A cross-sectional survey of Thoroughbred stud farm management in the North Island of New Zealand

AIM: To obtain initial baseline data on the management of Thoroughbred stud farms in the North Island of New Zealand.

METHODS: Data on the management of Thoroughbred stud farms were collected from a sample of 22 stud farms located in the south Auckland/Waikato region (n=15) and lower North Island (n=7) of New Zealand, using a face-to-face survey. The studmaster provided information on the size, scope and management of the farms during the 2004/2005 breeding season. Analysis was based on the location of the farm and size of the breeding operation (number of resident mares).

RESULTS: Effective farm size ranged from 20 to 526 ha and averaged 167 (standard error (SE) 36) and 88 (SE 49) ha in the south Auckland/Waikato and lower North Island areas, respectively. Some farms in the Auckland/Waikato region stood shuttle stallions. The median number of stallions per farm was three (range 0.9), and the median mare-to-stallion ratio was 43 (range 10.250). The farms had a mean of 50 (range 7.180) wet mares and 21 (range 0.100) dry mares. The number of mares per breeding stallion increased with increasing size of breeding operation (p=0.04), being 28 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 10.56) vs 40 (95% CI=16.74) vs 74 (95% CI=44.113) for moderate (≤70 mares), medium (90–199 mares) and large (≥200 mares in total) operations, respectively. Seventy-one percent of farms aimed to breed dry mares early in the breeding season, and used a combination of lights, hormone therapy, and rising plane of nutrition to achieve this.

Foaling took place in foaling paddocks monitored using a night foaling attendant (17/22) or with foaling alarms (5/22). At birth, 17/22 studmasters routinely administered antibiotics, 14/22 administered tetanus antitoxin, 9/22 administered an enema to foals, and 2/22 did not routinely administer prophylactic treatments. Weaning occurred at 5 (range 3.7–7) months of age, and foals were confined to a box for 1–2 weeks on 16/22 farms. Weaned foals were drenched with anthelmintics every 7 (range 4–9) weeks, and were fed 2.9 (range 1–6) kg of concentrate feed while at pasture until intensive management associated with preparation of the horses for auction began 13 (range 6–20) weeks before the yearling sales. Eight farms weighed the weanlings, at least monthly, to monitor growth.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The management of Thoroughbred horses was relatively consistent throughout the regions surveyed. Utilisation of breeding stallions tended to be more efficient on the larger stud farms in the south Auckland/Waikato region. Even though foals are grown at pasture they are often provided with large quantities of concentrate feed.     

Chlorella 11-Peptide Inhibits the Production of Macrophage-Induced Adhesion Molecules and Reduces Endothelin-1 Expression and Endothelial Permeability

The inflammation process in large vessels involves the up-regulation of vascular adhesion molecules such as endothelial cell selectin (E-selectin), intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) which are also known as the markers of atherosclerosis. We have reported that Chlorella 11-peptide exhibited effective anti-inflammatory effects. This peptide with an amino sequence Val-Glu-Cys-Tyr-Gly-Pro-Asn-Arg-Pro-Gln-Phe was further examined for its potential in preventing atherosclerosis in this study. In particular, the roles of Chlorella 11-peptide in lowering the production of vascular adhesion molecules, monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP-1) and expression of endothelin-1 (ET-1) from endothelia (SVEC4-10 cells) were studied. The production of E-selectin, ICAM-1, VCAM-1 and MCP-1 in SVEC4-10 cells was measured with ELISA. The mRNA expression of ET-1 was analyzed by RT-PCR and agarose gel. Results showed that Chlorella 11-peptide significantly suppressed the levels of E-selectin, ICAM, VCAM, MCP-1 as well as ET-1 gene expression. The inhibition of ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 production by Chlorella 11-peptide was reversed in the presence of protein kinase A inhibitor (H89) which suggests that the cAMP pathway was involved in the inhibitory cause of the peptide. In addition, this peptide was shown to reduce the extent of increased intercellular permeability induced by combination of 50% of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated RAW 264.7 cells medium and 50% normal SEVC cell culture medium (referred to as 50% RAW-conditioned medium). These data demonstrate that Chlorella 11-peptide is a promising biomolecule in preventing chronic inflammatory-related vascular diseases.     

