Analysis of biochemical and hematological parameters of blood, clinical signs and pathoanatomical changes for spontaneous poisoning of turkeys with diazinon

For today, the actual problem of veterinary medicine is the diagnosis of animal poisoning with organophosphorus pesticides, which are used as insecticides and acaricides, fungicides, herbicides, rodenticides, nematocides. One of the highly effective nonspecific organophosphorus insecticides is diazinon, falling into the body causing poisoning of various species of birds. The basis of the toxic action of diazinon is the ability to block the enzyme acetylcholinesterase. As a result, acetylcholine is accumulated in cholinergic synapses, excessive stimulation of the nerves and muscles is noted, and in the future, a violation of the normal passage of nerve impulses develops. Complex research was carried out of Domestic Turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) in which spontaneous poisoning with diazinon was recorded. Biochemical examination of the serum was carried out using the biochemistry analyzer «Cobas Integra 400 plus». The activity of the serum acetylcholinesterase was determined by the Method of Hestrin, 1949. In the stabilized blood, the hemoglobin content was determined by the hemoglobin-cyanide methods, the number of red blood cells and leukocytes was counted in Gorjaev's count chamber and the leukogram - after microscopy of blood smears, painted according to the Romanovsky-Gimza methods. The breeding of birds was carried out using the Shores method. The organs were fixed in 10% neutral formalin, 96% ethanols and Carnoy’s solution. The histological sections were made using a sown and freezing microtome, stained hematoxylin and eosin. The histological study of the preparations and their photographing was performed using microcope Leica DM 2500, and camera Leica DFC 450 C., Application Suite Version 4.4.0. Clinically ill turkeys poisoned by diazinon showed oppression, tremor and paresis of wings. Later, the coordination of movements was disturbed: sick birds fell on their backs, marked swimming movements of the pelvic limbs, cramps and spastic contractions of the limb muscles. From the oral cavity was allocated a rare mucous mass. After acute attacks and spastic contractions of the muscles, muscle weakness developed. In the terminal periods of the disease, there were also spasms of various muscle groups, paralysis, difficulty and frequent breathing accompanied by wheezing, cyanosis of the skin. During the conducted biochemical examination of serum, a marked decrease in the level of acetylcholinesterase, an increase in the level of AST, cholesterol and uric acid was observed. In the pathoanatomical study, expressed discirculatory processes in the form of acute congestive hyperemia, stasis, perivascular edema and hemorrhages, as well as necrotic changes in cardiomyces, hepatocytes, nephrocytes and brain neurons were found. Quality positive reaction on diazinon was received as a result of the bird crop content research by the method of thin-layer chromatography paper manifestation of iodine bismuth.

The role of the sugar receptor IR60b for Drosophila melanogaster: A hypothesis

In a recent paper, Joseph and colleagues (Joseph et al., 2017) have characterized the selective sucrose receptor IR60b in Drosophila, and proposed that it serves to limit sucrose consumption, and thus to prevent overfeeding. Here, we propose an alternative hypothesis for this sucrose receptor. Adult fruit flies feed by excreting saliva onto the food, and imbibing the predigested liquefied food, or by filling the crop, where the food is predigested. Enzymes in the saliva hydrolyse starch and disacharides into absorbable monosacharides. Premature ingestion into the midgut would not give the enzymes in the saliva enough time to predigest the food. Thus, IR60b might be used as a sensor to monitor the digestive state of external food or crop content: when disaccharides (sucrose) concentration is high, ingestion is inhibited, preventing the malabsorption of sucrose in the gut.

The role of the sugar receptor IR60b for Drosophila melanogaster: A hypothesis

In a recent paper, Joseph and colleagues (Joseph et al., 2017) have characterized the selective sucrose receptor IR60b in Drosophila, and proposed that it serves to limit sucrose consumption, and thus to prevent overfeeding. Here, we propose an alternative hypothesis for this sucrose receptor. Adult fruit flies feed by excreting saliva onto the food, and imbibing the predigested liquefied food, or by filling the crop, where the food is predigested. Enzymes in the saliva hydrolyse starch and disacharides into absorbable monosacharides. Premature ingestion into the midgut would not give the enzymes in the saliva enough time to predigest the food. Thus, IR60b might be used as a sensor to monitor the digestive state of external food or crop content: when disaccharides (sucrose) concentration is high, ingestion is inhibited, preventing the malabsorption of sucrose in the gut.

