The influence of dietary vitamin C and E supplementation on the physiological response of pirarucu, Arapaima gigas, in net culture

This study evaluated the efficacy of dietary vitamin C (ascorbic acid or AA), vitamin E (α-tocopherol or α-T), and C + E supplementation on the blood parameters of Arapaima gigas grown in net cages for 45 days. Four treatments were tested: control (commercial feed); C800; E500 and C + E (800 + 500) with supplementation of 800 mg AA kg- 1, 500 mg α-T kg- 1 and 800 + 500 mg AA + α-T kg- 1, respectively. Hematocrit (Ht), red blood cells (RBC), and hemoglobin concentration (Hb) (oxidative status indicators), thrombocytes and leukocytes (immunological indicators), plasma protein and glucose were evaluated. Fish fed vitamin C and C + E supplemented diets showed greater weight gain and survival. Dietary vitamin C and C + E diet supplementation resulted in increased Ht, Hb, RBC, MCHC, total leukocytes, total proteins, thrombocytes and eosinophils compared to the control and α-T. The α-tocopherol-supplemented diet reduced the number of total thrombocytes, lymphocytes and neutrophils and increased glucose and eosinophils relatively to the control. In general, leukocytes and thrombocytes were good indicators of the efficiency of vitamin on the defense mechanism of the A. gigas reared in cages. Results indicate that high α-T diet supplementation provides no benefit for the maintenance of the oxidative or the immunological status of A. gigas. However, it was demonstrated that high dietary AA improves A. gigas immunological status. Red blood cell indices and immune system indicators showed no synergistic effect between the vitamins after supplementing the A. gigas diet with α-T + AA. © 2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Levedura íntegra e derivados do seu processamento em rações para tilápia do Nilo: Aspectos hematológicos e histológicos

The effects of inclusion of whole yeast, autolyzed yeast and yeast cell wall on hematological parameters and gut villus perimeter were evaluated in juvenile Nile tilapia, after 80 experimental days. Isoproteic (32.0% DP) and isoenergetic (3200 kcal DE kg -1) practical diets were supplemented with three levels of whole yeast or autolyzed yeast (1.0, 2.0 and 3.0%) and three levels of yeast cell wall (0.1, 0.2 and 0.3%), plus a control diet (with no test microingredients). Red blood cell count, hemoglobin concentration, total plasmatic protein, hematocrit percentage, mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration and gut villus perimeter were evaluated. Variations on hematological parameters in animals fed diets with whole yeast; autolyzed yeast and yeast cell wall were observed to be within normal ranges for this species. There was significant influence (p<0.05) of different levels of yeast and derivatives on intestinal villus perimeter. Results showed that experimental period and proposed levels of whole yeast, autolyzed yeast and yeast cell wall do not provide undesirable alterations on standard hematological parameters to Nile tilapia and can be safely used to compound diets for this species. Results also showed that supplement of yeast cell wall provide higher intestinal villus perimeter.

Hemoglobin polymorphism and hematological profile of Geoffroy's side-necked turtle (Phrynops geoffroanus, Testudines) in the northwestern region of São Paulo State, Brazil

Complete blood counts and hemoglobin isoform data were gathered from 36 specimens of the turtle species Phrynops geoffroanus from the northwestern region of São Paulo State, Brazil. They were collected in an urban area. The hemoglobin profiles were obtained after red blood cell lysis and by electrophoretic migration in alkaline pH, acid pH, and neutral pH buffer. The hemoglobin components were confirmed using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Erythrogram analysis included hematocrit, total hemoglobin concentration, total red blood cell count, and red blood cell indices. The leukogram included a total white blood cell count and a calculation of the percent values of neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, basophils, eosinophils, heterophils, and azurophils. HPLC analysis revealed three hemoglobin components; the first with a concentration of 5.5%, the second was a major component with an average concentration of 67.1%, and the third with a concentration of 28.5%. The hematological profile obtained for these specimens allowed us to establish a pattern for P. geoffroanus in São Paulo State Northwestern region. The average hematocrit values were 22.5% for females and 24.0% for males. For total hemoglobin, we found average values of 6.66 g/dL in females and 7.22 g/dL in males. The number of white blood cells was 2725 x 103/μL for females and 2775 x 103/μL for males. There was a predominance of heterophils, eosinophils, and monocytes in both sexes. No significant differences were found between males and females for hematological profile. The hematological results were compared to literature data for other Chelonia. They were similar to what is known for fresh water turtles. © FUNPEC-RP.

