Distribution of ASFV antigens in pig tissues experimentally infected with two different Spanish virus isolates.

Lymph nodes, spleen, liver, lung and kidney obtained from pigs experimentally infected with two African Swine Fever Virus (ASFV) isolates of differing virulence were fixed by perfusion with glutaraldehyde and embedded in paraffin. An immunoperoxidase technique using a polyclonal anti-ASFV serum was performed on tissue sections in order to detect ASFV antigen. The distribution of ASFV antigen in such infected organs is shown and the differences between both infections compared and discussed. Monocytes, macrophages, hepatocytes, endothelial cells, neutrophils and epithelial cells were found to contain ASFV antigens.     

Pathology of infectious diarrhea of infant rats (IDIR) induced by an antigenically distinct rotavirus

Suckling rats were inoculated with a group B rotavirus to determine the progression of the morphologic changes induced in the intestine by this virus. Several changes were observed by light microscopy 1 day after viral inoculation: shortening of small intestinal villi, villous epithelial necrosis, and villous epithelial syncytia. The lesions were most often present in the distal small intestine, although other small intestinal segments were affected to a lesser degree. By day 3 post-inoculation, epithelial necrosis, and syncytia were no longer present; however, the villous epithelium was disorganized and irregularly vacuolated, and intestinal crypt epithelium was hyperplastic. Alterations in villous height to crypt depth ratios were present in portions of the small intestine for the remainder of the 12-day study period. Epithelial syncytia appeared to form by the breakdown of the lateral interdigitating membranes of the absorptive villous epithelium. Viral particles, abundant in the syncytia, appeared to form from amorphous or reticular arrays of viral precursor material. Group B rotaviral antigens, as detected by indirect immunofluorescence, were present in large amounts in the small intestinal villous epithelium only on the first day after viral inoculation. These studies show that two important diagnostic features of group B rotaviral infections of rats, epithelial syncytia and viral antigen as determined by immunofluorescence, are present only on the first day of disease. These findings should be taken into consideration when attempting to diagnose disease induced by this agent.     

Insulin-like growth factor I receptor analysis of satellite cell-derived myotube membranes established from two lines of Targhee rams selected for growth rate

Ovine-derived fibroblasts were used to validate an insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) membrane-receptor binding assay system. Competitive binding using fibroblasts revealed that half-maximal inhibition of 125I-IGF-I binding by IGF-I was 2.3 nM. SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis of specific protein-associated 125I-IGF-I was consistent with the migration of 125I-IGF-I-labeled Type I IGF receptor alpha-subunits at Mr 133,000 daltons. Further, the efficiency of two cell solubilization methods was examined and time-dependent binding equilibrium was determined for the membrane assay system. Satellite cell-derived myotubes were subsequently isolated from primary satellite cell cultures established from the semimembranosus muscles of high and low efficiency-of-gain (EOG) Targhee rams, and IGF-I receptor dynamics were measured. A membrane competitive binding study revealed that half-maximal inhibition of 125I-IGF-I binding was achieved by 1-ng IGF-I for low, and 10-ng IGF-I for high, EOG myotube membrane preparations. Kd values were similar between the high EOG (4.78 nM) and low EOG (2.95 nM) groups; however, receptor concentrations (Bmax) appeared to differ between groups. High EOG membrane receptor Bmax was 3.88 pmole/micrograms protein (19.87 pmole/micrograms DNA), whereas low EOG membrane receptor Bmax was 1.22 pmole/micrograms protein (9.28 pmole/micrograms DNA). These preliminary findings support the hypothesis that genetic selection for EOG results in altered satellite cell responsiveness to IGF-I.     

Correlation of DNA ploidy to tumor histologic grade, clinical variables, and survival in dogs with mast cell tumors.

By using flow cytometry, a retrospective analysis of the DNA content of 40 primary canine mast cell tumors and seven lymph nodes that contained metastatic mast cell tumor from 44 dogs of various breed, sex, and age was performed on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded samples of the tumors and nodes. These samples were chosen according to the following criteria: samples contained sufficient well-preserved tumor tissue in the paraffin block for processing, sufficient patient history data were available, clean and homogeneous cell suspensions were obtained after processing, and interpretable DNA histograms were produced on analysis. The ploidy data obtained were compared with the histopathologic grade, the anatomical site of occurrence, the clinical stage of the tumors, and the survival of the dogs. Over 70% (29/40) of the mast cell tumors were diploid. Three metastatic mast cell tumors in lymph nodes had the same ploidy status as their corresponding primary tumors. In five dogs, mast cell tumors from multiple sites in each dog displayed similar ploidy status. Of 26 dogs evaluated for survival times, 69% (18/26) had diploid tumors and 31% (8/26) had aneuploid tumors. When numbers of diploid versus aneuploid tumors were compared, no significant difference was found between any two grades, clinical stages, or anatomic sites. A significant difference (P = 0.02) was found, however, between aneuploid and diploid tumors when comparing Stage I and non-Stage I disease. The Kaplan-Meier survival plot indicated a tendency towards an increased survival within the first year in dogs with diploid versus aneuploid tumors (P = 0.06).     

Selective measurement of lipoprotein lipase and hepatic triglyceride lipase in heparinized plasma from horses.

