, considering that, it is very important to identify it in order to apply effective preventive measures. In cases of psychotic patients, the risk of becoming violent is harder to predict, as even neuter stimuli may be perceived as threat and trigger aggression. Treating all the psychiatric patients as potential aggressive subjects is not the best preventive measure as only a few of them are aggressive and this measure may further enhance the stigma on mentally ill patients. There is a current need for better understanding of covert aggression and to find objective measures, such as biological markers, that could be indicative of potential violent behavior. In this work, we try to investigate the role of cortisol and oxytocin as potential biomarkers of aggression in patients with psychosis. Material and Methods: We analyzed the level of peripheral oxytocin (pg/mL) and cortisol level (ng/mL) in 28 psychotic patients (they were not on psychotropic treatment at the moment of admission and those with substance abuse or personality disorder were excluded from the study) and correlated it with the intensity of aggression reported by the patient (overt and covert type) using the Overt Covert Aggression Inventory and the level of observed aggression of the patient in the past 7 days (rated by the health care provider) using the Modified Overt Aggression Scale. Results: We found that psychotic patients with a higher level of covert aggression had a lower level of cortisol (61.05 ± 8.04 ng/mL vs. 216.33 ± 12.6.9 ng/mL, p ˂ 0.01) and a higher level of oxytocin (102.87 ± 39.26 vs. 70.01 ± 25.07, p = 0.01) when compared with patients with a lower level of covert aggression. Furthermore, we observed significant negative correlation between cortisol and covert aggression (r = −0.676, p < 0.001) and between oxytocin and covert type of aggression (r = 0.382, p = 0.04). Moreover, we found that a lower level of cortisol together with a higher level of oxytocin are significant predictors of a style of internalized manifestation of aggression, with the predictive model explaining 55% of the variant of the internalized manifestation of aggression (F (2.25) = 17.6, p < 0.001, β = 0.35, R2 = 55.2). We did not find significant correlations between cortisol and overt aggression, and neither between oxytocin and overt aggression. Positive correlations were also found between the overt type of self-reported aggression and overt aggression reported by the rater (r = 0.459, p = 0.01). Conclusions: The importance of a predictive model in understanding covert aggression is imperative and the results of our study show that oxytocin and cortisol warrant to be further investigated in establishing a definitive predictive model for covert aggression

Brainstem Auditory Evoked Potentials in Raccoon Dogs (Nyctereutes procynoides)

Raccoon dogs (Nyctereutes procynoides) are canids indigenous to Eastern Asia being one of the most invasive non-native animals in Europe and potential vectors for several hazardous parasitic and viral diseases. To present, there is a lack of studies regarding objective techniques used to appreciate the integrity and functionality of the nervous system in this species. Brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAER) is a cost-effective, quick and noninvasive technique to assess the functionality of nervous system. The aim of the study is to provide reference values and evaluates the reliability of BAER recording with needle electrodes in clinically healthy raccoon dogs. Nine individuals were investigated for BAER under xylazine and ketamine general anesthesia. Four waves (I, II, III and V) were identified and evaluated for latencies, morphologically similarity to those previously reported for other species (dogs, horses, cats, and ferret). Our data can be used in further studies to asses objectively the auditory system function in raccoon dogs

Seronegative Myasthenia Gravis with Concomitant SARS-CoV-2 Infection in a Dog

Myasthenia gravis (MG) is a disorder of neuromuscular transmission affecting the neuromuscular junction. The majority of cases involve an autoimmune attack against AChR, but a limited number of patients are seronegative for AChR antibodies. Viral infection is incriminated as a trigger for MG occurrence, and in a limited number of reports, infection with SARS-CoV-2 was found to be associated with MG expression in humans. In this report, we describe case of seronegative generalized MG in a 2-year-old crossbred female dog associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection due to close exposure to an infected owner