Equine laryngeal hemiplegia. Part V. Central nervous system pathology

Evidence of long central nerve fibre degeneration (axonal spheroids) in the lateral cuneate nuclei was found in all eight Thoroughbreds affected clinically and subclinically with equine laryngeal hemiplegia, but in only one of six control animals. It was considered that these spheroids may signify a central nervous component of the disease process of laryngeal hemiplegia although until further investigations are performed no firm conclusions regarding the relationship of these findings with laryngeal hemiplegia could be made. Examination of the left and right nucleus ambiguus of clinical and subclinical laryngeal hemiplegic horses revealed no pathological alterations.     

A review and some observations on stringhalt

A review of the literature on stringhalt in horses is presented, including the aetiology, clinical signs, pathology and treatment of this disease. Three New Zealand outbreaks of stringhalt are reported and discussed. The occurrence of these (and most previously reported outbreaks) in the late summer and autumn, and the association of the disease with various weeds, indicates a likely toxic aetiology.     

Roaring in Clydesdales

An endoscopic survey was performed to assess arytenoid cartilage movement during quiet respiration in 48 Clydesdale horses. Physical characteristics which could influence the length of the recurrent laryngeal nerves were also recorded from these horses and the relationship of these characteristics to the presence of abnormal left arytenoid cartilage movements was assessed statistically. Some degree of abnormal arytenoid movement was observed in 50% of the animals over one year of age. No significant correlation between sex, age, estimated weight, height, or neck length could be found although affected animals were, on average, slightly taller, lighter and longer necked.     

壳聚糖对动物脂肪代谢及生长性能的影响

壳聚糖(chifosan)，是甲壳素的衍生物．又名可溶性甲壳素、脱乙酰甲壳素、甲壳胺、几丁聚糖．是通过甲壳素一定程度的脱乙酰而得到．通常将脱乙酰度55％以上的甲壳素称作壳聚糖，化学名称是(1．4)-2-氨基-2-脱氧-β-D-葡聚糖。在众多的天然多糖中，甲壳素及其主要衍生物壳聚糖是唯一的碱性多糖．具有生物相容性、可食用性、可抗菌性、     

Influence of Abscisic Acid and the Abscisic Acid Biosynthesis Inhibitor, Norflurazon, on Interactions Between Phytophthora sojae and Soybean (Glycine max)

A comparison was made of the effects of abscisic acid (ABA) and the ABA biosynthesis inhibitor, norflurazon on the interaction between soybean leaves and Phytophthora sojae. Inoculation of leaves of cv. Harosoy resulted in a compatible interaction typified by the presence of spreading, water soaked lesions with ill-defined margins while inoculation of cv. Haro 1272 resulted in an incompatible interaction with lesions restricted to the inoculation site. Activity of phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) slowly increased in the compatible interaction but in the incompatible interaction there was a rapid rise in activity within 8h after inoculation. When Haro 1272 plants were treated with ABA the normally incompatible interaction with race 1 was changed to what resembled a compatible interaction and activity of PAL was reduced to control levels. There was no visible effect on the compatible combination. In contrast when plants of cv. Harosoy were treated with norflurazon the normally compatible interaction with race 1 was changed to that which resembled an incompatible interaction and PAL activity increased to high levels rapidly. There was no effect of norflurazon on the incompatible interaction of cv. Haro 1272 with race 1. Stomata on leaves of cv. Harosoy treated with norflurazon closed within 2h of inoculation resembling the response of stomata in normal incompatible interactions but not compatible interactions where stomata remained open. On leaves of cv. Harosoy treated with norflurazon at sites 3 and 20mm from the inoculation point stomata also closed. These results extend and confirm the idea that ABA is a molecule that may regulate the outcome of the interaction between soybeans and P. sojae.     

Regulation of T cell homeostasis during fetal and early postnatal life

Before parturition the fetal lamb develops a large pool of long-lived recirculating T cells which provides a large population of naive T cells with a diverse TcR repertoire. After birth and concomitant with exposure to environment antigens, fetal T cells are rapidly replaced by short-lived cells formed postnatally. The majority of thymic emigrants homing to spleen in postnatal lambs are short-lived, in contrast to emigrants targeting lymph nodes where a population appears to be long-lived. The lifespan of thymic emigrants in the fetus is unknown as in the relative importance of antigen-driven processes versus developmental programming in regulating T cell homeostasis in early postnatal life.