Peripartal leukogram in cows with and without retained placenta

The aim of this study was to investigate whether prepartal leukogram in cows with retained placenta could indicate the presence of subclinical systemic inflammatory response before the onset of disease. After calving, sixteen highly pregnant Holstein cows, aged 3 to 9 years, without clinical signs of the disease prior to calving were divided into two groups: the first group (n=9) were animals without retained placenta, or any visible inflammation after birth; the second group (n=7) were cows with retained placenta. Blood was sampled three times before parturition, at intervals of one week, and once 24 hours after birth. The number of total leukocytes, segmented and non segmented neutrophilic granulocytes (NG), lymphocytes and monocytes were determined by standard laboratory techniques. The results have shown that in the group of cows with retained placenta the number of mature neutrophils was slightly elevated in the third, second and last week before calving, and equal number of non segmented neutrophils in regard to the group with no retention. The results have also shown that, in both groups of cows, 24 hours after calving, the number of total leukocytes and the number of segmented neutrophils decreased, but the number of the non segmented neutrophils increased. Based on this, we can conclude that cows with retained placenta had no systemic inflammatory response during three weeks prepartal period, but 24 hours after calving, systemic inflammatory response was documented in all the cows. Moreover, the intensity of inflammatory response in cows with retained placenta was not more pronounced in comparison to cows without retained placenta. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 175061

Efekat kratkotrajnog gladovanja na koncentraciju lipida i lipoproteina kod zdravih pasa normalne telesne kondicije

Introduction. Analysis of canine lipoprotein fractions after agarose gel electrophoresis (agEF) separation could be an important diagnostic tool in primary and secondary dyslipidemia diagnosis. The aim of this study was to measure concentrations of triglycerides and cholesterol and to analyze lipoprotein fractions in dogs after basal (12 hours) and short-term (24 and 36 hours) fasting, i.e., frequent conditions in clinical practice. Materials and Methods. Blood samples were collected from six lean dogs of both sexes and different breeds, after 12, 24 and 36 hours of fasting. Concentrations of glucose, triglycerides and cholesterol were determined on an automated wet biochemistry analyzer, lipoprotein fractions were separated by agEF and leukocyte numbers were assessed on an automated hematology analyzer. Results and Conclusions. Results showed there was no significant change in glucose, triglyceride and cholesterol concentrations nor in leukocyte numbers during dog fasting. Moreover, there was no change in α1- and α2-fractions, but there was a significant decrease in preβ- and β-fraction of lipoproteins. It is know that high density lipoproteins (HDL) have α-mobility and very low density (VLDL) and low density lipoproteins (LDL) have preβ- and β-mobility. Thus, it is possible that reverse cholesterol transport maintained by HDL is not affected during short-term fasting. On the contrary, synthesis of VLDL and formation of LDL are probably decreased because endogenous synthesis of triglycerides is decreased or their clearance is increased.Uvod. Poznato je iz literature da se odnosi lipoproteinskih frakcija seruma pasa koje se dobijaju posle elektroforeze na agaroznom gelu (EFag) menjaju kod oboljenja praćenih dislipidemijama, što može biti jedan od značajnih elemenata dijagnostike pojedinih patoloških stanja. Stoga je cilj ovih ispitivanja bio da se utvrdi koncentracija triglicerida, holesterola i glukoze u serumu pasa kao i odnos lipoproteinskih frakcija dobijenih pomoću EFag, u uslovima koji se često sreću u kliničkoj praksi: posle bazalnog (12 časova) i kratkotrajnog gladovanja od 24 i 36 časova. Materijal i metode. Uzorci krvi su sakupljeni od šest pasa različitih rasa, normalne telesne kondicije, oba pola, posle 12, 24 i 36 časova gladovanja. Koncentracija glukoze, triglicerida i holesterola je određena na automatskom biohemijskom analizatoru. Lipoproteinske frakcije su razdvojene korišćenjem EFag. Broj leukocita je utvrđen na hematološkom analizatoru. Rezultati i zaključak. Rezultati ovog ispitivanja su pokazali da se tokom kratkotrajnog gladovanja kod pasa koncentracija glukoze, triglicerida i holesterola kao i broj leukocita ne menjaju. Osim toga, nije bilo promena vezanih za α1-i α2-elektroforetske zone, ali se javio značajan pad koncentracije lipoproteina preβ-i β-zone. Poznato je da se lipoproteini velike gustine (HDL) nalaze u α-zoni, dok lipoproteini veoma male gustine (VLDL) i lipoproteini male gustine (LDL) pripadaju preβ-i β-zoni. Na osnovu naših nalaza moguće je zaključiti da reverzni transport holesterola koji se odvija posredstvom HDL-a nije poremećen tokom kratkotrajnog gladovanja. Nasuprot tome, kratkotrajno gladovanje verovatno utiče na smanjen obim sinteze triglicerida u jetri, odnosno na smanjenu sintezu VLDL-a i LDL-a ili na njihovo efikasnije uklanjanje iz plazme

