Cellular responses in the skin of merino sheep to repeated inoculation with Dermatophilus congolensis

The cellular response in the skin of Merino sheep was examined after three successive inoculations with Dermatophilus congolensis. There was a massive neutrophil influx into the infected epidermis and underlying dermis at 4-10 days after the first inoculation. A lymphocyte-macrophage response occurred at 10-12 days, followed by a plasma cell response at 14-38 days. Resolution of skin lesions after the first inoculation corresponded to the time when the plasma cell response in the skin was most intense. A second inoculation with D. congolensis, 70 days after the first, failed to produce skin lesions typical of dermatophilosis. Typical lesions of dermatophilosis did develop after a third inoculation of the same sheep 140 days after the first inoculation, but the lesions resolved in most sheep within 13 days. Dermatophilosis did not develop in some of these sheep at sites inoculated with 100-1000-fold lower infective doses of D. congolensis, whereas control sheep did develop lesions.     

Occurrence and diversity of plasmids in ovine isolates of Pasteurella haemolytica.

160 ovine isolates of Pasteurella haemolytica, representing each of the 16 serotypes and also untypable strains, were examined for plasmid content. Plasmid DNA was identified in, and prepared from, strains of serotypes A2, T3, A14 and A16 and also from an untypable strain. The relationship between the plasmids present in the different strains was examined both by restriction fragment profile analysis and by DNA/DNA hybridisation. Both methods gave broadly similar results and showed that each serotype tended to contain either a single plasmid species, or a limited range of species, and that structural similarities could traverse serotype boundaries. None of the plasmid-bearing strains showed any significant level of resistance to a range of antibiotics.     

DIAGNOSTIC SENSITIVITY OF BONE SCINTIGRAPHY FOR EQUINE STIFLE DISORDERS

Disorders of the stifle are a common cause of lameness in horses yet the accuracy of scintigraphy for diagnosis of stifle conditions is controversial. The aim of retrospective cross‐sectional study was to determine the diagnostic sensitivity (Se) of bone scintigraphy in detecting stifle disease and to determine if two orthogonal scintigraphic images improve diagnostic Se. Horses that underwent scintigraphic examination during a two‐year period were included. Horses were divided into two groups: group 1 (N = 23) had lameness that was localized to the stifle by intra‐articular analgesia and group 2 (N = 182) had lameness that was localized to a different location. Scintigraphic studies (one image or two images) were independently and retrospectively analyzed by two radiologists (R1 and R2). Sensitivity, specificity (Sp) and predictive values (PV), and were calculated for each type of study (one image or two images) and for each radiologist (R1 or R2). The Se to detect stifle disorders varied between radiologists (29.2% and 20.8%). The Sp was 84.5% and 88.3%. When two images were evaluated a decrease in the positive PV for both readers occurred. The Cohen kappa coefficient (κ) between readers was poor when one image (0.084) or two images (0.117) were evaluated. Findings from this study indicated that bone‐phase nuclear scintigraphy is reasonably specific but highly insensitive for detecting lameness originating from the stifle in a diverse population of both normal and affected horses. The addition of a caudal scintigraphic image acquisition did not improve diagnostic sensitivity.     

Insecticidal components from field pea extracts: sequences of some variants of pea albumin 1b

Methanol soluble insecticidal peptides with masses of 3752, 3757, and 3805 Da, isolated from crude extracts (C8 extracts) derived from the protein-enriched flour of commercial field peas [Pisum sativum (L.)], were purified by reversed phase chromatography and, after reduction and alkylation, were sequenced by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) time-of-flight mass spectrometry with the aid of various peptidases. These major peptides were variants of pea albumin 1b (PA1b) with methionine sulfoxide rather than methionine at position 12. Peptide 3752 showed additional variations at positions 29 (valine for isoleucine) and 34 (histidine for asparagine). A minor, 37 amino acid peptide with a molecular mass of 3788 Da was also sequenced and differed from a known PA1b variant at positions 1, 25, and 31. Sequence variants of PA1b with their molecular masses were compiled, and variants that matched the accurate masses of the experimental peptides were used to narrow the search. MALDI postsource decay experiments on pronase fragments helped to confirm the sequences. Whole and dehulled field peas gave insecticidal C8 extracts in the laboratory that were enriched in peptides with masses of 3736, 3741, and 3789 Da, as determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. It was therefore concluded that oxidation of the methionine residues to methionine sulfoxide occurred primarily during the processing of dehulled peas in a mill.     

