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A large number of formulae have been published for fetal weight estimation. This study examines the possibility of using three-dimensional ultrasound to measure the limb circumference. This technology provides us with the opportunity to visualize two simultaneous, orthogonal planes, allowing the exact determination of the transverse plane at the mid-point of the limb. A total of 157 patients were scanned in the week prior to delivery. The following variables were measured in 154 fetuses: biparietal diameter, head circumference, transverse abdominal diameter, abdominal circumference, femur length, thigh circumference and arm circumference. The whole population was split into three subgroups according to the abdominal circumference centile (< 10th centile, 10-90th centile, and > 90th centile), because this single variable has the strongest correlation with neonatal weight (R = 0.901). With forward stepwise multiple regression analysis, four models were elaborated, one for the whole population and one for each subgroup. The small-for-dates fetuses need a targeted formula including only two variables, thigh circumference and femur length. Our data suggest that the thigh circumference measurement improves the estimation for growth-retarded fetuses and that the arm circumference improves the weight prediction for the others. The measurement of the two variables, made possible with three-dimensional ultrasound, has improved our results in fetal weight estimation.

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Treatment with cloprostenol, a prostaglandin synthetic analogue, was evaluated in five queens with open-cervix pyometra. Cloprostenol was administered (5 μg/kg body weight SC) on 3 consecutive days and amoxicillin (20 mg/kg body weight IM) on 7 consecutive days. Transient post-injection reactions caused by cloprostenol administration included diarrhea, vomiting and vocalizations. Reactions began as quickly as 10 mins after cloprostenol administration and lasted as long as 30 mins. All queens improved clinically after cloprostenol treatment and remained healthy until the end of the study, 1 year after treatment. All queens resumed normal estrous cycles without further treatment and two (40%) delivered a normal litter. In conclusion, use of cloprostenol is an acceptable treatment for open-cervix pyometra in queens.

The aim of this study was to asses the variation in the morphology of the seminal epithelium in relation to natural photoperiod in male cats. Tom cats (n = 240) were castrated every other week throughout the year. Each testis was fixed in Bouin's solution and cut into sections. The percentage of tubules with round spermatids (RS), elongated spermatids (ES), tailed spermatids (TS), mature spermatids (MS) and the number of Sertoli cells (SC) and Leydig cells (LC) were recorded in each sample. Testicles from males during short days (SHD) had a higher percentage of tubules with RS and ES compared to testicles from males during long days (LHD, 31.3 +/- 0.6 vs 2.1 +/- 0.6%, p < 0.001; 30.9 +/- 0.7 vs 11.0 +/- 0.7%, p < 0.001). Conversely, testicles from males during SHD had a lower percentage of tubules with TS and MS compared to testicles from males during LHD (24.5 +/- 0.8 vs 29.7 +/- 0.8%, p < 0.01; 13.1 +/- 1.2 vs 57.0 +/- 1.2%, p < 0.01). Furthermore, testicles from males during SHD had a higher number of SC and lower number of LC compared to testicles from males during LHD (11.4 +/- 0.1 vs 8.0 +/- 0.1%, p < 0.01; 19.2 +/- 1.0 vs 38.0 +/- 1.0%, p < 0.01). In conclusion, there are seasonal changes in testis cell morphology in the tom which may be related to seasonal sperm production.

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ContentsThe aim of this study was to assess epididymal sperm characteristics and serum testosterone concentration in cats under natural photoperiod. The hypothesis was that natural photoperiod induces seasonal changes in spermatozoal quality and serum testosterone concentration. Mixed breed tomcats (n = 43) that underwent bilateral orchiectomy at a municipal public pet shelter were used in the study. Epididymides were divided into two groups according to time of castration. In Group I, toms were castrated during increasing light (IL; [winter and spring; n = 24]), and group II, during decreasing light (DL; [summer and fall; n = 19]). Only mature toms castrated in the two lasts weeks of each season were included in this study. Sperm samples were obtained by cutting the cauda epididymis in Tris solution and tested for motility (MOT,% motile), velocity (VEL, 0-5), total sperm cells (TS, 10 6 ), acrosome integrity (ACR,% intact; FITC-PSA), plasma membrane integrity (MI,%intact; CFDA-PI) and sperm morphology (SM,% normal). Before orchiectomy, blood samples were taken to measure serum concentrations of testosterone (T2) by a solid-phase RIA. Data were analysed with the mixed procedure of SAS. Toms castrated during IL had higher sperm plasma membrane integrity and better sperm morphology compared to toms castrated during DL (69.0 ± 2.7 vs 60.6 ± 2.1, p < 0.01; 45.9 ± 2.5 vs 35.9 ± 3.4; p < 0.02; respectively) and tended to have higher sperm motility and total number of sperm cells compared to toms castrated during DL (56.3 ± 2.8 vs 47.3 ± 3.7, p < 0.06; 13.8 ± 1.4 vs 10.0 ± 1.8, p < 0.09). However, velocity, acrosome integrity and serum testosterone concentrations were similar between both groups (3.5 ± 0.1 vs 3.4 ± 0.1, p > 0.6; 45.8 ± 3.3 vs 44.0 ± 4.0, p > 0.72; 0.76 ± 0.15 vs 0.59 ± 0.19, p > 0.51; respectively). In conclusion, natural photoperiod induces seasonal changes in sperm quality with a moderate variation in serum testosterone concentrations. IntroductionThe queen is a seasonal breeder when exposed to natural photoperiod, with ovarian activity ceasing under decreasing photoperiod and resuming with increasing photoperiod. This seasonality may be observed in both females and males of several mammalian species, and in these species, photoperiod and melatonin concentrations are related to circannual sperm production (Chemineau et al. 2008). This seasonality is observed in geographic locations where large differences between hours of light during the year are present and occurs as an adaptation to annual changes in the habitat (Malpaux et al. 2001;Chemineau et al. 2008). Although the reproductive features of queens are well known, in tom cats, there are few studies about sperm production. Likewise, the effect of season on reproductive function in the male domestic cat has been insufficiently explored. Whereas previous studies concluded that male cats are Previous studies have shown seasonal changes in testicular cell morphology in domestic cats (Stornelli et al. 2009). Probably, these changes are reflected in se...

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