Cardiopulmonary effects of a new inspiratory impedance threshold device in anesthetized hypotensive dogs

ObjectiveTo compare the hemodynamic and respiratory effects of an inspiratory impedance threshold device (ITD) in anesthetized normotensive and hypotensive dogs.Study designProspective randomized study.AnimalsTen adult dogs.MethodsDogs were anesthetized with propofol followed by isoflurane. During spontaneous ventilation, tidal volume ( $\dot{\mathrm{V}}$), systolic (SAP), mean (MAP) and diastolic arterial blood pressure, central venous pressure, gastric PCO₂ as an indicator of gastric perfusion, subcutaneous oxygen tension, subcutaneous blood flow, cardiac index (CI), systemic vascular resistance and blood lactate were monitored. To monitor respiratory compliance (RC) and resistance (ResR), animals were briefly placed on mechanical ventilation. Dogs were studied under four different conditions: 1) normotension (MAP > 60 mmHg) with and without the ITD and 2) hypotension (target MAP = 40 mmHg) with and without ITD. These four conditions were performed during one anesthetic period, allowing for stabilization of parameters for each condition. Data were analyzed by anova repeated measure mixed models.ResultsNo cardiovascular changes were detected between no ITD and ITD in the normotensive state. During hypotension, CI was higher with the ITD (5 ± 1.0 L minute^?1 m^?2) compared with no ITD (4 ± 1.3 L minute^?1 m^?2). During hypotension, SAP was increased with ITD (80 ± 14 mmHg) versus without ITD (67 ± 13 mmHg). There was an increase in ResR and decreased RC with the ITD in both normotensive and hypotensive state.Conclusion and clinical relevanceImpedance threshold device in dogs during isoflurane-induced hypotension improved CI and SAP but had negative effects on RC and ResR.     

Flubendazole metabolism and biotransformation enzymes activities in healthy sheep and sheep with haemonchosis

Bártíková, H., Křížová, V., Lamka, J., Kubíček, V., Skálová, L., Szotáková, B. Flubendazole metabolism and biotransformation enzymes activities in healthy sheep and sheep with haemonchosis. J. vet. Pharmacol. Therap . 33 , 56–62.
The aim of this project was to study the influence of haemonchosis, a common parasitic infection of small ruminants caused by Haemonchus contortus , on the activity of biotransformation enzymes and on in vitro flubendazole (FLU) biotransformation in liver and small intestine of lambs ( Ovis aries ). Twelve lambs were divided into three groups: non-infected animals, animals orally infected with larvae of H. contortus ISE strain for 7 weeks and for 11 weeks. At the end of the experiment, hepatic and intestinal subcellular fractions were prepared and used for assays of biotransformation enzymes activities and FLU metabolism testing. The activities of hepatic cytochromes P450, flavine monooxygenases and carbonyl-reducing enzymes were decreased in infected animals. UDP-glucuronosyl transferase activity was significantly lower (by 35%) in 11 weeks infected animals than that in control animals. When in vitro metabolism of FLU was compared in control and infected animals, significantly lower velocity of FLU reduction was found in infected animals. Slower FLU reduction may be beneficial for the haemonchosis treatment using FLU, because FLU will remain longer in the organism and could cause longer contact of parasites with FLU.     

Social structure in a critically endangered Indo‐Pacific humpback dolphin (Sousa chinensis) population

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Agronomic,molecular and antioxidative characterization of red- and purple-pericarp rice (Oryza sativa L.) mutants in Taiwan

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Nano-sized albumin-copolymer micelles for efficient doxorubicin delivery

We present the discovery of a nano-sized protein-derived micellar drug delivery system based on the polycationic albumin precursor protein cBSA-147. The anticancer drug doxorubicin (DOX) was efficiently encapsulated into nanosized micelles based on hydrophobic interactions with the polypeptide scaffold. These micelles revealed attractive stabilities in various physiological buffers and a wide pH range as well as very efficient uptake into A549 cells after 1 h incubation time only. In vitro cytotoxicity was five-times increased compared to free DOX also indicating efficient intracellular drug release. In addition, multiple functional groups are available for further chemical modifications. Based on the hydrophobic loading mechanism, various classical anti-cancer drugs, in principle, could be delivered even synergistically in a single micelle. Considering these aspects, this denatured albumin-based drug delivery system represents a highly attractive platform for nanomedicine approaches towards cancer therapy.     

Enhanced immune responses and effectiveness of refined outer membrane protein vaccines against Vibrio harveyi in orange‐spotted grouper (Epinephelus coioides)

Vibriosis is a severe infection occurring in many commercially important marine fish species. In this study, vaccines containing Vibrio harveyi recombinant outer membrane protein K (rOmpK), outer membrane protein U (rOmpU) and rOmpK‐OmpU fusion protein in addition to the metabolizable Montanide^TM ISA 763 A VG adjuvant were developed and evaluated in the orange‐spotted grouper. The results indicate that recombinant V. harveyi protein‐based vaccines resulted in a remarkably higher expression of IL‐1β and IL‐8 at 24 hr, and greater antibody production, as early as 2 weeks postimmunization. Notably, enhanced immune responses and significant protective efficacy against V. harveyi infections were observed in the fusion protein vaccine‐injected fishes with relative per cent survival value of 81.8%. Additionally, the rOmpK‐OmpU antisera presented a high bactericidal effect on not only V. harveyi, but also Vibrio parahaermolyticus and Vibrio alginolyticus. Our results demonstrated that the fusion protein rOmpK‐OmpU was an effective vaccine candidate that exhibited potentially great versatility for controlling vibrio infections.     

The effect of intermittent treatment with sulphadimidine on coccidiosis in preruminant calves

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