Teratogenicity testing of BI 58 EC (38% dimethoate) in chicken embryos with special respect to degradation of the active ingredient.

The insecticide formulation BI 58 EC was tested for teratogenicity in chicken embryos, with particular reference to degradation of the active ingredient (dimethoate) after the treatment of embryonated eggs. The pesticide was diluted in water to a concentration level of 0.8%, and the emulsion was injected into the air space in a volume of 0.1 ml/egg, or hen's eggs were treated by the immersion technique. Residues of dimethoate were measured in the samples on days, 13, 15 and 19 of the incubation of chicken embryos, and morphological examinations were performed simultaneously. Analytical chemistry data indicated a slower degradation of dimethoate in embryos after the immersion of eggs, and cyllosis was remarkable in this group among the sporadic developmental anomalies. The liver tissues of both treated groups exhibited severe fatty infiltration.     

Investigation of Cervical Patency and Uterine Appearance in Domestic Cats by Fluoroscopy and Scintigraphy

The cervical patency of six domestic female cats was monitored under sedation by infusion of contrast medium (Omnipaque) into the cranial vagina during early oestrus, mid‐oestrus, late oestrus and interoestrus or a radiopharmaceutical (^99mTc‐HSA) during mid‐ and interoestrus in a non‐ovulatory oestrous cycle. The transport of the contrast medium or the radiopharmaceutical through the cervix and within the uterine horns was observed under fluoroscopy and with the aid of scintigraphy. In three of the queens, transcervical transport of contrast medium was demonstrated in all stages of oestrus, in one queen during mid‐oestrus, late oestrus and 1 day after oestrus, and in two queens only during late oestrus. The relations between the cervical patency to the contrast medium and the oestrous behaviour, cornification of the vaginal cells and the serum oestradiol‐17β concentration were evaluated, and a relationship was found between the cervical patency and the degree of vaginal cornification. Transcervical transport of the radiopharmaceutical was observed in three queens during mid‐oestrus. When the cervix was open, hysterography under a fluoroscope and hysteroscintigraphy were performed. The fluoroscopic and scintigraphic recordings revealed the patterns of the uterine contractions during oestrus in both ascending and descending directions, and the movement of the uterine contents back and forth between the uterine horns. The hysterograms were classified according to the shape of the uterine horns and the appearance of the endometrial lining. Spiral‐shaped uterine horns with a smooth inner contour were observed in two queens, and a corkscrew appearance with irregular filling defects in the uterine lumen was shown in two queens that had developed subclinical cystic endometrial hyperplasia. These findings demonstrated that fluids or particles deposited in the cranial vagina of the cat can be transported into the uterus during some stages of the oestrous cycle. The fluoroscopic and scintigraphic techniques developed in this study may be further modified to permit more detailed studies of uterine contractile patterns and sperm transport in the feline female reproductive tract. Hysterography proved useful to diagnose uterine disease. The information on cervical patency is of value also for the development of techniques for artificial insemination in this species, and should be studied also in the ovulatory cycle.     

Rabies virus infection in Aedes pseudoscutellaris cells: a study on receptorial structures

Rabies virus is able to infect in vitro a wide range of homeothermic and poikilothermic cells but little is known about its multiplication in arthropod cells. In this research the infection of rabies virus in Aedes pseudoscutellaris cells, a mosquito cell line susceptible to mosquito-borne viruses, was studied. After 60 days of incubation at 26 degrees C up to 70% of infected cells showed the synthesis of both viral nucleocapsid and envelope antigens, although viral yield and cell damage could not be detected. Research performed in order to investigate the role of membrane carbohydrate moieties in rabies virus-mosquito cell interaction suggested the participation of galactose and N-acetylglucosamine whereas sialic acid, known to be a rabies binding site in many homeothermic cell lines, was not involved.     

