Effects of inflammation-associated acute-phase response on hepatic and renal indices in the horse

Objectives To determine the effect of an acute soft tissue inflammatory response on biochemical and haematological indices of hepatic and renal function in the Thoroughbred horse.
Procedure Soft tissue inflammation was induced in four Thoroughbred horses by intramuscular injections of Freunds complete adjuvant. The horses were clinically examined and blood and urine samples were collected before and after the adjuvant injections. Biochemical and haematological indices were measured in samples collected and used to determine the onset of the acute-phase response and to assess hepatic and renal function at this time.
Results After adjuvant injection, significant increases (P< 0.01) in total white (13.1 ± 1.4 times 10⁹/L) and neutrophil (10.2 ± 1.2 times109/L) cell counts, rectal temperature (39.7 ± 0.5A°C) and various plasma protein concentrations, including fibrinogen (6.6 ± 1.2 g/L), haptoglobin (1.3 ± 0.1 g/L) and total protein (88.1 ± 2.7 g/L), indicated the induction of an acute-phase response. This corresponded with significant reductions (P< 0.01) in the plasma elimination half-lives (t½β) sodium bromo-sulphthalein (3.13 ± 0.05 to 2.82 ± 0.07 min) and sodium sulphanilate (38.29 ± 4.04 to 19.60 ± 5.68 min) and reductions in the plasma activities of aspartate aminotransferase, gluta-mate dehydrogenase, creatine kinase, alkaline phosphatase, gamma glutamyl transferase; the urinary creatinine clearance ratios of sodium, chloride and potassium; and the urinary gamma glutamyl transferase-to-creatinine clearance ratios. (All values mean ± SD.)
Conclusions The effects of the acute-phase response on indices of hepatic and renal function in the horse suggest that the disposition of pharmacological agents administered at this time may be altered and that indices of acute inflammation should be interpreted cautiously.     

Clinical evaluation of protein electrophoresis of cerebral spinal fluid

Protein fractions of cerebral spinal fluid samples were analyzed in an effort to find a reliable, minimally invasive and cost effective method of diagnosing cervical vertebral myelopathy. There were six separate protein fractions analyzed by electrophoresis. In this study we specifically looked for a post beta spike in horses with spinal cord compression. There was no correlation in our study between horses with a post beta spike and CVM as diagnosed by a myelogram.     

Effect of temporal variability in soil hydraulic properties on simulated water transfer under high-frequency drip irrigation

The effect of changes in the hydraulic properties of a loamy topsoil on water transfer under daily drip irrigation was studied over a cropping cycle. Soil water contents were measured continuously with neutron probes and capacitance sensors placed in access tubes (EnviroSMART) and were compared to predications made by the Hydrus-2D model. Three different sets of hydraulic parameters measured before and after irrigation started, were used.Our results demonstrated that, based on the assumptions used in this study, the accuracy of the Hydrus predictions is good. Graphical and statistical comparisons of simulated and measured soil water contents and consequently the total water storage revealed a similar trend throughout the monitoring period for the all three different sets of parameters. The soil hydraulic properties determined after irrigation started were found to be much more representative of the majority of the irrigation season, as confirmed by the accuracy of the simulation results with high values of the index of agreement and with values of RMSE similar in magnitude to the error associated with field measurements (0.020 cm³ cm⁻³). The highest RMSE values (about 0.04 cm³ cm⁻³) were found when the model used input soil parameters measured before irrigation started.Generally, changes in topsoil hydraulic properties over time had no significant effect on soil moisture distribution in our agro-pedo-climatic context. One possible explanation is that daily water application was conducted at the same time as maximal root water uptake. This meant the soil did not need to store total daily crop water requirements and consequently that the water redistribution phase represented a very short stage in the irrigation cycle. It is probable that irrigating in the daytime when crop evapotranspiration is highest could prevent the effects of a temporal change and other problems connected with the soil. Moreover, water will be always available for the crop. Further experiments are needed to justify the results and to study the effects of low frequency drip irrigation on soil hydraulic characterization and consequently on soil water transfer in order to improve irrigation scheduling practices.     

