Infection of bovine fetuses at 120 days' gestation with virulent and avirulent strains of bluetongue virus serotype 11.

Bluetongue virus infection in sheep and cattle during fetal development causes neuropathology. Two strains of bluetongue virus serotype 11 designated as UC-2 and UC-8 have different virulence patterns in newborn mice. These viruses have distinctly different electropherotype patterns on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis indicating a genetic difference in these two viruses of the same serotype. Four bovine fetuses each were inoculated intramuscularly with either UC-2 or UC-8, and one fetus was inoculated with placebo. The inoculation was made intramuscularly through the uterine wall at 120 days' gestation, and the bovine fetuses were recovered by cesarean section 12 or 20 days after inoculation. Fetal blood was collected for virus isolation and serology. Virus was reisolated from brain, blood, lung and liver. Both strains, UC-2 and UC-8, cause severe lesions in the 120 day fetuses. The encephalomalacic lesions occurred earlier and were more severe in fetuses inoculated with UC-8 as compared to those inoculated with UC-2. The subtle differences observed in the fetuses inoculated with the two different strains suggest that there is a difference in pathogenic potential of the two viruses. These differences do not appear to be completely dependent upon the host species.     

Narbon Vetch (Vicia narbonensis L.): A Potential Feed Legume Crop for Dry Areas in West Asia

Provision of feed supplies for the rapidly growing livestock population is essential in West Asia. Shortages can be alleviated by growing forage crops in the existing fallow lands.
Narbon vetch (Vicia narbonensis L.) is a leguminous species with high yield potential, drought tolerance and cold resistance. It could be used for grain and straw production as source for animal feed in dry areas. It is good source of protein with seeds contain 28 % protein yielding 364 kg per hectare protein, whilst straw contains 9 % protein and yields a similar amounts of digestible protein per hectare.
Nine promising lines of Narbon vetch developed at ICARDA were tested at two sites over four years under rainfed conditions. Since climatic conditions were considered to be of considerable importance, each site in each year was treated as a separate environment to give eight environments with annual rainfall varied from 195 to 504 mm.
Narbon vetch possessed high seedling vigour with rapid winter growth and negligible cold damage. Grain yield varied form 0.47 to 1.90 t/ha, with a harvest index varying from 30 to 40 %. The data indicated that below 300 mm rainfall the grain yield varied from 0.47 t/ha when rain fall was 195 mm to 1.4 t/ha when rainfall was 245 mm. Most of the lines had wide adaptation to dry areas in terms of both grain yield and stability. Climate, except early spring rains had little effect on biological and grain yields.     

Feline immunodeficiency virus neurotropism: evidence that astrocytes and microglia are the primary target cells.

To investigate the neuropathogenesis of feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) infection in vitro, we have utilized three populations of cultured feline neural cells (astrocytes, microglia, brain endothelium) to assess the relative susceptibility to FIV infection, ability to produce viral antigens, and effects of infection on cell survival. Astrocytes appeared to be the most susceptible to infection, followed by microglia, whereas brain endothelial cells were relatively resistant to infection. Astrocyte infection resulted in syncytium formation and cell death, while microglial cells remained persistently and productively infected, without obvious cytopathic effects. These results suggest that FIV entry into the central nervous system probably does not occur via infected endothelium and that both astrocytes and microglia are more likely target cells for the virus.     

Intravenous catheterisation of foetus and mare in late pregnancy: management and respiratory, circulatory and metabolic effects.

The uterine and umbilical vessels of 12 pregnant ponies were catheterised to study foetal metabolism. The effects of this procedure on maternal and foetal cardiovascular, respiratory, metabolic and adrenocortical activity were monitored during and after surgery. Premedication with acepromazine-butorphanol-detomidine was followed by induction of anaesthesia with detomidine and ketamine and maintenance, using mechanical ventilation, with halothane in oxygen and nitrous oxide. Mean maternal arterial blood pressure was greater than 70 mmHg during anaesthesia and arterial oxygen tension remained over 100 mmHg. The foetuses were adequately oxygenated but were hypercapnic and lactic acidaemic. Most maternal and foetal blood gases and metabolites had returned to normal by 24 h, although foetal plasma lactate fell more slowly. The maternal adrenocortical discharge was less severe than reported previously and plasma cortisol had fallen to basal levels by 48 h after surgery. Foetal plasma cortisol remained low and did not change during or after surgery. Arterio-venous metabolite and gas tension differences across the uterine and umbilical circulations were slightly greater at operation than in the recovery period, suggesting that uteroplacental perfusion may have been impaired during surgery. Post-operative recovery of the mare and foetus was satisfactory and subsequent problems associated with the foetal catheters were not related to the anaesthesia or surgery.     