Experimental and natural infection with the enzootic leukosis virus of cattle

A trial was performed with heifers at the age of six to seven months. The animals were experimentally infected with the lymphocytes of a virus-productive donor. Infection was produced in all the nine cases, as demonstrated by means of the positive syncytial test. As indicated by the results of the trial, the antibodies to the enzootic bovine leucosis virus (BLV) were produced soon after experimental infection. A high sensitivity of the serum-neutralization test and the ELISA method was demonstrated in this connection: by these methods, the antibodies were identified already two to three weeks after experimental infection whereas by the immunodiffusion test they could be detected only after five weeks. Twenty-four animals were exposed to natural contact infection. Within 270 days of the trial, the disease after contact was recorded only in one heifer out of the four that were in close contact with the experimentally infected animals. In this case, as compared with experimental infection, the antibodies were produced much later--after 85 to 93 days. Leucosis was recorded in none of the remaining animals. The reasons why such a favourable result was obtained were the thorough disinfection of the stables after blood collections and the strict observance of the aseptic conditions. The results of experimental infection in three cows were identical with those obtained in young cattle. In the experimentally infected dairy cows, antibodies in milk were determined by the ELISA method. As found, in milk the antibodies to BLV appear two to three weeks later than they do in serum. The ELISA method of BLV antibody detection can be used for the identification of infected animals in herds where enzootic bovine leucosis occurs.     

Changes in the glutathione thiol-disulfide status in wheat grain by foliar sulphur fertilization: consequences for the rheological properties of dough

Storage proteins and glutathione in wheat play an important role in gluten network formation and can be modified by supplementation of nitrogen (N) and sulphur (S) in wheat plants. The glutathione thiol-disulfide status and its relationship to the molecular weight distribution wheat polymeric protein and dough rheological properties have been examined after different foliar S fertilizations (S derived from micronized elemental S and NS, a mixture of N urea and elemental S) applied at the post-anthesis stage. Changes in levels of reduced glutathione (GSH), glutathione disulfide (GSSG), polymeric protein-glutathione mixed disulfide (PPSSG) were analysed by reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography, during grain development using the wheat cultivars, Soissons and Trémie. During the grain desiccation phase, S supplementation (i) increased the GSSG/GSH ratio by 23–25% (ii) induced PPSSG accumulation, and (iii) decreased the formation of SDS-unextractable polymeric protein (UPP) and its molecular mass distribution. However, simultaneous N and S supplementation results in: (i) a decrease in PPSSG formation by 20–30% and (ii) an increase of UPP by 7–18% by enhancing both the branching of the aggregated proteins and their molecular weight. The mixograph parameters show that all forms of endogenous glutathione are linked to dough weakening and are negatively correlated with dough mixing tolerance, dough strength and consistency, while UPP is positively correlated with dough strength and consistency. These findings indicate that S nutrition influences dynamics of the glutathione forms in the grain and results in modification the degree of polymerization of storage protein. Thus both the changes in the form of glutathione and protein polymerization influence the rheological properties of dough.     

Pathogenesis of placentitis in the goat inoculated with Brucella abortus. II. Ultrastructural studies

Pregnant goats were inoculated intravenously or in uterine arteries with Brucella abortus, and tissues from the uterus and placenta were examined by electron microscopy. Identification of B. abortus in placentae was with antibody-coated colloidal gold. B. abortus was first seen in phagosomes of erythrophagocytic trophoblasts and in the rough endoplasmic reticulum of chorioallantoic trophoblasts. Subsequently, trophoblast necrosis and ulceration of chorioallantoic membranes were present. Coincidently, B. abortus was present in the lumen of placental capillaries. In late stages of infection, placental vasculitis was present, and placentomal trophoblasts were separated from maternal syncytial epithelium. In lesions with vasculitis, large numbers of B. abortus were in connective tissue of chorionic villi. Within the placentome, trophoblasts that lined chorionic villi contained no intracellular bacteria and were separated from B. abortus by intact basement membranes. These results suggest that bacteremic B. abortus is endocytosed by erythrophagocytic trophoblasts and that B. abortus replicates in the rough endoplasmic reticulum of chorioallantoic trophoblasts. Replication of brucellae in trophoblastic rough endoplasmic reticulum is unique; we believe that B. abortus may utilize endoplasmic reticulum for synthesis and glycosylation of bacterial membrane proteins or that B. abortus catabolizes trophoblast secretory proteins.     

