Hereditary multiple exostoses: clinicopathologic features of a comparative study in horses and man.

Investigation of hereditary multiple exostoses in horses under controlled research conditions for 10 years and epidemiologic studies that have spanned up to five generations of human families contain notable similarities. The present study demonstrated that a single dominant autosomal gene is responsible for hereditary multiple exostoses in horses and man. Affected individuals transmit this trait to approximately 50% of their progeny, whereas nonaffected individuals do not transmit the condition to their offspring. The tumors in affected horses are most often present at birth. They tend to be bilaterally symmetrical and vary in size, shape, and texture. Those on the legs generally do not appear to enlarge as the animal matures, but others, notably those on the ribs and scapulae, enlarge until skeletal maturity, Histologically, the tumors appear as typical ostosteochondromas in both horse and man. Sarcomatous transformations have not yet been detected after 10 years in horses, although such changes are occasionally reported in the similar disease condition in man. The remarkable similarities of hereditary multiple exostoses in the horse to that in man provide an opportunity for comparative biomedical study.     

Longitudinal studies of naturally acquired Brucella abortus infection in sheep.

Naturally acquired Brucella abortus infections were studied during consecutive pregnancies in eight sheep and in their lambs over a period of 40 months to evaluate epizootiologic aspects of natural infection in sheep. Brucella abortus was isolated from the ewes following 16 of 26 natural terminations of pregnancy: from 5 of 6 ewes in the first year, from six of eight ewes in the second year, from two of six ewes in the third year, and from three of six ewes in the fourth year. Vaginal swab samples and milk samples were the most consistent source of the brucella organisms. Brucella abortus was isolated from three ewes when standard tube test seroagglutination titers were less than 1:100. In contrast, results of supplemental tests (card, 2-mercaptoethanol, complement-fixation, and Rivanol) remained positive during the study. During the 40 months, B abortus was isolated from 4 of 4 aborted fetuses, 2 of 5 stillborn lambs, 10 of 37 living lambs, and as an indicator of continuing infection, from 6 of 12 lambs born during the fourth year. Although B abortus has a definite host preference for cattle, this study demonstrated that under appropriate management conditions, sheep may be naturally infected and may remain infected for more than 40 months. Epizootiologic evaluation of all factors, including husbandry practices and exposure potential, should be utilized in determining the need to test other species that may have been exposed to cattle infected with B abortus.     

Effects of hormonal therapy on the microbiology of seborrheic dogs.

Quantitative and qualitative bacterial assays were performed on the skin of three dogs with endocrine-related primary metabolic seborrhea. After the dogs were treated (thyroid supplementation or castration, bacterial analyses were again performed on the same sites. Before therapy, the dogs had a cutaneous flora composed mainly of Staphylococcus aureus coagulase-positive organisms. After therapy, there was a significantly lower bacterial count, and two of the dogs had floras consisting mainly of coagulase-negative cocci. During the study, the two dogs that reverted bacteriologically to a normal cutaneous microenvironment became normal dermatologically. The third dog improved, but continued to have minor signs of seborrhea.     

Fossil grass anthoecia within miocene rhinoceros skeletons: diet in an extinct species

Silicified anthoecia (fertile le'mmas and paleas) of grasses (Berriochloa communis, Berriochloa primaeva, and Berriohldoa cf. nova) were found in, the oral cavity and rib cage articulated skeletons of Teleoceras major buried in late Clarendonian volcanic ash in. Nebraska The plant fossils, thought to be food residues, help clarify, the enigmatic paleobiological role, of Teleocears, which had hippotamus-like porportions but very high-crowned teeth. Telecoceras was probably amphbious, but siliceous grasses formed a significant portion of its diet.     

Intranuclear cisternal and vesicular structures in canine circumanal gland carcinoma cells

Intranuclear cisternal and vesicular structures, bound by a single membrane, were observed for the first time in some glandular "bird's eye" cells of canine circummanal gland carcinomas. The role of these intranuclear structures is not clear. It is suggested that they may be involved in cellular adaptation to an environment of nutrient deficiency, as a result of cell overcrowding.     

Isoenzyme variation in piroplasms isolated from bovine blood infected with Theileria annulata and T parva.

Blood from calves infected with Theileria annulata and T parva was freed from host cell elements and the piroplasms liberated from the red cells by ammonium chloride lysis. Lysates of the purified piroplasms and control host cell material were examined electrophoretically for several enzymes. Zymograms stained for glucose phosphate isomerase showed distinct differences between the host cell enzyme pattern and parasite enzyme patterns. The isoenzyme pattern of T annulata piroplasms differed from the isoenzyme pattern of T parva piroplasms.     

A simple technique to differentiate between animals infected with Yersinia enterocolitica IX and those infected with Brucella abortus.

While both Brucella abortus and Yersinia enterocolitica IX have O antigens in common, they differ significantly with respect to motility. Thus Br abortus is always non-motile while Y enterocolitica is motile when grown at room temperature. The presence of yersinia H agglutinins in serum can be shown to be evidence of previous exposure to Y enterocolitica. These agglutinins are not generated by brucella infection. A rapid H agglutination test will serve to provide this differentiation without interference from cross-reacting O antigens.     

Theileria mutans in Nigeria.

Two strains of bovine Theileria from northern Nigeria were shown to be identical to Theileria mutans in the indirect immunofluorescent antibody test. One of the strains was transmitted by the tick Amblyomma variegatum; large macroschizonts, typical for T mutans, could be demonstrated in infected cattle. It is concluded from these experiments and from the literature that there is reliable evidence so far for the occurrence in Nigeria of only two bovine Tehileria species, T mutans and T velifera.