Mammary carcinoma arising in an adenoma in a ewe

A large, firm, multi-cystic mammary gland mass grew slowly over 4 y in a 12-y-old, female Finn–Shetland cross sheep. A diagnosis of epithelial malignancy was suspected following fine-needle aspiration cytology at 30 mo after initial observation. The sheep was euthanized when the flock was downsized 18 mo later. A field postmortem examination revealed a large mammary mass, but an absence of metastases to internal organs. Imprint cytology of the mammary tissue supported a benign proliferative process. Histologically, mammary tissue was obliterated by cystic, tubular, and papillary adenomatous arrangements of mammary epithelium, with an anaplastic component, consistent with mammary carcinoma arising in an adenoma. IHC showed strong nuclear positivity to the antibody against progesterone receptor and minimal positivity to the antibody against estrogen receptor alpha expression. Intrinsic subtyping for basal or luminal epithelial origin was attempted through adaptation of companion animal IHC classification panels; high- and low-molecular-weight cytokeratins (CK5, CK8, CK18) failed to stain, but p63 expression for basal epithelium was positive.     

THE EFFECT OF A COMBINATION OF MEDETOMIDINE-BUTORPHANOL AND MEDETOMIDINE, BUTORPHANOL, ATROPINE ON GLOMERULAR FILTRATION RATE IN DOGS

The effects of intramuscularly administered medetomidine and butorphanol (MB), and medetomidine, butorphanol, atropine (MBA) on glomerular filtration rate (GFR) were determined in six dogs as measured by 99m-Tc-labeled diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (99mTc-DTPA) nuclear scintigraphy. Direct systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial blood pressures and heart rate were measured at regular time intervals before, during, and after GFR calculations. The mean GFR measurement following MB was significantly greater (4.44 ml/min/kg) than following MBA (3.82 ml/min/kg) or saline treatment (3.41 ml/min/kg). There was no significant difference between the mean GFR measurements following MBA injection and following saline injection. Diastolic and mean arterial pressures following MBA injection were significantly higher than the values recorded after either MB or saline alone. Heart rate following MB administration was significantly lower than that recorded for dogs receiving MBA or saline alone. The results of this study indicate that the administration of medetomidine in combination with butorphanol significantly increases total GFR in healthy dogs, while the administration of the combination of medetomidine, butorphanol, and atropine does not.     

Riding arenas and different riding track surfaces in relation to the airway contamination in horses. Laboratory studies on riding surfaces]

29 samples of commonly used surfaces were tested for their water characteristics (litre weight, water capacity, water binding, water evaporation) and their contribution to airborne fungal spores (dust formation, dust setting). The results are discussed in comparison to the literature with regard to the environment. The results are: 1. Any surface--no matter of what material--eventually causes air pollution with fungal spores and dust. 2. Correct watering prevents air pollution by any surface. 3. Artificial products have no advantage over natural materials in the parameters tested. 4. The question of proper disposal of old surface material has to be clarified before purchase. The results show that a mixture of sand and wood shavings should be recommended as a surface for indoor arenas, especially in regard to environmental protection and proper disposal.     

The phenomenon of stress: Concepts and mechanisms associated with stress-induced responses of the neuroendocrine system

Stress, stressors and the stress response are terms which represent concepts rather than oeing precisely definable. No single theory of stress has been universally accepted. Selye's General Adaptation Syndrome of stress remains the primary theory for the basis of stress research in food-producing animals; however, other concepts and theories have been developed. This paper reviews current theories and suggests that the complexity of research on stress in food-producing animals can be attributed to the lack of concrete theories and concepts regarding identifiable stressors, the endocrine responses stimulated by potential stressors and the complex and integrated biological changes in the neuro-endocrine system resulting from exposure to hypothesized stressors.     

The effects of low voltage current on healing of thermal third degree wounds.

Bilateral third degree burns were created on the flanks of eight miniature swine. Each animal had one side treated daily with low intensity direct (LIDC) of 400 microamperes (muA) by contact electrode for 2 hours morning and afternoon until healing occurred. The polarity of the electrode was negative in 4 pigs and positive in 4 pigs. One group of 4 pigs had the eschar surgically removed 24 hours post burn. Weekly biopsies and cultures were taken of treated and control wounds. Results indicated: local treatment of 400 muA LIDC did not hasten or delay healing of thermal third degree burns; escharectomy hastened wound healing by 10 days, and superficial proteus infection occurred in 80% of all wounds.     

