Fecal ammonia, urea, volatile fatty acid and lactate levels in dairy cows and their pathophysiological significance during diarrhea

Normal fecal samples were taken from lactating cows fed either a total mixed ration (TMR; n = 30) or pasture‐based diet (20) and from dry cows fed mainly on hay (15). Diarrheic fecal samples (n = 51) were collected from 21 sick dairy cows. Fecal analyses of ammonia, urea, lactate and volatile fatty acid (VFA) levels were used to evaluate colonic fermentation. Most normal feces had reasonably neutral pH, however, alkaline feces were observed in diarrheic cows. Although fecal lactate is higher in cows on grazing pasture, lactate levels were generally lower in the cows in the present study. Fecal VFA levels were higher in lactating cows than in dry cows. Elevated fecal urea was observed in diarrheic cows, however, many fecal samples in normal and diarrheic cows contained no urea. Fecal VFA levels in diarrheic cows were lower than in normal lactating cows, but were approximately equivalent to those in dry cows. Grazing or dry cows showed higher acetate and lower n‐butyrate proportions compared with TMR‐fed or diarrheic cows. Higher proportions of branched chain VFAs were observed in diarrheic cows, and the lowest level was observed in grazing cows. The present results indicate that intracolonic nitrogen equilibrium and proteolytic fermentation are altered by diarrheic status.     

Demonstration of continuously seropositive population against Borna disease virus in Misaki feral horses,a Japanese strain: a four-year follow-up study from 1998 to 2001

Borna disease virus (BDV)-specific antibodies were monitored in Misaki feral horses annually for 4 years using an electrochemiluminescence immunoassay (ECLIA). Among 130 horses examined, 35 (26.9%) with an ECLIA count above 1000 once or more were judged as BDV seropositive. Throughout the study period, p24 antibodies were more frequent than p40 antibodies in almost all positive animals. Among the 35 seropositive horses, the ECLIA count was consistently high in 12 cases. Eleven horses seroconverted from negative to positive and 7 underwent reversal. The count in the remaining 95 horses (73.1%) remained low for 4 years and these animals were judged as seronegative.     

Effect of desmopressin on plasma factor VIII and von Willebrand factor concentrations in Greyhounds

Objective To determine the effect of 1-Deamino-8-D-argi-nine vasopressin on plasma concentrations of von Willebrand factor and factor VIII in Greyhound blood donors, and to compare the response of 1-Deamino-8-D-arginine vaso-pressin injection on plasma concentrations of von Willebrand factor between groups with different resting plasma concentrations of von Willebrand factor.
Animals Fifteen Greyhound blood donors were used. Dogs were grouped into three categories depending on their von Willebrand factor concentrations.
Procedure Desmopressin was administered subcuta-neously at 1 mg/kg to all dogs. Plasma von Willebrand factor and factor VIII concentrations were measured before and 10, 20, 30, 45, 60, 90 and 120 min after desmopressin injection.
Results The von Willebrand factor and factor VIII concentrations in all dogs increased significantly and remained higher than base-line throughout the 2 h period.
Conclusion Desmopressin is useful in increasing von Willebrand factor concentrations in Greyhound blood donors, including those with low resting concentrations.     

Serological Differences among Erwinia amylovora Biovars

Serological properties were compared among four biovars of Erwinia amylovora. Two biovars (bvs. 1 and 2) from Maloideae sources outside of Japan, one (bv. 3) from Rubus idaeus and one causing bacterial shoot blight of pear (bv. 4) had different reactions in Ouchterlony double diffusion tests using living cells and lipopolysaccharides (LPS) as antigens. These findings indicate that E. amylovora can be classified into three serotypes; i.e., bvs. 1 and 2, bv. 3 and bv. 4. From results of Ouchterlony double diffusion tests and immunoblots, the specific antigen of the three serotypes may each exist in the LPS of E. amylovora strains. Received 27 March 2002/ Accepted in revised form 2 July 2002     

Foot Rot of Ulluco Caused by Pythium aphanidermatum

Severe rot of stem bases caused by Pythium aphanidermatum was found on ulluco (Ullucus tuberosus) grown in Kagawa Prefecture, Japan, in September 1999. The name “foot rot of ulluco” is proposed for this new disease. Received 14 November 2001/ Accepted in revised form 7 January 2002     

A Novel Conjugative Plasmid Conferring Multiple-antibiotic Resistance Detected in Epiphytic Strains of Enterobacter cloacae

Several epiphytic strains of Enterobacter cloacae isolated from mulberry leaves were resistant to antibiotics such as streptomycin, kanamycin, ampicillin, tetracycline and chloramphenicol, and harbored a 100-kb plasmid designated pMUL1. Plasmid profile analysis of spontaneous mutants derived from Ent. cloacae MUL1 and MUL1 (RSF1010) suggested that pMUL1 confers resistance to multiple antibiotics. Southern blot analysis using probes of five antibiotic-resistance genes against EcoRI-digested DNA from pMUL1 and defective pMUL1s (mutants) revealed that all these genes were located within a 24-kb region of pMUL1 and that some genes were assigned to the defective plasmids. A similar antibiotic-resistance plasmid was detected in several orchid-pathogenic strains of Ent. cloacae, but not in the type-culture strain (JCM 1232) or strains of Ent. cloacae of insect-origin. Strains MUL1 and MUL1 (RSF1010) were then mated with epiphytic Erwinia spp. and Pseudomonas spp. on filters, respectively. Several recipient strains of epiphytic Er. herbicola simultaneously acquired plasmid pMUL1 and the phenotype of multiple-antibiotic resistance. Thus, pMUL1 was verified to be conjugative and to encode genes for multiple-antibiotic resistance, including genes homologous to the strA-strB of the nonconjugative IncQ plasmid RSF1010. These findings suggest that epiphytic Ent. cloacae may play a role in the dissemination of antibiotic-resistance genes among epiphytic bacteria and plant pathogenic bacteria. Received 10 January 2002/ Accepted in revised form 29 March 2002     

