Subconjunctival cyst associated with Thelazia gulosa in a calf.

A large subconjunctival cyst of 4 weeks' duration was surgically excised from the left eye of a 7-month-old Simmental calf. Two white, partially mineralized, approximately 1-cm-long, fertile female nematodes subsequently identified as Thelazia gulosa were found embedded in the cyst wall. Thelazia spp are generally regarded as nonpathogenic or mildly pathogenic in cattle in North America, despite reported infection rates ranging from 12.2 to 34.2%. Additionally, parasitic subconjunctival nodules associated with Thelazia spp rarely have been reported in the past, and cyst formation has not been described. It was postulated that in this calf, immature or adult worms may have penetrated normal tissue barriers, or entered via an earlier conjunctival wound, and created an inflammatory response with subsequent cyst formation.     

Ovarian follicular characteristics, embryo recovery, and embryo viability in heifers fed high-fat diets and treated with follicle-stimulating hormone.

Postpubertal beef heifers (n = 55) were used to examine the effects of high-fat diets, independently of energy intake, on nonesterified fatty acid and lipoprotein metabolic patterns, ovarian follicular dynamics, and embryo recovery/viability after FSH superstimulation. High-lipid (HL) diets (5.4% added fat) increased (P < .01) serum concentrations of cholesterol, but not of nonesterified fatty acids, during the 35-d period before FSH treatment. Development of medium-sized (5 to 9.9 mm) follicles was enhanced (P < .05) during this period in heifers fed the HL diet. The HL diet increased total cholesterol (P < .05) and progesterone (P = .14) concentrations in follicular fluid obtained at ovariectomy (n = 10) 60 h after the onset of FSH treatment, but neither estradiol-17 beta nor androstenedione was affected. Granulosa cells recovered from FSH-induced, estrogen-active follicles in heifers fed the HL diet produced greater quantities of progesterone (P = .06) and less estradiol-17 beta (P < .05) in vitro than did granulosa cells from heifers fed the normal lipid diet. Dietary treatment did not influence FSH-stimulated recruitment of medium and large follicles, number of ovulations, embryo recovery, or embryo viability. Data suggest that increments in dietary fat intake can alter specific aspects of ovarian steroidogenic potential and can increase the population of medium-sized follicles theoretically available for maturation and harvest during the estrous cycle. However, conditions that limited the latter process in the current experiment are not understood and require further investigation.     

Surgical treatment of dorsal cortical fractures of the third metacarpal bone in thoroughbred racehorses: 53 cases (1985-1989).

Between January 1985 and May 1989, 53 Thoroughbred horses (mean age 3.2 years) were surgically treated for dorsal cortical fractures of the third metacarpal bone (MC III). All horses were treated with cortical drilling through the fracture line (osteostixis). Diagnosis of the fractures was confirmed by xeroradiography. Lifetime racing records were obtained for all horses. Forty-seven horses returned to racing after surgery (89%). The mean time between surgery and the first race was 6.8 months. Horses had a mean of 10.9 starts before surgery and 16.1 starts after surgery. The mean earnings per start before surgery was $6,459 and after surgery was $5,685. Of the 47 horses that raced after surgery, 70% raced at the same class or improved. Complications related to surgery were seen in 10 horses. Two horses had a second fracture of MC III at the same site, and were again treated by osteostixis, after which both horses returned to competition. Fractured drill bits were left in the MC III of 4 horses. One of these horses had catastrophic failure of MC III. Two horses developed subcutaneous infections and 2 horses had catastrophic failure of MC III in the surgically treated limb. Osteostixis appears to be an effective treatment for returning horses affected with dorsal cortical fractures to racing.     

Analysis of glycoprotein I (gI) negative and aberrant pseudorabies viral diagnostic isolates.

