Circadian rhythms of osteocalcin in equine serum. Correlation with alkaline phosphatase, calcium, phosphate and total protein levels.

The purpose of the study was to determine whether there were circadian variations in serum osteocalcin in normal horses and to determine whether it was important to regulate the time of blood sampling in clinical investigations. Osteocalcin or bone Gla-protein (BGP), alkaline phosphatase, total calcium, phosphate and total protein were studied over a 24 h period. Blood samples were taken every 60 min from nine adult Standardbred horses. There was a correlation between serum levels of alkaline phosphatase (r = 0.3, p less than 0.01), phosphate (r = 0.42, p less than 0.01) and serum osteocalcin levels. There was a very marked individual effect on serum levels of osteocalcin and alkaline phosphatase (p less than 0.01). This effect was present for phosphate levels but not significant for total calcium. The individual effect was lower and time effect was higher for serum osteocalcin if the subjects were divided into two age groups, one of horses of five years or less (n = 4) and a second group older than five years (n = 5). In both groups a circadian rhythmicity was observed. Serum osteocalcin showed a biphasic pattern. Levels were constant during daytime (light period) and underwent significant variations during the night (dark period), going through a nadir at 2000 h and through a maximum peak at 0500 h. It was concluded that in normal horses the blood osteocalcin level follows a circadian variation. Also daytime (light period) seems to be the more appropriate period for blood sampling.     

Brown bear (Ursus arctos arctos) femoral head and neck excision.

A 30-yr-old untamed European female brown bear (Ursus arctos arctos) with a craniodorsal luxation of the right femoral head and bilateral degenerative joint disease of the coxofemoral joint had a femoral head and neck excision following unsatisfactory conservative medical therapy. The bear was injected with zolazepam-tiletamine, and anesthesia was induced with i.v. thiopental and maintained with isoflurane in oxygen via endotracheal tube. A lumbosacral epidural injection of medetomidine-bupivacaine provided additional analgesia. Slight initial cardiorespiratory depression was counteracted with fluid and inotropic drug administration and ventilatory assistance. The bear's gluteal muscle anatomy differs from that of the dog. Recovery was uneventful. The bear was confined indoors for 6 wk and was able to ambulate normally within 6 mo.     

Carbon dioxide laser as a surgical instrument for sarcoid therapy--a retrospective study on 60 cases.

The objective of this retrospective clinical study was to evaluate the carbon dioxide laser in the treatment of single and multiple sarcoids in 60 animals (44 horses, 13 donkeys, 2 mules, and 1 pony). Only animals that had been operated on 6 mo or more ago were included. Recurrence, new manifestation rate, and cosmetic outcome were determined. Recurrence was observed in 23 (38%) individuals. Animals with new sarcoid manifestation with or without recurrence of a sarcoid were observed in 35 cases (58%). Cases of scar tissue formation and, rarely, leukotrichia were observed. Animals presented with multiple sarcoids were more predisposed to recurrence. Donkeys showed a significantly lower recurrence rate than horses.     

A cross-sectional pilot study to estimate the prevalence of and risk factors for leptospirosis in South-Western Victorian dairy herds, 2017

Leptospirosis is a zoonosis, found worldwide, affecting many species of animals. We conducted a cross-sectional study to estimate the prevalence of Leptospira borgpetersenii sv Hardjo and Leptospira interrogans sv Pomona in cattle in dairy herds in South-Western Victoria, Australia. Fifty-three herds were enrolled in the study. Urine samples were collected from 15 late-lactation cows in each herd. A questionnaire was provided to herd managers at the time of each herd visit, asking them to describe the methods they used for controlling leptospirosis, including vaccination. Urine samples were pooled at the herd level and tested for leptospira spp. using real time PCR. Urine samples from individual cows within the positive pooled samples were then tested for Leptospira Hardjo and Leptospira Pomona using qPCR. Four of the 53 herds showed positive leptospirosis results giving an apparent prevalence of 8 (95% CI 2–18) leptospira-positive herds per 100 herds at risk. Based on the 53 completed questionnaires, leptospirosis vaccination programs were not compliant with label directions in 36 of the 52 vaccinated herds: 69 (95% CI 55–81) of 100 herd managers that routinely vaccinated for leptospirosis did not comply with label directions. One herd was completely unvaccinated. Based on our findings, we estimate that approximately 10% of dairy farms in South-Western Victoria are likely to be infected with leptospirosis. While most herds are vaccinating for leptospirosis, most are not doing so according to label directions. We conclude that herd managers need to be better educated regarding leptospirosis vaccination programs.     

