Estrogen-dependent induction of cyclooxygenase-2 in the canine prostate in vivo

Cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 is involved in several physiologic and pathologic processes. COX-2 is overexpressed in human and canine prostate cancer, but little is known about COX-2 inducers in the prostate. Our objective was to investigate the effect of sex steroid hormones on COX-2 expression in the canine prostate in vivo. COX-2 expression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry in intact and castrated dogs treated with exogenous androgen or estrogen. Results showed that no COX-2 staining was observed in prostates of untreated or androgen-treated castrated or intact dogs. However, treatment of intact and castrated dogs with estrogen resulted in squamous metaplasia with intense COX-2 expression observed in both squamous epithelial cells and in cells of acini without metaplasia. This is the first report to demonstrate the induction of COX-2 by estrogen in the prostate in vivo.     

Sur quelques huiles essentielles nouvelles ou peu connues

Conclusions Douze essences sont étudiées, l'une, connue, celle de Vergerette du Canada et les autres, nouvelles. Les constituants principaux sont des terpènes, sauf pourNepeta mussini (alcool) etScrophularia lucida (cétone). Le terpène dominant, surtout dans les huiles essentielles de Composées, est l'-pinène droit; dans cette famille botanique, j'ai relevé deux fois (Phagnalon sordidum etCota tinctoria), la présence d'un sesquiterpène azulénogène, tel qu'on les trouve surtout dans l'absolue de Camomille romaine. L'acide valérianique, le plus souvent sous la forme combinée, est d'occurrence à peu près constante.Les méthyl-heptyl-cétone et méthyl-nonyl-cétone qui n'avaient guère été signalées que dans les essences de Rue ont été détectées, la première chezScrophularia lucida, la seconde chezAristolochia clematitis, plantes aussi éloignées botaniquement qu'elles le sont, l'une et l'autre, desRuta. Dans deux huiles essentielles, j'ai indiqué l'abondance de paraffines et, dans l'une d'elles, conjointement, celle de résines.

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On some new or less known essential oils

Summary The author gives the chemical and physical characteristics of the essential oils in the following plants:Erigeron canadensis, Phagnalon sordidum, Pulicaria dysenterica, Filaga spathulata, Achillea ageratum, Cota (Anthemis) tinctoria, Senecio erucifolius, Catanche coerulea, Salvia grahami. Nepeta mussini, Scrophularia lucida, Aristolochia clematitis. With the exception ofNepeta mussini (alcohol) andScrophularia lucida (cétone) terpenes are theprincipal constituents. The dominating terpene in the essential oils of the Compositae is the right pinene. Twice in this family, inPhagnalon sordidum and inCota tinctoria, the presence of a sesquiterpene, the azulogenene, has been proved, as it has been found specially in the Roman camomile. The valeric acid, mostly combined occurs nearly always. The methyl-heptyl-cetone and the methyl-nonyl-cetone which have been found until now only inRuta, were found, the former inScrophularia lucida and the latter inAristolochia. In two essential oils paraffines have been found abundantly in one of them, moreover the occurrence of resins has been proved.

     

Le genrePolygonum L. (Polygonacées)

Sans résumé     

THIABENDAZOLE RESISTANCE IN FIELD POPULATIONS OF HAEMONCHUS CONTORTUS

Six populations of H. contortus were selected for a study of thiabendazole resistance from a collection of 40 populations made during a survey of the efficiency of thiabendazole on the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales. Based on survey results, 3 of these populations were considered susceptible and the remaining 3 were considered resistant. However, when these populations were compared with a known susceptible strain on the ability of their eggs to hatch in a solution containing thiabendazole and 0.1% NaCl all 6 had significantly greater LC50's. The resistance ratios of the LC50 for each of the 6 populations to that of the known susceptible strain were 5.1, 4.3, 3.2, 3.1, 2.3, and 1.6 respectively. Following dosing of their host with 44 mg/kg thiabendazole the resistance ratios of the survivors increased to 5.4, 5.1, 4.7, 4.4, 3.1 and 2.4. Eggs produced by the F1 generation of the worms surviving 44 mg/kg thiabendazole did not revert back to the lower LC50's of the unselected parents. Rather the LC50 remained at a level near that of a known highly resistant strain of H. contortus.     

Analysis of early calfhood health status and subsequent dairy herd survivorship and productivity

Heifer calves contracting a navel-joint illness within their first 4 months of life exhibited a significantly poorer survival distribution pattern than their other 4 cohort groups in a study of 460 calves born into 2 institutional dairy herds from January 1, 1971 to December 1, 1978 inclusive. The cohorts of calves identified as having either respiratory, gastrointestinal, septicemia, or ‘other’ diseases did not have a survival function significantly different from each other, or from the control group. Also, on a per lactation basis, all 4 disease cohorts did not have a significantly different milk production or reproductive performance than the control group.These observations suggest that a selective culling program can maintain similar productivity and breeding performances on a lactation basis regardless of early calfhood health status. However, heifer calves contracting a navel-joint illness cannot survive as well as other calves under such a management program and hence, from a biological point of view, may warrant culling immediately upon diagnosis.     

The effect of early calfhood health status on survivorship and age at first calving.

Survival to maturity and age at first calving were studied in heifer calves from 34 randomly selected Holstein dairy farms in southwestern Ontario. Calves were divided into cohorts on the basis of treatment for pneumonia, scours, other diseases, or no treatments, during the first 90 days of life. An effect of pneumonia and scours together, over and above the effects of each disease alone, was assessed by means on an interaction term in the statistical analyses. Heifers which had been treated for pneumonia during the first three months of life were 2.5 times more likely to die after 90 days of age than heifers which had not been treated for pneumonia, after controlling for the farm effect. Heifers with a calfhood history of being treated for scours were 2.5 times more likely to be sold for dairy purposes than other calves. Heifers which had been treated for scours were 2.9 times more likely to calve after 900 days of age than other heifers, after controlling for the farm effect.     

The effects on merino lambs of chronic infection with Trichostrongylus rugatus

Four groups of six 5-month-old merino lambs were exposed to infection with 12,000 larvae of Trichostrongylus rugatus per week and one group was killed at each of 3, 6, 9 and 12 weeks. Numbers of adult worms increased in an approximately linear manner throughout the experiment; the percentage of larvae developing to adults remained between 35 and 25% throughout the course of the experiment. Sub-total villus atrophy was evident in the anterior small intestine of each group of infected sheep and significant reductions occurred in the plasma concentrations of albumin and phosphate. Serum globulin and calcium concentrations rose in infected animals. No clinical signs were observed in infected sheep, no alteration in bone histology was detected and no decrease in growth rate occurred.