Search

This study aimed to determine how rabbits’ feeding and drinking behaviour was influenced by a feed restriction programme, and how performance and the morphometry of the digestive tract and lymphoid organs were influenced. At weaning (28 d old), 432 rabbits were housed in cages of 6, and allotted to 2 groups according to feed intake level: ad libitum feeding (AL group) from 28 to 72 d old, and feed intake (R group) restricted to 70% of AL intake from 28 till 49 d old, followed by ad libitum feeding from 50 till 72 d old. During the restriction, the R group intake was 36% lower than that of the AL group. When returning to an ad libitum feeding, the R group intake increased by 270%, thus exceeding the AL intake by 26% (P=0.03). The daily weight gain was reduced by 28% for R group during the restriction (40.0 vs. 55.7 g/d; P

International audience; The objective of this study was to measure the effects of chronic exposure to fumonisins via the ingestion of feed containing naturally contaminated corn in growing pigs infected or not with Salmonella spp. This exposure to a moderate dietary concentration of fumonisins (11.8 ppm) was sufficient to induce a biological effect in pigs (Sa/So ratio), but no mortality or pathology was observed over 63 days of exposure. No mortality or related clinical signs, even in cases of inoculation with Salmonella (5 x 10(4) CFU), were observed either. Fumonisins, at these concentrations, did not affect the ability of lymphocytes to proliferate in the presence of mitogens, but after seven days post-inoculation they led to inhibition of the ability of specific Salmonella lymphocytes to proliferate following exposure to a specific Salmonella antigen. However, the ingestion of fumonisins had no impact on Salmonella translocation or seroconversion in inoculated pigs. The inoculation of Salmonella did not affect faecal microbiota profiles, but exposure to moderate concentrations of fumonisins transiently affected the digestive microbiota balance. In cases of co-infection with fumonisins and Salmonella, the microbiota profiles were rapidly and clearly modified as early as 48 h post-Salmonella inoculation. Therefore under these experimental conditions, exposure to an average concentration of fumonisins in naturally contaminated feed had no effect on pig health but did affect the digestive microbiota balance, with Salmonella exposure amplifying this phenomenon.

The effects of a (30 cm high) elevated platform as an enrichment structure on the behaviour and performance of fattening rabbits kept in groups were investigated. Three housing systems for fattening rabbits were compared using a stocking density of 15 rabbits m–2. The rabbits were housed either in large pens (3.67 m2plus a platform of 0.39 m2; with 60 rabbits per pen) or in small pens (0.503 m2plus a platform of 0.159 m2; with10 rabbits per pen), or in conventional standard cages (0.39 m2, with 6 rabbits and without any enrichment) from 31 to 72 days of age. The conventional cages without a platform were used as a control and reference model. Rabbits housed in each small pen or in each cage belonged to the same litter, and the 60 rabbits sharing the same large pen were from six or seven litters. At the end of fattening, rabbits reached the weight of 2,508 g in cages, 2,397 g in small pens, and 2,340 g in large pens; the only significant difference was daily weight gain which was better in cages than in both pens. There was no difference in growth parameters between the two types of pens. The mortality rate was less than 1% for all treatments. No sanitation problems or severe lesions were seen with rabbits even those reared in large pens and large groups. Neither housing systems, nor elevated platform affected activities such as dietary intake or resting. The use of the platform appears to depend upon the amount of space available; in a large pen, an elevated platform can be utilised as an exercise structure while in a small pen it was used more as simply extra space to occupy.

