Electroacupuncture analgesia in dogs: is there a difference between uni- and bi-lateral stimulation?

Objective To compare the analgesic effect of uni- and bi-lateral electroacupuncture (EA) in response to thermal and mechanical nociceptive stimuli and to investigate the cardiorespiratory, endocrine, and behavioral changes in dogs submitted to EA.Study design Prospective, randomized cross-over experimental study.Animals Eight adult, clinically healthy, cross-breed dogs, weighing 13 +/- 4 kg.Methods Dogs underwent electrostimulation at false acupoints (T-false); bilateral EA at acupoints, stomach 36, gall bladder 34 and spleen 6 (T-EA/bil); unilateral EA at the same points (T-EA/uni) or were untreated (T-control). All animals received acepromazine (0.05 mg kg(-1)) IV; and heart rate, pulse oximetry, indirect arterial blood pressure, respiratory rate, PECO2, rectal temperature, and plasma cortisol concentration were measured before, during, and after EA. Analgesia was tested using thoracic and abdominal cutaneous thermal and mechanical stimuli, and an interdigital thermal stimulus. Behavior was classified as calm or restless. Analysis of variance for repeated measures followed by Tukey's test was used for analysis of the data.Results There were no cardiorespiratory differences among the treatments. The cutaneous pain threshold was higher after EA, compared with false points. The latency period was shorter and analgesia was more intense in T-EA/bil than T-EA/uni, when both were compared with T-false and T-control. Six out of eight animals treated with EA were calm during treatment, and 5/8 and 4/8 of the T-false and T-control animals, respectively, were restless. Latency to interdigital thermal stimulation increased in T-EA/bil compared with the others. There was no difference in plasma cortisol concentrations among the treatments.Conclusions Bilateral EA produced a shorter latency period, a greater intensity, and longer duration of analgesia than unilateral stimulation, without stimulating a stress response.Clinical relevance Bilateral EA produces a better analgesic effect than unilateral EA.

Avaliação da produção de leite e contagem de células somáticas em bovinos leiteiros suplementads com Saccharomyces cerevisiae como fonte de zinco orgânico

The aim of the evaluation of milk production and somatic cell count of dairy cow supplemented with Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a source of organic zinc for 180 days, 25 Holstein cows were selected, randomly chosen from a flock of 189 lactating cows. The animals were distributed in two groups, namely group 1 (G1) which holded 10 cows supplemented and group 2 (G2) with 15 animals without supplementation. The production of milk was measured by the control official milkman of the Assocition Paranaense of Creators of Bovine of the Holstein in seven moments during the 180 days. The samples of milk were collected of each animal, being submitted to the electronic counting of somatic cells. The results demonstrate that the supplemented of organic zinc didn't alter the production of milk, however it was capable to maintain low the counting of somatic cells. The data of the present work suggest that to use supplemented of organic zinc in the diet of cows milk, increase the quality of the produced milk and consequently the remuneration for the producer.

Detecção imunoistoquímica de receptores de estrógeno e progesterona no endométrio de vacas Nelore (Bos taurus indicus) durante o anestro pós-parto

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