Spawning Performance and Sex Steroid Levels in Female Pikeperch Sander lucioperca Treated with Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) Microparticles

Pikeperch Sander lucioperca is a piscivorous species considered a promising candidate for the diversification of intensive aquaculture. This study aimed to determine the effect of a sustained-release delivery system incorporating mammalian gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (mGnRHa) into poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) microparticles on the sex steroid levels and aspects of artificial reproduction of pikeperch. Fish were divided into four groups and injected with 20 µg mGnRHa/kg, 5-day release microparticles encapsulated with 5 µg GnRHa/kg BW (PLGA 5), 20 µg GnRHa/kg (PLGA 20), or 1 mL/kg 0.9% NaCl (control). Cumulative percentage ovulation was 100% in the PLGA 5 group, significantly higher than in other tested groups. No differences among groups were observed in latency or fecundity. The level of 11-ketotestosterone (11-KT) peaked at 40 h post-injection, and was sustained during ovulation, in all treated groups. The 17β-estradiol (E2) concentration increased in the mGnRHa-only group immediately after hormone injection, while both PLGA groups showed a reduction in E2 after injection, continuing to decrease until ovulation. A low dose of mGnRHa in PLGA microparticles significantly improves induction of ovulation and results in acceptable reproductive performance, which may positively affect pikeperch production under controlled conditions.

Risk Factors and Management Strategies of Cerebrospinal Fluid Leakage Following Lumbar Posterior Surgery

Objective: To analyze the risk factors of cerebrospinal fluid leakage(CSFL) following lumbar posterior surgery and summarize the related management strategies. Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on 3179 patients with CSFL strategies lumbar posterior surgery in our hospital from January 2019 to December 2020. There were 807 cases of lumbar disc hemiation(LDH), 1143 cases of lumbar spinal stenosi (LSS), 1122 cases of lumbar spondylolisthesis(LS), 93 cases of lumbar degenerative scoliosis(LDS),14 cases of lumbar spinal benign tumor(LST). Data of gender, age, body mass index(BMI), duration of disease, diabete,smoking history, preoperative epidural hormone injection, number of surgical levels, surgical methods (total laminar decompression, fenestration decompression), revision surgery, extubation time, suture removal time, and complications were recorded.Results: The incidence of 115 cases with cerebrospinal fluid leakage,was 3.62% (115/3179).One-way ANOVA showed that gender, body mass index(BMI), smoking history, combined with type 2 diabetes and surgical method had no significant effect on CSFL(P >0.05). Age, type of disease, duration of disease, preoperative epidural hormone injection, number of surgical levels and revision surgery had effects on CSFL(P<0.05). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that type of disease, preoperative epidural hormone injection, number of surgical levels and revision surgery were significantly affected CSFL(P<0.05), and duration of disease and age of the patients were not significantly affected CSFL (P >0.05).The extubation time of CSFL patients ranged from 7 to 11 days, with an average of 7.11±0.48 days, the extubation time of patients without CSFL was 1-3 days, with an average of 2.02±0.13 days, and there was a statistical difference between the two groups(P < 0.05).The removal time of CSFL patients was 12-14 days, with an average of 13.11±2.67 days, and the removal time of patients without CSFL was 10-14 days, with an average of 12.87±2.19 days, there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups (P>0.05). Conclusion: Type of disease, preoperative epidural hormone injection, number of surgical levels and revision surgery were the risk factors for CSFL. Effective prevention were the key to CSFL in lumbar surgery.Once appear, CSFL can also be effectively dealt with without obvious adverse reactions after intraoperative effectively repair dural, head down, adequate drainage after operation, the high position, rehydration treatment, and other treatments.

INDUCED SPAWNING AND LARVAL DEVELOPMENT OF VIETNAMESE KOI, Anabas testudineus (Bloch, 1792), USING SALMON GONADOTROPIN RELEASING HORMONE ANALOGUE (S-GnRHA)

The present research work has been carried out to obtain evidence on breeding and embryonic growth of A. testudineus by using S-GnRHa. Fish were injected with three different doses (0.25, 0.5, and 1.0 mL/kg body weight) of synthetic hormone S-GnRHa each with three replications, where male brood fish received half of the doses of female. The fecundity of A. testudineus was ranged from 47,227 to 77,561 during the study period and except control group all the hormone received group ovulated within 12 hours of hormone injection. Among all groups, the highest fertilization rate (89.33%), highest hatching rate (79.5%) as well as highest survival rate (67.0%) was obtained at 0.5 mL/kg body weight hormone dose recipient group. The fertilized egg’s diameter was recorded as 77.59 ± 3.50 µm. The first cleavage had appeared within 18-25 min of fertilization and eventually the morula, blastula, and gastrula stages were observed at 3:10 h, 4 h, and 5:30 h, respectively after fertilization. Larvae with distinguished head, body form and tail appendage spotted between 17-22 h and the larvae started hatching at 19 h after fertilization. The average length of larvae accounted as 105.41 ± 3.73 µm. The findings of present study revealed that 0.5 mL/kg S-GnRHa could be efficient dose for successful induced breeding of A. testudineus.

