Congenital Tremor With Spongy Degeneration of the Central Nervous System in Two Puppies

Two crossbred puppies exhibited a generalized tremor that was accentuated by excitement or voluntary movement. Hypermetria was also present. Neurohistologic examination showed a bilaterally symmetric spongy condition, predominantly of the gray matter in the brain and spinal cord. These two dogs were different, both in their clinical presentation and histologic appearance, from other reported cases of spongy degeneration. The clinicopathologic correlation between spongy degeneration and tremor is unclear. Spongy degeneration should be included in the differential diagnosis of tremor syndromes in puppies.     

Identification of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Ditylenchus</Emphasis> species associated with Fabaceae seeds based on a specific polymerase chain reaction of ribosomal DNA-ITS regions

A technique based on the use of specific primers for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was developed for the identification of the stem and bulb nematode belonging to the Ditylenchus dipsaci species complex. The internal transcribed spacer region ITS1 and ITS2, the gene 5.8 S and part of genes 18 S and 26 S of twenty populations of the D. dipsaci species complex belonging to both D. dipsaci sensu stricto and Ditylenchus sp. B (corresponding to populations of giant individuals associated to Vicia faba) and three congeneric species were amplified with two universal ribosomal primers. PCR-amplified DNA samples were digested with five restriction enzymes in order to reveal some polymorphism allowing the identification of D. dipsaci populations associated with Fabaceae seeds. The polymorphism among species was confirmed by the sequencing of the PCR products. A primer (DdpS2) was designed in a region conserved in all populations of both D. dipsaci sensu stricto and D. sp. B studied in the present work. The other Anguinidae species (except a few species from Central Asia associated to Astereaceae and D. sp. G associated to Plantago maritima) differ in two to four nucleotides at the 3′ extremity of this region. This sequence portion coincides with a TspEI restriction site. In combination with a primer located in the ribosomal region, this first primer is a good candidate for identification by PCR of populations of the D. dipsaci species complex found in Fabaceae seeds. A second primer (DdpS1) was designed in a similar way and was specific to D. dipsaci sensu stricto. The utility of these two sets of primers is discussed against the background of quarantine regulation.     

Myeloperoxidase concentration in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from healthy horses and those with recurrent airway obstruction

The aim of this work was to measure the myeloperoxidase (MPO) concentration in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid collected from horses with recurrent airway obstruction (RAO), both in crisis and in remission, as well as from healthy horses. Seven horses with RAO were exposed to moldy hay until the maximum change in pleural pressure was greater than 1.5 kPa. At that point, BAL was performed, and the total cell counts and percentages in the fluid were immediately determined. To measure the MPO concentration in BAL-fluid supernatant, we used a specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay with polyclonal antibodies against equine MPO. The tests were repeated on the horses with RAO after they had spent 2 mo on pasture. Six healthy horses serving as controls underwent the same tests. The absolute and relative neutrophil counts and the MPO concentration in the BAL fluid were significantly greater in the horses with an RAO crisis than in the control horses. After 2 mo on pasture, the horses that had been in RAO crisis were clinically normal, and their neutrophil counts and MPO levels in BAL fluid had significantly decreased; during remission their neutrophil counts were not significantly different from those in the healthy horses, but their MPO concentration remained significantly higher. This study showed that determining the MPO concentration in a horse's BAL fluid is technically possible and that during remission from RAO the concentration remains higher than normal. Thus, MPO may be a marker of neutrophil presence and activation in the lower airways.     

A treatment study of canine symmetrical onychomadesis (symmetrical lupoid onychodystrophy) comparing fish oil and cyclosporine supplementation in addition to a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids

Background

Treatment of symmetrical onychomadesis (symmetrical lupoid onychodystrophy) is a challenging task for dermatologists. The acute phase is characterized by sloughing of claw plates and loose claws have to be removed and secondary infections treated. The goal of long-term treatment is to allow claws to re-grow with normal quality and to achieve life-long lack of recurrence. The aim of this randomized treatment trial was to see if adding fish oil or cyclosporine to a diet rich in omega-3 could improve the treatment outcome of symmetrical onychomadesis in Gordon and English setters. All dogs were fed Eukanuba Veterinary Diets Dermatosis® exclusively during the six month treatment trial. The treatment outcome was measured as the change in number of healthy claws during treatment, as well as the long-term effect on hunting ability and recurrence of onychomadesis. The hypothesis was that cyclosporine provides a stronger and different immune modulating property than fish oil and therefore would give a better treatment outcome in dogs with symmetrical onychomadesis eating a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids.

