The intensity of resistance by mature Merino ewes against Haemonchus contortus and Tichostrongylus colubriformis in single-species and combined-species infection

Three-year-old, non-lactating and non-pregnant Merino ewes, raised on pasture under a program of strategic treatment with anthelmintic and found to be extremely resistant to "trickle" infection with Haemonchus contortus, were given single-dose infections with either H. contortus or Trichostrongylus colubriformis or both species together. The purpose was to ascertain the intensity of protective immunity against the 2 parasites in sheep with immunity acquired from a presumably slight exposure to infection. To provide a criterion, some infected ewes were immunosuppressed with corticosteroid, dexamethasone. Untreated ewes were extremely resistant to challenge infection with either 15,000 or 150,000 H. contortus or 15,000 T. colubriformis. Surprisingly, when mixed infection was given, egg counts for H. contortus were significantly elevated compared with infection by that species alone. Antibody to antigens from infective larval and adult H. contortus was measured in serum by enzyme-linked-immunosorbent assay (ELISA) during the course of infection. Serum titres against larval antigens were significantly depressed when infections with either H. contortus or T. colubriformis were permitted by immunosuppression with dexamethasone, whereas those against adult antigen were depressed when infection with T. colubriformis was permitted.     

Disposition Kinetics of Difloxacin After Intravenous,Intramuscular and Subcutaneous Administration in Calves

The pharmacokinetics of difloxacin (Dicural) was studied in a crossover study using three groups (n = 4) of male and female Friesian calves after intravenous (i.v.), intramuscular (i.m.) and subcutaneous (s.c.) administrations of 5 mg/kg body weight. Drug concentration in plasma was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography using fluorescence detection. The plasma concentration–time data following i.v. administration were best fitted to a two-compartment open model and those following i.m. and s.c. routes were best fitted using one-compartment open model. The collected data were subjected to a computerized kinetic analysis. The mean i.v., i.m. and s.c. elimination half-lives (t _1/2β) were 5.56 ± 0.33 h, 6.12 ± 0.42 h and 7.26 ± 0.6 h, respectively. The steady-state volume of distribution (V _dss) was 1.12 ± 0.09 L/kg and total body clearance (Cl_B) was 2.19 ± 0.1 ml/(min. kg). The absorption half lives (t _1/2ab) were 0.38 ± 0.027 h and 2.1 ± 0.09 h, with systemic bioavailabilities (F) of 96.5% ± 6.4% and 84% ± 5.5% after i.m. and s.c. administration, respectively. After i.m. and s.c. dosing, peak plasma concentrations (C _max) of 3.38 ± 0.13 μg/ml and 2.18 ± 0.12 μg/ml were attained after (t _max) 1.22 ± 0.20 h and 3.7 ± 0.52 h. The MIC₉₀ of difloxacin for Mannheimia haemolytica was 0.29 ± 0.04 μg/ml. The AUC/MIC₉₀ and C _max/MIC₉₀ ratios for difloxacin following i.m. administration were 120 and 11.65, respectively and following s.c. administration were 97.58 and 7.51, respectively. Difloxacin was 31.7–36.8% bound to calf plasma protein. Since fluoroquinolones display concentration-dependent activities, the doses of difloxacin used in this study are likely to involve better pharmacodynamic characteristics that are associated with greater clinical efficacy following i.m. administration than following s.c. administration.     

Comparison of pregnancy per AI of heifers inseminated with sex-sorted or conventional semen after oestrus detection or timed artificial insemination

The objective of the study was to compare the fertility after using sex-sorted or conventional semen either with oestrus detection (EST) or timed artificial insemination (TAI) in Holstein heifers. Holstein heifers were randomly assigned to one of the following treatments in a 2 × 2 factorial design. Heifers in the EST group were inseminated with sex-sorted (n = 114) or conventional semen (n = 100) after spontaneous or induced oestrus. Heifers in the TAI, subjected to the 5-day Cosynch+Progesterone protocol (GnRH+P4 insertion-5d-PGF_2α+P4 removal-1d-PGF_2α-2d-GnRH+TAI), were inseminated with sex-sorted (n = 113) or conventional semen (n = 88). Statistical analyses were performed using PROC GLIMMIX procedure of SAS 9.4 (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC). Overall P/AI was 60.7% for EST and 54.2% for TAI regardless of types of semen and 68.1% for conventional and 48.9% for sex-sorted semen regardless of insemination strategies. Fertility of heifers inseminated with either sex-sorted (53.5%; 44.2%) or conventional (69.0%; 67.0%) semen did not differ between EST and TAI respectively. Besides, the interaction between the semen type and the insemination strategy was not significant for P/AI. The embryonic loss was significantly greater with sex-sorted semen (17.1%) compared to conventional semen (1.6%). There was no sire effect with sex-sorted semen on P/AI (52.6% vs. 46.2%) and embryonic loss (16.4% vs. 18.0%). As expected, sex-sorted semen resulted in more female calves (89.8% vs. 51.6%) than conventional semen. Thus, sex-sorted semen can be used with 5-day Cosynch+Progesterone protocol to eliminate the inadequate oestrus detection and to increase female calves born in dairy heifers.     

