Aetiopathogenesis of canine elbow osteochondrosis: a study of loose fragments removed at arthrotomy

Twenty-five ununited coronoid processes (UCP) and 24 osteochondritis dissecans (OD) flaps were examined by light and transmission electron microscopy. Chondrocytes showed degenerative changes but remained viable and continued to secrete matrix components, even though the organisation of the matrix was altered. Differences in the histological and ultrastructural appearance of the two lesions tend to suggest that they are two separate disease entities, although they may occur together in the same joint. It is hypothesised that OD results from incorrect cartilage maturation and endochondral ossification. The aetiology of UCP is unclear but there is a possibility of its being a subchondral fracture, with an ineffective fibrous repair in some cases.     

Effect of charcoal-extracted porcine follicular fluid and 17 beta-estradiol on follicular growth and plasma gonadotropins in gilts fed a progesterone agonist, altrenogest

Thirty-four gilts in two experiments were fed altrenogest for 18 d to block spontaneous growth of ovulatory follicles after luteolysis. They were injected with estradiol or charcoal-extracted porcine follicular fluid (pFF) to determine 1) whether gonadotropin secretion could be depressed and 2) whether exposure to reduced levels of gonadotropins would result in decreased numbers of medium follicles (3 to 6 mm in diameter). Gilts in Exp. 1 received treatments in a 2 X 2 X 2 factorial arrangement starting 48 h before the last feeding of altrenogest. Corn oil or estradiol (2 micrograms/kg body weight), 5 ml of charcoal-extracted porcine serum (pS) or pFF were injected im four times at 8-h intervals and gilts were sacrificed 24 or 96 h after last feeding of altrenogest. In Exp. 2, gilts received one of four treatments consisting of 1) pS, injected iv nine times at 8-h intervals starting 48 h before the last feeding of altrenogest; 2) pFF, with injection protocol the same as for pS; 3) estradiol injected im three times and 4) four times at 8-h intervals starting 0 and 24 h, respectively, before the last feeding of altrenogest. Compared with pS or corn oil, estradiol increased (P less than .001) plasma estrogen and decreased (P less than .05) plasma luteinizing hormone (LH) without a significant effect on plasma follicle stimulating hormone (FSH). Estradiol, compared with corn oil, decreased (P less than .01) the number of medium follicles from 24.8 to 0/gilt and decreased (P less than .05) the weight of ovarian follicular fluid from 4.2 to 2.1 g/gilt at 72 h after the first injection. Five milliliters of pFF had no significant effect on plasma gonadotropins or number of medium follicles. However, 20 ml of pFF, compared with pS, decreased (P less than .05) plasma FSH from 45 ng/ml to 9 ng/ml 32 h after the first injection, had no effect on plasma LH, decreased (P less than .01) the number of medium follicles from 29.2 to 2.2/gilt and decreased (P less than .01) follicular fluid weight from 3.9 to 1.6 g/gilt by 72 h after the first injection. These results indicate that estradiol or a non-steroidal component of follicular origin can decrease secretion of gonadotropins and suppress recruitment of medium follicles in the pig.     

Response to environmental temperatures in Brahman calves during the first compared to the second day after birth.

Brahman calves (n = 28) were used to evaluate the effect of environmental temperature during the 1st or 2nd d after birth. Calves were removed from their dams within 30 min of birth (newborn; D0) before suckling or at 20 h of age and fasted for 4 h before treatment (day-old; D1). Calves were placed in either a warm (W; 25 degrees C) or a cold (C; 5 degrees C) environment for 2 h and either maintained in or transferred to, respectively, W for 22 h. Blood samples were collected via jugular catheters at 15-min intervals beginning at initial placement in W or C through 3 h and at 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 18, and 24 h. Rectal temperature (Tr) was recorded with each sample. Following the 60-min and 12-h samples, each calf was administered 1 liter of colostrum from its dam. Serum or plasma was analyzed for glucose, lactate, plasma urea nitrogen, triglycerides, nonesterified fatty acids, insulin, cortisol, triiodothyronine (T3), and thyroxine (T4). Rectal temperature of D0C calves was lower (P less than .05) than that of other calves from 75 min through 3 h. Insulin, lactate, T3, and plasma urea nitrogen concentrations were not different among all calves. Higher (P less than .01) cortisol and T4 concentrations were observed in D0 than in D1 calves. Cortisol (P less than .008) and nonesterified fatty acid (P less than .05) levels were greater in C than in W calves. All D0 calves had lower (P less than .0001) glucose concentrations than D1 calves until the 12-h feeding.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Clinical and clinicopathological changes in 6 healthy ponies following intramuscular administration of multiple doses of imidocarb dipropionate

