GC/MS analysis of high-performance liquid chromatography fractions from Sophora flavescens and Torilis japonica extracts and their in vitro anti-neosporal effects on Neospora caninum

We analyzed alcoholic extracts of herbs possessing anti-neosporal activity against Neospora (N.) caninum. To identify the chemical components of Sophora (S.) flavescens and Torilis (T.) japonica associated with anti-neosporal activity, specific fractions were isolated by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). In vitro activity of the fractions against N. caninum was then assessed. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) was used to identify and quantify specific anti-neosporal molecules in the herbal extracts. Almost all HPLC fractions of S. flavescens and T. japonica had higher levels of anti-neosporal activity compared to the not treated control. Active constituents of the extracts were sophoridane, furosardonin A, and tetraisopropylidene-cyclobutane in S. flavescens; 5,17-β-dihydroxy-de-A-estra-5,7,9,14-tetraene, furanodiene, and 9,12-octadecadienoic acid (Z,Z)-(CAS,1) in T. japonica.     

Improving efficiency of sow productivity： nutrition and health

This reviews research focused to understand the nutrient requirement and balance to meet the needs of fetal growth,mammary growth,and milk production.This summary will handle how feeding strategies can be adjusted according to the nutrient needs for a sow to enhance productivity and health.Most research data used in this summary are based on the studies conducted by the authors between 1996 and 2013.Nutrient requirements of sows are affected by stage of gestation and parity of sows.Dietary antioxidant concentrations need to be re-evaluated for its sufficiency in sow diets especially to prevent excessive oxidative stress during late gestation and lactation.When feeding sows,consideration of phase feeding of gestating sows and parity feeding of lactating sows could enhances production longevity and health of sows.Use of selected nutrients and additives seems to help productivity and health of sows.     

Ultrasonographic evaluation of renal dimension and resistive index in clinically healthy Korean domestic short-hair cats

Renal length, height, width, resistive index (RI), size of cortex, and medulla were determined by renal ultrasonography in 50 healthy Korean domestic short-hair cats. In the sagittal plane, the renal length was 3.83 ± 0.51 cm (mean ± SD) in the left kidney and 3.96 ± 0.48 cm in the right kidney, whereas the renal height was 2.42 ± 0.27 cm in the left kidney and 2.36 ± 0.28 cm in the right kidney. In the transverse plane, the renal height was 2.42 ± 0.28 cm in the left kidney and 2.38 ± 0.27 cm in the right kidney, whereas the renal width was: 2.65 ± 0.35 cm in the left kidney and 2.63 ± 0.31 cm in the right kidney. In the dorsal plane, the renal length was 3.84 ± 0.53 cm in the left kidney and 3.97 ± 0.54 cm in the right kidney, whereas the renal width was 2.65 ± 0.34 cm in the left kidney and 2.66 ± 0.33 cm in the right kidney. There were no significant differences (p > 0.05) among the same structure sizes measured in different planes. In the sagittal plane, the size of the renal cortex was 0.47 ± 0.08 cm in the left kidney and 0.47 ± 0.08 cm in the right kidney, whereas of the size of the renal medulla was 0.55 ± 0.30 cm in the left kidney and 0.50 ± 0.07 cm in the right kidney. RI evaluated by pulsed wave Doppler sonography was 0.52 ± 0.05 in the left kidney and 0.55 ± 0.05 in the right kidney. The actual renal dimensions determined by gross examination were not statistically different from those determined by ultrasonography. Furthermore the renal dimensions and RI were statistically correlated to the body weight of cats.     

Reproduction of postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome in pigs by prenatal porcine circovirus 2 infection and postnatal porcine parvovirus infection or immunostimulation

Postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS) was reproduced in prenatally porcine circovirus 2 (PCV2)-infected pigs by either postnatal infection with porcine parvovirus (PPV) or by immunostimulation. Twenty-four randomly selected piglets from 3 sows, which had been experimentally infected during gestation with PCV2, were randomly divided into 3 groups; group 1 (prenatal PCV2 infection, with postnatal PPV infection), group 2 (prenatal PCV2 infection, with postnatal keyhole limpet hemocyanin, emulsified in incomplete Freund's adjuvant [KLH/ICFA] injection), and group 3 (prenatal PCV2 infection only). Twenty-four randomly selected piglets from 3 uninfected sows were randomly divided into 3 groups; group 4 (no prenatal infection, with postnatal PCV2 and PPV infection), group 5 (no prenatal infection, with postnatal PCV2 infection), and group 6 (negative control pigs). Body weight in negative control pigs (group 6) was increased significantly compared with pigs in groups 1, 2, and 4 at 49, 52, 56, 59, and 63 days of age. The granulomatous inflammatory reaction and lymphoid depletion that are typical lesions in pigs with PMWS were observed in the lymph node of piglets in groups 1, 2, and 4 at 63 days of age. Pigs in group 3 had significantly fewer PCV2-positive cells than those from groups 1, 2, 4, or 5. When the prenatally PCV2-infected pigs were infected with PPV or injected with immunostimulant in the postnatal period, they developed PMWS. Thus, factors that potentiate the progression of prenatal PCV2 infection to PMWS are postnatal infection with PPV or immune stimulation.     

