Residue profile of phenylbutazone in the rabbit. A comparative evaluation by tissue kinetics prior to and post mortem

The disposition kinetics and residue levels of phenylbutazone (8 mg/kg) were studied in rabbit. The result suggested that distribution of phenylbutazone can be described by a two open compartment. Elimination half-time is short (2 h) and estimation of residue levels in muscle, liver and kidney did not differ significantly before and after bleeding. These results suggest that biopsy can be used to determine the phenylbutazone concentration in tissues of larger species. Moreover, using a pharmacokinetic approach based on drug concentrations in plasma, it appears that the mean resting quantity in the peripheral compartment was very close to the experimental data for the muscle.     

A comparative histochemical and morphometric study of canine skeletal muscle.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether there were differences in skeletal muscle properties in the hindlimb muscles of different types of dogs. Muscle samples were obtained from the gracilis, sartorius cranial head, sartorius caudal head and tibialis anterior muscles of mixed-breed and hound-type dogs and Beagles. Fiber type, fiber size and capillary morphometry determinations of each muscle from each dog were made from sections stained for myofibrillar ATPase activity. Individual animals were bilaterally symmetric for all measured variables. Fiber type, fiber size and capillary geometry varied between dogs of a given type and muscles within a given dog. There were no differences between dog types for fiber type or fiber size; significant variation in log(muscle)/log(body) mass ratios between dog types was observed for all muscles. The results indicate that for a given muscle, significant variation can occur in skeletal muscle characteristics between different types of dogs and that these differences can be independent of differences in exercise history.     

The effect of different slaughter methods on the post mortem glycolysis of muscle in lambs

Differences in muscular activity and rates of decline in the pH of the M. longissimus dorsi of lambs subjected to different methods of stunning and slaughter were observed. Lambs electrically stunned by a “head-to-leg” method had significantly lower initial pH values as compared to animals stunned by an electrical “head-only” method, or by captive bolt, or without any form of stunning prior to slaughter. When electrical stunning by a “head-to-leg” method was combined with low voltage (24V) electrical stimulation during slaughter and bleeding, mean pH values declined at the highest rate and fell to approximately 6.0 within two hours of slaughter. This last procedure, therefore, has the potential to greatly reduce times between slaughter and freezing without increasing the risk of cold shortening and the associated toughness of meat.     

The effect of different slaughter methods on the post mortem glycolysis of muscle in lambs

Differences in muscular activity and rates of decline in the pH of the M. longissimus dorsi of lambs subjected to different methods of stunning and slaughter were observed. Lambs electrically stunned by a head-to-leg method had significantly lower initial pH values as compared to animals stunned by an electrical head-only method, or by captive bolt, or without any form of stunning prior to slaughter. When electrical stunning by a head-to-leg method was combined with low voltage (24 V) electrical stimulation during slaughter and bleeding, mean pH values declined at the highest rate and fell to approximately 6.0 within two hours of slaughter. This last procedure, therefore, has the potential to greatly reduce times between slaughter and freezing without increasing the risk of cold shortening and the associated toughness of meat.     

Studies on seminal vesiculitis in the bull. I. Semen examination methods and post mortem findings.

During the ten-year period 1968--1978, about 1500 bulls were examined yearly for possible inflammatory conditions in the genital organs. Thirty-one cases of vesiculitis with or without accompanying ampullitis, and one case of isolated, one-sided ampullitis were recorded. Twenty-three cases (72%) were found in young bulls aged 18 months or less. Diagnosis was based on clinical examination of the pelvic genital organs or examination of semen, or in most cases on both. In 17 (53%) of the cases the diagnosis was initially established in the laboratory. Of the laboratory methods, the most reliable was the demonstration of pus cells in Giemsa stained semen smears. Twenty-five cases (24 + one case of ampullitis) were examined post mortem. Fifteen showed interstitial vesiculitis, Group I (Galloway, 1964). The milder 'catarrhal' type (Group II) was found in 9 cases. The 'potential pathogenic' bacteria isolated from the inflamed vesicular glands were: Corynebact. pyogenes, 8 cases (33%), E. coli, 2 cases; Ureaplasma, 2 cases (one in combination with Corynebact. pyogenes). Four of the bulls were newly imported (stress ?), IN THREE BULLS THERE WAS A HISTORY OF NAVEL INFECTION DURING CALFHOOD, AND IN ONE CASE THE BULL HAD LARGE NUMBERS OF VESICAL CALCULI (ABOUT 300 G). In ten of the sets of pelvic organs examined (40%) rare congenital defects or anatomical variations were found in or around the colliculus seminalis (Blom, 1979b).     

