Natural and experimental infection of rodents (Rattus norvegicus) with Salmonella gallinarum]

Thirty five (35) rats (Rattus norvegicus) were trapped in the area of four egg producing poultry farms and were examined for Salmonella spp., micro-biologically. The samples were taken from liver, spleen and intestinal content. Cultures were made directly in MacConkey Agar, in Selenite broth and Rappaport Vassiliadis at 37 degrees C and 43 degrees C. Five strains of S. gallinarum and one strain of Salmonella subgroup II were isolated from the intestinal content of six rats. An experimental study was also carried out. Ten rats Rattus norvegicus were trapped near poultry farms of N. Greece. No Salmonella could be detected in their feces when examined three times by the Selenite 37 degrees C and Rappaport-Vassiliadis 37 degrees C methods. The rats were orally infected with an 18 hours culture of S. gallinarum (1 x 10(9)/ml microorganisms). One hundred and sixty samples of feces were periodically collected and examined for the isolation of the microorganism by the methods mentioned above. Although not any clinical sign of a disease was noticed, S. gallinarum was isolated from their feces up to 121 days post infection.     

Accessory sperm: their importance to fertility and embryo quality, and attempts to alter their numbers in artificially inseminated cattle.

Accessory sperm number and its relationship to fertilization and embryo quality was evaluated in cattle after nonsurgical recovery of ova or embryos 6 d after insemination. Efforts to alter accessory sperm number per ovum included 1) blockage of retrograde sperm loss at insemination using a modified insemination device, 2) elevated sperm number per inseminate (40 x 10(6) vs 20 x 10(6], and 3) alteration in semen quality (percentage of viable and morphologically normal sperm in the inseminate). None of these efforts affected accessory sperm number per ovum or embryo. However, blockage of retrograde semen flow for 3 h or use of semen of below-average quality (decreased percentage of viable and morphologically normal sperm) resulted in significant decreases in number of viable embryos and increases in number of degenerate embryos and unfertilized ova compared with conventional insemination (P less than .03) and use of semen with an average percentage of viable and morphologically normal sperm (P less than .06). Number of accessory sperm per embryo or ovum was positively related to fertilization and embryo quality (P less than .05). Mean accessory sperm +/- SD and the median value (in parentheses) for unfertilized ova, degenerate embryos, and embryos classified fair to poor and excellent to good were, respectively, .3 +/- .8 (0), 5.4 +/- 8.9 (1.0), 15.8 +/- 28.6 (3.5), and 16.9 +/- 29.5 (5.0). We conclude that efforts to improve accessory sperm numbers per embryo or ovum failed and that high variation and skewness of accessory sperm toward 0 may make median values more meaningful than means.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Differential leucocyte responses to various degrees of food restriction in broilers, turkeys and ducks.

1. White blood cell responses of broilers, turkeys and ducks were examined at regular intervals after being subjected to various degrees of food restriction. 2. Restricted-fed broilers showed increases in heterophil and basophil numbers, together with a corresponding decrease in lymphocytes. The heterophil/lymphocyte ratio was raised. There were no differences between broiler strains. 3. After only one week of feeding restricted diets, heterophils were significantly raised in selected and unselected 2-week-old ducks. At 21 weeks of age, those ducks receiving 50% of food required to achieve their ad libitum-fed body weight had raised heterophils. 4. Ducks receiving food to achieve 25% of ad libitum-fed birds produced a marked basophilia, but no heterophilia. 5. After two weeks of food restriction, turkeys responded with significant heterophil/lymphocyte ratios following two degrees of restricted feeding. 6. It was concluded that in some poultry, a heterophilia may be the response to mild to moderate stress but a basophilia may result after severely stressing birds.     

Squamous cell carcinoma of the corneoscleral limbus in a dog.

Squamous cell carcinoma is an uncommon tumor of the cornea in dogs. A 12-year-old Shih Tzu with a history of chronic keratoconjunctivitis sicca was diagnosed as having squamous cell carcinoma of the corneoscleral limbus. The lesion was treated by surgical resection and cryotherapy. One year after surgery, multiple tumors, apparently unrelated to the first tumor, appeared on the same cornea. Keratoconjunctivitis sicca may have predisposed the dog to corneal squamous cell carcinoma development.     

Detection of hemorrhagic septicemia virus of salmonid fishes by use of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay containing high sodium chloride concentration and two noncompetitive monoclonal antibodies against early viral nucleoproteins.

