Evaluation of the oral vitamin E absorption test in horses

An oral vitamin E absorption test used in human beings was modified for use in horses. The most appropriate techniques with which to measure gastrointestinal tract absorption of vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) in horses were developed. Vitamin E was administered orally, and serum values of alpha-tocopherol were measured by use of high-performance liquid chromatography at 0, 3, 6, 9, 12, and 24 hours after vitamin E administration. Variables included comparison of 2 dosages (45 and 90 IU/kg of body weight), routes of administration, and absorption dynamics of 3 preparations of dl-alpha-tocopherol. Absorption of the 2 doses of dl-alpha-tocopherol acetate indicated a dose response; the area under the curve at 24 hours (AUC24) was 4.3 micrograms.h/ml for the 45-IU/kg dose and 32.2 micrograms.h/ml (P less than 0.01) for the 90-IU/kg dose. Maximal absorption was apparent when vitamin E was naturally consumed in grain, compared with administration of identical preparations by stomach tube or paste. In the same horses, dl-alpha-tocopherol and dl-alpha-tocopherol acetate plus polyethylene glycol had statistically similar absorption curves and both had significantly greater AUC24, compared with dl-alpha-tocopherol acetate; values for the 3 compounds were 23.6, 25.8, and 12.6 micrograms.h/ml, respectively. The AUC24 varied between individual horses, but time of peak value was consistently observed between 6 and 9 hours.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Effects of racing on hematologic and serum biochemical values in greyhounds

Blood samples were collected on nonracing days from 57 racing Greyhounds at 2 weeks, 8 weeks, 13 weeks, and 16 weeks after the beginning of the racing season. Hematologic and biochemical tests were performed to detect marked changes induced by stress of racing. In general, these Greyhounds were healthy. Rhabdomyolysis was detected in one dog. In several other dogs, possible subclinical muscle injury was identified by increased serum creatine kinase activities. Mean serum Ca concentrations tended to decrease during the racing season. None of the tests was a good predictor of racing performance. Mean values for several hematologic and biochemical tests were different from those of other breeds of dogs.     

A Large‐scale,Rapid Public Health Response to Rabies in an Organ Recipient and the Previously Undiagnosed Organ Donor

This article describes and contrasts the public health response to two human rabies cases: one organ recipient diagnosed within days of symptom onset and the transplant donor who was diagnosed 18 months post‐symptom onset. In response to an organ‐transplant‐related rabies case diagnosed in 2013, organ donor and recipient investigations were conducted by multiple public health agencies. Persons with potential exposure to infectious patient materials were assessed for rabies virus exposure. An exposure investigation was conducted to determine the source of the organ donor's infection. Over 100 persons from more than 20 agencies spent over 2700 h conducting contact investigations in healthcare, military and community settings. The 564 persons assessed include 417 healthcare workers [5.8% recommended for post‐exposure prophylaxis (PEP)], 96 community contacts (15.6% recommended for PEP), 30 autopsy personnel (50% recommended for PEP), and 21 other persons (4.8% recommended for PEP). Donor contacts represented 188 assessed with 20.2% recommended for PEP, compared with 5.6% of 306 recipient contacts recommended for PEP. Human rabies cases result in substantial use of public health and medical resources, especially when diagnosis is delayed. Although rare, clinicians should consider rabies in cases of encephalitis of unexplained aetiology, particularly for cases that may result in organ donation.     

Diagnostic exercise: astrocytoma with involvement of medulla oblongata, spinal cord, and spinal nerves in a raccoon (Procyon lotor)

Neoplasms affecting the central and peripheral nervous systems of wild animals are extremely rare. Described are clinical signs and pathologic and immunohistochemical findings in an adult female raccoon (Procyon lotor) with an astrocytoma that involved medulla, cervical spinal cord, and roots of the cervical spinal nerves. Microscopically, the neoplastic cells revealed some pleomorphism but generally had fusiform morphology and showed moderate numbers of mitotic figures. Glial fibrillary acidic protein was demonstrated within the neoplastic cells by immunohistochemistry. This appears to be the only reported case of astrocytoma that involved multiple anatomic sites in the central nervous system of this raccoon.     

