Physical examination of the reproductive organs of range beef bulls in Mozambique

Physical examinations were performed on 3991 bulls reared in subtropical (75%) and tropical (25%) Mozambique. A culling rate of 16.3% (651 sires) was found. The range of culling rate between farms varied from 3 to 44%. The main culling reasons were a) epididymitis, b) atrophy and/or hypoplasia, and c) testicular fibrosis (contributing to 30.4, 20.9, and 15.2%, respectively, of the culled bulls). Epididymitis-vaginitis (epivag) syndrome was considered the main reason for the high incidence of epididymitis and testicular fibrosis. A highly significant difference (P<0.001) in culling rate for Simmental (37.7%) and Brahman (13.1%) bulls was found. A more comprehensive investigation of culling rate of different breeds used in the country is needed, as well as a program for controlling epivag in the more affected areas. Examining the reproductive organs of the beef bulls in Mozambique before the breeding season is very important to improve fertility in the beef herds.     

Chronic epididymitis: a practical approach to understanding and managing a difficult urologic enigma

Many patients with unilateral or bilateral testicular, epididymal, or scrotal pain as their sole presenting symptom receive a diagnosis of "chronic epididymitis." This common clinical entity is diagnosed and treated by practicing urologists but essentially ignored by academic urologists. This article defines chronic epididymitis, reviews current knowledge regarding its etiology, and describes appropriate physical examination and clinical testing for patients with the condition. The recently developed Chronic Epididymitis Symptom Index is presented, which can be used for baseline evaluation and follow-up of patients with chronic epididymitis, both in clinical practice and in research treatment trials. Treatment options, from watchful waiting to medical therapy to epididymectomy, are reviewed.     

单纯稳恒强磁铁块外贴治疗附睾炎症性结节280 例的临床研究

目的:观察稳恒强磁外贴治疗附睾慢性炎症性结节、囊肿的效果,寻找非药物治疗附睾慢性炎症性结节、囊肿的方法.方法:园形强磁铁2块(直径2cm厚0.5cm,2块叠加厚度达1厘米)分别在内裤内外各一块作为固定,内裤向上提使磁块贴附附睾慢性炎症性结节、囊肿位置.在不影响工作生活的情况下持续粘贴,不能持续者则改用每天晚上睡觉时粘贴.结果:280例经彩超检测为附睾炎症性肿大结节、囊肿病人,持续外贴治疗24小时至72小时后,280例病人会阴及下腹部不适、痛疼症状均明显缓解;持续外贴治疗1周症状消失的有145例,症状基本消失的有35例;持续2-3周则症状全部消失.附睾增大变硬者经2周治疗局部触诊变软缩小,彩超提示结节变小.217例结节、囊肿患者中持续3至4周治疗肿物消失,彩超报告提示为正常附睾声像的有150例,67例大小较前明显变小,有效率达100％.结论:稳恒强磁外贴治疗附睾炎症性肿大结节、囊肿完全有效,是一种安全有效简便、无痛苦、易操作、价廉的值得推广的非药物治疗方法.     

Preliminary Report on the Development of a Diffusion-in-Gel Method for the Diagnosis of Ram Epididymitis

A simple gel-diffusion technique is described for the diagnosis of ram epididymitis caused by Brucella ovis. The results are shown to be very similar to those obtained by the complement-fixation test, which is currently the standard method of diagnosis. The method is suitable for use in the field and is expected to facilitate the control of ram epididymitis in areas where laboratory facilities are not available.     

Semen characteristics of Ile-de-France rams of different age and physical condition

A breeding soundness examination (BSE) involving animal physical examination, scrotal circumference (SC) and semen evaluation was undertaken on 80 Ile-de-France rams at a government breeding farm, 32 km south-west of Casablanca (Morocco) from March to May 1988. A large percentage of rams (21.4%) was found to be unfit for breeding due to physical and genital abnormalities; 11 and 5% had disorders of the feet and respiratory system; upon genital palpation, 17.5, 13.8 and 7.5% of animals had orchitis, epididymitis and posthitis, respectively. The SC increased with age from 28.8+/-3.2 cm at 相似文献   

Field Evaluation of the Gel Diffusion Test for the Diagnosis of Ram Epididymitis Caused by Brucella ovis

A comparison was made with the microslide gel diffusion technique, the complement fixation test, cultural isolation, and clinical examination in detecting ram epididymitis caused by Brucella ovis. The results of the gel diffusion method are shown to be similar to those obtained by the complement fixation test and isolation of B. ovis from cultures of semen. The technique offers a reliable diagnostic method adaptable to field use in controlling ovine brucellosis and is more practical.     

