Application of osteochondral autografts and allografts in the treatment of articular cartilage lesions in animals

The paper describes current views on the use of osteochondral autografts and allografts in the treatment of articular cartilage lesions in animals. It presents surgical techniques of grafting and the biological features of osteochondral auto- and allografts, and their effect on the recipient's cartilage.     

Pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic relationship of marbofloxacin against Pasteurella multocida in a tissue‐cage model in yellow cattle

The fluoroquinolone antimicrobial drug marbofloxacin was administered to yellow cattle intravenously and intramuscularly at a dose of 2 mg/kg of body weight in a two‐period crossover study. The pharmacokinetic properties of marbofloxacin in serum, inflamed tissue‐cage fluid (exudate), and noninflamed tissue‐cage fluid (transudate) were studied by using a tissue‐cage model. The in vitro and ex vivo activities of marbofloxacin in serum, exudate, and transudate against a pathogenic strain of Pasteurella multocida (P. multocida) were determined. Integration of in vivo pharmacokinetic data with the in vitro MIC provided mean values for the area under the curve (AUC)/MIC for serum, exudate, and transudate of 155.75, 153.00, and 138.88, respectively, after intravenous dosing and 160.50, 151.00, and 137.63, respectively, after intramuscular dosing. After intramuscular dosing, the maximum concentration/MIC ratios for serum, exudate, and transudate were 21.13, 9.13, and 8.38, respectively. The ex vivo growth inhibition data after intramuscular dosing were fitted to the inhibitory sigmoid E_max equation to provide the values of AUC/MIC required to produce bacteriostasis, bactericidal activity, and elimination of bacteria. The respective values for serum were 17.25, 31.29, and 109.62, and slightly lower values were obtained for transudate and exudate. It is proposed that these findings might be used with MIC₅₀ or MIC₉₀ data to provide a rational approach to the design of dosage schedules which optimize efficacy in respect of bacteriological as well as clinical cures.     

Sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for measuring the concentration of, and detection of antibodies to, Aujeszky's disease virus

A double antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed for measuring Aujeszky's disease virus (ADV) antigen concentration and an inhibition technique based on the former was developed for detection of antibodies to ADV. The results were checked by determining the cytopathic and serum neutralization titres. The correlation was satisfactory in both cases, with correlation coefficients above 0.8. When measuring ADV antigen concentration, the lower limit of detection was 10(3) TCID 50/0.2 ml. The sensitivity of ELISA in detecting antibodies to ADV was found to be superior to that of the serum neutralization test and, thus, enabled the testing of rabbit and guinea-pig sera.     

Effect of increasing levels of seven tree species extracts added to a high concentrate diet on in vitro rumen gas output

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of increasing levels of extracts of Byrsonima crassifolia, Celtis pallida, Enterolobium cyclocarpum, Fraxinus excelsior, Ficus trigonata, Phoradendrom brevifolium and Prunus domestica on in vitro gas production (GP) and ruminal fermentation of a high concentrate diet. Plant extracts were prepared at 1 g dry matter (DM)/8 mL of solvent mixture (methanol : ethanol : water, 1:1:8) and added at levels of 0, 0.6, 1.2 and 1.8 mL/g DM of a high concentrate diet. In vitro GP was recorded at 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 24, 48 and 72 h of incubation. Increasing addition of extracts linearly increased (P < 0.001), the GP₂₄, GP₄₈ and GP₇₂ (mL/g DM), and linearly decreased (P < 0.001), the discrete GP lag time. Moreover, increasing extract doses linearly increased (P < 0.001) the asymptotic GP and decreased (P < 0.001) the rate of GP. GP₆ was not impacted by treatments and GP₁₂ increased linearly (P = 0.01) with increasing addition of extracts. Rumen pH declined linearly (P < 0.05) with increasing doses of extracts added. As no interactions (P > 0.05) occurred between the extracts and doses, it could be conclude that all extracts positively modified rumen fermentation at doses of 1.2 to 1.8 mL extract/g diet DM.     

Porcine parvovirus infection in a commercial piggery

Abstract

Extract

Madam:– We have recently been involved in a consultative role with a 60-sow commercial piggery. Over the year preceding the incident recorded here, this unit had approximately doubled in size by the purchase of improved large white gilts. An infertility problem involving irregular returns to service and small litter sizes was first noted around Christmas 1984. In early January 1985 all the adult stock were bled and serological tests undertaken. There was no evidence of infection with Aujeszky's disease virus or leptospires, but 42 sows had haemagglutination inhibition (HI) titres(2 Joo, H.O., Donaldson-Wood, C. and Johnson, R.H. 1976. A standardised haemagglutination inhibition test for porcine parvovirus antibody. Aust. vet. J., 52: 422–424.  [Google Scholar]) of >320 against porcine parvovirus (PP), and were considered to have been actively infected. (1 Johnston, R.H., Donaldson-Wood, C., Joo, H.O. and Allender, U. 1976. Observations on the epidemiology of porcine parvovirus. Aust. vet. J., 52: 80–84.  [Google Scholar]) Seventeen other gilts and sows in their second pregnancy had titres ?320 and were considered to be still susceptible to infection. These animals were bled again 75 days later and HI tests on the paired sera showed that 15 of the 17 had now scroconverted (minimum titre 1,280). Eleven of these animals were in early to mid-pregnancy during the period of seroconversion. Five of these animals subsequently failed to farrow, and the remaining six produced a mean of only 6.5 (S.D. 2.8) live piglets at birth. In contrast the two animals which did not seroconvert, and four other previously infected gilts with HI titre of >10,240 at the first bleeding, produced a mean of 9.8 (S.D. 1.7) live piglets. This was considered a satisfactory live birth rate for this age group, and was significantly higher (Student's t-test; P<0.05) than for the six sows which seroconverted and produced live pigs.     