Abundance of biting midge species (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae,Culicoides spp.) on cattle farms in Korea

Culicoides biting midges were collected on three cattle farms weekly using light traps overnight from May to October between 2010 and 2011 in the southern part of Korea. The seasonal and geographical abundance of Culicodes spp. were measured. A total of 16,538 biting midges were collected from 2010 to 2011, including seven species of Culicoides, four of which represented 98.42% of the collected specimens. These four species were Culicodes (C.) punctatus (n = 14,413), C. arakawae (n = 1,120), C. oxystoma (n = 427), and C. maculatus (n = 318). C. punctatus was the predominant species (87.15%).     

Potential of auxotrophic Edwardsiella tarda double-knockout mutant as a delivery vector for DNA vaccine in olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus)

To evaluate potential of an auxotrophic Edwardsiella tarda mutant (Δalr Δasd E. tarda) as a delivery vehicle for DNA vaccine in fish, olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) were immunized with the E. tarda mutant harboring plasmids (pG02-ASD-CMV-eGFP) for eukaryotic expression of the enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) gene through either intraperitoneal (i.p.) or oral route, and the expression of eGFP in the internal organs and generation of antibody against eGFP in fish were analyzed. In fish i.p. injected with 2×10(7)CFU/fish of Δalr Δasd E. tarda harboring pG02-ASD-CMV-eGFP, expression of eGFP was detected in liver, kidney, and spleen from 1 day to 28 days post-injection. In fish orally administered with 1×10(9)CFU/fish of the bacteria, the eGFP band was detected in liver, kidney, and spleen from 1 day to 14 days post-administration, whereas, in intestine, the band was detected only at 1 day post-administration. Either oral or i.p. immunization of olive flounder with recombinant E. tarda that carried eGFP-expressing eukaryotic plasmids was successful to induce humoral adaptive immunity against not only E. tarda that was used as a delivery vehicle but also eGFP that was used as the reporter protein of DNA vaccine, suggesting attenuated E. tarda-vectored DNA vaccine has a potential to be used as a combined vaccine against infectious diseases in fish.     

Corn distillers dried grains with solubles in diets for growing-finishing pigs: a cooperative study

An experiment involving 560 crossbred pigs (28 replications of 4 to 6 pigs per pen) was conducted at 9 research stations to assess the effects of dietary concentrations of corn distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) on pig performance and belly firmness. Fortified corn-soybean meal diets containing 0, 15, 30, or 45% DDGS were fed in 3 phases from 33 to 121 kg of BW. A common source of DDGS containing 90.1% DM, 26.3% CP, 0.96% Lys, 0.18% Trp, 9.4% crude fat, 34.6% NDF, 0.03% Ca, and 0.86% P was used at each station. Diets were formulated to contain 0.83, 0.70, and 0.58% standardized ileal digestible (SID) Lys during the 3 phases with diets changed at 60 and 91 kg of BW, respectively. The DDGS replaced corn and soybean meal, and up to 0.172% Lys and 0.041% Trp were added to maintain constant SID concentrations of Lys and Trp in each phase. At each station, 2 pigs from each pen in 2 replications were killed and a midline backfat core was obtained for fatty acid analysis and iodine value. In most instances, there were differences among stations (P < 0.01), but the station × treatment interactions were few. Body weight gain was linearly reduced in pigs fed the greater amounts of DDGS (0 to 45%) during phase I (950, 964, 921, and 920 g/d; P < 0.01) and over the entire experimental period (944, 953, 924, and 915 g/d; P = 0.03), but ADFI (2.73, 2.76, 2.68, and 2.70 kg) and G:F (347, 347, 345, and 341 g/kg) were not affected (P = 0.15 and P = 0.33, respectively) during the entire test. Backfat depth was reduced (linear, P < 0.02) by increasing amounts of DDGS (22.5, 22.7, 21.4, and 21.6 mm), but LM area (47.4, 47.4, 46.1, and 45.4 cm(2)) was not affected (P = 0.16) by treatments. Estimated carcass fat-free lean was 51.9, 52.2, 52.4, and 52.1% for 0 to 45% DDGS, respectively (linear, P = 0.06). Flex measures obtained at 6 stations indicated less firm bellies as dietary DDGS increased (lateral flex: 11.9, 8.6, 8.4, and 6.6 cm; linear, P < 0.001; vertical flex: 26.1, 27.4, 28.2, and 28.7 cm; linear, P < 0.003). Saturated and monounsaturated fatty acid concentrations in subcutaneous fat decreased linearly (P < 0.001) and PUFA concentrations increased linearly (P < 0.001) with increasing DDGS in the diet. Iodine values in inner (61.1, 68.2, 74.7, and 82.2) and outer (67.9, 73.6, 79.6, and 85.8) backfat increased linearly (P < 0.001) as DDGS in the diet increased. In this study, feeding diets with 30 or 45% DDGS did not have major effects on growth performance, but resulted in softer bellies. Regression analysis indicated that iodine values increased 4.3 units for every 10 percentage unit inclusion of DDGS in the diet.     

Primary central nervous system B-cell lymphoma in a young dog

This report describes a primary central nervous system B-cell lymphoma in a 3-year-old intact female Maltese dog. Canine primary central nervous system lymphomas constitute about 4% of all intracranial primary neoplasms, but comprehensive histopathologic classifications have rarely been carried out. This is the first report of this disease in a young adult dog.