Investigations on the blood composition of sows during the reproductive cycle

Contents: In the second experiment of the series, a total of 217 blood and plasma samples, collected throughout pregnancy and in the four different seasons of the year, were analysed for 23 different cellular, gaseous, and biochemical parameters. Significant changes were noted during the terminal stages of pregnancy in the differential leucocyte count (lymphocytes and neutrophilic granulocytes), during mid-pregnancy in the level of plasma proteins, and, in early gestation, in the glucose concentration of the blood. The erythrocyte volume and mean corpuscular haemoglobin as well as parameters associated with the acid-base balance produced interactions between seasonal and gestational effects, generally indicating the additivity of the heat load and the stress of the terminal stages of pregnancy.     

Investigations on the Blood Composition of Sows During the Reproductive Cycle

Contents: In the final experiment of the series, 189 blood samples, collected from lactating sows in weekly intervals (1–6 weeks post partum) during the four seasons in a tropical environment, were analysed for 23 different cellular, gaseous, and biochemical parameters. Significant changes were noted in the following chemical blood components: plasma proteins, blood glucose and inorganic phosphorus content, all of which showed a steady decline which, in a way, wassimilar to the decreasing body weight curve during lactation. Lactate dehydrogenase activity was depressed two weeks after parturition only.     

An oral choristoma in a foal resembling hairy polyp in humans

A neonatal foal was presented with a 6.5-cm pedunculated mass arising from the upper deciduous incisors. The distal end was soft and covered by haired skin, whereas the proximal end was firm, covered with mucosal epithelium, and at the point of transection contained a fully developed tooth. Microscopically, the mass was covered by epidermis and mucosal epithelium and the remaining portion of the mass consisted of mature collagen, nonneoplastic fat and smooth muscle, and a single tooth within a bony socket. The mass is consistent with an oral choristoma and has features similar to those described for hairy polyp in humans.     

Long-chain fatty acids of Pasteurella multocida nad Pasteurella haemolytica

The relative contents of long-chain fatty acids in P. multocida and P. haemolytica were investigated. A dependence on the composition of the broth was established. Accordingly, comparative quantitative studies on fatty acid contents have to be conducted using bacteria grown with the same lot of broth medium. As for P. multocida, there were significant differences between the serovars (C14 in TDHM and C16, delta 2C18 in BPL). These differences are, however, not significant to replace serotyping. Highly significant differences were also detected between P. multocida isolates from nasal swabs and pneumonic lungs (interims of C14, delta C16 on BPL and BRU). The largest differences were measured for strains grown on BRU, which is interpreted as an expression of virulence. Significant differences were found between biotypes A and T of P. haemolytica, namely for C14, C16 in TDHM, and C14, delta C16, C16, C18 in BPL medium.