Use of real-time PCR to detect Mycoplasma haemofelis and 'Candidatus Mycoplasma haemominutum' in the saliva and salivary glands of haemoplasma-infected cats

Feline haemoplasma infection can cause haemolytic anaemia. The natural method of transmission of haemoplasmas between cats is currently unknown but the nature of some of the risk factors for infection suggests that saliva may act as a mode of transmission. The aim of this study was to determine if Mycoplasma haemofelis (Mhf) and 'Candidatus Mycoplasma haemominutum' (CMhm) DNAs could be amplified from saliva and salivary gland samples collected from haemoplasma-infected cats.     

Sheep performance under intensive continuous grazing of native grasslands of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Paspalum notatum</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Axonopus compressus</Emphasis> in the subtropical region of the Highlands of Central Mexico

Liveweight gain was evaluated in tropical Dorper X Pelibuey lambs under intensive continuous grazing of native grasslands dominated by Paspalum notatum (PN) or Axonopus compressus (AC) in the subtropics of Central Mexico. Two trials were undertaken. Trial 1 lasted 12 weeks with 10 lambs (initial weight 18 +/- 2.57 kg, 3 months old) per treatment in 2002, and Trial 2 for 13 weeks with 8 lambs (initial weight 24.0 +/- 2.0 kg, 4 months old) per treatment. Lambs were weighed once per week, and liveweight change was estimated by linear regression over day of the experiment, using individual regression coefficients as unbiased estimates of daily liveweight change; analysed in a random block design. Lambs on Trial 1 gained 0.061 kg/lamb/day on PN and 0.047 kg/lamb/day on AC (P > 0.05) at an overall mean stocking rate of 25 lambs/ha. In Trial 2, liveweight gain was significantly larger in PN (0.060 kg/lamb/day) than on AC (0.043 kg/lamb/day) (P < 0.05), at a mean stocking rate of 21.5 lambs/ha. It is concluded that intensive continuous grazing of native grasslands in the subtropics of the highlands of Central Mexico enables moderate liveweight gains for weaned lambs during the rainy season; with better results in grasslands dominated by Paspalum notatum.     

Replication and transmission of porcine circovirus type 2 in mice

Little information is known about infection, replication and transmission of porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) in species other than swine. Two sets of animal experiments were carried out to investigate the susceptibility of mice to PCV2 and to study their possible role in maintaining and transmitting the virus. In the first experiment 14 mice were inoculated with PCV2 by the intraperitoneal route with 5 x 10(2) TCID50 of the PCV2-ROM strain (Cadar et al., 2007). In a second experiment 24 mice were divided into two groups (A and B); mice in Group A (n = 18) were inoculated orally with 1 x 10(5) TCID50 PCV2-ROM and mice in Group B (n = 6) were left uninoculated until day 12 post inoculation (p.i.), when they were mixed with Group A. The animals were sacrificed at intervals for postmortem investigation and virus genome detection by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The PCR results indicated that PCV2 could replicate in mice infected intraperitoneally or by the oral route, and that the virus can be transmitted directly from mouse to mouse.     

Meperidine prolongs lidocaine caudal epidural anaesthesia in the horse

The aim of the study was to evaluate and compare the effects of caudal epidural administration of meperidine (MP), lidocaine (LD), and a combination of the two (MPLD) in six mature saddle horses. Horses were randomly assigned to receive three treatments (MP 0.3 mg/kg; LD 0.2 mg/kg; and MPLD: MP 0.3 mg/kg and LD 0.2 mg/kg), with at least 1 week between treatments. Drugs were injected into the epidural space between the first and second coccygeal areas in conscious standing horses. Analgesia, ataxia, sedation, cardiovascular and respiratory effects, and rectal temperature were recorded at different intervals before (baseline) and after administration. Epidural administration of MPLD resulted in a longer duration of analgesia of the tail, perineum, and upper hind limb regions than did administration of MP or LD alone.     

Measurement of vitamin A,vitamin E,selenium, and L-lactate in dogs with and without osteoarthritis secondary to ruptured cranial cruciate ligament

This study compared vitamin A, vitamin E, selenium (Se), and L-lactate in blood and synovial fluid in 2 groups of 6 dogs; a control group (without OA) and an osteoarthritic group with spontaneous cranial cruciate ligament rupture and OA. Concentrations of vitamin E were significantly higher in serum than in synovial fluid in both OA (P = 0.006) and control (P = 0.0008) groups. Vitamin E concentration in synovial fluid was significantly higher in the OA group than in the control group (P = 0.009). Concentrations of Se were significantly higher in serum than in synovial fluid in both OA (P = 0.003) and control (P = 0.0006) groups. There were no significant differences in levels of Se, vitamin A, and L-lactate between the 2 groups. This is the first study to show an increased concentration of vitamin E in the synovial fluid of dogs with OA compared with dogs that did not have OA.     

The pharmacokinetics and metabolism of ivermectin in domestic animal species

The pharmacokinetic properties of drugs are closely related to their pharmacological efficacy. The kinetics of ivermectin are characterised, in general terms, by a slow absorption process, a broad distribution in the organism, low metabolism, and slow excretion. The kinetics vary according to the route of administration, formulation, animal species, body condition, age, and physiological status, all of which contribute to differences in drug efficacy. Characterisation of ivermectin kinetics can be used to predict and optimise the value of the parasiticide effects and to design programmes for parasite control. This article reviews the pharmacokinetics of ivermectin in several domestic animal species.     

Low‐density lipoproteins and milk serum proteins improve the quality of stallion sperm after vitrification in straws

Lipids and proteins can be used for sperm vitrification to preserve the integrity of sperm membranes or to increase the viscosity of the medium. This study evaluated the effect of low‐density lipoproteins (LDL) and milk serum proteins (Pronexcell) for stallion sperm vitrification. Hippex extender (Barex Biochemical Products, The Netherlands), plus 1% of bovine serum albumin and 100 mM of trehalose, was used as control for sperm vitrification. In experiment 1, different concentrations of LDL (L1 = 0.25, L2 = 0.5, L3 = 1%) and in experiment 2 of Pronexcell (P1 = 1, P2 = 5, P3 = 10%) were added to control extender. Vitrification was performed in 0.25‐ml straws directly plunged into liquid nitrogen. Total motility (TM, %) and progressive motility (PM, %) were analysed by CASA, and plasma membrane (IMS, %) and acrosome membrane integrity (AIS, %) were assessed under epifluorescence microscopy. Post‐warmed sperm parameters were compared between treatments by ANOVA. Results were expressed as mean ± SEM. In both experiments, the minimum concentration of LDL and Pronexcell obtained significantly higher values (p < 0.01) than the control extender for TM (L1 = 52.95 ± 4.4; P1 = 58.99 ± 4.6; C = 30.88 ± 3.0), PM (L1 = 36.79 ± 5.5; P1 = 47.25 ± 4.3; C = 19.20 ± 2.4), IMS (L1 = 68.88 ± 3.6; P1 = 47.25 ± 4.3; C = 52.81 ± 2.6) and AIS (L1 = 45.88 ± 3.6; P1 = 47.25 ± 4.3; C = 26.00 ± 2.1). No differences in sperm parameters were found among different concentrations of LDL or Pronexcell. In conclusion, the addition of 0.25% LDL and 1% Pronexcell to the vitrification extender is recommended to improve the quality of stallion sperm after vitrification.