Diagnosis and treatment of cancer in aged animals

Considerable morbidity can be associated with cancer and the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Knowledge of a tumor's likely clinical behavior and an awareness of the benefits and morbidity associated with treatment will help the clinician and the owner find the most appropriate plan of action for the aged pet with cancer. Tumor cell heterogeneity is a concept of enormous importance in our understanding of neoplasia. Phenotypic variations within cancer cell populations often confound our attempts to cure a patient's cancer. Frequently, we are forced to settle for palliative therapy when our patient's cancer has advanced beyond our ability to rescue.     

Identification and partial purification of serum growth hormone binding protein in domestic animal species.

The chemical nature and variations in serum concentrations of growth hormone binding protein (GHBP) from humans, rabbits, and rodents have been reported. To date little is known about the GHBP of domestic animals. Therefore, we initiated these studies to determine whether a serum GHBP was present in domestic animals and to purify the binding protein (BP) from serum of selected species. Using a dextran-coated charcoal separation assay, specific growth hormone (GH) binding was demonstrated in ovine, bovine, chicken, human, goose, porcine, and equine serum (listed in sequence from lowest to highest binding). Variation in BP activity was relatively high, both within and between species. Yearling ewes had higher serum GHBP than either prepubertal (4 mo) or older (5 yr) ewes. The GHBP was partially purified from chicken, ovine, and porcine serum using GH affinity chromatography. These BP had high affinity (Ka = 2 x 10(8) to 2 x 10(9) L/mol, depending on species) and low capacity (2 x 10(-10) to 5 x 10(-11) mol/unit of protein) for human GH but showed lower binding affinity for homologous GH (Ka = 2 x 10(7) L/mol). The porcine GHBP had the highest and ovine GHBP the lowest affinity for human GH. Other heterologous somatotropic hormones, ovine placental lactogen, and ovine GH displayed higher binding affinity to chicken and pig BP than the respective homologous hormones. Further chromatographic purification of the porcine GHBP resulted in an additional 1,000-fold purification. The estimated molecular weight of porcine GHBP is 50,000 to 60,000 Da. These results demonstrate that the serum from all domestic species tested contains a specific GH-binding moiety and that under the conditions described here human GH is a more efficient ligand than the homologous hormone.     

Pathogenesis of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus infection in mid-gestation sows and fetuses.

Two experiments were undertaken to evaluate whether porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) virus was able to cross the placenta and infect midgestation fetuses following intranasal inoculation of sows and whether PRRS virus directly infected fetuses following in utero inoculation. In experiment 1, eight sows between 45 and 50 days of gestation were intranasally inoculated with PRRS virus (ATCC VR-2332), and four control sows were inoculated with uninfected cell culture lysate. Virus inoculated sows were viremic on postinoculation (PI) days 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9, shed virus in their feces and nasal secretions, and became leukopenic. Sixty-nine of 71 fetuses from principal sows euthanized on PI day 7, 14 or 21 were alive at necropsy and no virus was isolated from any of the fetuses. Two principal sows that farrowed 65 and 67 days PI delivered 25 live piglets and three stillborn fetuses. The PRRS virus was isolated from two live piglets in one litter. In experiment 2, laparotomies were performed on five sows between 40 and 45 days of gestation and fetuses were inoculated in utero with either PRRS virus alone, PRRS virus plus a swine serum containing PRRS antibodies, or uninfected cell culture lysate. Three sows were euthanized on PI day 4 and two sows on PI day 11. Viral replication occurred in fetuses inoculated with virus alone and was enhanced in fetuses inoculated with virus plus antibody. No virus was isolated from control fetuses.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

The early events of infection with Theileria parva in cattle: infectivity for cattle of leukocytes incubated in vitro with sporozoites

Leukocytes were isolated from bovine blood and, after short periods of incubation in vitro with sporozoites of Theileria parva, were washed thoroughly, and their infectivity tested in autologous and allogeneic hosts. Using a standard inoculum of 10(6) viable cells, it was found that, after incubation in vitro for either 1 or 24 h, the cells initiated lethal infections in autologous cattle, but failed to infect allogeneic animals. Autologous and allogeneic erythrocytes and mouse lymphocytes similarly incubated with sporozoites failed to infect cattle. The supernatant from bovine lymphocyte suspensions incubated with sporozoites for 1 h produced lethal infections whereas after 24 h of incubation the supernatant was non-infective. All cattle which did not develop detectable infection were fully susceptible to subsequent challenge with a stabilate of sporozoites. By inoculating cattle with graded doses of autologous blood leukocytes which had been incubated for 24 h with sporozoites, it was found that as few as 2 X 10(3) cells gave rise to infection. The results indicate that this approach can be used to evaluate different cell populations as targets for infection and transformation by sporozoites of T. parva.     

