Ringworm in guinea-pigs

Details of a Trichophyton mentagrophytes infection in a guinea-pig colony are presented. An unusual feature was the occurrence of "tinea pedis et unguium" in a number of the animals. The dermatophyte was eliminated from the colony by destroying infected animals. During later surveillance of the colony, Trichophyton erinacei was isolated from asymptomatic guinea-pigs. This was attributed to contamination of straw by hedgehogs.

Zusammenfassung

Es wird über die Eintelheiten einer Trichophyton mentagrophytes Infektion in einer Meerschweinchenzucht berichtet. Eine Besonderheit war das Vorkommen von „tinea pedis et unguium” bei manchen Tieren. Der Dermatophyt konnte aus der Zucht ducrh Vernichtung der infizierten Tiere ausgeschieden werden. Während einer späteren Überwachung der Zucht konnte Trichophyton erinacei von asymptomatischen Meerschweinchen isoliert werden. Verunreinigung von Stroh durch Igel wurde dem zugeschrieben.     

Relevance of mycotoxin contaminated feed for farm animals and carryover of mycotoxins to food of animal origin

Contaminated feed is the main source for mycotoxin infestation of farm animals. The oral intake of fungal metabolites with feed results in a negative impact on all relevant parameters of animal production. Moreover, under experimental conditions mycotoxins and/or their metabolites can be traced in meat, edible tissues, milk and eggs. However due to the high concentrations of toxins involved, such findings are rare in the daily practice. In Germany today only aflatoxins (aflatoxin M1 in milk) and ochratoxin A (in blood, meat and edible tissues from swine) are of practical relevance from the view of food hygiene and food safety. Other mycotoxins at present discussed like toxins of Fusaria (trichothecenes, zearaleone, fumonisins) and ergot alkaloids are of no importance as possible contaminants in food from animal origin although they could have a negative impact on animal production.     

Ultrastructural comparison of Oncovirinae (type C), Spumavirinae, and Lentivirinae: three subfamilies of Retroviridae found in farm animals

The successive steps of maturation of seven retroviruses from five species of farm animals and one retrovirus from a mouse were compared in cell cultures. The viruses included three type C oncoviruses, one spumavirus, and three lentiviruses. Although members of the 3 subfamilies shared some gross morphologic features such as budding on plasma membranes, core, and surface projections, differences were noted in the ultrastructural detail of these features. Type C oncoviruses did not show any structural differentiation in identifiable form in the cytoplasm as opposed to characteristic features observed in the spumavirus and lentivirus subfamilies, respectively. Budding viruses were distinct among the 3 subfamilies. The type C bovine leukemia virus budding on vacuole membranes differed from the two other type C viruses by lacking an electron-lucent intermediate layer as did the lentiviruses. Differentiation between type C oncoviruses and lentiviruses could be confusing because of the similarity of the fully mature virions appearing in the intercellular space. However, each subfamily of retroviruses can be readily differentiated from one another when each morphologic stage of virus replication is examined by electron microscopy.     

Outbreak of ringworm in a traditional Iberian pig farm in Spain

An outbreak of dermatophytosis caused by Microsporum nanum in a traditional Iberian extensive farm is described. The morbidity was 100% among lactating sows; however, suckling and weaning pigs, as well as boars never developed the lesions seen in the sows. The clinical aspects of porcine ringworm caused by this fungus are discussed and the ecology of the organism is reviewed.     