Long-term application of animal slurries to grassland alters soil cation balance

Abstract. Soil samples from a 32-year grassland field experiment were taken from 0–5, 5–10, and 10–15 cm soil depths in February 2002. Plots received annual treatments of unamended control, mineral fertilizer, three rates of pig slurry and three rates of cow slurry, each with six replicates. Samples were analysed for cation exchange capacity (CEC), exchangeable cations (Na⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺), pH and Olsen P. Exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP) was calculated as a sodicity indicator. Mean ESP was generally greater for slurry treatments than the control, with a trend of increasing ESP with application rate. This was particularly marked for cow slurry. At 0–5 cm depth ESP increased from 1.18 in the control to 1.75 at the highest rate of pig slurry and 5.60 at the highest rate of cow slurry. Similar trends were shown for CEC, exchangeable Na⁺, K⁺ and Mg²⁺, Ca²⁺ and Olsen P. The build-up of soil P due to slurry applications, together with this combination of physical and chemical factors, may increase the risk of P loss to surface waters, particularly from soils receiving high rates of cow slurry.     

Comparative evaluation of the effect of two maternal diets on fatty acids, vitamin E and carotenoids in the chick embryo.

1. The fatty acid profile of egg yolk and vitamin E and carotenoid accumulation in the egg yolk and embryonic tissues were investigated in relation to the maternal diet. 2. Two hundred fertile eggs (Ross 308 Broiler Breeder), obtained from hens fed on a maize-based (M-diet) or a wheat-based diet (W-diet), were incubated using standard conditions. 3. The egg yolk and embryo tissues (residual yolk, yolk sac membrane, liver, kidney, lung, muscles, adipose tissue and plasma) were collected on d 18 of incubation and on d 21 (newly-hatched chicks) and analysed for fatty acids, vitamin E and carotenoids. 4. The diets did not differ in terms of fatty acid or alpha-tocopherol concentrations. The concentration of carotenoids in the M-diet was 11.8 mg/kg and in the W-diet was 5.6 mg/kg with lutein and zeaxanthin being major carotenoids. 5. Eggs from the M-group contained higher (P<0.01) concentrations of beta+gamma-tocopherols, total carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin. Chickens hatched from those eggs were characterised by the increased concentrations of total carotenoids and zeaxanthin in all the tissues studied. The concentration of beta+gamma-tocopherol was enhanced only in the liver and yolk sac membrane. 6. It is concluded that the maternal diet plays an important role in antioxidant systems formation during chick embryonic development; the M-diet can increase the antioxidant potential of the egg yolk and embryonic tissues compared to the antioxidant potential provided by parent birds fed the W-diet.     

Foxtail-induced ulcerative stomatitis outbreak in a Missouri stable.

Twenty of 25 horses in a well-managed Missouri boarding stable were diagnosed with gingivitis/stomatitis. Gross examination of the affected horses revealed varying degrees of gingivitis ranging from mild periodontal swelling to marked swelling and erythema with ulceration and hemorrhage. Fine hair-like material was embedded within the intensely affected areas. Gingival biopsies from 4 affected horses contained pyogranulomatous inflammation with, in some cases, numerous eosinophils and several grass awns in cross and longitudinal section. Numerous foxtail seed heads were identified in hay samples. Examination of the records revealed that all of the affected horses had been fed the suspect hay, with the exception of 1 horse. Although not deliberately fed the suspect hay, this horse did have access to the hay when turned out into the exercise paddock. The lesions resolved following a change in hay source.