scholarly journals Morphological characteristics of hair cuticle of clinically healthy domestic cats and dogs

2020 ◽  
pp. 90-95
Author(s):  
O. P. Tymoshenko ◽  
◽  
O. S. Snopenko ◽  
G. A. Papeta ◽  
G. V. Vikulina ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Root Zone ◽  
Clinical Signs ◽  
Morphological Characteristics ◽  
Paint Layer ◽  
Hair Shaft ◽  
Glass Slide ◽  
Domestic Cats ◽  
Hair Samples ◽  
Animal Hair ◽  
Index Value

It is known that the typical for animals of different species the nature of the serrations of the free edges of the scales of the hair cuticle, the density of their location and proximity to each other can determine the species of animal hair samples. The aim of the study was to establish the value of the cuticular index in clinically healthy domestic cats and dogs. The area of the outer surface of the scales of the hair cuticle, or cuticular index, was determined in 20 clinically healthy domestic cats and 18 dogs. Examination of the cuticle was performed using prints on a colorless lacquer, which was applied to a glass slide, pressing the hair to the paint layer. The imprint was examined under a microscope (enlargement ×400) and the cuticular index value was established in the root zone, in the thickest part of the hair shaft, expressed in μM2. It was found that in domestic cats and dogs without clinical signs of any pathology, the values of the cuticular index are in the range of 80-170 and 100-210 μM2accordingly. The value of the cuticular index in domestic cats 60-70 μM2 and in dogs 60-90 μM2in 100 % accidents does not meet in healthy animals. The obtained results can be used as a control during diagnostic activities for numerous variants of internal pathology of domestic cats and dogs, as additional diagnostic tests.

scholarly journals Diagnostic value of "cuticular index" measuring in dogs with liver and kidney pathology

2021 ◽  
pp. 78-84
Author(s):  
O. P. Timoshenko ◽  
◽  
O. S. Snopenko ◽  
D. V. Kibkalo ◽  
M. I. Korenev ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Differential Diagnosis ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
Root Zone ◽  
Diagnostic Value ◽  
Hair Shaft ◽  
Laboratory Studies ◽  
Hair Samples ◽  
Liver And Kidney ◽  
Biochemical Research ◽  
Definition Of

Сondition of hair reflects changes in metabolism in animals and humans in relatively long period of time. Thus, the study of hair of domestic dogs with different variants of pathology, in particular nephropathy and polyorgan pathology of liver and kidney is relevant and appropriate in terms of differential diagnosis and establishment of little-known links in the pathogenesis of diseases of these organs. The aim of this study was to establish the diagnostic meaning of «cuticular index» of sick dogs. The object of the study was 60 dogs with confirmed diagnoses. The animals were examined by general clinical methods (temperature, pulse, and respiratory rate were determined) and blood was taken from the jugular vein for biochemical research. Hair samples were obtained and the «cuticular index» was determined. Examination of the cuticle was performed using prints on a colorless varnish, which was applied to a glass slide, pressing the hair to the varnish layer. Then, when the varnish hardened, the hair was removed by the edge from the peripheral end. The impression was studied under a microscope (in. x 400) and set the value of «cuticular index» in the root zone, in the thickest part of the hair shaft, expressed in μm2. Based on the results obtained during clinical and laboratory studies, we have formed groups of sick dogs, which became the basis for studying the dynamics of the «cuticular index» (CI). It was found that in different variants of nephropathy and in the development of hepatic-renal and renal-hepatic syndromes in dogs, significant structural changes occur in the liver and kidney, which correspond to violations of metabolic processes determined by the results of clinical microscopic and biochemical blood tests, as well as changes in the area of the outer surface of the cells of hair cuticle, which we have defined as the «cuticular index». The method of determining the «cuticular index» can be used in differential diagnosis of kidney and liver pathology in combination with clinical, instrumental and laboratory studies, as well as for dispensary examination of animals. The article provides examples of various variants of pathology with the definition of «cuticular index»

