We studied the temporal relationships and the patterns of electromyographic activities of the posterior cricoarytenoid and thyreoarytenoid muscles (laryngeal abductor and adductor), the diaphragm and abdominal muscles in anesthetized cats during mechanically induced tracheobronchial and laryngopharyngeal coughs, expiration and aspiration reflexes. The posterior cricoarytenoid muscle activity reached the maxima just before the peak of diaphragmatic activity in both types of cough and aspiration reflexes and slightly before the top of abdominal muscle activity in coughs and the expiration reflex. Thus, this muscle contributes to the inspiratory phase of coughs and aspiration reflex and also to the expulsive phase of coughs and the expiration reflex. The thyreoarytenoid muscle presented strong discharges in the compressive phase of coughs and expiration reflex (during the rising part of the abdominal muscle activity) and in the subsequent laryngoconstriction (following the diaphragmal and/or abdominal muscle activity) in all four reflexes. This muscle was also slightly activated at the beginning of the aspiration reflex. The existence of four phases of the cough reflex is also discussed., I. Poliaček, A. Stránsky, J. Jakuš, H. Baráni, Z. Tomori, E. Halašová., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Schwarze Katze, weisser Kater. Osteologische Hauskatzenfunde aus dem Mittelalter und der frühen Neuzeit und ein kleiner Exkurs über Katzen in den böhmischen Ländern in jener Zeit aus Sicht des Historikers.
We have tested the hypothesis that neurons of both the ventral reticular nucleus and the adjacent parts of the lateral tegmental field (LTF) may be important for the production of motor programs associated with cough, expiration and aspiration reflexes. Our studies were conducted on non-decerebrate, spontaneously breathing cats under pentobarbitone anesthesia. Dysfunction of the medullary LTF region above the obex, produced by uni- or bilateral injections of kainic acid (a neurotoxin), regularly abolished the cough reflex evoked by mechanical stimulation of both the tracheobronchial and laryngeal regions and in most cases also the expiration reflex induced from the glottal area. However, some electrical activity still occurred in the neurogram of the recurrent laryngeal nerve during probing the laryngeal and glottal regions. Interestingly, the aspiration reflex elicited from the nasopharynx regularly persisted, although with lower intensity after the LTF lesion. Nevertheless, successive midcollicular decerebration performed in four cats also abolished the aspiration reflex. These experiments demonstrate the importance of medullary LTF neurons for the normal occurrence of cough and expiration reflexes. One possible explanation for the elimination of these expulsive processes is that the blockade of the LTF neurons may remove an important source of a facilitatory input to the brainstem circuitries that mediate cough and expiration reflexes. In addition, the potential importance of the mesencephalic reticular formation for the occurrence of the aspiration reflex and the role of the LTF in modulating both the eupnoeic breathing and the blood pressure are also discussed., J. Jakuš, A. Stránsky, I. Poliaček, H. Baráni, Ľ. Bošeľová., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Zoo Brno chová kočky pouštní (Felis margarita) od roku 1998. Celkem bylo dovezeno 6 zvířat (3, 3). První úspěšný odchov dvou samců a dvou samic za trvalé přítomnosti kocoura se podařil v roce 2000. Další odchovy následovaly až v letech 2009 - 14, kdy se v 6 vrzích narodilo celkem 17 mláďat (10, 3, 4), z nichž bylo odchováno 10 (8, 2). Úspěšnost z těchto zaznamenaných vrhů tak dosahuje 59 %., Brno Zoo has been breeding the Sand Cat (Felis margarita) since 1998. A total of 6 individuals (3 males, 3 females) have been imported. The first successful breeding involved two males and two females with the constant presence of a male cat in 2000. Other breeding followed so that in 2009-14 there were 6 litters with a total of 17 young (10, 3, and four of unknown gender), of which 10 were raised (8, 2). Hence the success rate of these litters reaches 59 %., Michal Balcar., and Fotografie M. Balcar