Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the detection of circulating antigens of Toxoplasma gondii in the serum of cats

An ELISA was developed to detect circulating antigens of Toxoplasma gondii in the serum of cats. For the experiment, toxoplasmosis was induced in a group of cats by oral administration of bradyzoites. An ELISA that detects anti-Toxoplasma IgG, an ELISA to detect circulating antigens, and fecal examinations were performed on samples from each cat for 1 year after inoculation. When coupled with IgG-class antibody measurement, antigen detection can aid in the diagnosis of some cases of subclinical feline toxoplasmosis.     

Use of synthetic peptides in virology

A survey of the potential use of synthetic oligopeptides in the field of virology is given. The potential value of synthetic peptides as vaccines and diagnostic antigens is discussed. The advantages compared to conventional vaccines as well as the limitations, e.g. the poor efficiency of immune response, are described.     

Practice versus family: the great balancing act

Dairy practice often requires substantial time commitments. Those veterinarians with families may find that if they do not actively budget some time for spouse and children, the family unit may suffer. A successful practice and meaningful family life are both possible if the doctor or doctors involved are willing to work for their achievement.     

Cytological, Immunocytochemical and Ultrastructural Study of the Adenohypophyseal Pars Distalis of the Kid (Capra hircus): The TSH cell

The structure and ultrastructure of the adenohypophyseal pars distalis in kids of the Murciano-granadiana breed (18 males and 12 females), aged 2-3 months and with an average carcass weight of 8 kg has been studied. Techniques of staining (Tetrachrome Herlant's, and Cleveland-Wolfe) and histochemistry (PAS, PAS-OG and BA-PAS-OG) contrasted with immunolabelling (PAP) have been used. In addition an ultrastructural study has been made and nucleus and cytoplasm, secretory granules, mitochondria and lysosomes have been measured with a semiautomatic image analyzer (IBAS-1). TSH cells are found in sagittal section in the anterior area and in an antero-caudodorsal band, and transversally in the ventral and medial region; they are 6% and their average size is 14.15 microns. Ultrastructurally they are a single cellular type with spherical granules whose size is 195 nm in males and 149 in females; these granules are characterized by a clear halo and a variable electronic density. The rough endoplasmic reticulum is found as slightly enlarged vesicles with a homogeneous and moderately electro-dense content or in concentric stratifications.     

The relationships of birth weight, preweaning gain and postweaning gain with the bovine major histocompatibility system

A total of 739 cattle from nine breeds maintained at the Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center, Clay Center, Nebraska were tested for 42 class I antigens of the bovine major histocompatibility system (BoLA). Each antigen appears to be the product of a distinct co-dominant allele of the BoLA-A locus. The number of antigens present in each breed ranged from a minimum of 10 in Hereford to a maximum of 21 in Charolais cattle. There were large differences among breeds in the frequencies of antigens. The effect of each antigen on birth weight, preweaning weight gain and postweaning weight gain was estimated in a gene substitution model. Each breed was analyzed separately. There were significant effects of some BoLA antigens on birth weight, preweaning weight gain and postweaning weight gain, which is consistent with previous reports showing associations between the major histocompatibility system and growth parameters in mice, rats and pigs. However, further research is necessary to confirm these findings and to determine the biological mechanisms underlying these associations.     

The heterogenicity of Cowdria ruminantium stocks: cross-immunity and serology in sheep and pathogenicity to mice

Ten stocks of Cowdria ruminantium (Ball 3, Breed, Comoro, Germishuys, Kümm, Kwanyanga, Mali, Mara, Nonile and Welgevonden) were compared from a cross-immunity, serological and mouse pathogenicity point of view. They were found to differ in varying degrees. Except for the Ball 3, Comoro and Germishuys stocks that were similar but not identical, there was no pattern in the antigenic diversity of the 10 stocks. The Welgevonden stock emerged as the stock that elicits an immunity against most of the South African stocks. The inability of the reference Ball 3 stock to protect sheep against no fewer than 6 other stocks questions the advisability of retaining this stock as the vaccine stock. The antigenic diversity of the 10 stocks could not be correlated with the antibody levels detected with the indirect fluorescent antibody test, since the sera against all 10 stocks reacted positively to the Kümm stock antigen and the variation in titres was not stock-related.     

