In vitro evaluation of protein degradability in the rumen and digestibility of undegraded protein

A three-phase laboratory procedure suitable for predicting protein degradability in the rumen and digestibility of undegraded protein is reported. In the first phase the feed was incubated with starch and buffered rumen fluid. In the incubation mixture the viability of protease-active bacteria was checked by anaerobic culturing, whereas changes in protease activity were monitored by azocasein degradation. In the second and third phase rumen undegradable protein (UDP) was digested with pepsin and pancreatin, respectively. The measurements showed that 63.2, 5.2 and 4.7% of the crude protein of green lucerne was decomposed by rumen fluid, pepsin and pancreatin, respectively. Degradability of the crude protein of extracted sunflower meal was 68.3, 17.7 and 5.5% in the three phases, respectively. Repeated determination yielded crude protein degradabilities of 66.7, 27.1 and 5.1% for the three phases, respectively.     

Eosinophilic leukaemoid reaction in a dog

A haematological disorder in a dog characterised by a massive leucocytosis, mainly composed of eosinophils and their precursors is reported here. The normal composition of cells in the bone marrow was displaced in favour of the eosinophils and their precursors. No apparent cause for the pronounced eosinophilia could be determined by clinical, haematological, clinical-chemical, radiological or pathological examinations. A diagnosis of eosinophilic leukaemoid reaction was suggested as the criteria for the diagnosis of eosinophilic leukaemia in the dog but this was not firmly established.     

Effects of Two Underseed Species, Medicago polymorpha L. and Scorpiurus muricatus L., on the Yield of Main Crop (Durum Wheat) and Subsequent Crop (Teff) Under Humid Moisture Regimes in Ethiopia

Mixed cropping of leguminous underseed species and cereal crops may increase productivity and serve some additional purposes. Two leguminous weed species which are widely distributed in annual crops of the Ethiopian highlands have been studied with varying coverage in greenhouse trials in Ethiopia with regard to their suitability as underseeds and with wheat ( Triticum turgidum [L.] Thell. var. durum [Desf.] MacKey) as a main crop. The competitive effects of Scorpiurus muricatus L. on the grain yield of wheat were smaller than those of Medicago polymorpha L. (-14.1 % and -23.6 % respectively, compared with the underseed free control) which is mainly ascribed to differences in their speed of development and shoot height. The residual effects of the underseed's root masses on the grain yield of the successive teff crop (Eragrostis tef [Zucc] Trotter) were significantly higher with Scorpiurus muricatus (+99.3 %) than with Medicago polymorpha (+63.6 %). The results are discussed with regard to the specific site conditions in the cereal-dominated cropping systems of the Ethiopian highlands.     

Assessment of Negative Training on the Use of Cubicle Beds by Heifers

40 in-calf heifers were observed to examine the effect of timbers placing in passage area on their use of cubicle beds. Prior to the experiment preliminary observation was taken on these 40 heifers and they were divided into two even groups (cubicle user(or control) group versus cubicle refusal (or experimental) group by whether they properly used the cubicle beds or not. The timbers were placed in passage and feeding areas for the cubicle refusal group to force the animls to lie in the cubicle beds. The results of this experiment showed that feeding behaviour was unaffected by the presence of the timbers, but lying acitvity was about 8% higher for the experimental group, which led to a mean of almost 2 hours longer lying time over 24 h. After the timbers were removed, there was a significant decline in lying by the experimental group. The diurnal pattern of lying behaviour in cubicles indicated that the major effect on lying activity exerted by the presence of the timbers was seen during midnight to 10:00 a     

D-Dimer Improves the Prognostic Value of Combined Clinical and Laboratory Data in Equine Gastrointestinal Colic

The discriminating ability of 15 parameters alone or in combinations, including results from analysis of plasma endotoxin, the Nycomed plasma D-Dimer test and phospholipase A₂, were analyzed to predict morbidity and mortality in equine gastrointestinal colic. Endotoxaemia was a characteristic feature of the colic horses. The problem of adequately predicting non-survivors among colic horses required several parameters to be included in the logistic model: if the “classical parameters”, (heart rate, respiratory rate, PCV, anion gap) were included in the model, addition of plasma D-dimer, phospholipase A₂, and Cl^- significantly improved the predictive value of the logistic model. Increasing heart rate and D-dimer together with decreasing chloride was a risk factor for nonsurvival. The sensitivity of this three-parameter logistic model to predict nonsurvival was 78% and specificity 77%. The Nycomed D-Dimer test is recommended as a horse-site test to predict disseminated intravascular coagulation and nonsurvival in equine colic.     

Cross protection studies on Bordetella bronchiseptica in mice using an intracerebral challenge model.

Protective activities of heat-inactivated (60 degrees C for 30 min) merthiolate preserved Bordetella bronchiseptica and B. pertussis bacterins were compared in intraperitoneally immunized mice challenged intracerebrally (i.p./i.c.) or intraperitoneally (i.p./i.p.). In the i.p./i.c. assay (Kendrick test), a B. pertussis bacterin protected mice against challenge with B. pertussis 18-323, as well as against phase I cytotoxic and non-cytotoxic strains of B. bronchiseptica. A B. bronchiseptica bacterin, prepared from a phase I cytotoxic strain, gave protection against two phase I B. bronchiseptica strains, irrespective of their cytotoxin-production. A non-cytotoxic phase I strain of B. bronchiseptica elicited protection against the homologous strain only. Neither cytotoxic nor non-cytotoxic B. bronchiseptica strains protected mice challenged with B. pertussis 18-323. Vaccines prepared from phase III strains of B. bronchiseptica were not protective at all against any of the challenge strains. No such differences in the protective activities of the bacterins could be detected by the i.p./i.p. method. They seem to cross-protect equally well. The results indicate that the Kendrick test may be useful in testing potency of different B. bronchiseptica bacterins.     