Stereological and immunohistochemical study of the spleen in hypothyroid juvenile rats

The purpose of this work was to investigate the influence of hypothyroidism on spleen tissue morphology and immune cell density in fourteen-day-old juvenile rats. Hypothyroidism in pups (n=10) was induced by administration of propylthiouracil (PTU) in drinking water (1.5 mg/L) to their mothers during pregnancy and period of lactation. Fourteen-day-old pups were sacrificed and the thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) serum concentration and thyroid activation index (Ia) were determined. Increased serum level of TSH and increased Ia showed that pups from PTU treated mothers were hypothyroid. White and red spleen pulp, marginal zone and connective tissue volume density has been assessed by using the stereological method. Using immunohistochemistry, the present CD3+ T lymphocytes, CD45RA+ B lymphocytes and CD68+ macrophages were quantified. A significant reduction of volume density of the periarteriolar lymphocyte sheath (Vv(PALS)) and lymphatic follicles (Vvf) due to depletion of T and B lymphocytes respectively, was observed in the spleens of hypothyroid pups compared to controls. The volume density of the red pulp (Vvrp), marginal zone (Vvmz) and connective tissue (Vvct) was increased, as well as the number of CD68+ macrophages in the spleens of hypothyroid pups compared to controls. These results indicate that thyroid hormones might be important for normal development of both, specific and innate immune cells in the spleen during prenatal and early postnatal period

Citogenetička analiza ćelija kostne srži pacova tretiranih toluenom

The paper presents the results of investigations of the effect of toluene on bone marrow cells of female Wistar rats treated intraperitoneally with toluene for 8 or 11 days, in doses of 0.602 μg/200 g body mass. Cytogenetic analyses were performed on the metaphase figure of chromosomes in order to determine the frequency of structural aberrations – breaks and gaps. The values of the mitotic index and number of poliploid cells were determined. No significant increase was determined in the frequency of breaks and gaps in chromosomes of treated animals in comparison with the controls, which means that, under the experimental conditions, toluene did not exhibit a definite genotoxic effect. However, it has been determined that there was a significant increase in the value of the mitotic index, as well as a significant increase in the number of poliploid cells in both groups of treated rats in comparison with controls.U ovom radu su navedeni rezultati ispitivanja efekata toluena na ćelije kostne srži ženki Wistar pacova, koji su intraperitonealno dobijali toluen tokom 8 i 11 dana, u dozi od 0.602 μg /200 g telesne mase. Citogenetički su analizirane metafazne figure hromozoma da bi se utvrdila učestalost pojavljivanja strukturnih aberacija – prekida i gapova. Utvrđene su vrednosti mitotskog indeksa i broja poliploidnih ćelija. Nije ustanovljeno značajno povećanje učestalosti pojavljivanja prekida i gapova na hromozomima tretiranih jedinki u odnosu na kontrole, što znači da u uslovima ovog eksperimenta toluen nije iskazao nesumnjiv genotoksični efekat. Međutim ustanovljeno je značajno povećanje vrednosti mitotskog indeksa, kao i značajno povećanje broja poliploidnih ćelija u obe grupe tretiranih pacova u odnosu na kontrole

Consensus statement on the epidemiological situation and expected frequency of canine vector-borne diseases in Serbia

The current issue of Veterinarski Glasnik (Vol 74, No 2) is dedicated to canine vectorborne pathogens (VBP) and vector-borne diseases (VBD) in Serbia. All published reviews and original papers indicate the amount of research done in Serbia and the amount of collected and analysed data is high for the majority of topics, inviting us to summarise all the findings in a consensus statement that we hope will be of importance for practitioners who are in constant contact with dogs in Serbia and for researchers who should continue to develop this field of investigation

Retrospective analysis of clinical pathological findings in obstruction of lower urinary pathways in cats