Three housing systems for fattening rabbits were compared using a stocking density of 15 rabbits m–2. The rabbits were housed in large pens (3.67 m2, 50 rabbits), small pens (0.66 m2, 10 rabbits) or in conventional standard cages (0.39 m2, 6 rabbits) from 31 to 72 days of age. Rabbits housed in each small pen or in each cage belonged to the same litter, and the 50 rabbits housed in each large pen were from six or seven litters. At the end of fattening, when rabbits were 72 days old, there was no significant difference in the weight of rabbits from the three different housing systems, even though the rabbits from small pens were slightly heavier in weight compared with rabbits from large pens. The best feed conversion ratio was found in rabbits from cages, but was only significantly different from rabbits housed in small pens. No significant differences were found in the main activities: nutrition, social behaviour, resting, and standing; however, the frequency of runs, hops and consecutive hops was significantly higher in rabbits from large pens compared with rabbits from the two other housing systems. These results confirm that the total surface area available for animals is the most important factor for such locomotory activities. This study did not reveal any significant difference in aggressive behaviours between rabbits from different litters housed in large pens and between rabbits from the same litter housed in small pens or cages.

Purpose Since the recent development of biologic agents targeting oncogenes, increasing attention has been focused on determining the role of tyrosine kinase receptors in the pathogenesis of tumors. Our study was designed to investigate the status of region 4q12, which contains the candidate gene c-kit, and the expression of c-kit by immunohistochemistry (IHC). Patients and Methods Paired blood and biopsy specimens of 68 children treated for high-grade primary osteosarcomas were collected. Microsatellite analysis at two genomic sites containing c-kit gene was performed on paired DNA using a sensible fluorescent polymerase chain reaction technology. To confirm the DNA data, we studied c-kit protein expression by IHC in 56 available paraffin-embedded tumor tissues. Results The frequency of allelic imbalance (AI) at locus 4q12 was 39% in the overall population. In agreement with previous studies, we did not detect microsatellite instability, allowing us to hypothesize that this pathway is not implicated. Furthermore, the normal status at locus 4q12 was associated with a significantly better survival in the whole osteosarcoma population (P = .05). IHC overexpression of c-kit was concordant in all cases presenting an AI. However, normal status at locus 4q12 was correlated to an absence of c-kit protein expression in 19 (65.5%) of 29 informative cases. Conclusion Allelotyping of locus 4q12, which contains the c-kit gene, could help pediatric osteosarcoma prognostic screening and showed a strong correlation with overexpression of c-kit protein. These results allowed us to hypothesize that, in some cases, a mutation of c-kit gene could lead to a protein overexpression.

Purpose: To clarify treatment strategy for lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin’s lymphoma (LPHL), the French Society of Pediatric Oncology initiated a prospective, nonrandomized study in 1988. Patients received either standard treatment for Hodgkin’s lymphoma or were not treated beyond initial adenectomy. Patients and Methods: From 1988 to 1998, 27 patients were available for study. Twenty-four patients were male, and median age was 10 years (range, 4 to 16 years). Twenty-two, two, and three patients had stage I, II, and III disease, respectively. Thirteen patients (stage I, n = 11; stage III, n = 2) received no further treatment after initial surgical adenectomy (SA). Fourteen patients received combined treatment (CT; n = 10), involved-field radiotherapy alone (n = 1), or chemotherapy alone (n = 3). The two groups were comparable for clinical status, treatment, and follow-up. Results: Twenty-three of 27 patients achieved complete remission (CR). With a median follow-up time of 70 months (range, 32 to 214 months), overall survival to date is 100%, and overall event-free survival (EFS) is 69% ± 10% (SA, 42% ± 16%; CT, 90% ± 8.6%; P < .04). If we considered only the patients in CR after initial surgery (n = 12), EFS was no longer significantly different between the two groups. Patients with residual mass after initial surgery (n = 15) had worse EFS if they did not receive complementary treatment (P < .05). Conclusion: Although based on a small number of patients, our study showed that (1) no further therapy is a valid therapeutic approach in LPHL patient in CR after initial lymph node resection, and (2) complementary treatment diminishes relapse frequency but has no impact on survival.

