Feline miliary eczema: megestrol acetate does not suppress immune responses

Megestrol acetate was found to have no influence on immunological skin and corneal reactivity nor on antibody responses in guinea pigs. Its curative effect in feline miliary eczema is probably not, therefore, the result of interference with the immune response.     

The pathogenesis of Babesia motasi (Wales) infection in sheep

Studies on the pathogenesis of Babesia motasi (Wales) infection following blood transfusion of infected blood to normal or splenectomised recipients showed that the intact animal is refractory to infection but that infection in splenectomised animals caused weight loss, fever, anorexia, lassitude and a macrocytic hypochromic anaemia which coincided with the peak of parasitaemia. There was an initial leucocytosis, largely due to a neutrophilia. The prepatent period following blood transfusion was 2-3 days. Unconjugated and conjugated (direct) bilirubin levels increased from pre-infection levels to peaks of 1.43 and 0.70 mg/100 ml of blood, respectively. Serum glutamic pyruvic acid transaminases (SGPT) increased slightly but serum glutamic-oxaloacetic acid transaminases (SGOT) and blood sugar (glucose) levels did not show significant changes after infection. Total serum protein levels increased temporarily and then returned to normal. Blood urea nitrogen levels increased, with biphasic peaks (76.32 and 86.29 mg/100 ml) on Days 2 and 8 post-patency. Clinical infections even in splenectomised sheep, were mild and of short duration, although recovered sheep remained carriers.     

A method for estimating the age of coenuri of Taenia multiceps recovered from the brains of sheep

The age of coenurus metacestodes from the brains of sheep has been estimated by counting the average number of scolices in each cluster on the coenurus wall and relating it to a calculated regression line derived from an examination of cysts of known age. The method has been applied to 17 natural infections and its value is discussed.     

Tyrosine metabolism in Aedes aegypti: Arrest of sclerotization by MON 0585 and diflubenzuron

Lipid from cuticle and viscera sequestered 35 and 40%, respectively, of the diflubenzuron taken up by larvae of Aedes aegypti. The rate of toxicant uptake was linear for the first 2 days of exposure. Following treatment of larvae with a mixture of MON 0585 and diflubenzuron, tanning agents and pigments were discharged into the rearing medium during pupation. In the course of poisoning, body fluids and cuticle accumulated soluble arylated peptides and tanning agents at the expense of the sclerotized mucoprotein complex. Changes in protein composition of the integument were indicated by decreased titers of bound phenylalanine and serine in both the immature and pupal stages, however, visual symptoms of poisoning were absent in larvae. Three amino acids linked to citric acid cycle oxidations, namely, aspartic and glutamic acids and proline, declined sharply in body fluids of poisoned animals while a conjugate resembling N-acetyldopamine-O-glucoside was retained. These biochemical lesions suggest the action of MON 0585 was due to (a) loss of benzenoid precursors of the crosslink to the rearing medium; (b) faulty active transport of tanning agents; and (c) unavailability of receptor sites for arylating groups on side chains destined for bridging.     

The occurrence and distribution of Salmonella enteritidis and other serovars on California egg laying premises: a comparison of two sampling methods and two culturing techniques

Between the summer of 1998 and the winter of 2000, Salmonella analysis was performed on 2128 single and 532 pooled manure drag swabs obtained from 133 California commercial egg laying farms. The isolation of Salmonella from all rows and from all flocks using single or pooled swabs was 80% and 92%, respectively. Hence, there was no statistical difference between single vs. pooled swabs in terms of identifying Salmonella on a row or flock basis. A total of 14 serogroups comprising 44 serotypes were isolated from 123 of 133 farms. When the top 10 serotypes were considered, there was no significant difference in the range of serotypes isolated by the two culturing methods. The overall S. enteritidis prevalence for California flocks was 10.5% (14/133). The overall row prevalence for S. enteritidis for all the farms was 1.1% (24/2128), and the overall pool prevalence was 2.4% (13/532). Sixty percent (12/20) of the S. enteritidis isolates from the positive farms were phage type 4, and 40% (8/20) represented five other phage types (1, 6B, 7, 8, and 28).     

