Dietary Supplementation of Benzoic Acid and Essential Oil Compounds Affects Buffering Capacity of the Feeds, Performance of Turkey Poults and Their Antioxidant Status, pH in the Digestive Tract, Intestinal Microbiota and Morphology

Three trials were conducted to evaluate the effect of supplementation of a basal diet with benzoic acid or thymol or a mixture of essential oil blends (MEO) or a combination of benzoic acid with MEO (BMEO) on growth performance of turkey poults. Control groups were fed a basal diet. In trial 1, benzoic acid was supplied at levels of 300 and 1,000 mg/kg. In trial 2, thymol or the MEO were supplied at levels of 30 mg/kg. In trial 3, the combination of benzoic acid with MEO was evaluated. Benzoic acid, MEO and BMEO improved performance, increased lactic acid bacteria populations and decreased coliform bacteria in the caeca. Thymol, MEO and BMEO improved antioxidant status of turkeys. Benzoic acid and BMEO reduced the buffering capacity compared to control feed and the pH values of the caecal content. Benzoic acid and EOs may be suggested as an effective alternative to AGP in turkeys.

Subconjunctival filariasis due to Onchocerca sp. in dogs: report of 23 cases in Greece

In the present study, we describe a series of 23 cases of ocular subconjunctival parasitic granulomas in dogs, admitted to the Clinic of Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece, between 1997 and 2000. The ophthalmic manifestations in all animals were periorbital swelling, discomfort, photophobia, conjunctival congestion, and discharge. A more detailed examination revealed the presence of periocular masses (nodules) on the subconjunctival bulbar space. Granulomatous or cyst-like formations were extracted surgically, and were found to contain thread-like nematode parasites. A histologic and parasitologic examination of tissues and parasites was carried out. Diagnosis of parasitic granulomas was made and the parasite was identified as Onchocerca sp. This is the largest series of cases reported of aberrant Onchocerca infections in dogs coming from one geographic location.

Assessment of probiotics supplementation via feed or water on the growth performance, intestinal morphology and microflora of chickens after experimental infection with Eimeria acervulina, Eimeria maxima and Eimeria tenella

In this study, the effect of probiotic supplementation via drinking water or feed on the performance of broiler chickens experimentally infected with sporulated oocysts of Eimeria acervulina (5 × 10(4)), Eimeria maxima and Eimeria tenella (2 × 10(4) each one) at 14 days of age was evaluated. Two hundred and forty 1-day-old Ross 308 male chicks were separated into eight equal groups with three replicates. Two of the groups, one infected with mixed Eimeria oocysts and the other not, were given a basal diet and served as controls. The remaining groups were also challenged with mixed Eimeria species and received the basal diet and either water supplemented with probiotic (three groups) or probiotic via feed (two groups); the probiotic used consisted of Enterococcus faecium #589, Bifidobacterium animalis #503 and Lactobacillus salivarius #505 at a ratio of 6:3:1. Probiotic supplementation was applied either via drinking water in different inclusion rates (groups W1, W2 and W3) or via feed using uncoated (group FN) or coated strains (group FC). The last group was given the basal diet supplemented with the anticoccidial lasalocid at 75 mg/kg. Each experimental group was given the corresponding diet or drinking water from day 1 to day 42 of age. Throughout the experimental period of 42 days, body weight and feed intake were recorded weekly and feed conversion ratios were calculated. Seven days after infection, the infected control group presented the lowest weight gain values, while probiotics supplied via feed supported growth to a comparable level with that of the lasalocid group. Probiotic groups presented lesion score values and oocyst numbers that were lower than in control infected birds but higher than in the lasalocid group. In the duodenum, jejunum and ileum, the highest villous height values were presented by probiotic groups. In conclusion, a mixture of probiotic substances gave considerable improvement in both growth performance and intestinal health in comparison with infected control birds and fairly similar improvement to an approved anticoccidial during a mixed Eimeria infection.

Ropivacaine myotoxicity after single intramuscular injection in rats

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

We conducted this study in order to evaluate the potential myotoxic effects of ropivacaine after single injection in rats and the time-course of the possible damage.

METHODS

One hundred and twenty-eight male Wistar rats were allocated to four different groups. The first three groups received intramuscular injections with ropivacaine 0.75%, ropivacaine 0.5% and normal saline, respectively, into the right tibialis anterior muscle. The fourth group received needle puncture without injection. Eight rats from each group were sacrificed 2, 4, 7 and 30 days after injection. Samples were blindly examined under light microscope for evidence of myotoxicity, scored as 0 = no damage to 3 = myonecrosis and statistically analysed. Samples obtained 7 days after injection were also examined under transmission electron microscope.

RESULTS

Ropivacaine 0.75% and ropivacaine 0.5% caused extensive destruction to muscles fibres, compared to saline or needle on days 2, 4 and 7. Statistically significant differences were found in muscle damage by drug injections among all groups except for saline vs. needle groups. Thirty days after injections all sample appearances had returned to normal.

CONCLUSIONS

Ropivacaine after single intramuscular injection caused reversible muscle damage in a dose-dependent manner.

Effect of Vitamin E Nutritional Supplementation on the Pathological Changes Induced in the Ileum of Rabbits by Experimental Infection with Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli

A well-established rabbit model of enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) disease was used to examine whether vitamin E (VE) nutritional supplementation had an effect on the pathological changes induced in the bowel by EPEC. Quantitative methods were used to evaluate the influence of VE on bacterial colonization, intestinal mucosal architecture and inflammation, and intestinal epithelial proliferation and apoptosis. VE did not affect EPEC colonization and did not give significant protection against EPEC-induced changes and diarrhoea. Although VE had no effect on the EPEC-related increase of enterocyte apoptosis, it clearly contributed to an acceleration of epithelial cell proliferation in the ileal crypts. This finding may explain why ileal morphometry undertaken in this study showed that VE ameliorated somewhat the effects of EPEC on intestinal mucosal architecture. Quantitative studies on inflammatory cells in the intestinal mucosa revealed that VE nutritional supplementation resulted in an increased neutrophilic and mononuclear inflammatory cell response to EPEC infection, which did not contribute, however, to the clearance of infection.

Morphological features and apoptosis in the left internal thoracic artery grafts before implantation

AIM

A small number of left internal thoracic artery (LITA) grafts are occluded at 3 years after the operation or show more than 50% stenosis of the lumen. The purpose of this study is to examine factors related to the morphology of the wall and to the function of the cell population of LITA grafts before implantation, in order to evaluate their quality and the viability, in a follow-up examination.

METHODS

Fifteen LITA grafts were examined with light microscopy, for their morphology, endothelial cell coverage, apoptosis and cell proliferation, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy.

RESULTS

Increase of the thickness of the intima (14.21+/-1.28 mm), mean thickness of media 160.37+/-11.97 mm, detachment of intima from media, presence of foam cells in the media, low endothelial coverage (40.638+/-16.864), increase of apoptosis in intima (46.38+/-13.46), sub-intima (29.3+/-8.54), media (34.91+/-6.05) and adventitia (40.21+/-5.36), blood cells penetration of the intima through disruptions between endothelial cells are findings of LITA grafts before implantation. Cell proliferation was not detected in the wall of any graft. Follow-up examination 6 months and 2.5 years after the operation showed normal function of LITA grafts.

CONCLUSIONS

Besides of the wall injury and the initiated atherosclerotic lesions, LITA grafts are well functioning at the time of the follow-up examination. Maybe our findings are related to the later occlusion of the referred in the literature small number of LITA grafts.