Bovine ephemeral fever

Ephemeral fever remains a viral disease of considerable importance to many countries including Australia. The virus has been only partly characterised and still awaits final classification. Although BEF virus was first thought to contain 6 structural proteins there is increasing evidence to suggest that it contains the 5 proteins characteristic of the Rhabdoviridae. Although BEF is thought to be arthropod borne, the vector has yet to be identified but it is clear from the distribution of BEF that more than one vector is capable of transmitting the disease. Despite rigorous investigation of the clinical signs and the pathology of ephemeral fever, little progress has been made on the pathogenesis of the disease. This has been partly due to the difficulty of propagating BEF virus in vitro and the inability to define the site of replication. However, there is mounting evidence to suggest that BEF is immunopathologic in nature and that the clinical expression of the disease is influenced by the release of one or more mediators of inflammation. The disease is characterised by a number of haematological and biochemical changes and early and prolonged treatment with phenylbutazone is capable of reversing a number of these changes. The intravenous administration of calcium can now be considered a justifiable addition to the treatment regimen together with prolonged phenylbutazone therapy. The vaccines currently available are prepared from either live attenuated or killed virus and may be less than reliable. There appears to be a need for a reliable, inexpensive, cold-chain independent alternative vaccine.     

Effects of a highly concentrated hypertonic saline-dextran volume expander on cardiopulmonary function in anesthetized normovolemic horses.

Conventional fluid resuscitation is unsatisfactory in a small percentage of equine emergency surgical cases because the large volumes of fluids required cannot be given rapidly enough to adequately stabilize the horse. In anesthetized horses, the volume expansion and cardiopulmonary effects of a small volume of highly concentrated hypertonic saline-dextran solution were evaluated as an alternative initial fluid choice. Seven halothane-anesthetized, laterally recumbent, spontaneously ventilating, normovolemic horses were treated with a 25% NaCl-24% dextran 70 solution (HSD) at a dosage of 1.0 ml/kg of body weight, IV, infused over 10 minutes, and the effects were measured for 120 minutes after infusion. Plasma volume expansion was rapid and significant (from 36.6 +/- 4.6 ml/kg to 44.9 +/- 4.8 ml/kg), and remained significantly expanded for the duration of the experiment. Packed cell volume, total blood hemoglobin, and plasma protein concentrations significantly decreased, confirming rapid and sustained volume expansion with hemodilution. Cardiac index and stroke index immediately increased and remained high for the entire study (from 69.6 +/- 15.3 ml/min/kg to 106.6 +/- 28.4 ml/min/kg, and from 1.88 +/- 0.49 ml/beat/kg to 2.50 +/- 0.72 ml/beat/kg, respectively). Systemic vascular resistance significantly decreased immediately after HSD infusion and remained decreased for the duration of the study (from 1.41 +/- 0.45 mm of Hg/ml/min/kg to 0.88 +/- 0.22 mm of Hg/ml/min/kg). Arterial and venous blood oxygen content decreased significantly because of hemodilution, but actual oxygen transport transiently increased at the 10-minute measurement before returning toward baseline.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Chromatographie sur couche de gel de silice-charbon actif. Application a la separation analytique et preparative des acides gras satures et de leurs esters methyliques

Résumé Les auteurs ont mis au point une méthode de chromatographie sur couche mince des substances selon leur caractère apolaire qui ne recourt pas aux techniques habituelles d'imprégnation. Le procédé, basé sur l'emploi de charbon actif mélangé en faibles proportions au gel de silice, a fourni d'excellents chromatogrammes d'acides gras saturés et de leurs esters méthyliques.La méthode utilisant une phase apolaire solide se prête facilement à la technique préparative. Des mélanges de laurate, myristate, palmitate et stéarate de méthyle, constituant des échantillons de 50 à 200 mg, ont été parfaitement résolus en leurs composants sur couches épaisses contenant des quantités variables de charbon actif.

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Summary The authors have evolved a method of thin-layer chromatography based on the non-polar characteristics of the substances, that does not resort to the usual impregnation techniques. The procedure, based on the use of activated carbon mixed in small proportions with silica gel, has given excellent chromatograms of saturated fatty acids and their methylesters.The method making use of a non-polar solid phase lends easily itself to the preparative technique. Mixtures of methyl laurate, myristate, palmitate, and stearate, making samples of 50 to 200 mg have been perfectly resolved in their components on thick layers containing variable amounts of activated carbon.

