Adapted Cavotomy Technique for Pheochromocytoma Associated Tumor Thrombi in a Dog

Background: In dogs pheochromocytoma usually compress and invade into the adjacent vessels and structures, which may lead to the occurrence of caudal vena caval tumor thrombi. The surgical approach in these cases requires adrenalectomy with caval thrombectomy. Conventionally, tourniquets and partial occlusion clamp are used to reduce intraoperative blood loss, but in dogs with a large thrombus associated to a great local tumor invasion, the traditional technique may be hindered. The aim of this study was to report the use of a purse-string suture during venotomy of the caudal vena cava for thrombectomy, as an alternative to tourniquet and partial occlusion clamp.Case: An 11-year-old male Daschound breed dog, was referred for evaluation because of the appearance of small blackened nodules in the ventral abdomen. During a search for metastatic lesions with abdominal ultrasound, the right adrenal was identified with significant volume increase, and presence of tumor-associate circular formation that appeared to invade the caudal vena cava, suggestive of neoplastic invasion or thrombus. Abdominal computed tomography showed caudal vena cava in its hepatic portion presenting considerable increase in diameter, with caudal dilation and presence of hypoattenuating material in its lumen. Right adrenal gland with rounded appearance and regular borders, heterogeneous parenchyma and juxtaposed caudal vena cava suggesting invasion of this, confirming the sonographic findings. During exploratory celiotomy, adherence of the adrenal mass to the right renal vessels and invasion of the caudal vena cava were observed, leading to the need of nephrectomy and venotomy for thrombectomy. To perform the venotomy, a Rumel tourniquet was placed loosely around the vena cava only caudal to the invasion point of the tumor thrombus, cranially, tourniquet application was not possible due to the presence of a large thrombus extending into the intrahepatic cava. Therefore, a purse-string suture was applied around the invasion point of the vena cava tumor thrombi. Thus, during the thrombectomy, while dissecting with the scalpel blade, the purse-string suture was gently tightened, minimizing hemorrhage and allowing the venotomy to close immediately after thrombi removal. Histopathological mass analysis allowed the diagnosis of malignant pheochromocytoma with intravascular extension of the tumor, and the patient remained without clinical changes for 18 months.Discussion: When caval invasion by the adrenal mass is present, the application of Rumel tourniquets around the vena cava cranial and caudal to the tumor thrombus invasion point is recommended to reduce intraoperative hemorrhage during thrombectomy. However, due to the presence of a large thrombus extending into the intrahepatic cava in the presente report, it was not possible to apply the cranial tourniquet, just the caudal one. Thus, the technique adapted using a purse-string suture during venotomy of the caudal vena cava for thrombectomy was extremely efficient in controlling hemorrhage, while allowing rapid venotomy closure without the need for partial occlusion vascular clamp, reducing the surgical time. A tumor thrombus in the vena cava associated with adrenal gland tumors are amenable to adrenalectomy and thrombectomy without significantly increasing perioperative morbidity and mortality rates, assuming the surgeon is experienced in appropriate techniques. Moreover, the presence of tumor invasion does not seem to be predictive of the outcome of the cases, in agreement with what happened in this case

Methylene Blue to Neonatal Septic Shock treatment in neonate pigs,

Objective: The authors design an animal model of neonatal sepsis to analyze the treatment of neonatal septic shock with Methylene Blue (MB) in a swine model. Methods: The study design included twenty male newborn pigs divided into four groups: 1) The control group; 2) The sepsis group (induced with lipopolysaccharide); 3) The MB group, and 4) The MB-treated sepsis group. Septic shock was defined as Blood Pressure (BP) dropping 20% below the baseline value. Continuous Blood Pressure (BP), Nitric Oxide (NO) levels, cyclic Guanosine Monophosphate (cGMP), malondialdehyde acid, base excess, lactate, arterial blood gases, hematocrit, and echocardiography were analyzed. Results: The BP of the sepsis group treated with MB showed a slight improvement in the first hour after treatment; however, a significant difference was not observed compared to the untreated sepsis group. Besides hemodynamic stability, the current study did not show symptomatic pulmonary hypertension, suggesting that MB was safe in neonates and children. An improvement in Base Excel (BE) levels after MB administration in septic animals may indicate a possible improvement in microcirculation. Conclusion: The MB improved biomarkers related to septic shock prognosis, although an improvement in the blood levels could not be detected. MB might be a beneficial drug for hemodynamic instability in infants

