Sequence of the canine c-yes proto-oncogene

Cloning of the canine yes oncogene was attempted from a c library derived from a healthy canine spleen using a human c-yes-1 probe. The nucleotide and amino acid sequences revealed that the canine yes gene contained an open reading frame consisting of 539 amino acids. Its product had a molecular mass of 60,368 Daltons and showed 95·9 per cent and 90·4 per cent homology with human and chick p61^c-yes, respectively. Moreover, the product had a myristylation signal, src homology region (SH) 3, SH2, and tyrosine kinase domains showing 98·8 per cent and 96·0 per cent homology with those of human beings and chickens, respectively. These findings indicate that the products of the canine yes gene may have non-receptor-type tyrosine kinase activity on the cell membrane, as is the case in human and chick p61^c-yes     

The relative economics of feeding open, aborted, pregnant feedlot heifers

A 90-day finishing trial involving 144 feedlot heifers was conducted to compare the performance parameters and carcass characteristics of open heifers, therapeutically aborted heifers, and pregnant heifers. In the first 28 days of the trial, the aborted heifers had reduced (p < 0.05) feed intake (FI), average daily gain (ADG), and feed efficiency (FE) compared to pregnant and open heifers. Over the entire trial, on a live weight basis, the aborted group had reduced (p < 0.05) final weight, ADG, and FE compared to pregnant and open heifers. However, when the data were adjusted for total uterine weight, the aborted and open heifers had improved (p < 0.05) final weight, ADG, and FE compared to pregnant heifers. The aborted and open group had a higher (p < 0.05) carcass weight, rib eye area, dressing percentage, and cutability estimate compared to the pregnant heifers. The aborted group had lower (p < 0.05) carcass weight than the open heifers. Over the entire 90-day feeding period, there were no statistically significant differences among the groups with respect to feed intake (FI), average fat, grade fat, and carcass grades. Also, there were no significant health problems or mortality in any of the groups.

In the economic analysis, aborted heifers returned $26.41 per head more than pregnant heifers. Open heifers returned $39.94 per head more than aborted heifers, and $66.35 more than pregnant heifers. Thus, aborting feedlot heifers during the second trimester was determined to be a safe and cost effective management decision.

     

Effects of dietary inclusion of Rhus coriaria on internal milieu of rabbits

The aim of the present work was to investigate the effect of Rhus coriaria L. inclusion to the diet on some biochemical, haematological parameters and the level of antioxidant status of male rabbits. Adult rabbits were divided into five groups: one control (C) and four experimental groups. Experimental animals received sumac per os in feed in various doses (0.50%, 0.75%, 1.00% and 1.50%) for 90 days. Significant increase in PDWc (platelet distribution width) in E3 group when compared with control group was recorded. Sumac administration resulted in decreased cholesterol levels in all experimental groups vs. control group. Significantly lower level of cholesterol was found in E4 group with highest dose of sumac (1.50%). Higher values of total antioxidant status (TAS) and albumins were observed in all experimental groups in comparison with control group. A significant increase in TAS was detected in group E1 and E4. Concentrations of albumins were significantly higher in groups E3 and E4 vs. control group. Sumac administration had no significant effect on bilirubin content. In conclusion, these results show a positive effect of sumac consumption on antioxidant status and cholesterol level in adult male rabbits.     

Winter dysentery in dairy herds: electron microscopic and serological evidence for an association with coronavirus infection.

