Pulmonary hamartoma and multiple cardiac anomalies in a Finn-Dorset cross lamb

A case of pulmonary hamartoma was diagnosed in a neonatal, male, Finn-Dorset cross lamb with concurrent cardiac anomalies and palatoschisis. On gross examination, the lungs were markedly enlarged and spongy. Histologically, pulmonary lobules were composed of severely dilated and hyperplastic terminal bronchioles, separated by an abundant connective tissue stroma. Alveoli were generally absent. Other bronchi were hypoplastic and lacked both cartilage and smooth muscle. Both the cranial and caudal vena cavae and the pulmonary veins entered the right atrium. This anomaly has not been previously reported in lambs.     

Dicofol residues in United States soils having a known history of its use as a miticide, 1974

Soil samples were collected from a total of 21 sites in California, Washington, Florida, Pennsylvania, and Michigan. Dicofol (Kelthane) miticide had been applied at various times over a 5-year period to 17 of the sites; four sites had received no applications. Samples were collected at 0-75-mm and 75-150-mm depths, and submitted to gas-liquid chromatographic analysis. Samples from only four of the 17 treated sites contained mean residues equal to or exceeding 2.00 ppm. Residues in all cases were only a small fraction of the total amount applied. Apparently, a mechanism for the dissipation of dicofol exists, but it is unidentified at this time.     

Experimental staphylococcal mastitis in the mouse: the persistence of chronic infection from one lactation to the next.

Chronic staphylococcal mastitis was established in 50 mammary glands of 25 mice. The mice were mated and in the subsequent lactation there was alveolar mastitis in one of 50 glands. A further five glands had abscesses that contained staphylococci but there was no alveolar mastitis. The results are discussed in relation to the large number of infections that persist from one lactation to the next in cows not subjected to mastitis control measures.     

Musculoskeletal responses of 2-year-old Thoroughbred horses to early training. 5. Kinematic effects

AIM: To examine the effect of race training on kinematic parameters of the trot in a sample of 2-year-old Thoroughbred fillies. METHODS: Two-year-old Thoroughbred fillies that had been either trained for racing (n=7) or left untrained in small paddocks (n=7) were examined for lameness, and linear and temporal kinematic data were collected from video recordings of each horse trotted in-hand, 5, 9 and 13 weeks after the beginning of training. Horses were graded as: sound (Grade 0), suspected but not obviously lame (Grade 1), or definitely lame at the trot (Grade 2). RESULTS: Mean velocity at the trot did not vary with lameness grade. Compared with horses classified as sound (Grade 0), horses classified as suspected or definitely lame (Grades 1 and 2) had shorter (2.55 (SE 0.02) vs 2.41 (SE 0.02) and 2.44 (SE 0.03) m; p<0.001) and faster (671 (SE 3) vs 645 (SE 1) and 647 (SE 4) msec; p<0.001) strides. None of the linear or temporal parameters measured varied significantly between the successive observation periods. When data from sound horses were pooled, the training group trotted at a higher mean velocity (4.22 (SE 0.08) vs 3.22 (SE 0.06) m/sec; p<0.001) and with a longer stride length (2.79 (SE 0.05) vs 2.18 (SE 0.06) m; p<0.001) than the untrained group. The stride duration was longer (669 (SE 7) vs 662 (SE 9) msec; p=0.01), stance period was shorter (34.1 (SE 0.6) vs 39.3 (SE 0.7) %; p<0.001) and mid-stance was achieved earlier in the stride (12.1 (SE 0.6) vs 13.1 (SE 0.2) %; p=0.001) in the trained than the untrained group. A longer swing phase in the trained group was associated with an increase in retraction time (9.2 (SE 0.2) vs 7.6 (SE 0.3) %; p=0.001). CONCLUSIONS: These data indicate that early race training in young Thoroughbreds was associated with quantifiable changes in linear and temporal kinematic parameters of the trot, which were related to the race-training objective of improving the horse's ability to work at higher velocities. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Race training resulted in changes in the gait of non-lame horses at the trot, which should be considered during veterinary lameness examinations.     