Avaliação clínica, endoscópica e citologica da hemorragia pulmonar induzida por exercício(EIPH) em cavalos da raça quarto de milha

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Associação entre estado nutricional e doença periodontal crônica

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Hematological parameters and phagocytic activity in fat snook (Centropomus parallelus) bred in captivity

The objective of this work was to determine the hematological parameters and the phagocytic capacity of peritoneal macrophages of fat snook related to sex, stage of gonadal maturation and seasonal cycle. Blood was collected from 135 animals (78 females and 57 males) and used for determinations of: erythrocyte number, hematocrit, hemoglobin, erythrocyte indices mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), total and differential leukocyte counts, and thrombocyte count. The phagocytic capacity and phagocytic index were determined after Saccharomyces cerevisiae inoculation in the peritoneal cavity of the animals. The hematological results according to sex showed that the erythrocyte, total leukocyte and thrombocyte counts were statistically higher in males than females, with the latter showing a higher MCV. Concerning to erythrocyte count, hematocrit and hemoglobin concentration analyzed separately by sex and stage of gonadal maturation, males were found to have significantly elevated values in the mature stage and decreased levels in the resting stage. The results of the erythrocyte and leukocyte series, thrombocytes and phagocytic activity related to seasonal cycle showed significant differences in both sexes, where hematocrit and hemoglobin concentration were lower in winter and higher in the other seasons, mean corpuscular volume was higher in the summer and lower in the winter and fall, total leukocytes and thrombocytes lower in the spring and higher in the fall, lymphocytes low in the winter and summer and high in the spring and phagocytic capacity and phagocytic index high in the summer and low in the winter and fall. The results showed that the hematological values in males are statistically higher than those in females, the erythrocyte values in males increase with the progression of gonadal maturation and that winter is the season of the year least favorable for hematological and phagocytic responses for survival of fat snook kept in captivity. The parameters studied could be utilized in the evaluation of the health status of this species in captivity. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hematology and productive performance of nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) naturally infected with Flavobacterium columnare

Columnaris disease is one of the main causes of mortality in tilapia rearing and is responsible for large economic losses worldwide. Hematology is a tool that makes it possible to study organisms' physiological responses to pathogens. It may assist in making diagnoses and prognoses on diseases in fish populations. The hematological variables of nile tilapia were studied in specimens with a clinical diagnosis of columnaris disease and in specimens that were disease-free. The total erythrocyte count, hemoglobin rate, hematocrit percentage, mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), organic defense blood cell percentages (leukocytes and thrombocytes) and hepatosomatic and splenosomatic index were determined. The results showed that there were changes in the erythrocytic series and in organic defense blood cells, in the fish infected with the bacterium, with reductions in erythrocytic variables and significant increases in the numbers of circulating lymphocytes and neutrophils.

Sequence variants in three loci influence monocyte counts and erythrocyte volume

Blood cells participate in vital physiological processes, and their numbers are tightly regulated so that homeostasis is maintained. Disruption of key regulatory mechanisms underlies many blood-related Mendelian diseases but also contributes to more common disorders, including atherosclerosis. We searched for quantitative trait loci (QTL) for hematology traits through a whole-genome association study, because these could provide new insights into both hemopoeitic and disease mechanisms. We tested 1.8 million variants for association with 13 hematology traits measured in 6015 individuals from the Australian and Dutch populations. These traits included hemoglobin composition, platelet counts, and red blood cell and white blood cell indices. We identified three regions of strong association that, to our knowledge, have not been previously reported in the literature. The first was located in an intergenic region of chromosome 9q31 near LPAR1, explaining 1.5% of the variation in monocyte counts (best SNP rs7023923, p=8.9x10(-14)). The second locus was located on chromosome 6p21 and associated with mean cell erythrocyte volume (rs12661667, p=1.2x10(-9), 0.7% variance explained) in a region that spanned five genes, including CCND3, a member of the D-cyclin gene family that is involved in hematopoietic stem cell expansion. The third region was also associated with erythrocyte volume and was located in an intergenic region on chromosome 6q24 (rs592423, p=5.3x10(-9), 0.6% variance explained). All three loci replicated in an independent panel of 1543 individuals (p values=0.001, 9.9x10(-5), and 7x10(-5), respectively). The identification of these QTL provides new opportunities for furthering our understanding of the mechanisms regulating hemopoietic cell fate.

