Diagnosis and surgical removal of brain abscesses in a juvenile alpaca

CASE DESCRIPTION: A 1-month-old female alpaca was examined because of progressive clinical signs consistent with an intracranial lesion. CLINICAL FINDINGS: Clinical signs included signs of depression, lethargy, tetraparesis, and neck weakness. Two large isointense intracranial masses could be seen on T1-weighted magnetic resonance images. On T2-weighted images, the masses contained concentric rings of hypointense and hyperintense material. TREATMENT AND OUTCOME: 2 abscesses were removed via a craniotomy that incorporated removal of the sagittal crest and surrounding skull and transection of the sagittal sinus. The bony deficit was replaced with polypropylene mesh. The alpaca recovered within 2 weeks and was fully integrated into the herd within 1 month after surgery. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Findings indicated that surgical removal is a feasible means of successfully treating intracranial abscesses in juvenile alpacas.     

The association between rainfall and seropositivity to Leptospira in outdoor reared pigs

Outdoor reared pigs were used as indicators for investigating the effect of weather conditions in the seroprevalence of Leptospira. Over the period February to March 2008, sera from 386 sows on 11 farms in southern Sweden were tested for antibodies to the following Leptospira serovars: L. interrogans serovar (sv) Bratislava, L. kirschneri sv Grippotyphosa, L. interrogans sv Icterohaemorrhagiae, L. interrogans sv Pomona, L. borgpetersenii sv Tarassovi and one domestic strain (mouse 2A) related to L. borgpetersenii sv Sejroe and L. borgpetersenii sv Istrica. The highest seroprevalence was to this strain (8.0%) followed by sv Bratislava (3.9%). Six of the 11 farms had sows which were seropositive to at least one of the Leptospira serovars. Data on rainfall and temperature were retrieved for the respective farms. For each millimetre of extra rainfall, there was an increase in the odds ratio (OR) for seropositivity to sv Bratislava of 4.3 (95% CI 1.9-10), and to strain mouse 2A of 2.5 (95% CI 1.0-6.4). There was no association between seropositivity and temperature. This study indicates that different climate conditions within the northern temperate climate zone may be of importance for the presence of Leptospira-seropositivity in mammals.     

Multiple-center study of reduced-concentration triamcinolone topical solution for the treatment of dogs with known or suspected allergic pruritus

OBJECTIVE: To determine the efficacy of triamcinolone acetonide topical solution (TTS) in dogs for use in reduction of clinical signs of pruritic inflammatory skin diseases of a known or suspected allergic basis and to evaluate adverse effects associated with TTS administration. ANIMALS: 103 pruritic adult dogs with known or suspected allergic skin disease. PROCEDURE: Dogs were treated for 4 weeks with TTS or with vehicle solution (control dogs) in a multiple-center study. Clinical signs were scored by owners and by examining veterinarians before and after treatment. Blood samples obtained before and after treatment were subjected to routine hematologic and serum biochemical analyses. RESULTS: Treatment success, as defined by an improvement of at least 2 of 6 grades in overall clinical score, was evident in 35 of 52 (67%) TTS-treated dogs (mean improvement, 1.98) and 12 of 51 (24%) control dogs (mean improvement, 0.29). For several criteria, TTS was significantly more effective than vehicle in reducing clinical signs. Minor alterations in hematologic determinations in TTS-treated dogs were limited to slightly lower total leukocyte, lymphocyte, and eosinophil counts after treatment. Minor adverse effects were reported by owners in 6 of 52 (12%) TTS-treated and 9 of 51 (18%) control dogs. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Triamcinolone used as a spray solution at a concentration approximately one-sixth the concentration of triamcinolone topical preparations currently available for veterinary use is effective for short-term alleviation of allergic pruritus in dogs. Adverse effects are few and mild and, thus, do not preclude prolonged treatment with the solution.     

Prospects for a novel vaccine against tuberculosis

The development of a new and improved vaccine against tuberculosis has in the last 10 years been accelerated tremendously from the completed Mycobacterium tuberculosis genome and the progress in molecular biology. This has resulted in the identification of a large number of antigens with potential in tuberculosis vaccines. The next phase of this work has now started--putting the most relevant molecules back together as fusion molecules and cocktails. This requires carefully monitoring of aspects as immunodominance, recognition in different populations as well as the influence of different adjuvants and delivery systems. The most advanced of these vaccines such as the fusion between ESAT6 and Ag85B have been evaluated in a range of animal models including non-human primates and are now entering into clinical trials. For these vaccines to be successfully implemented in future vaccination programmes it is necessary to understand the immunological background for the failure of BCG and optimize the vaccines for their ability to boost the immuno-response primed by BCG.     