Isolation and characterization of Histophilus somni (Haemophilus somnus) in semen samples of rams with epididymitis

Histophilus somni (Haemophilus somnus) has been reported as the cause of epididymitis in rams. This bacterium has also been found in the preputial mucosa of rams without epididymitis lesions. H. somni is a bacterium that is difficult to characterize, since it is a pleomorphic Gram-negative bacilli of characteristics similar to Actinobacillus seminis, which is also found in ram epididymitis lesions. The objective of this work was to determine if H. somni (H. somnus) is involved in cases of sheep epididymitis. A clinical examination was performed in 160 rams, extracting semen by electro-ejaculation of 28 of them, which had epididymal lesions. The penis was exteriorized in order to avoid prepuce contamination. The semen samples were cultivated in chocolate agar in a 10% CO₂ environment. Two strains were isolated in pure culture with a colony morphology and microscopy similar to H. somni (H. somnus). These were identified using the API 20 E system, using as a control the reference strain of H. somnus (2336ATCC). One of the isolates (129H) resulted identical to the reference strain and the other (827) presented differences in the arginine decarboxylase, H₂S, catalase and inositol reactions, although these differences have been reported (in strains isolated from different geographic origins, animal species and anatomical region). To characterize the isolates, an electrophoretic analysis of total proteins was performed (PAGE–SDS) finding identical profiles between the reference strain of H. somnus and isolate 129H and similar in relation to isolate 827. The amplification of a fragment of approximately 407 bp was observed in the 129H isolate and the ATCC strain, but not in 827. In other samples, isolations were made of Brucella ovis, Corynebacterium spp., Staphylococcus and other pleomorphic Gram-negative bacilli similar to A. seminis. Therefore, it has been confirmed that H. somni is present in the reproductive tract of rams and it could be involved in the presentation of ovine epididymitis. It is important that we underline that this is the first report of H. somni isolation in Mexico from ram semen samples.     

Subepineural pacinian corpuscle: a cause of digital pain

A patient is presented who had chronic digital pain as a result of an abnormally located subepineural pacinian corpuscle. The patient had complete relief of her symptoms and return of normal digital function following removal of the pacinian corpuscle. A review of the literature concerning this entity revealed very few reported cases. However, these cases shared many of the same symptoms, as well as both physical and operative findings. It is suggested that patients suffering from digital pain of unknown etiology with a previous history of direct or indirect trauma may benefit from a localized operative exploration of the digit to remove an abnormally located pacinian corpuscle affecting the digital nerve.     

Incontinence in a child with a duplex kidney: case report

Persistent incontinence after toilet training in young girls and urinary tract infections or epididymitis in prepubertal boys should raise suspicion of an ectopic ureter. This often occurs in the context of duplication of kidney structures or other parenchymal abnormalities. The presence or absence of reflux affects surgical treatment, which may consist of ureteral reimplantation, ureteroureterostomy, and/or upper pole nephrectomy.     

Fine needle aspiration cytology of tubercular epididymitis and epididymo-orchitis

OBJECTIVE: To study the role of fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) and ancillary studies in the diagnosis of tubercular epididymitis or epididymo-orchitis. STUDY DESIGN: Forty patients with tubercular epididymitis or epididymoorchitis diagnosed on FNAC underwent a detailed clinical workup, imaging and microbiologic studies before being started on antitubercular treatment (ATT). One patient underwent orchiectomy. RESULTS: Clinically, the disease presented in patients of all ages usually as a scrotal swelling or rarely as a scrotal sinus (3) or abscess (3) or as part of disseminated tuberculosis (2). Three patients gave a history of previous tuberculosis. Scrotal sonography confirmed the involvement of the epididymis, testis or spermatic cord in each case. FNAC was diagnostic in 27 aspirates (epithelioid cell granulomas with caseation) but nondiagnostic in the rest. Tubercular etiology was confirmed directly by detection of acid-fast bacilli (AFB) on FNA smears in 24 (60%) patients and urine samples in 11 and indirectly in 9 patients with negative AFB by using a combination of a positive Mantoux test (5 of 9), presence of caseating granulomas on FNA smears (7 of 9) and therapeutic response to ATT (9 of 9). CONCLUSION: FNA as a minimally invasive technique plays a prime role in the diagnosis of tubercular epididymitis and epididymoorchitis. It provides adequate material for cytologic and microbiologic examination and helps to avoid unnecesary orchiectomy.     

