Ultrasonographic assessment of the male koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) reproductive tract

Studies documenting the application of ultrasonography to depict normal and pathological changes in koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus), especially in the male, are scarce. Sixty-two wild koalas were used in this study to define ultrasonographic protocols and features for the assessment of the male koala reproductive tract. Testis, epididymis and spermatic cord were examined using a hockey stick transducer. The normal koala testis showed a homogeneous echogenicity and an obvious hyper-echoic band corresponding to the tunica albuginea. The cauda epididymis was characterised by hypo- and hyper-echoic regions and was most effectively imaged in sagittal section. The koala prostate was assessed using a micro-curved transducer positioned midline, caudal to the bladder. On transverse section, it showed distinct margins and a well-defined internal structure, although the prostatic urethra was not apparent on most scans. To image the bulbourethral glands (BGs), the hockey stick transducer was placed lateral to the cloaca. BGIII was located just below the skin, while BGII was located deeper than BGIII. BGI was too small and not sufficiently echogenic to be detected. The ultrasonographic appearance of the BGs was similar to that of the testes but with more obvious hypo-echoic stippling. This comprehensive review of the ultrasonographic appearance of normal male koala reproductive tract can be used by veterinarians and others, in zoos or those working with wild koalas, during assessment of the reproductive tract of male koalas in relation to seasonal changes in accessory gland function or for the pathological investigation of reproductive lesions and infertility problems

チーター（Acinonyx jubatus）における半規管の配置と直交性について

The purpose of this study was to clarify the spatial orientation of the semicircular canals in the cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) using computed tomography (CT). CT scan was performed on the skull of a cheetah. Scanning data were reconstructed into the cross-sectional images, and then the landmark coordinates were determined to define the planes of the semicircular canals and the cross-sections of the skull. In the cheetah, the lateral semicircular canal was parallel to the base of the skull. The angles between the anterior and posterior semicircular canals was lager than 90 degrees, and each canal showed the similar angle with the sagittal cross-section of the skull, although these planar directions were different. One limitation of this study is that here we provided only one specimen, and thus the present results need to be confirmed by examining a larger number of cases in future studies. However, the method outlined in this study provided quantitative descriptions of orientations and orthogonalities of the semicircular canals of the cheetah. This is potentially useful for indentifying the morphological features of the semicircular canals in felids

アメリカグマ（Ursus americanus），マレーグマ（Helarctos malayanus），ホッキョクグマ（Ursus maritimus）における手内筋の筋重量について

The hands of the American black bear (Ursus americanus), the sun bear (Helarctos malayanus), the polar bear (Ursus maritimus), and the lion (Panthera leo) were dissected and the mass of the intrinsic hand muscles were systematically recorded to explore possible interspecies variation. Muscle mass was divided by the third metacarpal bone size for normalization. The results indicated that the normalized muscle masses of the thenar muscles were larger in the three bears than the lion, and the abductor pollicis muscle was larger in the sun bear than other bears. For the abductor digiti minimi muscle, the normalized muscle mass was larger in the three bears than the lion, but smaller in the polar bear among three bears. One limitation of this study is that here we provided only one specimen for each species, and thus the present results need to be confirmed by examining a larger number of cases in future studies. However, these differences in the intrinsic hand muscles of the four species may reflect adaptation for their different habits

Response of ERβ and aromatase expression in the monkey hippocampal formation to ovariectomy and menopause.

Changes in the expression of estrogen-related substances in monkeys' brains at the menopausal transition, when estrogen deficit starts to occur, have not yet been examined thoroughly. In the present study, we immunohistochemically investigated the expression levels of estrogen receptor beta (ERβ) and aromatase (local estrogen synthesizing enzyme) in the hippocampal formation of premenopausal, menopausal, and ovariectomized premenopausal monkeys. In all monkeys tested, ERβ immunoreactivity was observed in interneurons located in the subiculum and the Ammon's horn, and most of these ERβ-immunoreactive neurons coexpressed a GABAergic neuron marker, parvalbumin. In the menopausal monkeys who exhibited a decline in estrogen concentration, hippocampal ERβ was highly upregulated, while aromatase expression was not markedly changed. By contrast, aromatase in the ovariectomized monkeys was significantly upregulated, while ERβ expression was not changed. In the brains of ovariectomized and menopausal monkeys, depletion of ovary-derived estrogen brought about different reactions which may be attributed to the senescence of brain aging

A Japanese Patient with Hereditary Myopathy with Early Respiratory Failure Due to the p.P31732L Mutation of Titin

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