Adapting PILOTE model for water and yield management under direct seeding system: The case of corn and durum wheat in a Mediterranean context

Crop models are useful tools for integrating knowledge of biophysical processes governing the plant-soil-atmosphere system. But few of them are easily usable for water and yield management especially under specific cropping systems such as direct seeding. Direct seeding into mulch (DSM) is an alternative for conventional tillage (CT). DSM modifies soil properties and creates a different microclimate from CT. So that, we should consequently consider these new conditions to develop or to adapt models. The aim of this study was to calibrate and validate the PILOTE [Mailhol, J.C., Olufayo, A.A., Ruelle, P., 1997. Sorghum and sunflower evapotranspiration and yield from simulated leaf area index. Agric. Water Manag. 35, 167-182; Mailhol, J.C., Zaïri A., Slatni A., Ben Nouma, B., El Amami, H., 2004. Analysis of irrigation systems and irrigation strategies for durum wheat in Tunisia. Agric. Water Manag. 70, 19-37], an operative crop model based on the leaf area index (LAI) simulation, for corn and durum wheat in both DSM and CT systems in Mediterranean climate. In DSM case, simple model modifications were proposed. This modified PILOTE version accounts for mulch and its impact on soil evaporation. In addition root progression was modified to account for lower soil temperatures in DSM for winter crops. PILOTE was calibrated and validated against field data collected from a 7-year trial at the experimental station of Lavalette (SE of France). Results indicated that PILOTE satisfactorily simulates LAI, soil water reserve (SWR), grain yield, and dry matter yield in both systems. The minimum coefficient of efficiency for SWR was 0.90. This new version of PILOTE can thus be used to manage water and yield under CT and DSM systems in Mediterranean climate.     

Prevalence of the causes of fleece derangement among sheep flocks in New South Wales

SUMMARY An investigation of sheep flocks with unknown histories of fleece derangement, selected at random from the main sheep raising areas of New South Wales, showed that Psorergates ovis was present in 53 of the 177 flocks surveyed and In 162 of the 3495 sheep examined. Of the single causes of fleece derangement, the most prevalent was grass seed contamination (15.7%) followed by Infestation with sheep body lice, Bovicola ovis, (14.7%) and Infestation with Itch mite (7.8%). The prevalence of fleece derangement was significantly higher on sheep In which lice were the only ectoparasites found than on those In which Itch mites were the only ectoparasites present. The greatest prevalence of P ovis was In flocks In the Young, Yass, Mudgee and Tenterfield districts. In most affected flocks, more than one potential cause of fleece derangement was present. Itch mite Infestation was more prevalent in flocks that received no treatment for ectoparasites than in those that had been treated in the year preceding the survey. Our results did not support a commonly held belief among farmers that arsenical compounds control Infestations of Itch mites more effectively than other types of pesticides. There was no significant difference in prevalence of fleece derangement between flocks treated with different pesticide groups and those that received no treatment, but mean fleece derangement score was significantly lower in sheep treated with organophosphates than in untreated sheep. Infestations of lice were significantly more prevalent in sheep from flocks treated with synthetic pyrethroids than from those treated with organophosphates or those that received no treatment.     

Pathological Conditions of the Reproductive Organs of Male Stray Dogs in the Tropics: Prevalence, Risk Factors, Morphological Findings and Testosterone Concentrations

The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of and risk factors for pathological conditions of the reproductive organs in stray dogs under tropical conditions. Three hundred and eighteen dogs were examined post-mortem in the period from 1 July 2002 to 30 June 2003. Before killing, a blood sample (from the cephalic vein) for testosterone assay was taken. Pathological conditions of the reproductive organs were found in 135 of the dogs (42.5%) and in 175 of the testes (64.8%). The most frequent pathologies found were testicular degeneration, cryptorchidism, testicular hypoplasia and testicular tumours (in 15.1%, 6.6%, 6.6% and 5.4% of the dogs and 15.1, 4.6, 6.0 and 3.5 of the testes, respectively). Transmissible venereal tumour (TVT) was seen in 5.4% of the dogs. Testicular degeneration was more common in old dogs and underweight dogs (p < 0.05). Testicular tumours were 14.3 times more common in cryptorchid dogs. Age was another important factor for the development of testicular tumours (p < 0.05). Lower levels of testosterone concentration (p < 0.05) were observed in dogs with advanced testicular degeneration (0.7 +/- 0.8 nM), dogs with hypoplastic testicles (0.8 +/- 0.9 nM) and dogs with one degenerated and one retained testis or with bilateral cryptorchidism (1.2 +/- 0.9 nM) compared to dogs with one or two normal testes (7.0 +/- 5.5 nM). Testicular volume and weight were significantly lower in degenerated, hypoplastic and retained testes compared with the contralateral normal testis. Some spermatogenic activity was found in three of the retained testes, producing oligozoospermic smears with a high percentage of sperm abnormalities. No comparable epidemiological data about male pathological conditions of the reproductive organs in the dog is available. The prevalence found in this study, yet, appears high.     