IGF-I- and EGF-dependent DNA synthesis of porcine myoblasts is influenced by the dietary isoflavones genistein and daidzein

Soy-derived isoflavones have been reported to be specific inhibitors of protein tyrosine kinases like the type 1 insulin-like growth factor receptor (IGF-1R) and the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). This study was conducted to investigate, whether IGF-I and EGF stimulate porcine myoblast growth and whether the responses are influenced by isoflavones. Satellite cell-born myoblasts derived from the semimembranosus muscle of newborn piglets were treated for 26h with IGF-I or EGF alone and in combination with genistein or daidzein. The DNA amount was measured and DNA synthesis was recorded as 6 h-[(3)H]thymidine incorporation during exponential growth in serum-free basal medium. IGF-I and EGF synergistically stimulated DNA synthesis of porcine myoblast with EGF causing a greater response. Genistein (100mumol/l) effectively reduced the growth factor-mediated DNA synthesis, which was associated with an inhibition of growth factor receptor protein expression. In response to daidzein no reduction in growth factor-mediated DNA synthesis was found. Daidzein (1; 10mumol/l) combined with IGF-I caused even a slight increase in DNA amount compared with the untreated control. The expression of the IGF-1R precursor protein was reduced with 10 and 100mumol/l daidzein, whereas the EGFR expression remained unchanged with daidzein. The results suggest that dietary isoflavones may interact with growth factor-induced stimulation of pig skeletal muscle growth.     

Intermittent Stress in Pigs: Behavioural and Pituitary-Adrenocortical Reactivity

Abstract

Ninetysix pigs, half females and half castrated males from 12 litters, were housed in 24 groups of 4 litter mates (2 females, 2 castrates). The pigs were weaned at 4 weeks of age and from the age of 115 days half of the groups were subjected to a schedule of unpredictable, inescapable electroshocks for 33 days, and half served as control. The adrenocortical reactivity to ACTH stimulation and to an emotional stressor (the procedure associated with initiation of blood collection) was measured in females, whereas the behavioural and pituitary-adrenocortical reactivity to an open field test was measured in castrates, as was the behavioural reactivity in a social test. Intermittent stress increased adrenocortical reactivity to ACTH stimulation significantly. This effect was present within the first week of intermittent stress (p < 0.06), but no difference was found after 4–5 weeks of stress. In contrast, the adrenocortical reactivity to additional emotional stressors was unaffected by stress after one week of intermittent stress, but increased after 4–5 weeks. In the open field test, centre location increased after one week of intermittent stress, whereas exploration decreased and walking and ambulation increased after 4–5 weeks of stress. In addition, 4–5 weeks of intermittent stress decreased aggressiveness in a social test. In conclusion, the change in reactivity to an additional acute stressor during intermittent stress appeared in different variables and contexts at different times during the course of intermittent stress. Thus, assessment of stress based on changed reactivity has to include several distinct measures of behavioural and hormonal reactivity.     

Metabolism of the lignan macromolecule into enterolignans in the gastrointestinal lumen as determined in the simulator of the human intestinal microbial ecosystem

Estrogenic plant compounds from the human diet such as the lignan secoisolariciresinol diglucoside (SDG, 1) can exert biological activity in the human body upon ingestion and bioactivation to enterodiol (END, 5) and enterolactone (ENL, 6). Bioavailability of lignans is influenced by the food matrix and gut microbial action, of which the latter is subject to a large interindividual variation. In this study, the fate of the lignan precursor SDG, present in the lignan macromolecule of flax seed ( Linum usitatissimum), was determined during an artificial stomach and small intestinal digestion and during metabolism by two different enterolignan phenotypes in a TWINSHIME environment (TWIN Simulator of the Human Intestinal Microbial Ecosystem). The lignan macromolecule acted as a delivery system of SDG in the large intestine. SDG was only hydrolyzed into secoisolariciresinol (SECO, 2) through microbial action in the ascending colon, after which it was bioactivated into enterolignans from the transverse colon onward. Single demethylation was a first step in the bioactivation, followed by dehydroxylation. Enterolignan phenotypes remained stable throughout the experimental period. The establishment of END and ENL production equilibria reflected the subdominance of ENL-producing bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract.     

A KCNJ10 mutation previously identified in the Russell group of terriers also occurs in Smooth-Haired Fox Terriers with hereditary ataxia and in related breeds

Background

Hereditary ataxias with similar phenotypes were reported in the Smooth-Haired Fox Terrier, the Jack Russell Terrier and the Parson Russell Terrier. However, segregation analyses showed differing inheritance modes in these breeds. Recently, molecular genetic studies on the Russell group of terriers found independent mutations in KCNJ10 and CAPN1, each associated with a specific clinical subtype of inherited ataxia. The aim of this study was to clarify whether or not Smooth-Haired Fox Terriers with hereditary ataxia and dogs of other related breeds harbor either of the same mutations. A sub goal was to update the results of KCNJ10 genotyping in Russell group terriers.

Findings

Three Smooth-Haired Fox Terriers with hereditary ataxia and two Toy Fox Terriers with a similar phenotype were all homozygous for the KCNJ10 mutation. The same mutation was also found in a heterozygous state in clinically unaffected Tenterfield Terriers (n = 5) and, in agreement with previous studies, in Jack Russell Terriers, Parson Russell Terriers, and Russell Terriers.

Conclusions

A KCNJ10 mutation, previously associated with an autosomal recessive spinocerebellar ataxia in Jack Russell Terriers, Parson Russell Terriers, and Russell Terriers segregates in at least three more breeds descended from British hunting terriers. Ataxic members of two of these breeds, the Smooth-Haired Fox Terrier and the Toy Fox Terrier, were homozygous for the mutation, strengthening the likelihood that this genetic defect is indeed the causative mutation for the disease known as “hereditary ataxia” in Fox Terriers and “spinocerebellar ataxia with myokymia, seizures or both” in the Russell group of terriers.