Effects of diets containing organic and inorganic zinc sources on hair characteristics, zinc concentration in blood and hair, and the immune response of dogs

Background: There are two commercial forms of zinc, organic and inorganic, and its form may infl uence absorption and utilization by the animals. The inorganic form dissociates to Zn2+ in the gastrointestinal tract and can interact with other substances that the animal cannot absorb. The interest in using organic minerals has increased because of the reported potential of higher bioavailability compared to inorganic sources. In dogs, little research has been done concerning the bioavailability of organic and inorganic mineral sources. This study compared the effects of diets containing organic and inorganic zinc on hair characteristics, zinc concentration in blood and hair, and the infl uence of organic minerals on the immune response of dogs. Materials, Methods & Results: Eighteen healthy adult dogs of different breeds (Labrador, German Shepherd, Malinois Shepherd, and Rottweiler) were separated into two groups of nine animals per treatment and fed diets for 30 days. Two diets were used: an inorganic mineral source diet (IMSD) and an organic mineral source diet (OMSD). Four parameters were evaluated (days -14, 0, 10, 20, 30) to determine the hair characteristics: brightness, texture, looseness, and greasiness. On days 0 and 30, two blood samples were taken and two hair samples were collected to measure zinc concentrations. On the 10th day of the trial period, the animals received an injection of 4 mL of a 10% solution of sheep red blood cells (SRBC) subcutaneously as a stimulus to assess the humoral response. Blood samples were taken prior to injection as well as on days 10 and 20 post-injection for antibody titer. All dogs consumed adequate amount of the diets and body weight did not change during the experiment. The daily dry matter, energy, and zinc consumption did not differ between groups The zinc concentration in the blood remained stable throughout the experiment in animals fed the OMSD but decreased signifi cantly in the animals fed the IMSD (P = 0.0145). The zinc concentration in hair increased (P = 0.0075) in dogs fed the OMSD, while the dogs fed the IMSD had no difference. The consumption of the OMSD resulted in higher brightness in the hair of the face, muzzle, armpit, back, abdomen, and tail compared with the IMSD. The animals fed the chelated mineral-supplemented diet also showed better texture in hair of the abdomen (P = 0.0327), chest (P = 0.0335), and tail (P = 0.0291). The parameters looseness and greasiness showed no signifi cant differences. No differences were observed in the production of antibodies against SRBC between groups; however, the antibody concentration was maintained throughout the experiment in the animals supplemented with OMSD, in contrast to the animals supplemented with IMSD, which reduced their antibody concentration. Discussion: There is controversy in the literature regarding the benefi ts of organic over inorganic zinc source. This may be due to two factors: the time of zinc supplementation, and the levels of zinc included in the diets, which varies in each experiment. In the present study, both criteria were adequate for the responses evaluated and the results suggest that organic zinc is suitable for supplementation into the commercial dog foods and could enhance the hair characteristics of adult dogs. Moreover, the improvement in immune status, although subtle, must be taken into account. It should be noted that the diets were formulated with high levels of minerals, especially calcium, which increases the possibility of interactions and competition in the absorptive process, increasing the challenge and impairing absorption of divalent minerals

Spatial and Temporal Description of Laboratory Diagnosis of Bovine Rabies in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

Background: Rabies remains one of the most important zoonosis worldwide and in Brazil. In the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul (RS) the disease is one of the main causes of death in bovine herds. The confirmation of suspected rabies cases upon clinical examination depends on specific laboratory diagnosis. The Instituto de Pesquisas Veterinárias Desidério Finamor (IPVDF) is the reference laboratory in RS to diagnose rabies. The objective of the present study was to present a spatial-temporal description of diagnostic procedures of rabies in cattle in the years 2011 to 2015 in RS.Materials, Methods & Results: The results of diagnosis procedures of rabies in cattle carried out in the Laboratory of Virology, IPVDF, between January 2011 and December 2015 were listed. Direct immunofluorescence (DIF) and biological assays for confirming rabies cases were used. Cattle population density per area of a municipality, as well as date, species involved, location of suspected case, and diagnosis were obtained from exams and from official rabies record, and input to a spreadsheet file. Spatial distribution maps of cattle rabies confirmed in laboratory and cattle population density per municipality were constructed using the software TerraView 4.2.2 (INPE). In the study period, 998 samples of brains of cattle presenting neurological symptoms compatible with rabies, of which 582 (58%) were confirmed in the laboratory. The frequency of positive cases on a yearly basis varied between 41 and 65%, with statistically lower number of positives in 2011 (P > 0.05). The annual incidence of rabies for a population of 10,000,000 bovines was 33, 88, 112, 108, and 79, respectively, for the years 2011 to 2015, in that order. A positive correlation was observed between the number of samples analyzed and the incidence of positive cases in the study period, and statistically significant difference in incidence between years (P > 0.05). Samples were from 175 municipalities, of which 114 (65%) had at least one confirmed rabies case and 61 did not have any. The five municipalities that sent most samples for analysis were Viamão (n = 66), Montenegro (n = 40), Camaquã (n = 39), Gravataí (n = 38), and São Lourenço do Sul (n = 37). The spatial distribution of rabies in cattle in a year did not follow a defined pattern, though most cases confirmed in the laboratory occurred in the greater Porto Alegre region and in southeast RS.Discussion: High incidence of rabies was observed in 2012 and 2013, and in the two following years the number of cases confirmed in laboratory remained high, compared with 2011. The high incidence of rabies cases confirmed in laboratory correlated with the number of samples analyzed. The fall in vaccine coverage during the study period may also have prompted the increase in suspected cases and in the number of samples examined in the laboratory. A large number of the municipalities presenting rabies cases in cattle was in the greater Porto Alegre region and in southeast RS, which are areas of high and intermediate risk for the disease, according to a previous epidemiological modeling study. The spatial distribution of positive cases was not associated with the cattle population density. The large number of rabies in cattle in RS underscores the importance of the disease and the high risk of exposure, both to humans and animals. The results presented herein may help define control and prevention actions against rabies in RS

