Dietary tryptophan helps to preserve tryptophan homeostasis in pigs suffering from lung inflammation

In pigs, inflammation modifies Trp metabolism and consequently could impact on Trp requirement for growth. In this study, the effects of lung inflammation, induced by the intravenous injection of complete Freund's adjuvant, and dietary Trp content on Trp metabolism and availability were investigated. Two dietary Trp contents, one corresponding to a low-Trp diet (1.5 g of Trp/kg of diet, Basal diet) and the second to an adequate-Trp diet (2 g of Trp/kg of diet, TRP diet), were used. Ten blocks of 4 littermate piglets were selected at 40 d of age. Within each block, piglets were randomly assigned to 1 of the 4 experimental treatments: (1) healthy control and Basal diet, (2) inflammation and Basal diet, (3) inflammation and Basal diet + antioxidant, and (4) inflammation and TRP diet. Inflammation induced an increase in indoleam-ine 2,3 dioxygenase (IDO) activity, an enzyme involved in Trp catabolism, in lung, lymph nodes, heart, and spleen (P < 0.01). Contrary to piglets fed the TRP diet, pigs suffering from inflammation did not maintain their plasma Trp concentrations when they were fed the Basal diet. Furthermore, pigs fed the TRP diet had decreased plasma haptoglobin concentrations, IDO activity, and lung weight than those fed the Basal diet, indicating that the inflammatory response was moderated with the greater Trp supply. Antioxidant addition in the Basal diet decreased the effects of inflammation on plasma Trp concentrations and IDO activity. These results indicated that inflammation increases Trp catabolism and thus may decrease Trp availability for growth.     

An eastern equine encephalomyelitis (EEE) outbreak in Quebec in the fall of 2008

Eastern equine encephalomyelitis (EEE) was diagnosed in 19 horses and a flock of emus in the province of Quebec in fall 2008. The EEE virus caused unusual gross lesions in the central nervous system of one horse. This disease is not usually present in Quebec and the relation between the outbreak and favorable environmental conditions that summer are discussed.     

Oral absorption and bioavailability of flumequine in veal calves

The oral absorption and bioavailability of flumequine was studied in 1-, 5- and 18-week-old calves following intravenous and oral administration of different formulations of flumequine (Flumix, Flumix C and pure flumequine). Increasing age had a negative influence on the Cmax after the administration of Flumix, based on a larger VD in the older calves. The Cmax decreased from 5.02 +/- 1.46 micrograms/ml in the first week to 3.28 +/- 0.42 micrograms/ml in the 18th week. Adding colistin sulfate to the flumequine formulation and administring pure flumequine mixed with milk replacer had a negative effect on the Cmax of flumequine after oral administration of 5 and 10 mg/kg body weight. The bioavailability of the orally administered flumequine formulations was 100% in all cases except after the administration of Flumix C, for which it was 75.9 +/- 18.2%. The urinary recovery of flumequine after intravenous injection of a 10% solution varied from 35.2 +/- 2.3% for Group B, to 41.2 +/- 6.3% for Group C. The dosage of 5 mg/kg body weight Flumix twice daily in 1-week-old veal calves is sufficient to reach therapeutic plasma concentrations, based on a MIC value of 0.8 micrograms/ml of the target bacteria. In older calves it is advisable to increase the dosage 7.5 or 10 mg/kg body weight every 12 hours. In combination with colistin sulfate it is also advisable to increase the dosage slightly because of the negative effect of the colistin sulfate on the Cmax of flumequine.     

A comparison of mortality rates between top height trees and average site trees

? Although comparisons between methods of selecting trees for site index estimates are well documented in the literature, little is known on mortality rates of different canopy tree cohorts used for that purpose.

? This study was initiated to test the hypothesis that the mortality rates of top height trees are lower than those of codominants only or a combination of codominant and dominant trees. To test this hypothesis, we used records from a network of permanent sample plots in Québec and studied the fate of different cohorts of site trees for five different species.

? Our results did not show clear evidence of lower mortality rates for top height trees. Instead we found that depending on the species, top height trees have lower (Populus tremuloides, Pinus banksiana), higher (Picea mariana, Abies balsamea) or equal mortality rates (Betula papyrifera) than codominant trees or codominant and dominant trees combined.

? These results suggest a tendency for shade intolerant species to maintain lower top height tree mortality rates over time when compared to shade tolerant species. In the latter case, it is also shown that spruce budworm epidemics (Choristoneura fumiferana) did not change the pattern of mortality rates of site trees of A. balsamea.

