Functional electrical stimulation of the left recurrent laryngeal nerve using a vagus nerve stimulator in a normal horse

The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of implanting an existing vagus nerve stimulating (VNS) electrode around the recurrent laryngeal nerve. The stimulus response characteristics required to achieve abduction of the ipsilateral arytenoid by the VNS electrode in the normal horse could then be determined. The electrode was wound around the left recurrent laryngeal nerve at the cervical level and connected to a pulse generator. Stimulus response characteristics were obtained by measuring stimulated arytenoid displacement endoscopically in the standing, non-sedated horse. A full and sustained abduction of the arytenoid was obtained with a stimulation frequency of 25 Hz and intensity of 1 mA with a pulse width of 250 μs.     

A review of recent developments in the clinical application of prosthetic laryngoplasty for recurrent laryngeal neuropathy: Indications,complications and outcome

Recurrent laryngeal neuropathy (RLN) has been recognised for two centuries in horses. Surveys undertaken in Europe and the United States have reported that prosthetic laryngoplasty is the most common treatment for RLN, particularly for advanced cases. Despite widespread adoption of this surgical technique for treatment of RLN, reported success rates still vary widely, particularly in horses used for high intensity exercise where outcomes are often considered moderate, at best. Studies evaluating the outcome of the procedure are complicated by the use of variable criteria for measuring success, various modifications in the procedure, differing athletic demands in horses used in different equine disciplines and horses lost to follow‐up. Furthermore, post operative complications appear to be common, in particular, the effects of the surgery on airway dynamics which are not completely understood. Proposed modifications to the technique may provide a means of improving success rates; however, standardised objective measurements taken before and after surgery are required to effectively evaluate the potential benefits and outcomes of the procedure.     

藏系绵羊VEGF基因的克隆、同源性分析及其表达水平的实时荧光定量PCR检测

采用PCR技术从藏系绵羊皮肤组织细胞中扩增出了血管内皮细胞生长因子(VEGF)基因,长度为573 bp,共编码190个氨基酸;序列比对发现,VEGF基因在所选择的多个物种之间具有高度同源性,相似性在100%～74.5%之间,其中藏系绵羊与普通绵羊的VEGF基因序列完全相同,其次为牛和猪,相似性分别为99.1%和96.2%,而与鸡的同源性最低,相似性为74.5%。采用实时荧光定量PCR SYBR Green I荧光染料法,对藏系绵羊皮肤组织细胞中VEGF基因的表达水平进行了相对定量分析,建立了快速检测VEGF基因表达量的方法。检测结果表明:给妊娠后期藏系母羊补饲自制的营养舔砖和颗粒饲料后,所产羔羊体内VEGF基因的表达水平分别为对照组的11.5倍和0.85倍。为提高羔羊皮肤组织中VEGF基因mRNA的表达水平,对妊娠后期藏系母羊补饲自制的营养舔砖,效果优于补饲颗粒饲料。     

Dysphagia caused by focal guttural pouch mycosis: mononeuropathy of the pharyngeal ramus of the vagal nerve in a 20-year-old pony mare

A 20-year-old pony mare was presented to the equine hospital with a ten-day history of dysphagia, regurgitation and coughing. An obstruction of the oesophagus was excluded via endoscopy, but the proximal oesophagus appeared to be distended and circular contractions were missing. A guttural pouch endoscopy revealed a single, black-mottled plaque on the pharyngeal ramus of the vagus nerve in the left guttural pouch, causing a local swelling of this nerve. The pharyngeal ramus seemed to be atrophic distal to the lesion. A biopsy was taken from the lesion and histopathological findings proved the reasonable suspicion of a guttural pouch mycosis with a high degree of purulent-necrotic inflammation and invasion of fungal hyphae. There were no signs of neoplasia, such as melanoma. Daily guttural pouch irrigations with a clotrimazole emulsion (20 g Canesten^® Gyn⁴ solved in 500 ml water), led to a good recovery of the mucosa above the nerve. Periodic endoscopic examination of the left guttural pouch showed that local thickening and distal atrophy of this pharyngeal ramus did not improve, neither did the clinical symptoms. Due to progressive weight loss, acute respiratory distress and aspiration pneumonia, the 20-year-old pony mare unfortunately had to be euthanized three weeks after discharge. This case report emphasizes the enormous importance of a single nerve for the realization of the swallowing process. The one-sided loss of function of the pharyngeal branch of the vagal nerve cannot be compensated neither by the remaining ipsilateral nerves nor by the contralateral normal functioning glossopharyngeal and vagal nerves and thus inevitably leads to severe dysphagia.     

Successful treatment of recurrent subclinical mastitis in cows caused by enrofloxacin resistant bacteria by means of the sequential intramammary infusion of enrofloxacin HCl-2H2O and ceftiofur HCl: a clinical trial

BackgroundRecurrent subclinical mastitis (RScM) due to resistant bacteria has low clinical and bacteriological cure rates, often requiring the culling of cows. The sequential intra-mammary administration of enrofloxacin hydrochloride-dihydrate (enro-C) followed by ceftiofur HCl may be useful for treating these cases.ObjectivesThis study assessed the bacteriological and clinical cure-efficacies of the sequentially intramammary administration of enro-C, followed by ceftiofur HCl to treat RScM in Holstein/Friesian cows.MethodsThis trial was conducted in a herd with a high prevalence of RScM, and 20 Holstein/Friesian cows were included: 45% suffering subclinical mastitis and 38.9% of the mammary quarters affected. Twenty-nine bacterial isolates in vitro resistant to enro-C were obtained (coagulase-negative Staphylococcus spp, 55.2%; Staphylococcus aureus, 27.6%; Escherichia coli, 6.9%; Streptococcus uberis, 6.9%; Corynebacterium bovis, 3.4%). Polymerase chain reaction-isolated the following genes linked to enro-C resistance: chromosomal (gyrA) and plasmid (aac(6'')-lb-cr). The treatments were as follows: twice-daily intramammary infusions of enro-C (300 mg/10 mL) for 5 days. Cows clinically considered treatment failures were also treated with intramammary ceftiofur (125 mg/10 mL, twice daily for 5 days. The clinical and bacteriological cure rates were carried out when completing each treatment phase and at 14 and 21 days, aided by a California mastitis test, somatic cell count, and failure to identify the initially causative bacteria.ResultsEnro-C achieved 65% clinical and bacteriological cure rates, and 100% cure rates were obtained after the rescue treatment with ceftiofur HCl.ConclusionsOutstanding clinical and bacteriological cure rates in cows affected by RScM were achieved with the consecutive intramammary infusions of enro-C, followed by ceftiofur HCl.