A Potential Screening System for Identifying Sorghum Ecotypes with Increased Lysine in the Seeds

Classical “high-lysine” sorghum lines are characterized by smaller seeds than average, due to a decrease in prolamin synthesis and a subsequent decrease in yield. To exploit the natural variation in lysine content and to identify ecotypes with a seed lysine content higher than average, characterized by plump seeds, a method was developed based on root-growth inhibition of seeds growing on a medium containing aminoethylcysteine (AEC), a lysine analogue. By using a collection of sorghum mutants and ecotypes a correlation coefficient of 0.926 between root length and lysine content was established. This method, which uses the root length of plants growing on aec to indicate which lines have a potential elevated lysine content, can be applied for the screening of sorghum germplasm. Since this is a non-destructive method it can also be used at the individual seed level, for example for screening progenies of regenerated plants from in vitro culture to exploit the somaclonal variation.     

Analysis and pharmacokinetics of cimaterol in growing Holstein steers.

Pharmacokinetic parameters for the beta 2-adrenergic agonist, cimaterol (CIM), were determined in growing Holstein steers. Compartmental analysis was used after measurement of CIM in body fluids by affinity chromatography and HPLC using UV detection. Recoveries from spiked plasma and urine standards were 70 +/- 1.2% and 68 +/- 1.1%, respectively. The minimum detection level in plasma was 1 ng/mL and the average CV was 5.1% for concentrations that ranged from 1 to 30 ng/mL. Four steers (276 +/- 24 kg) received 15 mg of CIM by bolus intravenous injection. Plasma CIM levels declined in a biphasic manner with half-lives of 2.5 min for the distribution phase and 54 min for the elimination phase. A two-compartment open model was used to describe the disappearance of CIM and the following pharmacokinetic parameters were obtained: central compartment volume (Vc) = .76 L/kg, apparent volume of distribution (Vd) = 4.1 L/kg, and transfer rate constants from the central to peripheral compartment (k12) = .177/min, from the peripheral to central compartment (k21) = .054/min and elimination from the central compartment (kel) = .074/min. After 8 h, total urinary CIM accounted for only 18.3% of the administered dose. Results suggest that circulating concentrations of CIM in growing steers are influenced by its accumulation in an unidentified peripheral pool and its conversion into unknown metabolite(s) before elimination.     

Release of tumor necrosis factor-alpha from bovine alveolar macrophages stimulated with bovine respiratory viruses and bacterial endotoxins

The release of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-) from cultured bovine alveolar macrophages (BAM) was evaluated following stimulation of BAM with bovine herpesvirus-1 (BHV-1), parainfluenza-3 (PI-3) virus, bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV), Escherichia coli 0111:B4 endotoxin, Pasteurella haemolytica type 1 endotoxin, Pasteurella multocida endotoxin, and virus/endotoxin combinations. A cytotoxic assay system using Georgia bovine kidney cells as targets was used to measure TNF- activity. The cytotoxic activity was neutralized by an anti-human TNF- monoclonal antibody.

Stimulation of BAM with 1 median tissue culture infectious dose (TCID₅₀) of live or ultraviolet (UV)-inactivated PI-3 virus/cell resulted in release of TNF- in significantly (P<0.05) higher amounts than sham-induced BAM. The quantities of TNF- released after live or UV-inactivated BHV-1 or BRSV induction were not significantly higher than sham-induced BAM. E. coli 0111:B4, P. haemolytica type 1 and P. multocida endotoxins stimulated TNF- release in a dose-dependent manner. Sequential exposure of BAM to 1 TCID₅₀ per cell of either live BHV-1, PI-3 virus or BRSV and then 5 μg ml⁻¹ of either E. coli 0111:B4, P. haemolytica type 1 or P. multocida endotoxin caused a significant (P<0.05) reduction in detectable TNF- in seven of nine virus/endotoxin combinations tested, when compared with 5 μg ml⁻¹ of endotoxin alone. Parainfluenza-3 virus/endotoxin combinations stimulated higher TNF- release when compared with other virus/endotoxin combinations. Five out of six test animals had serum-neutralizing antibodies to PI-3 virus, one out of six had serum-neutralizing antibodies to BHV-1, and two out of six had serum-neutralizing antibodies to BRSV, suggesting a possible relationship between serum neutralizing antibodies and TNF- release from in vitro cultivated BAM.     

Eastern equine encephalitis in a flock of emus (Dromaius novaehollandiae).

Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) was diagnosed in a flock of emus in southeastern Louisiana. The outbreak involved juvenile and adult breeders ranging in age from 20 to 36 months, with an attack rate of 76% and a case fatality rate of 87%. The diagnosis was confirmed by isolation and characterization of the viral agent, and by detection of EEE antibody in two recovered emus. High mortality was preceded by marked depression, hemorrhagic diarrhea, and emesis of blood-stained ingesta. On postmortem examination, hemorrhagic enteritis and multiple petechia of viscera were observed. Microscopic changes included severe necrosis of hepatocytes, intestinal mucosa, and necrotizing vasculitis of the spleen and lamina propria of the intestine. No nervous system lesions were observed. This outbreak occurred concurrently with EEE in horses and was attributed to unseasonably heavy rainfall with an abundance of arthropod vectors and proximity to free-living reservoir host species.     

Chronic diarrhea associated with intestinal anomalies in a six-year-old dog.

A 6-year-old mixed-breed dog was referred because of chronic diarrhea, which had begun after antibiotic treatment for pulmonary disease. Intestinal bacterial overgrowth was presumptively diagnosed on the basis of intestinal mucosal cytologic examination and low serum cobalamin concentration. When the diarrhea did not respond to treatment, contrast radiography was performed and a short small intestine was found. The diarrhea could not be managed by medical treatment, and the dog was euthanatized. Necropsy revealed 2 blind intestinal pouches attached to a 46-cm length of small intestine connecting the stomach and colon. The dog's deteriorating condition was attributable to necrosis and rupture of 1 of the pouches.     

Studies on efficacy and stability of a vaccine bait containing ERA strain of rabies virus propagated in a BHK-21 cell line.

In a dose response study in foxes, the median protective dose of ERA BHK21 vaccine in a blister pack bait was 10(6.0) tissue culture infective doses (TCID)/mL, while artificially aged baits with titers of 10(6.3) TCID/mL induced seroconversion in 78% of foxes. There was no significant difference in the development of antibodies in foxes receiving 1, 2 or 3 mL volumes of vaccine in the bait. When baits were exposed to the elements and fed to foxes over a 21 day period, 85% of the animals seroconverted. Age, sex and the way in which the vaccine container was contacted did not appear to be factors in the responses of these animals. Juvenile foxes, approximately six months of age, were marked more readily with the tetracycline bait marker than older animals. Approximately 25% of foxes did not appear to respond well to vaccination and the titer of the vaccine was a critical factor in producing seroconversion in these animals.     

Spondylosis deformans in the boxer: Estimates of heritability

This study presents the estimates of heritability for spondylosis deformans in the boxer based on 353 offspring from 24 randomly selected sires, each with at least three radiographically investigated offspring. The estimated heritability (h²) for maximum degree of osteophyte development was high, both when estimated by paternal half-sib correlation (0·42) and by the regression of offspring based on the parents (0·62). The heritability for the number of affected discs estimated by paternal half-sib correlation was also high (0·47). The estimate of heritability for the number of affected discs based on regression of offspring on the parents was lower at 0·13. All heritabilities had large standard errors. A positive phenotypic correlation between spondylosis deformans and hip dysplasia was observed. Assuming a significant portion of the correlation is genetic, this fact may permit selection against spondylosis deformans without negatively influencing the incidence of hip dysplasia. Since the incidence of spondylosis deformans is high even in young dogs, it should be possible to detect a large proportion of genetically predisposed animals by radiographic examination of the spine at one year of age; at the same time that dogs are presented for a routine test for hip dysplasia.     

Efficacy of abamectin against natural infections of gastrointestinal nematodes and lungworm of cattle with special emphasis on inhibited, early fourth stage larvae of Ostertagia ostertagi.

The anthelmintic efficacy of abamectin (avermectin B1) was evaluated against gastrointestinal nematodes, including Ostertagia ostertagi inhibited larvae and lungworm, in yearling crossbred beef heifers during late spring. The calves were grazed on contaminated pasture for 10 weeks and then held under conditions free of nematode infection for 3 weeks prior to allotment and treatment on 5 June. Thirteen calves were randomly assigned to two groups of six by restricted randomization on body weights; the extra lightest calf was assigned to the non-treated control group. Group 1 calves were treated with abamectin at 200 micrograms kg-1 body weight by s.c. injection and Group 2 calves were not treated; all were killed at 14 days after treatment. Ostertagia ostertagi was present in all controls; arithmetic mean numbers of adults, developing fourth stage larvae (L4) and inhibited EL4 were 7683, 605 and 36,102, respectively. Other nematode genera present in controls in sufficient numbers for the experiment were Haemonchus placei adults, Trichostrongylus axei adults, Cooperia spp. adults, Oesophagostomum radiatum adults, Bunostomum phlebotomum adults, Dictyocaulus viviparus adults and E5 (immature adults). Abamectin was highly effective (consistently greater than 99% efficacy and P less than 0.05) in removing all nematodes present in treated calves as represented in non-treated controls, including the primary target of Ostertagia ostertagi inhibited EL4. The lowest efficacy was 93.8%, against D. viviparus E5.