Results

Six Gordon setters and one English setter were treated with 5 mg/kg cyclosporine once daily for six months and seven Gordon setters were treated with 10 ml Dr Baddaky fish oil® once daily for six months. All dogs were evaluated every month and the numbers of healthy claws were recorded.There was a statistically significant improvement in the number of healthy claws after six months of treatment with a median increase of 13.5 claws for both groups. However, there was no statistically significant difference between the two treatment groups regarding the improvement in number of healthy claws, as assessed using the Wilcoxon rank-sum test (P = 0.15). Dogs in the cyclosporine group had a median increase of 10 healthy claws after six months of treatment while the median for the fish oil group was 14. Long-term cure was not achieved with either treatment.

Conclusion

Cyclosporine and fish oil appeared to be equally effective in treating symmetrical onychomadesis when the dog is fed a diet high in omega-3.     

A previously unknown maltose transporter essential for starch degradation in leaves

A previously unknown maltose transporter is essential for the conversion of starch to sucrose in Arabidopsis leaves at night. The transporter was identified by isolating two allelic mutants with high starch levels and very high maltose, an intermediate of starch breakdown. The mutations affect a gene of previously unknown function, MEX1. We show that MEX1is a maltose transporter that is unrelated to other sugar transporters. The severe mex1 phenotype demonstrates that MEX1is the predominant route of carbohydrate export from chloroplasts at night. Homologous genes in plants including rice and potato indicate that maltose export is of widespread significance.     

Real-time PCR mediated monitoring of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Fusarium foetens</Emphasis> in symptomatic and non-symptomatic hosts

Fusarium foetens is a recently described aggressive vascular pathogen of Begonia x hiemalis. Since 2004, it has caused severe losses for Begonia growers in Northern Europe and North America. F. foetens is likely to be of exotic origin. Little is known about the accumulation of the fungus in Begonia plants before and during symptom expression and about its host range. We have optimised a molecular detection method for F. foetens by only using the plant part containing the largest amount of the pathogen and by optimising the tissue maceration and DNA extraction techniques. This allowed a reliable detection limit of 2310 spore equivalents per plant and a theoretical detection limit of as low as 84 to 167 spore equivalents per plant. Using this method, we demonstrated exponential accumulation of F. foetens DNA in Begonia roots, resulting in symptoms at a threshold of approximately 10⁷ spore equivalents and levelling off at 10⁹ spore equivalents per plant. The observed rate of accumulation and the amount of pathogen DNA in non-symptomatic plants can be combined to determine whether the cuttings were infected after delivery at the Begonia nursery and to calculate the estimated timing of symptom development. To test the host range, we applied the optimised molecular detection technique. During these tests, only Begonia x hiemalis plants became symptomatic, but many other plant species supported growth of the pathogen. This information can be used to aid pathogen control and has implications for pest risk assessment.     

Regulation of lysine metabolism and endosperm protein synthesis by the opaque-5 and opaque-7 maize mutations

Two high lysine maize endosperm mutations, opaque-5 (o5) and opaque-7 (o7), were biochemically characterized for endosperm protein synthesis and lysine metabolism in immature seeds. Albumins, globulins, and glutelins, which have a high content of lysine, were shown to be increased in the mutants, whereas zeins, which contain trace concentrations of lysine, were reduced in relation to the wild-type lines B77xB79+ and B37+. These alterations in the storage protein fraction distribution possibly explain the increased concentration of lysine in the two mutants. Using two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of proteins of mature grains, variable amounts of zein polypeptides were detected and considerable differences were noted between the four lines studied. The analysis of the enzymes involved in lysine metabolism indicated that both mutants have reduced lysine catabolism when compared to their respective wild types, thus allowing more lysine to be available for storage protein synthesis.     

Effects of processing steps on the phenolic content and antioxidant activity of beer

A new analytical method (liquid chromatography-antioxidant, LC-AOx) was used that is intended to separate beer polyphenols and to determine the potential antioxidant activity of these constituents after they were allowed to react online with a buffered solution of the radical cation 2,2'-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS(?+)). Using the LC-AOx method, it was possible to demonstrate that the extent of the antioxidant activity was very much dependent on the phenolic compound considered. The method was also applied to the analysis of beer extracts and allowed the evaluation of their antioxidant activity at different steps of beer processing: brewing, boiling, and fermentation. This study showed that the total antioxidant activity remained unchanged throughout beer processing, as opposed to the polyphenolic content, which showed a 3-fold increase. Hopping and fermentation steps were the main causes of this increase. However, the increase measured after fermentation was attributed to a better extraction of polyphenols due to the presence of ethanol, rather than to a real increase in their content. Moreover, this method allowed the detection of three unknown antioxidant compounds, which accounted for 64 ± 4% of the total antioxidant activity of beer and were individually more efficient than caffeic acid and epicatechin.