Effects of diet on acidic and neutral goblet cell populations in the small intestine of early weaned pigs.

Effects of dietary manipulation on Alcian blue-positive (AB+) and periodic acid-Schiff-positive (PAS+) goblet cell populations were determined for the villi and intestinal crypts in the small intestine of early weaned pigs. Pigs were weaned at 21 days of age and samples from the distal portions of the duodenum and the middle and distal portions of the jejunum were obtained when pigs were 21, 24, 27, 30, 33, and 36 days old. Pigs were assigned to 1 of 3 dietary treatments; all diets contained 20% protein, on the basis of hydrolyzed casein, soybean meal, or corn-soybean meal. By day 24, three days after weaning, the populations of AB+ and PAS+ goblet cells were markedly decreased, regardless of diet. Goblet cell populations in the villi tended to increase from 3 to 15 days after weaning, whereas those in the intestinal crypts remained low throughout the study. Differences between any of the dietary treatments were not apparent for AB+ or PAS+ goblet cell populations in the villi or in the intestinal crypts. It appeared that early weaning per se, and not diet, was the primary cause for decreases in goblet cell populations.     

California National Animal Health Monitoring System for meat-turkey flocks, 1988-1989: diagnostic testing results.

Six hundred fourteen meat turkeys were submitted for necropsy from 24 California ranches as part of the National Animal Health Monitoring System (NAHMS). Enteritis was the most frequent pathologic diagnosis in birds 18 days old or younger and the second most frequent diagnosis in birds 19-70 days old. Hemorrhagic enteritis was the most frequent diagnosis in birds aged 19-70 days. Tibial dyschondroplasia, bronchopneumonia, and ascaridiasis were ranked one through three in frequency of diagnoses in birds over 70 days of age. Salmonella was isolated from 71% of flocks tested, and Mycoplasma meleagridis was isolated from 33% of tested flocks over 70 days of age. Antibodies to several disease agents were detected, including hemorrhagic enteritis (100% of flocks over 70 days old) and Newcastle disease (63% of flocks over 70 days old).     

Sweating sickness: relative curative effect of hyperimmune serum and a precipitated immunoglobulin suspension and immunoblot identification of proposed immunodominant tick salivary gland proteins

Although of low morbidity, sweating sickness is readily induced in calves by infestation with positive Hyalomma truncatum adult ticks. This epitheliotrophic disease has no specific cure except by the administration of hyperimmune serum obtained from animals which have recovered and are subsequently immune to the disease. Treatment with hyperimmune serum, however, has associated problems of donor availability, possible serum contamination and i.v. administration of a relatively large volume. This paper compares the treatment and cure of sweating sickness using unrefined hyperimmune serum and that of an experimental suspension. The latter proved relatively inefficient probably due to a low concentration of effective immunoglobulins. Immunoblot analyses of the sera of affected animals, using tick salivary glands as antigen during the course of the trial revealed 4 tick salivary gland proteins with molecular masses of between 27-33 kDa. These are proposed as being associated with sweating sickness immunodominance.     

Analysis of the reactivity of anti-bovine CD8 monoclonal antibodies with cloned T cell lines and mouse L-cells transfected with bovine CD8

Mouse L-cells transfected with bovine CD8 and two Theileria parva-infected cloned T cell lines expressing bovine CD8 were used to screen the panel of ten monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) submitted to the workshop. Eight of the ten mAbs reacted with the transfectant and both the cloned T cell lines. However, two mAbs CC58 and BAT82A did not recognise the transfectant and only reacted with one of the T cell lines. Further biochemical studies indicated that the eight mAbs react with both homo- and heterodimeric forms of bovine CD8 whilst the two mAbs CC58 and BAT82A react with only heterodimeric forms. These data suggest that bovine DC8 is encoded by two genes as is the case in mouse and man.     

