Ancient Pompeian Dogs – Morphological and Morphometric Evidence for Different Canine Populations.

This article examines the morphological features of the dog during the Roman Age on the basis of osseous and dental remains dug up in Pompeii. The material, consisting of 113 canine bones and teeth, was subjected to both morphological and morphometrical analyses and was compared with modern canine breeds. In most cases, the age at death, shoulder height and other phenotypic features were ascertained. The examined Pompeian canine population fell mainly into two categories: small- and large-sized animals. Among the former, one brachycephalic and two dolichocephalic subjects were included. Such morphological features agree with what is described in numerous texts and appears in mosaics, bas-reliefs and frescoes of the Roman Age. As small-sized dogs cannot be classified as Canes Venatici (sporting dogs), Canes Villatici (watch dogs) and Canes Pastorales (shepherd dogs) according to Columella's De re rustica, these animals may be considered as lapdogs

Right occipital cortex suppresses male rat testosterone secretion by a pituitary-independent mechanism

OBJECTIVES: In addition to being regulated by the hypothalamo-hypophyseal system, testosterone (T) secretion is influenced by a number of less understood mechanisms. The aim of the present study was to examine whether defined areas of the right cerebral cortex could modulate T production. METHODS: In adult male Wistar rats right frontal or occipital decortication, anterior or posterior callosotomy and corresponding sham-operations were performed. After 7-day survival time, T secretion in vitro, serum T and LH concentrations were measured by RIA. RESULTS: Right occipital decortication and posterior callosotomy resulted in an increase in T secretion in vitro when compared to the corresponding sham-operated controls. In contrast, right frontal decortication or anterior callosotomy did not interfere with steroidogenesis. Serum LH concentration was not altered by any interventions. CONCLUSION: The right occipital but not the right frontal cortex is involved in the control of T secretion. The caudal part of the corpus callosum accommodating the fibers originating from the occipital cortex might have a similar function. The fact that LH remained unchanged in all experimental groups suggests that the right occipital cortex and the caudal part of the corpus callosum influence testicular steroidogenesis by a pituitary-independent mechanism.</br

SCREENING FOR TICK-BORNE AND TICK-ASSOCIATED VIRUSES IN TICKS COLLECTED IN SARDINIA, ITALY

Ticks are important vectors of many pathogens, including arboviruses also known as tickborne viruses (TBVs). Climate changes are promoting ticks and TBVs spread with the diffusion of new pathogens, as the CCHFV that in the last decade colonized the Southwest Europe, as indicated by human cases reported in Spain and the evidence of virus circulation in animals of Corsica (France). Sardinia is an Italian island close to Corsica, it is a site of intense passage of birds migrating along major routes between Africa and Europe, thus representing a site potentially exposed to the risk for introduction of CCHFV or other TBVs. This study was designed to determine the presence of TBVs and/or tick-associated viruses in ticks collected in Sardinia. A total of 217 ticks were collected from different districts belonging to the north western, south-west and central Sardinia, all areas are of great naturalistic importance and show a wide diversity in geology, vegetation, landscape features and agro-ecology. Ticks were collected from domestic animals, wild mammals, and vegetation. Three ticks were also collected from human. Morphological identification of ticks was performed by taxonomic keys. Each sample was longitudinally incised, and only one half of tick was homogenated by mechanical tissue lyser. Nucleic acids were extracted with (Promega). One aliquote was subject to one-step real-time RT-PCR for the detection of CCHFV, using AgPath-ID One-Step RT-PCR Kit (Thermo Scientific). Each sample was also tested for nairoviruses, phleboviruses and flaviviruses using a Pan-PCR approach. Preliminary results did not show the presence of CCHFV while the Pan-PCR-based screening is still ongoing and results will be presented

Effect of Endogenous Androgens on 17β-Estradiol-Mediated Protection after Spinal Cord Injury in Male Rats

Several groups have recently shown that 17β-estradiol is protective in spinal cord injury (SCI). Testosterone can be aromatized to 17β-estradiol and may increase estrogen-mediated protection. Alternatively, testosterone has been shown to increase excitotoxicity in models of central nervous system (CNS) injury. These experiments test the hypothesis that endogenous testosterone in male rats alters 17β-estradiol-mediated protection by evaluating a delayed administration over a clinically relevant dose range and manipulating testicular-derived testosterone. Adult male Sprague Dawley rats were either gonadectomized or left gonad-intact prior to SCI. SCI was produced by a midthoracic crush injury. At 30 min post SCI, animals received a subcutaneous pellet of 0.0, 0.05, 0.5, or 5.0 mg of 17β-estradiol, released over 21 days. Hindlimb locomotion was analyzed weekly in the open field. Spinal cords were collected and analyzed for cell death, expression of Bcl-family proteins, and white-matter sparing. Post-SCI administration of the 0.5- or 5.0-mg pellet improved hindlimb locomotion, reduced urinary bladder size, increased neuronal survival, reduced apoptosis, improved the Bax/Bcl-xL protein ratio, and increased white-matter sparing. In the absence of endogenous testicular-derived androgens, SCI induced greater apoptosis, yet 17β-estradiol administration reduced apoptosis to the same extent in gonadectomized and gonad-intact male rats. These data suggest that delayed post-SCI administration of a clinically relevant dose of 17β-estradiol is protective in male rats, and endogenous androgens do not alter estrogen-mediated protection. These data suggest that 17β-estradiol is an effective therapeutic intervention for reducing secondary damage after SCI in males, which could be readily translated to clinical trials