Faeces and, or, paired sera were collected from cows in six dairy herds with classical winter dysentery. Similar samples were collected from cows in three other dairy herds experiencing non-haemorrhagic diarrhoea during the survey period. Coronavirus was the only enteric pathogen identified by immune electron microscopy (IEM) in all six outbreaks, occurring in 26 of 29 (90 per cent) of the affected cows and in one of 11 normal cows from the same herds. Nineteen of 26 affected cows (73 per cent) developed greater than four-fold increases in neutralising antibody titres to the Mebus strain of bovine coronavirus, compared with two of eight normal cows in the same herds. No cows showed greater than four-fold increases in antibody titres to bovine virus diarrhoea virus. None of the cows from the three herds with non-haemorrhagic diarrhoea shed coronavirus in faeces detectable by IEM or developed greater than two-fold rises in coronavirus antibody titres in paired sera. No enteric pathogens were identified in two of the herds. However, two cows in the third herd shed a group B rotavirus detected by IEM. These findings provide additional evidence for a possible role for bovine coronavirus in the aetiology of winter dysentery. Furthermore, this is the first report of a group B rotavirus associated with diarrhoea in adult cattle.     

In vivo lipopolysaccharide injection alters CD4+CD25+ cell properties in chickens

In chickens, thymic CD4(+)CD25(+) cells are characterized as regulatory T cells. The objectives of this experiment were to study the effects of an in vivo lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injection on the percentage of CD4(+)CD25(+) cells in peripheral organs and the suppressive properties of splenic CD4(+)CD25(+) cells in chickens. Chickens were injected with LPS and CD4(+)CD25(+) cells were analyzed at 1, 2, 3, 5, and 10 d post LPS injection. The LPS injection increased CD4(+)CD25(+) cell percentage approximately 5-fold in the blood at 1 d post LPS injection (P < 0.001), 3-fold in the thymus at 3 d post LPS injection (P = 0.001), and 2.5-fold in the spleen at 2 d post LPS injection (P = 0.001) compared with the no-LPS-injected group. The LPS injection did not alter the CD4(+)CD25(+) cell percentage in the cecal tonsil (P = 0.162), lung (P = 0.098), or bone marrow (P = 0.071) at any time point measured. At 2 d post LPS injection, splenic CD4(+)CD25(+) cells lost their suppressive ability (P < 0.001). At 5 d post LPS injection, splenic CD4(+)CD25(+) cells not only regained their suppressive ability, but also became supersuppressive (P < 0.001). Splenic CD4(+)CD25(+) cells at 5 d post LPS injection produced 5.5-fold more (P = 0.005) IL-10 mRNA than splenic CD4(+)CD25(+) cells at 0 and 2 d post LPS injection. In conclusion, chicken regulatory T cells are differentially activated to facilitate immune response during the early stage of inflammation and to facilitate immune suppression at a later stage of inflammation.     

The parasympatholytic effects of atropine sulfate and glycopyrrolate in rats and rabbits.

Nine groups of rats (n = 5 per group) received an intramuscular (IM) injection of one of the following drugs or drug combinations: saline, atropine (0.05 mg/kg), glycopyrrolate (0.5 mg/kg), ketamine:xylazine (85:15 mg/kg), ketamine:detomidine (60:10 mg/kg), atropine:ketamine:xylazine (0.05: 85:15 mg/kg), glycopyrrolate: ketamine:xylazine (0.5:85:15 mg/kg), atropine:ketamine:detomidine (0.05: 60:10 mg/kg) or glycopyrrolate: ketamine:detomidine (0.5:60:10). Similarly six groups of rabbits (n = 5) received an IM injection of either saline, atropine (0.2 mg/kg), atropine (2 mg/kg), glycopyrrolate (0.1 mg/kg), ketamine:xylazine (35:10 mg/kg) or glycopyrrolate:ketamine:xylazine (0.1:35:10 mg/kg). In rats, atropine sulfate (0.05 mg/kg) and glycopyrrolate (0.5 mg/kg) produced an increase in heart rate for 30 and 240 min, respectively. In rabbits atropine sulfate at either 0.2 or 2.0 mg/kg did not induce a significant increase in heart rate, but glycopyrrolate (0.1 mg/kg) elevated the heart rate above saline treated animals for over 50 min. Both atropine and glycopyrrolate provided protection against a decrease in heart rate in rats anesthetized with ketamine: xylazine (85:15 mg/kg) or ketamine: detomidine (60:10 mg/kg); however, glycopyrrolate was significantly more effective in maintaining the heart rate within the normal range. Glycopprrolate also prevented a decrease in heart rate in rabbits anesthetized with ketamine:xylazine (35:5 mg/kg). Neither glycopyrrolate nor atropine influenced respiration rate, core body temperature or systolic blood pressure when used alone or when combined with the injectable anesthetic. Glycopyrrolate is an effective anticholinergic agent in rabbits and rodents and more useful as a preanesthetic agent than atropine sulfate in these animals.     

