Treatment of septic common digital extensor tenosynovitis by complete resection in seven horses

OBJECTIVE: To describe and evaluate a technique for radical resection of the entire intrathecal component of the common digital extensor tendon (CDET) in horses. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective clinical study. ANIMALS OR SAMPLE POPULATION: Seven client-owned horses. METHODS: Seven horses with wounds that resulted in septic tenosynovitis of the CDET sheath were treated by complete surgical resection of the affected tendon and ablation of the tendon sheath; 5 had previous surgery that was unsuccessful. Time from initial injury to complete resection was 1-22 weeks. In 6 horses, the wound was closed primarily using a closed suction (4 horses), penrose (1), or passive open drainage system (1). In 1 horse, the surgical wound healed by second intention. All horses had postoperative bandaging, antibiotic administration, and physiotherapy. RESULTS: Surgical wounds healed primarily in 6 horses and by second intention in 1 horse. Follow-up (mean, 26.4 months; range, 18-38 months) was available for 6 horses; all returned to their athletic performance level without lameness or gait abnormality. CONCLUSIONS: Complete resection of the CDET was an effective surgical technique for management of chronic septic tenosynovitis. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Horses with infection of the CDET and its sheath may be returned to long-term soundness without gait abnormality after radical resection.     

Race- and course-level risk factors for fatal distal limb fracture in racing Thoroughbreds

REASONS FOR PERFORMING STUDY: Considerable variation in the rates of equine fatality at different racecourses draws attention to probable risk factors at the level of course or race that might be partly responsible. Distal limb fractures are the most common cause of equine fatality on UK racecourses and identification of risk factors for such injuries and subsequent implementation of intervention strategies could significantly reduce the total number of racecourse fatalities. OBJECTIVES: To identify race- and course-level risk factors for fatal distal limb fracture in Thoroughbreds on UK racecourses. METHODS: A case-control study design was used. Case races were defined as those in which one or more horses sustained fatal fracture of the distal limb. Controls were selected in 2 different ways. Firstly, 3 races in which no fracture occurred were selected from all races of the same type held within 5 days of the case race (Analysis 1). Secondly, 3 control races were selected for each case race from all races of the same type held in the same year (Analysis 2). One hundred and nine cases were included in the study. Information about the race and the racecourses was collected from Computer Raceform. Conditional logistic regression was used to identify the relationship between a number of independent variables and the likelihood of fracture in a race. RESULTS: Longer races with a larger number of runners were more likely to contain a fracture. Firmer going and fewer days since the last race on the same course were associated with an increased risk of fracture. The going at the course at the previous race meeting was also associated with the likelihood of fracture. CONCLUSIONS: Modifications to the going on the day of a race and greater emphasis on ground maintenance between race meetings may have an impact on the risk of fatal distal limb fracture during racing. POTENTIAL RELEVANCE: Modification of risk factors such as the going and number of days since the last race meeting could reduce the number of equine fatalities on UK racecourses. The condition of the racecourse may be an important risk factor and future research should focus on the identification of course maintenance techniques that produce the safest possible racing surfaces.     

Aquaporin water channels AQP1 and AQP3, are expressed in equine articular chondrocytes

Chondrocytes exist in an unusual and highly variable ionic and osmotic environment in the extracellular matrix of articular cartilage. Alterations to the ionic and osmotic environment of chondrocytes influence the volume and ionic content of the cells, which, in turn, modifies the rate at which extracellular matrix macromolecules are synthesized and degraded. Thus, regulation of the water and solute content of chondrocytes will profoundly affect their anabolic and catabolic functions. The water content of cells is effectively influenced by the abundance of aquaporin (AQP) water channels. Recent studies have shown that several AQP water channel isoforms are expressed in chondrocytes from Meckel's cartilage, developing teeth and other orofacial tissues. The aim of the present investigation was to determine if chondrocytes from equine articular cartilage express AQP water channels. Polyclonal antibodies to AQP1, AQP2 and AQP3 were used in conjunction with immunohistochemistry, immunoblotting and quantitative flow cytometry to determine if AQP1, AQP2 and AQP3 are expressed in equine articular chondrocytes. Our studies show that AQP1 and AQP3 are expressed by chondrocytes in articular cartilage in situ and in isolated chondrocytes. We found no evidence for expression of AQP2, the vasopressin-regulated water channel in chondrocytes. AQP1 and AQP3 may be involved in the transport of water and small solutes and osmotically active metabolites across the chondrocyte plasma membrane during volume regulatory behaviour. AQP1 may be involved in transporting metabolic water. AQP3 may participate in the transport of glycerol and structurally related molecules.     

