Hyperbilirubinemia in sick cattle.

Hyperbilirubinemia was present in 387 out of 1279 sick cattle admitted to the clinic of the Ontario Veterinary College. One hundred and ninety five of these had a total serum bilirubin of 17 mumol/L or greater. Clinical records, laboratory data and when available, pathology reports from these 195 animals were examined in an attempt to explain the reason for the high bilirubin levels. The hyperbilirubinemia in 187 of these was mainly due to an increase in unconjugated bilirubin. Jaundice, liver disease or anemia was not a feature and alkaline phosphatase was not elevated. The 195 animals with hyperbilirubinemia suffered from a variety of diseases that seemingly were unrelated to the increased bilirubin. The most frequently described signs were anorexia and rumen stasis. Liver disease was diagnosed in eight animals and in these clinical jaundice, and increased conjugated bilirubin and alkaline phosphatase was a feature. It was concluded that hyperbilirubinemia occurred in many diseases of cattle and in most instances was related to a failure of the liver to remove unconjugated bilirubin from the serum rather than to a failure of the liver to excrete conjugated bilirubin.     

Experimental fetal infection with bovine viral diarrhea virus. I. Virological and serological studies.

The serological and virological results of an experimental infection of bovine fetuses with bovine viral diarrhea virus are presented. Four fetuses, 120-165 days gestational age, were inoculated in utero with a second passage virus strain. Two fetuses received a sham-inoculum. A humoral immune response in the virus-inoculated fetuses, was demonstrated three weeks later. In three fetuses only IgM and IgG1 were detectable. The serum from the fourth fetus also contained IgG2 and IgA. Bovine viral diarrhea virus-neutralizing antibodies were detected in two fetuses. These two fetuses inoculated at 135-150 days gestational age, represent the youngest reported bovids, giving a specific response in three weeks following an experimental infection with bovine viral diarrhea virus. The fetal sera did not contain heat-labile factors, which could mediate the neutralization. The virus was not reisolated from any of the fetuses, but viral antigen was nevertheless demonstrated by immunocytochemical methods in sections of several of the fetal organs, primarily lymphoid tissues.     

Effects of interferents on the kinetic Jaffé reaction and an enzymatic colorimetric test for serum creatinine concentration determination in cats, cows, dogs and horses.

The effects of acetoacetic acid, acetone, bilirubin, beta-carotene, three cephalospoprin antibiotics, glucose, hemoglobin and lipid on the kinetic Jaffé reaction and an enzymatic reaction for the determination of creatinine concentration were studied in bovine, canine, feline and equine serum. There were no obvious species' differences. The kinetic Jaffé reaction was unaffected by the addition of beta-carotene and hemoglobin. Acetone, cefazolin, cefoxitin, ceftiofur and glucose caused a positive bias while acetoacetic acid, bilirubin, and lipid caused a negative bias when added to the kinetic Jaffé reaction. The enzymatic reaction was unaffected by the addition of acetoacetic acid, acetone, beta-carotene, cefazolin, cefoxitin, glucose and hemoglobin while added lipid, bilirubin and ceftiofur caused a negative bias in the test results. Over all species and interferents, there was no difference in the precision of the two assay methods. In a series of sera from hospitalized patients, the two methods were highly correlated in a linear fashion. The enzymatic creatinine assay deals effectively with most interferents but has a greater cost and shorter shelf-life compared with the kinetic Jaffé reaction.     

The Effects of Cesarean Section Anesthesia on Heat Loss and Heat Production in the Newborn Rabbit

The newborn of some smaller animals rely upon heat produced by nonshivering thermogenesis in the brown fat to prevent a fall in body temperature after birth. Because of their pharmacological properties, some drugs may affect nonshivering thermogenesis. Therefore, in this study, the ability of newborn rabbits delivered under Innovar-Vet, ketamine hydrochloride, methoxyflurane and epidural anesthesia to maintain the rectal, subcutaneous interscapular and lumbar temperature was investigated at an ambient temperature of 35°C or 22°C and the results compared with control newborns delivered without anesthesia. When the newborns were exposed to 35°C, the anesthetics studied had no effect on the ability of the newborn to maintain the rectal temperature and the subcutaneous temperature over the interscapular fat pad was similar to the lumbar subcutaneous temperature thereby indicating that nonshivering thermogenesis was not activated. However, at an ambient temperature of 22°C Innovar-Vet or methoxyflurane reduced the temperature difference between interscapular and lumbar temperatures to 1.6°C compared to 2.5°C in controls and the difference between core temperature and ambient temperature to 3.5°C greater compared to 7.5°C in controls. Ketamine hydrochloride or lidocaine hydrochloride plus meperidine has less effect because these compounds lack adrenergic blocking properties. These data suggest that newborns delivered under anesthetics or tranquillizers that have adrenergic blocking properties require a warm (35°C) environment to prevent a fall in core temperature.     

Response of mink, skunk, red fox and raccoon to inoculation with mink virus enteritis, feline panleukopenia and canine parvovirus and prevalence of antibody to parvovirus in wild carnivores in Ontario.

