Cystic fibrosis (CF) is associated with a long preclinical state of abnormal glucose tolerance. The aim of this study was (i) to evaluate the profile of glucose tolerance in young adults with CF and (ii) to compare these results with those obtained by a continuous subcutaneous glucose monitoring (CGMS). CF subjects with fasting glycemia inferior to 126 mg/dl were included in the study. An oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) identified the subjects either with a normal glucose tolerance (NGT), or impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), or diabetes. CGMS (Medtronic) was performed during 3 days to analyze mean glucose level, high glucose excursions, and glucose area under the curve (AUC). Forty-nine patients were included in the study. NGT (n=22), IGT (n=17), and diabetes groups (n=10) were comparable except with regard to age and BMI (p<0.001). HbA1c values in diabetes group were significantly higher (p<0.001) than in NGT and IGT groups. CGMS revealed peaks of glucose values superior to 200 mg/dl at least once after a meal in 8 patients (36%) with NGT, in 9 patients (52%) with IGT, and in all patients with diabetes (p<0.01). Mean CGMS glucose and glucose AUC values increased in patients with diabetes compared to patients with NGT and IGT (p<0.05). Peak of CGMS glucose reached 182+/-60 mg/dl in NGT group despite the normal glucose profile at OGTT. In conclusion, CGMS revealed pathological glucose excursions not only in patients with impaired glucose tolerance at OGTT but also in patients with a normal glycemic profile. CGMS could be a useful tool for the early detection of hyperglycemia in patients with CF.

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Butaphosphan is an organic phosphorus compound used in several species for the prevention of rapid catabolic states, however, the mechanism of action remains unclear. This study aimed at determining the effects of butaphosphan on energy metabolism of mice receiving a normal or hypercaloric diet (HCD) and submitted or not to food restriction. Two experiments were conducted: (1) during nine weeks, animals were fed with HCD (n = 28) ad libitum, and at the 10th week, were submitted to food restriction and received butaphosphan (n = 14) or saline injections (n = 14) (twice a day, for seven days) and; (2) during nine weeks, animals were fed with a control diet (n = 14) or HCD (n = 14) ad libitum, and at the 10th week, all animals were submitted to food restriction and received butaphosphan or saline injections (twice a day, for seven days). In food restriction, butaphosphan preserved epididymal white adipose tissue (WAT) mass, increased glucose, NEFA, and the HOMA index. In mice fed HCD and submitted to food restriction, the butaphosphan preserved epididymal WAT mass. Control diet influences on PI3K, GCK, and Irs1 mRNA expression. In conclusion, butaphosphan increased blood glucose and reduced fat mobilization in overweight mice submitted to caloric restriction, and these effects are influenced by diet.

This study describes experimental infection of guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus) infested with naturally infected Amblyomma ovale nymphs with Rickettsia sp. (Atlantic rainforest strain), and the capacity of A. ovale nymphs to transmit this bacterium. Twenty-six guinea pigs were divided into the following groups: G1, 10 animals infested with uninfected A. ovale nymphs; G2, 10 animals infested with nymphs infected with Rickettsia sp. (Atlantic rainforest strain); and G3, 6 animals without tick infestation. Blood samples were taken 7, 14, 21, and 28 days post-infestation for serological and hematological tests. For histopathological analysis and rickettsial DNA detection, fragments of the spleen, lung, brain, and liver were harvested after euthanasia. The average feeding period for nymphs was 6.6 days for G1 and 6 days for G2. Hemolymph and PCR assays, performed to detect the causative agent in ticks, indicated that in G1, all ticks were negative, and in G2, all nymphs were positive by PCR and 80% (8/10) was positive by hemolymph tests. The only clinical change was skin scarring at the tick attachment site. Hematological parameters indicated leukopenia and total plasma protein (TPP) increased with decreased platelets in G1. In G2, leukocytosis, neutrophilia, monocytosis, an increase in platelets, and reduced TPP were observed. Only G2 guinea pigs were seroconverted (80%; 8/10). Histopathology tests indicated mild, diffuse hemosiderosis and mild, multifocal, follicular hyperplasia in the spleen. Molecular analysis did not detect Rickettsia sp. DNA in C. porcellus tissues. We demonstrated the capacity of A. ovale nymphs to transmit Rickettsia sp. (Atlantic rainforest strain) to guinea pigs.

