Electromyography and spinal evoked potentials in cauda equina syndrome of dogs

In order to investigate usefulness of electrodiagnostic methods in Cauda Equina-Compression, 26 dogs with this disease were subjected to electromyography and spinal evoked potentials. 16 normal dogs served as controls. It was found that--after stimulation of the Nn.tibialis, peronaeus, pudendus and coccygeales and recording at the lumbosacral junction--latencies and nerve-conduction velocities were largely normal. However the amplitudes were decreased and--depending on the severity of the compression--the morphology of the potentials was altered although considerable standard deviations were obtained. Electromyographically, increased spontaneous activity with fibrillations and positive sharp waves were found in the myotomes of the lumbosacral nerves. Their number increased according to the severity of the cauda equina compression and they had a centrifugal distribution pattern. Based on these results it appears indicated to perform an electromyographic exam before applying myelography. The technique of spinal evoked potentials will need more refinement and standardisation before being useful in a clinical situation.     

A comparative histochemical and morphometric study of canine skeletal muscle.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether there were differences in skeletal muscle properties in the hindlimb muscles of different types of dogs. Muscle samples were obtained from the gracilis, sartorius cranial head, sartorius caudal head and tibialis anterior muscles of mixed-breed and hound-type dogs and Beagles. Fiber type, fiber size and capillary morphometry determinations of each muscle from each dog were made from sections stained for myofibrillar ATPase activity. Individual animals were bilaterally symmetric for all measured variables. Fiber type, fiber size and capillary geometry varied between dogs of a given type and muscles within a given dog. There were no differences between dog types for fiber type or fiber size; significant variation in log(muscle)/log(body) mass ratios between dog types was observed for all muscles. The results indicate that for a given muscle, significant variation can occur in skeletal muscle characteristics between different types of dogs and that these differences can be independent of differences in exercise history.     

Lymphosarcoma with disseminated skeletal involvement in a pup

Lymphoblastic lymphosarcoma with disseminated skeletal involvement was diagnosed in a 15-week-old Golden Retriever. The skeletal disease was characterized by diffuse, irregular areas of radiolucency most evident in the diaphyseal portion of long bones and was associated with gait abnormalities and signs of pain. Necropsy also revealed involvement of the spleen, liver, kidneys, and mesenteric lymph nodes.     

Variation in Doubled Haploid Plants of Wheat Obtained through Wheat (Triticum aestivum) × Maize (Zea mays) Crosses

Variation was investigated in 110 doubled haploid (DH) lines of wheat derived from wheat × maize crosses. Field observation revealed visible variations in 15 DH2 lines such as extreme dwarfism, low seed fertility, alteration of spike type and stripes. Six agronomic traits, i.e., heading date, spike number/ plant, culm length, spike length, seed fertility and grain weight were statistically analyzed in the DH2 and DH3 generations. Out of the 88 DH2 lines/DH3 groups, 26 %/64 % showed significant differences from the parental variety in the means of one or more traits. Ranges of the DH3 lines were larger than those of the DH2 lines, except for spike number/plant. Furthermore, analyses of variance within and between DH lines showed the presence of heterogeneity/heterozygosity in the DH2 lines/plants. These results indicated the occurrence of gametoclonal variation in the DH lines. It is considered that most of the variations detected were due to the colchicine treatment rather than to the 2,4-D treatment or in vitro culture.     

Presence of bacterial glycocalyx and fimbriae on Pasteurella haemolytica in feedlot cattle with pneumonic pasteurellosis.

This investigation was conducted to determine if Pasteurella haemolytica within feedlot cattle affected by pneumonic pasteurellosis express fimbriae (pili) and bacterial glycocalyx. Bacteriological culture of pulmonary tissue from three calves with fibrinous pneumonia resulted in heavy growth of P. haemolytica. Transmission electron microscopy of the lungs showed numerous microcolonies of gram-negative bacteria with morphology typical of Pasteurella haemolytica. The cells within these microcolonies possessed bacterial glycocalyces which stained with ruthenium red. Glycocalyx-encased microcolonies were also present in specimens examined by scanning electron microscopy. Typical P. haemolytica cells were evident in a tracheal specimen and these bacteria had radial glycocalyces consistent with polysaccharide and proteinaceous material condensed on linear structures suggestive of fimbriae. The pathogenetic importance of the bacterial glycocalyx and fimbriae in shipping fever pneumonia has yet to be established but their presence in clinical cases of Pasteurella pneumonia in feedlot cattle further supports a possible role in the initiation and progression of this disease as well as bacterial resistance to antimicrobial agents.     

