Arteriosclerosis of extramural coronary arteries in labradors with congestive heart failure

Two adult male labrador dogs had short clinical histories of congestive cardiac failure lasting only six weeks. Cardiac function deteriorated rapidly in both dogs, in spite of symptomatic treatment with cardiac glycoside, diuretic and p-adrenergic blocker. Necropsies revealed ascites and pulmonary congestion, but no macroscopic evidence of valvular or myocardial disease adequate to account for the cardiac dysfunction. Both dogs had extensive stenosis of extramural coronary arteries. This unusual vascular lesion comprised fibroelastic intimal thickening, discontinuity of internal elastic lamella and focal atrophy of medial smooth muscle. It seems likely that cardiac failure in these dogs was associated with myocardial underperfusion caused by extensive non-thrombotic, non-atherogenic stenosis of extramural coronary arteries.     

Clinical course of renal adenocarcinoma associated with hypercupraemia in a horse

A four-year-old shire mare with haematuria, colic, terminal weight loss and an abdominal mass had a large unilateral renal adenocarcinoma. Clinical signs were monitored for 11 months. Increased serum copper concentrations were measured on two occasions. Hypercupraemia is discussed as a possible paraneoplastic change.     

Inhibition of ecdysis in Oncopeltus fasciatus by 2-acetylpyridine thiosemicarbazones

[1-(2-Pyridinyl)ethylidene]hydrazide of 1-pyrrolidinecarbothioic acid (AI3-63967) and seven similar thiosemicarbazones applied topically to Oncopeltus fasciatus were toxic or prevented ecdysis in fifth instars without the appearance of supernumerary nymphs. Treatments with AI3-63967 did not affect weight gain of the nymphs but delayed by 2 days the rise in hemolymph ecdysteroids and reduced their maximal titer by ca. 40%. Restoration of the ecdysteroid titer by injections of makisterone A or 20-hydroxyecdysone did not prevent the molting aberrations. Treated fourth instars exhibited incomplete ecdysis followed by death and treated adults died within 9 days post-treatment. Apparently, this group of thiosemicarbazones acts by a mechanism different from that of juvenile hormone mimics or chitin synthesis inhibitors.     

The laboratory maintenance of field-collected Lymnaea tomentosa for the production of Fasciola hepatica metacercariae

A culture method is described for the production of Fasciola hepatica metacercariae in Lymnaea tomentosa collected from the field habitat. Two-litre glass jars, filled with artificial spring (A.S.) water and having a substratum of soil-bentonite (S.B.) agar to provide habitat and food, maintain groups of 40 to 100 snails graded according to size. Small quantities of washed lettuce are fed as a supplement. Compressed air, pre-warmed to 25°C, is piped to each jar to maintain thermoregulation, aeration, filtration and circulation of the water. Infection is achieved by reducing the A.S. water level to 3–4 mm and exposing the snails to miracidia for 6 h. During the aquatic developmental phase of 5–6 weeks, twice-weekly changes of A.S. water and the filter minimise proliferation of protozoans and Chaetogaster spp. Accumulation of mature cercariae is achieved by sustaining the infected snails on moist S.B. agar while humidification within the jar is maintained. Alternatively, groups of five to ten snails may be held in disposable petri dishes lined with S.B. agar. Maturation of cercariae may be delayed by refrigeration at 4–5°C. Upon maximum accumulation, the cercariae are harvested by dissection of the snails and metacercariae are stored in plastic containers at 4°C.     

Rapid diagnosis of Aujeszky's disease in pigs by improved in situ hybridization using biotinylated probes on paraffin-embedded tissue sections

A practical in situ hybridization (ISH) method has been developed for the rapid diagnosis of pseudorabies virus (PRV) infection in pigs. The method utilizes routine formalin fixed and paraffin-embedded tissue sections, non radioactive biotin-labelling, simple hybridization procedure and diaminobenzidine (DAB) silver enhancement detection system. The rapid (ISH) method showed concordance with the direct filter hybridization (DFH) and with the peroxidase-antiperoxidase (PAP) assays. By the simplified ISH, diagnosis can be made within two days.     