Effect of Insemination–Ovulation Interval and Addition of Seminal Plasma on Sow Fertility to Insemination of Cryopreserved Sperm

In swine, the use of frozen-thawed (FT) sperm for artificial insemination (AI) is limited because of poor sow fertility, possibly associated with a post-thaw capacitation-like status resulting in fewer fully viable sperm. Sow fertility to AI with FT sperm may improve with deeper deposition of sperm within the female tract, insemination very close to ovulation, or reversal of cryocapacitation by seminal plasma (SP). We performed two experiments to examine these suggestions. In experiment 1, 122 multiparous Yorkshire sows received 600 IU equine chorionic gonadotrophin at weaning and 5 mg pLH 80 h later to control time of ovulation. The predicted time of ovulation (PTO) was 38 h after pLH injection. Thereafter, sows were assigned on the basis of parity to a single AI of FT sperm at 2 h before PTO, or at 12 h before PTO, or FT sperm supplemented with 10% SP at 12 h before PTO. Control sows received fresh semen at 12 h before PTO. All semen doses were adjusted to 3 x 10(9) live cells and deposited into the cervix. Experiment 2 employed 99 multiparous crossbred sows and repeated the treatments of experiment 1 except that all FT inseminations were intrauterine. In both experiments, farrowing rates were lower (p < 0.01) following FT inseminations with no effect of time of insemination or of supplemental SP. In experiment 1, litter size was smaller following FT insemination (p < 0.05), but no effect on litter size was evident in experiment 2. Supplemental SP had no effect on litter size in either experiment. The lack of effect of either SP or timing of FT insemination on sow fertility suggests that the non-lethal sperm cryoinjury affecting fertility involves more than just cryocapacitation.     

Dermal and serological response against Pseudomonas aeruginosa in sheep bred for resistance and susceptibility to fleece-rot

Genetically select lines of Merino sheep have been bred at Trangie (NSW Agriculture and Fisheries) for resistance (R) or susceptibility (S) to fleece-rot and flystrike. It is believed that fleece characters are primarily responsible for the R or S phenotype. When transferred to the wetter coastal environment of Sydney, R and S sheep with no more than 6 weeks wool cover, continued to show significant differences in the incidence and severity of fleece-rot dermatitis. To test the hypothesis that these sheep might also exhibit differences in their local skin reactions and immune responsiveness, 3 intradermal injections of killed Pseudomonas aeruginosa were administered at monthly intervals. After primary intradermal challenge, R sheep had a higher incidence of skin induration and a stronger inflammatory response (increased induration diameter) than S sheep. Compared to S sheep, R sheep also developed higher levels of circulating antibodies against whole cell antigen and both inner and outer membrane proteins of P. aeruginosa. These responses were maintained in R sheep with each consecutive challenge while S sheep showed a decline in their immune responsiveness. Differences in antibody response against outer membrane proteins were also detected when antigenically naive sheep from each genetic line were sensitised by epicutaneous challenge with P. aeruginosa under experimental wetting conditions. Intradermal challenge of these animals 6 months later with outer membrane proteins, revealed a late maximum (72 h) in the development of induration diameters for R sheep while S animals showed maximal induration diameters by 24 h. However, there was no significant difference in induration response between 24 h and 72 h within each group of sheep.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Serum immunoglobulin concentrations in genetically different types of suckling beef calves in a tropical environment

Factors influencing the serum concentrations of gamma-globulin (gamma-G) during the neonatal period were studied in Shorthorn x Hereford (SH), Africander x SH and Brahman x SH calves born to cows grazing in a tropical environment. There were no significant effects of age of dam, sex or breed of calf on the gamma-G concentrations of calves from birth to 48 hours of age. Concentrations of gamma-G fell within two ranges: group A, 10 to 20 g/l and group B, 35 to 70 g/l. The number of calves in each group was not significantly different between breeds and overall 30% of calves were in group A. Body weight gain from birth to 10-day-old was greater (P less than 0.01) in calves in group B than in group A. Plasma cholesterol concentrations in 10-day-old calves were higher in group B than in group A calves supporting the interpretation that group B calves had higher milk intakes. Identification of calves receiving adequate amounts of colostrum has fundamental significance for the efficient production of cattle in the tropics.