Comparison of suture materials and suture patterns for inverting intestinal anastomosis of the jejunum in the horse

In 7 horses, 4 anastomoses were done in the small intestine in each, using the combinations of synthetic absorbable monofilament and multifilament suture materials with continuous- and interrupted-suture patterns in the serosubmucosal layer of a 2-layer inverting-suture technique. Horses were evaluated 30 days after the operation for adhesion formation, lumen diameter, evidence of chronic obstruction, and suture tract inflammation at the anastomosis. Postoperative obstruction occurred in 5 of the 7 horses, and 6 horses survived. One horse was euthanatized on postoperative day 6 after 48 hours of ileus and obstruction; necropsy revealed a partial intussusception involving the anastomosis done with continuous multifilament-suture material. Two other horses that became obstructed between postoperative days 3 and 5 had protracted ileus and gastric reflux up to 48 hours' duration, but survived. Horses that had obstruction after the 6th postoperative day recovered within 4 hours of onset. The continuous inverting-suture pattern in the serosubmucosal layer resulted in significantly (P less than 0.05) fewer adhesions than did the interrupted pattern, and suture material had no effect on adhesion formation. There was no significant difference in the percentage of reduction of lumen diameter between the variations of the 2-layer technique, and there was no evidence of chronic obstruction related to any of the anastomoses. Suture tract inflammation was moderate in the anastomoses, using continuous-multifilament suture, with neutrophils being the predominant cell type. The anastomoses with continuous-monofilament suture had mild inflammation with focal accumulations of neutrophils. Minimal inflammation was associated with both types of suture in the interrupted pattern.     

Gold-induced immune thrombocytopenia in the dog

In two seven-year studies with gold compounds in dogs of both sexes, thrombocytopenia was observed after 45 to 72 months of dosing in three of 14 and two of 14 dogs in high-dose groups that received 2.4 to 3.6 mg/kg of auranofin per day orally or 0.5 to 2.0 mg/kg of gold sodium thiomalate intramuscularly once every three days, respectively. An immune basis for the disorder was suggested by the apparent consumptive nature of the thrombocytopenia (increased bone marrow megakaryocytes and large peripheral blood platelets), the response to corticosteroid therapy and the demonstration of increased platelet-associated immunoglobulin. The latter was demonstrated with a solid phase radioimmunoassay and by electron microscopy using a staphylococcal protein A-colloidal gold conjugate. Platelet-associated immunoglobulin decreased as the platelet counts rose, and in one dog monitored over periods of steroid-induced remissions and subsequent relapses, the amount of platelet-associated immunoglobulin G correlated inversely with the platelet count (r = 0.82). These findings suggest that the long-term administration of gold compounds in dogs is associated with a dose-dependent incidence of thrombocytopenia, which is immune-mediated and similar to that associated with parenteral chrysotherapy in man. The application of tests for platelet-associated immunoglobulin to canine patients with immune thrombocytopenia should be useful in the diagnosis of the disorder in clinical practice.     

The effect of beta carotene supplementation on the beta carotene and vitamin A levels of blood plasma and some fertility indices of dairy cows

Seasonal variations in beta carotene intake and low levels of beta carotene and vitamin A in blood plasma were found in cows fed ration based mainly on maize silage. The supplementation of daily winter rations with 300 mg Rovimix-beta carotene per cow, beginning 14 days before parturition and 60 days after calving increased slighty the beta carotene and vitamin A concentrations of blood plasma and improved some fertility indices: the number of inseminations per cow was reduced and the percentage of conception rate was significantly higher. It may be assumed that beta carotene content in feeds and it's utilization rate generally reflected in beta carotene blood plasma level and in the improvement of fertility.     