The woolly monkey (Lagothrix lagothricha): a possible model for human hypertension research

The anatomical-pathological findings of 15 woolly monkeys were comparable with those described in man with essential benign or malignant hypertension. Kidneys revealed arterio- and arteriolosclerosis or an onion peel-like proliferation, in some cases necrotizing endarteritis. Obesity due to restricted physical activity, unnatural feeding, and psychical and physical stress could have contributed to the development of this condition. Further, high vulnerability of the genus woolly monkey is postulated. Thus, essential hypertension of woolly monkeys appears to be a multifactorial disease.     

Ultrastructure of sarcocysts from water buffalo in India

The ultrastructure of sarcocysts of macro- and microscopic species of Sarcocystis was compared from naturally infected water buffalo from India. Grossly visible sarcocysts had walls consisting of cauliflower-like villar protrusions, typical of S. fusiformis. The sarcocyst wall of the microscopic species of Sarcocystis was 6.4 microns thick and consisted of tightly packed conical villar protrusions that were 9.6 microns long and 3.7 microns wide at the base. At approximately 3 microns above the base, the distal two-thirds of the villar protrusion became conical shaped and was bent laterally at an angle of 45 degrees to the sarcocyst surface. The granular layer beneath the villar protrusions was 0.9 microns thick. In S. levinei the granular layer was 1.9 microns thick, the villar protrusions were narrow and it had a highly undulating primary cyst wall. Whether the microscopic S. levinei-like sarcocysts of Indian and Malaysian water buffalo are distinct species of Sarcocystis will require further investigation.     

Effect of pelleting and beta-glucanase supplementation on the ileal and fecal digestibility of a barley-based diet in the pig

The influences of pelleting and beta-glucanase supplementation on the digestibility of dietary components in a barley-based diet were investigated in pigs fitted with cannulas in the terminal ileum. The diet contained 49.0% starch, 18.9% crude protein and 14.8% dietary fiber, with arabinoxylans (4.9%), mixed-linked beta-glucans (3.4%) and cellulose (3.3%) as the main fiber components. Pelleting increased mixed-linked beta-glucan solubility from 45 to 62%. Neither treatment influenced the ileal or fecal apparent digestibilities of dry matter (64 and 80%, respectively), energy (62 and 79%), crude protein (53 and 75%), crude fat (26 and 27%) or dietary fiber (58 and 72%). However, pelleting increased (P less than .01) the pre-ileal apparent digestibility of starch from 91.5 to 95.3% and decreased (P less than .03) that of ash from -10 to -23%, while increasing (P less than .005) the fecal apparent digestibility of starch from 98.6 to 99.7%. The solubility of mixed-linked beta-glucans in ileal digesta was lower (P less than .001) in pelleted (26%) than in unpelleted (58%) diets. beta-glucanase supplementation also increased (P less than .05) the ileal apparent digestibility of starch, from 92.6 to 94.3%, and of mixed-linked beta-glucans, from 95.7 to 97.1%. Significant between-pig differences in the apparent digestibility of dietary components were observed. In conclusion, treatments that disrupt the endosperm cell walls in barley can increase the proportion of the diet digested prior to the large intestine.     

Calcium fluxes across the wall of the ovine reticulorumen in vivo

Calcium fluxes were measured, in vivo, in both directions across the ovine reticulorumen wall of four sheep when the luminal potassium concentration was either 30 mmol litre-1 or 90 mmol litre-1. Neither fluxes were affected by an increased potassium concentration although net magnesium absorption was decreased (PO less than 0.05) and the transmural potential difference was increased (P less than 0.01) under these conditions. The results obtained suggest that, unlike magnesium, calcium is transported bidirectionally across ovine ruminal tissue independently of the transmural potential difference across the rumen wall.