Matrix metalloproteinases 2 and 9 activity in bovine synovial fluids

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are important enzymes found in connective tissues and thought to be involved in cartilage degradation. They are detectable in bovine synovial fluid and may play a destructive role in bovine septic arthritis. The MMP gelatinase enzymes were detected by gelatin zymography using image analysis of the gels. The active gelatinase levels were determined by a gelatin degradation enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Increased concentrations of MMP-9 activity were found in the synovial fluids of cows with septic arthritis (P < 0.001) in comparison with fluids from normal joints. Using the gelatin degradation ELISA the net active gelatinases were measured, and significant increases were found in gelatinase bioactivities in synovial fluids from septic joint disease cases (P < 0.001). Increased concentrations of MMP-2 activity were found in the synovial fluids of cows with aseptic arthritis, which appeared to be playing an important role in degradation of articular cartilage in joint disease. This finding required further investigation.     

Cyclic variation and solar forcing of Holocene climate in the Alaskan subarctic

High-resolution analyses of lake sediment from southwestern Alaska reveal cyclic variations in climate and ecosystems during the Holocene. These variations occurred with periodicities similar to those of solar activity and appear to be coherent with time series of the cosmogenic nuclides 14C and 10Be as well as North Atlantic drift ice. Our results imply that small variations in solar irradiance induced pronounced cyclic changes in northern high-latitude environments. They also provide evidence that centennial-scale shifts in the Holocene climate were similar between the subpolar regions of the North Atlantic and North Pacific, possibly because of Sun-ocean-climate linkages.     

Parallel stranded DNA

A series of four hairpin deoxyoligonucleotides was synthesized with a four-nucleotide central loop (either C or G) flanked by the complementary sequences d(T)10 and d(A)10. Two of the molecules contain either a 3'-p-3' or 5'-p-5' linkage in the loop, so that the strands in the stem have the same, that is, parallel (ps) polarity. The pair of reference oligonucleotides have normal phosphodiester linkages throughout and antiparallel (aps) stem regions. All the molecules adopt a duplex helical structure in that (i) the electrophoretic mobilities in polyacrylamide gels of the ps and aps oligomers are similar. (ii) The ps hairpins are substrates for T4 polynucleotide kinase, T4 DNA ligase, and Escherichia coli exonuclease III. (iii) Salt-dependent thermal transitions are observed for all hairpins, but the ps molecules denature 10 degrees C lower than the corresponding aps oligomers. (iv) The ultraviolet absorption and circular dichroism spectra are indicative of a base-paired duplex in the stems of the ps hairpins but differ systematically from those of the aps counterparts. (v) The bis-benzimidazole drug Hoechst-33258, which binds in the minor groove of B-DNA, exhibits very little fluorescence in the presence of the ps hairpins but a normal, enhanced emission with the aps oligonucleotides. In contrast, the intercalator ethidium bromide forms a strongly fluorescent complex with all hairpins, the intensity of which is even higher for the ps species. (vi) The pattern of chemical methylation is the same for both the ps and aps hairpins. The combined results are consistent with the prediction from force field analysis of a parallel stranded right-handed helical form of d(A)n.d(T)n with a secondary structure involving reverse Watson-Crick base pairs and a stability not significantly different from that of the B-DNA double helix. Models of the various hairpins optimized with force field calculations are described.     

奶牛隐性乳房炎的研究进展

奶牛乳房炎是奶牛常见、多发的疾病之一,严重制约着奶牛养殖业的发展,文章对奶牛乳房炎的病因、发病机理、临床症状、诊断方法及防治措施等进行了综述,这将对内蒙古自治区奶牛养殖业的发展产生积极影响.     

华北土石山区森林枯落物与土壤水文效应研究

以河北省易县崇陵小流域3种不同林分的枯落物层和土壤层为研究对象,对其水文效应进行初步研究。结果表明:3种林分枯落物蓄积量差异较大,侧柏枯落物蓄积量最大,高达57.9t/hm2,油松枯落物蓄积量次之,为29.8t/hm2,刺槐枯落物蓄积量最小,是28.7t/hm2;3种林分枯落物中,侧柏林的枯落物持水能力最强,为114.5t/hm2,油松林的枯落物持最小,仅为60.1t/hm2;3种林分下土壤的平均容重和总孔隙度差别不大,容重的变化范围在1.46~1.66g/cm3;总孔隙度均偏低,具体表现为:侧柏(30.86%)油松(29.31%)刺槐(27.1%);3种林分林下土壤持水能力有所差异,表现为:侧柏油松刺槐。土壤持水能力与各林分林下土壤的孔隙度大小呈正相关,即土壤孔隙度越大,土壤的持水能力越强;3种林分的土壤稳渗速率相差较大,表现为:刺槐(10.50mm/min)油松(2.80mm/min)侧柏(0.80mm/min)。