Variation in Total and Extractable Elements with Distance from Roads in an Urban Watershed,Honolulu, Hawaii

Roads play a major role intransporting sediment associated nonpoint sourcepollutants to urban stream networks via storm drains. In urban areas the relationship of erodible soil toroads may be of critical importance in controllingmetal contributions to roads. Two 50-m transects(Park and School) were investigated perpendicular toroads in Manoa basin, Oahu, Hawaii. Concentrations ofnine elements were compared to background control soillocations and to five supplemental samples from nearbyrecreational parks. Sediment from curbside areas ofroads (road deposited sediment) was collected as thestarting point of each transect, and subsequently soilwas sampled from two depths (0–2.5 cm and 7.5–10.0 cm)along the transects. Total and 0.5 M HCl extractableconcentrations were determined for aluminum (Al),calcium (Ca), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), iron (Fe),manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn)using either inductively coupled plasma-atomicemission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) or flame atomicemission spectroscopy (FAAS). Ca, Cu, Pb and Znexhibited anthropogenic enhancement, with Pb and Znhaving the greatest enrichment in road sedimentfollowed by locations nearest the road. Copperdisplayed a narrower band of contamination than eitherPb or Zn, and this may reflect larger aerosolassociations and more rapid fall velocities. Lead andZn exhibited substantial decay in concentration at 50 m compared to the road sediment, but enrichment wasstill apparent. The positioning of a band of soilbetween the road-curb area and the sidewalk for thePark transect facilitated deposition and storage oftrace metals, and with subsequent erosion by splash orconcentrated flow this area can account for continuedtransport of contaminated sediment to adjacent roadsurfaces. On the other hand the School transect hadno soil directly beside the road, and the nearestsample from the road (5 m) displayed enrichment butsubstantially lower than the Park transect. Thesepreliminary data suggest that remobilization of soilstored metals in close proximity to roads cansignificantly prolong the environmental contaminationof urban road systems and eventually stream sediments.     

Polyunsaturated fatty acid and peroxide levels in rations for fitch (Mustela putorius furo)

Madam:— Your readers may be interested to know some of the results of a recent survey of farm production and management involving 308 high country farmers of the South Island.     

Comparison of a computed tomographic pulmonary trunk to aorta diameter ratio with echocardiographic indices of pulmonary hypertension in dogs

There are limited criteria for the detection of pulmonary hypertension in dogs undergoing computed tomography (CT) for pulmonary disease. This retrospective analytical exploratory study compared a CT pulmonary trunk to aorta ratio with echocardiographic estimates of pulmonary hypertension. Dogs having both a contrast thoracic CT and echocardiogram were selected and maximal pulmonary trunk and descending aorta diameters were measured by two observers on a single transverse CT image. Computed tomographic diameter ratios were compared with the echocardiographic parameters of tricuspid regurgitation gradient, right ventricular acceleration time‐to‐ejection time ratio, pulmonary insufficiency gradient, and pulmonary artery to aorta diameter. A total of 78 dogs were sampled, with 44 dogs having one or more finding suggestive of pulmonary hypertension. A moderate positive correlation was shown between tricuspid regurgitation gradient and CT pulmonary trunk to aorta ratio (r = 0.61, P‐value < 0.0001). Mean CT pulmonary trunk to aorta ratio of dogs with moderate (P = 0.0132) and severe (P < 0.0003) pulmonary hypertension were significantly higher than normal dogs. There was no significant difference in mean CT pulmonary trunk to aorta ratio between normal and mild pulmonary hypertension dogs (P = 0.4244). The intraclass correlation coefficient (0.72) showed good reproducibility of the ratio. Findings indicated that CT pulmonary trunk to aorta ratio is a reproducible and potentially useful method to predict moderate and severe pulmonary hypertension in dogs, but not mild pulmonary hypertension. In dogs undergoing thoracic CT for pulmonary disease, an increased ratio should prompt follow up echocardiography.     

Proteinuria as an indicator of early renal disease in bull terriers with hereditary nephritis

A group of non-azotaemic bull terriers from families with hereditary nephritis had significant subclinical renal disease. Of the renal function tests carried out, proteinuria, almost exclusively albumin, was a reliable and early indicator of glomerular abnormality. While 24-hour urinary protein excretion (24 UPE) in the bull terriers was significantly higher than in a group of normal dogs of other breeds, urinary protein excretion (UPE) was also significantly higher when measured by simple single sample tests such as the urinary protein to urinary creatinine ratio (UP/C). UPE in bull terriers was correlated with increasing age, in contrast to lack of correlation in the normal dogs. The degree of proteinuria in affected bull terriers from which renal biopsies were taken correlated with the severity of histopathological changes which mainly affected glomeruli. Light microscopic examination revealed segmentally thickened glomerular and tubular basement membranes, thickened Bowman's capsules and adhesions between glomerular capillaries and Bowman's capsules. Other renal function tests were performed but failed to detect subclinical disease. It is suggested that hereditary nephritis (HN) in bull terriers is similar to that seen in samoyeds, dober-mann pinschers and humans.     

A crude cytotoxin vaccine protects sheep against experimental Pasteurella haemolytica serotype A2 infection

Three vaccines containing Pasteurella haemolytica serotype A2 antigens were tested for their ability to protect sheep against a homologous challenge. A crude cytotoxin preparation in combination with a sodium salicylate extract (SSE) or crude cytotoxin alone were highly protective (98 and 86%, respectively), whereas SSE alone was poorly (47%) protective. These findings indicated that the crude cytotoxin was an essential component of a protective vaccine. Protection correlated with serum cytotoxin-neutralising (CN) titres and bactericidal activity, which were stimulated by antigens in the crude cytotoxin preparation.