Cytological, Immunocytochemical and Ultrastructural Study of the Adenohypophyseal Pars Distalis of the Kid (Capra hircus): The TSH cell

The structure and ultrastructure of the adenohypophyseal pars distalis in kids of the Murciano-granadiana breed (18 males and 12 females), aged 2-3 months and with an average carcass weight of 8 kg has been studied. Techniques of staining (Tetrachrome Herlant's, and Cleveland-Wolfe) and histochemistry (PAS, PAS-OG and BA-PAS-OG) contrasted with immunolabelling (PAP) have been used. In addition an ultrastructural study has been made and nucleus and cytoplasm, secretory granules, mitochondria and lysosomes have been measured with a semiautomatic image analyzer (IBAS-1). TSH cells are found in sagittal section in the anterior area and in an antero-caudodorsal band, and transversally in the ventral and medial region; they are 6% and their average size is 14.15 microns. Ultrastructurally they are a single cellular type with spherical granules whose size is 195 nm in males and 149 in females; these granules are characterized by a clear halo and a variable electronic density. The rough endoplasmic reticulum is found as slightly enlarged vesicles with a homogeneous and moderately electro-dense content or in concentric stratifications.     

Pulmonary squamous cell carcinoma with multiple digital metastases in a cat

A 14-year-old domestic shorthaired cat was presented because of swelling of the digits and lameness. A solitary lung mass was observed on thoracic radiographs. Clinical and pathological evaluation confirmed a primary pulmonary squamous cell carcinoma metastatic to a single digit on each foot. Other metastatic lesions were present in the left popliteal lymph node and in the left iliac vein.     

Evaluation of three strip tests for measuring electrolytes in mares' pre-partum mammary secretions and for predicting parturition

Three strip test kits which measure calcium and/or magnesium in mares' mammary secretions were compared and assessed for their accuracy in:- 1) measuring these electrolytes compared to standard laboratory measurements, and 2) predicting the time of parturition. Daily samples of mammary secretions were obtained pre-partum from 35 Thoroughbred mares and allocated a score. Measurement of mammary secretion calcium and/or magnesium by the strip tests and laboratory methods correlated significantly (P less than 0.001). The results obtained for prediction of parturition were analysed by two methods. Method i) indicated that the majority of mares had a maximum score on the day of birth. However, the second method of analysis included all prepartum scores and this demonstrated that maximum scores occurred on more occasions prior to the day of birth than on the day of birth itself. The number of nights spent attending mares, and the percentage of occasions when foaling was missed, were also calculated for given strip test scores. The results indicate that the test kits are not particularly accurate in predicting time of parturition although they are a reliable means of measuring mammary secretion calcium and/or magnesium. It is suggested that the test kits may be more helpful by indicating when it is not necessary to attend mares at night.     

Ultrastructure of sarcocysts from water buffalo in India

The ultrastructure of sarcocysts of macro- and microscopic species of Sarcocystis was compared from naturally infected water buffalo from India. Grossly visible sarcocysts had walls consisting of cauliflower-like villar protrusions, typical of S. fusiformis. The sarcocyst wall of the microscopic species of Sarcocystis was 6.4 microns thick and consisted of tightly packed conical villar protrusions that were 9.6 microns long and 3.7 microns wide at the base. At approximately 3 microns above the base, the distal two-thirds of the villar protrusion became conical shaped and was bent laterally at an angle of 45 degrees to the sarcocyst surface. The granular layer beneath the villar protrusions was 0.9 microns thick. In S. levinei the granular layer was 1.9 microns thick, the villar protrusions were narrow and it had a highly undulating primary cyst wall. Whether the microscopic S. levinei-like sarcocysts of Indian and Malaysian water buffalo are distinct species of Sarcocystis will require further investigation.     