Purpose: To evaluate the frequency of metabolic complications and dialysis due to tumor lysis syndrome in patients with B-cell advanced-stage non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) and L3 leukemia at initiation of chemotherapy including the use of urate-oxidase. Patients and methods: Retrospective review of the clinical records of 410 patients with stage III and IV B-cell NHL and L3 leukemia treated in France and prospectively registered in the LMB89 protocol. Results: During the first week of chemotherapy, only 34 of 410 patients recorded metabolic problems that included hypocalcemia ( 6.5 mg/dl) in 28 and elevation of creatinine ≥2 SD in 16. Six patients underwent dialysis for life-threatening problems and a seventh as a preventive measure. In the other 27 cases, metabolic problems were successfully resolved using urate-oxidase in combination with alkaline hyperhydration. Among the 410 patients, one case of hemolysis was reported and there was no severe allergic reaction to urate-oxidase. Conclusions: Only 1.7% of patients in our study receiving urate-oxidase during their induction chemotherapy needed renal dialysis. Urate-oxidase was well tolerated, and used as prophylaxis and/or treatment of hyperuricemia and tumor lysis syndrome consistently gave a lower rate of renal and metabolic complications than in other series of similar patients.

The EORTC Children Leukemia Group (CLG) is part of the offspring of the EORTC Hemopathies Working Party which in 1978 split into a paediatric and to an 'adult' branch. At that time, the Berlin-Frankfurt-Munster (BFM) designed by H. Riehm for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) appeared much more efficacious than all others and the CLG decided to adapt that treatment strategy for its own clinical trials. The main results of these may be summarised as follows:for standard risk patients, the deletion of cyclophosphamide from consolidation and reconsolidation courses does not jeopardise the patient's outcomefor medium- and high-risk patients receiving high-dose methotrexate (MTX), cranial radiotherapy is superfluouswith the dose scheduling of the BFM regimen, E-Coli L-Asparaginase is more efficacious than Erwinia L-Asparaginasethe addition of monthly intravenous (i.v.) 6-mercaptopurine to conventional maintenance chemotherapy is detrimentalthe assessment by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of minimal residual disease at completion of induction is feasible in a cooperative setting and can be used as a powerful and independent prognostic factor. The CLG also conducted clinical studies of acute myeloblastic leukaemia. Since 1989, lymphoblastic non-Hodgkin's lymphomas have been treated within the ALL trials. The CLG collaborates with other Groups within the I-BFM Study Group and participants in the meta-analytic studies conducted by the Oxford team by the Oxford Children ALL Collaborative Group.

The possibility of improving the welfare of fattening rabbits by rearing them in pens instead of cages was investigated. Time budgets, locomotion, ear lesions, breaking strength of the femur and productivity were compared in fattening rabbits kept at the same stocking density (15 rabbits m−2) either in standard cages of 0.4m2(6 animals) or in pens of 1.6m2(24 animals). Behavioural observations, performed by video recording at 6 and 9 weeks of age, indicated that the frequency of rabbits walking over one another was higher in cages than in pens at 9 weeks of age. Although the time spent in locomotion did not differ significantly, the number of consecutive hops performed by animals was clearly increased in pens at 6 weeks and tended to be higher at 9 weeks. In pens (without a ceiling), rabbits were observed ‘keeping watch’ with a characteristic fully upright posture; this was not possible for rabbits in cages (with ceilings at 30cm).Ear lesions were more frequent in caged rabbits than in penned; this might be due to the caged rabbits walking on one another, due to the lack of space to perform locomotory behaviour. Weight, diameter and breaking strength of femur tended to increase in rabbits kept in pens. In penned rabbits, body and carcase weight were significantly reduced (by 2.0% and 3.4% respectively) when compared with caged ones. However, overall, the use of wire-floor pens of 1.6m2, housing 24 animals, was considered to be beneficial to fattening rabbits’ welfare when compared to standard-sized cages holding 6 animals.

