Cardiac glycoside poisoning in sheep caused by Urginea physodes (Jacq.) Bak. and the isolated physodine A

Urginea physodes (Jacq.) Bak., a species closely related to or possibly synonymous with U. pusilla, is described and its distribution given. Four bufadienolides were isolated from U. physodes and the approximated LD50 and cumulative effect of some of them determined in guinea pigs. The most toxic one proved to be mildly cumulative. Typical signs of acute cardiac glycoside poisoning, involving the locomotory, gastro-intestinal, respiratory and cardiac system, were seen in the field cases and/or were experimentally induced by the plant. Similar signs could also be induced by injecting the isolated bufadienolide, physodine A, to a sheep.     

Disseminated Mycobacterium paratuberculosis infection in a cow

A cow with chronic diarrhea and weight loss caused by localization of Mycobacterium paratuberculosis in the intestinal tract (Johne's disease) had gross and microscopic changes indicative of a disseminated infection. A direct association between the remote lesions and the intestinal infection was shown by isolation of M paratuberculosis from renal tissue, detection of intracellular M paratuberculosis antigen(s), using an indirect immunoperoxidase method, and by the characteristic granulomatous nature of the lesions. This case illustrates the potential for extra-intestinal lesions in M paratuberculosis infection of cattle and should cause veterinarians to consider mycobacterial disease when confronted with multinodular lesions of the bovine kidney. The immunoperoxidase method was useful in determining the cause of the inflammatory lesion in which intact organisms were not evident.     

Techniques for venous blood sampling from the white pekin duck

Common sites for blood sampling in the pekin duck and other avian species include the basilic vein, jugular vein, superficial plantar metatarsal vein, heart, and occipital sinus. The use of each of these sites is described and/or illustrated. In the present study using the pekin duck, the superficial plantar metatarsal vein proved most satisfactory for collecting repeated samples (every 5 minutes for 30 minutes) with minimal trauma to the duck.     

Immunocytological confirmation of a diagnosis of canine distemper using cells in urine

Immunofluorescent staining of epithelial cells present in urine of early clinical cases of canine distemper confirmed the presumptive diagnosis by revealing fluorescing intracytoplasmic inclusions. Positive results were not obtained in urine samples from control dogs nor from samples from dogs ill for more than three weeks. The urine samples, with added preservative, still yielded positive results after 5 days storage at 37°C or 21 days storage at 18°C.     

Diphenhydramine Intoxication in a Dog1

We report a case of diphenhydramine intoxication in a dog. A five month old intact male Labrador Retriever was presented after ingesting approximately 36 diphenhydramine tablets (50 mg/tablet; approximate ingested dose of 1800 mg or 67 mg/kg). Physical examination findings included severe ataxia, profound disorientation, severe continuous spastic muscle tremors, hyperthermia, tachycardia, tachypnea, and hyperesthesia. The dog was unresponsive to intravenous diazepam and phenobarbital, but rapidly responded to an intravenous bolus and subsequent continuous infusion of guaifenesin and supportive fluid therapy. The serum diphenhydramine level on admission was 537 ng/ml. The toxic level is not reported for dogs, but is considered>60 ng/ml in people. The dog was discharged 24 hours after admission with no apparent residual effects.     

Use of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 and dietary calcium to improve tenderness of beef from the round of beef cows

The objective of this trial was to determine how 25-hydroxyvitamin D(3) (25-OH D(3)) supplementation, altering supplemental dietary calcium, or their combination influence postmortem biochemical and tenderness changes in muscles from the round of mature cows. Twenty-seven Angus cows (3 to 7 yr old) were allotted randomly to 9 pens with 3 cows per pen. Treatments were arranged in a 3 x 3 factorial design with 3 dosages of 25-OH D(3) (0, 250, or 500 mg of 25-OH D(3) administered as a 1-time oral bolus 7 d before slaughter) and 3 percentages of supplemental limestone (0.5, 0.75, and 1.0%) replenished in the diet for 3 d before slaughter and after a 2-wk limestone withdrawal. Plasma samples were obtained during the feeding period. Upon slaughter, adductor, gracilus, pectineus, sartorius, semimembranosus, vastus intermedius, and vastus lateralis muscles were obtained and aged for 1, 3, or 7 d. Calcium concentrations were increased in plasma when 250 or 500 mg of 25-OH D(3) were administered (P 相似文献   