Mucosal and Systemic Immune Responses to Salmon Gill Poxvirus Infection in Atlantic Salmon Are Modulated Upon Hydrocortisone Injection

Salmon Gill Poxvirus Disease (SGPVD) has emerged as a cause of acute mortality in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) presmolts in Norwegian aquaculture. The clinical phase of the disease is associated with apoptotic cell death in the gill epithelium causing acute respiratory distress, followed by proliferative changes in the regenerating gill in the period after the disease outbreak. In an experimental SGPV challenge trial published in 2020, acute disease was only seen in fish injected with hydrocortisone 24 h prior to infection. SGPV-mediated mortality in the hydrocortisone-injected group was associated with more extensive gill pathology and higher SGPV levels compared to the group infected with SGPV only. In this study based on the same trial, SGPV gene expression and the innate and adaptive antiviral immune response was monitored in gills and spleen in the presence and absence of hydrocortisone. Whereas most SGPV genes were induced from day 3 along with the interferon-regulated innate immune response in gills, the putative SGPV virulence genes of the B22R family were expressed already one day after SGPV exposure, indicating a potential role as early markers of SGPV infection. In gills of the hydrocortisone-injected fish infected with SGPV, MX expression was delayed until day 10, and then expression skyrocketed along with the viral peak, gill pathology and mortality occurring from day 14. A similar expression pattern was observed for Interferon gamma (IFNγ) and granzyme A (GzmA) in the gills, indicating a role of acute cytotoxic cell activity in SGPVD. Duplex in situ hybridization demonstrated effects of hydrocortisone on the number and localization of GzmA-containing cells, and colocalization with SGPV infected cells in the gill. SGPV was generally not detected in spleen, and gill infection did not induce any corresponding systemic immune activity in the absence of stress hormone injection. However, in fish injected with hydrocortisone, IFNγ and GzmA gene expression was induced in spleen in the days prior to acute mortality. These data indicate that suppressed mucosal immune response in the gills and the late triggered systemic immune response in the spleen following hormonal stress induction may be the key to the onset of clinical SGPVD.

Artificial propagation and embryonic growth in Stinging catfish, Heteropneustes fossilis (Bloch, 1794) using S-GnRHa (salmon gonadotropin releasing hormone analogue)

An experiment was performed to observe the potentiality of synthetic hormone analogue in artificial propagation i.e., the embryonic and larval development of Heteropneustes fossilis. Broodfish were injected with S-GnRHa according to the following concentration: 1, 2.5 and 5 ml kg-1 of body weight (BW) to females and 0.5, 1.125 and 2.5 ml kg-1 BW to males, in treatment groups T1, T2 and T3, respectively each with three replicates. The fishes were ovulated at about 10-11 hours after the hormone injection. Result showed the highest fertilization (83.11±1.36) and hatching rate (89.56±1.04) in T2, whereas ovulation rate was 100% in all treatment groups. First cleavage was observed in 30 minutes of post-fertilization. Embryonic developmental period sequentially for 2-cell, 4-cell, 8-cell, 16-cell, 32-cell, 64-cell, Morula, Blastula, Gastrula, somatic formation, yolk-plug, twisting movement and pre-hatching were 00:30, 00:45, 01:10, 01:30, 02:00, 02:30, 03:00, 04:00, 06:40, 09:00-18:00, 19:00, 20:00-21:00 and 22:00 hours, respectively. Hatching occurred after 23:00 hours of fertilization. Finally, the current result suggested that S-GnRHa might be an effective synthetic hormone in artificial propagation of H. fossilis.

Contraceptive Use: Patterns and Preferences among New Acceptors in Malaysia, 1990 to 2018

Family planning is one of the important aspects in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG's) in Goal 3 on Health and Goal 5 on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment. Family planning is the basic need and women’s right to pregnancy, to get optimal health. The use of contraceptive enables women to attain their desired number of children and determine the gap of pregnancies towards the improvement of the families’ well-being of. The aim of this paperisto describe the patterns and preferences of contraceptive use among new acceptors attending a family planning clinic at National Population and Family Development Board (NPFDB) in sixteenstates in Malaysia. The data analysis includes the new acceptors of contraception use among married women aged 15 to 49 years old, who attended a family planning clinic at NPFDB for the year 1990 to 2018. There are various types of contraceptive methods considered: contraceptive pills, Intrauterine Contraceptive Device (IUD), condom, hormone injection, implant, sterilization, rhythm and others. Results of the analysis show that contraceptive pills and sterilization have continued to be the most preferred contraceptive methods among new acceptors at NPFDB clinic, with decreasing pattern from 1990 to 2018.While the use of implant, hormone injection and condom has increased steadily since 2004. The state of Perak has the highest number of new acceptors in most years, whilethe federal territory of Labuan has the lowest number of acceptors in most years within 29 years from 1990 to 2018. In addition, the most popular contraceptive method among women for all states in Malaysia in most years from 1990 to 2018 is contraceptive pills, which is preferred in ten states: Kelantan (83%), Kuala Lumpur (72%), Labuan (40%), Negeri Sembilan (86%), Pahang (66%), Perlis (45%), Pulau Pinang (35%), Sabah (60%), Selangor (69%), and Terengganu (76%). While sterilization is the most popular in four states: Johor (62%), Kedah (59%), Melaka (52%), and Perak (66%). Finally, hormone injection is the most popular method in Putrajaya (100%), and condom is the most popular in Sarawak (40%).As a conclusion, this study has found that although the use of contraceptive pillsisdecreasing, it still becomes the most popular among new acceptors in most of the states in Malaysia since 1990. However, the decreasing pattern of new acceptors for all types of contraceptive methods becomes our concern. Future research should therefore,concentrate on the investigation of the reduction number of new acceptors at NPFDB clinic. This is important to make sure the demands of contraceptive can be met and NPFDB clinics couldprovide better services towards better quality of life and better families’ well-being.

