Investigation of the effects of histamine inhalation on the tracheobronchial tree of calves by the forced oscillation technique

Gustin, P., Dhem, A.R., Lekeux, P., Lomba, F., Lándsér, F.J. & Van de Woestijne, K.P. Investigation of the effects of histamine inhalation on the tracheobronchial tree of calves by the forced oscillation technique. J. vet. Pharmacol. Therap. 11 , 374–380.
Effects of histamine inhalation were investigated with two different techniques in nine conscious, healthy calves. The oesophageal balloon technique was used to measure the dynamic respiratory compliance (C_dyn) and the pulmonary resistance (RL). The reactance (X_rs) and the resistance (R_rs) of the respiratory system were measured at high frequencies by the forced oscillation technique. These parameters were recorded before and after histamine inhalation. Three histamine dihydrochloride solution concentrations were used (16 mg/ml; 32 mg/ml; 64 mg/ml). Histamine inhalation induced a decrease in Cd_yn and X_rs an increase in R_rs, RL and of the resonant frequency and a negative frequency dependence of R_rs. Some of these changes were satisfactorily correlated with the histamine solution concentrations. The resonant frequency was well correlated with C_dvn. It was concluded that histamine inhalation induces a decrease of the calibre of small and large airways and a non-homogeneous behaviour of the pulmonary ventilation in awake calves. The forced oscillation technique can be used to perform an inhalation provocation test in unsedated animals.     

Dissociative anaesthesia in free-ranging male koalas and selected marsupials in captivity

Forty seven free-ranging, adult, male koalas were captured and administered an intramuscular injection of the dissociative anaesthetic, Telazol (tiletamine HCl plus zolazepam HCl), at dose rates of 5.0 to 7.7 mg/kg body weight. Anaesthesia induction was rapid and smooth and resulted in a surgical plane of anaesthesia lasting 30 to 45 min. There was no depression of heart rate or respiration. Mild salivation occurred in most animals, but was not a problem because the swallowing reflex was retained. There was no mortality or morbidity and the anaesthesia level was sufficient to allow electroejaculation and multiple blood sampling with no apparent animal discomfort. For 10 of 19 males in which anaesthesia was required for a 90 min protocol, a supplementary Telazol injection (average, 2.5 mg/kg) was necessary. All koalas recovered completely within 3 to 4 h of the initial injection. The results suggest that the optimal Telazol dosage for the adult male koala is 7.0 mg/kg body weight. The retrospective analysis of 259 anaesthesia records involving 14 species indicated that Telazol was equally effective and safe in other captive marsupials.     

Black soil blindness: A new mycotoxicosis of cattle grazing Corallocytostroma-infected Mitchell grass (Astrebla spp)

A new, fatal mycotoxicosis of cattle has been recognised in north-western Australia. A feeding trial confirmed the toxicity of a previously unknown species of Corallocytostroma that grows on Mitchell grass (Astrebla spp). The disease has been colloquially named ‘black soil blindness’ because its most prominent features are its confinement to pastures on black soil, and blindness and death of affected animals. Over 500 cattle have died and considerable subclinical disease is present. Above average wet season rainfall and extended growing seasons may explain the emergence of the fungus. The disease is important because cattle production in large areas of Australia utilise Mitchell grass pastures.     

Breeding for resistance to Globodera pallida at CIP1

Breeding for resistance to Globodera pallida, at the International Potato Center (CIP), is directed at pathotypes P4A and P5A. The polygenic nature of resistance and the variability of pathotypes complicate breeding and testing for resistance. Recurrent selection for resistance genes and for agronomic characteristics is used to increase resistant gene frequency in potato populations. Mass seedling screening, as an early indicator of segregation ratios in a progeny, and a petri-plate technique for accurate assessment of resistance in potato clones have proven to be useful aids in selecting for resistance. Clones with partial resistance could be grown by farmers under certain conditions; partial resistance may also be useful in breeding programmes. New differential or tester clones which are better adapted and resistant to P5A populations should be utilized in the Andean region. Although Solanum tuberosum ssp. andigena has been the main source of resistance, especially to pathotype P5A, the CIP breeding programme should now turn to wild species in order to broaden the base of resistance.     

Vascular leakage induced by histamine, bradykinin, serotonin and prostaglandin E2 in Greyhounds

SUMMARY Vascular leakage induced by intradermal injection of histamine, bradykinin and serotonin alone and co-injected with prostaglandin E₂ was measured in Greyhounds using ¹²⁵Iodine-labelled human serum albumin (¹²⁵I-HSA) as a marker in the blood. Histamine and bradykinin produced dose-dependent vascular leakage. At equimolar concentrations, histamine was more than twice as potent as bradykinin. Serotonin did not induce vascular leakage and was irritant. Prostaglandin E₂ did not induce significant vascular leakage (maximum 5μL) when injected alone, but when co-injected with histamine and bradykinin, the vascular leakage of both histamine and bradykinin was increased. This effect was more pronounced if lower concentrations of histamine and bradykinin were injected. The induced vascular leakage was greatest during the first five minutes of lesion development for histamine, during the second five minutes of lesion development for bradykinin, and the synergistic effect of prostaglandin E₂ was maximal during the third five minute period of lesion development.     