Inclusion of high-ionic strength buffers helped us to develop a sandwich ELISA to detect hemorrhagic septicemia virus (HSV) in cell culture and infected trout tissue extracts. For maximal sensitivity of 0.1 to 0.2 ng/well/100 microliters or about 10 to 50 TCID50/well/100 microliters, trout extracts were diluted 1:1 and assayed for the earliest synthesized nucleoprotein N. Simultaneous binding of the N protein from HSV in the sample to the wells coated with monoclonal antibody (2D5 against the N protein) and to the peroxidase-labeled monoclonal antibody (2C9 against the N protein) proceeded during a 2-hour incubation at 20 to 22 C (room temperature). The response was linear between 6 to 60 ng/well of purified virus. Monoclonal antibodies used were noncompetitive with each other and reacted with F1, F2, 23.75, and 5 Spanish isolates of HSV, but not with infectious hematopoietic necrosis or infectious pancreatic necrosis viruses. Tissue specimens with low content of HSV virus may now be assayed directly without use of cell culture, rapidly, and with high precision, during the acute phase of the disease in salmonid fishes.     

Border disease of sheep: the disease in the newborn, adolescent and adult.

Border disease (BD) is a condition of newborn sheep that results from congenital infection by a non-cytopathic pestivirus occurring during the first half of gestation. The expression of the virus is largely determined by the age of the fetus at the time of infection, producing four distinct disease syndromes: (1) early embryonic death, (2) abortion and stillbirth, (3) birth of lambs with malformations, and (4) birth of small, weak lambs, lacking characteristic clinical signs, but bearing features of immunosuppression. The effects of the virus infection during the developmental stages of the fetus are most apparent as distinctive clinical signs at the time of birth but a state of specific immuno-tolerance with associated virus persistence remains for the lifetime of the sheep. Although the clinical signs disappear with time, some effects of virus persistence may continue into adolescence and often into adulthood. Characteristic lesions are found in the nervous, endocrine, skeletal and integumentary, and immune systems.     

Studies on the infundibular cysts of the uterine tube in camel (Camelus dromedarius).

Two hundred eighteen genital tracts of slaughtered female camels were collected and examined. Infundibular cysts were observed in 35 tracts (16%); these were either unilateral (22 cases) or bilateral (13 cases) all containing fluids of different consistencies. The morphological and histological structures of the cysts were recorded. The bacteriological investigation and physicochemical analysis of cyst contents were carried out. Aeromonas hydrophila was isolated from 68.5% of cases. Rectal palpation and ultrasound technique were compared for the diagnosis of the cysts antemortem.     

Uveodermatologic syndrome in a rat terrier

A 4 yr old intact male rat terrier presented with severe bilateral nonresponsive panuveitis. Bilateral uveitis, blepharospasm, conjunctival hyperemia, diffuse corneal edema, peripheral bullous retinal detachment, and secondary ocular hypertension were noted. Ocular lesions progressed despite aggressive medical treatment and were followed by cutaneous depigmentation and crusting along the nasal planum. Intensive oral and topical anti-inflammatory and topical antiglaucoma medications were administered, but the ocular disease progressed. A bilateral enucleation was performed. Uveodermatologic syndrome was diagnosed from histopathologic examination of a skin biopsy as well as histopathology of both globes after bilateral enucleation. To maintain control of the dermatologic lesions, oral azathioprine was initiated, but it was not well tolerated by this patient. Immunosuppressive doses of oral cyclosporine and anti-inflammatory doses of oral prednisone were used to control the depigmentation and crusting skin lesions.     

The possibilities of practical application of transgenic mammalian species generated by somatic cell cloning in pharmacology, veterinary medicine and xenotransplantology

Cloning of genetically-modified mammals to produce: 1) novel animal bioreactors expressing human genes in rens, urinary bladder and the male accessory sex glands, as well as 2) porcine organs suitable in pig-to-human xenotransplantology, could offer new advantages for biomedical purposes. So too does the generation and/or multiplication of genetically-engineered cloned animals in order to produce: 3) physiologically-relevant animal models of serious monogenic human diseases and 4) prion disease-resistant small as well as large animals (i.e., rodents, ruminants). The basic purpose of this paper is to overview current knowledge deciphering the possibilities of using transgenic specimens created by somatic cell nuclear transfer in medical pharmacology, veterinary medicine, agriculture, transplantational medicine and immunology.