Detection of uremic peaks in dogs by anion exchange high performance liquid chromatography.

Sera of dogs with gentamicin-induced uremia were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography system with strongly basic macroreticular anion exchange resin. Satisfactory separation of peaks was achieved with good reproducibility after deproteinization of sera with trichloroacetic acid at a final concentration of 3%, confirming that the system was suitable for qualitative analysis of uremic serum. The chromatograms showed that the number of peaks and the peak area had relation to concentrations of serum urea nitrogen or creatinine and severity of uremia. Four peaks were selected as suspected canine uremic peaks with high correlation to serum creatinine concentrations which were hardly influenced by extrarenal factors. The results suggested that these four fractions might contain uremic toxins.     

Serum creatine kinase activities in dogs with dirofilariasis.

Total serum creatine kinase (CK) and its isozyme activities were determined in dogs with dirofilariasis. Before heartworm removal, total CK and isozyme activities in dogs of the mild group were not different from those in dogs of the heartworm-free group. BB activity was higher in dogs of the hemoptysis group. Dogs of the ascites group displayed a mild increase in MM activity. In dogs of the caval syndrome (CS) group, total CK and MM activities were highest among the heartworm-free and heartworm-infected dogs, and MM isozyme accounted for most (75%) of total CK activity. MB and BB activities were also higher. However, there were no significant differences in CK activities between the surviving and non-surviving cases. In dogs with pulmonary heartworm disease (mild and ascites groups), MM activity correlated significantly with the number of heartworms (r = 0.45), hematocrit value (Ht, r = -0.40), serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT, r = 0.42) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH, r = 0.46) activities, mean pulmonary arterial pressure (r = 0.64) and total pulmonary resistance (r = 0.50). In dogs with CS, MM activity did not correlate with any parameter, but BB activity correlated with the number of heartworms at the right atrium (r = 0.61), Ht (r = -0.53), ALT (r = 0.80), LDH (r = 0.73) and serum urea nitrogen (r = 0.47). At 1 week after heartworm removal, BB and MM activity decreased in dogs of the hemoptysis and ascites groups, respectively. In dogs of the CS group, total CK and MM isozyme activities decreased markedly (P less than 0.01) regardless of their prognosis.     

Cardiopulmonary values in dogs with artificial model of caval syndrome in heartworm disease.

Cardiopulmonary values were determined in dogs with an artificial model of heartworm caval syndrome, which was produced by insertion of heartworm-like silicone tubes into the tricuspid valve orifice and right atrium. Fifteen to 25 tubes with some knots were inserted in 6 dogs (knot group), and 7 to 11 tubes (small-number group) or 29 to 37 tubes (large-number group) without a knot in 3 dogs, respectively. After tube insertion, angiographic contrast medium infused into the right ventricle regurgitated to the right atrium in all cases, and the regurgitation was the most severe in the large-number group. On electrocardiographic findings, the atrial and/or ventricular premature beat developed. The height of a- and v-wave of right atrial pressure curves elevated in all groups. The elevation in v-wave was obvious in the large-number group. The pulmonary arterial pressure tended to fall or to elevate slightly, and total pulmonary resistance increased in all groups. The right cardiac output decreased significantly in all cases. The right heart hemodynamics of the model might resemble those in spontaneous cases without disturbed pulmonary circulation.     

Alterations in acetyl coenzyme A carboxylase activities in voles and mice treated with monosodium aspartate.

Changes of body weights and hepatic acetyl-CoA carboxylase activities were measured in voles and mice treated with monosodium-L-aspartate (MSA). MSA was administrated subcutaneously to neonates at 4 mg/g. The MSA-treated mice showed remarkable obesity, associated with the increase in the plasma insulin concentrations and acetyl-CoA carboxylase activities. The activity of acetyl-CoA carboxylase of control voles was very low; under half that of mice. In the MSA-treated voles, although the plasma insulin concentrations also increased, acetyl-CoA carboxylase activities were not elevated and signs of obesity were not observed.     

Myopathy and encephalopathy in chick embryos experimentally infected with Akabane virus

Chick embryos infected with Akabane virus by the yolk sac route at 6 days of incubation developed polymyositis and encephalitis. At 3 to 7 days after inoculation, skeletal muscles had myotubule degeneration, clumping of muscle cell nuclei, and infiltration of heterophils; dysplasia and aplasia were evident at 9 to 15 days after inoculation. Changes in the cerebral neostriatum and optic lobes at 2 to 11 days after inoculation included necrosis of primordial nervous tissue, hemorrhages, and hyperplasia of the vascular endothelial cells. Cavities were in nervous tissue subsequent to encephalitis. Hydranencephaly and vascular wall thickening were found 13 and 15 days after inoculation. Embryos infected intravenously at 15 days incubation had foci of encephalitis 3 to 6 days after inoculation, including neuronal degeneration, neuroglial hyperplasia, vascular endothelial proliferation, and heterophil infiltration.     

Characteristics of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from lesions of horses.

Seventy-six Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from various lesions of horses were characterized. All of the 76 strains were identified as biotypes B (38.2%) and C (61.8%). Of 55 strains tested, 42 (76.4%) were differentiated into 7 coagulase types. Coagulase types V and VII were predominant in the metritis strains. Coagulase type II was found most frequently in the strains from phlegmon, dermatitis, sinusitis, empyema sinus, and nasal catarrh. Forty-two (55.3%) of the 76 strains were differentiated into 24 phage patterns. Twenty (58.8%) of 34 typable strains from metritis were lysed by the human group I phage 52, and group II phages 3A, 3C, 55 and 71. Forty-five (59.2%) of the 76 strains were resistant to 1 or more of 6 antibiotics. Strains resistant to penicillin G, irrespective of source, were most frequent (95.6%). Forty (93.0%) of 43 strains resistant to penicillin G alone or in combination with other antibiotics produced beta-lactamase. Only 8 (10.5%) of the 76 strains produced enterotoxins A (n = 2), B (n = 1) or C (n = 5), and they all were isolated from metritis. Only 1 strain isolated from phlegmon and 2 from metritis produced exfoliative toxin (ET) and toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 (TSST-1), respectively. The latter 2 strains also produced enterotoxin C. The results of the present study showed the first evidence of the presence of both ET- and TSST-1-producing S. aureus isolated from horses.