Identification of a potentially important antigen of pasteurella haemolytica

To identify antigens which may be important for stimulating immunity to pneumonic pasteurellosis, a bovine antiserum to whole P. haemolytica was used to screen a recombinant lambda gt11/P. haemolytica expression library. One of the recombinant bacteriophage clones identified with the bovine antiserum, SW20C, expressed a fusion protein which was also recognized by rabbit antiserum to partially purified P. haemolytica culture supernatant and was found to be immunogenic in guinea pigs. The guinea pig antibody recognized a 100 kDa protein in P. haemolytica cell lysates. Sequence analysis of the cloned DNA from SW20C identified a fragment of 1443 bp with a small open reading frame that was contiguous with the lacZ sequence. The 153 bp P. haemolytica-specific open reading frame encoded a polypeptide of approximately 6kDa. Homology searches of Genbank and the EMBL data bases revealed no homology of this open reading frame with any other bacterial sequences including P. haemolytica leukotoxin and Ssa1. Evaluation of sera from calves that were scored either susceptible or resistant to experimental pneumonic pasteurellosis demonstrated a significant (P < 0.001) correlation between the intensity of the antibody response to the SW20C antigen and resistance to disease.     

Effect of season and lactation on postpartum fertility of Polypay, Dorset, St. Croix and Targhee ewes

The objective of this study was to compare rebreeding activities of spring- vs fall-lambing Polypay, Dorset, St. Croix and Targhee ewes that either suckled their lambs for 40 d or had lambs weaned at birth. Seasonal effects of male fertility were reduced by utilizing an excess number of fertile rams in the spring. Plasma concentrations of progesterone were monitored to assess days to the first normal ovulation, days to conception and estrous vs anestrous activity. Breed, season and lactation affected the rebreeding performance. Dorset ewes had similar conception rates between spring and fall but a shorter interval from lambing to first ovulation in the fall. Polypay and Targhee ewes were the opposite; they had higher conception rates in fall than in spring matings with no seasonal influence on postpartum interval. Postpartum ewes in the fall had higher conception rates, and fewer of these ewes became anestrous or had estrous cycles of abnormal duration than of those ewes lambing in the spring. Ewes that suckled for 40 d in the spring had delayed estrous activity, but when these ewes became estrual they had higher conception rates than ewes whose lambs were weaned at birth. Lactation had no inhibitory affect on the postpartum interval of fall lambing ewes. These data suggest that the response of different breeds to various components of postpartum fertility varies with season and management of the flock.     

Urinary protein level determination as a rapid method for the detection of contamination of slaughtered swine

Reference is made to work undertaken by Stehle (1983) on rapid semiquantitative determination of urinary protein in pigs for slaughter to identify premortal strain and stress, with additional studies being conducted into the suitability of the method. The investigations performed for this study covered urinary protein samples from 59 living and 762 slaughtered pigs. The Biophan E paper strip test was applied to groups of animals, and, when compared to high-accuracy laboratory determination of urinary protein, it provided sufficiently accurate information on the presence of stress-related proteinuria. Its accuracy, however, proved to be insufficient, when individual animals were examined. The number of clearly stressed slaughter pigs was unexpectedly high, although the same animals had been rated clinically inconspicuous prior to slaughter. Brief rest period resulted in significant rise of stress. The Biophan E paper strip test was found to be suitable for instantaneous determination of stress and strain on pigs for slaughter.     

Environmental influences on the progression of clinical and microbiological parameters of sheep periodontal disease

The responses of some clinical and microbiological parameters of periodontal disease (PD) in sheep were examined subsequent to transferring animals between PD-affected and PD-free farms. Previously healthy animals showed transient deterioration in some clinical, but not microbiological parameters, which suggests either that a different microbiota to the one studied may be more important in the initiation of the disease, or that sampling did not intercept periods of destructive disease activity in the early lesions. In sheep with established disease, those parameters indicative of periodontitis which included pocket depth and bleeding on probing as well as the proportions of black-pigmented Bacteroides species were not significantly altered by environmental changes. This observation suggests that once the disease is established on PD-affected farms, the hand, some clinical signs of the disease including lengthening and mobility of incisor teeth increased in sheep on the PD-affected farm relative to the PD-free farm. This suggests that the disease may have a complex aetiology.