Retrospective study of 108 foals with septic osteomyelitis

Objective   To determine the clinical characteristics, short-term outcome and future athletic performance of foals with septic osteomyelitis.
Design   Retrospective clinical study of 108 Thoroughbred foals with radiographic evidence of bone infection that were presented at the Scone Veterinary Hospital between August 1995 and December 2001. Medical records were reviewed and information concerning signalment, the clinical, laboratory and radiographic findings, treatment and outcome was obtained. Racing records were obtained and evaluated for surviving foals that had reached racing age.
Results   Mean age of foals at initial evaluation was 39 days (range 1–180 days); 21 foals had multiple radiographic bone lesions (19.4%), and 76 had concurrent septic arthritis (70.4%). The most frequently affected bones were the femur, tibia and distal phalanx. In total, 87 foals were discharged from the hospital (80.6%), 79 survived long-term to reach racing age and 52 raced (65.8%). Overall, 48% (52/108) of the foals treated for osteomyelitis raced. Foals less than 30 days of age at the time of diagnosis, critically ill foals and those with multiple bones or joints affected were significantly less likely to be discharged from hospital. Multiple septic joints, but not multiple bone involvement, had an unfavourable prognosis for racing.
Conclusions   The prognosis for survival of foals with septic osteomyelitis or osteitis is favourable. Multiple bone or joint involvement is an important short-term prognostic indicator; however, the involvement of multiple joints, but not multiple infected bones, is associated with an unfavourable prognosis for racing.     

Repeat Ovum Pick-up and In Vitro Embryo Production from Adult Ewes with and without FSH Treatment

Ovum pick-up (OPU) was performed three times on adult ewes after synchronization with (n = 4) or without (n = 4) FSH treatment to investigate the effects of FSH treatment on the number of ovarian follicles, oocytes recovered, oocyte quality and development in vitro. FSH treatment increased the number of ovarian follicles (85 vs 162) and oocytes recovered (33 vs 91), although recovery rate was similar for ewes with and without FSH (91/162, 56.2% and 33/85, 38.8% respectively). Of the oocytes recovered, those classified as grades I and II were similar between ewes with (78/91, 85.7%) and without FSH treatment (27/33, 81.8%). The number of ovarian follicles was similar after repeated OPU for ewes treated with FSH, but for ewes not treated with FSH the number of ovarian follicles decreased with repeated OPU. The number of oocytes recovered decreased for FSH-treated ewes only, while the oocyte recovery rate and proportion of oocytes classified as grades I and II were not affected by repeated OPU. Oocyte cleavage (46/78, 58.9% and 19/24, 79.2%) and blastocyst formation (35/46, 76.1% and 12/19, 63.2% respectively) were similar for ewes with and without FSH treatment. The number of ovarian follicles varied between ewes (p < 0.05) although the number of oocytes recovered and oocyte development in vitro were similar between ewes.     

Wounds of the pastern and foot region managed with phalangeal casts: 50 cases in 49 horses (1995–2006)

Objective   Describe the use of a phalangeal cast as treatment for wounds in the pastern and foot region of horses. Secondly, to evaluate the healing and soundness of horses treated with phalangeal casts.
Design   Retrospective study of 49 horses.
Procedures   Medical records of 49 horses that were treated with a phalangeal cast for 50 cases of wounds in the pastern and foot region at equine referral hospitals from 1995 to 2006 were reviewed and follow-up information was obtained.
Results   Treatment consisted of wound debridement, lavage, wound closure (28 wounds), cast application and antibiotics (84%). At follow-up, the majority of horses were sound (42 of 47 wounds, 89.4%), three horses were still lame and one horse was euthanased because of persistent lameness. Three horses were lost to follow-up. There was no statistical difference between the outcomes of horses treated acutely (<24 h) or after a 24-h delay. Similarly, the involvement of synovial structures in the wound did not significantly influence outcome.
Conclusions   In this study, wounds involving the pastern and foot that were treated with a phalangeal cast carried a good prognosis for soundness (89.4%) and cosmetic healing (89.5%). The phalangeal casts were well-tolerated and effective.     

Rib osteomyelitis in three foals

Three foals aged between 21 and 44 days were presented for evaluation of pyrexia and lameness. Each had subcutaneous abscessation associated with osteomyelitis of a rib at the costochondral junction and pathological fracture of the affected rib; one foal had more than one rib affected. Other localised sites of infection included other sites of osteomyelitis, omphalophlebitis, uveitis, enterocolitis, and calcaneal bursitis. The subcutaneous abscessation and rib osteomyelitis was treated surgically in two foals. Salmonella typhimurium was isolated from the subcutaneous abscess in one foal and from the faeces of another. Two of the three foals were euthanased. Ultrasonography was a more useful modality than radiography for establishing the diagnosis of costal osteomyelitis.     

Cadmium induced alterations in the intestinal absorption of glucose and fructose in a freshwater cat fish,Heteropneustes fossilis

The effect of four concentrations (1.0, 0.1, 0.01, and 0.001 mM) of Cd on the rate of absorption of two sugars, glucose and fructose by the intestine of the fresh water cat fish, Heteropneustes fossilis has been studied after 1 h at 23 °C. Intestinal glucose and fructose transport was also assessed in fish exposed to a sublettral concentration (0.0023 mM) of Cd in the ambient water for 15 and 30 days. Control fish showed no marked difference in the rates of absorption of glucose and fructose. All four concentrations of Cd decreased the rate of transport of glucose and fructose significantly. Among the two sugars, decrease in the rate of transport of fructose was more marked than glucose. In fish exposed to Cd in the ambient water, reduction of glucose and fructose absorption was greater after 30 days of exposure than after 15 days.     

