Structure-activity relationship study of alkynyl ether insecticide synergists and the development of MB-599 (verbutin)

Structure-activity relationships of aryl alkynyl synergists of the general formula of Ar-Q-R, where Q represents a bridging structure, were studied using a standardised testing system and Relative Potency values. Ethers, esters, oxime ethers, amides and amines were prepared and evaluated. The length of the R-alkynyl chain, the role of the bridge and the substitution of the aromatic ring were examined systematically. The most potent compounds possessed an aromatic ring connected via a bridge of three atoms to an alkynyl chain, forming together a linear side-chain of six atoms. Several highly potent compounds were synthesised of which one (MB-599; proposed common name verbutin) was selected for development as a selective insecticide synergist in crop protection. Its high potential at practical insecticide:synergist ratios makes possible the reduction of the total amount of insect-control chemicals applied, and its use as an additive to produce new formulations of existing insecticides makes it highly advantageous in resistance management, giving a new tool to sustain the effectiveness of a wide range of insecticides. A product containing a (1+1) mixture of verbutin and beta-cypermethrin was launched in Hungary in 2002.     

Evaluation of the local analgesic effect of ketamine in the palmar digital nerve block at the base of the proximal sesamoid (abaxial sesamoid block) in horses

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the local analgesic effect of ketamine in a palmar digital nerve block at the base of the proximal sesamoid (abaxial sesamoid block) in horses. ANIMALS: 36 mature healthy Andalusian horses. PROCEDURE: Horses were randomly assigned to 4 groups of 9 horses each and received an abaxial sesamoid block in a randomly chosen forelimb with 1 of the following: saline (0.9% NaCl) solution, 1% ketamine solution, 2% ketamine solution, or 3% ketamine solution. To determine analgesia, the radiant heat lamp-hoof withdrawal model was used as a noxious thermal stimulus. Before each nerve block, baseline hoof withdrawal reflex latency (HWRL, time between lamp illumination and withdrawal of the hoof) was determined; after the nerve block, local analgesic effects were determined by measuring HWRL at 2 and 5 minutes after injection and then every 5 minutes for a total period of 1 hour. RESULTS: Significant differences in HWRL were found between baseline values and values at 2 to 15 minutes following a nerve block with ketamine. Significant differences were found between HWRL values at every time point from 2 to 10 minutes following a nerve block with saline solution, compared with 1 or 2% ketamine solution. Similarly, significant differences were found between HWRL values at every time point from 2 to 15 minutes following a nerve block with saline solution, compared with 3% ketamine solution. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Abaxial sesamoid block with ketamine ensures adequate analgesia in horses with an onset of action of 2 minutes and a maximal duration of action of 15 minutes.     

Palaeoparasitological analysis of guinea pig mummies of the Chiribaya culture,Moquegua Valley,Peru

During several excavations of archeological sites in the Moquegua Valley, Southern Peru, various guinea pig mummies (Cavia aperea f. porcellus) have been discovered. They belong to the Chiribaya Culture (900-1100 AD). The outstanding preservation of the mummified animals gave rise to the idea of a paleoparasitological analysis. In the fur, numerous well preserved ectoparasites (lice, fleas, mites) could be recovered. Generally, ectoparasite remains are rarely found among archeological material. This is the first account of an extensive ectoparasitological analysis of animal mummies in Peru. A modified technique for recovery and preservation of the ectoparasites has been developed.     

Plasma and synovial fluid endothelin-1 and nitric oxide concentrations in horses with and without joint disease

OBJECTIVE: To compare plasma and synovial fluid endothelin-1 (ET-1) and nitric oxide (NO) concentrations in clinically normal horses and horses with joint disease. ANIMALS: 36 horses with joint disease, and 15 horses without joint disease. PROCEDURE: Horses with joint disease were assigned to 1 of the 3 groups (ie, synovitis, degenerative joint disease [DJD], or joint sepsis groups) on the basis of findings on clinical and radiographic examination and synovial fluid analysis. Endothelin-1 and NO concentrations were measured in plasma from blood samples, collected from the jugular vein and ipsilateral cephalic or saphenous vein of the limb with an affected or unaffected joint, as well as in synovial fluid samples obtained via arthrocentesis from the involved joint. RESULTS: Plasma ET-1 concentrations between affected and unaffected groups were not significantly different. Median concentration and concentration range of ET-1 in synovial fluid obtained from the joint sepsis group (35.830 pg/mL, 7926 to 86.614 pg/mL; n = 7) were significantly greater than values from the synovitis (17.531 pg/mL, 0.01 to 46.908 pg/mL; 18), DJD (22.858 pg/mL, 0.01 to 49.990 pg/mL; 10), and unaffected (10.547 pg/mL, 0.01 to 35.927 pg/mL; 10) groups. Plasma and synovial fluid NO concentrations between affected and unaffected groups were not significantly different. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Endothelin-1 is locally synthesized in the joints of horses with various types of joint disease. Synovial fluid concentrations of ET-1 varied among horses with joint disease, with concentrations significantly higher in the synovial fluid of horses with joint sepsis. These results indicate that ET-1 may play a role in the pathophysiologic mechanism of joint disease in horses.     