Diseases of the lower urinary pathways with urethral obstruction are frequent urological conditions demanding urgent treatment that lead to the occurrence of post renal azotemia due to difficult or disabled urine elimination. The aim of these investigations was to establish the most frequent causes for the occurrence of obstructions of the lower urinary pathways in cats, the most frequent clinical signs, as well as the changes in the hematological and biochemical blood and urine parameters. The obtained results indicate that the most frequent cause of urethral obstruction in cats is the presence of urethra stones, sand, and urethra plugs caused by the aggregation of struvite crystals on organic matrix. The laboratory findings showed that all animals were dehydrated, azotemia was established in half the animals, and signs of uremia were evident in 10% cats. Over 90% cats had disrupted tubular function, and only 50% had clear laboratory signs of inflammation. It can be concluded from the presented results that all cats with urethra obstruction exhibit a certain degree of disrupted kidney function, which is, in most cases, a reversible pathological change when treated with timely and adequate therapy. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 175061

Rezultati pregleda crvene krvne slike ovaca i krava sa područja bombardovanih municijom sa osiromašenim uranijumom

The paper presents the results of preliminary examinations of the red blood cell count in sheep and cows raised in areas that were exposed to the effects of depleted uranium ammunition during the NATO bombing of the country in 1999. Samples of blood, soil, vegetation and feeding stuffs were collected in the course of 2003. The results show that sheep from areas bombarded with ammunition containing depleted uranium have a significantly lower count of erythrocytes (p lt 0.001) and hemoglobin concentration (p lt 0.001), as well as a smaller packed cell volume (p lt 0.001) than control groups of animals which are not from this area. The calculated hematological indexes (MCV and MCHC) indicate that sheep from the examined area suffer from macrocytic hypochromic anaemia. Cows from the same locations also have a significantly lower count of erythrocytes (p lt 0.001), hemoglobin concentration (p lt 0.05), and a significantly smaller packed cell volume (p lt 0.05) than cows of the control group, and are just below the level of being anaemic. The calculated hematological indexes show that erythrocytes of cows from this area are normal in size and are normally filled with hemoglobin. In all examined samples of soil, vegetation and feeding stuffs, the 235U content was below the minimum detected concentration (MDC), while the measured concentrations of other natural and produced radoinucleids (137Cs) were within the range of mean values measured in regional soil samples, with the exception of lower 40K concentrations.U radu smo naveli rezultate preliminarnih ispitivanja crvene krvne slike ovaca i krava uzgajanih na terenima koji su bili izloženi dejstvu municije sa osiromašenim uranijumom, tokom NATO bombardovanja 1999. godine. Uzorci krvi zemlje, vegetacije i hraniva prikupljeni su tokom 2003. godine. Rezultati pokazuju da ovce koje potiču sa terena bombardovanih municijom sa osiromašenim uranijumom imaju značajno manji broj eritrocita (p lt 0.001) i koncentraciju hemoglobina (p lt 0.001), kao i nižu hematokritsku vrednost (p lt 0.001), nego kod životinja kontrolne grupe koje nisu sa ovog područja. Izračunati hematološki indeksi (MCV i MCHC) ukazuju da ovce sa ispitivanog područja imaju makrocitnu hipohromnu anemiju. Krave koje potiču sa istih lokacija, takođe, imaju značajno manji broj eritrocita (p lt 0.001) koncentraciju hemoglobina (p lt 0.05) i značajno nižu hematokritsku vrednost (p lt 0.05) od krava iz kontrolne grupe, i na granici su anemičnog stanja. Izračunati hematološki indeksi ukazuju da su eritrociti krava sa ovog područja normalne veličine i da su normalno punjeni hemoglobinom. U svim ispitanim uzorcima zemljišta, vegetacije i hraniva, sadržaj 235U je bio ispod minimalne merne koncentracije (MDC), dok su se izmerene koncentracije ostalih prirodnih i proizvedenih radionuklida (137Cs) nalazile u opsegu srednjih vrednosti izmerenih u uzorcima zemljišta u regionu, osim znatno nižih koncentracija 40K

Z-cells and oogonia/oocytes in the advanced process of autophagy are the dominant altered cells in the ovaries of hypothyroid newborn rats

