The pharmacokinetics and tissue levels of polymyxin B, colistin and gentamicin in calves

Following a single intravenous injection of polymyxin B, colistin (5 mg/kg, each) and gentamicin (3 mg/kg) to calves, the decline in serum antibiotic concentration generally suggested a three-compartment (open system) pharmacokinetic model. Tissue binding is a dominant factor in the distribution and elimination kinetics of the drugs. Less than 65% of the dose of polymyxin B and colistin was recovered in the urine during 48 h after treatment. Concentrations of nonbound polymyxin B and colistin in the kidney, liver, lung, heart, and skeletal muscles were similar to total (free and bound) serum drug levels, but considerably higher concentrations were found, in bound form, in chloroform-ethanol extracts of these organs.
At 24 h after treatment, more than 50% of the doses of polymyxin B and colistin were present bound to the tissues; the largest amount was in the skeletal muscles. Gentamicin was concentrated in the kidney, predominantly in the free form. At 48 h after treatment the amount of gentamicin in the kidney was 6.3% of the administered dose, being more than five times greater than the corresponding amounts of polymyxin B and colistin.
The extent of tissue uptake of polymyxin B and colistin limits the usefulness of kinetic values, which are derived from the analysis of serum drug levels, for the purpose of designing dosage schedules. The strong affinity of the polymyxins to the muscle tissue, and gentamicin to the kidney, can result in drug residues persisting in the body for several weeks.     

Determination of red blood cell potassium content in horses with diarrhoea: A practical approach for therapy

The concentration of potassium in the red blood cells in 15 horses with severe diarrhoea was determined. The red blood cell potassium content (RBCK⁺) was low compared with levels obtained in normal horses. The decrease in the RBCK⁺ was used to evaluate the total body potassium deficit. This calculated amount was administered orally, following each RBCK⁺ determination. In those horses which recovered, RBCK⁺ content returned to normal levels. During treatment, refilling of the red blood cells with potassium occurred only gradually as long as the diarrhoea persisted. In each case, oral loading with the calculated dose resulted in an improvement of the general condition and no side effects were observed. The importance of using RBCK⁺ levels as a diagnostic and therapeutic parameter is discussed.     

Testing the spatial significance of weed patterns in arable land using Mead's test

There is a need in weed science for statistical tests for patchiness and spatial pattern. The objective of this study was to investigate the performance of Mead’s test for detecting patterns in synthetic data and in real weed counts made in maize, and making a first assessment of its applicability in ecological studies on weeds. In an extension to Mead’s test, made here for the first time, we merge original quadrat count data into rectangular cells of m by n quadrats. Care was taken to rule out the effect of starting point on the test result. Using the synthetic data, we demonstrate the ability of the test to detect both patchiness and homogeneity as deviations from randomness. The first deviation results in right‐sided significance, and the second in left‐sided significance of the test. Analysis of the real weed patterns demonstrated patchiness at many scales for five of the six investigated species and lack of any deviation from randomness in the sixth: Taraxacum officinale. The latter was the only wind dispersing species in the dataset. No deviation towards homogeneity was found in any of the real weed species at any scale. All patchy patterns showed anisotropy, being elongated in the direction of field traffic. As it turns out, Mead’s test is well suited to detect departures from randomness in observed weed patterns and enhances the suite of diagnostic tools that can be employed by weed ecologists.     

Soil metabolism of the herbicide napropamide in cereals, maize, sugar beet and vegetable field replacement crops

The metabolism of the herbicide napropamide has been studied in the field in the soil of replacement crops (cereals, corn, sugar beet, potato and several vegetables). Napropamide was soil applied in the autumn and the soil left fallow during the winter. Crops were sown in April of the following year and simulated the replacement crops that are grown in the event of failure of the first autumn-sown crop. Trials were made twice, i.e. during the 1987-1988 and 1988-1989 crop seasons. The soil metabolism of napropamide was also studied in a rose nursery. Napropamide was transformed by microbiological processes in the soil into the corresponding monoethylamide and acid. These compounds did not generally accumulate in the soil, and their individual concentrations did not exceed that of residual napropamide during the observed growing seasons. The kinetics, metabolic pathways and agricultural implications of the herbicide are briefly discussed.     