ATLANTIC-CAMTRAPS: a dataset of medium and large terrestrial mammal communities in the Atlantic Forest of South America

Our understanding of mammal ecology has always been hindered by the difficulties of observing species in closed tropical forests. Camera trapping has become a major advance for monitoring terrestrial mammals in biodiversity rich ecosystems. Here we compiled one of the largest datasets of inventories of terrestrial mammal communities for the Neotropical region based on camera trapping studies. The dataset comprises 170 surveys of medium to large terrestrial mammals using camera traps conducted in 144 areas by 74 studies, covering six vegetation types of tropical and subtropical Atlantic Forest of South America (Brazil and Argentina), and present data on species composition and richness. The complete dataset comprises 53,438 independent records of 83 species of mammals, includes 10 species of marsupials, 15 rodents, 20 carnivores, eight ungulates and six armadillos. Species richness averaged 13 species (±6.07 SD) per site. Only six species occurred in more than 50% of the sites: the domestic dog Canis familiaris, crab-eating fox Cerdocyon thous, tayra Eira barbara, south American coati Nasua nasua, crab-eating raccoon Procyon cancrivorus and the nine-banded armadillo Dasypus novemcinctus. The information contained in this dataset can be used to understand macroecological patterns of biodiversity, community, and population structure, but also to evaluate the ecological consequences of fragmentation, defaunation, and trophic interactions. © 2017 by the Ecological Society of Americ

Ghrelin: evaluation of immunomodulatory and cardioprotective activity in experimental Chagas Disease

A Doença de Chagas permanece ainda como grave problema de saúde pública, e o tratamento com o benzonidazol (N-benzil-2-nitroimidazol-acetamida), única medicação disponível no Brasil para o tratamento tripanocida, têm demonstrado melhores resultados nas fases iniciais do envolvimento cardíaco, não alterando desfecho em pacientes com doença cardíaca bem estabelecida. Dentre os mecanismos mais aceitos para explicar a fisiopatologia da lesão cardíaca, a reação inflamatória desencadeada pela presença do parasita no tecido têm tido maior importância na produção dessas lesões. A Grelina têm demonstrado ação cardioprotetora e anti-inflamatória em diversas condições experimentais, porém até o presente estudo, não foi testada na fase crônica da Doença de Chagas. 36 ratos Wistars foram randomizados em 6 grupos (C: controle, CG: controle tratado com grelina, I: infectado, IG: infectado tratado com grelina, IB: infectado tratado com benzonidazol, IGB: infectado tratado com grelina e benzonidazol) em que o efeito da aplicação da grelina isolada e associada ao benzonidazol foi avaliada no curso de 150 dias de infecção realizada intraperitonealmente com 2 x 105 formas sanguícolas da cepa Y de T. cruzi. Para isso, avaliamos a função cardíaca através da ecocardiografia antes e após o tratamento (120 e 150 dias), biomarcadores de lesão e congestão (Troponina I e T, NT-pro-BNP), histopatologia e PCR cardíacos. Avaliação da apoptose em esplenócitos, dosagem de citocinas pró inflamatórias e moduladoras, análise fenotípica das populações celulares de linfócitos (TCD4+, TCD8+ e NK) foram realizadas para estudo da resposta imune e possível modulação com os tratamentos utilizados. Não foram detectadas alterações morfológicas e funcionais que indicassem lesão cardíaca nos grupos infectados, à despeito da detecção do parasita no tecido cardíaco pelo PCR. Os grupos tratados com grelina demonstraram importante redução da apoptose em esplenócitos, além de redução no percentual de células NK e NKT.Chagas disease remains a serious public health problem, and treatment with benzonidazole (N-benzyl-2-nitroimidazole-acetamide), the only drug available in Brazil for trypanocidal treatment, has shown better results in the early stages of disease, not altering outcome in patients with well-established heart disease. Among the most accepted mechanisms to explain the pathophysiology of cardiac injury, the inflammatory response triggered by the presence of the parasite in the tissue has been most important factor in the production of these lesions. Ghrelin has been shown cardioprotective and anti-inflammatory action under various experimental conditions, but until the present study, it has not been tested in the chronic phase of Chagas disease. 36 Wistars rats were randomized in 6 groups (C: control, CG: ghrelin-treated control, I: infected, IG: ghrelin-treated infected, IB: benzonidazole-treated infected, IGB: infected ghrelin-treated and benzonidazole) and the ghrelin effects associated or not with benznidazole was evaluated in the course of 150 days of infection, performed intraperitoneally with 2 x 105 blood forms of T. cruzi Y strain. For this, we evaluated cardiac function at pre and post-treatment periods by echocardiography (120 and 150 days), injury and congestion biomarkers (Troponin I and T, NT-pro-BNP),cardiac histopathology and PCR. Assays of splenocyte apoptosis, proinflammatory and modulating cytokine profile, phenotypic analysis of lymphocyte cell populations (TCD4+, TCD8+, and NK) were performed to study the immune response and possible modulation with the treatments used. No morphological and functional alterations were detected in the infected groups, despite the detection of the parasite in cardiac tissue by PCR. The groups treated with ghrelin showed significant reduction of apoptosis in splenocytes, as well as reduction in the percentage of NK and NKT cells

