Gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric confirmation of 19-nortestosterone in the urine of untreated boars--effect of the administration of Laurabolin

The presence of 17 beta-19-nortestosterone (nandrolone, NT, 17 beta-19-NT) and its epimer 17 alpha-19-nortestosterone (epiNT, 17 alpha-19-NT) was investigated in the urine of six untreated boars, obtained from experimental farms. The presence of 17 beta-19-nortestosterone was screened by RIA and HPTLC and confirmed by GC-MS analysis. Additionally, the two epimers (NT and epiNT) were investigated in the urine of a boar (two-year-old miniature male pig weighing 50 kg) before and after injection of 100 mg Laurabolin (nortestosterone laurate, Intervet N.V., Belgium). The isolation of the steroids was based on sample clean-up with solid phase extraction and subsequent high-performance liquid chromatography. Both gas chromatographic retention data and mass spectrometric data (selected ion monitoring and full spectrum) were used for detection and identification. The presence of 17 beta-19-nortestosterone in the urine of the boars that were not injected proves the endogenous production of the steroid. The absence of the 17 alpha-epimer in the urine of the injected boar suggests that 17 alpha-19-nortestosterone is not a major metabolite of 17 beta-19-nortestosterone.     

The effect of pre-exposure to Fasciola hepatica or Schistosoma mansoni on challenge infection with Fasciola hepatica

Two groups of 12 and 6 rats were inoculated with Fasciola hepatica and Schistosoma mansoni, respectively. The Schistosoma-inoculated group, as well as 6 Fasciola-inoculated rats and 6 uninfected rats were challenged 8 weeks later with F. hepatica. A control group of 6 rats was left unexposed. Eight weeks after the challenge exposure all rats were necropsied and subjected to post-mortem examination. The number of Fasciola recovered after challenge was lower in both groups of rats primarily infected with F. hepatica or S. mansoni. F. hepatica-induced pathological changes were observed in all infected rats, but were pronounced in the group which was first exposed at the time of challenge of the primarily infected groups. No Schistosoma eggs or adults were detected in Schistosoma-inoculated rats. The results demonstrated that rats primarily infected with F. hepatica acquired resistance against a challenge exposure to the homologous parasite. Also S. mansoni, even without patency, can provide partial protection against F. hepatica infection.     

Antibiotic aerosolization: the effect on experimentally induced Alcaligenes rhinotracheitis in turkeys

Oxytetracycline hydrochloride was delivered by aerosol twice daily for 3 days to uninfected turkeys and to turkeys experimentally inoculated with Alcaligenes faecalis. The clinical, microbiological, and histological changes in the upper respiratory tracts were studied. No lesions were observed in the tracheas of uninoculated poults exposed to the aerosol. In experimentally infected poults, clinical signs included ocular and nasal discharges and open-mouthed breathing. Histologic lesions included progressive bacterial colonization of ciliated epithelium, loss of cilia, depletion of mucin from goblet cells, and accumulation of inflammatory cells within the tracheal lumen. Aerosolization of oxytetracycline effected a temporary decrease in bacterial colonization and a delay in clinical signs and histologic lesions in infected treated poults compared with untreated infected poults. Bacterial colonization and histologic lesions in the tracheas of both treated and untreated infected poults were similar by 4 days after the treatment was discontinued. This study indicates additional research with bactericidal antibiotics is needed to further evaluate antibiotic aerosolization as a treatment for alcaligenes rhinotracheitis.     

Absorption of equations for non-parents for an animal model with maternal effects and genetic groups

Rules for forming the mixed-model equations for the reduced animal model with all relationships and including maternal effects have been set out by Quaas and Pollak. They also have shown how to simplify the mixed-model equations when genetic group effects are included in the model with what has become known as the Q-P transformation. Westell has given rules for calculating the coefficients for the Q-P transformed equations that are associated with the inverse of the numerator relationship matrix and genetic group effects. Those rules can be extended to include maternal effects and genetic groups for maternal as well as direct effects. As with the rules of Quaas and Pollak for the equations for the reduced animal model, a similar set of rules can be obtained for the genetic groups model after the Q-P transformation. The rules are derived easily by examining the algebraic results of absorbing the direct and maternal breeding value equations for non-parents into the parent breeding value, group and fixed effects equations. These rules involve Westell's rules and the inverse elements of the genetic (co)variance matrix for direct and maternal additive genetic effects. The rules make calculation of breeding values for parents for models including direct and maternal genetic group effects nearly as easy as for models without genetic group effects. Back solution for direct and maternal breeding values of non-parents similarly is as simple as when genetic group effects are not in the model.     

Effect of temperature on bulb growth capacity and sensitivity to summer sprouting in Lilium longiflorum Thunb.