Rotavirus and concurrent infections with other enteropathogens in neonatal diarrheic dairy calves in Spain

Faeces samples from 218, one to 30 days old, diarrheic dairy calves in 65 dairy herds were screened for the presence of rotavirus and concurrent infections with coronavirus, Cryptosporidium, F5+ Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp. Calves were grouped according to their age as follows: 1-7, 8-14, 15-21 and 22-30 days. Rotavirus infection was detected in 46.9%, 45.6%, 33.8% and 48.3% of the calves in the respective age-groups. No significant differences in the detection rate of rotavirus were found among calves on the different age-groups. Rotavirus was the only enteropathogen detected in 39 of the 93 (41.9%) diarrheic calves positive to this agent. Concurrent infections with other enteropathogen(s) were detected in 31.3%, 33.3%, 20.6% and 3.4% of the rotavirus infected calves in the age-groups 1-7, 8-14, 15-21 and 22-30 d, respectively. A significant age-associated decrease in the detection rate of mixed infections (p < 0.01) was found. The detection rates of the other enteropathogens considered in calves with rotavirus infection were 20.4% for coronavirus, 85.2% for Cryptosporidium, 16.7% for F5+ E. coli and 1.8% for Salmonella.     

Apx toxins in Pasteurellaceae species from animals

Pasteurellaceae species particularly of porcine origin which are closely related to Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae were analyzed for the presence of analogues to the major A. pleuropneumoniae RTX toxin genes, apxICABD, apxIICA and apxIIICABD and for their expression. Actinobacillus suis contains both apxICABD(var.suis) and apxIICA(var. suis) operons and was shown to produce ApxI and ApxII toxin. Actinobacillus rossii contained the operons apxIICA(var.rossii) and apxIIICABD(var.rossii). However, only the toxin ApxII and not ApxIII could be detected in cultures of A. rossii. The Apx toxins found in A. suis and A. rossi may play a role in virulence of these pathogens. Actinobacillus lignieresii, which was included since it is phylogenetically very closely related to A. pleuropneumoniae, was found to contain a full apxICABD(var.lign.) operon which however lacks the -35 and -10 boxes in the promoter sequences. As expected from these results, no expression of ApxI was detected in A. lignieresii grown under standard culture conditions. Actinobacillus seminis, Actinobacillus equuli, Pasteurella aerogenes, Pasteurella multocida, Haemophilus parasuis, and also Mannheimia (Pasteurella) haemolytica, which is known to secrete leukotoxin, were all shown to be devoid of any of the apx toxin genes and did not produce ApxI, ApxII or ApxIII toxin proteins. However, proteins of slightly lower molecular mass than ApxI, ApxII and ApxIII which showed limited cross-reactions with monospecific, polyclonal anti-ApxI, anti-ApxII and anti-ApxIII were detected on immunoblot analysis of A. equuli, A. seminis and P. aerogenes. The presence of Apx toxins and proteins that imunologically cross react with Apx toxins in porcine Actinobacillus species other than A. pleuropneumoniae can be expected to interfere with serodiagnosis of porcine pleuropneumonia.     

Common procedures in reptiles and amphibians.

Reptiles and amphibians continue to be popular as pets in the United States and throughout the world. It therefore behooves veterinarians interested in caring for these exotic species to continually gather knowledge concerning both their proper husbandry and the conditions that require medical and/or surgical intervention.This article covers husbandry, physical examination, and clinical and diagnostic techniques in an effort to present guidelines for the evaluation of the reptile or amphibian patient. Gathering clinical data will aid veterinarians in arriving at the proper diagnosis,increasing the chances of success with treatment protocols, and educating the clients in proper nutrition and husbandry for their pets.     

Post-thaw viability of european bison (Bison bonasus) semen frozen with extenders containing egg yolk or lipids of plant origin and examined with a heterologous in vitro fertilization assay.

Basic characteristics of European bison (Bison bonasus) semen were described and the efficacies of two extenders-Triladyl, containing egg yolk, and a synthetic extender, containing soybean lipids-were tested for semen cryopreservation. Seven ejaculates were collected by electroejaculation from a 10-yr-old, European bison bull. Each ejaculate was diluted at 37 degrees C to a final concentration of 200 x 10(6) sperm/ml with Triladyl or the synthetic extender. Extended semen samples were frozen according to a standard bull semen freezing protocol. After 2 wk of storage, one straw from each extender and ejaculate was thawed, and postthaw quality was evaluated by individual sperm motility and movement rate, numbers of sperm morphologic abnormalities and intact acrosomes, functional integrity of the sperm membranes determined by hypoosmotic swelling test (HOST), viability (live-dead, eosin-nigrosin stain), and a heterologous in vitro sperm penetration assay (SPA). A total of 600 in vitro-matured bovine oocytes were inseminated with 1 X 10(6) spermatozoa of Holstein semen frozen-thawed in Triladyl (control) or of European bison semen frozen in Triladyl or the synthetic extender. Nuclear status of the oocytes was determined after 18 h of sperm-oocyte coincubation. Extender had no effect on any evaluated parameters of semen after dilution and cooling (4 hr at 5 degrees C) or in postthaw individual motility, quality of movement, and sperm morphology. However, significantly (P < 0.05) higher numbers of spermatozoa with intact acrosomes, intact membranes (HOST), and viable sperm (P < 0.01) were in semen frozen in Triladyl than in the synthetic extender. Mean values for heterologous SPA for bull (control) and for bison semen frozen in the synthetic extender were very much alike-63.3+/-10.6% and 63.1 +/- 15.9%, respectively; bison semen frozen in Triladyl was lower, 43.0+/-24.2% but not significantly different. Cumulative results from a variety of viability assays of diluted/cooled and frozen-thawed semen, including the heterologous SPA, suggest that European bison semen can be successfully frozen in both extenders tested in this study.