Progressive Dermal Collagenosis of Male Miniature Swine

Abstract— A unique dermatosis of male miniature swine is described. The disease occurs in post-pubertal pigs, and is characterized by symmetrical, indurated, plaques over the truncal region. Histologically, the dermis and panniculus are effaced by thick, interwoven bundles of collagen resulting in an absence of deep dermal elastin. Hypertrophy and hyperplasia of superficial dermal vessels, fibroblasts and fibrocytes are accompanied by perivascular infiltrates of lymphocytes, plasma cells and eosinophils. The pathogenesis of this unusual dermatosis, designated as “progressive dermal collagenosis of male miniature swine” is unknown. Résumé— Une dermatose originale du cochon nain mâle est décrite. La maladie apparait chez des cochons post pubertaires, et est caractérisée par des plaques sur le tronc, indurées et symétriques. Histologliquement, le derme et le pannicule sont envahis par d‘épais falsceaux de collagène, entrainant l'absence d’élastine dermique. Les vaisseaux du derme superficiei sont hyperplasiés et hypertrophiés, des fibroblastes et des fibrocytes sont accompagnés d'un infiltrat inflammatoire périvasculaire de lymphocytes, éosinophiles et plasmocytes. La pathogénie de cette affection peu commune, appelée “collagénose dermique progressive du cochon nain mâle” est inconnue. Zusammenfassung— Es wird eine einzigartige Hauterkrankung beim männlichen Miniaturschwein beschrieben. Die Krankheit tritt bei postpubertären Schweinen auf und wird durch symmetrische, indurierte Plagues im Rumpfbereich gekennzeichnet. Histologisch treten Dermis und Pannikulus gegenüber dicken, verflochtenen Kollagenbündeln in den Hintergrund, wodurch das tiefe, dermale Elastin verschwindet. Die Hypertrophie und Hyperplasie der oberflächlichen Hautgefäße, Fibroblasten und Fibrozyten wird von perivaskulären Infiltraten aus Lymphozyten, Plasmazellen und eosinophilen Granulozyten begleitet. Die Pathogenese dieser ungewöhnlichen Dermatose, die als “progressive dermale Kollagenose des männlichen Miniaturschweins” bezeichnet wird, ist unbekannt. Resumen El presente artículo es una descripción de una dermatosis única del macho cerdo miniatura. Le enfermedad aparece después de la pubertad, y se caracteriza por la aparición de placas simétricas sobre la región del tronco. El exámen histológico de la dermis y del tejido panicular revela la presencia de gruesas bandas de colágeno entrelazadas, lo cual tiene como resultado la ausencia de la capa de elastina profunda. La hipertrofia e hiperplasia de los vasos superficiales dérmicos, fibroblastos y fibrocitos, se ve acompañadas de infiltrados perivasculares de linfocitos, células plasmáticas y eosinófilos. La patogénesis de esta rara dermatosis Ilamada ‘colagenosis dérmica progresiva del cardo macho miniatura’, es desconocida.     

Distribution of ASFV antigens in pig tissues experimentally infected with two different Spanish virus isolates.

Lymph nodes, spleen, liver, lung and kidney obtained from pigs experimentally infected with two African Swine Fever Virus (ASFV) isolates of differing virulence were fixed by perfusion with glutaraldehyde and embedded in paraffin. An immunoperoxidase technique using a polyclonal anti-ASFV serum was performed on tissue sections in order to detect ASFV antigen. The distribution of ASFV antigen in such infected organs is shown and the differences between both infections compared and discussed. Monocytes, macrophages, hepatocytes, endothelial cells, neutrophils and epithelial cells were found to contain ASFV antigens.     

Growth patterns of two lines of Angus cattle selected using predicted growth parameters.