Synchronization of estrus in dairy goats given norgestomet and estradiol valerate at various stages of the estrous cycle.

Dairy goats were given subcutaneous implants with 3 mg of norgestomet (NOR) and IM injections of 0.625 mg of estradiol valerate and 0.375 mg of norgestomet on day 0 of the estrous cycle (estrus; NOR 0, n = 18), on postestrus day 4 (NOR 4, n = 18), or on postestrus day 11 (NOR 11, n = 15). Ear implants were removed after 9 days. Mean (+/- SE) hours from removal of ear implants to onset of estrus and proportion of goats responding were 36 +/- 3.8 and 83%, 33 +/- 4.0 and 61%, and 36 +/- 2.7 and 93% for groups NOR 0, NOR 4, and NOR 11, respectively. There were no significant differences between treatment groups in time to onset of estrus. The percentage of goats in group NOR 11 that had signs of estrus was significantly greater than the percentage of goats in group NOR 4. Of the goats in groups NOR 0, NOR 4, and NOR 11 that had signs of estrus, 53, 55, and 86%, respectively, had onset of behavioral estrus between 24 and 48 hours after implant removal. All goats that had signs of estrus had onset of behavioral estrus between 12 and 72 hours after implant removal. Mean (+/- SE) hours from removal of ear implants to time of peak concentrations of luteinizing hormone (LH) were 49 +/- 4.1, 49 +/- 3.8, and 49 +/- 4.0 for groups NOR 0, NOR 4, NOR 11, respectively (not different). The percentage of goats in group NOR 11 that had LH peaks was significantly greater than the percentage of goats in group NOR 4.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Bronchoalveolar lavage in horses: effect of exercise and repeated sampling on cytology

SUMMARY Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was performed at weekly intervals in 10 Thoroughbred horses in race training (group 1) and in 4 rested horses (group 2) for 10 weeks. Lavages were continued on a weekly basis in 4 group 1 horses for an additional 9 weeks (group 3). Cytological analysis of samples included leukocyte counts, erythrocyte counts, differential leukocyte counts, and haemosiderophage score. The mean leukocyte concentration was significantly lower in group 1(92.1 ± 4.6 cells/μL) when compared with group 2 (133.5 ± 8.2 cells/μL), P = 0.037. The differential leukocyte data were not significantly different between groups. There was a large amount of variability in the percent-age of macrophages and lymphocytes in the differential counts over time with no obvious trends. The proportion of neutrophils demonstrated a tendency to decrease over time for both groups 1 and 2. Erythrocyte counts and haemosiderin scores were significantly higher in the exercising group than the rested horses. Neither exercise nor the technique itself evoked an inflammatory response in the BAL fluid.     

Fluid distribution in pork, measured by x-ray diffraction, interference microscopy and centrifugation compared to paleness measured by fiber optics

Moderately PSE (pale, soft, exudative) and moderately DFD (dark, firm, dry) pork was examined by x-ray diffraction for interfilament separation, by differential interference contrast microscopy for interfiber area, and was centrifuged to measure water holding capacity (WHC). Internal reflectance spectra were measured by fiber optics. For PSE to DFD pork, filament separation ranged from 39 to 48 nm, interfiber area from 42 to 3%, and WHC from 49 to 64%, respectively. The correlation of reflectance with interfilament separation varied considerably with wavelength (reaching r = -.83 at 680 nm, P less than .005). The correlation of reflectance with interfiber area was more uniform across the spectrum (reaching r = .90 at 450 nm, P less than .005), as was the correlation of reflectance with WHC (reaching r = -.80 at 400 nm, P less than .005). At 24 h postmortem, fiber-optic spectrophotometry may be used as a rapid, nondestructive method to predict WHC and potential fluid losses from commercial pork with a moderate range from PSE to DFD. Interfiber area was correlated negatively with filament lattice area and WHC, but no significant correlation was found between filament lattice area and WHC. Filament separation was decreased only slightly by centrifugation. These results indicate that at 24 h postmortem the extra fluid released from PSE pork already has been lost from the myofilament lattice and is awaiting release from compartments downstream such as interfiber and interfascicular spaces.     

ras p21 expression in ovine pulmonary carcinoma

We have adapted an enzyme-linked immunoblot assay (ELIBA) for the detection of a c-ras proto-oncogene and oncogene protein products in human cell lines and tumors of 21,000 daltons molecular weight (p21ras) to studies of tissues derived from sheep. In the ELIBA, a double antibody system is used in which p21ras proteins are initially immunoprecipitated from protein extracts with monoclonal antibodies, and subsequently identified using additional anti-ras antibodies. Binding is identified with a non-radioactive enzyme-linked colorimetric detection system. In the present study, the ELIBA system was used to study twenty-seven ovine lung specimens, representing normal lung, inflammatory, and neoplastic lesions. We detected p21ras protein expression in every tissue examined, but the nature and amount of the protein product varied significantly among the tissues examined. Some tissues expressed multiple ras species. Broncho-alveolar carcinoma specimens were most likely to express c-Ki-ras proteins. Mutant proteins of c-N-ras and c-Ki-ras were detected in several bronchoalveolar carcinoma specimens, based on migrational differences between mutant and normal proteins in 15% polyacrylamide gels. The results of this study demonstrate the utility of the ELIBA system for detection of c-ras expression in ovine lung tissues, and demonstrate the ability of the system to discriminate specific ras protein species. The prognostic significance of ras expression in sheep pulmonary carcinoma has yet to be determined.