ApoE receptor 2 controls neuronal survival in the adult brain

A central pathogenic feature of neurodegenerative diseases and neurotrauma is the death of neurons. A mechanistic understanding of the factors and conditions that induce the dysfunction and death of neurons is essential for devising effective treatment strategies against neuronal loss after trauma or during aging. Because Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) is a major risk factor for several neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease , a direct or indirect role of ApoE receptors in the disease process is likely. Here we have used gene targeting in mice to investigate possible roles of ApoE receptors in the regulation of neuronal survival. We demonstrate that a differentially spliced isoform of an ApoE receptor, ApoE receptor 2 (Apoer2), is essential for protection against neuronal cell loss during normal aging. Furthermore, the same splice form selectively promotes neuronal cell death after injury through mechanisms that may involve serine/threonine kinases of the Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) family. These findings raise the possibility that ApoE and its receptors cooperatively regulate common mechanisms that are essential to neuronal survival in the adult brain.     

Are Therapy Dogs Like Xanax? Does Animal-Assisted Therapy Impact Processes Relevant to Cognitive Behavioral Psychotherapy?

Despite an increase in the popularity of animal-assisted therapy, little is known about the impact of animals on processes relevant to effective psychotherapy. This study tested the impact of having a dog present on process variables relevant to cognitive behavioral therapy, including emotional arousal, the content of trauma narratives, and cognitive change. We employed an expressive writing paradigm as an analog of exposure therapy, a common evidence-based treatment for anxiety and trauma disorders. Participants were randomly assigned to either a trauma or control writing condition, with or without a dog present. Writing about a trauma resulted in significantly more acute anxious arousal than control writing, but participants in the trauma/dog condition showed less distress than those in the trauma/no dog condition. Despite the palliative effect of the dog on acute anxious arousal, process variables in the two trauma conditions were no different. Both trauma groups wrote comparable essays (rated on negative emotionality, cognitive insight, and severity of trauma). At follow-up, only the participants in the trauma condition with a dog showed significant decreases in depressive symptoms. The results suggest that dogs can lower acute distress without compromising emotional processing or therapeutic mechanisms, and may actually improve long-term outcome for some individuals.     

The role of the microbial factor in the pathogenesis of male infertility

Microorganisms can be isolated from most seminal fluid samples, but the significance of bacteriospermia is uncertain because many males lack symptoms associated with the bacterial infection of the reproductive tract. The data on the influence of urogenital tract infections of fertility are contradictory. In many cases opportunistic microorganisms cause such classical infections of the urogenital tract as epididymitis and prostatitis, as well as subclinical reproductive tract infections. Some possible pathophysiological mechanisms of the development of infertility linked with infection of the ejaculate are considered: its direct effect on the fertile properties of the seminal fluid due to a decrease in the number of spermatozoa, the suppression of their motility, changes in their morphology and fertilizing capacity, its indirect influence due to the inhibition of spermatogenesis resulting from testicular damage, autoimmune processes induced by inflammation, secretory dysfunction of the male accessory sex glands as a consequence of the infection of the reproductive tract organs, leukocytospermia with its secondary influence of the ejaculate parameters, etc. The importance of the pathogenic properties of microorganisms for the localization of the inflammatory process in the urogenital tract of males and their role in the pathogenesis of male infertility are discussed.     

Direct and indirect methods for the quantification of leg volume: comparison between water displacement volumetry,the disk model method and the frustum sign model method,using the correlation coefficient and the limits of agreement

Volume changes can be measured either directly by water-displacement volumetry or by various indirect methods in which calculation of the volume is based on circumference measurements. The aim of the present study was to determine the most appropriate indirect method for lower leg volume calculation using water displacement volumetry as a ‘golden standard’. For 20 male volunteers, age range: 20–35 years, the volume of both lower legs was determined directly by water-displacement volumetry, and indirectly by the frustum sign model method and the disc model method. Calculation of the correlation coefficient and the limits of agreement showed that water-displacement volumetry and the disc model method are interchangeable (r = + 0.99, mean ± 2s = − 45 ± 78 ml), whereas this does not hold for the frustum sign model (r = + 0.93, mean ± 2s = 521 ± 238 ml). In the clinical situation volume measurement can be valuable for monitoring of the severity of oedema or haematoma occurrence after surgery or severe trauma. This non-invasive diagnostic aid may be a valuable adjuvant means of diagnosis for several volume dependent disorders of the extremities.     