Induced prenatal hypothyroidism in rat pups leads to accelerated primordial follicle assembly and premature follicular atresia with ovary failure. This work investigates the influence of maternal hypothyroidism induced with 6-n-propyl-2-thyouracil (PTU) on the number and morphology of oogonia/oocytes in newborn rat pups with light and transmission electron microscopy. Expression of apoptosis and autophagy markers in oogonia/oocytes were examined using immunohistochemistry. Hypothyroid newborn pups had a decreased number of mitotic and resting oogonia, while the number of altered oogonia/oocytes was increased. Ultrastructural observations revealed the increased presence of degenerated pachytene oocytes (Z-cells) and oogonia/oocytes undergoing autophagy, apoptosis and combined apoptosis and autophagy, in this group. The most abundant altered oogonia/oocytes in the hypothyroid group were those with morphological features of advanced autophagy and Z-cells. The percentage of TUNEL (terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling) positive oogonia/ oocytes was significantly lower in the hypothyroid group. No significant difference was recorded in the expression of caspase-3, ATG7 and LC3 possibly reflecting that these proteins were not involved in the oogonia/ oocyte alteration process during prenatal rat hypothyroidism. The obtained results indicate that developmental hypothyroidism in the offspring enhances the number of Z-cells and oogonia/ oocytes altered with the advanced process of autophagy

Površinski epitel jajnika hipotireoidnih novorođenih i neonatalnih pacova - iz perspektive PCNA i kaspaze-3

Introduction. The ovarian surface epithelium (OSE) undergoes intensive regeneration and remodelling after each ovulation during the whole reproductive period. This process increases the risk of one of the most common ovarian tumors in women and the female dog. Considering the fact that maternal hypothyroidism highly impacts cell proliferation and cell death during folliculogenesis in the early neonatal period, we aimed to analyze its effect on OSE morphology and dynamics. Materials and Methods. The study was performed on newborn (24-h-old) and neonatal (4-day-old) female rats, a randomized trial between the control and hypothyroid groups, born under controlled circumstances and hypothyroid mothers, respectively. Their ovaries were analyzed histologically and processed to determine the OSE cell height as an average value of four measurement points. Also, the immunopositivity of the proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and caspase-3 were assessed semiquantitatively. Results and Conclusions. No major structural differences of OSE were found between groups within the given ages except for a slight increment of OSE cell height and incompleteness of apical cell membrane with cytoplasmic projections in hypothyroid animals. PCNA immunopositivity of the OSE cells was higher in ovaries of hypothyroid animals of both ages in comparison to the controls. Moreover, only scarce OSE cells were caspase-3 positive in both groups and ages, with no difference in immunopositivity. Our study confirms the impact of hypothyroidism in the early postnatal period on morphology and proliferation rate of OSE cells, with no effect on caspase-3 dependent cell removal, which may serve as a premise for future investigation of potential carcinogenesis, in terms of prevention and treatment of ovarian cancer.Uvod. Tokom reproduktivnog perioda, nakon svake ovulacije, površinski epitel (PE) jajnika se intenzivno regeneriše i remodelira. Ovaj proces povećava rizik od nastajanja jednog od najčešćih tumora jajnika kod žena i kuja. Imajući u vidu činjenicu da hipotireoidizam majki u velikoj meri utiče na proliferaciju i ćelijsku smrt u toku folikulogeneze u ranom postnatalnom periodu, cilj rada je bio da analiziramo efekat hipotireoidizma majki na morfologiju i dinamiku PE jajnika potomaka. Materijal i metode. U eksperimentu su korišćeni tek rođeni (24 časa stari) i neonatalni (4 dana stari) mladunci koji potiču od kontrolnih i hipotireoidnih majki. Morfometrijskom analizom određivana je prosečna visina ćelija PE, izmerena na četiri mesta na svakom ispitivanom preseku jajnika. Takođe, imunopozitivnost proliferativnivnog ćelijskog nuklearnog antigena (PCNA) i kaspaze 3 je određivana semikvantitativno. Rezultati i zaključci. Veće promene u strukturi PE jajnika nisu zapažene između grupa, osim blagog povećanja visine ćelija i nepotpune apikalne membrane sa projekcijama citoplazme kod hipotireoidnih životinja. Imunopozitivnost PCNA je značajno povećana u jajnicima hipotireoidnih životinja obe starosne grupe u odnosu na kontrole, dok je imunopozitivnost na kaspazu 3 slabo izražena kod svih životinja. Naše istraživanje je pokazalo da hipotireoidizam u ranom postnatalnom periodu dovodi do promena u morfologiji i proliferaciji ćelija PE, bez efekta na uklanjanje ćelija delovanjem kaspaze 3. Ovaj model može da posluži u budućim istraživanjima potencijalne karcinogeneze u cilju prevencije i tretmana kancera jajnika