RESUMO O presente estudo avaliou o uso da haptoglobina (Hp) como indicadora de sanidade e desempenho em 166 bezerras Holandesas criadas em um sistema de produção intensivo. As bezerras foram avaliadas nos momentos D6-9; D10-13; D20-23; D35-38 e D65-68, sendo estes correspondentes aos dias de vida. A ausência ou a presença de doenças foi avaliada por meio do exame físico e da classificação por escores. Os parâmetros de desempenho avaliados foram peso corporal, altura de cernelha e largura de garupa. A Hp foi mensurada por técnica espectrofotométrica. A maior prevalência de diarreia (59,4%; 98/165) foi observada em D10-13, doença respiratória bovina (DRB) ocorreu em D35-38 (25,8%; 42/163) e inflamações umbilicais em D6-D9 (7,8%; 13/166). O valor de Hp foi maior nos animais que apresentaram diarreia (P=0,02) e inflamações umbilicais (P=0,057), em comparação ao grupo de bezerras saudáveis. Houve correlação negativa significativa entre a Hp e os índices de desempenho. Essa proteína apresentou uma importante relação com a diarreia e com o desempenho das bezerras, abrindo perspectivas sobre a sua utilização como biomarcadora de doenças.

ABSTRACT The present study evaluated the use of haptoglobin (Hp) as an indicator of health and performance in 166 Holstein heifer calves reared in an intensive production system. Calves were evaluated at D6-9; D10-13; D20-23; D35-38 and D65-68, corresponding to the days of life. The absence or presence of diseases was evaluated by physical examination and classification of scores. The performance parameters evaluated were body weight, height at withers and hind width. Hp was measured by spectrophotometric technique. The highest prevalence of diarrhea (59.4%; 98/165) was observed in D10-13, bovine respiratory disease (BRD) was on D35-38 (25.8%; 42/163), and umbilical inflammations in D6-D9 (7.8%; 13/166). Highest values of Hp were observed in animals with diarrhea (P=0.02), and umbilical inflammation (P=0.057), in comparison with the group of healthy calves. A significant negative correlation was observed between Hp and performance index. This protein presented an important relation with diarrhea and performance of the calves, opening perspectives on its utilization as a biomarker of diseases.

A fim de comparar as abordagens abdominais, pela linha mediana ventral e lateral direita em cadelas pré-púberes e adultas submetidas a ovariossalpingo-histerectomia, utilizaram-se 28 cadelas hígidas, distribuídas em dois grupos experimentais de igual número: grupo abordagem mediana ventral (AMV) e grupo abordagem lateral direita (ALD), com sete animais adultos e sete animais pré-púberes em cada grupo. O procedimento cirúrgico foi dividido em nove manobras cirúrgicas distintas, e o tempo para conclusão de cada uma delas, suas facilidades e dificuldades, assim como o tempo cirúrgico total, foram determinados. O tempo médio desde o início da incisão da pele até a entrada na cavidade peritoneal foi menor nas cadelas adultas (P≤0,001) e pré-púberes (P≤0,001) do grupo AMV, mas o tempo médio para identificação uterina foi menor nas cadelas pré-púberes (P≤0,001) do grupo ALD. O tempo cirúrgico total foi menor utilizando-se a abordagem lateral direita (grupo ALD) nas cadelas adultas (P≤0,001) e pré-púberes (P≤0,001). Seu uso não se relacionou com complicações cirúrgicas e facilitou a identificação uterina, possibilitando redução no tempo cirúrgico total. Assim, a abordagem lateral direita demonstrou ser uma alternativa segura em cadelas adultas e pré-púberes submetidas à OSH eletiva.

In order to compare the abdominal approaches, through the ventral midline and right lateral in pre-pubertal adult female dogs undergoing ovariohysterectory we used 28 otherwise healthy dogs, divided into two experimental groups of equal number: Ventral Median Approach Group (VMA) and Right Side Approach Group (RSA), with seven adult animals and seven pre-pubertal animals in each group. The surgical procedure was divided into nine different surgical maneuvers, and the time required for completion of each of them, their strengths and difficulties, as well as the total surgical time were determined. The time from the start of the skin incision to the entrance into the peritoneal cavity was lower in adult female dogs (P≤0.001) and pre-pubertal (P≤0.001) in the VAM group, but the time for uterine identification was lower in pre-pubertal female dogs (P≤ 0.001) in the RSA group. The total surgical time was shorter using the right lateral approach (RSA group) in adult (P≤ 0.001) and pre-pubertal (P≤0.001) female dogs. Thus, the right-side approach has proved to be a safe alternative in adult and pre-pubertal dogs undergoing elective OSH. Its use was not associated with surgical complications, and facilitated uterine identification, allowing a reduction in the total surgical time.