Effect of level of intake and supplemental barley on marker estimates of fecal output using an intraruminal continuous-release chromic oxide bolus

Sixty wethers (average BW = 45 kg) fitted with fecal collection bags were used in four experiments to evaluate the ability of a intraruminal continuous-release chromic oxide bolus to predict fecal DM output. In Exp. 1, 18 wethers housed in metabolism crates were fed barley at either 0, 100, or 200g/d and allowed ad libitum consumption of alfalfa pellets. In Exp. 2, 18 wethers were housed in metabolism crates and fed alfalfa pellets at either 70, 85, or 125% of pre-study ad libitum consumption. In Exp. 3, 12 wethers grazed a sagebrush-bunchgrass range and were individually fed barley at 0 or 200 g/d. In Exp. 4, 12 wethers grazed either an ungrazed (383 kg/ha herbaceous biomass) or a heavily grazed (175 kg/ha herbaceous biomass) sagebrush-bunchgrass range. Experiments 1 and 2 were balanced 3 x 3 Latin squares, and Exp. 3 and 4 were crossover designs. Chromium content was determined in rectal grab samples. Treatment effects were compared using marker-estimated fecal output divided by total fecal collection, multiplied by 100, as the dependent variable. Accuracy of the estimate was verified by comparing marker-estimated fecal output with total fecal collection using a paired t-test. In Exp. 1 and 2, treatments were different (P less than .05). No differences (P greater than .50) were detected in Exp. 3 and 4. In Exp. 1, 2, and 3 accuracy was different (P less than .02) among wethers within study and treatment. Only in Study 4 were minor or no differences (P greater than .09) in accuracy found.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Attraction of newborn piglets to auditory, visual, olfactory and tactile stimuli

Newborn piglets were removed from their dam and their responses to a variety of sensory stimuli were tested in four experiments. Test stimuli were presented simultaneously in multiple-choice arenas. Piglets allowed to choose among recordings of sow vocalizations, piglet vocalizations or white noise in a 5-min test spent more time in proximity to vocalizations of sows and piglets than near white noise. This was significant for males (P less than .01) but not for females. Piglets choosing among illumination levels (bright, dim or dark) in a 5-min test showed a strong preference for either dim or dark areas over bright light (P less than .01), with no difference between attractivity of dim and dark areas. Piglets choosing among birth fluids, sow's milk or tap water during a 5-min test spent more time with maternal odors than with water (P less than .05). No difference in attractivity between birth fluids and sow's milk was apparent. Preferences of piglets to move either with or against the direction of hair growth were tested using the mid-back area of the sow as a test surface. Piglets moved with the direction of hair growth twice as often as against the growth of hair (P less than .01). Results of these experiments indicate that piglets can discriminate among auditory, olfactory, visual and tactile stimuli immediately after birth.     

Role of ginger against the reproductive toxicity of aluminium chloride in albino male rats

The aim of the current study was to evaluate reproductive disorders concomitant with aluminium chloride (AlCl₃) toxicity in Albino male rats. Attention was also directed to study the protective influence of ginger against this toxicity. Forty‐five mature Albino Wistar male rats were equally divided into three groups; the first group was served as control group while those of the second group (AlCl₃) were daily treated with 34 mg/kg bw. AlCl₃ orally. The third group (AlCl₃ + ginger) was treated daily with AlCl₃ as in group 2 in combination with ginger (40 mg/kg bw), which started 2 weeks prior to AlCl₃. Five animals from each group were sacrificed on days 30, 45 and 60 of treatment. AlCl₃ administration significantly decreased serum testosterone levels, increased testicular homogenate malondialdehyde and deteriorated semen picture with increased testicular DNA fragmentation. Histopathological examination revealed degenerative changes of the seminiferous tubules with focal areas of necrosed spermatogenic cells, marked degeneration and desquamation of the lining epithelial cells of epididymis as well as multiple calcified material in prostate gland following 60 days of aluminium treatment. Ginger treatment started to improve significantly all studied parameters after 60 days as compared with AlCl₃‐treated group. In the current study, it was concluded that AlCl₃ had a destructive effect on all the studied reproductive parameters. Treatment with ginger has an ameliorating effect against AlCl₃ toxicity after 60 days post‐treatment.     

Comparative evaluation of the liver in dogs with a splenic mass by using ultrasonography and contrast-enhanced computed tomography

Evaluation of dogs with splenic masses to better educate owners as to the extent of the disease is a goal of many research studies. We compared the use of ultrasonography (US) and contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) to evaluate the accuracy of detecting hepatic neoplasia in dogs with splenic masses, independently, in series, or in parallel. No significant difference was found between US and CT. If the presence or absence of ascites, as detected with US, was used as a pretest probability of disease in our population, the positive predictive value increased to 94% if the tests were run in series, and the negative predictive value increased to 95% if the tests were run in parallel. The study showed that CT combined with US could be a valuable tool in evaluation of dogs with splenic masses.