Evaluation of a fibrate,specific stimulant of PPARα, as a therapeutic alternative to the treatment of clinical ovine pregnancy toxaemia

Ovine pregnancy toxaemia is a metabolic disorder affecting sheep in their last 6 weeks of pregnancy as a result of their inability to maintain adequate energy homoeostasis. Different alternative treatments are available with variable results. The aim of this research was to evaluate a peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor alpha (PPARα) stimulant as an alternative to treat clinical pregnancy toxaemia. Thirty‐three adult sheep, with known gestation date and carrying a single foetus, were fasted from day 130 of gestation until animals showed clinical disease. From that moment onwards, sheep were treated during 6 days with three different therapeutic alternatives: 10 mg/kg of 2‐methyl‐2‐phenoxy‐propionic acid; 10 mg/kg of 2‐methyl‐2‐phenoxy‐propionic acid + 100 mL of propylene glycol oral; or 100 mL of propylene glycol oral. Glycaemia and serum β‐hydroxybutyrate (BHOB) were determined daily. Liver biopsies were taken at day 130 of gestation, at the beginning and end of treatments and at 5 days postpartum, evaluating the extent and degree of the steatosis lesion. Even though in sheep treated with 2‐methyl‐2‐phenoxy‐propionic acid, serum concentrations of glucose and BHOB recovered more slowly, we conclude that 2‐methyl‐2‐phenoxy‐propionic acid alone or combined with propylene glycol can be used as an alternative to effectively treat fatty liver, and therefore pregnancy toxaemia.     

De oorzaak van het epidemisch optreden van de phytophthoraziekte van de seringen

Instituut voor Phytopathologie, Laboratorium voor Mycologie en Aardappelonderzoek     

Onderzoekingen Over Enkele Actinomyceten,Welke Aardappelschurft Verwekken

Samenvatting 1. Van verschillende chemische middelen bleek FeCl₃ het eenige te zijn, dat in potproeven de schurft sterk deed verminderen. 2. De verschillende typen schurft bij dezelfde aardappelvari?teit worden door verschillendeActinomyces-stammen veroorzaakt. 3. EénActinomyces-stam kan op verschillende aardappelvari?teiten verschillende typen schurft verwekken; het type is specifiek voor iedere vari?teit. 4. EénzelfdeActinomyces-stam kan virulent zijn voor sommige aardappel-vari?teiten, terwijl hij andere vari?teiten in het geheel niet aantast; deze laatste gedragen zich tegenover and ere stammen weer geheel anders. 5. In reincultuur ging de virulentie van vele stammen achteruit, van enkele bleef zij gelijk, bij één ging zij vooruit. 6. Door verblijkf op groeiende, levende aardappelknollen werd de verzwakte virulentie weer versterkt. 7. Het is wenschelijk, om in ons land de invloed van wisselbouw op het optreden van schurft na te gaan.

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Investigations on certain Actinomycetes that cause Potato Scab

     

Comparison of histologic techniques for the diagnosis of bovine tuberculosis in the framework of eradication programs.

Rapid diagnosis of tuberculosis in cattle reacting positive in antemortem assays is crucial in countries where eradication programs are operated to confirm the presence of the infection in tuberculosis-free herds. This study evaluated the accuracy of histopathologic examination by hematoxylin and eosin and Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) staining applied in this framework, when suspected lesions are caused by low infectious doses and are detected in early stages of the disease. For this purpose, histologic methods were compared with mycobacterial culture as reference test on suspected lymph node samples from 173 cattle reacting positive in antemortem tests. Histopathology demonstrated high sensitivity (93.4%) and specificity (92.3%), while ZN sensitivity and specificity were respectively 33.9% and 100%. There was good agreement between histopathology and bacterial culture, suggesting that histopathologic examination is a reliable tool for rapid diagnosis in countries where active tuberculosis eradication programs allow the prompt identification and elimination of reactor cattle. Histopathology permits identification of typical mycobacterial lesions and its differentiation from other causes.