O objetivo do presente estudo foi caracterizar os tipos de relações que ocorrem entre as variáveis morfométricas das larvas de Lophiosilurus alexandri Steindachner, 1876, por meio da análise de seu crescimento alométrico. As variáveis comprimento total, comprimento da cabeça e altura do corpo foram correlacionadas com o comprimento padrão; a altura da cabeça com a altura do corpo; e o diâmetro do olho e a altura da cabeça com o comprimento da cabeça. Os resultados revelaram relações alométricas positivas durante o desenvolvimento inicial, quando o coeficiente b variou entre 1,10 e 2,81. A variável distância pré-anal em relação ao comprimento padrão e a variável comprimento do focinho em relação ao comprimento da cabeça revelaram relação alométrica negativa quando o coeficiente b foi 0,85 e 0,94, respectivamente.

The aim of the present study was to characterize the relationships that occur between morphometric variables of larvae of Lophiosilurus alexandri Steindachner, 1876 through their allometric growth analysis. Total length, head length and body height were correlated with standard length, head height and body height, as well as eye diameter and head height with head length. The results revealed allometric positive relation during the initial development, where the b coefficient varied between 1.10 and 2.81. The variable pre-anal distance in relation to the standard length and the snout length in relation to the head length revealed an allometric negative relation, where the b coefficient was 0.85 and 0.94, respectively.

Estudaram-se os aspectos epidêmicos das infecções de suínos causadas por Streptococcus suis, enfocando, principalmente, a ocorrência de diferentes sorotipos. Foram analisadas 323 amostras isoladas de animais clinicamente doentes, as quais foram sorotipadas de acordo com o procedimento de co-aglutinação. Foi verificado que S. suis está presente em vários estados brasileiros e o maior número de isolados originou-se dos estados de Minas Gerais (62,5%), São Paulo (10,8%) e Paraná (9,3%). O sorotipo 2 foi o mais freqüente (61.0%), seguido pelos sorotipos 1, 3, 4, 7 e 8. Os isolamentos foram obtidos principalmente de cérebro (60,1%) e pulmões (10,4%). Os casos de septicemia representaram 9,4%.

The epidemic aspects of swine infections caused by Streptococcus suis were studied, focusing mainly on the occurrence of several serotypes. A total of 323 samples of S. suis were isolated from clinically ill animals, serotyped according to the co-agglutination procedure, and analyzed. The serotyping revealed that S. suis was present in several Brazilian states. The largest number was isolated from the states of Minas Gerais (62.5%), São Paulo (10.8%), and Paraná (9.3%). Serotype 2 was the most frequent (61.0%), followed by the serotypes 1, 3, 4, 7, and 8. The largest number of isolations was obtained from the brain (60.1%), followed by the lungs (10.4%). About 9.4% of the cases were due to septicemia.

The proteinogram of six 12 month-old Alpine goats, intensively raised and naturally infected by gastrointestinal parasites, was evaluated. Blood and feces samples of each animal were monthly collected. Total serum protein and their fractions were determined by agarose gel eletrophoresis, using Tris buffer, pH 9.2. The identified protein fractions were albumin, alfa-globulin, beta1-globulin, beta2-globulin and gama-globulin, whose average and standard deviation (g/dl) were, respectively: 2.35±0.39, 0.69±0.36, 0.70±0.08, 0.48±0.08 and 1.52±0.41. It was not observed significative correlation (P>0.05), according to the Spearman non-parametric test, either between the Strongyloides eggs count per gram of feces or the Haemonchus spp. larval count per gram of feces and the fraction electrophorectly variable.