A comparative histochemical study of plant polyphenols in southern African grasses

Recent anatomical studies have shown that tannin‐like substances (TLS) occur in the epidermal cells of a number of southern African tropical grasses, and the presence of condensed tannins in grasses has been confirmed by chemical analyses. A number of species from four of the five subfamilies of the Poaceae were compared for their responses to a range of histochemical tests which differ in their specificity for phenolic compounds. These included: ferrous sulphate, acidified vanillin, diazotized sulphanilic acid, Fast Blue‐BB, dimethoxybenzaldehyde and nitrous acid, Safranin and Fast Green. In addition, the radial diffusion test for protein precipitation was used. Comparative histochemical tests indicated that most taxa known to contain TLS showed comparable responses to the tests used here, with variations in intensity and hue of the coloured products formed. These qualitative differences suggest the presence of a number of different compounds including oligomeric procyanidins, oligomeric prodelphinidins, monomeric and/or dimeric flavan‐3‐ols and flavan‐3,4‐diols. The presence flavan‐4‐ols has been confirmed in the andropogonoid grasses by previous workers. Histochemical tests are adequate to identify the presence of condensed tannins and their precursors in plant tissue. However, they do not provide a means to identify those compounds which precipitate protein and function as digestibility‐reducing compounds in plant‐herbivore interactions.     

Exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage in the horse: results of a detailed clinical, post mortem and imaging study. V. Microscopic observations

Lungs from 19 Thoroughbred racehorses with a history of exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage (EIPH) were studied using several forms of microscopy. Light microscopy of paraffin sections revealed three lesions in the caudodorsal region of the lungs from each horse. These correspond with the location of blue to brown stains seen at necropsy. These lesions include sequelae of bronchiolitis, hemosiderophages and increased connective tissue. Much of each of the lungs appeared normal, especially the more cranial or ventral portions. Foci of eosinophil infiltration were found in seven of the 19 lungs examined. With two exceptions, these eosinophilic foci had a different distribution to the three lesions. In areas of severe bronchiolar changes and fibrosis, vascular lesions typical of hypertension were found occasionally. Transmission electron microscopy was used to confirm cell types seen by light microscopy and to examine arterioles for changes characteristic of neovascularisation. Areas of enlarged airspaces from the vascular injected right lungs were examined by scanning electron microscopy. The balance of fibrosis and destruction varied in these areas, but none were as extensive as those seen in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The authors hypothesise that bronchiolitis and related neovascularisation are essential components of the aetiology of EIPH.     

Exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage in the horse: results of a detailed clinical, post mortem and imaging study. VIII. Conclusions and implications

This paper reviews a series of clinical, post mortem and imaging studies on exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage (EIPH) performed on 26 Thoroughbred racehorses. Post mortem techniques included routine gross, subgross and histological examination; coloured latex perfusions of pulmonary and bronchial circulations; and microradiography and computerised tomography scans of lungs with contrast injected vasculature. The major lesions were multiple, separate and coalescing foci of moderately proliferative small airway disease accompanied by intense neovascularisation of the bronchial circulation. As a result of bronchial artery angiogenesis, the systemic circulation dominated the vascular supply of the air exchange structures in affected areas, producing an apparent left to right shunt. Extensive areas of sequestered haemosiderophages indicated previous haemorrhage from vessels apparently supplied by the bronchial arteries. Diffuse and focal parenchymal destruction and connective tissue reactions in affected areas were considered to be secondary to localised haemorrhage and macrophage-induced damage. The aetiology of EIPH was not determined, but the multifocal, small airway-centred lesions indicated that low grade bronchiolitis, possibly of viral origin, was a factor. Gravitational effects also appear to contribute to dorsal distribution of the lesions. The mild focal and subclinical lesions confined to secondary lobules are thought to evolve into the serious lung pathology observed in EIPH cases through the effects of localised hypoxia induced by maximal exercise and partial airway obstruction. Once initiated, a vicious cycle of increasing inflammatory damage and further local bleeding is set in motion.     