The production of Lilium longiflorum bulbs in The Netherlands, with its cool climate, has been a problem because of unsatisfactory bulb growth and the risk of premature sprouting of the daughter bulbs (summer sprouting). To investigate the possibilities of breeding a type of L. longiflorum that can be grown under cool climatic conditions, a collection of 27 L. longiflorum cultivars from Japan, The Netherlands and the United States was tested, together with two Asiatic hybrids and a L. speciosum cultivar, under low phytotron temperatures (10, 14, 17°C) and in field experiments.‘Mount Everest’, ‘Saeki’, ‘Indian Summer’ and ‘White American’ were among the best L. longiflorum cultivars, with less than 20% summer sprouting and good bulb production. This was in contrast to ‘Hinomoto’, ‘Ace’ and some American introductions, which showed more than 60% summer sprouting and low bulb production. The lower the phytotron temperature, the more summer sprouting occurred. The differences observed between the cultivars in the field experiments were in agreement with those observed in the phytotron. The genetic variation proved large enough to start a breeding program for L. longiflorum adapted to cool climate conditions.     

The effect of sulfaphenazole and sulfadoxine on tolbutamide disposition in dwarf goats (Caprus hircus aegagrus)

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of intravenously administered sulfadoxine (5 mg kg ⁻¹ bodyweight) or sulfaphenazole (5 mg kg⁻¹ bodyweight) on the in vivo elimination of i.v. tolbutamide (5 mg kg⁻¹ bodyweight), as both compounds were shown to inhibit tolbutamide hydroxylation in vitro. It was shown that relative large differences in tolbutamide clearance exist among goats (n = 6). A high correlation was seen between tolbutamide and sulfadoxine clearances. Tolbutamide clearance was significantly reduced by concommitant administration of sulfaphenazole. Sulfadoxine ( ) had a less consistent effect. Mean tolbutamide plasma clearance was not significantly affected due to the fact that three animals showed an inhibition, whereas three others apparently did not respond. A negative correlation was found between the amount of N4-acetyl in urine and the clearance. Approximately 93 per cent of tolbutamide was bound to plasma proteins. However, there was no evidence for displacement of tolbutamide from its protein binding sites by sulfaphenazole or sulfadoxine. The results described in the present study confirm previous in vitro data obtained with goat hepatocytes. Although quantitative differences in inhibition exist between in vivo and in vitro results, hepatocytes are a good model to study potential drug-drug interactions at the level of biotransformation processes.     

Laser microprobe mass analysis (LAMMA) of aluminum and lead in fine roots and their ectomycorrhizal mantles of Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.)

Fine roots and ectomycorrhizal root tips were sampled in a Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) stand in the eastern part of the Belgian Ardennes. The cellular and partly subcellular localizations of aluminum and lead were identified by the micro-analytical laser microprobe mass analysis (LAMMA) technique. In fine roots with secondary structure, localization of aluminum was limited to the peripheral cell layers. Lead was found in the outer layers, and also in the primary phloem. Aluminum penetrated the mycorrhizal mantle, but lead was seldom detected in ectomycorrhizae.     

Use of monthly collected milk yields for the detection of the emergence of the 2007 French BTV epizootic

Two culicoides-borne diseases, Bluetongue (BTV) and Schmallenberg, have emerged in the European cattle population since 2006. Other diseases transmitted by these vectors could emerge. This justifies the development of syndromic surveillance programs whereby one or several indicators would be routinely monitored for the early detection of emerging diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate milk yield from milk recording in dairy cattle as an indicator to be included in an emerging disease surveillance system. It was hypothesized that emergences would result in episodes of low milk production clustered in space and time. The 2007 BTV epizootic in France was used as a case study. Because it had already emerged in neighbouring countries, the disease emergence was expected and notification was mandatory. Herd-test-day milk productions were predicted for the entire country for 2006 and 2007 from herd historical data using linear mixed models. The differences between observed and predicted milk productions were averaged per week and per municipality and used as input for a space-time prospective scan statistic. Log likelihood ratios (LLR) associated with clusters were used to define alarms. The threshold chosen was a trade-off between detection timeliness and the number of false alarms per week. The first four BTV notifications occurred on the 12th (two notifications), 13th and 27th of July 2007. The 12th of July was considered to be the date of emergence. Alarms occurring before the 1st of March 2007 were considered to be false alarms. Using an LLR of 50, there were an average of 1.7 false alarms per week and the BTV emergence was detected seven weeks after emergence. Using an LLR of 100, there were an average of 0.8 false alarms per week and the BTV emergence was detected 9 weeks after emergence. Detection may have been delayed because of a discontinuation of milk recording between mid-July and mid-August. The first cluster with an LLR > 100 located in the emergence area was further investigated. A difference between observed and predicted production of >1 kg/cow/day was observed around the time of emergence. However, a difference of equal magnitude was observed during the year preceding the outbreak. Milk production predicted from herd history alone did not allow the detection of the 2007 BTV emergence in France. Further research should be conducted on improving the prediction of test-day milk yield and on combining it with other indicators based on routinely collected data.