Herpesviral abortion in domestic animals

Abortion or neonatal disease may follow infection with several α, β and γ-herpesviruses. The α-herpesvirus, equid herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1), causes single or epizootic abortions or neonatal deaths in equids, and the closely related virus EHV-4 causes sporadic equine abortions. In cattle, the α-herpesviruses, bovine herpesvirus-1 (infectious bovine rhinotracheitis virus) and bovine herpesvirus-5 (bovine encephalitis virus), and a γ-herpesvirus, bovine herpesvirus-4, have all been implicated as causes of abortion. In pigs, suid herpesvirus-1 (SHV-1: pseudorabies virus), an α-herpesvirus, and SHV-2 (porcine cytomegalovirus), a β-herpesvirus, each cause abortion or neonatal piglet losses. Caprine herpesvirus-1, canine herpesvirus and feline herpesvirus-1, all α-herpesviruses, cause abortions or neonatal deaths in goats, dogs and cats, respectively. This review discusses the pathogenesis, pathology and laboratory diagnosis of these herpesviral abortions and neonatal diseases, with an emphasis on experimental studies of each disease. Alternative reviews covering other aspects of each infection, such as the genetic and antigenic structure of the viruses, host immune responses and approaches to vaccination and disease control are indicated at appropriate points in the text. nts in the text.     

Epidemiological and genetical studies in Norwegian pig herds. II. Overall disease incidence and seasonal variation

The present epidemiological study is based on individual health records from 1984 to 1986 in 70 pig herds in the south-eastern part of Norway. For most of the recorded diseases, the incidence rate was less than 1% per farrowing. The majority of disease recordings concerned 6 frequently-occurring conditions; the MMA-syndrome, mastitis, metritis, neonatal diarhoea, arthritis and scrotal hernia. A seasonal effect on the incidence rate was shown for several diseases. The incidence rate for the MMA-syndrome of about 17.5% seems to be of the highest recorded for this disease in a population study.     

Epidemiological and genetical studies in Norwegian pig herds. IV. Breed effects, recurrence of disease, and relationship between disease and some performance traits

Individual health records collected from 1984 to 1986 in 70 swine-herds in the south-eastern part of Norway were analysed by epidemiological methods. The incidence rate for most of the reported diseases was less than 1% per farrowing, and a majority of disease recordings concerned 6 frequently-occurring conditions. The incidence of several diseases was lower in crossbred sows compared to purebred Norwegian landrace sows. The risk of most diseases increased in sows that had been ill previously, and also in litters from sows that had previously had diseased litters. Disease risk in piglets also increased if the sow became ill during the first few days after farrowing. The reduced performance associated with most of the common diseases impacts adversely on economic returns.     

Frequency of blood type A, B, and AB in 515 domestic shorthair cats from the Lisbon area

Background: The A, B, and AB feline blood types are recognized worldwide and their frequencies vary geographically and among breeds. Frequencies of feline blood types have been reported previously from northern Portugal; however, they are unknown in other parts of the country. Objectives: This 13‐year retrospective study was undertaken to determine the frequency of feline blood types in domestic shorthair (DSH) cats from the Lisbon area of central Portugal. Methods: Blood samples were obtained at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of the Technical University of Lisbon and its Veterinary Blood Bank and at several veterinary clinics in the Lisbon area. Blood‐typing was performed by the classical agglutination assay or using a cartridge assay. Results: The study population comprised 515 DSH cats of both sexes and various ages. Frequencies of blood types A, B, and AB were 97.5%, 2.1%, and 0.4%, respectively. Conclusion: As in other parts of the world, this study showed a clear predominance of type‐A cats in the Lisbon area of Portugal.     

Alteration of myocardial sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ transport protein expression in neonatal hypothyroid rats

AIM: To investigate the alteration of sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca²⁺ transport proteins including sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca²⁺-ATPase 2a(SERCA2a) and phospholamban(PLB) mRNA expression as well as the alteration of myocardial SR Ca²⁺-ATPase activity in neonatal hypothyroid rats, and to explore the effect of levothyroxine(L-T₄) substitution therapy on the above indexes.METHODS: Hypothyroidism was induced by the administration of propylthiouracil (PTU, 50 mg/d) to the pregnant SD rats by gavage beginning on embryonic day 15 and continuing throughout the lactational period. A subgroup of neonatal hypothyroid rats were intraperitoneally injected with L-T₄ levothroxine (20 μg/kg BW daily), starting from the day of birth. Other pregnant SD rats received normal saline instead of PTU. The samples of the rats in all 3 groups were harvested at postnatal day 3, 5 and 7 respectively (n=10). After measurement of serum thyroid hormone levels, the hearts were removed and the ventricles were weighed (HW). The concentration of calcium in ventricular myocardium(ventricular myoCa²⁺) was detected by fluorospectrophotometry and the activity of SR Ca²⁺-ATPase was determined by the inorganic phosphorus method. The mRNA expression of SERCA2a and PLB was also detected by real-time PCR. RESULTS: Neonatal hypothyroid rats had a significant lower level of SERCA2a mRNA (P<0.05) and a higher level of PLB mRNA (P<0.01), and subsequent lower SERCA2a/PLB at each postnatal day (P<0.01) was observed. Compared with hypothyroid group, the mRNA expression of SERCA2a significantly increased (P<0.05) and that of PLB significantly decreased (P<0.05) in L-T₄ treatment group. The concentration of ventricular MyoCa²⁺ in hypothyroid group was significantly higher than that in control group (P<0.01), and that in L-T₄ treatment group showed a significant decrease as compared with hypothyroid group (P<0.05). The activity of sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca²⁺-ATPase in hypothyroid group was significantly lower than that in control group (P<0.01), and that in L-T₄ treatment group showed a significant increase as compared to hypothyroid group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The deficiency of thyroid hormone, resulting in decreased expression of SERCA2a mRNA as well as increased PLB mRNA, contributes to the reduction of SR Ca²⁺-ATPase activity in neonatal rats. This may be one of the most important mechanisms of myocardial systolic and diastolic dysfunctions.     