Effects of erythropoietin on erythrocyte deformability in non-transfused preterm infants

AIM: Suppression of erythropoiesis due to low plasma erythropoietin levels is an important factor in the development of anaemia of prematurity. Premature infants may therefore be treated with recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEPO). This prospective, randomised and controlled study was designed to find out whether rhEPO treatment improves erythrocyte deformability in preterm infants. METHODS: Sixteen infants were treated with rhEPO (250 IU/kg three times weekly) a total of 15 times beginning on day of life 5 whereas fifteen infants served as controls. Haemoglobin concentration, haematocrit, reticulocyte count, ferritin level and erythrocyte deformability were measured on days 5, 14, 28, 42 and 63. Erythrocyte elongation was determined as an indicator of erythrocyte deformability using a shear stress diffractometer (Rheodyn SSD) at shear forces of 0.3 to 60 Pa. RESULTS: Haemoglobin concentration was significantly higher on days 28 and 42 and reticulocyte percentage on day 28 in the rhEPO group compared to the controls. Serum ferritin was lower in the rhEPO group on day 28. Erythrocyte deformability was significantly increased on days 28 and 42 in the infants receiving rhEPO. We found a strong relationship between erythrocyte elongation and reticulocyte count. CONCLUSION: RhEPO markedly increases the erythropoiesis in preterm infants in the critical first weeks of life and the anaemia of prematurity is obviously reduced. The erythrocyte deformability improved under rhEPO treatment. Erythrocyte deformability was significantly related to the reticulocyte count indicating that the improvement of erythrocyte deformability was due to the formation of well-deformable young erythrocytes.

Differences in the performance of safety performance functions estimated for total crash count and for crash count by crash type

In recent years the development and use of crash prediction models for roadway safety analyses have received substantial attention. These models, also known as safety performance functions (SPFs), relate the expected crash frequency of roadway elements (intersections, road segments, on-ramps) to traffic volumes and other geometric and operational characteristics. A commonly practiced approach for applying intersection SPFs is to assume that crash types occur in fixed proportions (e.g., rear-end crashes make up 20% of crashes, angle crashes 35%, and so forth) and then apply these fixed proportions to crash totals to estimate crash frequencies by type. As demonstrated in this paper, such a practice makes questionable assumptions and results in considerable error in estimating crash proportions. Through the use of rudimentary SPFs based solely on the annual average daily traffic (AADT) of major and minor roads, the homogeneity-in-proportions assumption is shown not to hold across AADT, because crash proportions vary as a function of both major and minor road AADT. For example, with minor road AADT of 400 vehicles per day, the proportion of intersecting-direction crashes decreases from about 50% with 2,000 major road AADT to about 15% with 82,000 AADT. Same-direction crashes increase from about 15% to 55% for the same comparison. The homogeneity-in-proportions assumption should be abandoned, and crash type models should be used to predict crash frequency by crash type. SPFs that use additional geometric variables would only exacerbate the problem quantified here. Comparison of models for different crash types using additional geometric variables remains the subject of future research.

Using data mining to predict road crash count with a focus on skid resistance values

Road crashes cost world and Australian society a significant proportion of GDP, affecting productivity and causing significant suffering for communities and individuals. This paper presents a case study that generates data mining models that contribute to understanding of road crashes by allowing examination of the role of skid resistance (F60) and other road attributes in road crashes. Predictive data mining algorithms, primarily regression trees, were used to produce road segment crash count models from the road and traffic attributes of crash scenarios. The rules derived from the regression trees provide evidence of the significance of road attributes in contributing to crash, with a focus on the evaluation of skid resistance.