Toxico-Neurological Effects of Piroxicam in Monogastric Animals

Piroxicam is a benzothiazine compound with anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, and analgesic properties. Because of the very high efficacy of piroxicam and its increasing use in the treatment of carcinomas in dogs and cats, there is a need for acute toxicity study of piroxicam in monogastric animals and its potential for causing secondary poisoning in puppies. Piroxicam manufactured by Shanxi Federal Pharmaceutical Co, Ltd. was used for this study. Revised up-and-down procedure was used for the estimation of median lethal dose in mouse (259.4 ± 51.9 mg/kg), rat (259.4 ± 69.6 mg/kg), rabbit (707.5 ± 130.8 mg/kg), cat (437.5 ± 128.1 mg/kg), guinea pig (218.7 ± 64.1 mg/kg), monkey (733.3 ± 83.3 mg/kg), broiler (285.3 ± 62.5 mg/kg), hen (638.3 ± 115.4 mg/kg), turkey (707.5 ± 130.8 mg/kg), pigeon (375 ± 55.9 mg/kg), and duck (311.3 ± 46.6 mg/kg). The acute toxicity signs of piroxicam at doses 207.5 mg/kg and above observed in the animals are torticollis, opisthotonos, somnolence, lethargy, diarrhea, gastroenteritis, generalized internal bleeding, anemia, congestion of the lung and liver, flaccid paralysis, cheesy lung, urinary incontinence, engorged urinary bladder, convulsive jerking of the limbs, lying in ventral recumbency, gasping for air, roaring, and death. Three out of six puppies died after being fed the carcasses of poisoned turkey, duck, and hen administered piroxicam at doses of 1000, 415, and 1000 mg/kg, respectively. White flaky cheesy materials observed in turkeys were also observed in the gastrointestinal content of the puppies. Paleness of carcasses, watery crop content, dryness of pericardium, gastroenteritis, intestinal perforation, and whitish pericardium were observed in broilers. There were effusions in thoracic and abdominal cavities as seen in all other carcasses poisoned primarily by piroxicam. Administration of atropine (0.02 mg/kg) led to survival of the remaining puppies. In conclusion, piroxicam is very to moderately toxic in monogastric animals.

Prediction of the nutritional composition of the crop contents of free-living scarlet macaw chicks by near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy

Context It is difficult to determine with accuracy the nutrition of bird diets through observation and analysis of dietary items. Collection of the ingested material from the birds provides an alternative but it is often limited by the small sizes of samples that can be obtained. Aims We tested the efficacy of near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) to assess the nutritional composition of very small samples of growing-parrot crop content. Methods We used 30 samples of the crop content of free-living scarlet macaw (Ara macao) chicks. Samples were scanned with a near-infrared reflectance analyser, and later analysed by traditional wet laboratory methods for crude protein/N, fat, ash, neutral detergent fibre, P, K, Ca, Mg, Cu, Zn and S. A calibration model was developed using principal components analysis. Key results Coefficients of determination in the calibration (R2) and standard errors of cross-validation (SECV) for most of the nutrients showed a good performance (mean R2 of 0.91 ± 0.11 s.d., n = 10) when excluding Zn (R2 of 0.15, SECV = 25.37). Conclusions The present results established NIRS as a valid technique for the non-destructive, low-cost prediction of a variety of nutritional attributes of avian crop contents as small as 0.5-g dry weight. Implications The use of NIRS expands the possibilities of wild-animal nutrition research.

Microbiota of the cecum, ileum morphometry, pH of the crop and performance of broiler chickens supplemented with probiotics

It was studied, in this work, the effects of supplementation of probiotics on the performance, on the pH of crop content, on the morphometry of the ileum and on the number of enterobacteria in the cecum of the broilers. Out of the 120 studied birds, 60 belonged to the test group and 60 to the control group. At 1, 7, 12, 18, 23 and 28 days of age, the chickens and rations were weighed and mortality and morbidity were determined. Then, the birds were sacrificed and the pH of the crop content was measured, ileum fragments were collected for morphometric analysis and the enterobacteria in the cecal content were quantified. The mean pH was lower in the group that was given probiotics at 1, 7 and 18 days of age. There were no differences on ration consumption, weight, mortality and morbidity rates. The counts of enterobacteria were lower in the supplemented animals at the ages of 7, 18 and 28 days. The measure of villus of the ileum was higher for the group treated with probiotics at all ages, except for 1 day of age in comparison to the control group. This work proves that supplementation with probiotics reduces the pH of the crop content at the ages of 1, 7 and 18 days and it can contribute to the reduction of pathogenic bacteria on the first days of life by reducing the quantity of enterobacteria in the cecum. In addition, probiotics increase the height of villi in the ileum of the birds.