USE OF ULTRASOUND-GUIDED FINE-NEEDLE ASPIRATION BIOPSY AND AUTOMATED CORE BIOPSY FOR THE DIAGNOSIS OF GASTROINTESTINAL DISEASES IN SMALL ANIMALS

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy and core biopsy in the diagnosis of infiltrative gastrointestinal diseases. Six dogs and seven cats with clinical signs of gastrointestinal disease underwent ultrasonography and intestinal lesions were identified. One or more ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy and/or core biopsy procedures were performed in each patient. Each patient also underwent one of the following additional procedures for comparison of results: 1) surgery (n=4), 2) endoscopy (n=2), 3) post mortem exam (n=3), and, 4) for lymphoma diagnosed with ultrasound-guided procedures, response to chemotherapy (n=4). Correct diagnoses were obtained in nine of the 13 patients, incorrect diagnoses in two of the 13 patients, and inconclusive diagnoses in two of the thirteen patients. Of the 16 total ultrasound-guided procedures performed, ten were confirmed as correct, three as incorrect, and three were non-diagnostic. Intestinal lesions with bowel wall thickness greater than 2.0 cm had a higher percentage of correct diagnoses than lesions of lesser wall thickness. Gastric lesions had a higher percentage of correct diagnoses than small and large intestinal lesions. Malignant lesions had a higher percentage of correct diagnoses than benign lesions. There were no complications. Ultrasound-guided gastrointestinal fine-needle aspiration biopsy and core biopsy appears to be a safe, accurate, and rapid procedure for use in the diagnosis of infiltrative gastrointestinal disease.     

Vererbung des β-Glucangehaltes der Haferkaryopse

Inheritance process for β-glucan content in oat caryopsis
Due to the fact that there are only few studies concerning β-glucans in oat caryopsis with regard to plant-breeding aspects, three oat crosses were performed (cross 19 = low × high, cross 86 = low × low, cross 98 = high × high). In all of the three oat crosses, lower β-glucan content (% DM) was recorded in F, than in F, indicating that the β-glucan content (% DM) at a higher heterozygoty grade is lower than at a reduced heterozygoty grade. This points to a dominant inheritance of lower β-glucan content (% DM). A tendency towards the female β-glucan content (% DM) could not be proven. Thus, it can be started from a nuclear genetic inheritance of the β-glucan content (% DM). In most cases, the experiments showed a normal distribution of β-glucan content (% DM), indicating for several genes a quantitative inheritance of β-glucan content (% DM). By means of the regression of the F₃-lines to the F₂-plants, the narrow-sense heritability could be calculated for the cross 86 (h²= 0.51***) and the cross 98 (h²= 0.48***). The heritability for the cross 19 was not significant.     

Sphaeropsis shoot blight and altered nutrition in red pine plantations treated with paper mill waste sludge

During 1993 progressive, severe shoot blight and canker disease in crowns of mature, merchantable red pines (Pinus resinosa) in central Wisconsin was noted in plantations in which paper mill waste sludge previously had been applied. For eight treated plantations and six non‐treated plantations, incidence of shoot blight attributed to the pathogenic fungus Sphaeropsis sapinea (syn. Diplodia pinea) was quantified during 1993 or 1994. Foliage and soil samples also were collected for analyses. Sphaeropsis shoot blight was more frequent in treated plantations than in the non‐treated stands (means of 81% of trees and 10.2% of shoots compared with 7% of trees and 0.1% of shoots, respectively). Consistent with other reports of damage caused by some diseases of conifers in situations of altered host nutrition, mean foliar N concentrations were higher in treated plantations (1.61%) than non‐treated plantations (1.31%) (p < 0.001). Mean foliar Zn, Mn, Cu, and Al concentrations were lower in treated plantations than non‐treated plantations, and mean soil P, Ca, and Mg concentrations were higher in treated plantations than non‐treated plantations.     

Antimicrobial therapy for gastrointestinal diseases.

Antibiotics will always be needed in horses for many types of infections, but the adverse consequences also must be considered. For the conditions described in this article, there is justification for antibiotic therapy. The intestinal problems that antibiotics can induce are among the risks from their administration to horses. Disruption of the endogenous bacterial population, colitis, and diarrhea are the most common complications from antibiotic therapy.     

A model for long-term sampling of lymph from the jejunal lymphatic trunk in pigs and sheep

Eine Methode zur langfristigen Lymphsammlung aus der jejunalen Lymphbahn bei Schweinen und Schafen Es wird eine Methode zur langfristigen Lymphsammlung im Dünndarmbereich von Schweinen und Schafen vorgestellt. Mit Hilfe eines chirurgischen Eingriffs wurde ein Silikon-Katheder im truncus lymphaticus jejunalis implantiert. Zusätzlich wurde ein zweiter Katheter in die hintere vena cava in Richtung Herz eingesetzt. Beide Katheter wurden sofort miteinander verbunden, um die Wiedereinführung der jejunalen Lymphe in den Blutkreislauf zu gewährleisten. Der negative Druck in der hinteren vena cava im Thoraxteil förderte den Lymphfluß durch das Katheter im truncus lymphaticus jejunalis. Der preprandiale Lymphfluß des Jéjunums betrug bei Schweinen 0,3 ml/h/kg Körpergewicht und stieg postprandial auf 0,78 ml/h/kg an. Beim Schaf betrug der Basiswert 0,75 ml/h/kg. Er stieg nach intraduodenaler Infusion von Rapsöl auf 4,75 ml/h/kg. Eine mechanische Stimulation der intestinalen Receptoren durch 0,9% NaCl-Lösung stimulierte ebenfalls den Lymphfluß.     

Managing the lactating sow for optimal weaning and rebreeding performance.

Management of the lactating sow influences milk production and subsequent reproduction through changes in nutrient intake. The management goal during lactation is to maximize feed intake. Decreasing the effective environmental temperature, increasing the nutrient density of the lactation diet, maintaining fresh adequate supplies of feed and water, and preventing excess weight gain during the prior gestation period will increase nutrient intake during lactation. Effective environmental temperature of the lactating sow can be maintained in the thermoneutral zone by using drip cooling, increased ventilation rates and flooring materials with superior conductive properties. Sow parity, genetics, litter size, and disease level will also influence feed intake. Management practices must account for these factors and, thus, should be tailored to individual farm situations to ensure adequate nutrient intake and prevent aberrations in subsequent reproductive performance.