Linear functions of body weight and condition score at weaning and 18 mo of age were used to predict the mature weight (A) and maturing rate (k) parameters of an asymptotic growth model of Angus cows at the Subtropical Agricultural Research Station, Brooksville, FL. From 1981 through 1988 a heavy-mature-weight line (Line A) and a rapid-maturing line (Line K) were selected based on predicted A and k values. Linear contrasts (A-K) of least squares means for weight at fixed ages indicated that the weight difference between lines increased from birth to maturity during the period of the study. Animals from Line A were heavier (P less than .01) at all ages. A negative response in maternal ability, relative to increased growth potential of their calves, seems to have occurred in the cows of Line A. Mature weight was reached at approximately 4.5 yr of age in Line K and at approximately 5.5 yr in Line A. Brody's three-parameter and Richards' four-parameter functions were fitted to 2,855 quarterly weights of cows, from birth to 6.5 yr of age, to estimate the average growth curve for each line. Brody's model gave better estimates of weights from 18 mo to maturity, but the asymptotic residual mean squares were slightly higher because early weights were overestimated. Linear and nonlinear regression analyses of weight-age data and comparisons of degree of maturity at different premature ages showed differences in the growth patterns of the two lines selected for early predicted values of A and k.     

Pathology of infectious diarrhea of infant rats (IDIR) induced by an antigenically distinct rotavirus

Suckling rats were inoculated with a group B rotavirus to determine the progression of the morphologic changes induced in the intestine by this virus. Several changes were observed by light microscopy 1 day after viral inoculation: shortening of small intestinal villi, villous epithelial necrosis, and villous epithelial syncytia. The lesions were most often present in the distal small intestine, although other small intestinal segments were affected to a lesser degree. By day 3 post-inoculation, epithelial necrosis, and syncytia were no longer present; however, the villous epithelium was disorganized and irregularly vacuolated, and intestinal crypt epithelium was hyperplastic. Alterations in villous height to crypt depth ratios were present in portions of the small intestine for the remainder of the 12-day study period. Epithelial syncytia appeared to form by the breakdown of the lateral interdigitating membranes of the absorptive villous epithelium. Viral particles, abundant in the syncytia, appeared to form from amorphous or reticular arrays of viral precursor material. Group B rotaviral antigens, as detected by indirect immunofluorescence, were present in large amounts in the small intestinal villous epithelium only on the first day after viral inoculation. These studies show that two important diagnostic features of group B rotaviral infections of rats, epithelial syncytia and viral antigen as determined by immunofluorescence, are present only on the first day of disease. These findings should be taken into consideration when attempting to diagnose disease induced by this agent.     

Insulin-like growth factor I receptor analysis of satellite cell-derived myotube membranes established from two lines of Targhee rams selected for growth rate

Ovine-derived fibroblasts were used to validate an insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) membrane-receptor binding assay system. Competitive binding using fibroblasts revealed that half-maximal inhibition of 125I-IGF-I binding by IGF-I was 2.3 nM. SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis of specific protein-associated 125I-IGF-I was consistent with the migration of 125I-IGF-I-labeled Type I IGF receptor alpha-subunits at Mr 133,000 daltons. Further, the efficiency of two cell solubilization methods was examined and time-dependent binding equilibrium was determined for the membrane assay system. Satellite cell-derived myotubes were subsequently isolated from primary satellite cell cultures established from the semimembranosus muscles of high and low efficiency-of-gain (EOG) Targhee rams, and IGF-I receptor dynamics were measured. A membrane competitive binding study revealed that half-maximal inhibition of 125I-IGF-I binding was achieved by 1-ng IGF-I for low, and 10-ng IGF-I for high, EOG myotube membrane preparations. Kd values were similar between the high EOG (4.78 nM) and low EOG (2.95 nM) groups; however, receptor concentrations (Bmax) appeared to differ between groups. High EOG membrane receptor Bmax was 3.88 pmole/micrograms protein (19.87 pmole/micrograms DNA), whereas low EOG membrane receptor Bmax was 1.22 pmole/micrograms protein (9.28 pmole/micrograms DNA). These preliminary findings support the hypothesis that genetic selection for EOG results in altered satellite cell responsiveness to IGF-I.     

Correlation of DNA ploidy to tumor histologic grade, clinical variables, and survival in dogs with mast cell tumors.