Haematological variables and selected serum indices, particularly those affected by changes in renal and hepatic function, were examined in 6 healthy ponies following 4 intramuscular doses of 4 mg/kg imidocarb dipropionate administered every 72 hours. This treatment regime has been reported to sterilise experimental Babesia equi infections in horses and may have value in preventing the spread of this disease during exportation of possible carrier horses to non-endemic countries. Serum bile acids and serum gamma glutamyltransferase activity were measured to evaluate the effect of this treatment regime on hepatic function. Owing to the absence of any increase in these variables it was concluded that this treatment regime had no clinically detectable deleterious effect on hepatic function in healthy ponies. Urinary gamma glutamyltransferase : creatinine ratios (IU/g), serum creatinine and fractional clearance of sodium, potassium and phosphate (%) were calculated as a measure of renal function. Urinary GGT and urinary GGT : creatinine ratios were significantly elevated on Day 5 of the trial, with 2 of the trial animals also exhibiting mild azotaemia indicative of changes in renal function. The changes in urine GGT : urine creatinine ratios observed in this study also provides evidence of the value of this ratio for the early detection of renal toxicity, following exposure to nephrotoxic agents.     

Estimating the potential role of commercial over‐harvesting in resource viability: a case study of five useful tree species in South Africa

There is a growing commercialization of non‐timber forest products (NTFPs) as a means of livelihood by rural communities throughout the developing world. This often occurs in the absence of any clear understanding of or guidelines regarding sustainable yields and ecological impacts, which may undermine the success of NTFP enterprises, especially from arid regions. This paper reports on the use of size class profiles and three quantitative indices to examine population profiles of five potentially useful tree species used as NTFPs in the semiarid lowveld of South Africa. We also contrast the population densities of the five tree species in 2003 with data from 1992. Low stem densities and population profiles indicated that three of the five species would preclude the establishment of NTFP enterprises based on their products. The other two species seem to have sufficient densities for some harvesting to take place, within an adaptive management framework. However, the longitudinal data indicated that the density of both these species had significantly declined over an eleven‐year period, highlighting the need for appropriate management institutions. Additionally, the proportion of mature stems cut, and the degree of cutting per stem, had increased for all five species over the eleven years. The three quantitative indices of population stability were not correlated with one another, and hence provided a useful suite of measures sensitive to different aspects of size class profiles and their interpretation. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Follicular growth and production of estrogen and progesterone after injection of gilts with human chorionic gonadotropin on day 12 of the estrous cycle

Twenty cyclic gilts were injected im with either saline (control) or 1,000 IU of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) on d 12 of the estrous cycle to determine the effects of hCG on follicular development and steroidogenesis. Blood was collected when gilts were sacrificed on d 13 or 16. Follicles were classified as medium (3 to 6 mm in diameter) or large (greater than 6 mm diameter), dissected from the ovary, measured and weighed. Pieces of follicle wall were incubated 3 h in Krebs Ringer bicarbonate buffer (KRB) on ice in an atmosphere of air or at 37 C in an atmosphere of 95% O2:5% CO2. Unconjugated estrogen and progesterone in blood plasma, follicular fluid and 10,000 X g supernatants of incubated follicular tissue homogenates were quantified by radioimmunoassay. On d 13 follicles on ovaries of control or hCG-injected gilts were less than or equal to 6 mm in diameter. On d 16, one of five control gilts had some large follicles, while all five hCG-treated gilts had large as well as medium follicles. On d 16 follicular fluid of large follicles from hCG-injected gilts contained twofold more estrogen and 40-fold more progesterone than medium follicles on the same ovaries. Tissue from large follicles of hCG-injected gilts produced more progesterone in vitro than did tissue from medium follicles (P less than .05), but estrogen production did not differ. On d 16 medium follicles from control or hCG-injected gilts were larger, contained more estrogen and less progesterone than those recovered on d 13 (P less than .01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)