Human-hair analysis

1992 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
pp. 886-887
Author(s):  
Brenda E. Lambert ◽  
Ernest C. Hammond
Keyword(s):  
Human Hair ◽  
Hair Analysis ◽  
Hair Shaft ◽  
White Female ◽  
Chemical Processing ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Hair Samples ◽  
Wave Technique ◽  
Permanent Wave ◽  
Scanning Electron

The purpose of this study was to examine the external structure of four human hair shaft samples with the scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and to obtain information regarding the chemical composition of hair by using the attached x ray microanalysis unit.The hair samples were obtained from two female subjects. Sample A was taken from a black female and had not undergone any type of chemical processing. Sample B, C, D were taken from a white female, and were natural, processed, and unpigmented, i.e. “gray”, respectively. Sample C had been bleached, tinted, and chemically altered using a permanent wave technique.

scholarly journals High occurrence of felid alphaherpesvirus 1 and feline calicivirus in domestic cats from southern Brazil

2020 ◽  
Vol 40 (9) ◽  
pp. 685-689
Author(s):  
Alice S. Becker ◽  
Francielle Liz Monteiro ◽  
Ana Carolina A. Scariot ◽  
Domitila B. Chagas ◽  
Geferson Fischer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Detection ◽  
Clinical Signs ◽  
Feline Calicivirus ◽  
Ocular Injury ◽  
Frequency Of Occurrence ◽  
Southern Brazil ◽  
Domestic Cats ◽  
Oral Swab ◽  
Viral Isolation ◽  
High Occurrence

ABSTRACT: Felid alphaherpesvirus 1 (FeHV-1) and feline calicivirus (FCV) affect cats worldwide. The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency of occurrence of FeHV-1 and FCV in cats with clinical signs of respiratory, oral and/or ocular disease. Samples were collected from cats cared for in veterinary ambulatory and clinics and submitted to molecular detection and viral isolation. Of the 49 cats evaluated, 45 (92%) were positive for at least one of the viruses; 82% (40/49) were positive for FeHV-1 and 41% (20/49) for FCV. Of these, 31% (15/49) were coinfection cases. For FeHV-1, 45% (18/40) of the cats tested were positive from the collection of eye swab, and the same percentage (9/20) was obtained for the FCV by the oral swab. FeHV-1 and/or FCV were isolated in 35% (17/49) of the samples. The main clinical sign observed was ocular secretion in 71% (35/49) of cats, characterized as mild serous, purulent or serosanguineous, and in some cases associated with ocular injury and marked chemosis. Our findings demonstrate the high occurrence of FeHV-1 and FCV in domestic cats in southern Brazil and indicate that measures should be implemented to improve the diagnostic, prevention and management against of these important diseases.

scholarly journals Sex determining of cat embryo and some feline species

Zygote ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 169-177 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesca Ciani ◽  
Natascia Cocchia ◽  
Maria Rizzo ◽  
Patrizia Ponzio ◽  
Gennaro Tortora ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nested Pcr ◽  
Positive Control ◽  
Domestic Cat ◽  
Preimplantation Embryos ◽  
Pcr Analysis ◽  
Domestic Cats ◽  
Hair Samples ◽  
Wild Felids