Synovial fluid analysis and bacterial findings in arthritic joints of juvenile male camel (Camelus dromedarius) calves

Eighteen synovial fluid samples from 11 male dromedarian calves, 9-12 month old, were analysed cytologically and bacteriologically. Calves were lame and all joints were grossly swollen. The mean +/- SD of total nucleated cell count was 7970 +/- 5000 cells/microl (range 2800-20,000 cells/microl). Polymorphonuclear (PMN) leucocytes were the predominant cell type. The mean +/- SD of absolute and percentages of each cell type were as follows: PMN leucocytes 5518 +/- 3600 cells/microl and 68 +/- 19%, monocytes/macrophages 1600 +/- 1120 cells/microl and 26 +/- 17%, lymphocytes 830 +/- 140 cells/microl and 8 +/- 7%, and red blood cell 350 +/- 130 cells/microl. The mean +/- SD of total protein concentration was 3.5 +/- 1 g/dl (range 2.5-5 g/dl). The most commonly isolated bacteria were non-haemolytic streptococci spp., followed by Arcanobacterium pyogenes and Staphylococcus aureus. No bacterial growth was obtained in eight samples and non-revealed Mycoplasma spp.     

Comparative pharmacokinetics of marbofloxacin in healthy and Mannheimia haemolytica infected calves

The pharmacokinetics of marbofloxacin were investigated in healthy (n=8) and Mannheimia haemolytica naturally infected (n=8) Simmental ruminant calves following intravenous (i.v.) and intramuscular (i.m.) administration of 2 mg kg(-1) body weight. The concentration of marbofloxacin in plasma was measured using high performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection. Following i.v. administration of the drug, the elimination half-life (t(1/2 beta)) and mean residence time (MRT) were significantly longer in diseased calves (8.2h; 11.13 h) than in healthy ones (4.6 h; 6.1 h), respectively. The value of total body clearance (CL(B)) was larger in healthy calves (3 ml min(-1) kg(-1)) than in diseased ones (1.3 ml min(-1) kg(-1)). After single intramuscular (i.m.) administration of the drug, the elimination half-life, mean residence time (MRT) and maximum plasma concentration (C(max)) were higher in diseased calves (8.0, 12 h, 2.32 microg ml(-1)) than in healthy ones (4.7, 7.4 h, 1.4 microg ml(-1)), respectively. The plasma concentrations and AUC following administration of the drug by both routes were significantly higher in diseased calves than in healthy ones. Protein binding of Marbofloxacin was not significantly different in healthy and diseased calves. The mean value for MIC of marbofloxacin for M. haemolytica was 0.1+/-0.06 microg ml(-1). The C(max)/MIC and AUC(24)/MIC ratios were significantly higher in diseased calves (13.0-64.4 and 125-618 h) than in healthy calves (8-38.33 and 66.34-328 h). The obtained results for surrogate markers of antimicrobial activity (C(max)/MIC, AUC/MIC and T > or = MIC) indicate the excellent pharmacodynamic characteristics of the drug in diseased calves with M. haemolytica, which can be expected to optimize the clinical efficacy and minimize the development of resistance.     

Dihydrooxadiazines: Octopaminergic system as a potential site of insecticidal action

Dihydrooxadiazines are structural analogs of octopamine and were compared with octopamine for their ability to compete with [³H]dihydroergocryptine ([³H]DHE) for binding sites on DHE-sensitive receptors, to stimulate adenylate cyclase activity in nervous system homogenates of Periplaneta americana L., and to modulate the action of the peptide proctolin on the oviducal muscles of Locusta migratoria L. [³H]DHE binding was inhibited by low concentrations (μM range) of octopamine, phentolamine, N-demethylchlordimeform (DCDM) and several dihydrooxadiazines. The tested dihydrooxadiazines acted as aminergic agonists in stimulating cyclic AMP production in cockroach nervous system homogenates and did not show additive effects with octopamine, whereas additivity was observed with 5-hydroxytryptamine. The relative potency of octopaminergic antagonists, including mianserin, cyproheptadine, phentolamine, and gramine, to block octopamine-mediated elevation of cyclic AMP production was similar to the rank-order potency of the same antagonists to inhibit dihydrooxadiazine-mediated elevation of cyclic AMP production. Octopamine, 2-(4-bromophenyl)-5,6-dihydro-4H-1,3,4-oxadiazine (4-Br-PDHO), and 8-Br-cyclic AMP caused increased phosphorylation of proteins that are phosphorylated by exogenously added cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase. These results indicate that the dihydrooxadiazine-induced rise in cyclic AMP levels in homogenates of the cockroach nervous system results directly in activation of an endogenous cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase. 4-Br-PDHO behaved similarly to octopamine in modulating the action of proctolin-induced contractions in locust oviducal muscles. These observations suggest that dihydrooxadiazines act as octopamine agonists and have an octopaminergic action in modulating the action of proctolin. Thus, it is proposed that dihydrooxadiazines exert at least part of their insecticidal and miticidal actions through interaction with the octopaminergic system.     

