INTRODUCTION:This study analyses udder measurements in Lacaune ewes, with a particular focus on the effects of the control year (2022-2023) and lactation order on various udder traits. The number of Lacaune ewes included in the study ranged from 57 to 86 for various variables, while the number of control measurements was between 49 and 111. Significant year-on-year variations were observed in teat size and position, with teats generally decreasing in size with age. The control year had a significant impact on udder length, width, and depth, as well as teat length and angle. Our findings indicate that optimal teat angles for milking are around 45°. The order of lactation (parity) had a significant impact on udder size, particularly udder depth and length, which increased by the third lactation. The older ewes exhibited longer teats and a more horizontal teat position, indicative of larger udder cisterns. The results of the udder cistern measurements taken using different methods showed that cistern size tends to increase with age. It was found that larger cisterns correlate with higher milk yields and faster milk letdown. Although the impact of lactation order on cistern measurements was not statistically significant, the 'from the bottom' method proved more effective for assessing cistern size. There was considerable variation in the milkability parameters, including machine-milked and total milk yield. The correlation between udder attachment and milk production was significant, which highlights the importance of a strong udder attachment for efficient milk yield. A notable positive correlation between udder width and milk production indicates that wider udders yield more milk in shorter periods. The study findings indicate that larger udder cisterns, particularly on the left side, are associated with greater milk production. As ewes age and progress through lactations, udder morphology improves, facilitating better milkability. These findings provide a scientific basis for the use of specific udder traits in the selection of ewes with enhanced milk production potential for the Lacaune breed.

Linear scores and measures of both udder and teat shape and size (thirteen traits) were assessed in 83 ewes of Improved Valachian breed (IV) and in crossbreds with East Friesian breed (EF 25% or EF 50%). At the same time, cistern measures and cross-section areas (fourteen traits) as well as milk yield and milkability were scanned using ultrasound technique or measured in the same individuals (130 measurements in each trait). Crossbreds with EF 50% had the largest udders in terms of depth, width, and height, as determined by either a nine-point linear score or exact measurements. Additionally, these crossbreds had teats that were more horizontally placed and the most appropriate udder attachment and shape. more horizontally and most appropriate udder attachment and shape. Ultrasound scans revealed that the areas of both the left and right udder cisterns scanned by ultrasound were the highest in EF 50% crosses. Overall cistern cross-section areas scanned from the side were 2934.6 mm2 in IV, 2932.6 mm2 in crosses of EF 25% and 3559.4 mm2 in crosses of EF 50% (P<0.05). Crossbreds of EF 50% had more appropriate machine milked milk and total milk yield (311.1 and 424.7 ml) than purebred IV (231.8 and 336.1 ml; P>0.05). On average, the proportion of machine-stripped milk was 33.2%, and non-significant influence of genotype was shown. Furthermore, all traits under study showed non significant differences between crosses of EF 25% and 50%.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a severe and currently incurable disease that is associated with irreversible fibrotic remodeling of the lung parenchyma. Pathological remodeling of the lung leads to damage of the alveolo-capillary barrier. There is a reduction in the diffusing capacity of the lungs for respiratory gases. Later, changes in the mechanical properties of lung tissue occur - their compliance decreases and respiratory work increases. Impaired respiratory gases exchange with restrictive ventilatory failure lead to tissue hypoxia and muscle weakness. Progressive respiratory insufficiency develops. The triggers of fibrotic remodeling of the lung are currently unknown, as are the pathomechanisms that keep this process active. IPF can only be slowed pharmacologically, not reversed. It is therefore very important to start its treatment as soon as possible. Early detection of IPF patients requires a multidisciplinary approach. Diagnosis, treatment initiation, and monitoring in specialized centers offer the best chance of slowing disease progression, enhancing quality of life, and extending patient survival. In addition to antifibrotic therapy, good lifestyle management, maintenance of physical fitness and treatment of associated chronic diseases such as diabetes and cardiac comorbidities are important. Lung transplantation is an option for some patients with IPF. This is a challenging treatment modality, requiring close collaboration with transplant centers and expert selection of suitable candidates, influenced, among other things, by the availability of suitable donor lungs. Our article aims to provide current information about IPF, focusing on its functional consequences and clinical manifestation. We discuss the molecular and cellular mechanisms potentially involved in IPF development, as well as the morphological changes observed in lung biopsies and high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) images. Finally, we summarize the existing treatment options.

