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Background Dirofilaria immitis is a life-threatening nematode spreading globally. Arsenical treatment is currently recommended for removal of adult worms. However, arsenical treatment is not available in some countries, and there are dogs that cannot tolerate the rapid kill of adult worms; therefore, alternative adulticide slow-kill treatments are needed. Criticisms against the use of these alternative protocols include the potential for allowing disease to progress and for the development of ML-resistant worms. Methods The efficacy of a protocol that includes semi-annual doses (i.e. every 6 months) of commercially available extended-release injectable moxidectin suspension (ProHeart® SR-12) with 30-day oral administration of doxycycline was studied in 20 dogs with naturally occurring D. immitis infections. Each dog received treatment with ProHeart® SR-12 (0.5 mg moxidectin/kg) by subcutaneous injection and oral doxycycline (10 mg/kg/bid × 30 days) every 6 months until two consecutive negative antigen test results were obtained. Pulmonary and cardiac evaluations were performed by radiographic and echocardiographic parameters. Physical examinations, complete blood counts, clinical chemistry profiles, microfilariae and antigen tests were performed periodically. Results At enrollment, all dogs were positive for D. immitis antigen and 18 were microfilaremic. On day 30, microfilaremia counts decreased, and all dogs became amicrofilaremic by day 150. On day 180, 11 dogs were antigen-negative, and 7 more became negative by day 360. The two remaining antigen-positive dogs converted to negative by day 540 or 810. All antigen tests performed 180 days after the first negative test were negative. There was no decline in cardiac performance of the dogs throughout the study. Overall, pulmonary clinical conditions, presence of worms by echocardiography, and enlargement of caudal and main pulmonary arteries improved after treatment. Physical examinations, complete blood count results, and clinical chemistry profiles were within normal reference values. Respiratory conditions were improved, no damage to the heart was observed, and the treatment protocol was well tolerated by the animals. Conclusions This alternative adulticide treatment was efficacious and well tolerated in naturally infected dogs. The injectable formulation provides the advantage of having veterinarians able to administer, monitor, and assess the efficacy and condition of the dog throughout the treatment and post-treatment periods.

This study aimed to evaluate the ability of a saliva collection device (Salivette®) to measure cortisol levels in saliva samples of domestic cats and to assess the effect of a synthetic analogue of the feline facial pheromone fraction F3 (Feliway®) on cortisol levels. A total of 28 domestic cats from a private high-quality sanctuary were sampled before exposure to the facial pheromone and after 35 days of exposure. Two pheromone devices were placed in the area where the animals ate to guarantee the exposure of all cats. The collecting device yielded a sufficient volume of saliva (≥0.20mL) to allow cortisol measurement. Cortisol measurements ranged from 0.02g/dL to 0.16μg/dL, with a difference between before (42.1%) and after (62.6%) exposure to the pheromone (F=3.2351; p≤0.0002). No difference in cortisol levels was observed between before (x =0.078μg/dL) and after (x =0.066μg/dL) (t=1.79; p=0.08) exposure. However, salivary cortisol levels decreased in 75% (21/28) of the cats after exposure (x 2=12.07; p=0.0005), suggesting that the animals have different susceptibilities to the pheromone or that they spent different lengths of time in the area where the pheromone devices were installed.

ABSTRACT. Growth hormone (GH) is a part of the somatotropic axis that controls metabolism, growth, development and aging in a wide range of animals. Mutations that reduce GH signaling have been associated with extended life spans and increased longevity in ways similar to what is observed in dietary restriction (DR) models. However, the mechanism by which DR works is not well understood. Here, we show that DR works as a factor in the evolution of the genetic make-up of domestic cattle. In a series of 6864 bovines of seven Bos indicus and tropically adapted Bos taurus breeds, the frequency of a short, wildtype allele of the promoter region of the bovine GH gene, G1 allele, varied from 2.7 to 17.7%. The frequency of the long, domestic G2 allele increased from 88 to 95% along 20 calf crops of commercial Bos indicus cattle of the Nelore breed undergoing selection for increasing Survival of the thriftiest post-weaning weight gain with ad libitum nutrient intake. Under DR, however, the G1 allele sustained growth better than the G2 allele, as observed in a series of feeding tests. The G2 allele was even detrimental or abiotropic, as it caused rapid body decay under DR. We observed a reflection symmetry of GH allele substitution effects on body weight under different dietary schemes. The G2 allele is featured as the "demanding allele", because it is optimally fitted to ad libitum nutrient intake. The G1 allele is featured as the "thrifty allele" because it is optimally fitted to DR. Our results show that dietary regimens need not extend lifespan or increase longevity in the sense of age-specific fitness. Instead, adaptation to any particular dietary regimen is just as much a consequence of selection as its cause; dietary regimens work as do any selection force, optimizing genotypic fitness to nutritional conditions.

