Mycoplasma gallisepticum infection in wild-type turkeys living in close contact with domestic fowl

Mycoplasma gallisepticum was isolated from 2 wild-type turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) and 1 domestic turkey living in close contact on a farm in Tehama County, California. Sinusitis was detected in 2 of 14 wild-type turkeys and in 1 of 12 feral broad-breasted bronze turkeys, but in none of several chickens on the premises. The entire mixed flock was captured, sinus aspirates were collected from affected birds, and blood samples were obtained from all birds for serologic testing. Blood samples also were obtained from 10 domestic turkeys on adjacent premises from which breeding stock had been borrowed. The M gallisepticum isolated from sinus aspirates was typed and inoculated into susceptible chickens, resulting in airsacculitis. California wild turkeys with and without histories of exposure to domestic fowl and wild turkeys shipped into California from Texas for release were tested for antibodies to M gallisepticum, using the plate agglutination test. Evidence of M gallisepticum infection was not found in wild turkeys at any location other than the original premises.     

Electron microscopic study of the unique features and structural-morphologic relationship of canine bone marrow

Electron microscopy revealed several unique features in canine bone marrow, compared with that of other species. The marrow was fatty and extensively trabeculated and was enclosed by a complete layer of endosteal bone-lining cells. Branched reticular cells were closely associated with each other and, occasionally, covered part of the sinus wall as an adventitial layer. The extent of adventitial coverage varied markedly and was less extensive, compared with that of other species. On average, only 23% of the sinus wall was covered by adventitial layer, in contrast to 65% reported in laboratory animals. Unilaminar sinuses, with no adventitial coverage, accounted for greater than 38% of all sinuses. Quantitative analysis indicated that 60% of the latter sinuses contained apertures, as opposed to 35% of sinuses with adventitial coverage (P less than 0.05). Moreover, the number of apertures in unilaminar sinuses was significantly (P less than 0.009) greater than that in multilaminar sinuses. Apertures were observed every 59 microns in unilaminar sinuses, in contrast to every 109 microns in multilaminar sinuses. Approximately 75% of the apertures were occupied by cells in transit, and only 25% were free of cells. Macrophages were distributed throughout the marrow and were closely associated with all blood cell lines. Occasionally, cells that entered the lumen were not fully mature. Erythroblasts were seen migrating across the wall and within the lumen of sinuses. The less-extensive adventitial coverage in canine bone marrow might indicate that the rate of cell delivery from the marrow into the circulation was relatively high in this species.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Vaccination against lumpy jaw and measurement of antibody response in wallabies (Macropus eugenii)

Successful protection against lumpy jaw disease in a colony of captive wallabies (Macropus eugenii) was induced by vaccination with a commercial ovine footrot vaccine. No mortalities attributable to lumpy jaw were observed in 69 vaccinated animals while six of 42 unvaccinated control wallabies died of the disease. Vaccinated animals exhibited significant increases in antibody titres to Bacteroides nodosus after the first and second doses of vaccine. Titres were measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.     

Influence of picolinic acid on the uptake of 65zinc-amino acid complexes by the everted rat gut

Three hundred fifty rats were used in three experiments to: 1) validate the everted gut procedure as an in vitro technique for estimating Zn absorption, 2) determine the effect of increasing ratios of picolinic acid (PA) to Zn on Zn absorption and 3) determine the effect of PA on absorption of Zn and amino acid complexes at pH 6, 7 and 8. In the first experiment the time delay between tissue collection with subsequent storage in ice-cold saline and start of tissue incubation was 0, 10, 20 or 30 min. A linear decrease was observed for 65Zn uptake with increasing delay time. Lysine absorption was not affected by delay time. In the second experiment, molar ratios of PA:Zn of 0, .5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0 and 2.5 with Zn held constant were evaluated. A linear decrease in 65Zn absorption from 65ZnCl2 occurred as the molar ratio of PA to Zn increased. In the third experiment, 0 and 5 molar ratios of PA to a constant Zn level were evaluated using 65ZnCl2, 65Zn-14C-methionine (ZnMet) and 65Zn-3H-lysine (ZnLys) at pH 6, 7 and 8. The addition of PA decreased Zn absorption regardless of Zn source. The data suggest that the Zn sources used were of similar biological value. The data do not support the theory that PA facilitates Zn absorption.     

Ovarian choriocarcinoma in the mouse

Choriocarcinoma is one of the rarest ovarian tumors in any animal species. This paper describes the gross and microscopic appearance of seven such neoplasms in B6C3F1 mice. Mean age at death was 47 weeks. Tumors were described at necropsy as dark or hemorrhagic cystic lesions. On microscopic examination tumors were composed of hematocysts, intercellular hemorrhage, and cytotrophoblasts, syncytiotrophoblasts, and/or trophoblastic giant cells. Cytotrophoblasts, syncytiotrophoblasts, and occasional giant cells were present in three cases while the other four tumors contained only trophoblastic giant cells.     

