Pilot study of the effect of acemannan in cats infected with feline immunodeficiency virus.

Acemannan, a complex carbohydrate shown to stimulate interleukin-1, tumor necrosis factor alpha and prostaglandin E2 production by macrophages, has also demonstrated antiviral activity in vitro against human immunodeficiency virus, Newcastle disease virus and influenza virus. A pilot study was undertaken to determine acemannan's effect in 49 feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) infected cats with clinical signs of disease (Stage 3, 4 or 5), 23 of which had severe lymphopenia. Cats received acemannan either by intravenous (Group 1) or subcutaneous (Group 2) injection once weekly for 12 weeks, or by daily oral (Group 3) administration for 12 weeks. Upon entry into the study, cats were randomly assigned to one of the three groups. Laboratory analyses were performed at the beginning of the study and at Weeks 6 and 12. Cats were allowed to continue with a predetermined maintenance regimen of acemannan after completing the 12-week study. Thirteen cats died during the course of treatment. Upon necropsy, the most frequent histopathologic findings were neoplastic, kidney and pancreatic disease. Friedman's two-way ANOVA test showed no significant differences in efficacy among groups administered acemannan by the different routes. Therefore, groups were combined and a signed-ranks test was used to determine changes over time. A significant increase was seen in lymphocyte counts (P < 0.001). Neutrophil counts decreased significantly (P = 0.007), as did incidence of sepsis (P = 0.008). When cats entering with lymphopenia were analyzed separately, a much greater increase in lymphocyte counts was noted (235%) compared with non-lymphopenic cats (42%). A survival rate of 75% was found for all three groups. Thirty-six of 49 animals are alive 5-19 months post-entry. These results suggest that acemannan therapy may be of significant benefit in FIV-infected cats exhibiting clinical signs of disease.     

Use of laser photocoagulation for treatment of cutaneous angiomatosis in one dog and two cats.

One dog and 2 cats were evaluated because of multiple progressively enlarging cutaneous vascular plaques. Biopsies were performed and revealed small well-circumscribed dermal nodules of dilated fully enclosed blood-filled spaces lined by single layers of endothelial cells aligned on thin fibrous walls, with minimal mitotic activity. A diagnosis of cutaneous angiomatosis was made in all 3 animals. Cutaneous angiomatosis is a progressive proliferative lesion of vascular tissue involving the dermis and subcutaneous tissues of dogs and cats. Lasers of selected wavelengths have been used to induce photothermal coagulation of hemoglobin-containing cutaneous lesions in humans; argon-pumped dye and neodymium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet lasers were used to treat the cutaneous lesions in the animals of this report. Laser treatment may provide an alternative to wide surgical resection or limb amputation for management of this condition in veterinary patients.     

Immunocytochemical localization of the Bacillus sphaericus binary toxin components in Culex quinquefasciatus (Diptera: Culicidae) larvae midgut

This study describes the immunocytochemical localization of the Bacillus sphaericus 2362 binary toxin components, BinA and BinB, in Culex quinquefasciatus larvae that had been intoxicated with this entomopathogen. Ultrathin sections of C. quinquefasciatus larvae midgut embedded in the hydrophilic resin L.R. White were incubated with the antibodies anti-BinA or anti-BinB and then revealed with goat anti-rabbit IgG coupled to gold particles. Immunocytochemical detection demonstrated the presence of specific labeling in ultra-thin sections that had been incubated with the BinA antiserum. Gold particles were detected on the apical areas of cell membranes and inside the epithelial cell cytoplasm, particularly the mitochondria, of cells from the gastric caeca and posterior stomach in larvae exposed during 2 or 24 h to the entomopathogen. A similar labeling pattern was observed in ultrathin sections from both midgut regions when incubated with BinB antiserum.     

Estimation of Genetic Variation Among Verticillium Isolates using AFLP Analysis

Amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) analysis was used to study genetic variation among 76 isolates of Verticillium. A dendrogram based on the AFLP data revealed three main groups. One group consisted of 35 European isolates derived from Brassica napus together with five Californian isolates taken from B. oleracea. This group displayed a high degree of genetic similarity and included three isolates earlier classified as Verticillium longisporum, indicating that all isolates in this group probably should be regarded as members of V. longisporum. V. dahliae isolates constituted the second group while the third group contained four V. albo-atrum isolates. In addition to these three groups, a cluster of six V. nigrescens isolates was observed. However, the genetic distances between the isolates of V. nigrescens were much higher than those between members in the other groups and the bootstrap value for the V. nigrescens cluster was subsequently low. Four isolates classified as V. tricorpus were highly diverse and did not cluster together. Analysis of molecular variance revealed that the isolates of V. longisporum were separated into four subgroups, based on geographic origin. The study furthermore shows that AFLP is a suitable method for studying population structure in Verticillium.     