12,500+ and counting: biodiversity of the Brazilian Pampa

Knowledge on biodiversity is fundamental for conservation strategies. The Brazilian Pampa region, located in subtropical southern Brazil, is neglected in terms of conservation, and knowledge of its biodiversity is fragmented. We aim to answer the question: how many, and which, species occur in the Brazilian Pampa? In a collaborative effort, we built species lists for plants, animals, bacteria, and fungi that occur in the Brazilian Pampa. We included information on distribution patterns, main habitat types, and conservation status. Our study resulted in referenced lists totaling 12,503 species (12,854 taxa, when considering infraspecific taxonomic categories [or units]). Vascular plants amount to 3,642 species (including 165 Pteridophytes), while algae have 2,046 species (2,378 taxa) and bryophytes 316 species (318 taxa). Fungi (incl. lichenized fungi) contains 1,141 species (1,144 taxa). Animals total 5,358 species (5,372 taxa). Among the latter, vertebrates comprise 1,136 species, while invertebrates are represented by 4,222 species. Our data indicate that, according to current knowledge, the Pampa holds approximately 9% of the Brazilian biodiversity in an area of little more than 2% of Brazil’s total land. The proportion of species restricted to the Brazilian Pampa is low (with few groups as exceptions), as it is part of a larger grassland ecoregion and in a transitional climatic setting. Our study yielded considerably higher species numbers than previously known for many species groups; for some, it provides the first published compilation. Further efforts are needed to increase knowledge in the Pampa and other regions of Brazil. Considering the strategic importance of biodiversity and its conservation, appropriate government policies are needed to fund studies on biodiversity, create accessible and constantly updated biodiversity databases, and consider biodiversity in school curricula and other outreach activities

Diagnosis, Prognosis, and Treatment of Canine Hemangiosarcoma: A Review Based on a Consensus Organized by the Brazilian Association of Veterinary Oncology, ABROVET

Hemangiosarcoma is a mesenchymal neoplasm originating in the endothelial cells of blood vessels; they can be classified as non-visceral and visceral types. Non-visceral hemangiosarcomas can affect the skin, subcutaneous tissues, and muscle tissues; visceral hemangiosarcomas can affect the spleen, liver, heart, lungs, kidneys, oral cavity, bones, bladder, uterus, tongue, and retroperitoneum. Among domestic species, dogs are most affected by cutaneous HSA. Cutaneous HSA represents approximately 14% of all HSA diagnosed in this species and less than 5% of dermal tumors, according to North American studies. However, Brazilian epidemiological data demonstrate a higher prevalence, which may represent 27 to 80% of all canine HSAs and 13.9% of all skin neoplasms diagnosed in this species. Cutaneous HSA most commonly affects middle-aged to elderly dogs (between 8 and 15 years old), with no gender predisposition for either the actinic or non-actinic forms. The higher prevalence of cutaneous HSA in some canine breeds is related to lower protection from solar radiation, as low skin pigmentation and hair coverage lead to greater sun exposure. Actinic changes, such as solar dermatosis, are frequent in these patients, confirming the influence of solar radiation on the development of this neoplasm. There are multiple clinical manifestations of hemangiosarcoma in canines. The diagnostic approach and staging classification of cutaneous HSAs are similar between the different subtypes. The definitive diagnosis is obtained through histopathological analysis of incisional or excisional biopsies. Cytology can be used as a presurgical screening test; however, it has little diagnostic utility in cases of HSA because there is a high risk of blood contamination and sample hemodilution. Surgery is generally the treatment of choice for dogs with localized non-visceral HSA without evidence of metastatic disease. Recently, electrochemotherapy (ECT) has emerged as an alternative therapy for the local ablative treatment of different neoplastic types; the use of radiotherapy for the treatment of dogs with cutaneous HSA is uncommon. There is greater consensus in the literature regarding the indications for adjuvant chemotherapy in subcutaneous and muscular HSA; doxorubicin is the most frequently used antineoplastic agent for subcutaneous and muscular subtypes and can be administered alone or in combination with other drugs. Other therapies include antiangiogenic therapy, photodynamic therapy, the association of chemotherapy with the metronomic dose, targeted therapies, and natural products. The benefits of these therapies are presented and discussed. In general, the prognosis of splenic and cardiac HSA is unfavorable. As a challenging neoplasm, studies of new protocols and treatment modalities are necessary to control this aggressive disease