The effect of dietary copper supplementation on fatty acid profile and oxidative stability of adipose depots in Boer x Spanish goats

A feeding trial was designed to examine the effects of copper sulfate pentahydrate (CuSO(4).5H(2)O) on the fatty acid composition and oxidative stability in muscle and adipose tissues of Boer x Spanish goat kids. Fifteen (n = 5 per treatment) goats were fed 0, 100, or 200 mg of supplemental Cu per day as copper sulfate for 98 d. The animals were slaughtered, and LM, s.c. adipose from the sternal region, and mesenteric adipose tissues were collected. Total lipids were extracted with chloroform:methanol (2:1), methylated and isolated via GLC from all tissues. The subsequent peaks were then positively identified by mass spectrometry. Thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances were measured also. In s.c. adipose, dietary Cu significantly decreased C14:0 (P = 0.03) and C16:0 (P = 0.01). In muscle, C15:0 (P = 0.03) was linearly increased by Cu. Dietary Cu supplementation did not influence oxidative stability in goat muscle or s.c. adipose. Copper supplementation at 200 mg/d resulted in a significant increase in malondialdehyde in mesenteric adipose (P = 0.01) compared with the 0 or 100 mg/d groups. These results indicate that lipid composition may differ from depot to depot and that depending on the depot, dietary Cu seems to elicit a variable response on the fatty acid composition.     

Effects of unfractionated and fractionated heparins on myeloperoxidase activity and interactions with endothelial cells: possible effects on the pathophysiology of equine laminitis

As heparins are sometimes used to prevent equine laminitis, the interactions between equine neutrophil myeloperoxidase (MPO), unfractionated (UFH) and fractionated low molecular weight (LMWH) heparins and digital endothelium have been investigated. The effects of the heparins on purified equine MPO activity were tested by immunocapture followed by enzymatic detection. Endothelium-MPO interactions were assessed by measuring total and active MPO uptake by arterial and venous digital endothelial cells in culture with or without the addition of heparins. A dose-dependent MPO inhibition by UFH and LMWH was seen, with the greatest reduction in MPO activity noted with the highest concentration of LMWH. The MPO capture was greater in arterial cells, but heparins better inhibited MPO capture in venous cells. The activity of cell-bound MPO was almost completely suppressed by the heparins, and no differences were observed between UFH and LMWH. The results confirm the anti-inflammatory properties of heparins and allow a better understanding of the potential role of MPO in laminitis.     

Creatine monohydrate supplementation and the quality of fresh pork in normal and halothane carrier pigs

The objective of this research was to examine the impact of supplementation with creatine monohydrate (CMH) on the quality of various muscles from normal and heterozygous halothane carrier pigs. Twenty-nine crossbred pigs, 16 normal (NN) and 13 halothane carrier (Nn) genotypes, were supplemented with 0 or 25 g x pig(-1) x d(-1) of CMH for 5 d before slaughter. Supplemented pigs gained 2.26 kg more weight (P < 0.05) during 5 d of supplementation. There were trends (P < 0.10) toward higher objective marbling scores and lower cooking loss for supplemented pigs. The 45-min pH was 0.27 units higher (P < 0.05) for supplemented pigs in the semimembranosus; CMH supplementation did not influence (P > 0.05) drip loss or muscle composition. Supplementation with CMH also resulted in lower L* values in two ham muscles, semitendinosus (5.15 units) (P < 0.05) and semimembranosus (1.95 units) (P < 0.10) for Nn carcasses. Genotype had significant effects on most quality indicators, with Nn carcasses producing lower-quality lean as evidenced by less desirable subjective and objective color and higher drip losses. Genotype also affected the composition of several muscles, with the NN carcasses having more fat and less moisture.