Effect of Extraction Variables on the Biodegradable Chelant-Assisted Removal of Toxic Metals from Artificially Contaminated European Reference Soils

Development of aminopolycarboxylate chelants (APCs) having enhanced biodegradability is gaining increasing focus to replace the EDTA and its homologs with those used widely for the ex situ treatment of contaminated soils and are potential eco-threats. The paper reports the chelant-assisted extraction of the toxic metals (Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn) from the metal-spiked European reference soils (Eurosoil 1 and Eurosoil 4) using biodegradable APCs, namely EDDS, GLDA, and HIDS. The effects of chelant-to-metal molar ratio, solution pH, and metal/chelant stability constants were evaluated, and compared with that of EDTA. The selectivity aptitude of the biodegradable chelants towards the toxic metals was assumed from the speciation calculations, and a proportionate correlation was observed at neutral pH. Pre- and post-extractive solid phase distributions of the target metals were defined using the sequential extraction procedure and dissolution of metals from the theoretically immobilized fraction was witnessed. The effect of competing species (Al, Ca, Fe, Mg, and Mn) concentrations was proven to be minimized with an excess of chelant in solution. The highlight of the outcomes is the superior decontamination ability of GLDA, a biodegradable APC, at minimum chelant concentration in solution and applicability at a wide range of pH environments.     

K~+,Ca~(2+)和Mg~(2+)对不同水稻(Oryza sativa L.)基因型苗期耐盐性的影响

【目的】进一步探明盐胁迫条件下营养元素K+、Ca2+和Mg2+对苗期不同水稻基因型耐盐性的影响差异,为明确作物耐盐胁迫的生理机制、提高作物耐盐胁迫能力提供参考。【方法】于2009年1—4月在严格控制水、温、光和营养元素供应的国际水稻研究所人工气候室进行水培试验,比较研究营养液中K+、Ca2+和Mg2+浓度的变化对不同水稻基因型苗期耐盐性的影响。【结果】在盐胁迫条件下(100mmol·L-1NaCl),耐盐基因型(FL478和IR651)与盐敏感基因型(IR29和Azucena)相比,植株体内有较低的Na+含量和Na+/K+、Na+/Ca2+、Na+/Mg2+比,有较高的K+含量,这些都是耐盐基因型耐盐胁迫能力高于盐敏感基因型的内在原因。盐胁迫条件下提高营养液中Ca2+和Mg2+的含量(60mg·L-1),可显著降低植株体Na+含量和Na+/K+、Na+/Ca2+、Na+/Mg2+比,明显减轻盐胁迫的危害,增强水稻耐盐胁迫能力,且Ca2+处理的效果优于Mg2+处理;而提高营养液K+含量对以上指标的影响远远小于Ca2+处理和Mg2+处理,这也是K+处理对水稻耐盐性影响相对不明显的内在原因。【结论】K+、Ca2+和Mg2+在植株体内的含量及其与Na+的比值变化都会影响水稻苗期耐盐性;适当提高水稻生长环境的Ca2+和Mg2+浓度可以明显增强植株耐盐胁迫能力,营养元素Ca2+的效果比Mg2+明显;而K+对水稻耐盐性的影响相对不明显。     

Metabolism, uptake and translocation of 14C-paraquat in resistant and susceptible biotypes of Crassocephalum crepidioides (Benth.) S. Moore

The metabolism, uptake and translocation of paraquat in resistant (R) and susceptible (S) biotypes of Crassocephalum crepidioides (Benth.) S. Moore (redflower ragleaf) at the 10-leaf stage was investigated. A study on the properties of leaf surface was carried out to examine the relationship between leaf surface characters and paraquat absorption. The extractable paraquat was not metabolized by the leaf tissue of either the resistant or susceptible biotypes. Differential metabolism, therefore, does not appear to play a role in the mechanism of resistance. Both biotypes did not show any significant difference in the amount of cuticle and trichome densities. Furthermore, both biotypes are identical in the structure of stomata, trichomes and epicuticular wax. The results of the leaf surface studies are in agreement with the findings of the uptake study. Both biotypes demonstrated no significant difference in absorption between the resistant and susceptible biotypes. However, 10% of the absorbed ¹⁴C-paraquat into the S biotype was translocated basipetally, but not in the R biotype. The results of this study suggest that in C. crepidioides , differential translocation may contribute to the mechanism of resistance at the 10-leaf stage.