1. Perching behaviour of Ross broiler chickens was studied in order to increase the available space at the floor level. Pens (36 m2) were equipped with wooden perches mounted 20 and 33 cm above the litter (5 cm perch length per bird). 2. The influences of stocking density (22 vs 11 birds/m2, experiment 1) and of a 10 min artificial dusk (17 birds/m2, experiment 2) were tested in a 2x2 factorial design (n=4 by treatment) including control pens without perches. In experiment 3, perching behaviour between 2 different group sizes (1020 vs 4590 birds, 17 birds/m2, no replicates) was compared. 3. The percentage of perching birds (PPB) was assessed by scan sampling observations during the 20 to 22 h light period (8 observations per d, 5 d a week, from week 3). In experiment 2, infra-red video recording was performed at the time lights were dimmed and during the dark period. In experiment 1, carcase lesions were noted. In experiment 2, tibia breaking strength of frequently perching birds was compared with controls. Birds were weighed before slaughter and food conversion was calculated. 4. PPB increased with age and density (P0.01) and was highest at the 22 birds/m2 density during week 6 (mean=10.6%, maximum=13.5%). PPB was not influenced by a 10-min artificial dusk. In experiment 3, PPB was slightly lower during weeks 5 and 6 in the large group size compared to the small group size (6.8% vs 7.9% respectively in week 6). 5. Prevalence of carcase lesions and tibia breaking strengths were unrelated to perch usage. Final body-weights were not influenced by the presence of perches except at the 22 birds/m2 density where males were slightly heavier in the control pens compared with males in pens equipped with perches (2096 g vs 2051 g, P=0.015). Food conversion was independent of the presence of perches.

1. The effect of stocking density on welfare traits of turkeys was studied in 2 experiments. In each experiment 2,633 sexed BUT turkey poults were assigned to 3 rooms, 135 m2 with 1 treatment per room. Because of the large flock size (675,878 and 1080 birds in T1, T2 and T3 respectively) treatments were not replicated 2. Floor space allowances varied according to treatment; for the males: 24 dm2, 18.5 dm2 and 15 dm2 until week 12 and 40 dm2, 31 dm2 and 25 dm2 from week 12; for the females: 16 dm2, 12.3 dm2 and 10 dm2. 2. The scan sampling method in experiment 1 and the focal sampling method in experiment 2 were used to record behaviour at week 6, 9, 12 (males and females), and 16 (males). Birds' ethogram was divided into 7 mutually exclusive behaviours: standing/walking, resting, feeding, drinking, pecking at the environment, pecking at another bird, and preening. Position changes in the pen and the frequency of disturbances of resting birds by other birds were recorded in experiment 2. 3. Gait was assessed at week 12 (females) and week 16 (males). Prevalence of lesions, breast (males), hip and foot (males and females), were recorded at slaughter. Birds were weighed at week 12 (males and females) and week 16 (males). 4. Stocking density had little influence on behaviour except on the frequency of disturbances of resting birds by other birds, which tended to be more frequent at the highest density. 5. Gait deteriorated as stocking density increased. Hip and foot lesions were more frequent at the highest density. Bodyweight decreased significantly with decreasing floor space. 6. The results suggest that turkey welfare was poorer at the highest density than at the 2 lower stocking densities.

The main aim of the study was to determine to what extent young rabbits kept on wire-floor cages would be attracted by straw bedding and how would access to straw modify their behaviour, health and performance. A total of 384 hybrid commercial breed rabbits (Hycol®) were assigned to 16 pens of 1.6 m2 (15 rabbits/m2). Eight pens used as controls had an all-wire floor, while in eight other pens, rabbits could choose between a wire floor or a deep litter topped up once a week and completely replaced once during the course of the 40-day-long study. Behaviour was recorded by video camera between 7 and 10 weeks of age through 24 h observations consisting of 24 sequences of 1 min every 60 min. Reactions to a new environment were compared between both treatments through the use of an open-field test. Parasitism was monitored from faeces and growth performance analysed. Time budgets showed resting, 60%; grooming, 19%; and feeding, 19–20%; were poorly influenced either at 7 or 10 weeks of age by type of floor. The most unexpected result was the low attraction of straw. Rabbits in the littered pens spent most of their time on the wire (89% at 7 weeks and 77% at 10 weeks; P

