The advantages of the use of vitamin E and selenium for the prevention and therapy of porcine stress syndrome

In a feeding trial lasting for months Halothane-positive fattening pigs were put on a diet containing different concentrations of vitamin E and selenium. After a Myostress application vitamin E and selenium were additionally injected in order to examine stress resistance (CK-test) and regenerative capacity (histological examination of Musculus longissimus dorsi) of skeletal muscle. The study revealed that neither high dietary levels of vitamin E/selenium nor a vitamin E/selenium treatment applied after stress are capable of preventing stress related myopathy nor can they influence its healing up favourably.     

Immunodeficiency associated with lymphosarcoma in a horse.

Immune system dysfunction and immunoglobulin deficiency was diagnosed in a 2-year-old horse with disseminated lymphosarcoma. Prolonged (35 days) parenteral nutrition was delivered to support the horse during a period in which immune function studies could be performed. Correction of nutritional compromise by use of parenteral nutrition did not correct the immunoglobulin deficiency, and results of lymphocyte phenotype testing did not indicate abnormal proportions of leukocytes. Lymphoblast transformation studies were suggestive of a circulating immunosuppressive factor in the horse's serum. Normal cell function was detected when the cells were stimulated in precolostral equine serum.     

Effect of a supply of raw or extruded rapeseeds on digestion in dairy cows.

The influence of extruded oilseeds on total tract digestibility and ruminal digestion in dairy cows was studied in three cows fed a hay-concentrate (60.5/39.5; 3.7% fatty acids in diet on DM basis) control diet (C) or the same diet supplemented with raw (R) or extruded (ER) rapeseeds (8.0% fatty acids in diet DM). The experimental design was a 3 x 3 Latin square design. Compared with diet C, diets containing rapeseed decreased ruminal OM digestibility (9.5%, P less than .10) and increased (P less than .05) the proportion of propionate in ruminal fluid VFA. Extrusion had no effect on DM and OM total tract digestibilities and increased (P less than .10) N digestion. Microbial N flow at the duodenum was calculated taking into account solid-adherent bacteria (SAB) and liquid-associated bacteria (LAB). Duodenal flows of total, SAB, and LAB of OM and N did not change with diet. Extrusion of the rapeseeds did not modify (P less than .10) the proportion of bacterial N at the duodenum and had no effect on crude fiber digestibility. This trial demonstrates that rapeseeds in hay-based diets can be fed at levels of up to 14% of the diet without adversely affecting crude fiber digestibility.     

Cryptococcal osteomyelitis in a dog

Osteomyelitis caused by Cryptococcus neoformans was diagnosed in a three-year-old male Irish wolfhound. The case details and radiological findings of radiolucency and periosteal reaction of the left third metatarsal bone had lead to an initial diagnosis of a malignant bone tumour. Biopsy revealed a fungal granuloma and culture identified the causal organism. A four month course of ketaconazole was instigated and the lameness resolved. Twelve months after the end of treatment there was no recurrence of the problem.     

Factors affecting skim milk progesterone assay results.

Five studies were performed to determine factors affecting progesterone concentration in skim milk. Results of the first study indicated that progesterone concentration was higher in skim milk of samples kept 16 hours in an ice bath (0 C) than of those left at room temperature (21 C). In the second study, this temperature effect was found to be reversible, with skim milk progesterone concentration increasing when whole milk samples were cooled prior to centrifugation. In the third study, [3H]-labeled progesterone was used to determine the relationship between fat content of foremilk (the first milk obtained from the teats), midmilk (milk obtained midway through milking), and strippings (milk obtained immediately after milking machines have been removed) samples and temperature (4 C and 21 C) on the percentage of progesterone in the skim milk fraction. The relationship between percentage of butterfat and percentage of progesterone in skim milk was linear when the log of these variables was used for calculations. In the fourth study, assayable progesterone in the skim milk fraction of foremilk, midmilk, and strippings was affected by temperature. In the fifth study, a multiple-regression procedure was used to determine the amount of variation in percentage of radioactive progesterone in the skim milk fraction. Independent variables (whole milk butterfat and temperature of incubation [1, 3, 13, 22, 37, and 50 C]) and the natural log of each variable, were entered into a stepwise multiple-regression analysis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Ultrastructural observations on autolytic changes of atrial specific granules in pig heart.

The progressive autolytic changes of atrial specific granules (ASGS) up to 24 hours after death were studied electron microscopically. Tissue samples taken from the left auricular myocardium of four pig hearts at 0, 0.5, 1.5, 3.5, 6, 12 and 24 hours post mortem were fixed for 24 hours by immersion in 2.5 per cent cacodylate buffered glutaraldehyde (pH 7.4). Two pig hearts were kept at 20 degrees C and two at 4 degrees C. Although typical autolytic changes were seen in many organelles, no remarkable modifications in aspect, distribution, content and diameter of ASGS were observed in all samples. The results of this study indicate that ASGS are not morphologically affected by the autolytic processes, at least during the first 24 hours. Hence, the electron microscopic evaluation of ASGS does not need a particular fixation method such as perfusion. This may eliminate technical problems when slaughterhouse material is used.     

Genotypic Variability in Biomass Protein and Nucleic Acids in Four Linum Species to Sodicity Stress

Differences in gas exchange parameters i.e. carbon exchange rate (CER), transpiration (Tr), water vapor conductance (g) were investigated, under a controlled environment, in a semi-dwarf (SD) Triticum aestivum line, its tall (TL) near isoline and the Payne (PA) variety characterized by small leaves. The plants were maintained in: (a) optimal substrate moisture condition (CTR); (b) salinized by watering with a 0.12 m NaCl solution (SLT); (c) water stressed by withholding waterings during a period of six days (STR); (d) stressed and salinized during the same period and with the same saline solution (S + S). CER and Tr were negatively affected by the stresses; SLT and S + S treatments had a higher WUE compared to their respective controls CTR and STR.
SD line had a better performance in terms of CER and WUE, particularly when water and salt stresses interacted. Leaf anatomy and assimilation/internal CO₂ concentration curves contributed to explaining the SD performance.