Early Pregnancy Detection of Iraqi Riverine Buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) Using the BioPRYN Enzyme‐Linked Immunosorbent Assay for PSPB and the Progesterone Assay

This study was undertaken to detect pregnancy in Iraqi riverine buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) using three different methods (rectal palpation, plasma progesterone concentration and detection of the presence of pregnancy‐specific protein B (PSPB) with the BioPRYN^® enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test. The aim of the study was to identify the most sensitive, early and accurate method for detecting pregnancy. Twenty‐two female riverine buffalo that were 6.0 ± 0.93 years old were used. Four blood samples per buffalo were taken via jugular venipuncture at days 22–24, 32–34, 42–44 and 58–61 post‐mating (PM) to measure the progesterone concentration (ng/ml) and to detect the presence of plasma PSPB. The rectal palpation method was employed to evaluate all buffalo on days 42–44 and 58–61 PM. The BioPRYN^® test differed (p < 0.01) from the other tests with earlier accuracy for detecting pregnant and non‐pregnant buffalo. Eighty‐eight percent of pregnant and 76.9% of non‐pregnant buffalo were distinguished early (days 22–24 PM) using BioPRYN^® and plasma PSPB‐ELISA level (2.09 ± 0.12 ng/ml) in relation to 66.7% and 53.9% detected using the progesterone assay at similar days (4.30 ± 0.40 ng/ml). In conclusion, these results described, for the first time, the early and accurate pregnancy detection of water riverine buffalo using BioPRYN^® technology and provided the plasma levels of PSPB using an ELISA test. These findings will improve the reproductive and productive efficiency of Iraqi riverine buffalo by adapting the recent management and reproductive strategies in Iraq and in the world.     

Chlamydia psittaci: a suspected cause of reproductive loss in three Victorian horses

Chlamydia psittaci was detected by PCR in the lung and equine foetal membranes of two aborted equine foetuses and one weak foal from two different studs in Victoria, Australia. The abortions occurred in September 2019 in two mares sharing a paddock northeast of Melbourne. The weak foal was born in October 2019 in a similar geographical region and died soon after birth despite receiving veterinary care. The detection of C. psittaci DNA in the lung and equine foetal membranes of the aborted or weak foals and the absence of any other factors that are commonly associated with abortion or neonatal death suggest that this pathogen may be the cause of the reproductive loss. The detection of C. psittaci in these cases is consistent with the recent detection of C. psittaci in association with equine abortion in New South Wales. These cases in Victoria show that C. psittaci, and the zoonotic risk it poses, should be considered in association with equine reproductive loss in other areas of Australia.     

Cutaneous antigen-antibody reactions in the sheep

Abstract

Extract

It is clear that the early permeability response in the sheep that follows chemical and thermal injury, is mediated by histamine (Lancaster and Vegad, 1967 Lancaster, M. C. and Vegad, J. L. 1967. Suppression of the early inflammatory response in the sheep by strophanthin G. Nature, Lond., 213: 840–841.  [Google Scholar]; Vegad, 1971a Vegad, J. L. 1971a. Effect of thermal injury on vascular permeability in the sheep. Indian J. exp. Biol., 9: 111–112.  [Google Scholar], b Vegad, J. L. 1971b. Leucocyte emigration following intradermal injection of histamine, 5-hydroxytrypta-mine and bradykinin in the sheep. Indian J. exp Biol., 9: 113–114.  [Google Scholar]). This is similar to the situation in the rat and the guinea-pig (Spector and Willoughby, 1965 Spector, W. G. and Willoughby, D. A. 1965. The Inflammatory Process, Edited by: Zwiefach, B. W., Grant, L. and Mc-Cluskey, R. T. 427–427. New York: Academic Press. In [Google Scholar]). In contrast to the situation in the rat and the guinea-pig, various nucleosides (Vegad, 1970c Vegad, J. L. 1970c. Effect of hyaluronidase and nucleosides on vascular permeability in sheep and its suppression by mepyramine maleate. Indian J. exp. Biol., 8: 141–142.  [Google Scholar]), hyaluronidase (Vegad, 1970c Vegad, J. L. 1970c. Effect of hyaluronidase and nucleosides on vascular permeability in sheep and its suppression by mepyramine maleate. Indian J. exp. Biol., 8: 141–142.  [Google Scholar]), 5-hydroxytryptamine, turpentine-induced pleural exudates and the lymph node cell extracts also release histamine in the sheep skin (Vegad, 1967 Fischel, E. E. and Kabat, E. A. 1947. Quantitative study of Arthus phenomenon induced passively in rabbit. J. Immun., 55: 337–343.  [Google Scholar]). From these results it was thought possible that cutaneous antigen-antibody reactions might also release histamine in the sheep, and this possibility has been investigated in the present experiments.     

Pharmacokinetics of sulfamethazine in male, female and castrated male swine

The concentration of sulfamethazine in plasma and sulfamethazine and its metabolites in urine were compared in male, female and castrated male swine. A surgical technique for placement of catheters in the urinary bladder was used to facilitate the collection of urine in males and castrated males. The elimination rate of sulfamethazine from plasma and the excretion of parent drug and metabolites into urine did not differ significantly among females, males and castrated male swine.     

Effect of exogenous progesterone administration on luteal sensitivity to PGF during the early development of the corpus luteum in mares and cows

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of exogenous progesterone administration at ovulation and during the early development of the CL, on its future sensitivity to a single administration of PGF2a in mares and cows. Horse Retrospective reproductive data from an equine clinic in the UK during three breeding seasons were used. Mares were divided into: control group, cycles with single ovulations; double ovulation group cycles with asynchronous double ovulations; and PRID group: cycles with single ovulations and treatment with intravaginal progesterone device (CIDR) immediately after the ovulation. All mares were treated with d‐cloprostenol (PGF) at either: (i) 88 hr; (ii) 96 hr; (iii) 104 hr; or (iv) 112 hr after the last ovulation. Cattle A total of nine non‐lactating Holstein cows were used. All cows were administered PGF14 d apart and allocated to one of two groups control group GnRH was administered 56 hr after the second PGF administration. CIDR group CIDR was inserted at the same time of GnRH administration. All cows were administered PGF at 120 hr post‐ovulation. The complete luteolysis rate of mares with double ovulation (66.7%) and those treated with exogenous progesterone (68.4%) was significantly higher than the rate of mares with single ovulation (35.6%) at 104 hr. In the cow, however, the treatment with CIDR did not increase the luteolytic response in cows treated at 120 hr post‐ovulation. In conclusion, the degree of complete luteolysis can be influenced by increasing the concentration of progesterone during the early luteal development in mares.     

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.     

Equine amnionitis and fetal loss: The case definition for an unrecognised cause of abortion in mares

A series of abortions occurred in mares in New South Wales during 2004 that involved similar and unusual findings on post mortem examination of aborted fetuses and fetal membranes. The term Equine Amnionitis and Fetal Loss (EAFL) was developed to describe the condition. This form of abortion had not been previously recognised in Australia. The pathology alone is not specific for EAFL and diagnosis requires demonstration of a combination of certain pathological and bacteriological features. The purpose of this paper is to describe patterns considered consistent with EAFL cases as a working case definition for use by veterinarians and veterinary pathologists in identifying future cases of EAFL. More detailed papers are in preparation to fully describe the epidemiological, histopathological, and microbiological aspects of EAFL.