In order to evaluate genetic variation between rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) isolates and to derive phylogenetic relationships, 56 virus isolates collected from various parts of France over a 7 year period (1988 to 1995) were examined. Analyses were carried out by direct nucleotide sequencing of PCR fragments of three genomic regions encoding the capsid protein (VP60) (regions A and B) and a non-structural protein (region C). Multiple sequence alignments revealed maximum nucleotide divergence of 7.6, 9.4 and 8.7% for regions A, B and C, respectively, indicating a high level of conservation between isolates. Irrespective of the genomic region analysed, phylogenetic analyses carried out using various methods allowed the identification of three genogroups; distribution of isolates within these genogroups appears to be more related to the year of their collection than to their geographical origin. The possible evolution of RHDV is discussed.

PURPOSE The usual therapy of osteosarcoma is neoadjuvant chemotherapy, followed by surgery, then by postoperative chemotherapy. There is no prognostic factor to predict, at diagnosis, the histologic response and final outcome. Inactivation of the retinoblastoma-susceptibility gene RB is associated with the pathogenesis of several human cancers. In primary osteosarcomas, loss of heterozygosity (LOH) at the RB locus has been found in greater than 60% of cases. The aim of this study was to determine the potential early prognostic value of LOH of RB gene on the biopsy material at diagnosis. PATIENTS AND METHODS Forty-seven patients with primary osteosarcoma, treated in four French institutions, were studied. LOH was studied by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of an informative RB DNA polymorphism. RESULTS Assessment of LOH at the RB gene could be completed on 34 heterozygous patients only. LOH was found in 24 cases (70%). The event-free survival (EFS) rate at 60 months is 100% for patients without LOH, 43% for all patients with RB LOH, and 65% for nonmetastatic patients with RB LOH. The difference in EFS is highly significant at P = .008 and P = .024, respectively. Histologic response after preoperative chemotherapy did not show significant correlation with LOH status. CONCLUSION RB gene LOH appears to be an early predictive feature for osteosarcomas that indicates a potential unfavorable outcome. RB LOH study might shortly help to identify high-risk patients earlier. If this is verified, therapy could then be adapted earlier to the individual's real risk of relapse.

Pediatric malignant tumors in the urinary bladder are rare with a high prevalence of rhabdomyosarcomas. A 15-month-old patient was referred to the authors' center because of a urinary bladder tumor. Imaging studies disclosed a solid pelvic mass in the dome of the bladder confirmed by a cystoscopy. Surprisingly, the biopsy done during this procedure confirmed a neuroblastoma with a favorable SHIMADA classification. This tumor had no bad prognostic factors. But, vessel compression and local infiltration led to delayed surgery, and neoadjuvant chemotherapy was initiated. After chemotherapy, a complete surgical resection was accomplished. Currently, this patient is in complete continuous remission. Only 5 other cases have been reported. Thus, urinary neuroblastoma seems to be a very rare pediatric tumor, but it should be considered in the differential diagnoses of urinary bladder tumor.

Out of 744 newly diagnosed ALL children under the age of 18 years treated according to the EORTC-CLCG protocols 58831 and 58832, 28 (4%) were infants less than 1 year of age. An elevated risk factor, which takes into account the sizes of the liver and spleen and the number of circulating blasts, was present in 25 cases. Most patients had non-common ALL. Among 15 patients studied by cytogenetics, nine present chromosomal abnormalities, six of them having a t(4;11) translocation. Complete remission was achieved in 86% of cases. One patient died in complete remission of therapy-related infection. The overall EFS is 43%. It is not statistically different in very young infants as compared to infants older than 6 months. Except for patients with AUL or with t(4;11) translocation, a continuous complete remission rate above 50% can be achieved with a median follow-up of 4 years. The results obtained in infant ALL with EORTC-CLCG protocols are currently better than those obtained with some other protocols, but remains inferior when compared to the ones obtained in older children. Thus, further improvements are needed and should be evaluated in large cooperative trials.