Intracerebroventricular injection of L-aspartic acid and L-asparagine induces sedative effects under an acute stressful condition in neonatal chicks

The present study was conducted to clarify the central functions of L-aspartic acid (Asp) and L-asparagine (Asn) during an acute stressful condition in chicks. Intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) injection of Asp and Asn (0.84 µmol) attenuated the vocalization that normally occurs during social separation stress. Asp decreased the time spent in active wakefulness and induced sedation. Asn had a similar effect to Asp, although somewhat weaker. However, i.c.v. injection of Asp and Asn further enhanced plasma corticosterone release under social separation stress. Taken together, the i.c.v. injection of Asp and Asn has sedative effects under an acute stressful condition, which does not involve the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis.     

Gastrointestinal nonrotation in a neonatal foal

A 24‐hour‐old Welsh‐Thoroughbred foal presented for routine surgical repair of an abdominal and body wall hernia. The colt became acutely colicky and emergency celiotomy was performed revealing abnormal anatomical configuration of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). Incomplete gastrointestinal rotation is a rare congenital anomaly only described in man. This report describes the clinical and diagnostic findings, surgical and medical treatment, and outcome of a neonatal foal with nonrotation of the GIT.     

Assessment of the equine neonate in ambulatory practice

The ambulatory practitioner is usually the first to evaluate the equine neonate and must assess the foal and determine its health status. If there is suspicion of one or more abnormalities, then the ambulatory veterinarian must initiate appropriate treatment and determine if the foal can be successfully treated in the field or should be referred to a specialty hospital. This article will describe the examination procedure including an accurate history, a comprehensive physical examination, laboratory evaluation and application of point‐of‐care diagnostics. The initial examination is the basis for the correct determination of health or illness and informing the owner of the correct course of action for the neonatal foal.     

Serum Metabolic Analysis of Antemortem Neonatal Goats Using the Approach of UPLC-MS/MS

This study aimed to explore the metabolic differences in sera of antemortem neonatal goats based on an epidemiological perspective. A case-control design was used to discover the metabolic differences in serum between the dead newborn goats suffered from a disease and healthy goats at the same age by using UPLC-MS/MS. A total of 13 compounds were significantly different between healthy and dead newborn goats. KEGG analysis showed that these differential produced metabolites mainly involved the synthesis and catabolism of amino acids. The differential produced metabolites in serum are important for us to understand the agonal reaction at the metabolic level when neonatal goats suffering from a disease. This study also provides an advanced research basis for the establishment of disease-related biomarkers for neonatal goats which may suffer from a disease.     

Pharmacokinetics of hexobarbital, sulphadimidine and chloramphencoliin neonatal and young pigs.

Half-life and apparent specific volume of distribution of hexobarbital, sulphadimidine and chloramphenicol were investigated in newborn, 1, 3, 5 and 8 weeks old pigs. Hexobarbital sleeping time and plasma concentration of hexobarbital at recovery were measured in the same age groups. The half-life of hexobarbital and chloramphenicol was long in newborn pigs but decreased fast during the first week after birth. From 1 to 8 weeks after birth the decrease was less pronounced. The half-life of sulphadimidine increased during the first 3 weeks of life, but in 1 and 3 weeks old pigs the amount of N⁴-acetylated sulphadimidine in plasma at 200 min. after the injection was higher than in the newborn pigs.The apparent specific volume of distribution of hexobarbital, sulphadimidine and chloramphenicol was changed in different ways from birth to 8 weeks of age.The hexobarbital sleeping time was very long in the newborn pigs and decreased until 3 weeks of age. The concentration of hexobarbital in plasma at recovery was unchanged from birth to 8 weeks of age.The concentration of chloramphenicol metabolites in plasma 100 min. after the injection increased very fast during the 8 weeks of observation. The concentration of N⁴-acetylated sulphadimidine in plasma at 200 min. after the injection increased from birth to 1 week of age, then it decreased.The data are stressing that the neonatal pig is a convenient model for pharmacokinetic testing of drugs used as pharmacotherapeutics in neonatal life.