Toxicological effects of gamma-irradiated sewage solids fed as seven percent of diet to sheep for four years

Breeding ewes in drylot were fed pelleted complete diets with 3% cottonseed meal (CSM) or 7% dried, gamma-irradiated sewage solids (DGSS) for 4 yr. Cytochrome P-450 (P-450) content and enzyme activities for xenobiotics biotransformations were assayed in livers after 2 yr and in livers, kidneys and ileal tissue after 4 yr. Dietary DGSS caused no increase in P-450 and few changes in activities of oxidative, hydrolative and conjugative biotransformational enzymes. Consumption of DGSS for 4 yr caused slight enlargement of spleens (1.1-fold, P less than .10) and ovaries (1.3-fold, P less than .10), but no change in size of livers, kidneys, hearts, adrenals and thyroids (P greater than .10), nor liver vitamin A levels (P greater than .10). Of 22 refractory lipophilic residues assayed in abdominal adipose tissue, few were detected and of those detected DGSS caused none to exceed normal levels. Dietary DGSS increased (P less than .01) Fe in livers 1.5-fold and in spleens 5.6-fold, and increased Cu in livers 1.3-fold (P less than .01) and in kidneys 1.2-fold (P less than .05). Dietary DGSS increased Cd levels in livers (P less than .01) but not in kidneys or spleens (P greater than .10); yet all Cd levels were within ranges for livestock fed conventional feed. Dietary DGSS caused no increase (P greater than .10) in levels of Ag, Ca, Cr, Hg, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, P, Pb or Zn in livers, kidneys or spleens. There were no histopathological lesions of toxicosis except mild hemosiderosis of spleens. Consumption of a diet with 7% DGSS throughout 4 yr caused no hazardous accumulation of toxic elements and little, if any, evidence of toxicosis.     

Diagnosis of ovine fascioliasis by a dot enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay: a rapid microdiagnostic technique

A microenzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (dot-ELISA) was modified for making an immunodiagnosis of Fasciola hepatica infections in sheep. Sheep were alloted as follows: group I-3 controls and 4 principals, each inoculated with 500 metacercariae; group II-3 controls and 7 principals, each inoculated with 250 metacercariae; and group III-3 controls and 7 principals, each inoculated with 500 metacercariae. Blood and fecal samples were collected from each animal every 2 weeks for 16 weeks. Presence (or absence) of flukes was confirmed by fecal examinations and examination of dissected livers at necropsy of the sheep. The dot-ELISA incubations were done at ambient room temperature. Nitrocellulose disks dotted with 1 microliter (50 ng of protein) of F hepatica excretory/secretory products were placed in 96-well tissue culture plates. After nonspecific binding sites on the disks were bound with bovine serum albumin-triethanolamine-buffered saline solution, dilutions (1:2) of positive- and negative-control serum samples or experimental serum samples were placed in appropriate wells for a 30-minute incubation. Wells were washed (3 times), and 50 microliters of horseradish peroxidase conjugated rabbit anti-sheep immunoglobulin G was added to each well for a 30-minute incubation and then aspirated. Substrate solution (4-chloro-1-naphthol, methanol, triethanolamine-buffered saline solution, and H2O2; 50 microliters) was added for a 30-minute incubation and then aspirated. Disks were air dried for visualization: solid purple dot = positive sample, or no dot = negative sample.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Heterosis retained in advanced generations of crosses among Angus and Hereford cattle

Data from 1,909 purebred, F1, backcross and F2 and F3 inter se combinations of Angus and Hereford were used to estimate average individual, maternal and grandmaternal genetic effects, individual and maternal heterosis, dominance and epistatic genetic effects. Models for evaluating heterosis and epistatic or recombination effects were discussed. Average individual effects indicate that Angus, compared with Hereford, had calves that were born earlier, had lighter birth weights, lower pre- and postweaning gains and lower pregnancy rates. Angus also produced lighter weight carcasses with more fat cover and marbling. Maternal effects of Angus were in the direction of reduced birth weight, greater calving ease, higher preweaning but lower postweaning growth rate and increased fatness when contrasted with Hereford. There was a tendency for opposite direction of maternal and grandmaternal effects for traits influenced by preweaning maternal environment. When additive X additive effects were ignored, total heterosis was significant for earlier day born, heavier birth weight, preweaning and postweaning gain, and heavier and fatter carcasses. Heterosis retained in F3 inter se vs F1 generation crosses indicated that net epistatic effects were relatively negligible for date of calving, birth weight, weaning gain and fat cover. There was a greater reduction of heterosis effects than expected from dominance alone for survival, pregnancy and marbling score. Loss of heterosis in F3 was less than expected for postweaning gain, carcass weight and rib eye area. Except for survival, pregnancy and marbling, these deviations from dominance expectations, or lack of them, are favorable for F3 composite populations.