Evaluation of a Collagenase Generated Osteoarthritis Biomarker in Naturally Occurring Canine Cruciate Disease

Objective— To determine the clinical value of a novel osteoarthritis (OA) biomarker in detecting canine cruciate disease.
Study Design— Cross sectional clinical study.
Animals— Dogs (n=22) with cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) rupture and 12 control dogs.
Methods— Concentrations of collagenase-generated cleavage epitope of type II collagen (Col2-3/4C_{long mono}, or C2C) in serum, urine, and joint fluid were compared between a group of dogs with CCL rupture and a control group. Correlation of C2C concentrations to the clinical stage of stifle OA was also evaluated.
Results— There were no significant differences in C2C concentrations in serum, urine, and joint fluid between groups ( P >.05). Subjective scores of lameness, joint effusion, osteophytosis were significantly more severe in the CCL rupture group compared with the control group ( P <.05). There was no significant correlation of C2C concentrations with clinical stage of stifle OA ( P >.05).
Conclusion— This OA biomarker did not detect pathology associated with CCL rupture. Our results suggest that collagenase-specific degradation of type II collagen in articular cartilage may not be involved in the early stage of naturally occurring canine cruciate disease, and that pathology associated with naturally occurring CCL rupture is different from that of experimental OA model.
Clinical Relevance— C2C is not clinically useful in detecting CCL rupture in dogs.     

Effect of liming on extractable Zn, Cu, Fe and Mn in selected Scottish soils

Ten naturally acidic Scottish soils have been limed with CaCO₃ at 0,0.25, 0.50, 0.75, 1.00 and 1.25 times the recommended lime requirement, and then subjected to three cycles of alternate wetting to field capacity at 20°C for 1 month and drying for 1 month. The Zn, Cu, Fe and Mn extracted by DTPA solution, both at pH 7.3 and also after adjustment to match the final soil pH, were measured by flame AAS. The same elements were determined in ammonium acetate extracts, for extractants buffered at pH 4.8, pH 7.0 or at the final soil pH. The effect of extractant pH upon the amounts of trace elements removed is discussed for the two extractants, with particular reference to Zn. The influence of soil pH upon the amounts of trace elements extracted is also considered. There appears to be a distinct relationship between rate of decrease of DTPA-extractable Fe with increasing soil pH and the effect of pH upon DTPA-extractable Zn, high rates of decrease of extractable Fe being associated with a more continuous decline in extractable Zn with increasing soil pH. Possible reasons for this relationship are discussed, in the light of an experiment conducted to examine the effect of Fe and A1 on loss of Zn from solution at high pH. DTPA-extractable Cu varied little with increasing soil pH.     

Dietary zinc concentration and lipopolysaccharide injection affect circulating trace minerals,acute phase protein response,and behavior as evaluated by an ear-tag–based accelerometer in beef steers

To assess plasma trace mineral (TM) concentrations, the acute phase protein response, and behavior in response to a lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge, 96 Angus cross steers (average initial body weight [BW]: 285 ± 14.4 kg) were sorted into two groups by BW (heavy and light; n = 48/group), fitted with an ear-tag–based accelerometer (CowManager SensOor; Agis, Harmelen, Netherlands), and stagger started 14 d apart. Consecutive day BW was recorded to start the 24-d trial (days −1 and 0). Dietary treatments began on day 0: common diet with either 30 (Zn30) or 100 (Zn100) mg supplemental Zn/kg DM (ZnSO₄). On day 17, steers received one of the following injection treatments intravenously to complete the 2 × 3 factorial: 1) SALINE (~2–3 mL of physiological saline), 2) LOWLPS: 0.25 µg LPS/kg BW, or 3) HIGHLPS: 0.375 µg LPS/kg BW. Blood, rectal temperature (RT), and BW were recorded on day 16 (−24 h relative to injection), and BW was used to assign injection treatment. Approximately 6, 24 (day 18), and 48 (day 19) h after treatment, BW, RT, and blood were collected, and final BW recorded on day 24. Data were analyzed in Proc Mixed of SAS with fixed effects of diet, injection, diet × injection; for BW, RT, dry matter intake (DMI), plasma TM, and haptoglobin-repeated measures analysis were used to evaluate effects over time. Area under the curve analysis determined by GraphPad Prism was used for analysis of accelerometer data. Body weight was unaffected by diet or injection (P ≥ 0.16), but there was an injection × time effect for DMI and RT (P < 0.05), where DMI decreased in both LPS treatments on day 16, but recovered by day 17, and RT was increased in LPS treatments 6 h post-injection. Steers receiving LPS spent less time highly active and eating than SALINE (P < 0.01). Steers in HIGHLPS spent lesser time ruminating, followed by LOWLPS and then SALINE (P < 0.001). An injection × time effect (P < 0.001) for plasma Zn showed decreased concentrations within 6 h of injection and remained decreased through 24 h before recovering by 48 h. A tendency for a diet × time effect (P = 0.06) on plasma Zn suggests plasma Zn repletion occurred at a greater rate in Zn100 compared to Zn30. These results suggest that increased supplemental Zn may alter the rate of recovery of Zn status from an acute inflammatory event. Additionally, ear-tag–based accelerometers used in this study were effective at detecting sickness behavior in feedlot steers, and rumination may be more sensitive than other variables.     