Xylazine and tiletamine-zolazepam anesthesia in horses

The cardiopulmonary and anesthetic effects of xylazine in combination with a 1:1 mixture of tiletamine and zolazepam were determined in 6 horses. Each horse was given xylazine IV or IM, as well as tiletamine-zolazepam IV on 4 randomized occasions. Anesthetics were administered at the rate of 1.1 mg of xylazine/kg of body weight, IV, 1.1 mg of tiletamine-zolazepam/kg, IV (treatment 1); 1.1 mg of xylazine/kg, IV, 1.65 mg of tiletamine-zolazepam/kg, IV (treatment 2); 1.1 mg of xylazine/kg, IV, 2.2 mg of tiletamine-zolazepam/kg, IV (treatment 3); and 2.2 mg of xylazine/kg, IM, 1.65 mg of tiletamine-zolazepam/kg, IV (treatment 4). Tiletamine-zolazepam doses were the sum of tiletamine plus zolazepam. Xylazine, when given IV, was given 5 minutes before tiletamine-zolazepam. Xylazine, when given IM, was given 10 minutes before tiletamine-zolazepam. Tiletamine-zolazepam induced recumbency in all horses. Duration of recumbency in group 1 was 31.9 +/- 7.2 (mean +/- 1 SD) minutes. Increasing the dosage of tiletamine-zolazepam (treatments 2 and 3) significantly (P less than 0.05) increased the duration of recumbency. Xylazine caused significant (P less than 0.05) decreases in heart rate and cardiac output and significant (P less than 0.05) increases in central venous pressure and mean pulmonary artery pressure 5 minutes after administration. Respiratory rate was decreased. Arterial blood pressures increased significantly (P less than 0.05) after xylazine was administered IV in treatments 1 and 3, but the increases were not significant in treatment 2. Xylazine administered IM caused significant (P less than 0.05) increases in central venous pressure and significant (P less than 0.05) decreases in cardiac output.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Induced Maturation and Spawning of the Chinese Catfish Clarias fuscus

Chinese catfish ( Clarias fuscus ) were successfully spawned in Hawaii using human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) at dosage rates of two and four international units (IU) per gram body weight. Fish not injected with HCG did not produce viable eggs. Successful spawns with HCG occurred between May and October. Hatch rates of up to 80% were obtained during June, July, and August for those fish given either a 2 or 4 IU per gram body weight injection of HCG. Fish spawned in either May or October yielded significantly higher hatch rates when injected with 4 rather than 2 IU per gram body weight. Fish held at elevated temperatures (28 to 30 C) prior to the normal spawning season developed significantly larger oocyte diameters, 60 days earlier than fish held under ambient temperature conditions (21.5 to 24 C). Photoperiod manipulation at ambient temperature conditions was associated with earlier oocyte maturation, but photoperiod effects were much less important than temperature.     

Systemic and pulmonary antibody responses of calves to Pasteurella haemolytica after intrapulmonary inoculation.

Systemic and pulmonary antibody responses of calves to Pasteurella haemolytica were evaluated by measuring immunoglobulin production in blood for 9 days and in pulmonary lavage fluid for 7 days after intrapulmonary inoculation. Clinical signs, pulmonary lesions, pulmonary and systemic inflammatory response, and amount of antigen in lavage fluid were used to evaluate the response of calves to challenge with P haemolytica. The pulmonary response consisted of production of IgG, IgE, and IgM antibodies to P haemolytica antigens and a 17- to 68-fold increase of cells in lavage fluid 8 hours after inoculation, with a gradual decrease toward normal. Antibodies of the IgM isotype to P haemolytica were demonstrated as early as 8 hours through 7 days after inoculation in 3 of 3 calves. Of the anti-P haemolytica isotypes, IgM was found in the highest concentration. In all of the inoculated calves, IgE was found 1 to 2 days after inoculation, and IgG was found in 2 of 3 inoculated calves from day 1 through 7 after inoculation. Detection of IgG correlated with smaller pulmonary lesions. Immunoglobulin A was not detected in lavage fluid. Serum was evaluated for IgG and IgM antibody response to P haemolytica. Specific IgM was detectable 5 days after inoculation, and IgG was detectable 7 days after inoculation. Pasteurella haemolytica antigens were not detected in serum or plasma. A transient increase in neutrophil count was found 8 hours after inoculation, with return to baseline values by 24 hours after inoculation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Biopsy of the bovine mammary gland.

A technique is described for biopsy of the bovine udder, employing sedation and local anaesthesia. Tissue samples of approximately 5 g were obtained by electrocautery from two quarters of the udder of a cow laterally recumbent. Care was taken to ensure complete haemostasis which was achieved by electrocoagulation and ligation. Postoperative recovery was rapid, and loss of yield was no greater in biopsied glands than in control glands of the same cow. Yield from all quarters returned to preoperative levels within 48 h.     

5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine blocks myogenesis by extinguishing expression of MyoD1

The pyrimidine analog 5-bromodeoxyuridine (BUdR) competes with thymidine for incorporation into DNA. Substitution of BUdR for thymidine does not significantly affect cell viability but does block cell differentiation in many different lineages. BUdR substitution in a mouse myoblast line blocked myogenic differentiation and extinguished the expression of the myogenic determination gene MyoD1. Forced expression of MyoD1 from a transfected expression vector in a BUdR-substituted myoblast overcame the block to differentiation imposed by BUdR. Activation of BUdR-substituted muscle structural genes and apparently normal differentiation were observed in transfected myoblasts. This shows that BUdR blocks myogenesis at the level of a myogenic regulatory gene, possibly MyoD1, not by directly inhibiting the activation of muscle structural genes. It is consistent with the idea that BUdR selectively blocks a class of regulatory genes, each member of which is important for the development of a different cell lineage.     

Riding arenas and different riding track surfaces in relation to the airway contamination in horses. Laboratory studies on riding surfaces]

29 samples of commonly used surfaces were tested for their water characteristics (litre weight, water capacity, water binding, water evaporation) and their contribution to airborne fungal spores (dust formation, dust setting). The results are discussed in comparison to the literature with regard to the environment. The results are: 1. Any surface--no matter of what material--eventually causes air pollution with fungal spores and dust. 2. Correct watering prevents air pollution by any surface. 3. Artificial products have no advantage over natural materials in the parameters tested. 4. The question of proper disposal of old surface material has to be clarified before purchase. The results show that a mixture of sand and wood shavings should be recommended as a surface for indoor arenas, especially in regard to environmental protection and proper disposal.