Uterine mast cells and immunoglobulin-E antibody responses during clearance of Tritrichomonas foetus

We showed earlier that Tritrichomonas foetus-specific bovine immunoglobulin (Ig)G1 and IgA antibodies in uterine and vaginal secretions are correlated with clearance of this sexually transmitted infection. Eosinophils have been noted in previous studies of bovine trichomoniasis but the role of mast cells and IgE responses have not been reported. The hypothesis that IgE and mast cell degranulation play a role in clearance was tested in 25 virgin heifers inseminated experimentally and infected intravaginally with T. foetus strain D1 at estrus and cultured weekly. Groups were euthanatized at 3, 6, 9, or 12 weeks, when tissues were fixed and secretions were collected for culture and antibody analysis. Immunohistochemistry using a monoclonal antibody to a soluble lipophosphoglycan (LPG)-containing surface antigen (TF1.17) demonstrated antigen uptake by uterine epithelial cells. Lymphoid nodules were detected below antigen-positive epithelium. Little IgG2 antibody was detected but IgG1, IgA, IgM, and IgE T. foetus-specific antibodies increased in uterine secretions at weeks 6 and 9 after infection. This was inversely proportional to subepithelial mast cells numbers and most animals cleared the infection by the sampling time after the lowest mast cell count. Furthermore, soluble antigen was found in uterine epithelium above inductive sites (lymphoid nodules). Cross-linking of IgE on mast cells by antigen and perhaps LPG triggering appears to have resulted in degranulation. Released cytokines may account for production of predominantly Th2 (IgG1 and IgE) and IgA antibody responses, which are related to clearance of the infection.     

The carboxyterminal processing protease of D1 protein: expression, purification and enzymology of the recombinant and native spinach proteins

The carboxyterminal processing protease of D1 protein (CtpA) is predicted to be an excellent target for a general broad-spectrum herbicide. The gene for spinach CtpA has been expressed in Escherichia coli. The expressed protein that was found mainly in inclusion bodies has been purified and refolded on a nickel-chelate column. Active recombinant CtpA was recovered. Two assays for CtpA activity were developed, a medium-throughput HPLC assay using a fluorescent substrate and a high-throughput assay based on fluorescence polarization capable of application in a high-throughput 96-well plate format. This high-throughput assay was developed to screen chemistry for CtpA inhibitors. Native spinach CtpA was partially purified and the native and recombinant enzymes were compared kinetically for their K(m) and V(max) values using different peptide substrates. Native CtpA partially purified from spinach was shown to have similar kinetic properties to recombinant CtpA. Antibodies developed against the recombinant protein were used to estimate the in planta abundance of the native enzyme in spinach. Since only a small proportion of the recombinant protein is refolded during isolation and it appears that only a small proportion of this enzyme is active, size-exclusion chromatography and light scattering experiments were performed on rCtpA in order to gain insight into its structure and the reasons why most of the protein is not active. The use of rCtpA to screen for herbicidal compounds and the more general question of how good a herbicide target the enzyme is are discussed.     

The experimental production of krimpsiekte in sheep with Tylecodon grandiflorus (Burm.f.) Toelken and some of its bufadienolides

Six bufadienolides were isolated from Tylecodon grandiflorus ( Burm .f.) Toelken . The paretic syndrome, krimpsiekte , could be induced in sheep either by repeated oral administration of small quantities of plant material or the intravenous injection of small quantities of certain bufadienolides . A mild to moderate, acute to subacute, multifocal cardiomyopathy was evident in sheep poisoned by both the plant and the bufadienolides .     

Selenium deficiency

Calvings in a herd infected by Brucella abortus were monitored by cultural examination of milk and mucus and by serological and cultural examination of 5 ml samples of the blood. Out of 129 samples from which culture of B abortus was attempted, only one yielded a positive result.