Electrochemotherapy for localized lymphoma: a preliminary study in companion animals

Non Hogdkin's lymphoma is the commonest malignant neoplasm in humans and in pets. Treatments include systemic chemotherapy eventually combined with radiation therapy. Radiation therapy is also used as single agent for the treatment of localized lymphoma (LSA). Albeit efficacious, this modality is potentially associated with side effects. Purpose of this study was to preliminarily evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of electrochemotherapy (ECT) in companion animals with localized lymphoma. Six patients entered the study and received two sessions of ECT under sedation. The pets had local injection of bleomycin at the concentration of 1.5 mg/mg and five minutes after the chemotherapy, trains of 8 biphasic electric pulses lasting 50 + 50 micros each, with 1 ms interpulse intervals, were delivered by means of modified caliper electrodes or for difficult districts, through paired needle electrode. All the patients achieved complete responses (lasting 1 week through 3 years), one cat with nasal LSA had local recurrence and two others experienced spinal and intestinal relapse. Side effects were not noted with the exception of focal alopecia in a cat with retrobulbar LSA. Electrochemotherapy appears as a safe and efficacious modality for the treatment of localized lymphoma and warrants further investigations.     

Anticancer mechanism of equol in 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene-treated animals

This study investigated the anticancer effects of equol, the major metabolite of the antioxidant phytochemical daidzein, on 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA)-treated animals and explored its anticancer mechanism. The experiment consisted of two parts. In the first part, Sprague-Dawley rats were given equol daily at 5 and 25?mg/kg body weight (BW) for 8 weeks after a single dose of DMBA (100?mg/kg BW). As a control, rats were divided into vehicle alone and DMBA alone groups. Equol administration at a higher dose effectively suppressed tumor formation and PCNA over-expression. The activation of p53 by equol subsequently affected the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21Cip1. This was associated with equol-induced apoptosis in mammary gland tumors, as evidenced by the decreased Bcl-2 expression and increased Bax expression, together with the activation of caspase-3 and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP). In the second part, oral pre-administration of equol to mice which received DMBA intragastrically twice a week for 2 weeks significantly decreased their levels of biomarkers (thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances, carbonyl content and serum 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine) of DMBA-induced oxidative stress. Although several antioxidant enzymes were down-regulated in mice treated with DMBA alone, pre-administration of equol blocked much of this effect, increasing catalase and superoxide dismutase activity in a dose-dependent manner. Although equol did not affect the ratio of oxidized to reduced glutathione, it activated the glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase enzymes, and this effect was significant at a dose of 25 mg equol/kg body weight. DMBA treatment induced apoptosis, as shown by a decrease in the Bcl-2 levels and an increase in the levels of Bax, cleaved caspase-3 and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase. These apoptotic effects were also reversed by equol at all doses tested. Based on these results, equol possesses anticancer activity that suppresses tumor formation via apoptosis induction in rats with DMBA-induced mammary gland tumors. In addition, equol showed a hepatic protective effect by acting as an antioxidant and by reducing apoptosis.     

Preferential splenic metastases in parabiotic animals

A reticulum cell sarconia which metastasizes preferentially to the spleens of inbred C₃ H mice has been studied. Placement of tumor-bearing animals in parabiosis with normal animals was followed by the development of gross metastases limited to the spleen in 100% of the normal animals. The pattern of metastases observed when a tumor-bearing animal was placed in parabiosis with a splenectomized animal is described. The splenotrophic tendencies of this tumor and its ability to metastasize selectively across a parabiotic union provide a model for investigation of the role of immunity and humoral factors in tumor metastases.     

Synthesis and half-life of a serum factor in normal and tumor-bearing animals.

The synthesis and disappearance of a serum factor from the circulating blood of rats bearing Morris hepatomas 7777 or 7800 were described. We provided evidence that the factor was synthesized by the livers of normal rats and continued to be synthesized in tumor-bearing animals. Despite very low levels in the sera of tumor-bearing animals, the factor was synthesized at twice the rate in these animals compared to that in normal rats. The half-life of the total serum protein was 2 days in normal rats and 2.9 days in hepatoma 7777-bearing animals. The half-life of the serum factor, on the other hand, was 23 hours in normal rats but only 9 hours in hepatoma-bearing rats. This rapid disappearance of the factor from the circulating blood, despite an increased synthesis, accounts for the complete absence of the factor in the sera of hepatoma-bearing animals with tumor weights larger than the liver weights.