Abdominal Distension Associated with Luminal Fungi in the Intestines of Axolotl Larvae

Axolotls show a remarkable regeneration capacity compared with higher vertebrates, regenerating missing appendages such as limbs and tail as well as other body parts (i.e., apex of the heart, forebrain, and jaw) after amputations which makes this animal a very interesting research model for tissue regeneration mechanisms. Larvae are individually housed in a 20% Holtfreter’s solution within clear plastic containers. The photoperiod light : darkness cycle is 12 : 12 h. Larvae with a total body length of less than 5 cm are fed once a day with large brine shrimp and blood worm. Albino larvae appeared to have a tendency to exhibit abdominal distention. No clinical signs of illness seemed to be associated with the condition; however, these animals exhibit a relatively slower growth rate. To better characterize this condition, we performed histological sectioning for cross sectional slide preparation on wild type and albino axolotl larvae following euthanasia. The only lesion seen in the albino larvae was a thickened gut wall and the presence of fungi within the intestines. We hypothesize that this may be due to a lower efficacy of the albino larvae’s immune system

Abdominal Distension Associated with Luminal Fungi in the Intestines of Axolotl Larvae

Axolotls show a remarkable regeneration capacity compared with higher vertebrates, regenerating missing appendages such as limbs and tail as well as other body parts (i.e., apex of the heart, forebrain, and jaw) after amputations which makes this animal a very interesting research model for tissue regeneration mechanisms. Larvae are individually housed in a 20% Holtfreter's solution within clear plastic containers. The photoperiod light : darkness cycle is 12 : 12 h. Larvae with a total body length of less than 5 cm are fed once a day with large brine shrimp and blood worm. Albino larvae appeared to have a tendency to exhibit abdominal distention. No clinical signs of illness seemed to be associated with the condition; however, these animals exhibit a relatively slower growth rate. To better characterize this condition, we performed histological sectioning for cross sectional slide preparation on wild type and albino axolotl larvae following euthanasia. The only lesion seen in the albino larvae was a thickened gut wall and the presence of fungi within the intestines. We hypothesize that this may be due to a lower efficacy of the albino larvae's immune system

Effects of non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and alpha-2 adrenergic drugs on equine intestinal motility. An in vitro study