ATLANTIC-CAMTRAPS: a dataset of medium and large terrestrial mammal communities in the Atlantic Forest of South America

Our understanding of mammal ecology has always been hindered by the difficulties of observing species in closed tropical forests. Camera trapping has become a major advance for monitoring terrestrial mammals in biodiversity rich ecosystems. Here we compiled one of the largest datasets of inventories of terrestrial mammal communities for the Neotropical region based on camera trapping studies. The dataset comprises 170 surveys of medium to large terrestrial mammals using camera traps conducted in 144 areas by 74 studies, covering six vegetation types of tropical and subtropical Atlantic Forest of South America (Brazil and Argentina), and present data on species composition and richness. The complete dataset comprises 53,438 independent records of 83 species of mammals, includes 10 species of marsupials, 15 rodents, 20 carnivores, eight ungulates and six armadillos. Species richness averaged 13 species (±6.07 SD) per site. Only six species occurred in more than 50% of the sites: the domestic dog Canis familiaris, crab-eating fox Cerdocyon thous, tayra Eira barbara, south American coati Nasua nasua, crab-eating raccoon Procyon cancrivorus and the nine-banded armadillo Dasypus novemcinctus. The information contained in this dataset can be used to understand macroecological patterns of biodiversity, community, and population structure, but also to evaluate the ecological consequences of fragmentation, defaunation, and trophic interactions. © 2017 by the Ecological Society of Americ

NEOTROPICAL ALIEN MAMMALS: a data set of occurrence and abundance of alien mammals in the Neotropics

Biological invasion is one of the main threats to native biodiversity. For a species to become invasive, it must be voluntarily or involuntarily introduced by humans into a nonnative habitat. Mammals were among first taxa to be introduced worldwide for game, meat, and labor, yet the number of species introduced in the Neotropics remains unknown. In this data set, we make available occurrence and abundance data on mammal species that (1) transposed a geographical barrier and (2) were voluntarily or involuntarily introduced by humans into the Neotropics. Our data set is composed of 73,738 historical and current georeferenced records on alien mammal species of which around 96% correspond to occurrence data on 77 species belonging to eight orders and 26 families. Data cover 26 continental countries in the Neotropics, ranging from Mexico and its frontier regions (southern Florida and coastal-central Florida in the southeast United States) to Argentina, Paraguay, Chile, and Uruguay, and the 13 countries of Caribbean islands. Our data set also includes neotropical species (e.g., Callithrix sp., Myocastor coypus, Nasua nasua) considered alien in particular areas of Neotropics. The most numerous species in terms of records are from Bos sp. (n = 37,782), Sus scrofa (n = 6,730), and Canis familiaris (n = 10,084); 17 species were represented by only one record (e.g., Syncerus caffer, Cervus timorensis, Cervus unicolor, Canis latrans). Primates have the highest number of species in the data set (n = 20 species), partly because of uncertainties regarding taxonomic identification of the genera Callithrix, which includes the species Callithrix aurita, Callithrix flaviceps, Callithrix geoffroyi, Callithrix jacchus, Callithrix kuhlii, Callithrix penicillata, and their hybrids. This unique data set will be a valuable source of information on invasion risk assessments, biodiversity redistribution and conservation-related research. There are no copyright restrictions. Please cite this data paper when using the data in publications. We also request that researchers and teachers inform us on how they are using the data