Análise de vacinas contra o sorotipo 3 do vírus da doença de marek por PCR em tempo real e cultivo celular.

A doença de Marek (MD), causada por um alfaherpesvírus, é uma enfermidade linfoproliferativa que acomete principalmente galinhas. Como não existe tratamento, a melhor forma de prevenção e controle da MD é através do uso de vacinas atenuadas, que vêm sendo usadas desde 1970. Este trabalho descreve a análise de vacinas vivas congeladas contra o sorotipo 3 do vírus da doença de Marek (herpesvírus de peru – HVT) por PCR em tempo real (qPCR) e por cultivo em células de embrião de galinha. Foram avaliadas três vacinas (cepa FC126) provenientes de distintos fabricantes. As análises da homogeneidade inter e intra-lote apresentaram, respectivamente, média ± desvio padrão de 2,6 ± 1,7%, 2,1 ± 1,1% e 1,2 ± 0,1% e média ± desvio padrão de 1,5 ± 0,1%, 1,2 ± 0,8% e 1,0 ± 0,3% para A, B e C, respectivamente. A qPCR subestimou os títulos das vacinas concentradas 4x e superestimou os títulos das vacinas diluídas 8x, enquanto o cultivo celular superestimou os títulos das vacinas concentradas. As vacinas apresentaram quantidades diferentes de células/dose e unidade formadoras de placa/dose. Conseqüentemente, a relação PFU/célula também foi diferente, o que demonstra a necessidade de construção de curvas diferentes, para cada fabricante, para a titulação por qPCR

Detecção e caracterização do herpesvírus associado à fibropapilomatose em tartarugas -verdes (Chelonia muydas) na costa brasileria