The article reports the case of a patient with bronchopulmonary sequestration complicated by destructive actinomycotic inflammation leading to life-threatening hemoptysis. It was an adult patient with the history of repeated right-sided pneumonia the cause of which had not been investigated in detail in the past. Only hemoptysis, which appeared as a complication, led to a closer investigation of the background of repeated right-sided pneumonia. CT scan of the chest revealed a lesion of the middle lobe of the right lung with anomalous vascularization - compatible with intralobar sequestration. Initially, conservative antibiotic treatment of pneumonia was provided at a local clinic. Embolization of the afferent vessels of the sequestrum was indicated due to persistent hemoptysis; this led to a reduction of its blood supply, proven by a follow-up CT examination of the chest. Clinically, the hemoptysis subsided. Three weeks later, the hemoptysis reocurred. The patient was acutely hospitalized at a specialized thoracic surgery department where shortly after admission, hemoptysis progressed to life-threatening hemoptea. Urgent middle lobectomy of the right lung was approached via thoracotomy to treat the source of bleeding. The case describes unrecognized bronchopulmonary sequestration as a possible cause of recurrent ipsilateral pneumonia in adulthood; additionally, it emphasizes the possible risks associated with a pathologically altered tissue microenvironment of pulmonary sequestration, and the need for surgical removal in all indicated cases.

INTRODUCTION:Determination of somatic cell counts (SCC) becomes more and more important also for ewe's milk. SCC can be a useful indicator of milk quality for milk processors while it can be a mastitis indicator for sheep keepers and an important selection criterion for breeders. The objective of our study was to acquire basic information about factors influencing SCC variability in lambing ewes of the Tsigai (T) and Improved Valachian (IV) breeds. Somatic cell counts (SCC) were determined in 866 milk samples in 2017 and 2018, during lamb sucking and during milking period. An instrument Fossomatic 90 (Foss Electric, Hillerød, Denmark) was used for analysis. Average SCC varied from 270 to 1897 × 103 cells/ml during lamb sucking and from 268 to 2139 × 103 cells/ml during milking period. Differences between the sampling periods were statistically significant in 2017. An increase in SCC was observed at the end of both sucking and milking periods. An overall evaluation of lactation brought about the average SCC at 364 × 103 cells/ml in 2017 (log(10) SCC - 2,25) and at 1,091 × 103 cells/ml in 2018 (log(10) SCC - 2,68). The indicator log(10) was significantly influenced by breed in 2017 (T - 2,61; IV - 2,75). The effect of lactation number and number of sucking lambs did not have any significant influence on SCC.

The nutritional quality of beef relates to the fatty acid (FA) composition of bovine adipose tissue. Those molecular mechanisms that induce the differing amounts and composition of fat in cattle breeds according to age at maturity and purpose of production remain unclear. Therefore, this study investigated the composition of total FAs, adipocyte size, and expression of some key genes involved in several adipogenesis and lipogenesis pathways measured in distinct adipose tissue depots from bulls of the genetically diverse cattle breeds Aberdeen Angus (n = 9), Gascon (n = 10), Holstein (n = 9), and Fleckvieh (n = 10). The animals were finished under identical housing and feeding conditions until slaughter at a similar age of 17 months. After slaughter, cod adipose tissue (CAT), subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT), and M. longissimus lumborum (MLL) samples were collected. The saturated FA proportions were higher (P < .01) in CAT than in SAT across all breeds, whereas monounsaturated FA proportions were consistently higher (P < .001) in SAT compared to CAT and MLL. Aberdeen Angus bulls were distinguished from the other breeds in the proportions of mostly de novo synthesized C14:0, C16:0, C14:1n-5, C16:1n-7, and conjugated linoleic acid (P < .05). Adipocyte size decreased in the order CAT > SAT > MLL, and the largest adipocytes were observed in CAT of Holstein bulls (P < .05). Gene expression differences were more pronounced between adipose tissue depots than between breeds. The expression levels of ACACA, FASN, and SCD1 genes were related to tissue-specific, and to a lesser extent also breed-specific, differences in FA composition.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of dilution of broiler diet with cracked maize on performance and intestinal morphology. In total 576 male Ross 308 broiler chickens (10 day old) were used in the study. Animals according to a completely randomized trial were assigned to four treatment groups with 8 replications each. Diets differeing in cracked maize levels were: 1) control (CON) - without cracked maize, 2) low dilution rate (LDR) - CON + 4 (day 10-20 of age, 1st period), 8 (days 21-30 of age, 2nd period) and 12% (day 31-42 of age, 3rd period) of cracked maize, 3) medium dilution rate (MDR) - CON + 6 (1st period), 12 (2nd period) and 20% (3rd period) of cracked maize, 4) high dilution rate (HDR) - CON +6 (1st period), 15 (2nd period) and 25% (3rd period) of cracked maize. Body weight gain and feed intake did not differ between treatments. Feed conversion ratio was positively affected in the treatments diluted with cracked maize. These effects were visible in the higher relative weight of gizzard and villi height in the duodenum and ileum (P < 0.05) in groups fed LDR, MDR and HDR diets in comparison to those fed CON diet.