By using flow cytometry, a retrospective analysis of the DNA content of 40 primary canine mast cell tumors and seven lymph nodes that contained metastatic mast cell tumor from 44 dogs of various breed, sex, and age was performed on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded samples of the tumors and nodes. These samples were chosen according to the following criteria: samples contained sufficient well-preserved tumor tissue in the paraffin block for processing, sufficient patient history data were available, clean and homogeneous cell suspensions were obtained after processing, and interpretable DNA histograms were produced on analysis. The ploidy data obtained were compared with the histopathologic grade, the anatomical site of occurrence, the clinical stage of the tumors, and the survival of the dogs. Over 70% (29/40) of the mast cell tumors were diploid. Three metastatic mast cell tumors in lymph nodes had the same ploidy status as their corresponding primary tumors. In five dogs, mast cell tumors from multiple sites in each dog displayed similar ploidy status. Of 26 dogs evaluated for survival times, 69% (18/26) had diploid tumors and 31% (8/26) had aneuploid tumors. When numbers of diploid versus aneuploid tumors were compared, no significant difference was found between any two grades, clinical stages, or anatomic sites. A significant difference (P = 0.02) was found, however, between aneuploid and diploid tumors when comparing Stage I and non-Stage I disease. The Kaplan-Meier survival plot indicated a tendency towards an increased survival within the first year in dogs with diploid versus aneuploid tumors (P = 0.06).     

Evaluation of sodium thiosulfate as an extracellular water marker in cattle.

Two studies were conducted to determine whether sodium thiosulfate (THS) can estimate extracellular water (ECW) in beef cattle in conjunction with empty body water (EBW) estimation by urea space. Experiment 1 used 24 steers (366 kg) to determine the clearance parameters for THS and urea. Blood samples were taken over 1 h. A two-component curve, Y = A1ek1(t) + A2ek2(t), (t = hours after infusion) fit the clearance of both markers; intercepts (A1, A2) and clearance coefficients (k1, k2) were 44.8, 44.4, -25.8, and -2.24 mg/dL, respectively, for THS (r2 = .98, Sy.x = 2.72, animal effects removed and 24.4, 10.5, -21.7, and -.71 mg/dL, respectively, for urea (r2 = .98, Sy.x = 1.49). Sodium thiosulfate equilibrated with ECW 5 to 10 min after infusion. Experiment 2 consisted of 22 steers (483 kg) infused with a combination solution of 20% urea, 10% THS, and 4% sodium thiocyanate (SCN; equilibration time = 28 min); half the steers were implanted with estradiol. Empty body water increased with implantation (P less than .01). Extracellular water tended to increase in implanted steers as measured by THS (12 min, P = .14) and SCN (P = .10). The estimation of ECW at 12 min was not different (P greater than .2) from the SCN estimate at 28 min (SCN = 3.7 + .873 THS; r2 = .70; P less than .001). Sodium thiosulfate gave reasonable estimates of ECW (22 to 26% of BW) and required only 0- and 12-min blood samples.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Selective measurement of lipoprotein lipase and hepatic triglyceride lipase in heparinized plasma from horses.

Affinity chromatography on heparin sepharose was used to identify 2 lipolytic enzymes in heparinized plasma from horses. One enzyme was typical of hepatic triglyceride lipase (HTGL), because it was resistant to inactivation by high concentrations of NaCl, and it did not require the addition of serum for activity. The other enzyme was identified as lipoprotein lipase (LPL), because of its inactivation at NaCl concentrations in excess of 0.2M, and its dependency on addition of serum as a source of apolipoprotein C-II activator. The enzymes were purified by 347-(HTGL) and 442- (LPL) fold, with yields of 54 and 58%, respectively. The partially purified enzymes were used to design incubation conditions that gave optimal activities for each enzyme in vitro. A selective assay was then developed for direct measurement of LPL and HTGL activities in heparinized plasma from horses. Analysis of HTGL took advantage of the almost complete inactivation of LPL when serum cofactor was excluded from the assay at the NaCl concentration that gave optimal HTGL activity. Prior incubation of heparinized plasma with sodium dodecyl sulfate to inhibit HTGL was necessary for measurement of LPL, because HTGL retained 67% of its activity at the NaCl concentration required for optimal LPL activity. Activity of each enzyme was measured in heparinized plasma from 12 Shetland ponies. The mean activity +/- SD for LPL was 3.22 +/- 1.04 mumol of fatty acids/ml of heparinized plasma/h (mumol of FA/ml/h. The mean activity for HTGL was 4.9 +/- 1.56 mumol of FA/ml/h. The performance of the assay was assessed by replicate analysis of pools of each enzyme with high and low activities.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)