Blindness associated with toxoplasmosis in canaries.

Seven of 30 canaries in an aviary in New Zealand developed ophthalmic problems. Clinically, 5 birds had unilateral and 2 birds had bilateral lesions characterized by conjunctivitis, crusty exudates on eyelids, and collapse of the eyeball. Microscopic lesions in 12 of 14 eyes examined included inflammation of the choroid and retina, with osseous replacement of the globe in some. Numerous Toxoplasma gondii tachyzoites were seen in the detached retina and vitreous humor of acutely affected birds. The diagnosis of toxoplasmosis was confirmed by immunohistochemical staining with T gondii antiserum. Affected birds had encephalitis, and T gondii was localized in the brains of these by immunohistochemical examination and by use of bioassays in mice. Toxoplasmosis should be considered in differential diagnosis of ophthalmitis in canaries.     

安普霉素对仔猪内分泌的调控作用及血液生化指示的影响

采用单因子试验设计 ,28日龄大长北三元杂交断奶仔猪72头随机分为3组 ,研究饲料中添加不同剂量的安普霉素 (0、20、90mg/kg)对仔猪内分泌的调控作用及血液生化指标的影响。试验期为4周。结果表明 :仔猪日粮中添加90mg/kg的安普霉素可促进机体与生长有关的内分泌活动 ,提高内源激素 (生长激素、胰岛素、甲状腺激素T3)水平 (P<0.05),从而促进肌肉蛋白沉积 ;并具有显著降低血液中氨、尿素氮含量和提高血糖水平的作用 (P<0.05) ,表明安普霉素对仔猪具有增加氮沉积 ,促进蛋白质合成、抑制蛋白质分解的作用     

金霉素与赖氨酸和蛋氨酸交互作用研究

采用3×2×2因子饲养试验和2×2×2因子代谢试验,研究金霉素与赖氨酸和蛋氨酸的交互作用对肉仔鸡生产性能的影响,及金霉素对两种氨基酸代谢的影响。金霉素在饲料中添加150 mg/kg时,对0-3周肉仔鸡具有显著的促生长作用（P<0.01）;并显著提高肉仔鸡的饲料采食量和饲料转化率（P<0.01）,促进氮沉积（P<0.01）。对4-6周肉仔鸡的生产性能无显著影响（P>0.05）;金霉素、赖氨酸和蛋氨酸存在显著的互作关系（P<0.05）。金霉素的促生长效果受饲料中赖氨酸和蛋氨酸含量的影响,当日粮中赖氨酸水平为1.3％,蛋氨酸水平为0.6％时,肉仔鸡的生长性能最高。金霉素对赖氨酸的利用率没有显著影响（P>0.05）,对蛋氨酸和胱氨酸的表观利用率具有显著抑制作用（P<0.05）。研究结果表明持续低剂量金霉素与蛋氨酸和赖氨酸具有交互作用,这种互作关系影响彼此对肉仔鸡生产性能的作用效果,金霉素具有提高肉仔鸡赖氨酸需要量的作用。     

Ketoconazole therapy in a dog with systemic cryptococcosis

A 2-year-old dog had bilateral chorioretinitis and a cough. Systemic cryptococcosis was diagnosed by evaluating a trans-tracheal aspirate and a cryptococcal latex-particle agglutination antigen titer. Clinical remission was achieved with ketoconazole administration, an imidazole antifungal agent. Serial antigen titers were used to monitor treatment, which was continued for 12 months. Ketoconazole therapy was well tolerated by the dog.     

Effect of ivermectin and oxfendazole on shedding of larvae of the lungworm (Dictyocaulus viviparus) by red deer (Cervus elaphus)

Thirty eight newly weaned hinds were randomly allocated to one of two equal groups. One group received ivermectin, the other, oxfendazole at dose rates of 0.2 mg/kg and 4.5 mg/kg, respectively. All deer were drenched four times and were grazed on pasture. Both anthelmintics reduced D. viviparus faecal larval counts to low levels 20 days after dosing, but the mean larval output and the proportion of deer shedding D. viviparus larvae at 27 and 33 days after treatment, were significantly lower in the ivermectin treated group. There was no significant difference in weight gain between the two groups throughout the trial. This study suggests that ivermectin prevents reinfection with D. viviparus for approximately 14 days longer than oxfendazole.     

Equine hydatidosis: a new record for New Zealand

Cysts found in the liver of a horse which had never been out of New Zealand were used to infect two dogs which were slaughtered 35 days after infection. Large numbers of Echinococcus granulosus were recovered. These cestodes were compared with mature dog-sheep cestodes, using light and scanning electron microscopy and identified as the dog-horse strain of E.granulosus.     

The effect of gastro-intestinal parasitism on the temporary dentition of lambs

The temporary dentitions of 18 to 39-week-old lambs with a very light or a very heavy parasite burden are compared. The heavily parasitised lambs developed longer temporary incisors which tended to protrude further forward in relation to the upper dental pad. They showed absolute hypocalcaemia and hypoalbuminaemia and relative hypophosphataemia and hypoproteinaemia and in the alveolar bone of the mandible there was a reduction in ash and matrix densities and matrix mineralisation. The incisor protrusion and lengthening may have been a consequence of the loss of supporting bone, but inappetance was likely to have been a factor contributing to the lengthening.     

Effects of Confluent, Roscovitine Treatment and Serum Starvation on the Cell-cycle Synchronization of Bovine Foetal Fibroblasts

The present study was designed to examine the effects of cell-cycle synchronization protocols, such as confluent, roscovitine treatment and serum starvation, in bovine foetal fibroblasts on synchronization accuracy at G0/G1, viability, apoptosis, necrosis and ploidy for use as a nuclei donor. The cells in 5-10 passages were randomly allocated into three treated groups. Cells were cultured either in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium (DMEM) + 10% foetal bovine serum (FBS) until 90% confluent (group 1, confluent), in DMEM + 10% FBS + 30 microM roscovitine for 12 h (group 2, roscovitine), or in DMEM + 0.5% FBS for 5 days (group 3, serum starvation). Most of the cells (>80%) in all groups were arrested at the G0/G1 stage. Although the rates did not differ, cells in group 1 showed an increased cell population arrested at the G0/G1 phase. Significantly (p < 0.05) higher rates of apoptosis occurred in group 3 than in group 1 and 2 (10% vs 6% and 6%, respectively). No differences in chromosomal abnormality were observed among groups. However, by increasing the number of cell culture passages up to 15, significantly (p < 0.05) higher chromosomal abnormality was observed than in 5 and 10 passages (39% vs 28% and 23%, respectively) in group 1. The results clearly indicated that bovine foetal fibroblasts could be effectively synchronized at G0/G1 stages by all the three different treatments, confluent, roscovitine and serum starvation. However, cells in confluent showed reduced apoptosis and necrosis when they underwent 5-10 passages, exhibiting increased percentage of cells with stable chromosome diversity. Hence, cells in confluent merit further studies before they could be used as nuclear donors.