SummarySex identification in mammalian preimplantation embryos is a technique that is used currently for development of the embryo transfer industry for zootechnical animals and is, therefore, a resource for biodiversity preservation. The aim of the present study was to establish a rapid and reliable method for the sexing of preimplantation embryos in domestic cats. Here we describe the use of nested PCR identify Y chromosome-linked markers when starting from small amounts of DNA and test the method for the purpose of sexing different species of wild felids. To evaluate the efficiency of the primers, PCR analysis were performed first in blood samples of sex-known domestic cats. Cat embryos were produced both in vitro and in vivo and the blastocysts were biopsied. A Magnetic Resin System was used to capture a consistent amount of DNA from embryo biopsy and wild felid hairs. The results from nested PCR applied on cat blood that corresponded to the phenotypical sex. Nested PCR was also applied to 37 embryo biopsies and the final result was: 21 males and 16 females. Furthermore, β-actin was amplified in each sample, as a positive control for DNA presence. Subsequently, nested PCR was performed on blood and hair samples from some wild felines and again the genotyping results and phenotype sex corresponded. The data show that this method is a rapid and repeatable option for sex determination in domestic cat embryos and some wild felids and that a small amount of cells is sufficient to obtain a reliable result. This technique, therefore, affords investigators a new approach that they can insert in the safeguard programmes of felida biodiversity.

The Hair Scale Identification Guide to Terrestrial Carnivores of Canada

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justin Kestler
Keyword(s):  
Species Identification ◽  
Polar Bear ◽  
Keystone Species ◽  
Wildlife Monitoring ◽  
Least Weasel ◽  
Mustela Nivalis ◽  
Identification Guide ◽  
Hair Samples ◽  
Mammalian Predators ◽  
Animal Hair

Mammalian predators are keystone species in any ecosystem. But many are elusive by nature and have territories that cover large areas of land, which makes them challenging to monitor. When tracks and signs prove difficult to interpret or are non-existent, hair samples recovered from the field offer a fantastic resource – one that is often overlooked. The Hair Scale Identification Guide to Terrestrial Mammalian Carnivores of Canada provides a fully illustrated, up-to-date hair scale reference for all 25 of the terrestrial carnivorous mammals of Canada. From the tiny least weasel (Mustela nivalis) to the giant polar bear (Ursus maritimus), unique traits – as well as tricky similarities – can clearly be observed through hair scale patterns magnified at the medial portion of the hair impression. These scale patterns aid in species identification when hair is the only possible evidence available. This guide also outlines hair impression techniques for samples found in the field, assisting ecologists and technicians with wildlife monitoring studies on predatory mammals where additional identification is required. Including range maps and key identification characteristics for all species represented, as well as superb images of hair scale impressions at two magnification levels, this book is a comprehensive tool for animal hair ID.

Cocaine Hydroxy Metabolites in Hair: Indicators for Cocaine Use Versus External Contamination☆

2019 ◽  
Vol 43 (7) ◽  
pp. 543-552 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clementine Scholz ◽  
Boris B Quednow ◽  
Marcus Herdener ◽  
Thomas Kraemer ◽  
Markus R Baumgartner
Keyword(s):  
Statistical Evaluation ◽  
Hair Analysis ◽  
Roc Curves ◽  
Hair Shaft ◽  
Drug Consumption ◽  
Cocaine Use ◽  
External Contamination ◽  
Hair Samples ◽  
Hydroxy Metabolites

Abstract Given that external contamination must be considered in hair analysis, there is still a demand for reliable tools to differentiate between incorporation of drugs into the hair as a result of drug consumption and of the hair shaft by external contamination. With the aim of establishing alternative discrimination parameters, some of the hydroxy metabolites of cocaine i.e., para- and meta-hydroxycocaine and para- and meta-hydroxybenzoylecgonine were measured together with cocaine, benzoylecgonine, cocaethylene, and norcocaine in five seized street cocaine samples and in hair samples from different cohorts: cohort 1 (in vivo external contamination study, n = 28), cohort 2 (individuals with self-reported cocaine use, n = 92), and cohort 3 (individuals with suspected cocaine use or contamination, n = 198). Statistical evaluation of the data of cohort 1 and 2 using ROC curves yielded metabolic ratios indicating cocaine use. Based on these results, a decision workflow was established for the discrimination between cocaine use and external contamination. The power of this approach was finally statistically validated across the different cohorts.