Rapid extraction, radioiodination, and in vivo catabolism of 125I-labeled fibrinogen in the horse

Two methods were analyzed for the rapid extraction of equine fibrinogen from fresh plasma, using ammonium sulfate-sodium phosphate buffer. Fibrinogen from each of these 2 methods was then radiolabeled with 125I (half-life = 60.2 days, gamma = 35 keV), using monochloroiodine reagent. Mean protein-bound activity was 98.5% and mean clottable radioactivity was 94.1%. Radiolabeled fibrinogen administered IV to 15 horses had an overall mean (+/- SD) plasma half-life of 4.95 +/- 0.44 days.     

Fine structure and invasive behaviour of the early developmental stages of Theileria annulata in vitro

The interaction, in vitro, between bovine peripheral blood lymphocytes and sporozoites of Theileria annulata (Ankara) was studied by light and electron microscopy. Beginning five minutes following incubation, samples were taken for Giemsa-stained smears and glutaraldehyde-fixed pellets, for light and electron microscopy, respectively. Sporozoites of T. annulata measure an average of 0.9 microns long, 0.8 microns broad and possess a limiting unit membrane, the pellicle; a round-to-ovoid, eccentrically situated, non-chromocentric nucleus; double-membraned, tubular, acristate mitochondria; varying numbers of anisocytic, densely osmiophilic and pleomorphic organelles, the rhoptries which together with the polar ring form the apical complex; and numerous, loosely scattered, electron-dense ribosomal particles. As early as 5 min of incubation, sporozoites had made contact with, and penetrated, lymphocytes. Sporozoites consistently attached to the lymphocyte plasmalemma by their basal end, possibly at specific receptor sites. Apparently only a proportion of lymphocytes (up to 40% and more commonly 10-20%) were susceptible. Two subpopulations of the susceptible lymphocytes were observed; one which appeared to have receptor sites localized on one pole of the plasmalemma and the other subpopulation in which the receptor sites were distributed evenly around the plasmalemmal surface. Within individual susceptible lymphocytes, the number of interiorized sporozoites increased from 1 to 3 at 5-10 min to as many as 15 or more parasites at around 60 min of incubation. Theileria annulata sporozoites were interiorized by the invagination of the host cell plasmalemma which remained intact throughout the process but later fragmented. Within 30 min of interiorization, each sporozoite underwent dedifferentiation by the loss of its rhoptries and transformed into a trophozoite. Around 24 h, the trophozoite, a uninucleate, motile and feeding stage of the parasite, developed into a schizont by an acentric, closed mitosis.     

Time-related responses of spontaneously breathing, laterally recumbent horses to prolonged anesthesia with halothane

Cardiovascular and respiratory functions were serially evaluated in ten healthy, fasting, spontaneously breathing, laterally recumbent adult horses during five hours of constant 1.06% alveolar halothane (equivalent to 1.2 times the minimum alveolar concentration for horses). Mean carotid arterial pressure was about 25% higher after one hour of constant-dose halothane than after 30 minutes of constant-dose (P less than 0.05), and remained increased throughout the study. Mean carotid arterial pressure peaked after 90 minutes, and was about 30% higher than at 30 minutes. Total peripheral vascular resistance initially increased (20% at one hour), then gradually returned to the 0.5-hour value over the next four hours. Cardiac output progressively increased with time (P less than 0.05; 20% by two hours; nearly 40% by five hours) because of an increase in stroke volume. An increase (P less than 0.05) in mixed venous PO2 accompanied the increase in cardiac output. Heart rate did not change significantly (P greater than 0.05). Some measures of ventilation changed significantly with time (P less than 0.05). After four and five hours of constant alveolar halothane, the PaCO2, inspired gas flow, and ratio of inspired vs expired gas flow were significantly higher than the 0.5-hour values. Inspiratory time significantly decreased, beginning at three hours. All horses recovered from anesthesia and recumbency without complications.