Effect of pelleting and beta-glucanase supplementation on the ileal and fecal digestibility of a barley-based diet in the pig

The influences of pelleting and beta-glucanase supplementation on the digestibility of dietary components in a barley-based diet were investigated in pigs fitted with cannulas in the terminal ileum. The diet contained 49.0% starch, 18.9% crude protein and 14.8% dietary fiber, with arabinoxylans (4.9%), mixed-linked beta-glucans (3.4%) and cellulose (3.3%) as the main fiber components. Pelleting increased mixed-linked beta-glucan solubility from 45 to 62%. Neither treatment influenced the ileal or fecal apparent digestibilities of dry matter (64 and 80%, respectively), energy (62 and 79%), crude protein (53 and 75%), crude fat (26 and 27%) or dietary fiber (58 and 72%). However, pelleting increased (P less than .01) the pre-ileal apparent digestibility of starch from 91.5 to 95.3% and decreased (P less than .03) that of ash from -10 to -23%, while increasing (P less than .005) the fecal apparent digestibility of starch from 98.6 to 99.7%. The solubility of mixed-linked beta-glucans in ileal digesta was lower (P less than .001) in pelleted (26%) than in unpelleted (58%) diets. beta-glucanase supplementation also increased (P less than .05) the ileal apparent digestibility of starch, from 92.6 to 94.3%, and of mixed-linked beta-glucans, from 95.7 to 97.1%. Significant between-pig differences in the apparent digestibility of dietary components were observed. In conclusion, treatments that disrupt the endosperm cell walls in barley can increase the proportion of the diet digested prior to the large intestine.     

Epidural analgesia with 0.75% bupivacaine for laparotomy in goats

Epidural nerve block with 0.75% bupivacaine (1 ml/4 kg of body weight) was performed in 17 goats tranquilized by IM administration of acetylpromazine (0.07 mg/kg). For comparison, epidural nerve block with 2% lidocaine containing 1:100,000 epinephrine (1 ml/5 kg) was performed in 7 goats. Transient signs of CNS stimulation were observed during injection of bupivacaine in 5 goats and of lidocaine in 2 goats. Analgesia of the flank was inadequate for laparotomy in 4 goats given bupivacaine (including 1 goat given a two-thirds dose) and in 2 goats given lidocaine. Analgesia for these goats was provided by local infiltration of the operative site with lidocaine. With bupivacaine, the onset of analgesia was up to 40 minutes, and the duration of analgesia was several hours; most goats were unable to stand for at least 11 hours. In comparison, epidural nerve block with lidocaine had a more rapid onset and much shorter duration. For both anesthetic drugs, despite adequate analgesia for laparotomy, response to manipulation of abdominal viscera was observed in 12 goats. Arterial blood pressure and blood gas tensions were measured in 8 goats given bupivacaine; 3 goats had mean arterial blood pressure less than 70 mm of Hg. Seven goats had normal PaCO2 but 2 goats had low PaO2; 1 goat sedated with xylazine had increased PaCO2 and hypoxemia.     

Molecular epidemiology of Pasteurella multocida in turkeys.

Pasteurella multocida isolated from turkeys during an outbreak of fowl cholera was characterized by serotype and heterogeneity of genes encoding rRNA (ribotype) to investigate the epidemiology of the organism. Isolates were collected between October 1985 and July 1986. The M9 or Clemson University fowl cholera vaccine-like strain was detected in 17% of the flocks with fowl cholera. One particular strain, isolated only from breeder flocks, was recovered from 7 of the 10 breeder flocks examined in this study. Intracompany transmission appeared to be common, implying a failure in biosecurity. Circumstantial evidence indicated that in the field; the incubation period of P multocida in a turkey flock may be between 2 to 7 weeks. Wildlife did not appear to be an important reservoir of P multocida for turkeys during this study period. Ribotyping results tended to discount several of the possible interflock transmissions, as suggested by examination of serotyping results alone; however, serotyping in combination with ribotyping proved helpful in understanding the epidemiology of P multocida in turkeys.