General principles of surgery applied to cattle.

Basic principles of surgery are important to review, even for experienced surgeons. Although aseptic surgical principles are not always applicable in the field, we have to respect some guidelines. Recent research will influence the way that we do things, based on what we have been taught and our experience. Respecting those simple principles can make a big difference in the final outcome.     

Laparoscopic surgery in adult cattle.

Laparoscopy in cattle is a promising tool for clinical diagnosis and treatment. The lower cost of the materials available in addition to the possibility of an intervention on an animal that is sedated does not entail more costs than an exploratory laparotomy. The application of this tool during abdominal explorations and biopsies allows the avoidance of invasive and often useless surgical interventions and even with the diagnosis and prognosis of certain conditions. Surgical techniques currently are limited to abomasopexies; however, never-ceasing progress and improvements in human surgery are expected to affect the future of bovine surgery.With the advancements in the multimedia technology used by universities, the use of laparoscopy as a pedagogic tool definitely has a promising future. Endoscopic exploration of the thorax is possible using the same material as for laparoscopy. In addition, diagnostic and biopsy applications are useful. The use of the laparoscope in different body cavities and for different applications would make the purchase of the required materials more cost-effective.     

C-reactive protein measurement in canine saliva.

An established time-resolved immunofluorometric assay designed for measurement of C-reactive protein (CRP) in canine blood was evaluated and validated for use in canine saliva. C-reactive protein was measured in saliva specimens from 5 healthy dogs before and after the injection of casein and in 37 dogs with different disease conditions. The analytical and functional limits of detection were 0.000053 microg/ml and 0.0091 microg/ml, respectively, and intra- and interassay coefficients of variation ranged between 6.7-9.9% and 8.5-16.5%, respectively. A recovery experiment showed no significant disagreement between detected values and expected ones, and saliva CRP concentration was measured in a linear and proportional manner. A positive correlation was found between CRP levels obtained in saliva and serum samples in the experimental (R2 = 0.76) and clinical studies (R2 = 0.70). The assay was able to detect significant differences between salivary CRP levels in healthy dogs and dogs with inflammatory processes. These results suggest that saliva can be used for CRP measurement in dogs. The use of saliva presents the advantage of an easier and less stressful sampling method for the animals, which might be performed outside of hospital environments.     

Gene Flow Analysis of Phytophthora porri Reveals a New Species: Phytophthora brassicae Sp. Nov.

Isozyme analysis and sequence analysis of the internal transcribed spacer regions (ITS-1 and ITS-2) and the 5.8S subunit of the ribosomal DNA gene repeat were used to examine whether isolates of Phytophthora porri from Allium and Brassica represent a single homogeneous species. Twenty-six strains of P. porri, 16 strains isolated from the genus Allium, and 10 strains isolated from the genus Brassica, were analyzed using malate dehydrogenase (MDH), isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), represented altogether by four putative loci (Mdh-2, Idh-1, Idh-2, and Ldh-2). Isozyme analysis revealed that strains isolated from Allium contained five private alleles at three isozyme loci (Ldh-2 ⁸³, Ldh-2 ¹⁰⁴, Idh-1 ¹⁰⁸, Idh-1 ¹¹², and Idh-2 ⁹⁸), whereas six different alleles were observed at four isozyme loci (Ldh-2 ⁸⁵, Ldh-2 ¹⁰⁰, Ldh-2 ¹¹⁴, Idh-1 ¹⁰⁰, Idh-2 ¹⁰⁰, and Mdh-2 ¹¹¹) in strains obtained from Brassica. The heterozygosity at the Ldh-2 locus, differing in allele composition, however, between strains from Allium and Brassica, was present in all strains, indicating that it is probably fixed. Sequence analysis of the ITS regions and the 5.8S subunit showed consistent differences between isolates from Allium and isolates from Brassica. Based on isozyme data, ITS sequence analysis and formerly published differences in restriction enzyme patterns of mitochondrial DNA, morphology and pathogenicity, it was concluded that the isolates of P. porri Foister did not represent a homogeneous species. Isolates from Brassica constitute a distinct species which is described here as P. brassicae sp. nov. It was inferred from isozyme patterns, which were in no case intermediate between the two species, that P. porri and P. brassicae do not hybridize and are reproductively isolated by barriers to gene flow.     

Effect of take-all root infections on nitrate uptake in winter wheat

The effect of take-all root lesions on nitrate uptake of wheat was investigated in two experiments under controlled conditions. Plants were supplied with a nutrient solution labelled with ¹⁵N during stem elongation and flowering to assess the distribution of the isotopic tracer in the different plant organs, and particularly in root segments located on both sides of take-all lesions. The ¹⁵N atom percentage excess measured in root segments located below lesions longer than 1 cm was reduced on average by half compared with that in healthy roots and root segments above lesions, reflecting a reduction in nitrogen uptake by these root segments. This reduction probably resulted from the invasion and breakdown of phloem vessels by the fungus hyphae, interrupting energy supply and thus the uptake process. Severely infected plants showed an increase in the uptake rate per unit of efficient root, which appeared to be a compensatory response to reduction of efficient root biomass in order to satisfy shoot nitrogen demand. However, this compensatory response was insufficient to ensure nitrogen accumulation equivalent to that of healthy plants, as reductions in nitrogen accumulated in roots and aerial parts at flowering were up to 56 and 49%, respectively, for plants with more than 50% of the root system below lesions longer than 1 cm.     

Occurrence of Mirafiori Lettuce Virus and Lettuce Big-vein Virus in Relation to Development of Big-vein Symptoms in Lettuce Crops

Big-vein disease (BV) of lettuce has been attributed to infection by Lettuce big-vein virus (LBVV), vectored by the soil fungus Olpidium brassicae. The finding of a second soil-borne virus in lettuce, Mirafiori lettuce virus (MiLV), led to a re-investigation of the role of LBVV in big-vein disease, with evidence emerging that both MiLV and LBVV are vectored by O. brassicae, and that MiLV, not LBVV, is the cause of BV (Lot et al. (2002), Phytopathology 92: 288–293). The two viruses have coat proteins of similar size but have different morphologies and are serologically unrelated. We tested individual lettuce plants in BV-prone fields and protected crops in France and Italy for the presence of the two viruses, using DAS-ELISA and antisera specific for each virus. Both MiLV and LBVV were found at high incidence, often together but sometimes separately. Symptoms were frequently found to be associated with MiLV alone or both viruses, but rarely LBVV alone. However, no absolute correlation emerged, because sometimes MiLV was present in the absence of symptoms, and vice versa. To clarify the situation, individual lettuce plants were examined over a period of time in two further surveys. In surveys of protected crops in France, plants with big-vein were always ELISA-positive for MiLV, or else symptomless plants positive for MiLV were later seen to develop big-vein symptoms. Presence or absence of LBVV appeared to have no effect on symptom development. In surveys of open fields in Italy, all combinations were found: presence of both viruses, apparent absence of both viruses, or presence of each one alone, in plants that developed BV. At the end of the observation period, nearly all plants had BV and contained both viruses.     

Study of Resistance to Orobanche ramosa in Host (Oilseed Rape and Carrot) and Non-host (Maize) Plants

Orobanche ramosa is a parasitic Angiosperm responsible for severe yield losses in several economical crops. It is a serious threat in oilseed rape in France and Morocco and is appearing in carrot crops in Morocco. In this study, several varieties of oilseed rape and carrot were screened in order to identify resistant cultivars and to characterize the resistance mechanisms involved. All the 15 oilseed rape varieties tested were susceptible. In carrot, the varieties 'Colmar à coeur rouge' and 'Nantaise demi-longue' were susceptible, whereas 'Palaiseau' and 'Buror' were resistant. In the susceptible 'Colmar à coeur rouge' carrot no defence reactions were found and the development of the parasite inhibited carrot tap root formation. In the resistant carrot varieties, the parasite germinated, became attached to the host root but became necrotic before emergence. In 'Buror' carrot, formation of a mechanical barrier was associated with the restriction to the cortex of the parasite. In maize cv. 'Vigni', a non-host of O. ramosa, thickening of xylem vessels, cell divisions in the central cylinder and formation of an encapsulation layer were observed in association with restricted development of Orobanche haustoria.