Anti-erythrocyte membrane antibodies detected in sera of dogs naturally infected with Babesia gibsoni.

Due to the potential for anti-erythrocyte membrane antibodies as possible enhancers of erythrocyte destruction, the presence of serum anti-erythrocyte membrane antibodies in 31 dogs with Babesia gibsoni infection admitted to a veterinary hospital was investigated by an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and immunoblotting analyses. This infection resulted in an increase of anti-erythrocyte membrane antibodies in 84% (IgG) and 74% (IgM) of 31 infected dogs, respectively. This was confirmed by the similarity in the protein profiles of the erythrocyte membrane antigens immunoblotted with rabbit antiserum to dog erythrocyte membrane antigens and infected dog serum. These results suggest the production of anti-erythrocyte membrane antibodies was induced by B. gibsoni infection.     

Laryngeal paralysis in immature and mature dogs as one sign of a more diffuse polyneuropathy

Six dogs with laryngeal paralysis had clinical, electrophysiologic, and pathologic evidence of a more generalized polyneuropathy. Three of the dogs were young Dalmatians, one was a young Bouvier des Flandres, and two were older, large-breed dogs. The results of this study suggest that laryngeal paralysis in dogs may frequently be one clinical sign of an underlying, more generalized polyneuropathy. Two forms of this generalized polyneuropathy may exist: an early form, as seen in young dogs with congenital or hereditary disease, and a delayed-onset form that is usually found in older dogs with so-called idiopathic laryngeal paralysis, some of which may have hypothyroidism.     

Pharmacokinetics of enrofloxacin and its metabolite ciprofloxacin after intravenous and oral administration of enrofloxacin in dogs

Rung, K., Riond, J.-L. & Wanner, M. Pharmacokinetics of enrofloxacin and its metabolite ciprofloxacin after intravenous and oral administration of enrofloxacin in dogs. J. vet
Four dogs were given 5 mg/kg body weight enrofloxacin intravenously (i.v.) and orally (p.o.) in a cross-over study. Plasma concentrations of the active ingredient enrofloxacin and its main metabolite ciprofloxacin were determined by a reversed phase liquid chromatographic method. Pharmacokinetic parameters of both substances were calculated by use of statistical moments and were compared to those of enrofloxacin described in the veterinary literature. Mean enrofloxacin t _½λZ was 2.4 h, mean Cl_s was 27.1 ml/min-kg, and mean V_ss was 7.0 1/kg. After i.v. and p.o. administration, concentrations of ciprofloxacin exceeding minimal inhibitory concentrations of several microorganisms were reached (C_max= 0.2 ng/ml, max = 2.2 h after intravenous administration; C_max= 0.2 (ig/ml, t _max= 3.6 h after oral administration). A considerable part of the antimicrobial activity is due to ciprofloxacin, the main metabolite of enrofloxacin.     

Prototype agricultural land evaluation systems for Canada: I. Overview of systems development

Abstract. Information on land resources and the capacity of land to support agricultural production is a prerequisite for the formation of sound agricultural policies. This paper summarizes Canadian experiences in developing national and regional land evaluation systems. Potential users expected the system to estimate the degree to which changes in biophysical and socio-economic conditions would alter options for land use and production, and to provide a context for more detailed analysis.
A broad-scale land evaluation system was designed to serve the needs identified by representative user groups. Two prototype systems were developed from available information to test the major features of the system design. Neither prototype was complete; one was national in extent and capable of addressing issues of national and provincial importance, the other covered a sub-provincial area but allowed for more detailed evaluation of the effects of soil modifying processes. A full range of applications was demonstrated using one or other of the prototype systems. As a result of this project, the broad-scale land evaluation system design was improved and verified, ongoing research and data collection activities were adjusted to ensure that they meet the needs of a macroscale land evaluation system, and approaches were developed to overcome problems of land evaluation system development.     

Comparison of sesame cake and cottonseed as supplementary sources of protein to weaned N'Dama bull calves in The Gambia

Summary The potential for increased productivity of N'Dama cattle in response to small supplementary inputs of proteinaceous by-products has been shown to be substantial under village husbandry conditions in The Gambia. Young N'Dama bulls were used to compare sesame cake with cottonseed as sources of supplementary protein during the wet and early dry seasons of 1987. They were fed 0, 40, 80 or 160 g crude protein/day in these forms for four months. Supplementation significantly increased growth rate from 169 g/d in controls to means of 272 and 271 g/d for those given sesame cake and cottonseed respectively; there were no significant differences among the supplemented groups. During the four months of the dry season immediately after supplementation ceased all previously supplemented groups grew significantly more rapidly than the controls (at leastP<0·05), indicating a substantial carry over effect of the supplements. Over this period the mean gain of the groups previously given sesame cake exceeded that of those that had received cottonseed (217 cf. 158 g/d;P<0·01). The economic benefits of these responses were substantial.

