Epizootiological examination of a respiratory disease associated with mycoplasma infection in horse

The authors examined 585 samples from 92 mares of 2 studs and 346 nasal swabs taken from their foals for the presence of mycoplasmas. The positive rates of mares and foals were 81.5% and 71.7%, respectively, with positivity of samples being variable. Clinical symptoms developed in 2-4 waves and lasted 3-7 days, with intervals of 7-12 days. The disease started in April among foals born in February, at an average age of 88 days. Later on, the average age of the affected foals decreased. There was a correlation between presence of mycoplasmas in nasal cavity and disease of foals.     

Findings of Yersinia in slaughter pigs, synantropic animals and workers in meat products in a defined region

In 15 selected stocks in the Strakonice district, 507 slaughter pigs, 708 small terrestric mammals and 110 free-living birds were examined in a two-year period (1986-1987) to study the occurrence of carriers of yersiniae and their elimination. Rectal smears from 243 persons working in livestock production were examined in the same way. Standard bacteriological methods, recent examination procedures (Aulisio et al., 1980; Aldová, 1981) and a diagnostic antiserum (03 IMUNA Sarisské Michalany) were used for the examination. The following results were obtained: In pigs: 1. yersiniae were detected in 65 cases (12.8%); of this, in 31 cases they occurred in the tonsils, in 35 cases in ileum, and twice in the ileocaecal lymph nodes. 2. Epidemiologically significant Y. enterocolitica 4;03 was detected in 28 cases (5.5%); of this, 22 times in the tonsils, 7 times in ileum, and once in the ileocaecal lymph nodes. 3. The seasonal nature of the occurrence of yersiniae was confirmed in 1986, with maxima in winter-spring, but in 1987 their occurrence declined substantially to less than a quarter. In the small mammals, yersiniae were detected 28 times (4%); of this, 7 times in common field mouse, 11 times in common vole, 5 times in house mouse, twice in shrew, once in Apodemus flavicollis, and once in Apodemus sp. 2. Y. enterocolitica 4;03 was detected twice (0.26%), both cases in the house mouse. Other results: 1. In all the 110 free-living birds the examination for yersiniae had a negative result; 2. in the rectal smears of 243 persons employed in livestock production, yersiniae were identified twice (0.8%)--in one case Y. enterocolitica 1, in the other Y. enterocolitica biovars 1 and 2.     

Inhibin and reproduction. First communication: changes to inhibin level in Barki ewes after artificial infection with bluetongue virus

Bluetongue virus type 16, isolated from sheep in Egypt, was injected to 4 normally cycling Barki ewes and caused high levels of inhibin. This was assayed by a biological method, using suppression of the luteinising hormone (LH) of castrated rats. Albumin (fraction 2) was injected to normally cycling ewes. The sera of injected ewes were investigated 1 day after injection and weekly up to the 4th one injection. There was a gradual decrease of LH (4.8 +/- 0.52 I.U./ml serum) until the minimum level (1.17 +/- 0.25 I.U./ml serum) was reached, in comparison to the control serum LH which was 5.26 +/- 0.52 I.U./ml serum during the dioestrous phase.     

Capillary Supply During Development of Individual Regenerating Muscle Fibers

This study describes the capillary supply of individual regenerating muscle fiber during three stages of its development. Regeneration was induced by the injection of mepivacaine in the anterior tibial muscle of rats. Muscle fiber capillarization during regeneration was analysed in semithin sections, employing the following parameters: the number of capillaries around a fiber and the number of capillaries per fiber cross-sectional area. The results revealed that during development of regenerating fibers, the fiber cross-sectional area increased, the number of capillaries around each fiber increased and the number of capillaries per fiber cross-sectional area decreased. These data indicated a greater capillary supply of the individual regenerating muscle fiber during its early stage of maturation.     

Cytogenetic analysis of a long-term Triticum timopheevii (Zhuk.) Zhuk. cell suspension culture

In vitro culturing of plant cells can cause changes in karyotype. Chromosome variations following long-term propagation in suspension culture of Triticum timopheevii (Zhuk.) Zhuk. were studied by routine staining and C-banding. The culture was highly heterogeneous with respect to the number and structure of chromosomes. The modal class cells had a lower chromosome number than T. timopheevii (2n= 28). This data was confirmed by cytophotometric analysis of nuclear-DNA content. Frequencies of chromosome loss varied for different homoeologous groups. A^t genome chromosomes tended to be preferentially eliminated in cells of different ploidy levels. Deletions, insertions, translocations, telocentric chromosomes, isochromosomes and dicentrics and their derivatives were observed in cultured cells. Chromosomes of various homoeologous groups differed in the frequencies and spectra of re—arrangements, but most aberrations occurred in the G-genome chromosomes. In vitro chromosome modifications did not correspond to in vivo variation. Presumably, this difference was caused by differences in the mechanisms of adaptation to the environment at the levels of the cell and the whole organism. G-genome chromosomes were more frequently involved in this process, both in vivo and in vitro.     

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the detection of antibodies to the sheep scab mite Psoroptes ovis

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay has been shown to detect antibodies in the circulation of sheep infected with Psoroptes ovis. Strong positive reactions were obtained from 19 sheep with four-month-old infections. No cross reaction was observed with sera obtained from sheep infected with either Fasciola hepatica, Nematodirus battus, Ostertagia circumcincta or Damalinia ovis.     

Binding patterns of five monoclonal antibodies to Actinobacillus (Haemophilus) pleuropneumoniae

Five monoclonal antibodies were obtained after immunising mice with superficial antigens of three strains representing serovars 1 to 3 of Actinobacillus (Haemophilus) pleuro-pneumoniae. When tested in ELISA against the standard strains representing serovars 1 to 10, the monoclonal antibody raised against the standard strain of serovar 1 reacted only with that strain. Of the three monoclonal antibodies raised against the standard strain of serovar 3, one reacted with serovars 3 and 8 only, another with serovar 7 only and the third with the strains representing serovars 7, 9 and 10. The monoclonal antibodies produced with the serovar 2 strain also reacted with a wide spectrum of strains, representing serovars 7 to 10.