Viral glossitis is an uncommon condition in an immunocompetent patient. We reported a patient with developed painful pseudo-membranes on the tongue. The diagnosis showed multiple viral infections. The patient promptly responded to antiviral therapy. Multiple viral infections should no longer be considered as a diagnosis only in immunosuppressed patients, but in healthy persons as well.

SUMMARY MtDNA from the skeletal remains of two bodies buried in the grave No. F44 from Nitra-Šindolka (woman and child) was analysed. Cemeteries in Šindolka belong to the Bijelo Brdo culture, where Slavs and Magyars were buried in the 10th - 11th centuries. Surprisingly, the analysis of mtDNA has shown no maternal relationship between buried persons, since the woman belongs to haplogroup T1a and the child to haplogroup J. Since both haplogroups can be found in Near Eastern and European populations at similar frequencies, the tested samples from the tomb No. F44 cannot be clearly assigned to ethnic origin.

The aim of this study was to demonstrate the histochemical and histopathological alterations in the livers of cows with a tendency to become emaciated (body condition score - BCS1 and 2) and a tendency to become fattened (BCS4 and 5) in comparison to the cows of average body condition (BCS3) presented as a control. The histochemical analysis (PAS reaction) showed that the influence of emaciation and fattening in our study was manifested by a decreased occurrence of glycogen and a decreased level of the PAS-positive matter in the hepatocytes of dairy cows with BCS1, 2, 4 and 5. An abundant accumulation of lipids in the form of large lipid droplets, liposomes and lipoproteins observed in the hepatocytes of emaciated and fattened (BCS1 and 5) cows may be related to moderate-severe steatosis. These observations suggest a relationship between liver steatosis and the occurrence of lipoproteins in cows with a tendency toward emaciation and fattening.

The mismatch repair gene MLH1 is a gene encoding the mismatch repair protein MutL homolog 1 (MLH1), important for repairing mutations generated during DNA replication. MLH1 absence has been observed in human gastrointestinal tumours as well as tumours of the female reproductive tract. We describe the functions of MLH 1 in cell cycle regulation and DNA mismatch repair. In this sense we discuss foriegn knowledges, in which the canine colon adencarcinoma is less frequently diagnosed in Czech and Slovak regions. We briefly described a molecular mechanism of evolution of MSI+ and MSI- colorectal carcinomas in human, and this was confronted with the current opinion of canine colon adenocarcinomas. We suppose that canine colon adenocarcinomas may occur in higher frequency, but they are underdiagnosed in the clinical veterinary practice. At the end, we describe two cases of dogs diagnosed with colorectal adenocarcinoma. The authors propose the centralized collection of colon adenocarcinoma samples from dogs, in one reference veterinary histopathological laboratory, which would analyse mismatch repair proteins.

Hyponatremia can be defined like the low sodium concentration, lower that 135 mmol/l. It becomes really serious when the concentration is lower than 120 mmol/l. The most frequent causes of hyponatremia are: the extrarenal loss (GIT, skin, bleeding, sequestration), the renal loss (diuretics, nephritis with the salt loss, osmotical diuresis, the Addison disease), hypothyroidism, the lack of glucocorticoids, emotional stress, pain, pseudohyponatremia (incorrect taking, dyslipoproteinemia). There is fatigue, exhaustion, headache and vertigoes dominating in the clinical record file. By the deficit increasing a patient becomes delirious, comatose even with the shock development. It is necessary to separate sufficient supply of sodium from much more often reason, which is loss of sodium which can be caused by: excessive sweating, vomitting with the metabolical alkalosis development, diarrhoea with the metabolical acidosis development, renal losses (a phase of renal failure). Treatment of hyponatremia: intensive treatment starts at the level of plasmatic concentration of sodium under 120 mmol/l or when neurological symptoms of brain oedema are present. In the therapy it is necessary to avoid fast infusions of hypertonic saline solutions (3-5% NaCl solutions) because of the danger of the development of serious CNS complications (intracranial bleeding, etc.). It is recommended to adjust the plasmatic concentration of sodium up to 120 mmol/l during the first four hours and a subsequent correction should not be higher than 2 mmol per an hour. Treatment of the basic illness is very important. We present 2 case histories: a 74-year old female patient and a 69-year old female patient both with the hyponatremia caused by taking of carbamazepine. We want to inform and warn about not only a well known side effect during long-term treatment but about hyponatremia that arose within 48 hours after the start of taking medicine as well.