Calves are extremely dependent on colostrum intake for the acquisition of passive immunity. This study aimed to determine the occurrence of diarrhea and respiratory diseases and the impact of Failure of Passive Immune Transfer (FPIT) on the health and zootechnical performance of Holstein dairy calves in individual management. This study has been carried out in five commercial farms in Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil, from March 2017 to January 2018. In this study, 131 calves were followed from birth to 60 days of age. Total Plasmatic Protein (TPP) has been performed to determine passive immune transfer quality in 53 calves (53/131). A daily clinical follow-up has been accomplished aiming at diagnosing diseases and their incidences, and zootechnical measures such as withers height, width of the croup and weight have been evaluated. FPIT rate was 32.07%, diarrhea occurrence and respiratory diseases were 77.9% and 49.6%, respectively. FPIT increased the chances of calves presenting diarrhea and developing respiratory diseases, but no differences on zootechnical performance were found. The frequency of FPIT is still high and is a factor that corroborated the increased risk for diarrhea and respiratory disease but did not influence the performance of calves in the preweaning phase.

Piometra é um processo inflamatório do útero caracterizado pelo acúmulo de secreção purulenta no lúmen uterino associado a uma infecção bacteriana. Pode se apresentar de duas formas, com cérvix aberta ou fechada, sendo esta última considerada como uma urgência veterinária pelo risco de vida para o paciente. O tratamento desta patologia pode ser cirúrgico, através da técnica de ovariosalpingohisterectomia (OSH), ou medicamentoso, devendo sempre ser observado o estado geral do paciente para a correta escolha do tratamento. A ultrassonografia é o exame diagnóstico mais utilizado para esta enfermidade, sendo considerado o de eleição para esta afecção por diversos autores. Este artigo teve como objetivo relatar um caso clínico de piometra de cérvix fechada em uma porquinha da índia (Cavia porcellus). O animal foi submetido ao exame ultrassonográfico devido ao aumento de volume na cavidade abdominal, vindo a óbito durante o procedimento. Não foram observadas alterações fisiológicas e hematológicas. Procedeu-se a realização de exame necroscópico, sendo diagnosticada como causa do óbito a ruptura uterina. Foi constatada a liberação de exsudato purulento proveniente do útero e cornos uterinos para a cavidade abdominal. Concluiu-se que a causa do óbito do animal foi devido à ruptura uterina, com extravasamento do conteúdo uterino na cavidade abdominal, devido a uma piometra na forma de cérvix fechada.

A hipocalcemia subclínica é uma doença bastante frequente nos rebanhos leiteiros e está relacionada a grandes prejuízos econômicos em função de que pode predispor ao desenvolvimento de outras doenças como mastite e metrite. O cálcio é um dos minerais essenciais para uma variedade de processos fisiológicos no organismo animal, entre os quais a sinalização celular é um dos mais importantes. O objetivo desta revisão é destacar a importância do cálcio para a vaca leiteira e a importância do cálcio intracelular para o adequado funcionamento do sistema imunológico, relacionando-o com enfermidades do periparto. Assim como, demonstrar os mecanismos fisiológicos responsáveis pela manutenção da homeostase e apresentar alguns genes que podem estar relacionados com a hipocalcemia subclínica. Diversos trabalhos evidenciam a estreita relação entre hipocalcemia subclínica e a imunidade das vacas leiteiras, sendo que estas depleções nas concentrações de cálcio tornam o animal mais susceptível ao desenvolvimento de doenças do periparto.