Pharmacokinetics and bioavailability of doxycycline in turkeys

The pharmacokinetic parameters of doxycycline (DOX) were determined in 3 day, 3-, 6- and 12-week-old fasted turkeys, after a single intravenous (i.v.) dose of 25 mg doxycycline. HCl/kg body weight. Doxycycline disposition fitted an open two-compartment model. The mean (± SD) elimination half-life was 10.6 ± 0.7, 10.8 ± 1.5, 7.9 ± 1.4 and 10.0 ± 0.9 h in 3 day, 3-, 6- and 12-week-old turkeys, respectively. Mean (± SD) total body clearance was 0.19 (± 0.01), 0.27 (± 0.03), 0.11 (± 0.03) and 0.06 (± 0.01) L/h.kg in 3 day, 3-, 6- and 12-week-old turkeys, respectively. The steady-state volume of distribution was 1.77 (± 0.2), 2.1 (± 0.2), 0.7 (± 0.4) and 0.5 (± 0.2) L/kg in turkeys of the above mentioned ages, respectively. The AUC value significantly increased with the age of the turkeys. An oral doxycycline solution at a single dose of 25 mg/kg of body weight was administered to 3 day, 3-, 6- and 12-week-old turkeys. The maximal plasma concentrations in fasted turkeys were 3.8, 5.6, 7.4 and 5.7 μg/mL, with t _max values of 4.7, 1.5, 2.8 and 5.4 h, for the different ages, respectively. In fed turkeys the C _max values were 2.5, 6.1, 4.8 and 3.0 μg/mL, with t _max values of 4.2, 5.3, 4.5 and 7.5 h, respectively. The absolute bioavailability in fasted turkeys varied between 25.0 ± 9.0% (for 12-week-old birds) and 63.5 ± 7.1% (for 3-week-old birds). The relative bioavailability varied between 40.0 ± 13.0% (for 12-week-old birds) and 83.7 ± 14.3% (for 3-week-old birds).     

Biological control of peach twig blight (Monilinia laxa) with Penicillium frequentans

In 1986 and 1988 various preparations of spores and or mycelium of the antagonist Penicillium frequentans , alone or in alternation with captan were applied to field-grown peach trees inoculated with Monilinia laxa , the cause of twig blight. Some preparations of P. frequentans containing nutrients gave significant reductions in severity of disease (from 38 to 80%) over control, comparable to that given by captan. Combinations of P. frequentans and captan gave a level of control similar to or less than that given by the antagonist or chemical alone. Populations of P. frequentans on shoots were monitored after application in 1986. When applied with nutrients, levels of P. frequentans on shoots remained higher than when the fungus was applied in the absence of nutrients. In a glasshouse experiment the effect of P. frequentans treatments on twig blight was influenced by the type and amount of M. laxa inoculum applied.     

Phosphorous acid treatments control Phytophthora diseases in Australia1

Treatments with a partially neutralized formulation of phosphorous acid containing potassium phosphite were assessed for control of Phytophthora diseases in subtropical and temperate crops in Australia. In Queensland, trunk injections of phosphite (10% solution) controlled severe root rot (Phytophthora cinnamomi) of avocado trees and resulted in the recovery of trees. Single pre-harvest sprays (2.5 kg ha^-1) of phosphite controlled root and heart rot (P. cinnamomi) of pineapples. Foliar sprays of phosphite (64 g per tree) controlled root rot (P. nicotianae var. parasitica) and trunk canker (P. citrophthora) of mandarin trees. In Victoria, a foliar spray of phosphite (300 g ha^-1) reduced root rot (P. clandestina) of subterranean clover and increased dry matter by 1.96 to 5.11 t ha^-1. Trunk injections of phosphite (10% solution) controlled trunk rot (P. cactorum) of peach trees and foliar sprays (10 kg ha^-1) reduced severity of root rot (P. nicotianae var. nicotianae) of tomatoes.     

Female reproductive success in a species with an age‐inversed hierarchy

In most group‐living mammals, reproductive success declines with increasing age and increases with increasing rank. Such effects have mainly been studied in matrilineal and in “age positive” hierarchies, which are stable and in which high ranking females often outperform low ranking ones. These relationships are less well‐understood in age‐inversed dominance hierarchies, in which a female's rank changes over time. We analyzed demographic data of 2 wild, unprovisioned groups of gray langurs (Semnopithecus schistaceus) near Ramnagar, Nepal covering periods of 5 years each. Female rank was unstable and age‐inversed. We measured reproductive success via birth rates (57 births), infant survival (proportion of infants surviving to 2 years) and number of offspring surviving to 2 years of age (successful births) for 3 age and 3 rank classes. We found that old females performed significantly worse than expected (birth rate P = 0.04; successful births P = 0.03). The same was true for low ranking females (P = 0.04, and P < 0.01, respectively). Infant survival was highest for young and middle‐aged as well as for high and middle ranking females. Overall, the results for these unstable hierarchies were rather similar to those for stable hierarchies of other mammals, particularly several nonhuman primates. Compared to a provisioned population of a closely related species, the wild and unprovisioned population examined (i) showed stronger age effects, while (ii) female reproductive success was equally affected by rank. Future comparative studies are needed to examine whether captive or provisioned populations deviate predictably from wild populations.