Isolation of antigenic proteins from erythrocytes parasitised with Babesia divergens and a comparison of their immunising potential

Soluble proteins present in the supernatant prepared from a sonicated lysate of concentrated erythrocytes infected with Babesia divergens were separated by isoelectric focussing into acidic and non acidic fractions. The acidic fraction was further separated by passage through Concanavalin A Sepharose (Con A) into two fractions, the first (Fraction 2) consisting of proteins plus one glycoprotein which did not bind to Con A, the second of glycoproteins (Fraction 1) which were eluted after binding to Con A. One group of six cows was treated with three injections of Fraction 2 with incomplete Freunds adjuvant (IFA); two other groups received the same number of injections of Fraction 1, one with IFA, the other with glucan as adjuvant. These cows plus an untreated control group were infected with 10(5) erythrocytes infected with a heterologous isolate of B. divergens. Only the group treated with Fraction 2 (Group 1) resisted lethal multiplication of the parasite. There were significant differences in magnitude of parasitaemia, reduction of packed cell volume and antibody titres between Group 1 and the other groups.     

Growth pattern and partial proteome of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis during the stress response to hypoxia and nutrient starvation

Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis is an important pathogen that causes Johne's disease in animals and has been implicated in Crohn's disease in man yet few data exist on its physiological adaptation in either the host or the environment. In this study, the proteomic responses of the two distinct strains of M. a. paratuberculosis, cattle (C) and sheep (S), to hypoxia and starvation were studied in vitro. Nutrient starvation inhibited growth of both strains and was lethal for S strain after 12 weeks. Hypoxia induced a state of very low metabolic activity but rapid resuscitation occurred upon restoration of an aerobic atmosphere, consistent with the dormancy response of other mycobacteria. A total of 55 protein spots differentially expressed in response to starvation and/or hypoxic stress in one or both strains were identified from 2D gels and classified based on biological function. Antioxidant enzymes, oxidoreducatse enzymes and proteins involved in amino acid metabolism, fatty acid metabolism, ATP and purine biosynthesis, proteolysis, cell wall synthesis, protein synthesis, signal recognition and hypothetical proteins with putative functions including dormancy response regulators and universal stress proteins were identified. These proteins are potential screening targets for future diagnosis, prevention and control of M. a. paratuberculosis infection and their identification will assist understanding the pathogenesis of diseases caused by this organism.     

Validation of the periodicity of growth zone formation in the otoliths of four fish species from the Upper Zambezi ecoregion,southern Africa

In the Upper Zambezi and Okavango ecoregions, Brycinus lateralis, Hepsetus cuvieri, Schilbe intermedius and Serranochromis macrocephalus are important in subsistence fisheries, while S. intermedius and S. macrocephalus are often caught in commercial catches. Despite their importance, there is little information on their age and growth and age validation. Growth zone deposition rate in otoliths of B. lateralis, H. cuvieri, S. intermedius and S. macrocephalus was validated as annual using edge analysis in this study. Annual deposition of growth zones was corroborated by a fluorochrome marking experiment. Both methods demonstrated that one growth zone was deposited annually. Edge analysis demonstrated that the highest proportion of opaque zones was detected between August and December, most likely as a result of slow growth during lower temperature water during the preceding winter. With growth zone deposition validated as annual, future research should focus on determining the growth, maturity and mortality rates of these species, parameters which are important for their management.     

