Diagnosis of insulinoma in the dog: A study of 11 cases

The use of an intravenous glucose tolerance test (IVGTT) is described in 11 confirmed cases of insulinoma. Basal plasma glucose and serum insulin concentrations, glucose half-life (t.J and fractional clearance rate (k-value) were determined in the affected animals and seven healthy dogs. A fasting plasma glucose concentration of 3 mmol/litre or less with a coexisting serum insulin concentration greater than 20 mU/litre, and an insulin:glucose ratio (IGR) greater than 4-2 U/mol were considered to be diagnostic for insulinoma. Although there was a narrow area of overlap in the U₂ and k-values between normal and affected animals, a t.,₂ of less than 20 minutes with a k-value of more than 3 per cent/minute were also highly suggestive of insulinoma. The insulinogenic index (δI/δG) was too variable to be of diagnostic significance. Contrary to previous reports, it appears that insulin-secreting tumours retain a degree of responsiveness to a glucose challenge and that the IVGTT, using a dose of 0–5 g glucose/kg bodyweight, is a useful diagnostic procedure in dogs with insulinoma.     

Molecular cloning of serogroup- and serotype-specific genome segments from bluetongue virus serotype 11

Genome segments 2, 6, 8, and 9 of bluetongue virus (BTV) serotype 11, coding for P2, NS1, NS2, and P6, respectively, were cloned into pUC 8. Sizes of segment-2 and segment-6 clones indicated partial copies (55% and 80% of full length, respectively), whereas segment 8 and 9 clones represented full-length copies. Northern blot hybridizations of the clones to the 5 United States BTV prototypic serotypes (2, 10, 11, 13, and 17) revealed segment-2 clone to be serotype-specific to BTV-11, whereas segment 6, 8, and 9 clones were able to detect all serotypes to varying degrees. All clones failed to detect the related orbivirus, epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus.     

Settling of insecticide from dip wash mixed with dam water and zinc sulphate and used to control sheep lice (Bovicola ovis)

SUMMARY Insecticidal dipping fluid emulsions, mixed in vitro in dam water containing suspended clay particles and 1% w/v zinc sulphate, were analysed to determine rates of settling of diazinon, cyhalothrin and cypermethrin. Fifteen minutes after mixing, the concentration of the insecticides 5 cm below the surface had declined by 72.5%, 72.8% and 89.4%, respectively. On remixing, the concentration of insecticide in suspension was close to or greater than the initial concentration. In 2 trials, lice were eradicated from sheep showered with dip wash mixed in cloudy dam water to which 1% w/v of zinc sulphate was added. In 12 flock treatments in which 1000 to 2000 sheep were dipped with added zinc sulphate, the concentration of insecticide remained above the minimum lethal for susceptible strains of lice. However, lice were still present 6 months later in 8 of these flocks. When zinc sulphate is added to dip wash, agitation is needed to maintain the insecticide in suspension.     

Cytological analysis of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid acquired by bronchoscopy in healthy ferrets: A pilot study

The objective of this study was to investigate the normal cytological evaluation of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid in healthy adult ferrets (N = 12). These ferrets underwent bronchoscopy and BAL using sterile saline [1.5 mL/kg body weight (BW)]. Percentage of fluid recovered, total leukocyte count, differential leukocyte count, and cell count of the epithelial lining fluid (ELF) were determined. The mean percentage of lavage volume recovered from the right lung and left lung were 67.8 ± 14.9% and 69.7 ± 20.0%, respectively. Gender (P = 0.12) and weight (P = 0.17) did not significantly affect the mean percentage of recovered volume. The mean percentage of recovered volume (P = 0.47) and the mean leukocyte count (P = 0.17) from the right and left lung were not significantly different. Macrophages were the main leukocyte component of the lavages, followed by neutrophils, lymphocytes, and eosinophils. The mean proportion of ELF in BAL fluid was 9.3 ± 3.7% v/v. Bronchoscopy is clinically useful for collecting good quality BAL samples for cytological analysis in ferrets. The leucocyte differential was established, which may help veterinarians to make better clinical decisions when treating respiratory disease. Further studies are required with a larger group in order to establish the healthy reference intervals for BAL values in ferrets.     

