Effect of cutting and vacuum cleaning on the digestibility of oats by horses

Three mature Quarter Horse geldings were used in 2 Latin square experiments to measure the effect of cutting and vacuum cleaning of oats on digestibility. The horses were fed at the maintenance level of digestible energy (DE) as recommended by the NRC.¹²The data were analyzed by Latin square analysis of variance, and Tukey's t test was used to determine any differences between specific means.No significant differences among treatments were observed during either experiment, indicating that the digestibility of nutrients from oats was not affected by cutting and vacuum cleaning. Differences in the digestibility of the ether extract (EE) fraction between periods of experiment 1 were noted.     

Behavioural and physiological responses of sheep to 16 h transport and a novel environment post-transport

The effect of a novel lairage environment on the ability of sheep to recover from 16 h of transport was investigated. Sheep were transported from grass paddocks to either novel outside paddocks or inside pens, and housed groups were transported to either familiar or novel inside pens. During transport, sheep from outside paddocks lay down less than those from inside pens. In sheep transported to inside pens, those from outside paddocks spent more time lying and spent less time eating; hay and water intakes during the first 12 h post-transport were lower than those previously kept inside. There was no obvious effect of a novel environment post-transport on blood biochemistry, suggesting that the lower post-transport feed and water intakes in a novel environment did not have a significant effect on the ability of the sheep to recover from the feed and water deprivation associated with transport.     

Analysis of rice blast resistance gene <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pi</Emphasis>-<Emphasis Type="Italic">z</Emphasis> in rice germplasm using pathogenicity assays and DNA markers

The Pi-z gene in rice confers resistance to a wide range of races of the rice blast fungus, Magnaporthe oryzae. The objective of this study was to characterize Pi-z in 111 rice germplasm accessions using DNA markers and pathogenicity assays. The existence of Pi-z in rice germplasm was detected by using four simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers (RM527, AP4791, AP5659-1, AP5659-5) closely linked to Pi-z, and was verified using pathogenicity assays with an avirulent strain (IE1k) and two virulent races (IB33 and IB49). Among 111 germplasm accessions evaluated, 73 were found to contain the Pi-z gene using both SSR markers and pathogenicity assays. The remaining 38 germplasm accessions were found to be inconsistent in their responses to the blast races IB33, IEIk and IB49 with expected SSR marker alleles, suggesting the presence of unexpected SSR alleles and additional R gene(s). These characterized germplasm can be used for genetic studies and marker-assisted breeding for improving blast resistance in rice.     

The nature of Solanum × chaucha Juz. et Buk., a triploid cultivated potato of the South American Andes

Summary The variation in Solanum × chaucha Juz. et Buk. (2n=3x=36) was studied using 114 accessions from the Potato Collection maintained by the International Potato Center. These accession represented less than 5% of the collection originally screened for ploidy. Twenty morphological characters of the tubers, inflorescences and leaves were scored. The accessions were grouped into 20 morphotypes on the basis of the tuber characters. Two-qualitative characters, red-anther tip and sky-blue flowers were diagnostic of 4 morphotypes, but the variation of the quantitative characters overlapped among morphotypes, and were of limited value. Electrophoretic separation of tuber proteins in 7.5% polyacrylamide gels generally confirmed the morphotype groupings. It is concluded that each of the morphotypes represents a single genotype, and these are named according to the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants. The variation within S. × chaucha apparently has been restricted by its hybrid origin.     

In this issue – November 2011

H1N1 influenza in pigs in Australia · Postnatal neurogenetic disorders · Deltamethrin collar for paralysis ticks in dogs · Myocardial laceration from sewing needle · Physiotherapy for tetanus in a foal · Morbillivirus in a bottle‐nosed dolphin · Sarcoptic manage in a swamp wallaby · Psychological health of veterinarians in Australia · History of the Australian College of Veterinary Scientists     

Effect of adrenalectomy on cholecystokinin-8-induced Fos-like immunoreactivity in myenteric neurons and the dorsal vagal complex in rats

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of adrenalectomy on cholecystokinin-8 (CCK-8)-induced Fos-like immunoreactivity (Fos-LI) in the myenteric neurons of the dorsal vagal complex (DVC) in rats. ANIMALS: 16 male Sprague Dawley rats. PROCEDURES: Rats were allocated to 1 of 2 groups and underwent adrenalectomy or a sham adrenalectomy procedure. Rats were challenged with a supraphysiologic dose of CCK-8 (40 microg/kg) or physiologic saline (0.9% NaCl) solution (0.5 mL) administered IP; after 90 minutes, rats were euthanized, and Fos-LI was quantified in the DVC (at the levels of the area postrema, nucleus tractus solitarii, and dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus) and the myenteric neurons of the duodenum and jejunum by use of a diaminobenzidine reaction enhanced with nickel. The Fos-LI-positive cells were counted by use of an automated system and manually in the DVC and intestinal samples, respectively. Counts of Fos-LI in the different hindbrain levels and myenteric neurons were compared between the adrenalectomy--and shamtreated groups and between the CCK-8- and saline solution-treated groups. RESULTS: After adrenalectomy, CCK-8-induced Fos-LI was attenuated only in the myenteric neurons of the duodenum. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results indicate that the adrenal gland has a role in the activation of myenteric neurons by CCK-8 in rats.     

Clonality and phenotyping of canine lymphomas before chemotherapy and during remission using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on lymph node cytologic smears and peripheral blood

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays for the immunoglobulin and T-cell receptor genes were utilized to determine phenotype and clonality from lymph node cytologic smears and peripheral blood lymphocytes from 10 dogs with lymphoma, before chemotherapy and during remission. Results were compared with those from 13 dogs with a cytologic diagnosis of lymph node hyperplasia. Clonality was identified in 7 of the lymphomas on the basis of either lymph node cytology or peripheral blood lymphocytes before treatment. No lymph node hyperplasia samples were clonal. In 6 of the dogs with lymphoma, clonality was demonstrated during clinical remission. Detection of PCR clonality during clinical remission is an effective means of identifying minimal residual disease in canine lymphoma and thus additional work is warranted to determine if molecular remission is prognostic or predictive for outcome in well-controlled and well-defined lymphoma subtypes.