Effect of protein and energy intake by primiparous sows during lactation on sow and litter performance and sow serum thyroxine and urea concentrations

The effects of protein and energy intakes by primiparous sows during a 28-d lactation on thyroxine (T4) and urea concentrations in blood serum of sows, and sow and litter performance were examined in two experiments. Dietary treatments were protein intakes of 380 (LP) and 760 (HP) g of crude protein X sow-1 X d-1 and energy intakes of 8 (LE) and 16 (HE) Mcal of metabolizable energy (ME) X sow-1 X d-1 in a 2 X 2 factorial arrangement. In Exp. 1 (34 sows), neither protein nor energy intake affected serum T4 concentrations. In both experiments, serum urea concentrations during lactation were influenced by both protein (P less than .001) and energy (P less than .001) intakes. In Exp. 2 (221 sows), sows fed LP or LE lost more weight (P less than .001) during lactation than sows fed either HP or HE. Backfat loss was greater (P less than .001) in sows fed diets of LE than HE, whereas sows fed HP lost more backfat (P = .016) than sows fed LP. Pig weights on d 28 were influenced by both protein (P less than .001) and energy (P = .038), with sows that were provided high intakes of either protein or energy having heavier pigs. Litter weight at weaning was heavier (P less than .005) for sows consuming HP. Sows fed LP had larger litters at d 14 (P = .051) and 28 (P = .046) than sows fed HP. Sow energy intake had no effect on litter size or weight. Percentages of sows in estrus by 7, 14 and 35 d postweaning were higher (P less than .004, P less than .030 and P less than .060, respectively) for sows fed HP than LP, whereas sow energy intakes had no effect on the interval from weaning to first estrus.     

Endocrine profiles associated with life span of induced corpora lutea in postpartum beef cows

Two experiments were designed to examine whether hormonal profiles were related to luteal life span in pluriparous postpartum anestrous beef cows. Cows (Exp. 1, n = 34; Exp. 2, n = 23) received norgestomet (N) for 9 d or served as controls (C). Each cow received 1,000 IU human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) 48 h after removal of N (d 0). Blood samples collected every 15 min for 8 h on d -5, 3 and 5 (Exp. 1) or on d -10 and -1 (Exp. 2) were assayed for luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH). Cortisol was determined in hourly samples collected on d -5 and in samples collected every 2 min during suckling on the same day (Exp. 1). Concentrations of 15-keto-13,14-dihydro-PGF2 alpha (PGFM) were determined in samples collected at 15-min intervals for 2 h on d -5, 3, 5 and 10 (Exp. 1). Estradiol-17 beta was measured in samples collected on d -5 (Exp. 1) or on d -10 and -1 (Exp. 2). Life span of induced corpora lutea was longer (P less than .05) in N than C cows. Percentages of N cows in which corpora lutea, formed in response to hCG, exhibited a normal life span were 83% on farm 1 and 25% on farm 2 (Exp. 1), and 90% (Exp. 2), compared with 0% in C cows. Concentrations of FSH were not affected by N but were lower (P less than .05) on d -5 in cows on farm 2 (.6 +/- .1 ng/ml) than in cows on farm 1 (.8 +/- .1 ng/ml). On d -5, a treatment X farm interaction (P less than .05) for mean LH was observed and frequency of pulses of LH was higher (P less than .01) in N than C cows (2.7 +/- .4 vs. .8 +/- .8 pulses/8 h). Neither cortisol nor PGFM was affected by N. Estradiol was increased in d -1 (6.1 +/- .5 vs 2.6 +/- .8 pg/ml; P less than .01) by N. It is suggested that pre-treatment with N enhanced life span of induced corpora lutea, in part, by influencing secretion of LH and development of follicles, but a threshold concentration of FSH was required for N to exert this effect.     

Reproducible cloning assays for in vitro growth of canine hematopoietic progenitor cells and their potential applications in investigative hematotoxicity

A variety of in vitro cloning assays have been used for studying hematopoiesis in mice and human beings. However, these techniques have had limited use in dogs, a species used extensively as a model for hematopoietic research, particularly hematotoxicity. We have adopted cloning assays for in vitro growth of canine colony-forming unit-erythroid (CFU-E) and colony-forming unit-granulocyte/macrophage (CFU-GM) progenitor cells, using modified microplasma clot and soft agar culture systems, respectively. Marrow mononuclear cells separated by density-gradient centrifugation were added to the aforementioned culture systems. Erythroid colonies were stimulated with sheep plasma erythropoietin and incubated at 37 C in 5% CO2 for 2 days. The CFU-E colonies were fixed with 5% glutaraldehyde, stained with benzidine, counted, and expressed as a mean of 8 replicates. The CFU-GM colonies were stimulated with pooled serum from endotoxin-treated dogs and incubated for 8 days at 37 C in 10% CO2. Using an inverted microscope, the CFU-GM colonies were counted and expressed as a mean of 6 replicates. The number of colonies was proportional to the plated cell concentrations. The addition of 10% autologous serum to CFU-GM cultures increased the number of colonies by 80 to 100%, but markedly reduced the size and number of CFU-E colonies. The marrow cloning capacity among dogs of comparable age was similar, and little variation was noticed when bone marrow cells from the same dogs were cultured repeatedly over a period of 3 to 4 months. We concluded that these cloning assays are fast, reliable, and reproducible and that they allow quantitative determination of canine hematopoietic progenitor cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)