Acute and short-term toxicoses associated with the administration of doxorubicin to dogs with malignant tumors

One hundred eighty-five dogs with histologically confirmed, measurable malignant tumors were used in a study to determine the toxicity of the anthracycline antitumor antibiotic, doxorubicin, which was administered once or twice (at a 21-day interval) at the rate of 30 mg/m2 of body surface area, iv. During this study, 7 dogs died as a direct result of doxorubicin-induced toxicosis and 16 died as a direct result of the malignant neoplastic disease. Each dog was evaluated for signs of toxicosis for 3 weeks after the last dose was administered (15 dogs received 1 dose, 170 dogs received 2 doses) or until the dog died, whichever came first. The most common signs of toxicosis were vomiting, diarrhea, colitis, anorexia, and pruritus. The probability of doxorubicin-induced toxicosis decreased significantly (P less than 0.0001) in inverse relationship to body weight. Dogs with signs of toxicosis during the 21-day interval from administration of the first dose of doxorubicin were 17.2 times (P less than 0.01; 95% confidence interval; 5.5, 54.2) more likely to develop signs of toxicosis during the 21-day interval from the second dose of doxorubicin. The performance status of each dog was evaluated using a modified Karnofsky performance scheme; the only time the performance status was adversely affected to a significant extent by doxorubicin-induced toxicosis was during the 21-day period, starting with the second dose (P less than 0.0001).     

Cell Wall of Melampyrum lineare Seed: Carbohydrate Components

Extraction with alkali of cell wall material from the seed of Melampyrum lineare leaves a residue (62.7 percent) which on hydrolysis yields over 70 percent mannose. Hydrolysis of the alkali-soluble hemicellulose fraction of the cell wall also yields largely mannose. In contrast, cell wall isolated from Melampyrum stem contains over 95 percent of glucose residues in the alkaliinsoluble fraction, and mostly xylose residues in the hemicellulose.     

Animal well-being and animal care

To know how to care for animals, one must understand their needs. Physiologic and safety needs of farm animals are reasonably well fulfilled. Behavioral needs have yet to be determined and used as bases for animal care. The concept of the welfare plateau is important for the design and operation of facilities for agricultural animals. Current issues in the care of farm animals include standard agricultural practices, stockmanship and the human-animal bond, and standards of design for animal-production equipment.     

Physicochemical structure-activity relationship of DDT congeners and the inhibition of mitochondrial ATPase

Structure-activity relationships were used to determine the physicochemical properties of DDT that are important in the inhibition of oligomycin-sensitive mitochondrial ATPase activity of red coxal muscle tissue homogenates of the American cockroach (Periplaneta americana). The results were compared with structure-activity relationships derived from toxicity values for houseflies (Musca domestica) and blowflies (Phormia regina), reported in the literature. Toxicity was found to be promoted by hydrophobicity and electron donation. Toxicity was concluded to be a route of action process involving the distribution and partitioning of insecticide to active sites and apart from them. Enzyme inhibition, in contrast to factors contributing to toxicity, was determined to be a mode of action process predicted by the lipophilic parameter (π) and the steric constant, van der Waals radii (VWR), and represents action upon a sterically sensitive, hydrophobic site in the membrane sector of mitochondrial ATPase.     

Observations on avian pasteurellosis in Britain.

An investigation into the extent and significance of Pasteurella multocida infections of birds and poultry in Britain during a three year period (1974--1977) was undertaken. This was achieved by means of postal questionnaires, coupled with the biochemical and serological examination of bacterial isolates from 91 outbreaks in poultry and from nine cases in other avian species.     

Analysis of early calfhood health status and subsequent dairy herd survivorship and productivity

Heifer calves contracting a navel-joint illness within their first 4 months of life exhibited a significantly poorer survival distribution pattern than their other 4 cohort groups in a study of 460 calves born into 2 institutional dairy herds from January 1, 1971 to December 1, 1978 inclusive. The cohorts of calves identified as having either respiratory, gastrointestinal, septicemia, or ‘other’ diseases did not have a survival function significantly different from each other, or from the control group. Also, on a per lactation basis, all 4 disease cohorts did not have a significantly different milk production or reproductive performance than the control group.These observations suggest that a selective culling program can maintain similar productivity and breeding performances on a lactation basis regardless of early calfhood health status. However, heifer calves contracting a navel-joint illness cannot survive as well as other calves under such a management program and hence, from a biological point of view, may warrant culling immediately upon diagnosis.