Exophthalmos Caused by Chronic Sinusitis in a Horse: A Case of Exophthalmos Caused by Sinusitis

A 12-year-old Thoroughbred gelding exhibited a unilateral exophthalmos on the left side. There had been no other clinical symptoms, such as rhinorrhea, before the first consultation. Clinical, hematologic, plasma biochemical, cytologic, and computed tomography (CT) examinations and complete necropsy were performed. These examinations did not reveal neoplastic lesions. CT images suggested that maxillary and frontal sinuses may have been filled with fluid. Cytologic and pathologic examinations revealed that the maxillary and orbital bones were pushed up with a large amount of the inflammatory fluid effused by chronic sinusitis. The CT and cytologic examinations were of great use for differential diagnosis in this case. This was an unusual case of exophthalmos induced by deformation of the orbital bones resulting from chronic sinusitis.     

Herpesvirus cyprini: lethality and oncogenicity

Abstract. Cyprinid herpesvirus 1 (CHV) or Herpesvirus cyprini was virulent for carp, Cyprinus carpio L., fry following 1 h immersion in water at 20 °C. Cumulative mortality for carp fry was 86–97% in 2-week-old common carp, 20% in 4-week-old fancy carp, and 0% in both 8-week-old common and fancy carp. The virus did not produce mortality in fry of crucian carp, grass carp or other cyprinids. It was also oncogenic in carp, inducing papillomas to the extent of 55% among both common and fancy carp fry. The neoplasms appeared 5–6 months after carp had been exposed to the virus by immersion and recurred at an incidence of 83% in carp 7·5 months post-desquamation of the tumour. The CHV was reisolated from all moribund fish and from all survivors. It also induced papillomas at an incidence of 13% in adult mirror carp and at 10% in adult fancy carp 5 months after intraperitoneal inoculation of 10⁵ TCID₅₀ ml^-1 fish. The virus was rcisolated only from the ncoplastic tissue and not from internal organs. The neoplasms were normally located on fin, skin or mandible, at the intraperitoneal inoculation site. Specific fluorescence for CHV antigen was frequently detected in the gills, liver, kidneys and intestine of 2-week-old fry from 3 to 21 days following challenge with CHV. It was found in greater concentrations in experimentally induced papillomata on 2-week-old carp fry survivors examined 24 weeks after challenge than in naturally occurring neoplasms.     

Production of aromatic amino acids and related compounds from p-hydroxyphenylacetic acid by rumen microorganisms in vitro

Suspensions of mixed rumen bacteria (B), protozoa (P), and mixed rumen microorganisms (BP) prepared from rumen contents of fistulated goats were anaerobically incubated with 1 mM p‐hydroxyphenylacetic acid (HPA) at 39°C for 24 h. Tyrosine (Tyr), phenylalanine (Phe), tryptophan (Trp) and other related compounds in both supernatants and hydrolyzates of microbial cells in all incubations were analyzed by HPLC. Large amounts of Tyr (32.1, 42.7 and 36.1% of disappeared HPA in B, P and BP, respectively) were produced from HPA during a 12 h incubation period. The formation of Tyr in P (178.6 µmol/g MN) was 1.5 and 2 times higher than in B and BP, respectively. Phe (7–11% of the disappeared HPA) and Trp (3–6% of the disappeared HPA) were also synthesized from HPA in B, P, and BP. Phe synthesis in P (46.3 µmol/g MN) was 1.7 times higher than in B but, in contrast, Trp synthesis in B, was 1.6 times higher than in P. The metabolites p‐hydroxyphenylpyruvic acid (in the range of 5–14% of disappeared HPA), phenylacetic acid (1–11%), p‐hydroxybenzoic acid (3–7%) and benzoic acid (1–6%) were produced from HPA in B, P and BP. Phenylpropionic acid (6% of the disappeared HPA) was produced only in B and BP.     

B-cell immunoblastic lymphoma with multinucleated giant cells in a cat

A 10-year-old male mixed breed cat died after six months history of intermittent vomiting and weight loss. At necropsy, large white-colored foci were found in both kidneys, and whitish thickening of the gastric wall was present at the pyloric part of the stomach. Histopathological examination revealed that both lesions consisted of proliferation of large-sized neoplastic lymphocytes intermingled with multinucleated giant cells. Immunohistochemically, the neoplastic cells were positive for both B-cell antigen receptor complex (CD 79 alpha cy) and MHC class II, although multinucleated giant cells were negative. The present case was diagnosed as B-cell immunoblastic lymphoma with multinucleated giant cells.     

Effect of modification of ovary preservation solution by adding glucose on the maturation and development of pig oocytes after prolonged storage

Oocytes lose their developmental competence during prolonged storage of the ovary. In the present study, we supplemented the preservation solution for pig ovaries (phosphate buffered saline, PBS) with glucose and preserved the ovaries for 6 h at 25 C. Subsequently, we examined the glucose concentration of the follicular fluid (FF), pH of the FF, survival rate of the granulosa cells, and maturation and developmental competence of oocytes after storage. During storage, the glucose concentration of the FF (2.1 mM), pH of the FF (7.4), and survival rate of the granulosa cells (69.5%) rapidly decreased (glucose concentration: under 1.1 mM; pH: 6.8; and survival rate: 43%). On the other hand, when the preservation solution was supplemented with glucose (15 mM), the glucose concentration of the FF increased and the survival rate of the granulosa cells improved, although the pH of the FF decreased further (from 6.8 to 6.6). In addition, supplementation with glucose significantly improved the rates of oocytes at metaphase II (0 h: 65.0%; 6 h without glucose: 23.8%; and 6 h with glucose: 43.8%) and attenuated the decline in the rates of fertilization and development that resulted from prolonged storage, although there were no significant differences. In conclusion, modification of the preservation solution by the addition of glucose increased the glucose concentration of the FF and improved the rate of maturation of pig oocytes.     

Induction of estrus by prostaglandin F2alpha administration in the vaginal vestibules of miniature pigs

Estrus induction is an important step in embryo production. It has been difficult to induce estrus in miniature pigs by intramascular (i.m.) injection of prostaglandin F2alpha (PGF2(2alpha)) in the early luteal stage of the estrous cycle. In the present study, we injected two different doses of PGF2(2alpha) i.m. and into the submucosa of the vaginal vestibule (i.ves.) of miniature pigs, and examined the effect of these treatments on estrus induction. Fifteen miniature pigs were divided into five experimental groups (control, saline injected i.m.; PGF2alpha treated, 1.0 or 1.5 mg of PGF2alpha injected twice i.m. or i.ves.), and the estrus length and concentrations of 17beta-estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P) in the blood were examined. Estrus length was significantly shortened by a large amount of PGF2alpha injected i.ves. In addition, the concentration of P in the blood significantly decreased after two injections of PGF2alpha (i.m. or i.ves.). These results suggest that in miniature pigs, administration of at least 3.0 mg of PGF2alpha is required for the induction of luteolysis and injection of PGF2alpha into the vaginal vestibule is a useful method of estrus induction.