scholarly journals Survey of lungworm infection of domestic cats in Hungary

2019 ◽  
Vol 67 (3) ◽  
pp. 407-417 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sára Kiszely ◽  
Mónika Gyurkovszky ◽  
Norbert Solymosi ◽  
Róbert Farkas
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Signs ◽  
Morphological Identification ◽  
Domestic Cats ◽  
Aelurostrongylus Abstrusus ◽  
Respiratory Disorders ◽  
First Instar ◽  
Faecal Samples ◽  
First Time ◽  
Apparently Healthy

From 61 settlements of 12 Hungarian counties, 303 domestic cats were included in this survey. Between autumn 2016 and spring 2018, fresh faecal samples were randomly collected and examined by flotation and by the Baermann–Wetzel method for the presence of lungworm infection. No eggs of Eucoleus aerophilus were detected. Morphological identification of first instar larvae (L1) was also carried out. In the faeces of 60 cats (19.8%) from 17 settlements and Budapest, L1 of Aelurostrongylus abstrusus were found. More than half of the cats were from the western part of the country. The average number of larvae per gram of faeces was 190.2 ± 304.88. These results are in line with the former findings on the prevalence of aelurostrongylosis of domestic cats in Hungary. In addition, Oslerus rostratus was also found for the first time in the faecal samples of three cats from the eastern part of the country, infected also with Ae. abstrusus. The average age (2.51 ± 1.26 years) of infected cats indicates that lungworm infection is more common among younger cats. No relationship was found between the lung-worm infection and the sex of cats. Non-neutered cats had a significantly higher proportion of lungworm infections. Two-thirds of the infected cats were apparently healthy, and only 19 individuals showed clinical signs of respiratory disorders.

scholarly journals Bovine herpesvirus 4 DNA is not detected in free-ranging domestic cats from California, Colorado or Florida

2016 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 235-239 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elliott Chiu ◽  
Ryan M Troyer ◽  
Michael R Lappin ◽  
Sue VandeWoude
Keyword(s):  
Urinary Tract ◽  
Natural Infection ◽  
Clinical Signs ◽  
Bovine Herpesvirus ◽  
Domestic Cat ◽  
Domestic Cats ◽  
High Exposure ◽  
Bovine Herpesvirus 4 ◽  
Herpesvirus 4 ◽  
Free Ranging

Objectives Several studies have reported that domestic cats can be naturally infected with bovine herpesvirus 4 (BHV4). Cats experimentally inoculated with BHV4 developed clinical signs involving the urinary tract, leading to the hypothesis that natural infection with BHV4 may be associated with feline lower urinary tract diseases. However, the question of whether BHV4 infection is common in cats remains equivocal. In this study, we sought to determine whether BHV4 is a common natural infection of domestic cats in the USA. Methods We used a sensitive nested PCR protocol specific to the BHV4 thymidine kinase gene to screen free-ranging domestic cat blood DNA samples (n = 101) collected from California, Colorado and Florida. Results Cats within this cohort were positive for seven other common pathogens of domestic cats, demonstrating the relatively high exposure of this population to endemic feline infections. In contrast, all domestic cat blood samples were negative for BHV4, while BHV4-containing tissue culture extracts were strongly positive. Conclusions and relevance BHV4 has been detected in tissues of latently infected cattle, though viral DNA is typically also detected in peripheral blood cells throughout infection. Our results suggest that persistent presence of BHV4 DNA in the blood of domestic cats is either rare or non-existent. We thus conclude that BHV4 is unlikely to be a major pathogen of cats.

scholarly journals Pathogenesis, transmission and response to re-exposure of SARS-CoV-2 in domestic cats

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angela M. Bosco-Lauth ◽  
Airn E. Hartwig ◽  
Stephanie M. Porter ◽  
Paul W. Gordy ◽  
Mary Nehring ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Antibody Response ◽  
Acute Infection ◽  
Clinical Signs ◽  
Neutralizing Antibody ◽  
Domestic Cats ◽  
Vaccine Strategy ◽  
Animal Reservoir ◽  
Viral Shedding ◽  
Contact Transmission ◽  
Infection Resistance