The performance of a thermometer screen on an automatic weather station

The performance of a Didcot-type thermometer screen on an Automatic Weather Station and a conventional Stevenson screen were compared, both with each other and against an aspirated Assmann psychrometer. Maximum temperature in the Didcot screen exceeded the conventional screen maximum by up to 1 K on calm, sunny days, and Didcot minimum temperatures were as much as 1.5 K less than the screen minima on still, clear nights; mean temperature discrepancies between screens were + 0.3 and − 0.4 K for maxima and minima, respectively. The apparent psychrometric constant for the Didcot screen was 1.0 mbar K⁻¹ which increased to 1.2 mbar K⁻¹ when u < 2 m s⁻¹ in contrast to the value of 0.799 mbar K⁻¹ frequently used for the Stevenson screen.     

Effect of reducing dietary mineral content on growth performance, water intake, excreta dry matter content and blood parameters of broilers

1. The objective of this study was to investigate whether it is possible to reduce phosphorus (P) excretion by feeding a lower level of dietary P than that currently recommended, without compromising welfare, and whether this is sensitive to the level of dietary calcium (Ca). 2. A randomised complete block design was used with a total of 224 1-d-old male chicks of a commercial genotype in two batches. Chicks had a 10-d adaptation period. After this, they were moved to cages and allocated to one of 4 dietary treatments (4 and 3 birds per cage in batch 1 and 2, respectively). A standard level of Ca and P (8.3 and 6.6 g/kg, respectively) was compared with three lower levels of Ca (7.3, 6.3 and 5.3 g/kg) all at the same reduced level of P (5.5 g/kg). Records were made of live weight of birds on an individual basis and feed and water consumption on a cage basis. Every 7 d, the dry matter (DM) content of a sample of mixed excreta from each cage was measured. Birds were slaughtered and samples taken for analysis of plasma mineral content, retention of N, Ca and P and tibia bone strength. 3. The initial reduction in dietary mineral level did not adversely affect performance or bone strength. However, decreasing dietary Ca level below 7.3 g/kg, at constant P, led to reduced feed consumption and bone strength. Dietary treatment had no significant overall effect on water intake, water : feed ratio, excreta DM content, Ca and P retention or metabolisability of DM. There was no significant correlation between mean plasma Ca or P level and DM content of rectal digesta. 4. In conclusion, reducing dietary P from 6.6 to 5.5 g/kg to reduce potential environmental impact of broiler production had an adverse effect on bird welfare when the level of Ca was reduced below 7.3 g/kg, as a result of decreased feed intake in the early growth period and reduced skeletal strength.     

Comparison of larval thermal maxima between <Emphasis Type="Italic">Fundulus heteroclitus</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">F. grandis</Emphasis>

Fundulus heteroclitus and F. grandis are resident salt marsh fishes that overlap in distribution over a narrow range in northeastern Florida. The objective of the present study was to examine whether the limits of the species’ ranges could be explained by differences in thermal tolerance. Two populations of each species were collected and then spawned in the laboratory, and 9-day-old larvae were used for critical thermal maxima trials. Mean LOE temperatures of larvae ranged from 43.04 to 43.65°C and showed little difference between species. Therefore, differences in high temperatures experienced cannot account for the differences of the distributions of the two species. Condition-specific competition may play a greater role in determining the observed range of the two species.     

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