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Comparacion de torta de sesamo y de semilla de algodon como fuente suplementaria de proteina para terneros destetos N'Dama en Gambia

Resumen Se ha demonstrado el potencial para incrementar la productividad del ganado N'Dama, como resquesta a peque?as cantidades de insumos suplementarios de proteína, bajo condiciones de villorrio en Gambia. Se utilizaron terneros destetos N'Dama par comparar la torta de sésamo y de semilla de algodón como fuente de proteína suplementaria durate la estaicón lluviosa y principio de la seca del a?o 1987. Se les dió a los animales 0, 40, 80 o 160 g de proteína cruda/día en éstas formas durante cuatro meses. La suplementación incrementó significativamente la tasa de crecimiento, de 169 g/día en controles a 272 y 271 g/día en aquellos que recibieron torta de sésamo y de algodón respectivamente; no hubo diferenca estadística entre los grupos suplementados. Durate los cuatro meses de la estación seca inmediatamente después de que la suplementación fue suspendida, todos los grupos que habían sido suplementados crecieron sgnificativamente más rápido que los controls (P<0·05), indicando un efecto compensatorio en los suplementados. Durante ese período la media de crecimento de los grupos que recibieron torta de sésamo excedió a aquella de los que habían recibido torta de algodón (217 cf. 158 g/d;P<0·01). Los beneficios económicos de estos resultados fueron substanciales.

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Comparaison entre le tourteau de sesame et la graine de coton comme sources complementaires de proteines pour les taurillons N'Dama sevres en Gambie

Résumé Le potentiel de réponse à de petites quantités supplémentaires de sous-produits proteiniques pour accroitre la productivité de bétail N'Dama, s'est révélé manifeste, dans les conditions d'élevage villageois en Gambie. De jeunes taureaux N'Dama ont été utilisés pour comparer le tourteau de sésame et la graine de coton en tant que source de complémentation protéinique pendant la saison sèche et le début de la saison humide au cours de l'année 1987. Ils ont re?u respectivement 0, 40, 80 ou 160 g de proteines brutes par jour sus ces deux formes pendat quatre mois. Cette supplémentation a accru de fa?on significative le taux de croissance, de 169 g/jour pour les témoins jusqu'à des moyennes de 272 et 271g/jour respectivement pour ceux qui ont re?u du tourteau de sésame et de la graine de coton. Quant aux groupes complémentés, il n'ont révélé aucune différence significative. Pendat les quatre mois de la saison sèche et immédiatement après l'arrêt de la supplémentation, tous les lots ayant fait précédemment l'objet d'une distribution complémentaire ont eu une croissance significativement plus rapide que les animaux témoins, du moins pourP<0,05, ce qui indique un effet important de report des suppléments. Durant cette période, le gain moyen des lots qui ont re?u le tourteau de sésame a dépassé celui des lots auxquels on a donné de la graine de coton, soit 217 g/jour contre 158 g/jour pourP<0,01. Les profits économiques de ces réponses ont été appréciables.

     

Genomic imprinting effects on dairy- and fitness-related traits in cattle

Data from the official milk recording scheme of the Austrian Simmental population were analysed to estimate variance components due to genomic imprinting. Traits regarded were milk yield, fat and protein content, persistency, days open (first, second and third lactation) and herd life. All dairy traits were preadjusted for BLUP herd‐year effects. After applying some data restrictions, the number of records ranged from 3391 (persistency, third lactation) to 33 993 (days open, first lactation). Two different estimation approaches were used: (i) estimation of the maternal and paternal gametic component by a dam and sire model, respectively, and (ii) estimation of the animal and an additional gametic component (maternal or paternal) by treating gametes as homozygous diploid individuals. All models also accounted for year of first calving and the cytoplasmic effect of maternal lineages. In tendency, the results of both approaches were fairly well in line with each other. For the majority of the investigated traits, no substantial imprinting effects were detected. Significant evidence of genomic imprinting on a multiple type I error ≤ 0.10 was only found for protein content and days open. For protein content in the second and third lactation, the proportions of variance due to the paternal gametic effect exceeded those of the maternal by 0.096 and 0.152, respectively. For days open in the second lactation, however, the proportion of variance of the maternal gamete effect exceeded that of the paternal by 0.036. In tendency, indication of paternal imprinting was found for all fitness‐related traits. For true and functional herd life, significant differences (pairwise type I error ≤ 0.05) of 0.040 and 0.032 were found between the proportions of variance due to the maternal and paternal gamete effect. Significant variance components of cytoplasmic effects (multiple type I error ≤ 0.01) were found for first lactation of milk yield (0.020), for first, second and third lataction of persistency (0.026, 0.035 and 0.033) and of days open (0.029, 0.016 and 0.022) and for true and functional herd life (0.019 and 0.029).     