Carotenoids function in photoperiodic induction of diapause in a predacious mite

Predacious mites fed for two generations solely on the eggs of wild-type spider mites responded normally to short day lengths by entering diapause. However, predacious mites fedfor two generations on eggs of albino spider mites, which are completely devoid of carotenoids, did not respond to short-day photoperiods. Apparently carotenoids are essential for photoperiodic induction; possibly a carotenoid or carotenoid derivative functions as the photopigment concerned in photoperiodic light reception in these mites.     

INTEROBSERVER AGREEMENT ON THE ASSESSABILITY OF STANDARD VENTRODORSAL HIP-EXTENDED RADIOGRAPHS AND ITS EFFECT ON AGREEMENT IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF CANINE HIP DYSPLASIA AND ON ROUTINE FCI SCORING

Insufficient agreement on scoring hip quality might be caused by differences in the assessability of a radiograph (exposure, contrast, positioning, and diagnostic quality). We studied the agreement in assessability of standard ventrodorsal hip-extended radiographs by experienced (nine) and inexperienced (21) observers, using the standard subjective method of quality control, currently applied in screening programs. The effect of assessability on the agreement of scoring hip quality [dysplastic vs. nondysplastic and the final Federation Cinologique International (FCI) score] was also investigated. There was a significant difference ( P <0.0001) in agreement on assessability between the experienced and inexperienced observers. In 68% of evaluations, experienced observers stated that the radiograph was assessable. Inexperienced observers evaluated the radiographs as being assessable in only 46.5% of evaluations. Increased interobserver agreement on assessability of a radiograph did not increase the overall interobserver agreement in the diagnosis of hip dysplasia, nor did it result in consistent scoring of the hip status from that radiograph, despite a significant ( P <0.05) increase in agreement of FCI scoring with an increasing agreement on assessability at a one to five ratio in the experienced group. The inconsistent evaluation of radiographic quality, as well as the inconsistent evaluation of the hip quality, caused differences in diagnosing hip dysplasia and FCI scoring in the same dog ranging from excellent hips to moderate hip dysplasia. Therefore, the credibility of the FCI screening method for canine hip dysplasia, using the standard hip-extended radiographic view, as currently applied in most European countries, is questionable.     

Regional Perfusion of the Equine Carpus for Antibiotic Delivery

Regional perfusion of carpal tissues by forced intramedullary administration of fluids was evaluated in 10 horses. Results of subtraction radiography after perfusion with a contrast medium demonstrated that perfusate was delivered to the carpal tissues by the venous system. Perfused India ink was distributed uniformly in the antebrachiocarpal and middle carpal synovial membranes. Histologically, the ink was within the venules of the synovial villi. Immediately after perfusion with gentamicin sulfate (1 g), the gentamicin concentrations in the synovial fluid and synovial membrane of the antebrachiocarpal joint were 349 +/- 240 micrograms/mL and 358 +/- 264 micrograms/g, respectively. When gentamicin concentrations in the synovial fluid of the antebrachiocarpal joint and serum were measured 0, 0.5, 1, 4, 8, 12, and 24 hours after carpal perfusion, the mean peak gentamicin concentration in the synovial fluid was 589 +/- 429 micrograms/mL. At hour 24, the mean gentamicin concentration in the synovial fluid was 4.8 +/- 2.0 micrograms/mL. The resulting peak gentamicin concentration in the serum was 23.7 +/- 14.5 micrograms/mL immediately after the perfusion; it decreased below the desired trough level of 1 micrograms/mL between hours 4 and 8.     

Oral treatment with ketoconazole of plantar candidosis in a mute swan

Candida albicans infection of the plantar region of the digit was diagnosed in a mute swan (Cygnus olor). Diagnosis was based on histological examination and on cultures. The pathogenicity of the C. albicans isolate was proven by inoculation in laboratory animals. Oral treatment with ketoconazole resulted in complete clinical recovery; no relapse occurred during a sixteen-month follow-up period.