Comparison of Surgical and Medical Treatment of 49 Postpartum Mares with Presumptive or Confirmed Uterine Tears

Objective— To determine outcome after medical or surgical treatment of postpartum mares with confirmed or presumptive uterine tears. Study Design— Case series. Methods— Postpartum mares were included if foaling had occurred within 7 days and uterine tear was confirmed surgically or, in medically treated mares, by palpation or presumed based on peritonitis. Information (age, breed; physical examination, laboratory and abdominocentesis findings; treatment, survival rates, length of hospital stay, treatments costs, and breeding performance after discharge) was obtained from the medical records (1990–2007). The influence of variables was compared between medical and surgical treatment, and between survivors and nonsurvivors. Results— For 49 mares, survival was 75%, with no significant difference between medical (11/15; 73%) or surgical (26/34; 76%) treatment. Admission variables, treatment cost, duration of hospital stay, and likelihood of foaling after discharge were not significantly different between treatment groups. Nonsurvivors were significantly more likely to have gastric reflux, higher heart rate, anion gap, lower total CO₂, and leukocyte count, compared with survivors. Tears were significantly (P=.018) more likely to occur in the right uterine horn than in other parts of the uterus. Conclusions— Uterine tears occur more commonly in the uterine horns, more so the right horn, and survival is similar with surgical or medical treatment of uterine tears in postpartum mares. Clinical Relevance— Medical treatment may be a reasonable alternative to surgical treatment for uterine tears, although the severity of tear that can resolve with medical treatment is unknown, and medical therapy can be as expensive as surgical treatment.     

Ultrasound during mid‐gestation: Agreement with physical foetal and placental measurements and use in predicting gestational age in sheep

To determine the effects of poor maternal nutrition and litter size on foetal growth during mid‐gestation, pregnant ewes (n = 82) were fed 100%, 60% or 140% of NRC TDN beginning at day 30.2 ± 0.2 of gestation. Transabdominal ultrasound was performed weekly between day 46.0 ± 0.4 and 86.0 ± 0.7 to monitor foetal heart width (HW), umbilical diameter (UMB), rib width (RW) and placentome outer (OD) and inner diameter (ID). Data were analysed with repeated‐measures using the mixed procedure for effects of maternal diet, litter size and gestation, and equations predictive of gestational age were generated using the regression procedure. To determine the agreement of ultrasound measurement and actual size, ewes (n = 20–21) were euthanized at day 45 or 90 to obtain corresponding postmortem measurements for Bland–Altman analysis. The HW, UMB and placentome OD and ID increased with gestation (p < .0001) but were unaffected by maternal diet or litter size (p ≥ .12). Ultrasound underestimated postmortem measurements of HW (14.8%), UMB (7.3%), placentome OD (4.5%) and ID (37.3%) at day 90 of gestation. Ultrasound underestimated RW at day 45 (7.7%) but overestimated RW (23.8%) at day 90, indicating inconsistent bias when reporting RW by ultrasound. Combining the HW, UMB, RW and placentome OD generated the strongest equation predictive of gestational age (R² = .91). These findings indicate that during mid‐gestation, maternal diet or litter size did not affect HW, UMB or placentome diameters and these factors can be used to estimate gestational age.     

Influence of irrigated agriculture on soil microbial diversity

Organic carbon (C), bacterial biomass and structural community diversity were measured in Southern Idaho soils with long term cropping histories. The soils tested were native sagebrush vegetation (NSB), irrigated moldboard plowed crops (IMP), irrigated conservation – chisel – tilled crops (ICT) and irrigated pasture systems (IP). Organic C concentration in soils decreased in the order NSB 0–5 cm > IP 0–30 cm = ICT 0–15 cm > IMP 0–30 cm > NSB 5–15 cm = NSB 15–30 cm. Active bacterial, fungal and microbial biomass correlated with soil C as measured by the Walkely Black method in positive curvilinear relationships (r² = 0.93, 0.80 and 0.76, respectively). Amplicon length heterogeneity (LH-PCR) DNA profiling was used to access the eubacterial diversity in all soils and at all depths. The Shannon–Weaver diversity index was used to measure the differences using the combined data from three hypervariable domains of the eubacterial 16S rRNA genes. Diversity was greatest in NSB 15–30 cm soil and lowest in the IMP soil. With the exception of IMP with the lowest diversity index, the samples highest in C (NSB 0–5 cm, IP 0–30 cm, ICT 0–15 cm) reflected lower diversity indices. However, these indices were not significantly different from each other. ICT and IP increase soil C and to some extent increase diversity relative to IMP. Since soil bacteria respond quickly to environmental changes, monitoring microbial communities may be one way to assess the impact of agricultural practices such as irrigation and tillage regimes.     