A standardized behavior test for potential guide dog puppies: Methods and association with subsequent success in guide dog training

An early understanding of behavioral suitability for guiding work in domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) would be useful for organizations which train dogs as mobility aids, such as the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association. We explored the potential for a standardized test of behavior in young dogs to reflect subsequent success in guide dog training. Five hundred eighty-seven potential guide dogs were exposed to a series of eight stimuli at 6-8 weeks of age. The responses of dogs were scored on a 7-point scale according to either responsiveness to human assessor or to environmental stimuli, on stimuli comprising following when called; retrieve; gentle restraint; noise; stroking; a moving toy squirrel; encouragement to go through a tunnel; and encouragement to go over a ramp. Five of these stimuli showed some association with success in guide dog training, and three of these stimuli could be usefully combined in a logistic regression model of success in training. There is potential for this test to be used to predict suitability for guiding work but adjustments to the scoring protocol are recommended.     

Comparison of sensory nerve conduction velocities in horses versus ponies

Normal sensory nerve conduction velocity (SNCV) values in 8 ponies and 8 horses were compared by use of a percutaneous signal-averaging technique. Nerve fibers evaluated included those in the medial and lateral palmar and plantar digital nerves. Mean SNCV values were significantly slower (P less than 0.0002) for horses, compared with those values for ponies. Animal height and nerve segment length were inversely related to SNCV consistently. The SNCV values were affected by surface skin temperature by a factor of approximately 1.2 m/s change for 1 degree C change in temperatures from 35 C. The ability to calculate warning limits to define those SNCV values in normal and abnormal ranges were developed from these data for both ponies and horses.     

Serially determined plasma alpha-tocopherol concentrations and results of the oral vitamin E absorption test in clinically normal horses and in horses with degenerative myeloencephalopathy

Plasma alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E) values were monitored serially in 9 foals sired by a stallion with equine degenerative myeloencephalopathy (EDM) and in 5 age-matched control foals (sired by a clinically normal stallion) raised in the same environment for the first year of life. Clinical evaluation determined that 8 of the 9 foals sired by the stallion with EDM had neurologic deficits consistent with the disease on one or more occasions during the study period, whereas control foals had normal gait. From 6 weeks to 10 months of age, plasma alpha-tocopherol values in foals with signs of EDM were significantly (P less than 0.001) lower than those in control foals. An oral vitamin E absorption test was performed, and results for 8 of the affected horses and the affected stallion were compared with results for 4 of the monitored control horses and 4 additional control horses. Significant differences were not evident in any of the absorption indices. On the basis of data from this study and supported by reported prophylactic and therapeutic benefits of supplemented vitamin E, low plasma concentration of vitamin E is concluded to be a factor in the development of EDM in the first year of life of hereditarily predisposed foals. It was also concluded that the significantly lower alpha-tocopherol values seen in the foals in this study did not reflect a primary gastrointestinal tract absorption problem.     

Variations of serum vitamin E, cholesterol, and total serum lipid concentrations in horses during a 72-hour period

Fluctuations of serum vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol), cholesterol, and total lipids were monitored in 12 horses at 3-hour intervals for 72 hours. Mean coefficients of variation were 12, 5, and 15%, respectively. Statistical analyses were used to conclude that instrumentation error was accountable for only a small portion of the vitamin E variation. Results indicated that a single serum sample assay is an unsatisfactory indicator of vitamin E status in horses. These data have clinical application in the evaluation of horses suspected to be affected with equine degenerative myeloencephalopathy. The large variance of serum total lipids and the lack of correlation of it with serum vitamin E over time preclude the use of vitamin E/serum total lipids ratio in assessing vitamin E status.