Prickly paddy melon (Cucumis myriocarpus) poisoning of cattle

Twenty-six Hereford heifers died after eating mostly ripe fruit of Cucumis myriocarpus growing in a fallowed cultivation paddock. Four affected cattle were dehydrated and apparently had abdominal pain. Necropsy of three revealed intense congestion with haemorrhage of the alimentary tract, numerous C. myriocarpus seeds in ruminal contents, pulmonary congestion and oedema and, in two, swollen livers. Midzonal swelling and vacuolation of hepatocytes occurred in these two. C. myriocarpus fruit (83% by weight ripe) were dosed to two calves at 60 g wet weight/kg live weight. Both collapsed with tachycardia and dyspnoea and died within 6 h. Their packed cell volumes just before death had increased to 0.7. They had hydropic degeneration and necrosis of the ruminal mucosa, intense congestion and oedema of the rumen, abomasum and intestines, swollen and vacuolated hepatocytes and foci of myocardial degeneration and necrosis. Two other calves were dosed daily with 20 g fruit/kg for three days, then 40 g/kg for three days. One calf received a further 40 g/kg next day. Both calves developed persistent diarrhoea and neutrophilia, and their plasma gamma glutamyltransferase and bilirubin concentrations increased. Necropsy revealed necrosis and oedema of the rumen and swollen degenerate hepatocytes.     

Transduction and Transplantation of Spermatogonia into the Testis of Ram Lambs through the Extra-testicular Rete

Spermatogonial transplantation will provide a new way to study spermatogenesis in domestic animals, disseminate male genetics and produce transgenic animals, if efficiency can be improved. We evaluated a 'surgical' method for transplanting donor cells into testes of ram lambs, where the head of the epididymis is reflected, and a catheter introduced into the extra-testicular rete testis. We also tested transduction of ram spermatogonia with a lentiviral (LV) vector as a means to identify permanent colonization, and introduce genes into donor cells. Eight ram lambs, 11- to 13-week olds, were the recipients: in five, spermatogonia were injected into one testis, and the contralateral testis was an un-manipulated control: in two, spermatogonia were injected into one testis and the contralateral was sham-injected: in one, both testes were injected. Six lambs received spermatogonia labelled with a cell-tracking dye and these were collected 1 or 2 weeks after transplantation; three lambs received spermatogonia transduced with a LV vector driving the expression of enhanced Green Fluorescence Protein and these were collected after 2 months. Donor cells were detected by immunohistochemistry in tubules of seven of nine recipient testes. Approximately 22% of tubule cross-sections contained donor cells immediately after transplantation, and 0.2% contained virally transduced cells 2 months after transplantation. The onset of spermatogenesis was delayed, and there were lesions in both injected and sham-injected testes. Despite the effects of the surgery, elongated spermatids were present in one recipient testis 2 months after surgery. The results suggest that, after modifying the surgical and transduction techniques, this approach will be a means to produce good colonization by donor spermatogonia in sheep testes.     

α‐6 Integrin Expression in Bovine Spermatogonial Cells Purified by Discontinuous Percoll Density Gradient

The study of spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) provides a model to better understand adult stem cell biology. Besides the biomedical potential to perform studies of infertility in many species, SSCs hold a promising application at animal transgenesis. Because stem cells are thought to be associated with basement membranes, expression of α‐6 integrin has been investigated as a marker of type A spermatogonial cells, which are considered SSCs because of their undifferentiated status and self‐renewal ability. In this manner, the aim of this study was to isolate type A SSCs from adult bulls by a two‐step enzymatic procedure followed by a discontinuous Percoll density gradient purification and verify the expression of α‐6 integrin by flow cytometry and real‐time RT‐PCR before and after Percoll purification. Spermatogonial cells were successfully obtained using the two‐step enzymatic digestion. An average of 1 × 10⁵ viable cells per gram of testis was isolated. However, the discontinuous Percoll did not purify isolated cells regarding α‐6 integrin expression. Flow cytometry analysis demonstrated no differences in the α‐6 integrin expression between cell samples before and after Percoll purification (p = 0.5636). The same was observed in the real‐time PCR analysis (p > 0.05). In addition to α‐6 integrin, the expression of GFRa‐1 and PGP9.5, known bovine SSCs markers, was detected in all samples studied. Considering that Percoll can reduce cell viability, it is possible to conclude that Percoll density gradient is not suitable to purify bovine SSC, according to α‐6 integrin expression.     