Idiopaticka retroperitonealna fibroza (IRF) je zriedkave ochorenie charakterizovane vývojom sklerotickeho tkaniva okolo aorty, ilických ciev a casto obrasta struktury ako uretery a v. cava inferior. Najcastejsie sa prejavuje vo veku 40-60 rokov, dominuje mužske pohlavie. Vo vacsine pripadov sa klinický obraz prejavuje ako kompresivny syndrom ureterov, preto aj prve zname pripady boli opisane urologmi. V tejto kazuistike prezentujeme pripad 37-rocneho pacienta vysetrovaneho pre pretrvavajuce febrility do 38 °C a vysoku zapalovu aktivitu, napriek empiricky nasadenej antibiotickej liecbe. Pozitronova emisna tomografia (PET) ukazala miesto zvýsenej metabolizacie fluorodeoxyglukozy s maximom paraaortalne vľavo. Pri mikroskopickom vysetreni odobrateho ložiska boli najdene zmeny, ktore pri komplexnom zhodnoteni klinickeho obrazu, zobrazovacich vysetrovacich metod a histologickeho nalezu umožnili stanoviť diagnozu - idiopaticka retroperitonealna fibroza - Ormondova choroba.

Even though guidelines for diagnosing celiac disease have been compiled and accepted by a number of expert associations, this disease continues to be under-diagnosed in children and, particularly, in adults. This is even though numerous scientific papers, short case studies and review papers have been published highlighting this issue and consensually supporting screening methods. In addition, research results by reputable Czech and Slovak authors suggest that, at present, only a small proportion of all cases of celiac disease are correctly diagnosed. Considering this, methods to diagnose the disease in its initial stage are continuously being sought. Biopsy of the mucosa of the small intestine remains the gold standard when diagnosing celiac disease. Within the targeted diagnostic algorithm, less invasive techniques should precede biopsy. These are applied mainly in cases of atypical forms of the disease and are based on an examination of serum autoantibodies. Their application and use is advantageous from many perspectives. However, practical clinical experience showed that they are not always sufficiently specific and sensitive. Using their own experience and published literature, the authors discuss the issues of screening and diagnosing celiac disease. It is obvious that targeted screening will undoubtedly uncover new, mainly atypical forms of celiac disease, while some cases shall remain undiagnosed. The diagnosis of celiac disease can be made on the basis of clinical, laboratory and histopathological correlation, respecting possible difficulties.

Idiopathic retroperitoneal fibrosis (IRF) is a rare condition characterized by the development of fibrotic tissue around the abdominal aorta and iliac arteries and often involves structures as ureters and the inferior vena cava. The age at onset of signs and symptoms is between 40-60 years, males predominane over females. In most cases the clinical manifestation is presented as compressive syndrom of ureters, therefore the first known cases were described by urologists. In this report we present the case of 37-years old male examinated for persistent fever about 38 degrees C and high inflammatory activity in spite of empiric antibiotic therapy. Positron emission tomography (PET) showed locality of high metabolic activity of fluorodeoxyglucose with maximum paraaortal left. Microscopic examination of extracted mass showed presence of fibrous and inflammatory components. With clinical presentation, imaging and histological findings we made out the diagnosis of idiopathic retroperitoneal fibrosis--morbus Ormond.

In this study morphological and histochemical parameters of the striated skeletal muscle of pigs of the Slovak large White breed was analyzed. New-born, one-day-old (1-day), three-day-old (3-day), eighteen-day-old (18-day), forty-eight-day-old (48-day), eighty-four-day-old (84-day), one-hundred-twenty-day-old (120-day), one-hundred-ninety-two-day-old (192-day) and finally onethousand-fifty-five-day-old pigs (1055-day) were used for this purpose. Samples from the three muscles m. triceps brachii (MTB), m. longissimus dorsi et lumborum (MLD) and m. rectus femoris (MRF) were. The samples were collected by necropsy, fixed in liquid nitrogen and sliced on a freezing microtome. All the samples were stained with hematoxylin-eosin, toluidine blue, oil red “0”, and succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) was used for differentiation of individual types of muscle fibres. Myogenesis is completed in the third day of the post-natal life of pigs. The creation of new muscle fibres is limited by the number of satellite cells which persist among muscle fibre populations. From birth up to eighteen days of post-natal growth, only red muscle fibres were detected, and white muscle fibres were manifested from the forty-eighth day (48-day) of post-natal growth. White muscle fibres were larger in diameter. The shape of muscle fibres changed with the growth in thickness from oval to angular shape. When pigs were growing, the proportion of interstitial connective tissue to muscle tissue remained in favour of muscle tissue. The results show the craniocaudal increase of muscle fibre thickness from MTB through MLD to MRF.