     

Evaluation of a thoracoscopic technique using ligating loops to obtain large lung biopsies in standing healthy and heaves-affected horses

Objective— To evaluate use of pre‐tied ligating loop to perform thoracoscopic, large lung biopsy in normal and heaves‐affected horses. Study Design— Prospective clinical study. Animals— Normal (n=5) and heaves‐affected (n=6) horses. Methods— Lung biopsies, 1 from each hemithorax, were collected thoracoscopically using a pre‐tied ligating loop. Horses were either normal (C) or heaves‐affected with the latter being in remission (Ha) for the initial biopsy and in exacerbation (Hs) for the 2nd biopsy. Clinical variables, PaO₂, and PaCO₂ were used to determine the effect of surgical biopsy. Postoperative pneumothorax was monitored by serial thoracic radiographic examinations. Results— Thoracoscopic lung biopsy (n=29, 22 procedures) was well tolerated by all horses. Complication rate was 31%, including 8 ligature slippage and 1 pulmonary hemorrhage. Intranasal oxygen was administered intraoperatively to 6 horses (2 C, 1 Ha, 3 Hs) with severe hypoxemia or labored breathing. There was a significant decrease in PaO₂ during surgery in horses not supplemented with oxygen. Postoperative pneumothorax (21/22 procedures) detected radiographically resolved within 3 weeks. Conclusion— Thoracoscopic lung biopsy using pre‐tied ligating loops was minimally invasive, relatively inexpensive, and fairly efficient. Heaves‐affected horses tolerated the surgery well, even when in exacerbation; however, the technique was associated with non life‐threatening complications in 31% of the biopsies, most of which required correction with additional ligating loops or more sophisticated instrumentation. Clinical Relevance— Using laparoscopic pre‐tied ligating loop for thoracoscopically‐assisted lung biopsy can be considered in horses with normal and impaired lung function but alternative instrumentation and access to intranasal oxygen must be available to the surgeon in case of complications.     

Canine leptospirosis—Do we have a problem?

Acute canine leptospirosis is well known to vet surgeons. To protect dogs against this lethal disease, vaccination is widely used. However, chronic forms of leptospirosis have been noticed even in vaccinated animals, generally induced by bacteria from serogroups other than Icterohaemorrhagiae and Canicola such as Sejroë, Australis or Grippotyphosa. In a survey on 98 ill cats, 48% were positive in microagglutination test (MAT) to Leptospira spp., showing that this infection is also frequent in the feline species.     

Distribution of Pseudomonas populations harboring phlD or hcnAB biocontrol genes is related to depth in vineyard soils

The abundance and population structure of pseudomonads in soils collected from long-(1006 years) and short-(54 years) term grapevine monocultures in Switzerland were examined across five soil horizons within the 1.20-1.35 m range. Soil samples were baited with grapevine, and rhizosphere pseudomonads containing the biocontrol genes phlD (2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol synthesis) and/or hcnAB (hydrogen cyanide synthesis) were analyzed by MPN-PCR. The numbers of total, phlD⁺ and hcnAB⁺ pseudomonads decreased with depth by 1.5-2 log (short-term monoculture) and 3-3.5 log (long-term monoculture). In addition, the percentages of phlD⁺ (except in short-term monoculture) and hcnAB⁺ pseudomonads were also lower in deeper horizons. RFLP-profiling of phlD⁺ and hcnAB⁺ pseudomonads revealed three phlD and twelve hcnAB alleles overall, but the number of alleles for both decreased in relation to depth. The only phlD allele found in deeper horizons was also found in topsoil, whereas one hcnAB allele (k) found in deeper horizons in long-term monoculture was absent in the topsoil. This suggests that certain Pseudomonas ecotypes are adapted to specific depths. Four hcnAB alleles enabled discrimination between monocultures. We conclude that soil depth is a factor selecting phlD and hcnAB genotypes, and that the allelic diversity of the two biocontrol genes decreases with depth.     

玉米生长期黄土区土壤氧化亚氮产生和排放及其影响因子研究

采用土壤平衡气室法和密闭气室法,对玉米生长期对照(不施氮肥)和施氮处理(180 kg/hm2N)黄土区土壤剖面中N2O浓度和土壤表面N2O排放通量的变化及其影响因子进行了研究。结果表明,在玉米生长期,土壤剖面中N2O主要产生于7月和8月,且60 cm土层的N2O浓度最高,10 cm土层最低;施用氮肥不仅增加了土壤剖面中N2O的浓度,而且增加了土壤表面N2O的排放通量,玉米生长期对照和施氮处理的土壤表面N2O平均排放通量分别为(10.95±4.13)和(22.41±8.69)μg/(m2.h)。对照和施氮处理土壤剖面中N2O浓度和土壤表面N2O排放通量的变化趋势相同,但施氮处理土壤剖面中N2O浓度和N2O排放通量均明显高于对照。土壤温度、水分以及土壤NO3--N含量是土壤N2O产生和排放的主要影响因子。     

A conserved p38 MAP kinase pathway in Caenorhabditis elegans innate immunity

A genetic screen for Caenorhabditis elegans mutants with enhanced susceptibility to killing by Pseudomonas aeruginosa led to the identification of two genes required for pathogen resistance: sek-1, which encodes a mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase kinase, and nsy-1, which encodes a MAP kinase kinase kinase. RNA interference assays and biochemical analysis established that a p38 ortholog, pmk-1, functions as the downstream MAP kinase required for pathogen defense. These data suggest that this MAP kinase signaling cassette represents an ancient feature of innate immune responses in evolutionarily diverse species.