Comparison of methods for assessing the prevalence and extent of pneumonia in market weight Swine

The purpose of this study was to compare four different techniques that may be used to assess the prevalence or severity of enzootic pneumonia in a swine herd. These techniques included: 1) assessing the percentage of lung involved and calculating a mean percentage and standard deviation for each herd, 2) counting the number of lungs in the herd sample that have greater than a predetermined amount of pneumonia and calculating the prevalence of the sample thus affected, 3) scoring only the lung from each herd sample that was maximally affected by pneumonia, and 4) allocating lungs to categories depending on the approximate extent of pneumonia. Five hundred and sixty pigs from 41 different swine herds in southern Minnesota were examined at slaughter and lungs were evaluated for the extent of pneumonia that was macroscopically visible.     

The dissipation of 1,3-dichloropropene in ditch bottom sediment and associated aerobic ditch water

The aerobic aquatic metabolism of [¹⁴C]1,3-dichloropropene has been studied in two ditch waters and their associated sediments using a modification of the requirements of Section G.2. of the Dutch Registration Guidelines. Preliminary experiments showed that (a) the evaporation of 1,3-dichloropropene from water had a half-life of less than 5 h, and (b) in a soil/water slurry, 1,3-dichloropropene was rapidly converted to 3-chloropropenoic acid. In the definitive experiment conducted in two sediments, the overall recovery of radioactivity was good (84·5%) given the volatile nature of the chemical. In both sediment types, 1,3-dichloropropene evaporated rapidly from water. In the Letcombe samples (organic silty clay loam) more radioactivity was associated with the sediment (40%) than ditch water (5%) than in Marcham samples (medium clay, 12% in sediment and 10% in water) and this may reflect the organic matter content of the two sediments (10·5% and 2·9% respectively). The 1,3-dichloropropene in the ditch water was rapidly converted to 3-chloropropenoic acid and other minor polar products. The material in the soil was not investigated further.     

Selenised compressed salt blocks for selenium deficient sheep

Salt blocks containing 30 or 120 ppm selenium were tested as the sole supplement for sheep farmed in a selenium-deficient area of New Zealand (Te Anau). Both concentrations were unsatisfactory in preventing selenium deficiency. In five trials using 120 ppm Se salt, the highest percentages of sheep found to be deficient were 31% (lambs) and 32% (ewes). If sheep which were classed as marginally deficient were included these percentages became 63% (lambs) and 56% (ewes). Some instances of selenium-responsive unthriftiness in lambs were encountered, and in one trial there was the possibility of selenium-responsive infertility having contributed to the low lambing performance of the ewes. There was no evidence of white muscle disease. Selenium levels in the liver and kidney were well below the permitted maximum. Because selenised salt failed to eliminate selenium deficiency, its use as a sole supplement for sheep grazing selenium deficient pasture is not recommended.     

Incorporating indigenous knowledge of fodder trees into small-scale silvopastoral systems in Jamaica

A study was conducted to identify and explore indigenous knowledge relating to fodder trees and silvopastoral management systems of small-scale farmers in seasonally dry areas of Jamaica. The objectives of the study were to: 1) explore farmers indigenous knowledge relating to fodder trees and silvopastoral management systems in a subtropical dry climate; 2) examine pastoral land-use systems and technologies in current use; and 3) seek to integrate this information into silvopastoral tree fodder systems. Data were gathered via observation and semistructured interviewing. A snowball sampling strategy was used to purposively select all small-scale farmers who had cattle in the Green Park valley for interview.Of forty farmers interviewed, 37 males (92.5%) and 3 females (7.5%) were primary caretakers of cattle. Twenty-seven of 40 farmers (68%) raised cattle to generate income. During extended droughts farmers are forced to look for alternatives to desiccated, overgrazed pasture grasses, including: 1) local travel to harvest sugar cane tops and to cut Guinea grass (Panicum maximum); 2) purchase of bag feed; and 3) harvest and use of tree fodder. Preferred fodder trees were identified as Bacedar (Guazama ulmifolia), Guango (Albizia saman), Breadnut (Brosimum alicastrum) and Quickstick (Gliricidia sepium).Recommended silvopastoral management systems include fodder hedgerows, three strata forage systems, and living fences. In addition, production of indigenous fodder tree species, introducing improved tree fodder species, and planting improved pasture grasses concurrent with cash trees is suggested.     

Lesion formation and host response to infection by Armillaria ostoyae in the roots of western larch and Douglas‐fir

The process of lesion formation and host response to natural infection by Armillaria ostoyae were studied in the roots of western larch (Larix occidentalis) and Douglas‐fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii ssp. glauca) trees in the three age classes, 6–8, 18–19 and 85–95 years. The characteristics of lesions on infected roots were recorded and bark samples were dissected from infection points and lesion margins in the field and stored in liquid nitrogen for macroscopic study in the laboratory. Infection in the roots of 6‐ to 8‐year‐old trees advanced freely, overcoming any host resistance, quickly girdling the root collar and killing the trees. In 18‐ and 19‐year‐old trees, however, 43% of infections on western larch and 27% of the infections on Douglas‐fir roots were confined to lesions bounded by necrophylactic periderms with multiple bands of phellem. Host response was similar in 85‐ to 95‐year‐old trees, but the percentage of confined lesions was higher than in younger trees. The results suggest that larch shows resistance to A. ostoyae at a younger age and with greater frequency than Douglas‐fir.