Celiac disease is frequently a reason for the poor health children, but it also occurs in adults. This disease remains underdiagnosed, and not only in the Slovak and the Czech Republic populations. This is atypical celiac disease with extraintestinal symptomatology. This persistence is often recognized only after relapse. With regard to seeking out risk groups with atypical forms of the disease, there is the possibility of looking for various alternatives and combinations. Early diagnosis is possible and is preferred in clinical practice in the initial stage of the disease. In this work attention is given to the diagnostics of celiac disease in bioptic practice. A group of 40 newly-diagnosed patients--20 children with typical and 20 adult patients with atypical celiac disease--was selected. All the patients were examined by an expert gastroenterologist. Children and adolescents had typical symptoms, which were clinically expressed as celiac disease. Nevertheless, adult populations were repeatedly investigated without definitive diagnosis. Blood samples were taken for antiendomysial antibody detection, and after a positive result a biopsy of the duodenum was performed. Samples sent for histopathological examination were returned with the diagnostic conclusion of celiac disease. From a subjective point of view, there are no distinctions between the results, and some distinctions exist only in the clinical manifestations of the disease. With a view to increasing the diagnosis of celiac disease, various possibilities are described in this work, possibilities which remain within the specialty of pathology. The basic objective of this study was early, complex diagnosis of celiac disease in its typical and also atypical form. Among the methods are screening antibodies, histochemistry, immunohistochemistry and also electronmicroscopy. In selected parts of the work we present various considerations on the diagnosis of celiac disease, including our own recommendations for bioptic practice.

Non-invasive examination methods are increasingly important in diagnosing celiac disease. New options for diagnosing celiac disease have been discovered in addition to the established biochemical, hematological and other methods as a result expansive progress ofclinical genetics and immunology. At the same time, detection of circulating auto-antibodies is becoming ever more frequent in clinical practice. As a result, many new, clinically highly heterogeneous cases of the disease have been diagnosed and consequently the prevalence of the disease in both child and adult population has grown. Detection of anti-endomysial antibodies (AEA), characteristic for their high sensitivity and specificity, plays an important role in diagnosing and monitoring celiac disease in pediatric practice. Nevertheless, histopathological diagnosis remains the critical tool for definitive diagnosis of the disease. The article refers to relations between the degree of positivity of AEA and JAB antibodies in the IgA class and the respective grade in the Marsh grading system. The objective of the study was to examine AEA and JAB antibodies and the histological picture of the duodenal mucosa in 20 children and adolescents with celiac disease aged from 2 to 18 years. The authors developed a semiquantitative scale of positivity of both the antibodies, which they compared trying to find a correlation between these and the histopathological picture of the duodenal mucosa. The authors point out the need of timely determination of AEA and t-TG (tissue transglutaminase) in patients whose anamnesis, clinical picture or laboratory results may be indicative of celiac disease.

Celiac disease is associated with permanent intolerance to gluten, which is found in some cereals. The symptoms of the disease are often nonconspicuous and the course of the disease is atypical. With the introduction of serological markers as a sensitive method of testing new cases of the disease were identified. Despite of the increased screening intensity among children and adults celiac disease in our region is still underdiagnosed. The article deals with the diagnostics of celiac disease in adults with functional dyspeptic syndrome. It is based on the laboratory and pathological correlation of 25 patients. Our aim was to identify the group at risk with functional dyspeptic syndrome and celiac disease. This disease can show symptoms from the onset all the way to relapse. Each person was examined by a gastroenterologist while hospitalized in the relevant department. In addition to the routine serological testing, blood samples were taken and sent for antiendomyzial antibody testing for positive reaction verification. A subsequent gastrointestinal examination was done and samples taken from the duodenum were sent for histology. Light microscopy analysis showed mucous damage typical for celiac disease, which is expressed with the levels of the Marsh histological grading. In closing, we recommend a three-step approach to goal-oriented screening of celiac disease. Determination of autoantibody against tissue transglutaminase, if positive, then biopsy from the aboral duodenum, and consequently follow-up by testing for antiendomyzial antibody.