Quantitative structure–activity studies of insect growth regulators: XVI. Substituent effects of dibenzoylhydrazines on the insecticidal activity to Colorado potato beetle Leptinotarsa decemlineata

Insecticidal activity against the Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata, was measured for a series of substituted N-tert-butyl-dibenzoylhydrazines, in which one of the benzoyl moieties closer to the tert-butyl group was fixed as being 2-chloro-substitued and the other variously substituted singly or doubly. The effects of substituents on the activity were quantitatively analysed using the classical quantitative structure–activity relationship (QSAR) procedure. The activity against the Colorado potato beetle increases with the molecular hydrophobicity. In addition, various types of steric effect are at work, depending upon the positions. Hydrogen-bonding acceptor substituents at the para position enhance the activity. There seem to be threshold (or optimum) values, albeit position-dependent, in the molecular hydrophobicity, above which the activity starts to decrease. This biphasic contribution of the molecular hydrophobicity to activity against coleopterous larvae is the most conspicuous difference in substituent effects from those found for similar compounds against lepidopterous pest insects, and may be the basis of the variations in the activity spectrum for certain compounds in this series. The introduction of bulkier substituents into the meta- and para-positions of the benzene ring, apart from the tert-butyl group, is unfavorable to activity. LD₅₀ values against Colorado potato beetle larvae of methoxyfenozide (RH-2485) and tebufenozide (RH-5992) were in the order of 10⁻⁷ mol per insect, whereas those of RH-5849, and halofenozide (RH-0345) were very low, 10⁻⁹–10⁻¹⁰ mol per insect being selective to the coleopterous larvae. © 1999 Society of Chemical Industry     

Epidemiological survey,general blood biochemistry,and histological examination of slaughtered heavy horse breeds with hemorrhage in the adipose tissue in the crest of the neck

Fifty-four slaughtered horses were classified into groups having adipose tissue in the crest of the neck with or without hemorrhage (AH and NH groups, respectively). Blood biochemical tests (Alb, TP, T-bil, GOT, GPT, LDH, T-cho, and BUN) and an epidemiological survey (age, gender, weight, origin, breed, BCS, CNS, and hoof disease) were performed. T-bil tended to be high, while the other parameters were normal. Weight, BCS, and CNS were higher in the AH group (P<0.05). GOT was lower in the AH group (P<0.05). It was suspected that the horses in the AH group had lipomatosis. It was assumed that the adipose tissue of the horses in the AH group contained damaged capillaries, and inflammation was confirmed based on evidence of macrophages and lymphocytes.     

Naupliar copepod concentrations in the spawning grounds of Japanese sardine, Sardinops melanostictus, along the Kuroshio Current

Naupliar copepods were distributed at similar concentrations over the waters inshore and offshore of the Kuroshio Current off central Japan in early spring 1993 and 1994, overlapping with the distribution of early feeding larvae of Sardinops melanostictus . Although N, P, Si and chlorophyll a concentrations were higher in the waters inshore of the Kuroshio axis than in the offshore waters, the mean concentrations of nauplii were not statistically different between the two waters. Food availability for larval S. melanostictus did not seem to be different between the two waters in terms of the mean food concentrations. Using the critical food concentration (>9 nauplii L^–1) for 25% survival during 3 days after first feeding derived from a rearing experiment, percentages in number of stations or water samples with nauplii concentrations >9 nauplii L^–1 were higher in the inshore waters than in the offshore waters in both years examined. Considering that fish larvae may depend on small-scale patchiness of food for their survival, the inshore waters seemed to be more favourable for first-feeding larvae than the offshore waters.     

Possibility of vancomycin-resistant enterococci transmission from human to broilers, and possibility of using the vancomycin-resistant gram-positive cocci as a model in a screening study of vancomycin-resistant enterococci infection in the broiler chick

In this study, vancomycin‐resistant enterococci (VRE) from humans and vancomycin‐resistant gram‐positive cocci (VRPC) from pigs were examined for their ability to transmit in the chick intestine (Experiment 1). A model study on the spread speed of VRPC was also estimated from chick to chick under semi‐production conditions with different administration routes (not inoculated, oral administration to a chick, sprayed on the floor) (Experiment 2). Furthermore, the disappearance of VRPC from their litter with composting processes was examined (Experiment 3). Each of six chicks was inoculated with VRPC or VRE at 1 day old in Experiment 1. All the chicks had VRPC or VRE in their glandular stomach at 22 days of age. In Experiment 2, 6 floor pens covered with sawdust were prepared and 20 chicks were allotted to each pen. The chicks were inoculated with VRPC at 1 day of age. The VRPC were detected in each group in cloacal swabs at 2 days of age (detection rate; 20–80%). And they were also detected in the not‐inoculated group. The VRPC detection rate gradually decreased, and detection was rare (0–10%) in the packing chicks (50 days old). VRPC were detected in the litter of each pen in Experiment 2. A composting process was effectively used to eliminate VRPC by the 6th week (Experiment 3).