I farmaci analgesici sono ampiamente usati nella pratica clinica equina per il controllo di diverse patologie e disturbi muscolo-scheletrici, osteoartiti e disordini addominali come coliche, pneumatosi intestinali e dislocazioni del cieco e del colon. I farmaci usati per la loro attività di soppressione del dolore sono prevalentemente farmaci antinfiammatori non steroidei (FANS) ed analgesici narcotici, nonostante anche altri composti vengano comunemente impiegati per il loro marcato potere analgesico. E’ questo il caso degli α2-agonisti, nonostante siano più spesso usati come sedativi. La scelta tra i diversi tipi di farmaci analgesici è spesso dovuta alla severità del dolore ed al tipo di patologia così, alcuni FANS, come la flunixina meglumina, ad esempio, sono particolarmente efficaci contro il dolore viscerale ma nel caso di coliche, condizione in cui il soggetto si presenta estremamente ansioso, gli α2-agonisti sembrano essere i farmaci ideali, potendo essi inibire il dolore e allo stesso tempo l’ansia e lo stato di agitazione che ne derivano. 2 E’ di fondamentale importanza capire gli effetti degli analgesici sulla motilità intestinale, sia per quanto riguarda l’efficacia terapeutica, sia per gli effetti indesiderati, considerando ad esempio che nel cavallo le coliche sono associate sia all’ipermotilità che all’ipomotilità. Obiettivo del presente lavoro è stato quello di valutare gli effetti di alcuni inibitori non selettivi delle ciclossigenasi (COX), (indometacina e flunixina meglumina), inibitori selettivi della COX-1 (SC-560) e della COX-2 (celecoxib, DUP-398 e NS-697) sulla motilità dell’ileo del cavallo. In una fase successiva sono stati valutati anche gli effetti dei farmaci α2-adrenergici, sia agonisti (xilazina, medetomidina e detomidina) che antagonisti (atipamezolo e yoimbina) sulla motilità del digiuno. In entrambi i casi, le valutazioni sono state eseguite in vitro, attraverso la metodica dell’organo isolato. Gli inibitori non selettivi delle COX si sono dimostrati privi di effetti significativi sulla motilità, con l’eccezione della flunixina meglumina che ha inibito le contrazioni toniche. Il composto SC-560 non ha causato alcun effetto sulla motilità ileale, così come gli antagonisti dei recettori delle prostaglandine (PG), mentre gli inibitori selettivi della COX-2 hanno ridotto sia le contrazioni toniche, sia quelle fasiche associate alla motilità spontanea. 3 Alcuni campioni di ileo sono stati sottoposti ad un esame istologico e ad una valutazione genomica (RT-PCR- reverse transcriptionpolymerase chain reaction) che hanno reso evidente la presenza di uno stato infiammatorio e di RNA messaggero (mRNA) codificante per le isoforme della COX. I dati ottenuti ci hanno consentito di sostenere l’ipotesi per cui gli effetti degli inibitori delle COX sull’intestino del cavallo non siano legati alla deplezione delle PG. Per quanto riguarda l’azione dei farmaci α2-agonisti, essi hanno ridotto in modo dose-dipendente le contrazioni fasiche sia spontanee, sia indotte dalla stimolazione elettrica. Al contrario, gli antagonisti si sono dimostrati inefficaci quando testati da soli e hanno avuto un comportamento anomalo nei confronti degli agonisti. Infatti, l’antagonismo esercitato dalla dose più alta di atipamezolo e di yoimbina verso gli agonisti è stata più debole rispetto a quello esercitato dalla concentrazione inferiore. I dati ottenuti sembrano indicativi della presenza di α2-adrenocettori sia presinaptici che postsinaptici con attività inibitoria sulla motilità del digiuno di cavallo e possono suggerire un’utilità terapeutica di tali farmaci nei disordini intestinali della specie equina associati ad ipermotilità.Analgesic drugs are widely used in the equine for the management of several pathological conditions like musculoskeletal lesions or ostearthritis and abdominal disorders such as colic, intestinal pneumatosis and colon and caecum dislocation. Drugs used for their painkilling activity are mainly nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and narcotic analgesics, but other compounds are commonly employed for their strong analgesic effect, like α2-agonists, even if they are usually used as sedatives. The choice between the different analgesic drugs is often driven by the severity of pain and the type of disease. Some NSAIDs, for instance, like flunixin meglumine, are particularly effective against visceral pain, and the anti-inflammatory properties possessed by these drugs are often therapeutically crucial. However, abdominal pain, like in horse colic, is joined by great anxiety of the animal and, therefore, α2-agonists, for their strong sedative and analgesic effects, have soon gained a pivotal role in the management of this kind of disorders. 5 It is very important to understand the effects of analgesic drugs on intestinal motility, in order to elucidate possible therapeutic activities as well as noxious effects, considering that horse colic could be associated both with hypermotility and hypomotility. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of non selective cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibitors (indomethacin and flunixin meglumine), selective COX-1 inhibitors (SC-560) or COX-2 (celecoxib, DUP-398, NS-697) inhibitors on horse ileum. We then assessed the effects of α2-adrenergic drugs, both agonists (xilazine, medetomidine, detomine) and antagonists (yohimbine and atipamezole) on equine jejunum motility. Both studies were performed using isolated organ baths. Our data showed that non selective COX inhibitors were devoid of major effects on motility, except for an inhibition of tonic contraction shown by flunixine meglumine. SC-560, selective COX-1 inhibitor, was devoid of major effects on ileal motility. Selective COX-2 inhibitors reduced both tonic contraction and spontaneous phasic contractions, while prostaglandin (PG) receptors were uneffective. Some of the intestinal samples were submitted to histological investigation or reverse transcription- polymerase chain reaction (RTPCR), which revealed the presence of an inflammatory reaction and 6 the presence of both COX isoforms mRNAs. Present data support the hypothesis that the effects of COX inhibitors on horse small intestinal motility are not linked to PG depletion. All tested α2-agonists dose-dependently reduced both spontaneous and electrically-evoked phasic contractions. Conversely, α2-antagonists were uneffective when tested alone, and showed a heterogeneous and dose-independent ability to inhibit agonist activity. In particular, the antagonism exerted by higher concentrations of both yohimbine and atipamezole against α2-agonists was weaker than when lower concentrations were used. Present data are indicative of the presence of both pre- and postsynaptic α2-adrenoceptors with inhibitory activity on equine jejunum motility, and support a possible therapeutic utility of these drugs in horse intestinal disorders associated with hypermotility

Determinazione della curcumina nel plasma di suino mediante metodica HPLC

Annali della Facoltà di Medicina Veterinaria di Parm

Physiological and pharmacokinetic effects of multilevel caging on Sprague Dawley rats under ketamine-xylazine anesthesia

https://scholarworks.utrgv.edu/hidalgocob/1209/thumbnail.jp

Protective effects of proton pump inhibitors against indomethacin-induced lesions in the rat small intestine

Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) have been shown to be effective in preventing gastric and duodenal ulcers in high-risk patients taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs); by contrast, scarce information is available concerning the effects of PPIs on intestinal damage induced by NSAIDs in humans or in experimental animals. We examined the effects of lansoprazole and omeprazole on the intestinal injury induced by indomethacin in the conscious rat. PPIs were administered by the intragastric route at 30, 60 and 90 μmol/kg, 12 h and 30 min before and 6 h after indomethacin treatment. The effects of omeprazole and lansoprazole were evaluated on: (1) macroscopic and histologic damage; (2) mucosal polymorphonuclear cell infiltration; (3) oxidative tissue damage and (4) bacterial translocation from lumen into the intestinal mucosa. Lansoprazole and omeprazole (at 90 μmol/kg) significantly decreased (P<0.01) the macroscopic and histologic damage induced by indomethacin in the rat small intestine. Furthermore, both drugs greatly reduced (P<0.01) the associated increases in myeloperoxidase levels and lipid peroxidation induced by indomethacin, whereas they only moderately affected (P<0.05) the translocation of enterobacteria from lumen into the intestinal mucosa. These data demonstrate that omeprazole and lansoprazole can protect the small intestine from the damage induced by indomethacin in the conscious rat. The intestinal protection, possibly related to antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of these drugs, may suggest new therapeutic uses of PPIs in intestinal inflammatory diseases