Nonvolatiles of commercial lime and grapefruit oils separated by high-speed countercurrent chromatography

The nonvolatile fractions of cold-pressed peel oils of Key and Persian lime as well as grapefruit were separated by high-speed countercurrent chromatography (HS-CCC). In addition to the isolation of the main coumarins, psoralens and polymethoxyflavones, a number of minor constituents were enriched and successfully characterized by GC-MS and HPLC-UV. 5,7,8-Trimethoxycoumarin and the cyclical acetals of oxypeucedanin hydrate with citral were determined as new nonvolatile trace constituents of lime oils and confirmed by NMR spectroscopy. The citral oxypeucedaninyl acetals were found particularly in Key lime oil type A, which as a result of the juice-oil contact, is exposed to acidic conditions during industrial processing. Some of the confirmed minor constituents, such as pabulenol, isooxypeucedanin, and oxypeucedanin methanolate in lime as well as auraptenol in grapefruit, may have been generated by hydrolysis-sensitive precursors during CCC separation or their respective industrial processing techniques.     

Correlation between corneal sensitivity and quantity of reflex tearing in cows,horses, goats,sheep, dogs,cats, rabbits,and guinea pigs

Objective Guinea pigs have a very low threshold of corneal sensitivity and at the same time nearly no reflex tearing compared to dogs, cats, and horses. The question arose whether there is a general correlation between corneal sensitivity and the quantity of reflex tearing. Animals studied Totally 160 animals of 8 different species (20 animals per species) were investigated. Procedures The corneal touch threshold (CTT) was measured with a Cochet–Bonnet esthesiometer. The palpebral fissure length (PFL) was measured with a calliper ruler. The Schirmer tear test (STT) was modified by adapting the width of the STT strip to the PFL of every species. For the STT II, 0.4% oxybuprocaine was applied. Results Corneal touch threshold: Cows (1.67 g/mm²), horses (1.23 g/mm²), sheep (1.13 g/mm²), goats (1.44 g/mm²), dogs (2.16 g/mm²), and cats (1.33 g/mm²) show similar CTT values. In contrast, rabbits (6.21 g/mm²) and guinea pigs (7.75 g/mm²) show a significantly lower CTT. Tear Production Difference STT I ? STT II: Rabbits have the greatest decline in tear production with 38.4%, followed by sheep (33.3%), dogs (31.1%), cats (24.7%), cows (23.7%), horses (18.0%), and goats (14.0%). Guinea pigs have no decline, but a slight increase of ?16.0%. Correlation CTT and STT II ? STT I Difference: Pearson’s correlation coefficient shows a small, but significant correlation. The coefficient of determination can only forecast a value with 7.1% certainty. Conclusions The high variance and low reproducibility of results suggest that the measuring devices are inappropriate to assess the evaluated parameters. Therefore, no assured correlation between the corneal sensitivity and the quantity of reflex tearing could be found.     

Computed tomography angiography of coarctation of the aorta in a dog

Coarctation of the aorta has been described previously as either a post-mortem or angiographic finding in three dogs with clinical signs related to the aortic coarctation. A 10-year-old dog was presented for evaluation of suspected laryngeal paralysis. On physical examination, femoral pulses were absent bilaterally, with an indirect systolic blood pressure difference of 60 mmHg between the ipsilateral thoracic and pelvic limbs. Coarctation of the aorta was detected on a thoracic computed tomographic angiography study. The coarctation was pre-ductal in position, with extensive dilation of the descending thoracic aorta. Characteristic rib changes that are seen in humans with coarctation were not apparent in this dog. 3D reconstructions of the thorax provided high vascular definition with exact localization of the aortic narrowing.