Contribution of lipoprotein lipase activity to the differential growth of three adipose tissue depots in young broiler chickens

1. The growth of three distinct adipose tissue depots around the abdomen, neck and thigh was measured in a commercial strain of broiler, and related to the changes in activity of lipoprotein lipase within each depot.

2. At 10 d of age there was no significant difference between the weights of the depots. Thereafter the abdominal fat pad exhibited a much greater rate of growth than the other two depots so that by 55 d of age the abdominal fat pad was 4 times the size of the leg depot and 3.4 times the size of the neck depot.

3. Changes in total lipoprotein lipase activity for all three depots showed a similar pattern to the changes in their weight.

4. When [¹⁴C]‐VLDL was injected intravenously into birds at 15 and 57 d of age the percentage taken up into the abdominal fat pad was greater than that into the other two depots at both ages. At 57 d of age the abdominal fat pad had a 2.3‐fold greater uptake than at 15 d whereas the other two depots showed no significant differences at the two ages.

5. These results provide further evidence for a key role of lipoprotein lipase in regulating adipose tissue growth in broilers. They also demonstrate that although the abdominal fat pad has been used in a number of studies of adipose tissue metabolism it is not necessarily representative of other depots.     

Alleviation of postanesthetic hypoxemia in the horse

This study was designed to investigate the effect of the nasotracheal insufflation of oxygen at a flow rate of 15 L/min on the arterial partial pressure of oxygen during the recovery period following inhalation anesthesia in the horse. It has been stated that this is a suitable flow rate to prevent postoperative hypoxemia but without any experimental evidence to support those statements. Horses being used for the study of healing of cartilage were anesthetized on two separate occasions. Following one period of anesthesia they were allowed to recover breathing room air, and following the other period of anesthesia oxygen was insufflated into the trachea at 15 L/min throughout the recovery period. This permitted each horse to act as its own control and allowed statistical analysis using Student's t-test for paired samples.

The insufflated horses had a higher arterial partial pressure of oxygen during the recovery period than did the noninsufflated horses (p < 0.05).

     

Mycoplasma (M.) bovis antiserum "Dessau"--a diagnostic material for the identification of M. bovis

Mycoplasma bovis antiserum "Dessau" was used to investigate 4,553 mycoplasma strains, between 1985 and 1987, using a method described elsewhere. This diagnostic Agent is successfully used at present at all Regional Institutes of Veterinary Services throughout the GDR.     

The detection and measurement of stray electrical leakages on dairy farms: effects on performance

Sources of stray electrical leakage from Power Supply Authority alternating current (AC), fence energiser pulses and randomly generated pulses and spikes on 55 dairy farms in the Waikato area were identified between December 1986 and March 1988. The electrical measurements were made using a specifically designed voltmeter able to detect voltages between 0.1V and 1500V, from single voltage spikes of two microseconds or greater duration from direct current (DC) as well as 50 Hz AC. Ninety-five sources of stray voltage were identified, and 53 per cent of properties had more than one source of >0.5V. The major source was from electric fence energisers. Rotary platform parlours were among the commonest sources of random or transient voltage spikes. Leakage of AC into one or other of the components of the milk transport system such as vat, plate cooler, milk lift pump and milk line was common. Owners acknowledged the improvements in milk production, reproductive performance and growth rate of calves after reduction of the exposure of dairy cattle to stray electrical leakage. A representative summary of five case records helps define the range of improvements that may possibly be achieved.     

The problem of the pathomorphological diagnosis "death by drowning"--case histories

The paper describes pathomorphological findings in two dogs and one cat with the intention to clarify whether these animals died by drowning. The investigations are supplemented by experimental results of water instillation into the lung to induce signs of emphysema aquosum post mortem. Additionally, histopathology of the skin lesions due to water exposition after death are demonstrated by systematic investigations of four different localizations for 10 days. Critical evaluation of the results and literature references in human forensic pathology indicate that post mortem findings as described in this paper, especially those of the so called "drowning lung" can be attributed to death by drowning.     

The cervical vertebral column of horses--a clinico-radiological study

For various anamnestic reasons the cervical vertebral column of 78 horses was examined radiologically. Statistical comparisons showed that male "warmbloods" were more frequently affected than was expected. Our horses were older than comparable animals in the international literature. Independently of their history the radiologic diagnosis of "cervical spondylarthrosis" was established in 56 horses. Arthrosis and other conditions were clinically manifested by spinal ataxia (44 horses) or mechanical impairment of the neck's mobility (21 horses). 10 of the arthrotic patients had synovial cysts causing compression of the spinal cord. 79 percent of all dorsal intervertebral arthrotic joints were found in the caudal column (C6/7 to C7/Th1). With 38 percent, C6/7 was the most frequently affected joint. Clinical and radiological findings could be compared with patho-anatomic results in 29 horses. The correlation was satisfactory.     

The effectiveness of benzimidazole-levamisole combination drenches in the presence of resistance to both benzimidazole and levamisole anthelmintics in New Zealand sheep

Examination of 25 cases of multiple benzimidazole and levamisole resistance, identified in sheep by faecal egg count reduction testing at the Batchelar, Lincoln and Invermay Animal Health Laboratories, showed that benzimidazole-levamisole combinations provided effective control in eight (47%) of 17 cases in which they were tested. Overall, the use of combination drenches resulted in average improvements in faecal egg count reductions of 25.6% (p<0.01) and 23.2% (p<0.05), respectively, over those achieved by the use of benzimidazole or levamisole drenches alone. The results suggest that instances of multiple resistance in which combination drenches might be effective are unlikely to be predictable either by identification of the parasites involved, or from the levels of benzimidazole or levamisole resistance present.