Tolerance of benzalkonium chloride, formalin, malachite green, and potassium permanganate in goldfish and zebrafish

OBJECTIVE: To determine tolerance of goldfish and zebrafish to benzalkonium chloride, formalin, malachite green, and potassium permanganate. DESIGN: Tolerance study. ANIMALS: Adult goldfish (Carassius auratus) and zebrafish (Danio rerio). PROCEDURES: Groups of fish (n = 10/group) were exposed to each disinfectant at the therapeutic dosage; at 0.25, 0.5, 3, and 5 times the concentration used for the therapeutic dosage; and at the concentration used for the therapeutic dosage but for 3 or 5 times the recommended exposure time. RESULTS: In both species, exposure to malachite green at the therapeutic dosage resulted in toxic effects, including death. Exposure to formalin at the therapeutic dosage resulted in toxic effects in goldfish, but not zebrafish, and exposure to potassium permanganate resulted in toxic effects in zebrafish, but not goldfish. On the basis of the ratio of therapeutic dosage to median lethal dosage, in goldfish, formalin was more toxic than benzalkonium chloride, which was more toxic than malachite green, which was more toxic than potassium permanganate. In zebrafish, potassium permanganate was more toxic than formalin and benzalkonium chloride, which were approximately equally toxic and more toxic than malachite green. Extending treatment time increased the toxicity of potassium permanganate in zebrafish and the toxicity of formalin and malachite green in goldfish, but did not alter the toxicity of the other disinfectants. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results indicated that there was no consistency between zebrafish and goldfish in their tolerance to disinfectants, and that therapeutic dosages reported in the literature for these disinfectants were not always safe.     

Antiapoptotic activity of bovine herpesvirus type-1 (BHV-1) UL14 protein

Viruses have evolved different strategies to interfere with apoptotic pathways in order to halt cellular responses to infection. One previous study showed that transient transfection of bovine herpesvirus type-1 (BHV-1) UL14 protein is efficient in protecting Madin Darby kidney (MDBK) and human chronic myelogenous leukemia (K562) cells from sorbitol-induced apoptosis. This protein corresponds to a putative protein of BHV-1, which shares aminoacid sequence with a part of the peptide-binding domain conserved in human heat shock protein (HSP70) family. The pBK-CMV-UL14 plasmid transfected MDBK cells treated with sorbitol did not show caspase-3 and caspase-9 activation with respect to non-transfected MDBK cells (UL14 negative). Furthermore, we report that the expression of the full length sequence of BHV-1 UL14 is evident after 7 h of infection of BHV-1 on MDBK cells which were then treated with sorbitol. These results indicate that UL14 gene product has important implications to enhance cell survival in response to apoptotic stimuli.     

Kinetics and type of immune response following intranasal and subcutaneous immunisation of calves

Protection of animals against respiratory infections has long been known to depend on respiratory mucosal immunity. However, few studies have been reported on the immune response following intranasal (i.n.) immunisation with non-living, soluble antigens. This study determined the kinetics of the humoral and cellular immune responses in calves after i.n. immunisation with Limulus haemocyanin (LH) with cholera toxin adjuvant, or subcutaneous (s.c.) immunisation with LH in incomplete Freund's adjuvant. A proliferative response of peripheral blood mononuclear cells cultured in vitro with LH was observed in animals immunised 7-10 days after i.n. and s.c. immunisations with no significant differences between the two immunised groups. LH -specific antibody was present in the serum of animals immunised s.c. (IgM, IgG1 and IgG2) and i.n. (IgA). Although significant IgA responses were observed, i.n. immunisations in cattle with soluble protein antigens and cholera toxin as an adjuvant did not induce a strong systemic immune response.     

Efficacy of itraconazole as a combined continuous/pulse therapy in feline dermatophytosis: preliminary results in nine cases

This study evaluated the efficacy of itraconazole as a combined continuous/pulse therapy for feline dermatophytosis. Nine cats with dermatophytosis caused by Microsporum canis were treated with itraconazole at 10 mg kg(-1) orally once daily for 28 days and then on an alternate week regimen (1 week off, 1 week on) at the same dosage. Cats were re-evaluated by physical examination and fungal culture at days 28, 42, 56 and 70 if necessary. Treatment was stopped when two consecutive negative fungal cultures were obtained. Eight cats were cured after 56 days, with two negative cultures obtained at days 28 and 42. In one case, a positive culture was obtained at day 28, but negative cultures were achieved at days 42 and 56. This protocol appears to be effective in the treatment of feline dermatophytosis, although these preliminary results should be confirmed by a controlled study.     

