Studies on efficacy and stability of a vaccine bait containing ERA strain of rabies virus propagated in a BHK-21 cell line.

In a dose response study in foxes, the median protective dose of ERA BHK21 vaccine in a blister pack bait was 10(6.0) tissue culture infective doses (TCID)/mL, while artificially aged baits with titers of 10(6.3) TCID/mL induced seroconversion in 78% of foxes. There was no significant difference in the development of antibodies in foxes receiving 1, 2 or 3 mL volumes of vaccine in the bait. When baits were exposed to the elements and fed to foxes over a 21 day period, 85% of the animals seroconverted. Age, sex and the way in which the vaccine container was contacted did not appear to be factors in the responses of these animals. Juvenile foxes, approximately six months of age, were marked more readily with the tetracycline bait marker than older animals. Approximately 25% of foxes did not appear to respond well to vaccination and the titer of the vaccine was a critical factor in producing seroconversion in these animals.     

The effect of body condition, live weight, breed, age, calf performance, and calving date on reproductive performance of spring-calving beef cows.

Data from 321 spring-calving cows (mean calving date March 27) were used to assess the effects of body condition, live weight, cow age (from 4 to 13 yr), and breed (237 Hereford x Friesians and 84 Blue-Greys) and time of calving on the proportion of cows that became pregnant, the number of days from the start of mating to pregnancy, and calving interval. Mating started at turn-out to pasture in mid-May and lasted 9 to 10 wk. Body condition at calving and breed were the most significant animal factors affecting reproductive performance. Cows calving in higher body condition had shorter (P less than .001) calving intervals (11.2 d per unit of body condition at calving). Blue-Grey cows became pregnant in a higher proportion (90%) and calving interval was shorter (364 d) than in Hereford x Friesians (83%; 374 d). Body condition at the start of mating was less important and body condition at the end of mating had no effect. Live weight at calving and changes in live weight from calving to the start of mating and during the mating period had no significant effect. The proportion of cows becoming pregnant decreased significantly with age in Hereford x Friesian cows older than 7 yr. The variance in calving interval accounted for by calving date, body condition at calving, breed, and age was 42%.     

Behavioral and physiological effects of freeze or hot-iron branding on crossbred cattle.

Twenty-seven crossbred calves (1/2 Simmental, 1/4 Hereford, 1/4 Brahman) averaging 257 +/- 11 d of age were either hot-iron-branded (H), freeze-branded (F), or sham-branded (S). Calves were blocked for temperament, weight, and sex and were randomly assigned to day and order in which treatments were applied. To reduce stress from handling at treatment time, each calf was herded through the squeeze chute daily for 5 d before the experiment. Jugular cannulas were inserted in each calf 1 d before application of treatment. Blood samples and heart rate measures were obtained at -5, -3, 0, .5, 1, 3, 5, 10, 15, and 20 min after application of the treatments. Mean concentrations of plasma epinephrine (EPI) were higher for H calves at time .5 min than for either S or F calves (P = .10). To account for individual differences, prebranding heart rates and hormone concentrations were subtracted from subsequent samples and were also used to calculate a proportion for each subsequent sample. Analyses of subtracted values found that EPI concentrations were greater for H calves than for either S or F calves (P = .007) at .5 min postbranding. No other differences were found for the subtracted analyses. Analyses of proportion data also revealed that H calves had greater EPI than did either S or F calves (P = .027) at .5 min postbranding. Only three animals vocalized during branding, one H calf and two F calves. Despite the 5-d acclimation period, handling and restraint elevated plasma cortisol concentrations and heart rate.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Actinomycin D for Reinduction of Remission in Dogs With Resistant Lymphoma

Twenty-five dogs with malignant lymphoma refractory to chemotherapy were treated with actinomycin D at a median dose of 0.7 mg/m² (range, 0.5 to 0.9 mg/m²) every 3 weeks. The dogs treated had received between 2 and 8 chemotherapeutic agents (median 7), for a median of 266 days before being treated with actinomycin D. For 23 of the 25 dogs, previous chemotherapy included doxorubicin. No dog responded to actinomycin D chemotherapy.     

Cardiopathological observation on a case of persistent ventricular tachycardia in a pony mare.

A 20-year-old pony mare with persistent ventricular tachycardia (VT) was examined cardiopathologically. At necropsy, the heart was enlarged and rounded with both ventricular dilatation. In a longitudinal section of the ventricular septum, a large grayish white patchy lesion (5 x 25 mm) was detected in the relatively higher portion. Microscopically, the lesion was extensive myocardial fibrosis located in the vicinity of the proximal part of the left bundle branch. Partially the fibrotic lesion was in contact with the branch. Such a lesion might play an important role in creating a suitable background for the development of VT via automaticity or reentry mechanism.     

猪带绦虫六钩蚴cDNA文库的构建与筛选

在体外将猪带绦虫虫卵孵化为有活力的六钩蚴。采用商品化试剂盒抽提六钩蚴总 RNA、m RNA,反转录为双链c DNA,再加 Eco R Adapter。在去除小片段后 ,dsc DNA与 λgt11噬菌体 DNA连接 ,经蛋白包装 ,构建了猪带绦虫六钩蚴λgt11c DNA文库。该文库效价为 3.5× 10 9pfu/ m L ,重组 DNA片段大小为 0 .5～ 3.2 kb,平均为 1.6 kb,蓝白斑比 1∶ 9。用抗体探针对文库进行免疫学筛选 ,在消除非特异性反应的基础上筛选约 10 6 重组子 ,共得到 118株强阳性克隆 ;应用 PCR鉴定上述部分阳性克隆 ,均扩增到 0 .5 kb以上的片段。结果显示 ,构建的文库合格 ,含六钩蚴所有抗原基因 ,可用于六钩蚴 c DNA克隆的筛选 ;用免疫学与 PCR联合筛选 c DNA文库 ,可消除假阳性     

Verification by polymerase chain reaction of vertical transmission of Theileria sergenti in cows

To evaluate the transplacental transfer of Theileria sergenti infection in cattle, we used DNA probes to detect T. sergenti in 6 pregnant cows and their calves. All the animals were monitored by parasitologic, serologic, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays for a predicted 875-base-pair (bp) DNA product and a 684-bp amplicon detected by nested PCR in the blood and spleens of aborted fetuses. An open reading frame (ORF) starting at nucleotide 170 and terminating at position 1021 was shown to code for a polypeptide of 283 amino acid residues. All 6 dams and 5 calves were positive for T. sergenti in all tests. One calf was positive only with nested PCR. We conclude that transplacental transmission of T. sergenti is a significant problem. The relevance of the data in the programmed introduction of new (especially pregnant) animals into established clean herds needs serious consideration with regard to control of theileriosis and other tickborne diseases.     

Leishmaniasis phytotherapy. Nature's leadership against an ancient disease.

The use of phytotherapy to treat human diseases has its roots in pre-historical times. Despite the modern advances achieved in the field of synthetic chemistry, the most efficient drugs available have their genesis directly or indirectly related with the vegetal kingdom. Indigenous communities have long used plant extracts to treat illnesses. Many of these extracts have shown effective action, with new bioactive compounds being extracted and screened every year. These extracts have also proven to be good sources of therapeutic agents to the treatment of Leishmaniasis. This work highlights some of these agents, while trying to emphasize the importance of plants as a source of new and powerful drugs against this widespread disease.