Johne's disease in alpacas (Lama pacos) in Australia

SUMMARY: Johne's disease was diagnosed in 10 alpacas ( Lama pacos ) in Australia between February 1993 and May 1994. Eight of the animals were between 12 and 24 months of age, one was a 6-year-old female, and one was a 4-year-old male. Five, including the 6-year-old and the 4-year-old alpacas, showed weight loss and diarrhoea before death or slaughter. The other cases showed no clinical signs of Johne's disease but 4 gave a positive result on faecal culture and one gave a positive result on testing with the caprine ACID assay and had acid-fast organisms in its faeces. At necropsy, all cases had grossly enlarged mesenteric lymph nodes. Johne's disease was diagnosed after histological examination of the lymph nodes with conventional culture and polymerase chain reaction testing of tissue samples. This report outlines the clinical, epidemiological, and pathological findings in these cases.     

Immunomodulation in weanling swine with dietary selenium

The capability of dietary selenium (Se) to augment the immune response was evaluated in 96 crossbred weanling swine. Six groups of 16 pigs were fed diets with Se supplemented as sodium selenite at 0, 0.3, 0.6, 0.9, 1.2, and 1.5 mg/kg. The basal diet contained 0.068 mg of Se/kg. Weight gain, feed consumption, and feed efficiency were similar for all diets. Whole blood concentrations of Se linearly increased as the dietary concentrations of Se increased. The humoral response was monitored by immunoglobulin G titers to lysozyme and ribonuclease, using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Although no significant difference in immunoglobulin G titers to either antigen was detected among diets, a similar trend in antibody response was noted. The diet with 0.9 mg of added Se/kg produced the highest antibody response to both antigens, whereas the diet with 0.3 mg of added Se/kg produced the lowest titers for both antigens. Cell-mediated immunity was evaluated in the pigs by the dermal response to phytohemagglutinin. Significant difference was not detected in pigs fed the various diets in terms of the mean diameters of their dermal reactions to phytohemagglutinin injections. Although blood concentrations of Se were increased, rate and efficiency of weight gain and humoral and cell-mediated immunity were not significantly improved by adding 0.3 to 1.5 mg of Se/kg to diets.     

Effects of Dietary Supplementation of β‐hydroxy‐β‐methylbutyrate on Sow Performance and mRNA Expression of Myogenic Markers in Skeletal Muscle of Neonatal Piglets

The effects of dietary β‐hydroxy‐β‐methylbutyrate (HMB) supplementation during gestation on reproductive performance of sows and the mRNA expression of myogenic markers in skeletal muscle of neonatal pigs were determined. At day 35 of gestation, a total of 20 sows (Landrace × Yorkshire, at third parity) were randomly assigned to two groups, with each group receiving either a basal diet or the same diet supplemented with 4 g/day β‐hydroxy‐β‐methylbutyrate calcium (HMB‐Ca) until parturition. At parturition, the total and live litter size were not markedly different between treatments, however, the sows fed HMB diet had a decreased rate of stillborn piglets compared with the sows fed the control (CON) diets (p < 0.05). In addition, piglets from the sows fed HMB diet tended to have an increased birth weight (p = 0.08), and a reduced rate of low birth weight piglets (p = 0.05) compared with piglets from the CON sows. Nevertheless, lower feed intake during lactation was observed in the sows fed the HMB diet compared with those on the CON diet (p < 0.01). The relative weights of the longissimus dorsi (LD) and semitendinosus (ST) muscle were higher (p < 0.05) in neonatal pigs from the HMB than the CON sows. Furthermore, maternal HMB treatment increased the mRNA levels of the myogenic genes, including muscle regulatory factor‐4 (MRF4, p < 0.05), myogenic differentiation factor (MyoD) and insulin‐like growth factor‐1 (IGF‐1, p < 0.01). In conclusion, dietary HMB supplementation to sows at 4 g/day from day 35 of gestation to term significantly improves pregnancy outcomes and increases the expression of myogenic genes in skeletal muscle of neonatal piglets, but reduces feed intake of sows during lactation.     

The aggressiveness of Sphaeropsis sapinea on Austrian pine varies with isolate group and site of infection

The aggressiveness of the A and B isolate groups (morphotypes) of Sphaeropsis sapinea on shoot tips and lower stems of Austrian pine (Pinus nigra) was compared. The distinct differences in aggressiveness between the two S. sapinea groups, previously reported for other conifers, are confirmed for Austrian pine. However, the relative aggressiveness of the B group isolate varied by site of infection. Although the B group isolate of S. sapinea was not aggressive on shoot tips of Austrian pine, it was aggressive on stems of this host.     