National audience; Pour déterminer si la restriction alimentaire influence le comportement et le bien-être des lapins, deux modalités d'alimentation ont été comparées. la moitié (n=216)des lapins était alimentée à volonté (lot AL) et l'autre moitié était restreinte à -25% de l'ingéré volontaire (lot R). Les profils des activités d'alimentation et de repos sur 24h, les caractéristiques de l'alimentation (nombre, durée moyenne et durée totale des repas) et de l'abreuvement (nombre d'abreuvement)ont été comparés. Les comportements d'agressivité et de stéréotype ont été enregistrés. Le rythme d'ingestion, dépendant du rythme circadien pour les animaux nourris ad libitum, est fonction du moment de la distribution pour les animaux restreints. Ceux-ci ingèrent la totalité de la quantité d'aliment distribuée en 7 heures environ. Les lapins restreints effectuent moins de repas (-1/3, P=0.003) et réduisent le temps total passé à manger (-1/4, P

absent

Effect of probiotic or antimicrobial treatments on the intestinal bacterial community in pigs

Primary intrahepatic malignant nonepithelial tumors are very rare in children and account for 2% of all malignant mesenchymatous tumors under the age of 15 years. Clinical presentation, radiologic features, and histologic types are not unequivocal. The predominant role of surgery takes place either initially in small localized tumors or later, after initial reductive chemotherapy. In all cases, complete resection is the necessary but not sufficient condition for cure. Additional radiotherapy seems ineffective. High-dose chemotherapy and/or liver transplantation can be proposed for resistant cases. The disease-free survival rate is 37% at 2 years for the whole series. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

International audience; In the context of centrifugal fertiliser spreading, numerous mechanical models demonstrate that the acceleration on the spinning disc depends on the friction coefficient of the fertiliser against the vane. Nevertheless, when the dynamic friction coefficient is measured by traditional methods, the values obtained do not reflect fertiliser behaviour differences. The study proposes a new estimation of the friction coefficient termed “equivalent friction coefficient” (EFC). This parameter is deduced from a mechanical model of the fertiliser motion on a spinning disc and from the measurement of the outlet angle of the particles. The outlet angle is measured using a simple imaging system that captures a high number of particle trajectories in the vicinity of the spinning disc in a few seconds. Values obtained for three common fertilisers are compared. For a flat disc rotating at 800 rpm and equipped with radial vanes, the EFC values are, respectively, 0.13, 0.14 and 0.44 for ammonium nitrate, NPK and KCl. The influence of disc configuration, vane profile and rotational speed is addressed. The influence of fertiliser moisture content is also investigated. Results demonstrate that this method can be used to obtain a relative classification of fertilisers. This paves the way for the definition of a normalized method, which will classify fertilisers in terms of real spreading behaviour.

The authors reported on a series of 14 reconstructions around the knee by metallic prostheses for malignant tumors. The diagnosis was an osteosarcoma in 13 cases and a malignant soft tissue tumor in one. The mean follow-up was 4 years 3 months. The prosthesis was a Guepar device in 13 cases and a GSB in one. They particulary studied their complications: 3 minor peroperative, 7 postoperative complications which needed no reoperation and 4 postoperative complications which needed a further surgical procedure. They had no infection; no symptomatic loosening, nor fracture of the stem was observed. These results encouraged the authors to choose a metallic reconstruction rather than an allograft reconstruction for these indications.

National audience

Effect of lactic acid bacteria based product on broilers from the farm to the processing plant