Glycoprotein I (gI) phenotypes and genotypes of 4 pseudorabies viral diagnostic isolates were evaluated by use of in vitro DNA amplification, monoclonal antibody binding, gI-specific serodiagnostic responses, and in vivo virulence approaches. Three viruses were avirulent and did not elicit gI-specific serologic responses, react with gI-specific monoclonal antibodies, or contain gI epitope-encoding DNA sequences. The fourth virus was virulent and did elicit a gI-specific serodiagnostic response. Compared with reference virulent pseudorabies viruses, however, the fourth isolate had reduced reactivity with a group of gI monoclonal antibodies and had a single nucleotide sequence substitution with a corresponding putative amino acid change in the epitopically dominant portion of the gI molecule. Presumably, the first 3 isolates represented diagnostic recoveries of viruses derived from gI-deleted modified-live pseudorabies viral vaccines, whereas the fourth isolate was a virulent but gI-aberrant wild-type virus. Thoroughly assessing the gI status of pseudorabies viral diagnostic isolates was considered to be essential in evaluating the epidemiologic importance of these viruses and in monitoring the validity of gI-based vaccine companion tests now used worldwide in pseudorabies control and eradication programs.     

Pulmonary artery and aortic pressure changes during high intensity treadmill exercise in the horse: effect of frusemide and phentolamine.

Intravenous frusemide (1.0 mg/kg bwt) or phentolamine (0.33 mg/kg bwt) was given to 7 horses 1 h before exercise and their effects on pulmonary artery and aortic pressure changes during strenuous exercise were examined. Short-term near-maximal treadmill exercise (10 m/sec, 3 degrees incline) produced increases in heart rate, mean pulmonary artery pressure (PAP), mean aortic pressure (AP), and packed cell volume (PCV). Frusemide did not affect heart rate, PAP or PCV during exercise. Frusemide significantly decreased mean AP by 10 to 15 mmHg during exercise. Phentolamine produced an increase in heart rate relative to control only early in exercise but not during later, more strenuous, exercise. Phentolamine had no statistically significant effect on AP, PAP, or PCV, but a significant reduction was observed between 180 and 230 sec of exercise when PAP and AP were standardised against heart rate. Frusemide did not prevent horses from haemorrhaging during exercise in this study. Treatment with phentolamine did not sufficiently reduce the PAP and AP to test our hypothesis that a reduction in PAP and AP would eliminate EIPH.     

Maturation of functional antibody affinity in animals immunised with synthetic foot-and-mouth disease virus.

A good correlation exists between specific neutralising antibody titre and protection against challenge with foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) in infected or virus-vaccinated cattle, but not in the case of animals immunised with synthetic FMDV peptides. Therefore, mechanisms other than simple neutralisation are likely to be important in vivo. Antibody affinity may influence the protective capacity of sera from immunised animals and experiments were carried out to measure the functional affinity for synthetic FMDV peptide of sera from guinea pigs and cattle given various synthetic vaccines. In guinea pigs given a single dose of synthetic vaccine, antibody affinity increased with time after immunisation. In cattle, however, administration of a second dose of peptide 21 days after the first markedly retarded the process of affinity maturation. For guinea pig sera of equivalent neutralising activity, those of higher functional affinity had higher protective indices than those of lower functional affinity. Knowledge of the importance of antibody affinity in protection against FMD is important for an improved understanding of the mechanisms of protection and for the design of novel vaccines.     

Use of an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (elisa) in the detection of channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus (Rafinesque), antibodies to Edwardsiella ictaluri

Abstract. The use of an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay ( elisa ) for the detection of channel catfish antibody to Edwardsiella ictaluri is described. Changes in agglutination titre in fish immunized with Edwardsiella ictaluri heat killed whole bacterins or lipopolysaccharides were reflected by corresponding changes in elisa readings. Relatively high correlations were observed among elisa OD readings, computed elisa titres and corresponding agglutination titres.     

Serum amyloid A protein (SAA) in horses: objective measurement of the acute phase response

A sensitive and precise immunoassay for equine serum amyloid A protein (SAA) was established and used to determine, for the first time, the circulating concentration of this protein in health and disease. As in other species, equine SAA was present only at trace levels in healthy animals but behaved as an extremely sensitive and rapidly responding acute phase reactant following most forms of tissue injury, infection and inflammation, objectively reflecting the extent and activity of disease. Measurements of SAA should make a significant contribution to diagnosis and management of viral and bacterial infection in horses, and routine serial assays could provide an objective criterion for monitoring prospectively the general health of horses in training and racing.