Coating nursery containers with copper carbonate improves root morphology of five native Australian tree species used in agroforestry systems

Seedlings of the native Australian tree species Acacia holosericea, Casuarina cunninghamiana, Eucalyptus argophloia, E. camaldulensis and Melaleuca bracteata, were raised in nursery containers which were coated with CuCO₃ (50 g l^-1, in a water-based paint solution) or left uncoated for three months. Seedling growth of all species in the nursery was generally less in treated containers, although differences were relatively small. More importantly, CuCO₃ treatment reduced the occurrence of lateral roots growing down or coiling around container walls for both three- and six-month-old seedlings. Twenty-four months after planting both three- and six-month-old seedlings on a semiarid site in subtropical southeast Queensland, there was no effect of CuCO₃ treatment on height or basal diameter development of seedlings. However, sample excavations of root systems showed that the poor root morphology exhibited by untreated seedlings when in the nursery had persisted in the field. As such poor root form has the potential to reduce tree growth and wind firmness in the longer term, these results suggest that chemical root-pruning is a helpful nursery practice when raising seedlings for dryland afforestation, and in circumstances where it may be necessary to retain seedlings in the nursery for longer than normal to take advantage of infrequent rainfall events. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Performance of twelve selected Australian tree species on a saline site in southeast Queensland

The establishment and early growth of 12 species within the genera Eucalyptus, Casuarina, Melaleuca and Tipuana was tested on a saline site in southeast Queensland. Electrical conductivity (EC) in the top 50 cm of soil was measured using an electromagnetic induction method and calibrated against the EC of 1:5 soil:water suspensions. The site was then stratified into five salinity classes: 0.75–1.0, 1.0–1.25, 1.25–1.5, 1.5–1.75 and over 1.75 dSm⁻¹. Relationships were developed for predicting the survival and height production of 18-month-old trees. These regressions explained 15–88% of the variation in survival and 2–66% of the variation in height production. Tree species were grouped by determining the EC level where height production declined by 25% relative to that at 0.75 ds m⁻¹. Casuarina glauca, Melaleuca bracteata, Eucalyptus moluccana, Eucalyptus camaldulensis, Eucalyptus tericornis and Eucalyptus raveretiana were all highly salt tolerant (25% reductions over 1.5 dS m⁻¹). Casuarina cunninghamiana, Eucalyptus grandis, Eucalyptus melliodora and Eucalyptus robusta exhibited moderate salt tolerance (25% reductions between 1.0 and 1.5 dS m⁻¹). The responses to increased salinity of Tipuana tipu and Eucalyptus intermedia (25% reductions at less than 1.0 dS m⁻¹) suggest that these species are not suitable for revegetating similar saline sites.     

Plateletworks: A screening assay for clopidogrel therapy monitoring in healthy cats

Plateletworks is a screening assay used in human medicine to monitor platelet-inhibiting drugs. As arterial thromboembolism is a common complication in cats suffering from cardiomyopathy, they are often treated with anti-platelet medication. Clopidogrel (Plavix), an anti-platelet aggregation drug, has recently been evaluated in healthy cats. The purpose of this study was to determine if the Plateletworks method can detect a decrease in platelet aggregation in cats receiving clopidogrel. Nine healthy adult cats were used for this study. Platelet aggregation was measured before and after a 3-day clopidogrel treatment (18.75 mg SID). Platelet aggregation after the clopidogrel treatment was significantly lower (P < 0.01). The Plateletworks method appears to be a promising test to monitor clopidogrel therapy in cats.     

Bioaccumulation of gold in macrofungi and ectomycorrhizae from the vicinity of the Mokrsko gold deposit, Czech Republic

Samples of macrofungi collected in the vicinity of the Mokrsko gold deposit were analyzed for Au by INAA and ICP-MS. Ectomycorrhizal fungi yielded from 0.88 to 564 μg kg⁻¹ Au (dry weight) in 79 samples. Saprobic fungi (75 samples) from the same locations yielded significantly higher concentrations: 3-7739 μg kg⁻¹ Au (dry weight), with the highest contents in Lycoperdon perlatum. These are the highest recorded concentrations of Au in naturally-occurring fungi/vascular plants. Concentrations of Au in ectomycorrhizae were approximately 4-10 times higher than those in fine roots. It appears that saprobic fungi, namely several terrestrial saprobes of the genera Agaricus and Lycoperdon, are more efficient than ectomycorrhizal fungi at taking up Au, probably assisted by other microbiota and/or by a range of naturally-occurring compounds that have yet to be identified. The present data demonstrate that macrofungi are involved in the biogeochemical cycling of Au.