Mycoplasmosis: Experimental and Spontaneous Infections of the Genital Tract of Bulls

A strain of M. bovigenitalium was isolated from semen of a bull (K) with chronic seminal vesiculitis. Using this strain a vesiculitis of the same type as found in bull K, characterized by simultaneous acute and chronic lesions, was induced experimentally in 2 bulls by direct inoculation into the vesicular glands. In the acute phase a marked infiltration of eosinophils was found in the interstitial tissues and alveoli whereas in the chronic phase fibrosis, lymphoid and epithelial hyperplasia were seen. Degeneration of vascular walls and connective tissue was common. On inoculation into the testis of 3 bulls a chronic epididymitis and ampullitis were produced. The histological changes were of the same type as found in the vesicular glands of the 3 bulls with vesiculitis. By indirect hemagglutination a specific and significant increase in serum antibody could be demonstrated. As the titers were low and the maximum titers were reached early, it will probably not often be possible to make an etiological diagnosis on the basis of serological evidence. A comparative experiment employing the type strain (PG 11) of M. bovigenitalium was performed. A rise in antibody titer was seen, but neither clinical nor histological changes could be demonstrated.     

TESTICULAR TORSION AND ACUTE EPIDIDYMITIS—Procaine Infiltration of the Spermatic Cord as an Aid in Differentiation

Infiltration of the spermatic cord with procaine was used in two cases in differentiating torsion of the testis from acute epididymitis. Detorsion was accomplished by manipulation during anesthesia, making it possible to do a corrective operation at a convenient time rather than carry it out as an emergency measure.     

Testicular torsion and acute epididymitis; procaine infiltration of the spermatic cord as an aid in differentiation

Infiltration of the spermatic cord with procaine was used in two cases in differentiating torsion of the testis from acute epididymitis. Detorsion was accomplished by manipulation during anesthesia, making it possible to do a corrective operation at a convenient time rather than carry it out as an emergency measure.     

Comparison of the sensitivity of the indirect,antibody-conjugated and the triple-bridge immunoperoxidase methods for immunohistochemical detection of carcinoembryonic antigen

Summary A comparison between two immunoperoxidase staining procedures, a triple-bridge and an indirect, antibody-conjugated method, was made to determine the relative sensitivity of each technique in the detection of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) in routine tissue sections. The enzyme-antibody conjugates for the indirect procedure were prepared according to the method of Nakane and Kawaoi (1974). The indirect, antibody-conjugated method, proved to be slightly more sensitive than the triple-bridge by two criteria. First, CEA could be localized using higher dilutions of the primary antiserum by the indirect technique, and secondly, tissues were shown to stain for CEA in specimens with lower tissue CEA levels by the indirect procedure than by the triple-bridge method. The preparation of enzyme-antibody conjugates is a relatively simple procedure and, in addition, the conjugates will remain stable when kept frozen or at 4°C. Background staining due to non-specific interaction of the conjugate with the tissue can be eliminated easily by incubation with normal serum. These results indicate that the indirect, antibody-conjugated method can be used to enhance the staining of CEA in routine tissue sections.Supported in part by NIH contract NCI-NO1-CB-84257     

Tissue distribution and ultrastructure of B lymphocytes reacting with the monoclonal antibody anti-Y29/55

The reactivity of normal tonsilar cells with the monoclonal antibody anti-Y29/55 is characterized at the tissue and ultrastructural cytological level. Using an indirect immuno-alkaline phosphatase method on frozen sections the antibody labels mantle zone and germinal center lymphocytes. This staining reaction is more generalized in B-lymphocyte areas than that obtained with antibodies to IgM and IgD. By indirect immunoperoxidase staining, as well as by an indirect rosetting procedure in cell suspensions, the reactive cell population were either small resting lymphocytes or activated lymphocytes corresponding to centrocytes, centroblasts, immunoblasts and plasmoblasts; some plasma cells were also labeled. These results characterize the monoclonal antibody anti-Y29/55 as a pan-B-marker antibody, useful for labeling resting and activated peripheral B-lymphocytes in frozen tissue sections and cell suspensions.