Restriction-endonuclease analysis of Australian isolates of Leptospira interrogans serovar hardjo from cattle with agalactia and abortion

SUMMARY Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and agarose gel electrophoresis were used to resolve restriction endonuclease digests of 20 Australian isolates of Leptospira interrogans cultured from urine samples of cattle with agalactia and abortion. The restriction endonuclease profiles of 19 isolates closely matched the profiles of L interrogans serovar hardjo subtype hardjobovis reference strains. The remaining isolate had a different restriction profile from subtype hardjobovis and subtype hardjoprajitno reference strains and was serologically identified as serovar pomona. Silver staining of polyacrylamide gels gave enhanced resolution of restriction fragments compared with the traditional method of ethidium bromide staining of agarose gels.     

Uptake of drugs from topically applied anti-inflammatory preparations applied to racing animals

Objective To determine whether a drug detected in the blood or urine of a racing animal could have penetrated through the skin from a topically applied preparation.
Design Blood and urine of dogs and horses were analysed after topical administration of three common nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory preparations.
Experimental method Dimethylsulphoxide was analysed using a gas chromatograph with a flame photometric detector. Phenylbutazone, its metabolites and lignocaine were analysed using a gas chromatograph with a mass selective detector.
Results Dimethylsulphoxide, phenylbutazone and ligno-caine were detected in dog urine after muliple applications of the preparations. The maximum concentration of dimethyl-sulphoxide in dog urine correlated with the concentration of dimethylsulphoxide in the preparation. Phenylbutazone penetrated the skin more effectively from the cream than from the solution or gel preparations. This penetration was independent of the concentration of dimethylsulphoxide.
Conclusion The superior penetration of phenylbutazone from the cream can be explained by it being present as a neutral molecule in an hydrophobic medium. It is proposed that phenylbutazone penetrates the skin of greyhounds most effectively by a hydrophobic lipid route which is likely to be different from the path by which dimethylsulphoxide penetrates the skin.     

Use of Sieved Compost Plus Hydrogel for Solid Matrix Priming of Carrot Seeds

In this study we report the water release curve of a compost-based carrier for solid matrix priming and its effects on carrot seed germination. ‘Danvers Half Long’ and ‘Nantes Scarlet’ carrot (Daucus carota) seeds were primed for 7 d at 15°C in a carrier consisting of 5:1:5.7 sieved compost: hydrogel:distilled water (based on weight) equaling a water potential of ?1.0 MPa. Seeds were blended with carrier at 1:10, 1:20, 1:30, or 1:40 (based on weight) and compost priming was compared with a polyethylene glycol (PEG) priming procedure. Germination testing at 20-30°C (16-8 h) in darkness indicated that all compost priming treatments hastened seed germination more than PEG priming. Compost priming at 1:30 increased final germination percentage (FGP) for ‘Nantes Scarlet’ (FGP = 85%) compared to PEG primed (FGP = 72%) seeds but ‘Danvers Half Long’ FGP was similar for all treatments. For both cultivars, seeds that were compost primed had reduced G (days to 10% FGP) and G (days to 50% FGP) compared to PEG primed or nonprimed seed. For ‘Danvers Half Long’ carrot seeds, priming ratios of 1:30 reduced G values more effectively than all other treatments. For ‘Nantes Scarlet’ carrot seeds, G₁₀ and G₅₀ values were reduced similarly at all seed-to-carrier ratios. Compost primed seeds could be dried and stored for 35 d at 3 or 20-30°C (16-8 h) for ‘Danvers Half Long’ and for 35 d at 3°C for ‘Nantes Scarlet’ with no loss in priming benefit. We conclude that solid matrix priming with a compost based carrier is a satisfactory alternative to PEG priming to improve germination of carrot seed.