Affinity chromatography on heparin sepharose was used to identify 2 lipolytic enzymes in heparinized plasma from horses. One enzyme was typical of hepatic triglyceride lipase (HTGL), because it was resistant to inactivation by high concentrations of NaCl, and it did not require the addition of serum for activity. The other enzyme was identified as lipoprotein lipase (LPL), because of its inactivation at NaCl concentrations in excess of 0.2M, and its dependency on addition of serum as a source of apolipoprotein C-II activator. The enzymes were purified by 347-(HTGL) and 442- (LPL) fold, with yields of 54 and 58%, respectively. The partially purified enzymes were used to design incubation conditions that gave optimal activities for each enzyme in vitro. A selective assay was then developed for direct measurement of LPL and HTGL activities in heparinized plasma from horses. Analysis of HTGL took advantage of the almost complete inactivation of LPL when serum cofactor was excluded from the assay at the NaCl concentration that gave optimal HTGL activity. Prior incubation of heparinized plasma with sodium dodecyl sulfate to inhibit HTGL was necessary for measurement of LPL, because HTGL retained 67% of its activity at the NaCl concentration required for optimal LPL activity. Activity of each enzyme was measured in heparinized plasma from 12 Shetland ponies. The mean activity +/- SD for LPL was 3.22 +/- 1.04 mumol of fatty acids/ml of heparinized plasma/h (mumol of FA/ml/h. The mean activity for HTGL was 4.9 +/- 1.56 mumol of FA/ml/h. The performance of the assay was assessed by replicate analysis of pools of each enzyme with high and low activities.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Effect of hot-fat trimming on factors associated with the subprimal yield of beef carcasses.

Thirty-two crossbred cattle (steers = 17; heifers = 15) exhibiting an ultrasound fat thickness at the 12 to 13th rib region of at least 10 mm were selected from a slaughter shift at a commercial packing plant. After splitting, alternating sides of each carcass were trimmed of 1) subcutaneous fat in excess of 6.4 mm; 2) all kidney, pelvic, and heart fat; and 3) all cod or udder fat and fat in the flank region. Both sides of each carcass were fabricated into subprimals (final trim level of 6.4 mm) according to normal industry procedures. Effect of hot-fat trimming, yield grade (3, 4, and 5), and gender on hot-fat trim, fabrication fat trim, major subprimal, and total subprimal yield of untrimmed and trimmed carcasses were determined. Higher numerical yield grade (YG) corresponded with higher (P less than .05) percentages of hot-fat trim. Hot-fat trimming increased (P less than .05) the difference in fabrication fat trim between steers and heifers and between YG 3 and YG 5. Steers and heifers differed (P less than .05) in percentage of major subprimals and total subprimals when processed conventionally, whereas hot-fat trimming eliminated this difference (P less than .05). Untrimmed YG 3 carcasses had 3.1 and 5.0% higher major subprimal yield (P less than .05) than untrimmed YG 4 and YG 5 carcasses, respectively, whereas hot-fat trimming reduced this difference to 2.5% for YG 4 and to 3.7% for YG 5.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

The contribution from hyphae, roots and organic carbon constituents to the aggregation of a sandy loam under long-term clover-based and grass pastures

Water-stable macro-aggregate size fractions (>2.0 mm, 1.0–2.0 mm, 0.5–1.0 mm and 0.25–0.5 mm) and non-aggregated soil from a sandy loam under long-term clover-based pasture and from grass pasture were analysed to determine the role of acid- and water-extractable carbohydrate C, total hyphal length, microbial biomass, organic C and total and mycorrhizal root length in stabilization of the aggregates. Aggregates were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the particle-size distribution of the size fractions was also determined. Macro-aggregation increased under grass, relative to clover-based pasture; however, the properties of the aggregate fractions measured did not reflect this difference. Microbial-biomass C, extractable-carbohydrate C, hyphal length, total and mycorrhizal root length and organic C content of the soils were poorly correlated with macro-aggregation. Within the aggregates, the proportion of 250–1000-km sand was smaller and clay, silt and fine sand (20–250 μm) were greater relative to non-aggregated soil, suggesting that the >250-μm sand in the non-aggregated soil limited the stabilization of macro-aggregates. Under SEM, no enmeshment of aggregates by hyphae and roots was apparent. Although 50–160 m hyphae g^?1 soil was found within the aggregates, calculations showed that on average only 5 to 13 lengths of hyphae were associated with each 250-μm cube of soil within the aggregates, and suggested little potential to stabilize the aggregates by enmeshing. On average, all >2.0-mm aggregates contained less than 3.6 mm of roots and less than 50% by weight of <2.0-mm aggregates contained a single length of root. The findings cast doubt about the role of hyphae and fine roots in the stabilization of macro-aggregates through an enmeshing mechanism in sandy soils.     

Production and characterization of monoclonal antibodies to budgerigar fledgling disease virus major capsid protein VP.

Eleven hybridoma cell lines producing monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) against intact budgerigar fledgling disease (BFD) virions were produced and characterized. These antibodies were selected for their ability to react with BFD virions in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Each of these antibodies was reactive in the immunofluorescent detection of BFD virus-infected cells. These antibodies immunoprecipitated intact virions and specifically recognized the major capsid protein, VP1, of the dissociated virion. The MAbs were found to preferentially recognize native BFD virus capsid protein when compared with denatured virus protein. These MAbs were capable of detecting BFD virus protein in chicken embryonated cell-culture lysates by dot-blot analysis.     

Comparative susceptibility of caponized and uncaponized tom turkeys to Pasteurella multocida.

When susceptibility to virulent Pasteurella multocida was compared, there was no significant (P greater than 0.05) difference between caponized and uncaponized tom turkeys. Neither was there any significant (P greater than 0.05) difference between the surviving caponized and uncaponized toms in the development of serum anti-P. multocida antibody. However, at 28 weeks of age, the average live body weight of the caponized toms was significantly (P less than 0.05) lower than that of the uncaponized toms. Turkeys were caponized when 9 weeks old, and different groups were exposed to P. multocida when 13, 18, 23, and 28 weeks old.