Isomerization and Beckmann rearrangement reactions in the metabolism of methomyl in rats

Methomyl {S-methyl-N-[(methylcarbamoyl)oxy]thioacetimidate}, also known as Lannate, may exist in two geometric configurations but the more stable syn isomer is the form applied as an insecticide. In the rat, syn[¹⁴CN]methomyl [CH₃S(CH₃)CNOC(O)NHCH₃] was metabolized to respiratory ¹⁴CO₂ and $\text{CH}{}_3{}^{14}\text{CN}$ in a ratio of about 2 to 1. Studies with the anti isomer showed that it was metabolized predominately to $\text{CH}{}_3{}^{14}\text{CN}$. These and other data are presented supporting the contention that syn methomyl is partially isomerized to the anti isomer in the animal prior to the hydrolysis of the ester linkage. After hydrolysis, the syn oxime [CH₃S(CH₃)¹⁴CNOH] is further metabolized to ¹⁴CO₂ while the anti oxime is metabolized to $\text{CH}{}_3{}^{14}\text{CN}$. Proposed immediate precursors to the carbon dioxide and acetonitrile, formed by Beckmann rearrangement of the syn and anti oximes, are CH₃S¹⁴C(O)NHCH₃ and $\text{[}\text{CH}{}_3{}^{\mathrm{14\oplus }}\text{CNSCH}{}_3\text{]x}{}^{\mathrm{?}}$, respectively.     

Physiologic races ofFusarium oxysporum f.sp.melonis in the southeastern anatolia region of turkey and varietal reactions to races of the pathogen

Thirty-four isolates ofFusarium oxysporum f.sp.melonis (F.o.m.) obtained from 205 fields in melon-producing areas in the southeastern Anatolia Region of Turkey were identified on the basis of colony morphology and pathogenicity by the root dip method. In this region the mean prevalence of wilt disease was 88.1% and the mean incidence of disease was 47.5%. Physiologic races 0, 1, 2, and 1,2 of the pathogen were determined by their reactions on differential melon cultivars ‘Charentais T,’ ‘Isoblon’, ‘Isovac’ and ‘Margot’ in the greenhouse. Race 1,2, representating 58.8% (20/34) of all isolates, was widely distributed. Of the other pathogenic isolates, eight were identified as race 0, five as race 1, and one as race 2. This is the first report of physiologic races ofF.o.m. in Turkey. Of 44 melon cultivars tested in the greenhouse for resistance toF.o.m. races, 36 were found to be moderately resistant to race 0, 17 were susceptible to race 1,2, 34.1% were highly resistant to race 1, and 52.2% had moderate resistance to race 2. http://www.phytoparasitica.org posting July 16, 2002.     

Preliminary study of plasma vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) during low- and high-dose radiation therapy of dogs with spontaneous tumors

High plasma vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) concentrations are associated with radiation resistance and poor prognosis. After an exposure to ionizing radiation in cell culture an early phase and a late phase of increased VEGF have been documented. The activation was dependent on the radiation dose. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to measure baseline plasma VEGF and changes in VEGF over the course of fractionated radiation therapy in dogs with spontaneous tumors. Dogs with tumors had a significantly higher pretreatment plasma VEGF than did dogs without tumors. Immediately after irradiation no increased plasma VEGF was observed. Over the course of radiation therapy there was an increased plasma VEGF in dogs treated with low doses per fraction/high total dose, whereas plasma VEGF remained stable in dogs irradiated with high doses per fraction/low total dose. The regulatory mechanisms are very complex, and therefore the value of plasma VEGF measurements as an indirect marker of angiogenesis induced by radiotherapy is limited.     

Interfertility of Two Mating Populations in the Gibberella Fujikuroi Species Complex

Gibberella fujikuroi and Gibberella intermedia(mating populations ‘C’ and ‘D’ of the G. fujikuroi species complex) can be distinguished by differences in the spectrum of mycotoxins produced, the lack of sexual cross-fertility and diagnostic differences in their DNA sequences. Some isolates from these two biological species, however, can interbreed and complete meiosis to produce viable progeny. Analysis of marker segregation amongst such hybrid progeny can be used to estimate the degree of genomic rearrangement and genetic incompatibility that has accumulated since these sibling species diverged. Recombinant progeny were isolated from crosses of the standard tester strains for these two species and from crosses between these standard testers and a field isolate (KSU X-10626) that was cross-fertile with tester strains of both species. Progeny in all of the crosses segregated for amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLPs). Segregation of AFLP loci deviated from 1:1 for two thirds of the loci amongst the progeny of the cross between the ‘C’ and ‘D’ mating population tester strains, but <20% of the polymorphic loci in the cross of either tester with KSU X-10626 showed such distortion. It was concluded that G. intermedia and G. fujikuroi are sufficiently interfertile to belong to the same biological species, but that changing the nomenclature to reflect this interfertility requires more evidence for the natural occurrence of a continuum in fertility than is presently available.