Mink virus enteritis, feline panleukopenia and canine parvovirus-2 were inoculated separately into groups of raccoon, mink, red fox and striped skunk. Raccoons were highly susceptible to mink virus enteritis and feline panleukopenia, with animals developing clinical illness, and several dying within six to ten days of inoculation with lesions typical of parvovirus infection. Both viruses were shed in high titre in the feces of infected raccoons, and high antibody titres were stimulated. Raccoons inoculated with canine parvovirus-2 showed no signs; shedding of virus was sporadic though moderate titres of antibody developed. Mink inoculated with mink virus enteritis and feline panleukopenia developed signs and lesions of early parvovirus infection. No signs or significant lesions followed canine parvovirus-2 inoculation. Shedding of virus was heavy (mink virus enteritis) or sporadic (feline panleukopenia and canine parvovirus-2), though good serological responses were elicited to all three viruses. Red fox showed no signs of infection, shed all three viruses only sporadically, and the serological response was strong only to feline panleukopenia. Skunks developed low antibody titres, but no signs, and did not shed virus. Antibody to parvovirus was found in 79.2% of 144 wild red foxes; 22.3% of 112 wild raccoons; 1.3% of 157 wild skunks and 6/7 coyotes in southern Ontario. The likely significance of these viruses to wild and captive individuals and populations of these carnivores is discussed.     

Detecting anti-Treponema hyodysenteriae antibodies in swine serum using immunofluorometry.

An indirect fluorescent antibody test was adapted for measuring serum anti-Treponema hyodysenteriae antibodies with a fluorometer. The immunofluorescence was recorded as fluorescent signal units. Cultures of T. hyodysenteriae and Treponema innocens were used as antigen. There was a significant (P less than 0.01) correlation between the immunofluorescence recorded with the fluorometer and that evaluated visually with a microscope. The swine exposed orally to swine dysentery infective inoculum and subsequently hyperimmunized by the intravenous inoculation of live cultures of T. hyodysenteriae had the highest average fluorescent signal unit, which was 104.5. There was a significant (P less than 0.01) correlation between the level of anti-T. hyodysenteriae antibody and the interval length between the last day of diarrhea and the day of bleeding. However, in measuring fluorescent signal units in serum from swine infected with nonpathogenic large spirochetes, (T. innocens), there was also a significant (P less than 0.01) correlation between T. hyodysenteriae and T. innocens as antigen. The coefficient of variation of the average fluorescent signal unit for a highly positive serum and a highly negative serum between 16 runs of assays were 5.7% and 19% respectively; the coefficient of variation of the average fluorescent signal unit for duplicate samples on 358 serum samples tested was 5.8%.     

Low-dose ginseng (Panax quinquefolium) modulates the course and magnitude of the antibody response to vaccination against Equid herpesvirus 1 in horses

The purpose of this study was to determine if ginseng fed at low levels enhances a horse's antibody response to vaccination against Equid herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1). For 28 d, 5 horses received ground, powdered ginseng (35 mg/kg body weight, 1.7 mg/kg total ginsenosides) in molasses as a carrier, and 5 received molasses only. On day 14, each horse was vaccinated against EHV-1. The time course of the antibody response to vaccination was significantly altered in the horses receiving ginseng, a clinically relevant increase in antibody titer being observed by postvaccination day 2 compared with day 6 in the control horses. The horses receiving ginseng also had a significant decrease in serum levels of sodium and a significant increase in serum levels of potassium. No adverse effects of ginseng treatment were identified by hematologic and blood biochemistry profiles. Thus, low-dose dietary supplementation with ginseng in healthy horses may be a useful adjunct to vaccination.     

抗猪瘟免疫球蛋白在猪初乳中变化规律研究

以猪瘟弱毒疫苗免疫空怀母猪,待母猪分娩后,分别收集10d内的乳汁,以建立的间接ELISA法检测猪瘟IgA、IgG、IgM水平,并观察各种抗体动态变化规律。试验结果表明,猪初乳中的IgA、IgG、IgM抗体效价均在分娩当天达到最高值,随后迅速下降,7d后抗体水平与常乳基本一致(>0.05)。对照组母猪仅在分娩当天检测到较低的抗体水平。     

西北地区8种耐旱植物营养成分在秦川肉牛瘤胃的降解情况

本试验采集了西北地区8种耐旱植物(柠条、油蒿、桑叶、苦马豆、千屈菜、香豆子、元宝枫叶、无芒雀麦),选用4头体重相近的秦川牛肉用新品系瘤胃瘘管公牛进行试验,探究8种植物干物质(DM)、粗蛋白(CP)、中性洗涤纤维(NDF)、酸性洗涤纤维(ADF)的瘤胃降解特性。结果：常规营养成分：CP含量从小到大依次为无芒雀麦、千屈菜、油蒿、元宝枫叶、柠条、香豆子、桑叶、苦马豆(P<0.05);元宝枫叶与油蒿NDF、 ADF含量相近(P>0.05),其他植物均存在显著差异(P<0.05)。瘤胃降解特性：桑叶与苦马豆的DM降解效果显著高于其他6种植物(P<0.05),无芒雀麦48 h的 DM降解率仅29.56%,显著低于其他植物(P<0.05),油蒿、千屈菜、元宝枫叶48 h时DM降解情况差异不显著(P>0.05);CP的ED值从小到大依次为无芒雀麦、元宝枫叶、千屈菜、油蒿、柠条、香豆子、桑叶、苦马豆(P<0.05);NDF的ED值从小到大依次为无芒雀麦、元宝枫叶、油蒿、千屈菜、柠条、香豆子、苦马豆、桑叶(P<0.05),ADF的ED值从小到大依次为无芒雀麦、元宝枫叶、油蒿、千屈菜、苦马豆、香豆子、柠条、桑叶,其中柠条、苦马豆、香豆子和油蒿、元宝枫叶差异不显著(P>0.05)。