Dataset Information

Preliminary reference values for electrocardiography, echocardiography and myocardial morphometry in the European brown hare (Lepus europaeus).

ABSTRACT: The study aimed at defining reference values for electrocardiographic (ECG) and echocardiographic parameters as well as macroscopic dimensions of the heart and microscopic dimensions of cardiomyocytes in the European brown hare. The studies were conducted on 30 adult, clinically healthy hares of either sex caught in Poland. ECG and echocardiography were performed supravitally on anaesthetized hares. After euthanasia, gross and microscopic myocardial and cardiomyocyte dimensions were determined. Heart rate amounted to 140 +/- 37.5 beats/min, the leading rhythm involved the sinus rhythm. P wave time was 26 +/- 5 ms, PQ time was 80 ms, QRS time was 29 +/- 3.5 ms, and ST was 97.5 +/- 7 ms. Echocardiography determined a left ventricular wall end-diastolic diameter of 8.6 +/- 2.0 mm and an intraventricular septum end-diastolic diameter of 5.75 +/- 1.0 mm. The thickness of the interventricular septum corresponded to that of the free wall of the left ventricle, a finding consistent with physiological hypertrophy. Preliminary reference values were established for echocardiography. The findings were similar to those obtained at necropsy. The ECG and echocardiographic studies represent the first supravital examination of cardiac function in the hare. The obtained results illustrate adaptation of hare's myocardium to its mode of life. The cardiac findings resemble the athlete's heart syndrome described in humans. The findings may prove useful in further studies on the physiology of the cardio-vascular system in the hare.

SUBMITTER: Noszczyk-Nowak A

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2646734 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Preliminary reference values for electrocardiography, echocardiography and myocardial morphometry in the European brown hare (Lepus europaeus).

Noszczyk-Nowak Agnieszka A Nicpoń Józef J Nowak Marcin M Slawuta Piotr P

Acta veterinaria Scandinavica 20090130

The study aimed at defining reference values for electrocardiographic (ECG) and echocardiographic parameters as well as macroscopic dimensions of the heart and microscopic dimensions of cardiomyocytes in the European brown hare. The studies were conducted on 30 adult, clinically healthy hares of either sex caught in Poland. ECG and echocardiography were performed supravitally on anaesthetized hares. After euthanasia, gross and microscopic myocardial and cardiomyocyte dimensions were determined. ...[more]

PMID: 19183473

Similar Datasets

Project description:In female mammals, reproduction, and in particular lactation, is the energetically most exigent life-history phase. Reproduction is strongly controlled by body reserves and food availability, so females with better body condition or food supply are believed to have higher reproductive output. Additionally, the growth and mortality of young mammals depends on their postnatal development. Therefore, the degree of precociality affects energetic demands for both mothers and young. To study the reproductive performance of the precocial European hare (Lepus europaeus), we analysed relationships between six predictor variables describing maternal and environmental effects and nine response variables relating to reproduction from 217 captive females. We compared the data with those of precocial and altricial mammal species from an extensive literature search. For hares, we found: (1) Heavier females had heavier litters at birth. (2) In summer and spring, total litter mass was larger than in winter. (3) At the end of lactation, the litters of multiparous females were heavier than those of primiparous females. (4) Both older females and females giving birth for the first time had relatively high leveret mortality during lactation. Comparing our results with the literature for other mammals revealed that the body condition (i.e., body mass) of females before birth is predictive of reproductive parameters in both precocial and altricial species. In the precocial hare, female body condition is no longer predictive of reproductive parameters at the end of lactation, whereas in altricial species, female body condition remains predictive of reproduction (litter mass at the end of lactation, offspring mortality) until the end of lactation. We conclude that these effects are caused by precocial offspring feeding on solid food soon after birth and, thus, being less dependent on the mother's body condition during lactation than altricial offspring. In line with this, precociality might have evolved as a way of buffering offspring against maternal effects.

Project description:BackgroundThe European brown hare (Lepus europaeus) typically resides in open habitats in agriculturally dominated landscapes in Europe. Over recent decades, a widely observed population decline occurred, which was attributed to agricultural intensification. However, with political incentives for specific crops, especially maize for energy production, the habitat went through massive changes. Thus, there is the need to identify parameters that characterize a suitable habitat for the brown hare in today's agricultural lands.ResultsWe modelled European brown hare densities spatially and temporally explicit over 10 years (2005-2014) across an entire federal state. The generalized additive mixed model confirms a constant decline of the European brown hare population in Lower Saxony. Municipalities with a high proportion of grassland and precipitation totaling up to 900 mm are more favored. Woodland showed an approximately linear negative effect. The most important agricultural crop groups such as winter grains and winter oilseed rape showed overall positive effects on hare densities. However, the effect of maize was unimodal, with a positive effect of medium proportions, but a negative effect of very high proportions. The effect of sugar beet was relatively weak but negative. Brown hares were also more abundant in municipalities with a higher density of vixen with litter and municipalities with a high proportion of wildflower strips showed higher brown hare abundance.ConclusionLower Saxony is a diverse federal state with grassland dominated areas in the northwest, more woodland in the east, but intensive arable land in most remaining areas. The European brown hare-a species with a wide ecological potency-shows preferences to both grassland and the most typical arable crop groups such as winter grains and winter oilseed rape. The substantial increase in maize production within the time frame was likely unfavourable and may be one reason for the decline. Nonetheless, political tools such as the agri-environmental scheme "wildflower strips" were beneficial for the brown hare abundance and may be an option to reverse the decline seen over the 10 years.

Project description:In Northern Italy, a hastening of hare population decline was noticeable from 2008. In the same year hunters reported a sudden increase of hares infected by Taenia sp. larvae, whose morphology was consistent with T. pisiformis cysticerci. The aim of the survey was: i)to identify the parasites through morphological features and molecular techniques; ii)to quantify the prevalence and abundance of cysticerci in hunted hares; iii)to describe pathological aspects of parasite-induced lesions; iv)to evaluate the short-term trend of the infection comparing two different hunting seasons; v)to highlight possible relationship between T. pisiformis infection and hare-related variables. In 2013, 2015 the viscera of 54 and 61 hares legally hunted in agro-ecosystems of the Po Plain were collected. Peritoneum, liver and lungs were examined for cysticercosis; abundance was estimated counting superficial parasites in liver; parasites were microscopically identified by shape and measure of both large and small hooks. One cysticercus from each hare was analized by a PCR targeting Taeniid species and then sequenced. Frozen liver, lungs and gastrointestinal peritoneum were macroscopically observed and, after thawing, representative samples from the available organs were collected for histologic examination to verify parasitic cysts and the subsequent damage of the involved organs. Sex, weight and age class of the animals were recorded. Generalized linear models were used for statistical analysis. T. pisiformis was isolated in 8 hares in 2013 (prevalence 14.8%; abundance range: 0-400; mean abundance 17.8) and in 2 hares in 2015 (prevalence 3.28%; abundance range: 0-180; mean abundance 3.22). Identification was confirmed morphologically and by PCR. The DNA sequencing confirmed T. pisiformis in all samples. The sequences were all identical each-other. Infection was significantly related with adult age class, sampling year and low full-weight. Epidemiological and pathological pattern suggest both a possible role on host population health and a tendency toward host-parasite equilibrium.

Dataset Information

Preliminary reference values for electrocardiography, echocardiography and myocardial morphometry in the European brown hare (Lepus europaeus).

Publications

Preliminary reference values for electrocardiography, echocardiography and myocardial morphometry in the European brown hare (Lepus europaeus).

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets