The effects of oral magnesium hydroxide administration on rumen fluid in cattle

This study was conducted to determine the effects of oral magnesium hydroxide administration on rumen fluid in cattle. Six lactating Holstein cows (4-7 years of age) with rumen fistulas were studied. Cattle were randomly assigned to receive boluses of magnesium hydroxide (162 g) or a powdered form (450 g dissolved in 3.5 L of water) PO daily for 3 days. Analysis of rumen fluid, blood gas tensions, and pH and measurement of serum magnesium concentrations were conducted daily. The study was discontinued after 72 hours, or sooner if rumen pH exceeded 8.0. After at least 3 weeks, the study was repeated with each cow receiving the other form of magnesium hydroxide (powder or bolus). Compared with baseline rumen pH (mean +/- SD: 6.22 +/- 0.28), magnesium hydroxide boluses caused a significant increase (P < .05) in rumen pH after 48 (7.27 +/- 0.11) and 72 (8.01 +/- 0.16) hours of administration, whereas the powdered form caused a significant increase (P < .05) in rumen pH after 24 (7.54 +/- 0.19) and 48 (8.43 +/- 0.22) hours of administration. Both the powdered and bolus forms of magnesium hydroxide decreased rumen protozoal numbers and increased methylene blue reduction times compared with baseline values. There was no change in blood pH, bicarbonate, or base excess values. Serum magnesium concentrations were significantly increased (P < .05) in cows that received the magnesium hydroxide powder. The results of this study indicate that magnesium hydroxide has a potent alkalinizing effect on rumen pH and significantly decreases rumen microbial activity.     

Phenol poisoning in three dogs

Three adult dogs were evaluated following oral administration of phenol by the owner. All three dogs experienced severe oral and gastric ulceration. Hematological abnormalities included neutropenia with the presence of toxic neutrophils, thrombocytopenia, and increased muscle enzymes. Endoscopic examination was performed, and biopsies yielded a diagnosis of gastric mucosal necrosis in two of the dogs. Following supportive care, the dogs recovered completely. Phenol is a caustic, highly poisonous derivative of coal tar. The dogs of this report were poisoned inadvertently by their owner who received misinformation concerning the use of this chemical via the Internet.     

Metabolic and physiological characteristics of salt-tolerant strains of Bradyrhizobium spp.

 Biochemical and physiological characteristics of salt-tolerant (88 mM, 264 mM and 440 mM NaCl) strains of Bradyrhizobium were evaluated according to their capacity for using different carbon sources, growth rate, resistance to antibiotics, plasmid profile and exopolysaccharide production. Salt-tolerant strains significantly enhance their capacity to oxidize C sources (about 75–85 compounds) by increasing growth rate and exopolysaccharide production involved in adhesion, resulting in a greater adapting capacity to colonize unfavorable saline environments. However, salt stress could work as a curing agent and thus the gene stability would become critical for the biological nitrogen-fixation information present in plasmids, as is the case in Rhizobium. Received: 5 January 1998     

Comparative drug systemic exposure and clinical efficacy against resistant nematodes in lambs treated with different albendazole formulations

Suárez, G., Alvarez, L., Castells, D., Correa, O., Fagiolino, P., Lanusse, C. Comparative drug systemic exposure and clinical efficacy against resistant nematodes in lambs treated with different albendazole formulations. J. vet. Pharmacol. Therap. 34 , 557–564. A pharmaco‐parasitological assessment of four different albendazole (ABZ) formulations was carried out in lambs infected with multiple resistant gastrointestinal (GI) nematodes. The comparative drug systemic exposure profiles (ABZ sulphoxide plasma concentrations) and anthelmintic efficacies (clinical endpoint measured through the faecal nematode eggs reduction counts) were determined for a reference formulation (RF) and three different test (T1, T2, T3) generic ABZ preparations. Fifty (50) Corriedale lambs naturally infected with multiple resistant GI nematodes were allocated into five experimental groups (n = 10). Animals in each group received treatment with either the RF, one of the test ABZ formulations (5 mg/kg by the intraruminal route) or were kept as untreated control. Blood samples were collected over 48 h post‐treatment. ABZ parent drug was not recovered in the bloodstream. The ABZ sulphoxide (ABZSO) and sulphone (ABZSO₂) metabolites were measured in plasma by ultraviolet high‐performance liquid chromatography over 36–48 h post‐treatment. A faecal nematode egg count reduction test (FECRT) was performed at day 10th post‐treatment to lambs from all treated and untreated groups, which indicated the predominance of nematodes with high level of resistance to ABZ. Both ABZSO C_max and AUC_0–LOQ values obtained for the RF (pioneer product) were significantly higher (P < 0.05) than those obtained for the T1 and T3 preparations. Based on the currently available bioequivalence criteria, the test (generic) ABZ formulations under evaluation could not be considered equivalent to the RF regarding the rate (C_max) and extent (AUC_0–LOD) of drug absorption (indirectly estimated through the ABZSO metabolite). A large variation in nematode egg counts did not permit to obtain statistically significant differences among formulations. However, a favourable trend in the efficacy against the most resistant nematodes was observed for the formulations with the highest ABZSO systemic exposure.     

Transmission dynamics of Fasciola hepatica in the Plateau Region of Mexico. Effect of weather and treatment of mammals under current farm management

The aim of the present work was to study the dynamics of Fasciola hepatica natural infection in ovines, caprines, bovines and two mollusc species, Lymnaea (Fossaria) humilis and Lymnaea (F.) bulimoides, from 2004 to mid 2007 under normal farm management conditions, and the relation to climate changes. The study was performed in a research centre in the plateau of Mexico. Temperature and rainfall were registered every month, as well as the number and intensity of infection in livestock and molluscs, as determined by coprology and direct observation/cercariae release, respectively. The first two years mammals were treated with clorsulon/ivermectin because the animals were harbouring concomitant intestinal nematode infections and this was the available drug combination. During the second period treatment was with triclabendazole. The temperature ranged from around cero to 30 °C, except during September 2005 to January 2006, when a cold climate prevailed. The rainfall augmented every year in July-August, and slightly in April, 2006. Lymneid snails appeared during or immediately after the rainfall peaks of 2004 and 2006, while few L. humilis and no L. bulimoides were present during the same period of 2005, probably because it was cold. A total of 15564 cercariae were released from molluscs during the wet time of 2004, 76 during 2005 and 368 in 2006. Several peaks of infection in mammals were observed, most occurring up to 4 months after the snails had disappeared. As expected, the weather had strong impact on snails and then on livestock infection. Also, treatment given to livestock was related to reduced cercarieae release five months later. Therefore, the combination of treatment and inspection of snails in the biotopes where the livestock graze may facilitate control of fasciolosis under current farm management.     

Maternal antibiotic treatment affects offspring gastric sensing for umami taste and ghrelin regulation in the pig

Background: Scarce is knowledge on the process regulating the development of acid secretion, orexigenic signaling, and chemosensing in the stomach of young pigs. Changes of early microbial encounters by suckling pigs can interact with the gut maturation, by the induction of different molecular signaling. Our goal was to assess if the age of offspring and the maternal environment, influenced by sow antibiotic treatment peripartum, could affect gastric morphology and the expression of genes involved in the control of hydrochloric secretion, feed intake, taste,and inflammation in offspring stomach.Methods: 84 pigs from sows fed a diet with amoxicillin(on –d10 to +d21 from farrowing, ANT) or without(CON)were sacrificed at d14, d21, d28(weaning) or d42. Samples of oxyntic(OXY), pyloric(PY) and cardiac mucosae close to OXY were collected and parietal and enteroendocrine cells(EECs) were counted. Relative gene expression of a set of 11 key genes(ATP4 A, SSTR2, GAST, GHRL, MBOAT4, PCSK1, GNAT1, TAS1 R1, TAS1 R3, IL8 and TNF) was assessed by qRT-PCR. In addition, 40 offspring obtained from the same ANT and CON sows were offered a normal or a fatenriched diet for 4 weeks between 140 and 169 d of age, and then OXY and PY were sampled.Results: The number of parietal and EECs increased with age(P 0.001). ATP4 A increased with age(within suckling,P = 0.043, post-weaning vs. suckling, P 0.001), SSTR2 increased only after weaning(P 0.001). In OXY, GHRL increased during suckling(P = 0.012), and post-weaning as a trend(P = 0.088). MBOAT4 tended to increase during suckling(P = 0.062). TAS1 R1 increased from suckling to post-weaning period(P =0.001) and was lower in ANT offspring(P = 0.013). GNAT1 in PY was higher in ANT offspring(P = 0.041). Antibiotic treatment of sows peripartum increased expression of GHRL and MBOAT4 in OXY of growing-finishing offspring aged 5 months.Conclusions: Data show that sensing for umami taste and ghrelin regulation can be affected by maternal environment, but the development of acid secretion, orexigenic signaling and taste perception in the stomach are mostly developmentally controlled.     

Dislocation of the coxo-femoral joint in dairy cows

Coxo-femoral dislocation was diagnosed in 40 dairy cows. Of the 40 cases, 19 were in a cranio-dorsal direction, 2 caudo-dorsal, 17 caudo-ventral (into the obturator foramen), and 2 cranio-ventral. Thirty cases (75%) were successfully treated by closed reduction. Most cows were treated within 12 h of the dislocation occurring. Treatment was less successful in cases of caudo-ventral dislocation and unsuccessful cases predominated among cows with concurrent obstetrical paralysis or milk fever, and very heavy Friesians.     

Ulcerative posthitis in bulls in Uruguay.

Ulcerative posthitis in bulls in Uruguay is described; 1096 bulls in 17 different establishments were examined. The incidence of bulls grazing on improved pasture was 32.9% in those under one year and 80.8% in animals of 18 to 36 months of age. Bulls grazing on natural pasture showed an incidence of 63.5% in adult animals irrespective of age. Histologic characteristics of the preputial lesions were acanthosis, parakeratosis and hyperkeratosis followed by invasion of leukocytes in the epithelium and ulceration. Corynebacterium renale was isolated from 59 of 204 prepuces. Based on the isolation of C. renale, histological lesions and the greater incidence in animals on high planes of nutrition, it is postulated that the lesion is due primarily to production of ammonia following the hydrolization of urea by the organism.