Lesions of the deep digital flexor tendon in the digit: A correlative MRI and post mortem study in control and lame horses

Reasons for performing study: Lameness associated with lesions of the deep digital flexor tendon (DDFT) in the digit is now recognised as an important cause of lameness, but there is currently limited information about the pathological nature of the lesions. Objectives: To compare: signal intensity changes on magnetic resonance images with histopathology; and histopathological changes in the DDFT from horses with no history of foot‐related lameness (Group C) and horses with lesions of the DDFT confirmed using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (Group D). Methods: Transverse sections of the DDFT were harvested from 3 sites in all horses: 1) immediately proximal to the navicular bursa (E1); 2) at the level of the navicular bone (E2); and 3) close to the tendon's insertion (E3). If lesions were identified at E1 or had been identified further proximally using MRI, additional sections were obtained until, in most cases, the proximal limit of the lesion was identified. All DDFTs were graded histopathologically using predefined criteria. The MR images were reviewed to determine the location and sequences in which increased signal intensity was seen. Results: No haemorrhage or inflammatory cell infiltration was seen in any horse. At level E 1 , septal thickening, ghosting of blood vessels and blood vessel occlusion were common in Group D, but were not seen in Group C. Less commonly, there was core necrosis, only seen in Group D. At level E 2 , septal and vascular changes were most obvious in Group D. Core necrosis, dorsal splitting, crevicing and fibrillation were seen only in Group D. Septal and vascular changes were present in both Groups C and D at level E 3 , but fibrocartilaginous metaplasia, splitting, crevicing and fibrillation, or core necrosis or fibroplasia were seen only in Group D. Core lesions in Group D often extended proximal to E 1 , and ranged in length from 0.5–13 cm. Core necrosis was generally associated with increased signal intensity in fat suppressed images. Conclusions: Lesions of the DDFT in the digit appear to be primarily degenerative, and may be a sequel to vascular compromise. Increased signal intensity on fat suppressed MR images is not necessarily associated with frank fluid or evidence of inflammation, but may reflect major matrix changes in the tendon. Potential relevance: Further information about the causes of these lesions is required to develop preventative strategies.     

Exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage in the horse: results of a detailed clinical, post mortem and imaging study. II. Gross lung pathology

Gross post mortem examinations were performed on the lungs of 26 Thoroughbred horses of known exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage (EIPH) status. The most consistent finding was a variable degree of bilaterally symmetrical, dark discolouration of the dorsocaudal regions of the caudal lung lobes. In more severely affected lungs, the stained areas extended cranially along the dorsal surfaces of the lungs, and in some cases affected approximately one third of the lung surface. Discoloured areas of lung were denser than normal, collapsed less readily, often contained trapped air and were slow to inflate. The subpleural bronchial arteries were more prominent in the discoloured regions. Pleural adhesions were noted in two horses but were not related to the discoloured lung regions. It was concluded that the discoloured lesions have a complex pathogenesis and were related directly to previous bouts of EIPH. Associated with them were signs indicating probable partial small airway obstruction, decreased tissue compliance and direct involvement of the bronchial arterial circulation.     

The effect of post‐mortem storage on the water‐soluble proteins of breast muscles of uneviscerated pheasant and chicken carcasses

Electropherograms, obtained by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, of water‐soluble proteins extracted from the breast muscles of uneviscerated pheasant and chicken carcasses which had been stored at 10 °C were compared. The results indicated that chicken muscle proteins remained largely unchanged, while marked changes occurred in pheasant muscle proteins especially after 10 d post‐mortem.     

Exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage in the horse: results of a detailed clinical, post mortem and imaging study. I. Clinical profile of horses

Detailed physical and clinical examinations were performed on 26 Thoroughbred racehorses which were used subsequently in a series of studies to investigate the contribution of the pulmonary and bronchial arterial circulations to the pathophysiology of exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage (EIPH). Twenty-five of the horses had been retired from race training in Hong Kong during the 1984-85 season, all but four raced that season; one horse had been retired the previous season. The average number of races for the group that season was 4.1 +/- 2 with an average distance of 1502 +/- 216 metres, mean racing speed 15.5 +/- 0.5 metres/sec. Time from last race to necropsy was 177 +/- 155 days, range 12 to 572 days. All but one horse had a known history of either EIPH or epistaxis. Time from last recorded incident of expistaxis (17 horses) to necropsy was 156 +/- 141 days, range 12 to 513 days, with a longer interval since last recorded endoscopic observation of EIPH. Focal abnormal lung sounds were detected in the dorsocaudal lungfields on auscultation during rebreathing in three horses and six had tracheobronchial cytology consistent with previous episodes of pulmonary haemorrhage (haemosiderophages). No other characteristics which might have allowed separation of this group of horses from other Thoroughbred horses recently in race training were identified.     