AbstractThe pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 has reached nearly every country in the world with extraordinary person-to-person transmission. The most likely original source of the virus was spillover from an animal reservoir and subsequent adaptation to humans sometime during the winter of 2019 in Wuhan Province, China. Because of its genetic similarity to SARS-CoV-1, it is likely that this novel virus has a similar host range and receptor specificity. Due to concern for human-pet transmission, we investigated the susceptibility of domestic cats and dogs to infection and potential for infected cats to transmit to naïve cats. We report that cats are highly susceptible to subclinical infection, with a prolonged period of oral and nasal viral shedding that is not accompanied by clinical signs, and are capable of direct contact transmission to other cats. These studies confirm that cats are susceptible to productive SARS-CoV-2 infection, but are unlikely to develop clinical disease. Further, we document that cats develop a robust neutralizing antibody response that prevented re-infection to a second viral challenge. Conversely, we found that dogs do not shed virus following infection, but do mount an anti-viral neutralizing antibody response. There is currently no evidence that cats or dogs play a significant role in human exposure; however, reverse zoonosis is possible if infected owners expose their domestic pets during acute infection. Resistance to re-exposure holds promise that a vaccine strategy may protect cats, and by extension humans, to disease susceptibility.

scholarly journals Multi-omics analysis to decipher the molecular link between chronic exposure to pollution and human skin dysfunction

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Namita Misra ◽  
Cécile Clavaud ◽  
Florent Guinot ◽  
Nasrine Bourokba ◽  
Stephanie Nouveau ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons ◽  
Aromatic Hydrocarbons ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Skin Pigmentation ◽  
Clinical Signs ◽  
Skin Microbiome ◽  
Hair Samples ◽  
Two Cities ◽  
Polycyclic Aromatic ◽  
Pollution Exposure

AbstractEnvironmental pollution is composed of several factors, namely particulate matter (PM2.5, PM10), ozone and Ultra Violet (UV) rays among others and first and the most exposed tissue to these substances is the skin epidermis. It has been established that several skin disorders such as eczema, acne, lentigines and wrinkles are aggravated by exposure to atmospheric pollution. While pollutants can interact with skin surface, contamination of deep skin by ultrafine particles or Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) might be explained by their presence in blood and hair cortex. Molecular mechanisms leading to skin dysfunction due to pollution exposure have been poorly explored in humans. In addition to various host skin components, cutaneous microbiome is another target of these environment aggressors and can actively contribute to visible clinical manifestation such as wrinkles and aging. The present study aimed to investigate the association between pollution exposure, skin microbiota, metabolites and skin clinical signs in women from two cities with different pollution levels. Untargeted metabolomics and targeted proteins were analyzed from D-Squame samples from healthy women (n = 67 per city), aged 25–45 years and living for at least 15 years in the Chinese cities of Baoding (used as a model of polluted area) and Dalian (control area with lower level of pollution). Additional samples by swabs were collected from the cheeks from the same population and microbiome was analysed using bacterial 16S rRNA as well as fungal ITS1 amplicon sequencing and metagenomics analysis. The level of exposure to pollution was assessed individually by the analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and their metabolites in hair samples collected from each participant. All the participants of the study were assessed for the skin clinical parameters (acne, wrinkles, pigmented spots etc.). Women from the two cities (polluted and less polluted) showed distinct metabolic profiles and alterations in skin microbiome. Profiling data from 350 identified metabolites, 143 microbes and 39 PAH served to characterize biochemical events that correlate with pollution exposure. Finally, using multiblock data analysis methods, we obtained a potential molecular map consisting of multi-omics signatures that correlated with the presence of skin pigmentation dysfunction in individuals living in a polluted environment. Overall, these signatures point towards macromolecular alterations by pollution that could manifest as clinical sign of early skin pigmentation and/or other imperfections.

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