Laboratory findings, histopathology, and immunophenotype of lymphoma in domestic ferrets

Lymphoma is a common tumor in ferrets, but anatomic distribution, histomorphology, immunophenotype, laboratory abnormalities, and response to chemotherapy are incompletely defined. In this study, lymphoma was diagnosed by histopathology of tumor tissue in 29 ferrets ranging in age from 0.8 to 8.5 years, including 12 males and 17 females. Tumors involved the viscera of the abdominal cavity (n = 11), thoracic cavity (n = 1), or abdominal and thoracic cavities (n = 7); the skin (n = 2); or the viscera of both body cavities plus other sites (n = 8). Microscopically, all tumors had diffuse architecture. Assessment by histomorphology and immunophenotype classified tumors as peripheral T-cell lymphoma (n = 17), anaplastic large T-cell lymphoma (n = 5), anaplastic large B-cell lymphoma (n = 4), diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (n = 1), and Hodgkin-like lymphoma (n = 2). Cytologic evaluation of tumor tissue was diagnostic in 11 of 13 cases. Twenty-two of 27 ferrets had anemia, 2 had leukemia, and 5 were neutropenic. Common comorbid disorders were adrenal disease (n = 27) and insulinoma (n = 6). Tumors most frequently involved mesenteric lymph nodes, while enlargement of peripheral lymph nodes was uncommon (n = 3). Ferrets with Hodgkin-like lymphoma had massive enlargement of single lymph nodes. Mean survival of ferrets not immediately euthanized was 5.0 months (T-cell lymphoma) and 8.4 months (B-cell lymphoma). Ferrets treated with chemotherapy survived an average of 4.3 months (T-cell lymphoma, n = 9) or 8.8 months (B-cell lymphoma, n = 4). Results indicate that lymphomas in ferrets most commonly affect abdominal viscera, may be amenable to cytologic diagnosis, are frequently associated with anemia and, in some cases, may be chemosensitive, resulting in relatively long survival times.     

Effects of intravenous administration of formaldehyde on platelet and coagulation variables in healthy horses

OBJECTIVES: To assess safety and determine effects of IV administration of formaldehyde on hemostatic variables in healthy horses. ANIMALS: 7 healthy adult horses. PROCEDURE: Clinical signs and results of CBC, serum biochemical analyses, and coagulation testing including template bleeding time (TBT) and activated clotting time (ACT) were compared in horses given a dose of 0.37% formaldehyde or lactated Ringer's solution (LRS), IV, in a 2-way crossover design. In a subsequent experiment, horses received an infusion of 0.74% formaldehyde or LRS. In another experiment, horses were treated with aspirin to impair platelet responses prior to infusion of formaldehyde or LRS. RESULTS: Significant differences were not detected in any variable measured between horses when given formaldehyde or any other treatment. Infusion of higher doses of formaldehyde resulted in adverse effects including muscle fasciculations, tachycardia, tachypnea, serous ocular and nasal discharge, agitation, and restlessness. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Intravenous infusion of formaldehyde at doses that do not induce adverse reactions did not have a detectable effect on measured hemostatic variables in healthy horses.     

Experimental infection of domestic pigs with the virus of peste des petits ruminants

Summary Pigs could be subclinically infected with PPRV by inoculation or contact with infected goats. There was no evidence that the virus could spread to uninfected pigs or goats and pigs are not considered important in the epidemiology of PPRV.

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Infección Experimental De Cerdos Domésticos Con El Virus De Estomatitis Ulcerativa O Peste Des Petits Ruminants

Resumen Fué posible infectar cerdos subclinicamente con el virus de estomatitis ulcerativa o peste des petits ruminants, mediante inoculación o contacto con cabras infectadas. No hubo evidencia de que el virus pasara o pudiera infectar cerdos y cabras sanas. Se concluye, que los cerdos no se consideran importantes en la epidemiología de la estomatitis ulcerativa.

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Infection Experimentale De Porcs Domestiques Par Le Virus De La Peste Des Petits Ruminants

Résumé Les porcs mis au contact de chèvres atteintes de cette affection ou infectés par inoculation avec le virus de la maladie, peuvent présenter des signes sub-cliniques de l'affection.Il n'est pas évident que le virus puisse alors atteindre des porcs ou des chèvres sains; les porcs ne sont pas considérés comme pouvant jouer un rôle important dans l'épidémiologie de la P.P.R.