Effects of hypothyroidism and withholding of feed on plasma lipid concentrations,concentration and composition of very-low-density lipoprotein,and plasma lipase activity in horses

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate selected concentrations of blood lipids and lipase activities in euthyroid and hypothyroid horses deprived of feed for 96 hours. ANIMALS: 4 healthy adult mares and 4 thyroidectomized adult mares. PROCEDURE: Horses were deprived of feed for 96 hours. Blood samples were collected at 24-hour intervals and analyzed to determine concentrations of non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA), triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), and very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) as well as composition of VLDL. Plasma lipase activities were measured after feed was withheld for 96 hours and 12 days after resumption of feeding. RESULTS: Time significantly affected plasma NEFA, VLDL, TG, and TC concentrations in both groups of horses. During the 96-hour period, mean plasma concentrations of NEFA and VLDL increased 10-fold in euthyroid horses and increased 5-fold and 9-fold, respectively, in hypothyroid horses. Mean plasma TG concentrations increased 8-fold in both groups, and plasma TC concentrations significantly increased by 33 and 30%, respectively. Composition of VLDL was significantly affected by feed deprivation in euthyroid horses. Activities of lipoprotein lipase and hepatic lipase were significantly higher in feed-deprived horses. Activity of hepatic lipase was significantly lower in hypothyroid horses than in euthyroid horses. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Hypothyroidism did not significantly alter the magnitude of the response of blood lipids to feed deprivation. Thyroid hormones may reduce variability in blood lipid concentrations but do not determine susceptibility to hyperlipemia. Hypothyroidism does not appear to be a factor in the pathogenesis of hyperlipemia in horses.     

Energy flux and membrane synthesis in photosynthetic bacteria

Synthesis of the energy-converting membrane complex of the photosynthetic purple bacterium Rhodopseudomonas capsulata during growth under different conditions of energy flux was studied by examining the disorganizing effects of polymyxin B, with or without lysozyme, on integrity of the cell envelope. Cells growing with a limited supply of energy show an elevated bacteriochlorophyll content and increased resistance to breakdown of the "permeability barrier" by these agents. It seems that purple bacteria respond to energy restriction by preferentially synthesizing excess bacteriochlorophyll-membrane which, in effect, toughens the cell integument.     

Surgical management of a ureteral defect with ureterorrhaphy and of ureteritis with ureteroneocystostomy in a foal

A 2-day-old male foal developed uroperitoneum. Initial exploration of the abdomen via ventral midline celiotomy failed to localize the source of uroperitoneum. Bilateral nephropyelocentesis and antegrade urography were performed, and a defect in the right ureter and stenosis of the left ureter were identified. With the foal in dorsal recumbency in the Trendelenburg position, ureterorrhaphy was performed on the right ureter. After ureterorrhaphy, a ureteral catheter was maintained as a stent. The stenotic left ureter was transected, and ureteroneocystostomy was performed using a drop-in mucosal apposition technique. The ureteral catheter was removed 26 days after surgery. Histopathologic findings suggested that ureteritis of unknown origin was a possible initiating factor for stenosis of the left ureter. The drop-in technique for ureteroneocystostomy may be used successfully for ureteral transposition in horses. Ureterorrhaphy combined with the use of a ureteral stent may be used to repair ureteral defects in foals.