The effect of ragwort (Senecio jacobea) on the liver of the domestic fowl (Gallus domesticus) : a histopathological and enzyme histochemical study.

1. Twenty-five 1-week-old male chicks were fed for 6 weeks on a standard diet incorporating 7% dried and ground ragwort (Senecio jacobea). The chicks received the standard diet for a further 6 weeks whilst a control group of 25 similar birds received the standard diet throughout. 2. Two birds from each group were killed at intervals of about 1 week and their livers were examined histologically and histochemically. 3. Ragwort feeding caused megalocytosis, focal necrosis, focal hyperplasia and portal fibrosis. There were no veno-occlusive changes. 4. As the lesion progressed there was an overall loss of enzyme activity especially in the areas of necrosis. The groups of small hyperplastic cells showed normal or increased activity and there was increased enzyme activity in the megalocytes. 5. The development of groups of proliferating cells may be a prelude to the neoplastic changes described in earlier reports of longer term studies of the effects of pyrolizidine alkaloids on the liver of chicks.     

Exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage in the horse: results of a detailed clinical, post mortem and imaging study. VI. Radiological/pathological correlations

This study was initiated to determine if the extent and intensity of lung lesions associated with exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage (EIPH) in horses could be predicted from thoracic radiographs. Sets of thoracic radiographs from 24 horses with varied histories of EIPH were subjectively coded for radiographic quality, and perceived extent and intensity of diffuse interstitial opacity by three radiologists who had no knowledge of the corresponding autopsy results. Codes assigned from radiographs for the chosen parameters were compared with coded estimates of lung surface staining assigned at post mortem and volume measurements of haemosiderin deposits and bronchial arterial neovascularisation recorded from lung slices in separate studies. The non-parametric Spearman rank correlation test was used to test for statistical significance. All radiographically coded estimates of lesion severity were positively correlated with post mortem measurements of actual lesion involvement, but only the correlation between coded estimates of lesion opacity versus haemosiderin deposits and bronchial artery neovascularisation were statistically significant (P less than 0.05). Correlations between radiographic codes for lesion extent versus haemosiderin deposits and neovascularisation were just beyond the level of significance (P greater than 0.05 less than 0.1). These findings indicate that there are graded, radiographically discernible increases in interstitial opacity related to actual lesion severity. However, under the conditions of the study, accurate prediction of lung pathology in individual cases based on radiographic criteria was precluded by the wide variance of the coded values. The authors believe that with good radiographic technique and careful criteria selection, satisfactory prediction of lesion severity in EIPH cases could be achieved.     

盐酸血竭素对金黄色葡萄球菌分选酶A活性影响研究

为探究盐酸血竭素(DP)抗金黄色葡萄球菌(S.aureus)分选酶A(SrtA)的活性及机制,本研究利用纤连蛋白黏附试验和细胞侵袭试验,验证DP通过抑制SrtA的活性影响S.aureus黏附于纤连蛋白和降低其对细胞的侵袭能力;利用荧光底物肽实验,测定DP对S.aureus SrtA的抑制作用;利用生物膜试验,观察DP对S.aureus形成生物被膜(BF)的影响能力;利用分子模拟和定点突变方法,分析验证DP对SrtA的活性中心影响作用。结果表明,DP分别在2μg/mL、4μg/mL、8μg/mL和16μg/mL时,可显著性抑制S.aureus SrtA蛋白的催化活性,且这一抑制作用呈浓度依赖性;DP可以通过影响SrtA的催化活性从而阻碍其表面蛋白锚定于宿主细胞表面,进而降低S.aureus侵袭细胞的能力;DP在8μg/mL和16μg/mL时可以显著降低S.aureus与纤连蛋白结合的能力(p<0.01);DP在2μg/mL、4μg/mL、8μg/mL和16μg/mL时均可以显著降低S.aureus形成BF的能力;DP可通过与SrtAΔN59中的P30和T105结合而封闭了其活性中心。综上所述,DP可作用于S.aureus毒力因子SrtA,通过抑制SrtA的活性达到减弱其毒力的效果。本研究将为DP抗S.aureus的作用机制提供参考依据。