Epileptic Spasms in an Infant with Incontinentia Pigmenti: Report of a Rare Case with Brief Review of the Literature

Incontinentia pigmenti (IP) or Bloch–Sulzberger’s disease is a rare neurocutaneous syndrome with dermatological, neurologic, and systemic manifestations including retinal, dental and hair abnormalities. It follows X-linked dominant inheritance and predominantly affects female children. The characteristic evolution of skin lesions in four stages is a hallmark diagnostic feature of the disease. The pigmented lesions of IP are usually distributed in linear streaks, macular whorls, reticulated patches, and flecks along the Blaschko lines. Neurologic morbidities are found in a considerable proportion of affected children, and the spectrum includes seizures, neuromotor impairment, microcephaly, developmental delay, and intellectual disability. Seizures are reported in 10% to 25% of children with IP in various previous clinical studies. The majority of these children had seizures in the neonatal period or early infancy, and focal–clonic seizure is the commonest observed semiology. However, there are only a few case reports of infants with IP with epileptic spasms. In this report, the clinical course of a 6-month-old girl with IP and epileptic spasms has been described, who responded favorably to treatment with adrenocorticotropic hormone injection. Clinicians managing children with IP should be aware of their predisposition to develop epileptic spasms and consider neuroimaging, electroencephalogram, and other investigations accordingly.

The Effects of The Oxytocin Hormone Induction on The Value of The Composition of Etawah Crossbred Goat Milk

This study aims to see the extent of influence of oxytocin hormone induction on the nutritional composition of milk in the Etawah Crossbred goat. This research was conducted in December 2018 in Syiah Kuala District, Banda Aceh, Indonesia. The examined parameters were the levels of fat, nonfat dry matter (BKTL), protein content, lactose content and milk density. The research used 18 Etawah goats and oxytocin hormone. A statistical unpaired t test indicated a highly significant influence (P <0.01) on the increase of milk fat injected with oxytocin hormone, i.e. 4.86% or 37.2% or higher than that without hormone injection. The milk density results showed a significant effect (P <0.05) on the decrease in goat milk density (28.81% ) which was lower by 10.65% from that without hormone treatment. The level of nonfat dry matter (BKTL), protein content and lactose content had no effect (P> 0.05) in milk, i.e. 8.39%, 3.91% and 3.76%, respectively. In conclusion, hormone oxytocin injection had a highly significant effect on increasing milk fat levels and significantly affected the decrease in milk density but did not affect the level of nonfat dry matter (BKTL), lactose and protein.

Perioperative Glucocorticoid Therapy for Patients with Adrenal Insufficiency: Dosing Based on Pharmacokinetic Data

Background Perioperative glucocorticoid therapy for patients with adrenal insufficiency (AI) is currently based on anecdotal reports, without supporting pharmacokinetic data. Methods We determined the half-life, clearance, and volume of distribution of 2 consecutive intravenously (IV)-administered doses of hydrocortisone (15 or 25 mg every 6 hours) to 22 dexamethasone-suppressed healthy individuals and used the data to develop a novel protocol to treat 68 patients with AI who required surgical procedures. Patients received 20 mg of hydrocortisone orally 2 to 4 hours before intubation and were started on 25 mg of IV hydrocortisone every 6 hours for 24 hours and 15 mg every 6 hours during the second day. Nadir cortisol concentrations were repeatedly measured during that period. Results In healthy individuals, cortisol half-life was longer when the higher hydrocortisone dose was administered (2.02 ± 0.15 vs 1.81 ± 0.11 hours; P &lt; 0.01), and in patients with AI, the half-life was longer than in healthy individuals given the same hydrocortisone dose. In both populations, the cortisol half-life increased further with the second hormone injection. Prolongation of cortisol half-life was due to decreased hydrocortisone clearance and an increase in its volume of distribution. Nadir cortisol levels determined throughout the 48 postoperative hours were within the range of values and often exceeded those observed perioperatively in patients without adrenal dysfunction. Conclusions Cortisol pharmacokinetics are altered in the postoperative period and indicate that lower doses of hydrocortisone can be safely administered to patients with AI undergoing major surgery. The findings of this investigation call into question the current practice of administering excessive glucocorticoid supplementation during stress.