Dosage assessment of valnemulin in pigs based on population pharmacokinetic and Monte Carlo simulation

To estimate the valnemulin pharmacokinetic profile in a swine population and to assess a dosage regimen for increasing the likelihood of optimization. This study was, respectively, performed in 22 sows culled by p.o. administration and in 80 growing‐finishing pigs by i.v. administration at a single dose of 10 mg/kg to develop a population pharmacokinetic model and Monte Carlo simulation. The relationships among the plasma concentration, dose, and time of valnemulin in pigs were illustrated as C_i,v = X₀(8.4191 × 10^‐4 × e^?0.2371t + 1.2788 × 10^?5 × e^?0.0069t) after i.v. and C_p.o = X₀(?8.4964 × 10^?4 × e^?0.5840t + 8.4195 × e^?0.2371t + 7.6869 × 10^?6 × e^?0.0069t) after p.o. Monte Carlo simulation showed that T_>MIC was more than 24 h when a single daily dosage at 13.5 mg/kg BW in pigs was administrated by p.o., and MIC was 0.031 mg/L. It was concluded that the current dosage regimen at 10–12 mg/kg BW led to valnemulin underexposure if the MIC was more than 0.031 mg/L and could increase the risk of treatment failure and/or drug resistance.     

Analysis of BoLA class II microsatellites in cattle infested with Boophilus microplus ticks: class II is probably associated with susceptibility

The aim of this study was to determine the role of certain bovine lymphocyte antigens (BoLA) regions in the resistance or susceptibility to Boophilus microplus tick infestation in two different breeds of cattle. The breeds were maintained, one in natural conditions and the second one in an experimental setting at the research station in Martinez de la Torre, Veracruz, Mexico. The study took place from June to August 2001 (natural infestation) using 33 crossbreed steers (crossbreed is here defined as 3/4 European = 1/2 Simmenthal x 1/4 Holstein x 1/4 Zebu, a cross resulting from F1 x Simmenthal), ranging from 15 to 20 months old. Fifty-nine F1 cows (1/2 Holstein x 1/2 Zebu) were included in the experimental setting, infested and followed during 25 days in November 2001 and 2002. Experiment A included thirty-one 2-7-year-old F1 cows, and experiment B included twenty-eight 18-24-month-old F1 heifers. Both groups were analysed separately and were not comparable because of the different infestation methods and genetic background. All ticks > or =4mm long were counted on the total body of F1 animals and on one side of the 3/4 European steers. In this case, susceptible animals were defined when having ticks = X + 1S.D. (29 +/- 16). In the experimental setting susceptibility was defined when the number of ticks was over the 75 percentile (> or =79). DNA was extracted from peripheral blood samples of all animals. The BoLA DRB3, DRBP1, RM185 and BM1815 microsatellite loci were amplified using a PCR method. Genescan software was used for analysis in an ABI sequencer. The SPSS statistical program was used and the comparisons were assessed using the Fisher's exact test. In the naturally infested animals, DRB3-184 was found positively associated with tick infestation (P = 0.018; Pc = NS; OR = 5; EF = 28%). DRBP1-128 was also found to be increased (P = 0.03; Pc = NS; OR = 6; EF = 42%). In the experimentally infested animals, two more loci were found to be associated, BM1815-152 (P = 0.01; Pc = NS; OR = 15; EF = 74%) and DRBP1-130 (P = 0.05; Pc = NS; OR = 4; EF = 77%). None of them remained significant after correction, indicating that a larger sample size is needed to confirm the results. This is the first study showing MHC genes associated with tick infestation based on class II microsatellite polymorphisms. Further studies are needed to confirm the susceptibility traits and to determine haplotype segregation in families.     

Chilling Stress Accelerates Degradation of Seed Storage Protein and Photosynthetic Protein during Cotton Seed Germination

Low temperature is one of the major abiotic stresses limiting the productivity and geographical distribution of many important crops. To gain a better understanding of chilling stress responses in cotton ( Gossypium hirsutum L . ), we carried out a comparative proteomic analysis. Cotyledon proteins of 1-week-old cotton seedlings treated with or without chilling treatment at 4 °C were extracted, separated by a two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and compared. Among 1500 protein spots reproducibly detected on each gel, 25 protein spots were down-regulated and 29 were up-regulated. Seven cotton proteins were identified by mass spectrometry analysis as beta-globulin A precursor fragments. One was identified as a Rubisco large subunit fragment, providing evidence of both seed storage protein and photosynthetic protein destruction by chilling stress. The related physiological and biochemical analysis showed that there was a significant increase in endopeptidase activity and activated oxygen generation rate, and an obvious decrease in carboxylation efficiency and maximum net photosynthetic rate of cotton seedlings under chilling stress. Based on the above results, the degradation mechanisms of beta-globulin and Rubisco under chilling stress were discussed. In conclusion, our study provides new insights into chilling-stress responses in cotton and demonstrates the advantages of proteomic analysis.