Endotoxin activity in whole blood measured by neutrophil chemiluminescence is applicable to canine whole blood

The dog is widely used as a translational experimental model studying the host response and new treatments for human endotoxemia. The present study evaluated the applicability of a novel patient-near neutrophil chemiluminescence assay for the measurement of endotoxin activity in human blood when applied to canine blood samples. The assay was observed to be analytically sensitive and specific to endotoxin when tested in vitro, spiked with purified Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide and live E. coli. The diagnostic sensitivity was sustained during Gram-positive contamination. Finally, it also demonstrated diagnostic potential when able to discriminate dogs with spontaneously occurring endotoxemia from both healthy dogs and diseased dogs without endotoxemia. The rapid patient-near assessment of endotoxin activity in canine blood should facilitate future studies on endotoxemia in both spontaneous disease and in experimental settings.     

Cytochrome P450 3A, NADPH cytochrome P450 reductase and cytochrome b5 in the upper airways in horse

Gene and protein expression as well as catalytic activity of cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A were studied in the nasal olfactory and respiratory mucosa and the tracheal mucosa of the horse. We also examined the activity of NADPH cytochrome P450 reductase (NADPH P450 reductase), the amount of cytochrome b(5) and the total CYP content in these tissues. Comparative values for the above were obtained using liver as a control. The CYP3A related catalytic activity in the tissues of the upper airways was considerably higher than in the liver. The CYP3A gene and protein expression, on the other hand, was higher in the liver than in the upper airway tissues. Thus, the pattern of CYP3A metabolic activity does not correlate with the CYP3A gene and protein expression. Our results showed that the activity of NADPH P450 reductase and the level of cytochrome b(5) in the relation to the gene and protein expression of CYP3A were higher in the tissues of the upper airways than in the liver. It is concluded that CYP3A related metabolism in horse is not solely dependent on the expression of the enzyme but also on adequate levels of NADPH P450 reductase and cytochrome b(5).     

本地猪和杂交猪在限制饲养条件下断奶前性状的分析

在限制饲养条件下比较了本地猪(I×I)、本地猪×大白猪(I×L_w)、大白×本地(L_w×I)和纯大白(L_w×L_W)的断奶前的性能。结果是:公猪的品种对于初生和断奶时一窝仔猪数、初生重、初生和断奶时窝重等性状的影响是显著的(P<0.01)。在一窝产仔数的变异里公猪品种的影响占了大部分(58%)。母猪品种对所有性状的影响都是显著的(P<0.01)。仔猪断奶重和断奶前平均日增重(ADG)大部分是由母猪品种决定的,母猪品种的影响在这两个性     

对马和矮马免疫系统缺陷的评价

正常的免疫反应在预防感染和感染的痊愈中有重要作用,这一点在儿童和动物的免疫缺陷病中已得到生动的证明。1972年McGuire和Poppie发现了阿刺伯种幼驹的联合免疫缺陷病(CID)。后来测定血清免疫球蛋白(Ig)获得了许多资料,从而有可能重新估价把足够数量的初乳传递给幼驹的重要性,发现幼驹发生初乳Ig传递障碍的频率很高,并研究了其诊疗方法。此外,还记载了另一些新的免疫缺陷病。现今已知马至少有五种免疫缺陷病。这五种免疫缺陷病     

Identification of carcass and meat quality quantitative trait loci in a Landrace pig population selected for growth and leanness

The identification of QTL related to production traits that are relevant for the pig industry has been mostly performed by using divergent crosses. The main objective of the current study was to investigate whether these growth, fatness, and meat quality QTL, previously described in diverse experimental populations, were segregating in a Landrace commercial population selected for litter size, backfat thickness, and growth performance. We have found QTL for carcass weight (posterior P > 0.75), cutlet weight (posterior P > 0.99), weight of ham (posterior P > 0.75), shoulders weight (posterior probability > 0.99), and shear firm-ness (posterior P > 0.99) on pig Chromosome 2. Moreover, QTL with posterior P > 0.75 for fat thickness between the 3rd and 4th ribs (Chromosome 7), rib weights (Chromosome 8), backfat thickness (Chromosomes 8, 9, and 10), and b Minolta color component (Chromosome 7) were identified. These results indicate that commercial purebred populations retain a significant amount of genetic variation, even for traits that have been selected for many generations.