Fleming's penicillin producing streain is not Penicillium chrysogenum but P. rubens

Penicillium chrysogenum is a commonly occurring mould in indoor environments and foods, and has gained much attention for its use in the production of the antibiotic penicillin. Phylogenetic analysis of the most important penicillin producing P. chrysogenum isolates revealed the presence of two highly supported clades, and we show here that these two clades represent two species, P. chrysogenum and P. rubens. These species are phenotypically similar, but extrolite analysis shows that P. chrysogenum produces secalonic acid D and F and/or a metabolite related to lumpidin, while P. rubens does not produce these metabolites. Fleming’s original penicillin producing strain and the full genome sequenced strain of P. chrysogenum are re-identified as P. rubens. Furthermore, the well-known claim that Alexander Fleming misidentified the original penicillin producing strain as P. rubrum is discussed

Cardiovascular effects of dietary salt intake in aged healthy cats: a 2-year prospective randomized, blinded, and controlled study

High salt dry expanded diets are commercially available for cats to increase water intake and urine volume, as part of the prevention or treatment of naturally occurring urinary stone formation (calcium oxalates and struvites). However, chronic high salt intake may have potential cardiovascular adverse effects in both humans, especially in aging individuals, and several animal models. The objective of this prospective, randomized, blinded, and controlled study was to assess the long-term cardiovascular effects of high salt intake in healthy aged cats. Twenty healthy neutered cats (10.1±2.4 years) were randomly allocated into 2 matched groups. One group was fed a high salt diet (3.1 g/Mcal sodium, 5.5 g/Mcal chloride) and the other group a control diet of same composition except for salt content (1.0 g/Mcal sodium, 2.2 g/Mcal chloride). Clinical examination, systolic and diastolic arterial blood pressure measurements, standard transthoracic echocardiography and conventional Doppler examinations were repeatedly performed on non-sedated cats by trained observers before and over 24 months after diet implementation. Radial and longitudinal velocities of the left ventricular free wall and the interventricular septum were also assessed in systole and diastole using 2-dimensional color tissue Doppler imaging. Statistics were performed using a general linear model. No significant effect of dietary salt intake was observed on systolic and diastolic arterial blood pressure values. Out of the 33 tested imaging variables, the only one affected by dietary salt intake was the radial early on late diastolic velocity ratio assessed in the endocardium of the left ventricular free wall, statistically lower in the high salt diet group at 12 months only (P = 0.044). In conclusion, in this study involving healthy aged cats, chronic high dietary salt intake was not associated with an increased risk of systemic arterial hypertension and myocardial dysfunction, as observed in some elderly people, salt-sensitive patients and animal models

A retrospective study of canine cutaneous food allergy at a Veterinary Teaching Hospital from Jaboticabal, São Paulo, Brazil

Cutaneous food allergy is an adverse immunological response, triggered by antigenic dietary components that may escape the digestion process and are absorbed intact through the gastrointestinal mucosa. In Brazil, there are only a few reports on cutaneous food allergy and antigenicity of food components used in pet food production. Thus, the aim of this report was to assess and describe data from medical records of canine patients diagnosed with cutaneous food allergy at a Veterinary Teaching Hospital from Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil, in order to evaluate epidemiological and clinical aspects related to this skin problem. From 2007 to 2012, 29 dogs received the diagnosis of cutaneous food allergy after an eight-week hypoallergenic elimination trial. Among them, purebred dogs were more frequent, as well as females, and their mean age was 50.4 months old. Pruritus was reported in all cases, especially in interdigital areas. In order to establish the diagnosis, most patients received home-cooked elimination diet, based on potato and lamb in approximately 80% of the cases. Besides, it was highlighted the importance of the hypoallergenic elimination diet being rigorously followed by dogs' owners, aiming the adequate control of the clinical signs related to cutaneous food allergy

Digestive sensitivity varies according to size of dogs: a review

International audienc

Validation of a new method for the measurement fo dental plaque accumulation in dogs based on an image-analysis system

Validation of a new method for the measurement fo dental plaque accumulation in dogs based on an image-analysis system. 21. European Congress of Veterinary Dentistr

Clinical Cases : use of a low fat diet in hyperlipidaemic dogs

peer reviewe