Overview and initial results of the very long baseline interferometry space observatory programme

High angular resolution images of extragalactic radio sources are being made with the Highly Advanced Laboratory for Communications and Astronomy (HALCA) satellite and ground-based radio telescopes as part of the Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) Space Observatory Programme (VSOP). VSOP observations at 1.6 and 5 gigahertz of the milli-arc-second-scale structure of radio quasars enable the quasar core size and the corresponding brightness temperature to be determined, and they enable the motions of jet components that are close to the core to be studied. Here, VSOP images of the gamma-ray source 1156+295, the quasar 1548+056, the ultraluminous quasar 0014+813, and the superluminal quasar 0212+735 are presented and discussed.     

Mechanisms of the hypoglycaemic and immunopotentiating effects of Nigella sativa L. oil in streptozotocin-induced diabetic hamsters

The aim of this study was to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the hypoglycaemic effect of N. sativa oil (Nigella sativa oil) in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic hamsters, in terms of hepatic glucose production, and to investigate the possible immunopotentiating effect of N. sativa oil on peritoneal macrophages. Diabetes was induced by intraperitoneal injection of 65 mg/kg body weight of STZ. Treatment with N. sativa oil commenced 6 weeks after induction of diabetes at a dose of 400 mg/kg body weight by gastric gavage. Isolated hepatocytes were collected using collagenase to determine liver glucose production. Phagocytic activity was evaluated by injection of fluorescent latex (2 microm diameter) intraperitoneally, followed 24 h later by collection of peritoneal macrophages. N. sativa oil reduced blood glucose from 391+/-3.0 mg/dl before treatment to 325+/-4.7, 246+/-5.9, 208+/-2.5 and 179+/-3.1 mg/dl after the first, second, third and fourth weeks of treatment, respectively. Hepatic glucose production from gluconeogenic precursors (alanine, glycerol and lactate) was significantly lower in treated hamsters. Treatment with N. sativa oil significantly increased the phagocytic activity and phagocytic index of peritoneal macrophages and lymphocyte count in peripheral blood compared with untreated diabetic hamsters. Our data indicate that the hypoglycaemic effect of N. sativa oil is due to, at least in part, a decrease in hepatic gluconeogenesis, and that the immunopotentiating effect of N. sativa oil is mediated through stimulation of macrophage phagocytic activity either directly or via activation of lymphocytes.     

Isulinotropic properties of Nigella sativa oil in Streptozotocin plus Nicotinamide diabetic hamster

The present study was designed to investigate the possible insulinotropic properties of Nigella sativa L. (N. sativa) oil in Streptozotocin plus Nicotinamide-induced diabetes mellitus in hamsters. Nicotinamide was injected intraperitoneally 15min before injection of Streptozotocin intravenously. Oral treatment with N. sativa oil began 4 weeks after induction of diabetes. Serum insulin was measured by enzymeimmunoassay. Islets insulin was stained using anti-insulin monoclonal antibody. Significant decrease in blood glucose level together with significant increase in serum insulin level were observed after treatment with N. sativa oil for 4 weeks. Big areas with positive immuno-reactivity for the presence of insulin were observed in the pancreases from N. sativa oil-treated group compared to non-treated one using immunohistochemical staining. Therefore, our data show that the hypoglycemic effect of N. sativa oil in Streptozotocin plus Nicotinamide diabetic hamsters resulted, at least partly, from a stimulatory effect on beta cell function with consequent increase in serum insulin level. These results indicate that N. sativa oil has insulinotropic properties in type 2-like model.     

Developmental Capabilities of Embryos Produced In Vitro from Prepubertal Lamb Oocytes

Breeding from prepubertal females, known as juvenile in vitro embryo transfer (JIVET), reduces the generation interval and increases the rate of genetic gain in animal breeding programs. While the birth of the first lambs from prepubertal ewes occurred nearly 30 years ago; and there is considerable interest in the commercialization of this technology, its efficiency remains too low. The advent of in vitro production (IVP) of embryo resulted in the more widespread use of JIVET. Morphologic and metabolic differences coupled with reduced in vitro and in vivo development of oocytes derived from prepubertal animals have been reported. Research has been undertaken to optimize donor selection and hormone stimulation methods in an attempt to reduce the variability and increase the proportion of donors responding to hormone stimulation and increase oocyte developmental competence. Yet, this variation persists and the development of oocytes and embryos from prepubertal animals remains reduced when compared with adults. Recent improvements to JIVET, resulting from a modified hormone stimulation regime, have eliminated the failure of donors to respond to hormone stimulation, and increased both the number and developmental competence of oocytes harvested from very young prepubertal lambs. This increased efficiency has facilitated the incorporation of other reproductive technologies such as sperm sexing with JIVET, resulting in the birth of lambs of a pre-determined sex from prepubertal lambs. Increased rates of genetic gain in sheep breeding programs can be achieved by combining sexed sperm with oocytes obtained from lambs as young as 3–4 weeks of age. Continued increases in the efficiency of JIVET resulting from further improvements to hormone stimulation regimes and an increased understanding of the differences between oocytes from adult and prepubertal animals will result in the commercialization of this technology.