Cardiovascular effects of sevoflurane in Holstein calves

Objective The purpose of this study was to determine the cardiovascular effects of sevoflurane in calves. Study design Prospective experimental study. Animals Six, healthy, 8–12‐week‐old Holstein calves weighing 80 ± 4.5 (mean ± SEM) kg were studied. Methods Anesthesia was induced by face‐mask administration of 7% sevoflurane in O₂. Calves tracheae were intubated, placed in right lateral recumbency, and maintained with 3.7% end‐tidal concentration sevoflurane for 30 minutes to allow catheterization of the auricular artery and placement of a Swan‐Ganz thermodilution catheter into the pulmonary artery. After instrumentation, administration of sevoflurane was temporarily discontinued until mean arterial pressure was > 100 mm Hg. Baseline values were recorded and the vaporizer output increased to administer 3.7% end‐tidal sevoflurane concentration. Ventilation was controlled to maintain normocapnia. The following were recorded at 5, 10, 15, 30 and 45 minutes after collection of baseline data and expressed as the mean value (± SEM): direct systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial blood pressures; cardiac output; mean pulmonary arterial pressure; pulmonary arterial occlusion pressure, heart rate; and pulmonary arterial temperature. Cardiac index and systemic and pulmonary vascular resistance values were calculated using standard formulae. Arterial blood gases were analyzed at baseline, and at 15 and 45 minutes. Differences from baseline values were determined using one‐way analysis of variance for repeated measures with post‐hoc differences between mean values identified using Dunnet's test (p < 0.05). Results Mean time from beginning sevoflurane administration to intubation of the trachea was 224 ± 9 seconds. The mean end‐tidal sevoflurane concentration at baseline was 0.7 (± 0.11)%. Sevoflurane anesthesia was associated with decreased arterial blood pressure at all sampling times. Mean arterial blood pressure decreased from a baseline value of 112 ± 7 mm Hg to a minimum value of 88 ± 4 mm Hg at 5 minutes. Compared with baseline, arterial pH was decreased at 15 minutes. Pulmonary arterial blood temperature was decreased at 15, 30 and 45 minutes. Arterial CO₂ tension increased from a baseline value of 43 ± 3 to 54 ± 4 mm Hg (5.7 ± 0.4 to 7.2 ± 0.3 kPa) at 15 minutes. Mean pulmonary arterial pressure was increased at 30 and 45 minutes. Pulmonary arterial occlusion pressure increased from a baseline value of 18 ± 2 to 23 ± 2 mm Hg at 45 minutes. There were no significant changes in other measured variables. All calves recovered from anesthesia uneventfully. Conclusion We conclude that sevoflurane for induction and maintenance of anesthesia was effective and reliable in these calves and that neither hypotension nor decreased cardiac output was a clinical concern. Clinical relevance Use of sevoflurane for mask induction and maintenance of anesthesia in young calves is a suitable alternative to injectable and other inhalant anesthetics.     

Effect of sodium molybdate supplementation on high concentrations of Cu in liver of yearling bulls

AIM: To determine the impact of sodium molybdate treatment, given weekly, on concentrations of Cu in liver, activity of liver enzymes, and weight gain over 4 weeks, in yearling bulls with elevated concentrations of Cu in liver.

METHODS: The study was carried on two commercial grazing farms in the Otago region of New Zealand in yearling Friesian bulls (n=150 on Farm A and n=49 on Farm B) with mean concentration of Cu in liver >3,000 µmol/kg fresh weight. On Day 0, all animals were weighed and half were systematically allocated to treatment with sodium molybdate (3?mg/kg liveweight on Farm A and 7?mg/kg liveweight on Farm B); the remainder received no treatment (Control). Sodium molybdate was given as a drench weekly for 4 weeks and all animals were weighed again on Day 28. Ten animals on each farm (five from each treatment group) were systematically selected for blood sampling and liver biopsies on Days 0 and 28. Samples were analysed for concentrations of Cu in plasma, vitamin B₁₂ in serum, activities of γ–glutamyl transferase, aspartate aminotransferase and glutamate dehydrogenase in serum, and concentrations of Cu and vitamin B₁₂ in liver. Separate multivariable linear models were used to compare the change in outcome variables between Days 0 and 28 between bulls that had been drenched with sodium molybdate or not.

RESULTS: On Farm A, mean concentrations of Cu in liver on Day 28, as a percentage of concentrations on Day 0, for the control group was 55 (95% CI=40–73)% and for the treatment group was 73 (95% CI=43–111)%. On Farm B, the equivalent mean for the control group was 75 (95% CI=42–131)% and for the treatment group was 85 (95% CI=38–134)%. The multivariable linear models indicated that the changes in concentrations of Cu in liver, activities of liver enzymes and weight gain between Days 0 and 28 did not differ between the bulls treated or not with sodium molybdate (p>0.18).

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Treatment with sodium molybdate in one bolus at weekly intervals for 4 weeks did not affect concentrations of Cu in liver, activity of liver enzymes or weight gain in animals with high concentrations of Cu liver on two farms.     

Acute cortisol responses of calves to four methods of dehorning by amputation

Objective To measure the plasma cortisol response in calves dehorned by four different methods (scoop, guillotine shears, saw, embryotomy wire) for 9 h after dehorning.
Design A physiological study with controls.
Procedure Horn amputation was carried out on calves restrained manually in a race.
Results The four methods of dehorning provoked similarly increased cortisol responses which lasted for 6 h. During the first hour after dehorning the plasma cortisol concentrations were similar to those following ACTH injection. The overall cortisol response to control handling was about 30% of the responses to dehorning.
Conclusions The similarity of the cortisol responses produced by the four methods of dehorning suggests that the distress experienced by calves following dehorning by amputation is similar regardless of method used.     

The toxicity of Castanospermum australe seeds for cattle

Two calves given a mean of 16.1 g and 16.4 g ripe Castanospermum australe seeds/kg body weight daily for 13 and 16 days respectively developed haemorrhagic gastroenteritis. The first calf died. The second calf had mild myocardial degeneration and necrosis and mild nephrosis at necropsy. Two calves given a mean of 16.8 g unripe C. australe seeds/kg body weight daily for 18 days remained clinically normal and had mild gastritis at necropsy. The activity of alpha-glucosidase was reduced in the mononuclear cells of peripheral blood and in skeletal muscle. This was attributed to the presence of the indolizidine alkaloid, castanospermine, in the seeds. The toxin causing the gastroenteritis and other lesions is unknown.