This article is a transcription of an electronic symposium in which active researchers were invited by the Brazilian Society of Neuroscience and Behavior (SBNeC) to discuss the advances of the last decade in the neurobiology of emotion. Four basic questions were debated: 1) What are the most critical issues/questions in the neurobiology of emotion? 2) What do we know for certain about brain processes involved in emotion and what is controversial? 3) What kinds of research are needed to resolve these controversial issues? 4) What is the relationship between learning, memory and emotion? The focus was on the existence of different neural systems for different emotions and the nature of the neural coding for the emotional states. Is emotion the result of the interaction of different brain regions such as the amygdala, the nucleus accumbens, or the periaqueductal gray matter or is it an emergent property of the whole brain neural network? The relationship between unlearned and learned emotions was also discussed. Are the circuits of the former the underpinnings of the latter? It was pointed out that much of what we know about emotions refers to aversively motivated behaviors, like fear and anxiety. Appetitive emotions should attract much interest in the future. The learning and memory relationship with emotions was also discussed in terms of conditioned and unconditioned stimuli, innate and learned fear, contextual cues inducing emotional states, implicit memory and the property of using this term for animal memories. In a general way it could be said that learning modifies the neural circuits through which emotional responses are expressed.

Several lines of evidence point to the participation of serotonin (5HT) in anxiety. Its specific role, however, remains obscure. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of reducing 5HT-neurotransmission through an acute tryptophan depletion on anxiety induced by a simulated public speaking (SPS) test. Two groups of 14-15 subjects were submitted to a 24-h diet with a low or normal content of tryptophan and received an amino acid mixture without (TRY-) or with (TRY+) tryptophan under double-blind conditions. Five hours later they were submitted to the SPS test. The state-trait anxiety inventory (STAI) and the visual analogue mood scale (VAMS) were used to measure subjective anxiety. Both scales showed that SPS induced a significant increase in anxiety. Although no overall difference between groups was found, there was a trend (P = 0.078) to an interaction of group x gender x phases of the SPS, and a separate analysis of each gender showed an increase in anxiety measured by the STAI in females of the TRY- group. The results for the female TRY- group also suggested a greater arousing effect of the SPS test. In conclusion, the tryptophan depletion procedure employed in the present study did not induce a significant general change in subjective anxiety, but tended to induce anxiety in females. This suggests a greater sensitivity of the 5HT system to the effects of the procedure in this gender.

Toxoplasmose é uma infecção zoonótica humana de alta prevalência, causada por um protozoário Apicomplexa, Toxoplasma gondii. A evolução da doença aguda é geralmente leve ou assintomática, exceto nas infecções agudas das gestantes, quando a infecção fetal causa uma doença devastadora. Para determinar se haveriam fatores de risco regionais, foi analisada a frequência de títulos de anticorpos anti-T.gondii em áreas na região Metropolitana de São Paulo, comparando grupos etários. Esta frequência de soronegatividade foi determinada retrospectivamente em 1286 gestantes que procuraram os serviços públicos para exames pré-natais da região metropolitana de São Paulo, usando um teste de imunofluorescência indireta para IgG anti-T. gondii, em quatro áreas selecionadas, com infraestrutura e condições sociais semelhantes. A área da cidade de São Paulo apresentou a maior frequência de soronegatividade (41,1%), seguida pelas áreas Noroeste (31,5%) e Sudoeste(29,9%), com níveis intermediários semelhantes, e a área Nordeste (22,5%), com a menor frequência (p<0,001). Uma estimativa grosseira permite estimar em cerca de 280 crianças infectadas por ano na Região Metropolitana de São Paulo. A análise dos títulos sorológicos por grupos etários sugere uma queda de seus valores com a idade, mostrada pela menor frequência de títulos elevados em grupos de maior idade. Este estudo enfatiza a importância da determinação da prevalência regional de toxoplasmose, para dimensionar adequadamente os serviços e cuidados de saúde pré-natal, na rede pública.

Toxoplasmosis is a highly prevalent zoonotic human infection caused by the Apicomplexa protozoon Toxoplasma gondii. The acute disease is usually mild or asymptomatic, except for foetal infection transmitted by acutely infected pregnant women, which courses as a devastating disease. In order to determine possible regional variations in risk factors, we studied the frequency of seronegativity in areas of the São Paulo Metropolitan Region, comparing liters and age groups. The prevalence of seronegativity was determined retrospectively in 1286 pregnant women receiving prenatal care at public health services in four selected areas of the São Paulo Metropolitan Region of similar socioeconomic background. The São Paulo City area had the higher frequency of seronegativity (41.1%), followed by the Northwest (31.5%) and Southwest (29.9%) areas, with similar intermediate levels, and by the Northeast (22.5%) area with the lowest frequency (p<0.001). A rough estimate disclosed about 280 infected infants/year in the São Paulo Metropolitan Region. Serological titers analyzed by age group suggested a decline in antibody levels with age, as shown by a lower frequency of higher titers in older groups. Our study emphasizes the importance of determining the regional prevalence of toxoplasmosis for proper planning of public health prenatal care.