A fibropapilomatose (FP) é uma doença emergente com alta prevalência em tartarugas, caracterizada por múltiplos papilomas, fibromas e fibropapilomas cutâneos ou viscerais. Essa doença foi denominada inicialmente de “green turtle fibropapillomatosis” (GTFP) por ter sido registrada pela primeira vez em tartarugasverdes (Chelonia mydas). Na costa brasileira, o primeiro registro de FP foi em 1986 no Estado do Espírito Santo (ES) e, durante o período de 2000 a 2004, das 4.471 tartarugas-verdes examinadas, 14,96% apresentavam tumores. O agente etiológico da FP nas tartarugas-verdes ainda é incerto, mas acredita-se que seja de caráter multifatorial uma vez que poluição, temperatura da água e outros fatores interferem na ocorrência dos tumores. Um herpesvírus tem sido isolado de fibropapilomas e está presente em 95% das infecções naturais e 100% dos tumores induzidos experimentalmente. O objetivo deste estudo foi investigar a presença e caracterizar o vírus associado à FP em tartarugas-verdes, determinar a carga viral, pigmentação e escore de tumores e verificar a condição corporal das tartarugas; além de fazer a associação entre essas características. Este estudo foi dividido em três manuscritos. No primeiro, documentamos a ocorrência da FP em uma tartaruga-verde no Estado do Rio Grande do Sul (RS). O segundo e o terceiro trabalhos foram realizados com amostras de fibropapilomas de tartarugas-verdes encontradas nos estados do Ceará (CE), Bahia (BA), Espírito Santo (ES) e São Paulo (SP) porque esses estados apresentam uma frequência alta de FP e/ou um grande número de animais capturados em anos anteriores. O segundo estudo relata o sequenciamento de um fragmento de DNA do gene da DNA polimerase do herpesvírus em 38 amostras de fibropapilomas que revelam a ocorrência de seis variantes do vírus no Brasil. O último estudo relata a analise, por PCR e PCR em tempo real, de 175 amostras de fibropapilomas coletados nos estados de CE, BA, ES e SP e faz a associação da carga viral com o tipo de superfície dos tumores (lisa ou verrucosa), presença de pigmentação, condição corporal e escore de tumores nas tartarugas. Quarenta e três amostras foram submetidas à análise histopatológica para determinar o tipo de lesão. Quarente e cinco amostras de pele de tartarugas coletadas na Ilha de Trindade (livre de FP) foram analisadas em busca da presença do vírus. Todas as amostras de Trindade foram negativas para a presença do vírus e 87% das amostras foram positivas na PCR em tempo real. A maioria das amostras (75%) foi coletada de tartarugas sadias, 33% tinham escore de tumores 1, 28% escore 2 e 39% escore 3. Setenta por cento dos tumores eram verrucosos e 41% eram pigmentados. A carga viral máxima foi de 889.674,98 cópias/mg de tumor e animais com tumores de escore 3 apresentaram as mais altas cargas virais. Altas cargas virais também estavam associadas de forma significativa aos animais com fibropapilomatose encontrados mortos em SP e BA e a superfície verrugosa dos tumores nas tartarugas amostradas no CE.The fibropapillomatosis (FP) is an emerging disease with high prevalence in turtles, characterized by multiple cutaneous or visceral papillomas, fibromas and fibropapillomas. The disease was initially called green turtle fibropapillomatosis (GTFP) because it was first recorded in green turtles (Chelonia mydas). In the Brazilian coast, the FP was first recorded in 1986 in the State of Espirito Santo, and during the period of 2000 until 2004, 14.96% of the 4471 green turtles examined had tumors. The etiologic agent of FP in green turtles is still uncertain, but is believed to be multifactorial, as pollution, water temperature and other factors. A herpesvirus has been isolated from fibropapillomas and is present in 95% of the natural FP and 100% of the experimentally induced tumors. The objective of the present study was to investigate the presence of the virus associated with FP in green turtles and characterize FP lesions, as viral load, pigmentation, body condition and score of tumors, in addition to making the association between these traits. The study was divided into three manuscripts. The first documented the occurrence of FP in green turtles in RS. The second and third study was performed with samples of fibropapillomas of green turtles from the states of Ceará (CE), Bahia (BA), Espírito Santo (ES) and São Paulo (SP) because these states have a high incidence of FP and/or a large number of animals captured in previous years. The second study reports the sequence of a DNA fragment of the herpesvirus from 38 samples of FP, which revealed the occurrence of six virus variants in Brazil. The final study reports the analysis thought PCR and real time PCR of 175 fibropapillomas collected from turtles in the states of CE, BA, ES and SP, and makes the association of viral load with the surface of tumors (smooth or warth), pigmentation, body condition and score of the tumors. Fortythree samples were subjected to histopathological analysis to determine the type of injury and skin samples from 45 turtles collected in the Ilha de Trindade (free FP) were analyzed for the presence of the virus. All samples of the Ilha de Trindade were negative for the virus and 87% of samples were positive in real-time PCR. The majority of the samples (75%) was collected from healthy turtles, 33% had tumors with score 1, 28% score 2 and 39% score 3. Seventy percent of the tumors were warty and 41% were pigmented. The maximum viral load was 889,674.98 copies/mg of tumor and tumors with score 3 had the highest viral loads. High viral loads were also significantly associated with FP from the animals dying in SP and BA, and to tumors with warty surface from the CE

Análise de vacinas contra o sorotipo 3 do vírus da doença de marek por PCR em tempo real e cultivo celular.

A doença de Marek (MD), causada por um alfaherpesvírus, é uma enfermidade linfoproliferativa que acomete principalmente galinhas. Como não existe tratamento, a melhor forma de prevenção e controle da MD é através do uso de vacinas atenuadas, que vêm sendo usadas desde 1970. Este trabalho descreve a análise de vacinas vivas congeladas contra o sorotipo 3 do vírus da doença de Marek (herpesvírus de peru – HVT) por PCR em tempo real (qPCR) e por cultivo em células de embrião de galinha. Foram avaliadas três vacinas (cepa FC126) provenientes de distintos fabricantes. As análises da homogeneidade inter e intra-lote apresentaram, respectivamente, média ± desvio padrão de 2,6 ± 1,7%, 2,1 ± 1,1% e 1,2 ± 0,1% e média ± desvio padrão de 1,5 ± 0,1%, 1,2 ± 0,8% e 1,0 ± 0,3% para A, B e C, respectivamente. A qPCR subestimou os títulos das vacinas concentradas 4x e superestimou os títulos das vacinas diluídas 8x, enquanto o cultivo celular superestimou os títulos das vacinas concentradas. As vacinas apresentaram quantidades diferentes de células/dose e unidade formadoras de placa/dose. Conseqüentemente, a relação PFU/célula também foi diferente, o que demonstra a necessidade de construção de curvas diferentes, para cada fabricante, para a titulação por qPCR

Pesquisa da presença de Salmonella sp. em amostras de ração de suínos de terminação

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Avaliação da suplementação de minerais complexados na dieta de cães adultos : resposta humoral, composição de Zn sanguínea e Zn no pêlo e análise da pelagem

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