Effects of oral supplementation of probiotic strains of Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Enterococcus faecium on diarrhoea events of foals in their first weeks of life

Foal first diarrhoea is one of the most prominent problems in the early life of horses. Probiotics might have the potency to prevent or at least diminish neonatal diarrhoea. We hypothesised that the treatment of foals with probiotic strains of Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Enterococcus faecium starting early after birth and then daily over 2 weeks would prevent or mitigate foal heat diarrhoea. The influence of this probiotic treatment on diarrhoea incidence and growth and health performance of young foals was investigated. Thirty‐four foals were randomly allocated to two groups. From day 1 to 14 of life, the foals received either placebo (PG, n = 16) or the probiotic treatment (TG, n = 18). Clinical examination was performed, and the faeces consistency score (FCS, 1–5; with diarrhoea defined by ≤3) was recorded once per day in weeks 1 and 2 and once weekly in weeks 3–8 of life (WL). The body height was measured at birth and after two and eight WL. Diarrhoea occurred in the 1st WL in 19% and 61% of PG and TG foals respectively. In the 1st WL, diarrhoea lasted 0.3 ± 0.8 and 1.6 ± 1.4 days in PG and TG foals respectively. In the 2nd WL, diarrhoea occurred in 94% and 84% of PG and TG foals, respectively, and lasted for 3.0 ± 1.5 and 3.7 ± 1.6 days respectively. At least two periods of diarrhoea developed in 33% and 65% of PG and TG foals respectively. The TG foals grew slightly slower than the PG foals. The results indicated that the probiotic treatment of neonatal foals as performed in this study was not suitable to reduce diarrhoea within the first two WL, because contrary to the hypothesis, the TG foals suffered more frequently and for longer periods from diarrhoea than the PG foals.     

Genetic potential for residual feed intake and diet fed during early- to mid-gestation influences post-natal DNA methylation of imprinted genes in muscle and liver tissues in beef cattle

Discovery of epigenetic modifications associated with feed efficiency or other economically important traits would increase our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying these traits. In combination with known genetic markers, this would provide opportunity to improve genomic selection accuracy in cattle breeding programs. It would also allow cattle to be managed to improve favorable gene expression. The objective of this study was to identify variation in DNA methylation between beef cattle of differential pre-natal nutrition and divergent genetic potential for residual feed intake (RFI). Purebred Angus offspring with the genetic potential for either high (HRFI) or low (LRFI) RFI were prenatally exposed to either a restricted maternal diet of 0.5 kg/d average daily gain (ADG) or a moderate maternal diet of 0.7 kg/d ADG from 30 to 150 d of gestation. We performed DNA methylation analysis of differentially methylated regions (DMR) of imprinted genes (Insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2) DMR2, IGF2/H19 imprinting control region (ICR) and IGF2 receptor (IGF2R) DMR2) using post-natal samples of longissimus dorsi (LD) muscle taken from male and female calves at birth and weaning, and of LD muscle, semimembranosus (SM) muscle, and liver samples collected from steers at slaughter (17 months of age). Interestingly, for all three DMR investigated in liver, LRFI steers had higher levels of methylation than HRFI steers. In LD muscle, IGF2/H19 ICR methylation differences for heifers at birth were due to pre-natal diet, while for steers at birth they were mostly the result of genetic potential for RFI with LRFI steers again having higher levels of methylation than HRFI steers. While results from repeated measures analysis of DNA methylation in steers grouped by RFI revealed few differences, in steers grouped by diet, we found higher methylation levels of IGF2 DMR2 and IGF2R DMR2 in LD muscle of restricted diet steers at weaning and slaughter than at birth, as well as increased methylation in LD muscle of restricted diet steers compared with moderate diet steers at weaning and/or slaughter. Our results suggest that differential pre-natal nutrition, and divergent genetic potential for RFI, induces tissue- and sex-specific alterations in post-natal IGF2 and IGF2R methylation patterns and that these patterns can vary with age in Angus beef cattle.     

Quantification of reservoir bags as airway pressure-limiting devices in a nonrebreathing system

ObjectiveTo evaluate the influence of reservoir bag types, volumes and previous use on the peak pressures (Pmax) and the times to develop 30 cmH₂O pressure (P30) within a nonrebreathing system with a closed adjustable pressure-limiting (APL) valve.Study designIn vitro study using three-way factorial design with repeated measure on one factor.SubjectsA total of 75 new anesthesia reservoir bags (five types, three volumes, five bags from each type × volume). The bag types were reusable latex (RL), disposable latex (DL) and three disposable neoprene (DN-1, DN-2 and DN-3).MethodsEach bag was tested three times (treatments): new, after prestretching and 1 week later. The bags were attached to a Bain system and anesthesia machine with closed APL valve and patient port with O₂ flow 2 L minute^–1 until Pmax was reached. The Pmax and time to reach P30 values were determined from recorded pressure traces. General linear mixed model analysis was used to examine the effects of bag type, volume and treatment. One-sided 95% upper prediction limits of Pmax were calculated to test the null hypothesis that predicted Pmax of new bags would be ≥ 50 cmH₂O for each factor combination.ResultsRL bags were the least and DN-3 bags were the most compliant. Prestretching increased compliance in all bag types. Smaller bags of RL, DL and DN-1 were less compliant than larger ones. The predicted Pmax values were < 50 cmH₂O only for DN-3 bags after prestretching. The time to reach P30 was critically low when using 0.5 L bags (median 17 seconds).Conclusions and clinical relevanceTo minimize the risk of barotrauma, highly compliant reservoir bags (e.g. DN-3) are recommended and reusable bags should be avoided. Bags should be prestretched before first use, 0.5 L bags should be avoided and fresh gas flow minimized.