Epidemiology and microscopic diagnosis of tuberculosis in pigs and small ruminants slaughtered at Bobo-Dioulasso abattoir,Burkina Faso

Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) is a zoonotic, infectious, chronic and contagious disease, caused by Mycobacterium bovis that mainly affects cattle. This pathology has a negative impact on animals and animal products trade. Unfortunately, in Burkina Faso where agriculture and livestock sectors represent around 80% of the socio-economic activities, the real situation of the disease is not well known especially in small ruminants and swine. Thus, our study focused on both the epidemiology and the microbiological diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) in small ruminants and pigs slaughtered at Bobo-Dioulasso abattoir. A prospective study was conducted between August 2017 and December 2017. Epidemiological data collection was performed during routine meat inspection; moreover, samples were taken and transported to the Bacteriology laboratory of Centre Muraz for microbiological analyses. This diagnosis consisted in search of Acid Fast Bacilli (AFB) using the hot Ziehl–Neelsen staining. Out of a total of 14 648 small ruminants and 2430 pigs slaughtered during the study period, 156 and 17 had lesions suggestive of bTB with prevalence of 1.07% and 0.7%, respectively. Females and those between 2 and 4 years old were mainly infected. The most affected organs were: lungs, liver, spleen and lymph nodes. Finally, microscopy revealed 43.35% (75/173) of positive cases for AFB. These results confirm the presence of bTB in small ruminants and pigs in Burkina Faso. Efforts must still be made in the fight against this zoonosis in order to limit its economic and public health impacts.     

Meteorological factors involved in Japanese encephalitis virus infection in cattle

From 1982 to 1987 a total of 4,371 dairy cattle in Saitama Prefecture, were examined for levels of hemagglutination inhibition (HI) antibody to Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) and the correlation with meteorological factors and an antibody positive rate was studied. Positivity rates of HI antibody from July to October each year (Yi) ranged from 58.8 to 88.0% with a considerable annual variation. Simple regression analysis of Yi with the comparative meteorological value (Xi) was determined from mean temperatures (Ti, j-1), rainfalls (Ri, j-1) for 10-day-periods each, and the number of days showing 25 degrees C or above (ti, j-1) from June to September, which yielded a correlation coefficient of 0.8147 (p less than 0.05) and an equation for estimated HI antibody positivity rate: Yi = -0.04Xi+79.9 (p less than 0.05). Multiple regression analysis with the power values of three meteorological parameters as independent variables and Yi as the dependent variable, showed a multiple correlation coefficient of 0.987 (p less than 0.05) and a multiple regression equation: Yi = -3991T1/13-0.0035R-12+1978t1/9+4187 (p less than 0.05), giving estimated positivity rates almost equal to the values from the observations. Therefore, a predictive equation was formulated reflecting positive and negative correlations of sero-positivity with the temperature and the precipitation, respectively.     

Thin sow syndrome (TSS): the effect of amperozide

Sixty sows suffering from typical post-weaning TSS were divided into three groups: (1) 20 as negative controls (NC); (2) 20 as positive controls (PC) treated with vitamins, trace elements and antibiotics; and (3) 20 injected with amperozide (2 mg/kg body weight), a new neuroleptic compound with antistress and anxiolytic properties. Amperozide treated sows fully recovered (P less than 0.05) and 80% became pregnant, while figures for the PC and NC groups were only 15% and 10% respectively. Mortality was up to 50% in the NC, 40% in the PC and only 15% in the amperozide treated group (P less than 0.05). These field results warrant further studies in unravelling the aetiology and prevention of this condition.