Investigation of Cervical Patency and Uterine Appearance in Domestic Cats by Fluoroscopy and Scintigraphy

The cervical patency of six domestic female cats was monitored under sedation by infusion of contrast medium (Omnipaque) into the cranial vagina during early oestrus, mid‐oestrus, late oestrus and interoestrus or a radiopharmaceutical (^99mTc‐HSA) during mid‐ and interoestrus in a non‐ovulatory oestrous cycle. The transport of the contrast medium or the radiopharmaceutical through the cervix and within the uterine horns was observed under fluoroscopy and with the aid of scintigraphy. In three of the queens, transcervical transport of contrast medium was demonstrated in all stages of oestrus, in one queen during mid‐oestrus, late oestrus and 1 day after oestrus, and in two queens only during late oestrus. The relations between the cervical patency to the contrast medium and the oestrous behaviour, cornification of the vaginal cells and the serum oestradiol‐17β concentration were evaluated, and a relationship was found between the cervical patency and the degree of vaginal cornification. Transcervical transport of the radiopharmaceutical was observed in three queens during mid‐oestrus. When the cervix was open, hysterography under a fluoroscope and hysteroscintigraphy were performed. The fluoroscopic and scintigraphic recordings revealed the patterns of the uterine contractions during oestrus in both ascending and descending directions, and the movement of the uterine contents back and forth between the uterine horns. The hysterograms were classified according to the shape of the uterine horns and the appearance of the endometrial lining. Spiral‐shaped uterine horns with a smooth inner contour were observed in two queens, and a corkscrew appearance with irregular filling defects in the uterine lumen was shown in two queens that had developed subclinical cystic endometrial hyperplasia. These findings demonstrated that fluids or particles deposited in the cranial vagina of the cat can be transported into the uterus during some stages of the oestrous cycle. The fluoroscopic and scintigraphic techniques developed in this study may be further modified to permit more detailed studies of uterine contractile patterns and sperm transport in the feline female reproductive tract. Hysterography proved useful to diagnose uterine disease. The information on cervical patency is of value also for the development of techniques for artificial insemination in this species, and should be studied also in the ovulatory cycle.     

Localization of extracellular matrix receptors in ICGN mice, a strain of mice with hereditary nephrotic syndrome.

Fibrotic degeneration was examined in the kidneys of ICR-derived glomerulonephritis (ICGN) mice, a novel inbred mouse line with a hereditary nephrotic syndrome of unknown etiology considered to be a good model of human idiopathic nephrotic syndrome. In the present study, we histochemically revealed changes in accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM) components and in localization of integrins, cellular receptors for ECM, in the kidneys of ICGN mice with the progression of renal failure. Excessive accumulation of basement membrane (laminin and collagen IV) and interstitial (type III collagen) ECM components were demonstrated in the glomeruli and tubulointerstitum of ICGN mice. Marked deposition of type I collagen and tenascin was seen only in the glomeruli of ICGN mice but not in those of ICR mice as normal controls. Increased expression of integrin alpha1-, alpha2-, alpha5- and beta1-subunits in glomeruli with fibrotic degeneration and abnormal distribution of alpha6-subunit were noted in the kidneys of ICGN mice. Excessive laminin, a ligand of alpha6beta1-integrin, was demonstrated on the tubular basement membrane, but alpha6-subunit diffusely disappeared on the basal side of the tubular epithelial cells. We presumed that abnormal integrin expression in renal tubules causes epithelial cell detachment, and consequently tubular nephropathy, and results in disorder of ECM metabolism causing excessive accumulation of ECM components in the kidneys of ICGN mice.