Elution of metronidazole and gentamicin from polymethylmethacrylate beads

OBJECTIVE: To characterize the elution and bioactivity of metronidazole and gentamicin sulfate polymerized, individually and in combination, with polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA). STUDY DESIGN: In vitro experimental study. METHODS: PMMA beads containing metronidazole (3 concentrations), gentamicin sulfate, or metronidazole and gentamicin sulfate were immersed in 5 mL of phosphate-buffered saline in triplicate. Eluent was replaced at specified time intervals for 1 or 21 days, and antibiotic concentrations were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography. Changes in antibiotic bioactivity attributable to polymerization or copolymerization of the antibiotics with PMMA, ethylene oxide sterilization, and storage of AIPMMA beads containing metronidazole were evaluated. RESULTS: Antibiotic elution patterns were similar for all groups. Day 1 elution for groups containing metronidazole or gentamicin individually represented a mean 63%-66% and 79%, respectively, of the 21-day total. Approximately 50% of the day 1 elution occurred during the first hour. The elution of metronidazole was dose dependent. The elution of metronidazole (day 3-21) and gentamicin (all days) was significantly greater when metronidazole and gentamicin were combined (P <.05). The addition of metronidazole delayed polymerization of PMMA. Neither polymerization nor copolymerization of metronidazole and gentamicin with PMMA, gas sterilization, or 2-month storage of beads containing metronidazole significantly affected antimicrobial bioactivity. CONCLUSIONS: Metronidazole elution from PMMA was dose dependent. Copolymerization of metronidazole and gentamicin sulfate in PMMA resulted in increased rates of elution. Intraoperative preparation of metronidazole-impregnated PMMA beads is not practical, but sterilization and storage for 2 months should not affect efficacy. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The local delivery of biologically active metronidazole and gentamicin by elution from PMMA is feasible.     

How to evaluate toxicant exposures.

Susceptibility of individual animals to any specific toxicant is influenced by many factors, including genetics, environment, age, gender, and preexisting disease. Because the relative influence of these factors on a specific toxicosis is often unknown and unmeasured, it is difficult to predict how an individual animal is likely to respond to a toxic challenge compared with the "average" animal in the population. Safety or uncertainty factors of 10 have been proposed to deal with intraspecies and interspecies variability in regard to LD50 values. These safety factors may be too conservative for many situations. Toxicant exposure is assessed in animals to determine if preventive treatment is warranted or for differential diagnosis purposes. Calculation techniques require converting English and apothecary units to metric units by either of several methods.     

Monoterpene and Phenolic Compound Concentrations in Water-Stressed Red Pine Inoculated with Sphaeropsis sapinea

ABSTRACT Changes in monoterpene and phenolic compounds resulting from water stress and colonization by Sphaeropsis sapinea were examined for 9- and 11-year-old red pine trees in a plantation and 3-year-old seedlings in a growth chamber. Four treatments were assigned at random to individual trees in the field: no treatment, herbicide to kill surrounding weeds, supplemental water, and both herbicide and supplemental water. In the growth chamber, seedlings were either not watered (water stressed) or watered daily (nonstressed). Shoots were inoculated with agar plugs colonized with either S. sapinea isolates of morphotype A and B (field) or only isolates of morphotype A (growth chamber). Nine monoterpenes were detected in tissue extracts; the most common were alpha-pinene (59 to 74% of the total), beta-pinene (13 to 33% of the total), and delta-3-carene (1 to 5% of the total). Shoots inoculated with isolates of morphotype A had more severe symptoms and produced higher concentrations of monoterpenes in both experiments compared with the controls. In the growth chamber, inoculations with isolates of morphotype A caused higher concentrations of phenolics compared with the controls. In the field experiment, monoterpenes increased in quantity only in shoots of stressed trees inoculated with isolates of morphotype A. Isolates of morphotype B caused few symptoms and did not alter monoterpene concentrations. Increases in monoterpenes do not appear to be involved in the response to infection by morphotype A in nonstressed trees, and the role of phenolics is unclear. However, these results are consistent with previous observations that monoterpenes may be involved in the differences in aggressiveness between morphotypes on red pine.     

Sporidesmin-induced mortality and histological lesions in mouse lines divergently selected for response to toxins in endophyte-infected fescue

For eight generations, mouse lines were selected for smaller or larger reduction in postweaning gain from endophyte-infected fescue seed in the diet. After five generations in which there was no further selection for divergence in response to fescue toxicosis, the current experiment was conducted to determine whether resistant (R) and susceptible (S) lines differed in response to the mycotoxin sporidesmin (SPD). At approximately 8 wk of age, R and S mice that had never consumed endophyte-infected fescue seed were randomly assigned (five to seven per line x sex x SPD dose subclass) to receive dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) carrier or 10, 20, 30, or 40 mg/kg SPD by oral gavage. At death or euthanasia 14 d after treatment, livers and kidneys were collected for histological examination. Mice receiving 40 mg/kg SPD died sooner than mice receiving 30 mg/kg (63 vs 134 h; P = .02), but there was no line or line x dose interaction effect for time to death. Within those mice, neither line, dose, nor their interaction influenced liver weight or liver weight as a proportion of body weight. The R mice were more resistant to SPD than S mice; LD50 values were 23.6 and 31.8 mg/kg for the S and R lines, respectively (P < .05). Sporidesmin caused dose-related liver and kidney lesions in both lines. Selection lines did not differ significantly in the incidence of infarcts of hepatic lobules. However, at 30 and 40 mg/kg SPD doses, severity of this lesion was higher in affected S than in affected R mice. At the higher SPD doses, there also was a greater incidence of hepatic subacute cholangitis in S mice than in R mice. Foci of acute tubular necrosis were found in kidneys of mice receiving 20, 30, or 40 mg/kg SPD, with no protection against these lesions in the R line. Foci of tubular basophilia (indicative of tubular regeneration) were present in all line x dose subgroups, but incidence was not SPD dose-dependent in either line. In summary, divergent selection for weight gain response to ingestion of endophyte-infected fescue seed resulted in a favorable correlated response in survival following exposure to a chemically distinct toxin. It may be possible therefore, to select livestock populations for simultaneous resistance to a variety of toxins.