Background:The Atlantic Forest where the animals were captured is surrounded by residences, so this close contact could favor the presence of disease-transmitting pathogens, putting the local population at risk. For these and other factors, it is important to perform laboratory tests enabling the performance of important diagnoses.Methods: Blood samples of 268 golden-headed lion tamarins (Leontopithecus chrysomelas) inhabiting an Atlantic Forest area in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, were processed for accessing age and sex influence in hematological parameters and to establish normative hematology values.Results: Mean values of red blood cells, hematocrit, hemoglobin, and platelet count were significantly higher in adult males than in adult females. Adult animals had significantly higher mean neutrophil count, and young animals had higher averages than adults in lymphocyte values. Anisocytosis and platelet indices parameters were also provided for the first time. Conclusions:Averages presented can be used as hematological parameters for golden-headed lion tamarins. K E Y W O R D SCalitrichidae, complete blood count, erythrogram, hematology, leukogram, non-human primate | 107 dos sANTos eT Al.

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1 Parte da dissertação apresentada pela primeira autora ao curso de pós-graduação em genética e melhoramento animal UNESP -Jaboticabal -SP. 2 RESUMO -Componentes de variância e parâmetros genéticos para características de crescimento foram estimados usando diferentes modelos em um rebanho da raça Gir. Utilizou-se o método da máxima verossimilhança restrita sob modelo animal univariado. Os modelos de análise incluíram os efeitos fixos de mês de nascimento, grupo contemporâneo e idade da vaca. Cinco modelos diferindo quanto aos efeitos aleatórios foram testados. Para todas as características da fase pré-desmama, o teste de razão de verossimilhança (LRT) indicou o modelo com efeito genético aditivo direto e efeitos maternos (genético e de ambiente permanente) como o de melhor ajuste. As estimativas de herdabilidade direta para peso ao nascer (PN), peso aos quatro meses corrigido para 120 dias (P120), peso à desmama corrigido para 210 dias (P210) e ganho diário na fase pré-desmama (GPRE) foram, respectivamente, 0,31± 0,07; 0,14 ± 0,06; 0,23 ± 0,07 e 0,22 ± 0,07. Para as características da fase pós-desmama, o modelo que forneceu o melhor ajuste aos dados incluiu apenas o efeito genético aditivo direto. As estimativas de herdabilidade direta para peso de machos ao final da prova de ganho de peso (P378), peso de fêmeas corrigido para 550 dias (P550), ganho diário na prova de ganho de peso (G112), altura aos 378 dias em machos (AM) e altura aos 550 dias, em fêmeas (AF) foram, respectivamente: 0,45 ± 0,11; 0,29 ± 0,11; 0,37 ± 0,11; 0,79 ± 0,13 e 0,36 ± 0,0. Os efeitos maternos, tanto o genético quanto o de ambiente permanente, foram fontes de variação importantes para as características da fase pré-desmama, não sendo verificada influência desses efeitos sobre as características da fase pós-desmama.Palavras-chave: bovinos de corte, ganho de peso diário, herdabilidade, modelo animal, prova de ganho de peso, teste de razão de verossimilhança Selection for growth traits in Gyr cattle. 2. Estimates of variances and genetic parameters due to direct and maternal effectsABSTRACT -Variance components and genetic parameters for growth traits of Gyr breed were estimated using univariate analyses by restricted maximum likelihood. Five models differing in the random effects were evaluated. The models included the fixed effects of month of birth, contemporary group and age of cow. According to the likelihood ratio test (LRT) the best fit for all traits measured in the pre-weaning period was obtained by the model including the direct and maternal effects (genetic and environment). Heritability estimates for birth weight (PN), weight adjusted to 120 days (P120), weaning weight adjusted to 210 days (P210) and daily weight gain in pre-weaning period (P210) were respectively, 0.31 ± 0.07, 0.14 ± 0.06, 0.23 ± 0.07, and 0.22 ± 0.07. For the post-weaning traits, the best fitting model was the one which included only the direct genetic effect. Heritability estimates for male performance test weight at 378 days (P378), heifer weight at 550 da...