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Zusammenfassung Die Verfasser haben eine DC-Methode entwickelt für Stoffe gemäß deren apolaren Eigenschaften. Diese Methode benutzt nicht die gewöhnlichen Imprägnierungs-Techniken. Das Verfahren beruht auf der Anwendung von Aktivkohle, die in geringen Anteilen zum Siliziumgel gemischt ist. Wir erhielten sehr gute Chromatogramme von gesättigten Fettsäuren und deren Methylestern.Die Methode, die eine feste, apolare Phase benutzt, ist gut geeignet für die vorbereitende Technik. Gemische von Methyl-Laurat, Myristat, Palmitat und Stearat in Form von Proben von 50 bis 200mg, ergaben für ihre Bestandteile einwandfreie Ergebnisse auf Schichten mit verschiedenen Quantitäten von Aktivkohle.

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Un exposé plus complet de la technique est décrit dans: -Bull. Soc. Chim. France, 1967, 9,3443. - Bull. Soc. Chim. France, 1968, 6,2607.     

Peritoneal Lavage and Drainage with Fenestrated Balloon Catheters in Standing Horses: A Comparative Study

This experimental study compares the efficiency of two fenestrated balloon catheters in allowing drainage of fluid during abdominal lavage in 12 healthy horses. Catheter A (with multiple side holes) or catheter B (with a single side hole) was placed in the ventral abdominal wall. Lactated Ringer's solution was instilled through a catheter in each paralumbar fossa of the standing horse. Drainage was performed through two catheters A in group 1, one catheter A in group 2, and one catheter B in group 3. Drainage was not significantly faster when using two, as compared with one, catheters A (P = 1). Amount of fluids recovered was greater using catheter A compared with catheter B (P = .004). Abdominal fluid analysis on day 30 was significantly higher (P = .008) for total protein in individuals with catheter B compared with catheter A. Use of one multiple fenestrated balloon catheter may be justified in clinical cases that need abdominal lavage and drainage.     

Expression of interleukin 4, interleukin 4 splice variants and interferon gamma mRNA in calves experimentally infected with Fasciola hepatica

Interleukin 4 (IL-4) is expected to play a dominant role in the development of T helper (Th) 2 cells. Th2 immune responses with expression of relatively large amounts of interleukin 4 (IL-4) but little interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) are characteristic for chronic helminth infections. But no information is available about IL4 expression during early Fasciola hepatica (F. hepatica) infections in cattle. Therefore, we investigated F. hepatica specific IL-4 and IFN-gamma mRNA expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from calves experimentally infected with F. hepatica. Cells were collected prior to infection and on post-inoculation days (PIDs) 10, 28 and 70. Interestingly, PBMCs responded to stimulation with F. hepatica secretory-excretory products (FhSEP) already on PID 10 and expressed high amounts of IL-4 but not of IFN-gamma mRNA suggesting that F. hepatica induced a Th2 biased early immune response which was not restricted to the site of infection. Later in infection IL-4 mRNA expression decreased whereas IFN-gamma mRNA expression increased slightly. Isolated lymph node cells (LNCs) stimulated with FhSEP and, even more importantly, non-stimulated LN tissue samples indicated highly polarized Th2 type immune responses in the draining (hepatic) lymph node, but not in the retropharyngeal lymph node. During preliminary experiments, two splice variants of bovine IL-4 mRNA, boIL-4delta2 and boIL-4delta3, were detected. Since a human IL-4delta2 was assumed to act as competitive inhibitor of IL-4, it was important to know whether expression of these splice variants of bovine IL-4 have a regulatory function during an immune response to infection with F. hepatica. Indeed, IL-4 splice variants could be detected in a number of samples, but quantitative analysis did not yield any clue to their function. Therefore, the significance of bovine IL-4 splice variants remains to be determined.     

The mystery of fungal infection in the guttural pouches

Advances in the understanding of guttural pouch physiology and novel therapeutic approaches to mycotic infections in the horse are reviewed. It is suggested that the guttural pouches may contribute to the regulation of arterial blood temperature, cooling the circulation to the brain to below body temperature. Aspergillus spp. is the major organism found in a guttural pouch affected with mycosis but it is unclear why this agent becomes aggressive. Conventional therapy aims to prevent fatal haemorrhage and to treat any neurological lesions but it is desirable to try to prevent the disease. A technique consisting of inserting a transarterial coil into the internal carotid, external carotid and maxillary arteries in normal and affected horses has been reported to be rapid, safe and effective in occluding the arteries and in inducing regression of the mycotic lesions without adjunctive medical treatment. When faced with acute and uncontrollable epistaxis in the field, the most effective means to reduce haemorrhage is probably the occlusion of both common carotid arteries. However, how such arterial occlusions can result in the successful management of guttural pouch mycosis without antifungal medication remains a mystery.