Vaccination of the brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) against Mycobacterium bovis infection with bacille Calmette-Guérin: the response to multiple doses.

In New Zealand, the brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) is the principal wildlife vector of bovine tuberculosis. Control of infected possum populations contributes to the control of tuberculosis in domestic livestock. Vaccination is potentially a complementary strategy to population control, but to be cost-effective, administration of the vaccine to possums would need to be from an appropriately designed automatic vaccinator. Possums themselves would activate the vaccinator so that it would deliver an aerosol spray of vaccine. There would be no direct way to prevent possums receiving multiple doses of vaccine. This study examined the effect on protective immunity of repeated vaccination. Captive possums were vaccinated with BCG strain pasteur 1173P2 either 12 times at weekly intervals, twice at 6-weekly intervals, or once. Vaccination was by a combination of intranasal aerosol and conjunctival instillation. Eight weeks after the last dose of vaccine, all possums were challenged intratracheally with Mycobacterium bovis strain 83/6235. Vaccination induced a significant immune response as measured by the lymphocyte proliferation assay (LPA). A significant level of protection, as measured by the response to challenge, developed in all the vaccinated possum groups, but protection was greatest in the group vaccinated 12 times. It was concluded that protection would be enhanced if vaccinations were repeated at short intervals (weekly), but no benefit or detriment resulted from revaccination after longer intervals (1-2 months).     

Bovine sire effects on daughters' in vitro blood neutrophil functions, lymphocyte blastogenesis, serum complement and conglutinin levels

Blood neutrophil functions, lymphocyte blastogenic responses, serum complement, and serum conglutinin activity of 98 lactating Holstein cows from two genetic lines were evaluated. The genetic lines were produced in a selection experiment that created and perpetuated genetic differences in milk production for up to seven generations. No significant differences between the two genetic lines of cows were found for neutrophil function, lymphocyte blastogenic responses, serum complement levels, or serum conglutinin levels. Significant differences between sire progeny groups within lines were found for unstimulated and mitogen-stimulated lymphocyte blastogenesis (P less than 0.0001), and almost all neutrophil functions (antibody independent neutrophil cytotoxicity, antibody dependent neutrophil cytotoxicity, ingestion of bacteria, iodination, chemiluminescence, chemokinesis, and chemotaxis (P less than or equal to 0.05)). Sire progeny group differences (P less than or equal to 0.0001) within lines for serum complement and conglutinin activity were also found. Neutrophil chemiluminescence activity (positive relationship; P less than or equal to 0.001), concanavalin A-stimulated lymphocyte blastogenesis (positive relationship; P less than or equal to 0.004), and serum conglutinin activity levels (negative relationship; P less than or equal to 0.01) each had small but significant associations with the total milk somatic cell count. Cows seropositive for bovine leukosis virus had increased resting and mitogen-stimulated lymphocyte blastogenic activity and were associated with increased in vitro neutrophil random migration and production of superoxide anion. Estimates of genetic parameters of various immune cell functions, of serum complement and of conglutinin levels for daughters of 11 sires with 4-6 daughters in the data set were determined. In this report, genetic variation was demonstrated for nonspecific humoral and cellular immunity.     

Norsalsolinol uptake into secretory vesicles via vesicular monoamine transporter and its secretion by membrane depolarization or purinoceptor stimulation in PC12 cells.

The intracellular dynamics of norsalsolinol, a neurotoxin candidate causing parkinsonism-like symptoms, in PC12 cells was studied. We found that dopamine and norsalsolinol are co-localized to secretory granule layer by sucrose density gradient in norsalsolinol-treated PC12 cells. The norsalsolinol was actively taken up into isolated secretory vesicle fraction from PC12 cells with a Km value of 41.5+/-6.8 microM. The uptake of 10 microM of norsalsolinol was sensitive to reserpine (1 microM), an inhibitor of vesicular dopamine transporter, and dopamine, an endogenous substrate, but insensitive to GBR-12909, an inhibitor of dopamine transporter on plasma membrane. In norsalsolinol-treated PC12 cells, exposure to high K+ or ATP resulted in simultaneous release of norsalsolinol and dopamine. Time course of a release of dopamine and that of norsalsolinol evoked by 50 mM KCl or 100 microM ATP corresponded to each other. These releases were dependent on the concentrations of secretagogues. These data suggest that norsalsolinol is taken up with dopamine into secretory vesicle via vesicular catecholamine transporter.     

The Effect of Exogenous Hormone Treatment on Spermiation in Rhynchocypris oxycephalus (Sauvage and Dabry)

For the evaluation of hormonal control of spermiation in fish, a method to quanify the spermiation response of mature Rhynchocypris oxycephalus (Sauvage and Dabry) to hormonal therapy is described. Spermatocrit was determined after 7 min centrifugation at 18,000 ± g and sperm density was estimated by a standard hemocytomer method. Sperm density can be predicted from spermatocrit since their relationship is linear as described by the regression equation, Y = 3.68X - 27.18 ( R ² = 0.82, N = 50). where Y is spermatocrit and × is sperm density. Milt production by mature R. oxycephalus was highest at 24 h after injection of 1,000 IU human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) and 50 μg luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone analogue (LHRHa) per kg body weight. Increased milt production coincided with low spermatocrit and sperm density levels. These results demonstrate that spermiation in mature R. oxycephalus can be reliably evaluated by a spermatocrit method and that HCG and LHRHa are effective in stimulating of spermiation in this species.     

Morphological study on the stomach of the lesser mouse deer (Tragulus javanicus) with special reference to the internal surface.

The stomach of the lesser mouse deer (Tragulus javanicus) was observed macroscopically. It consisted of only three compartments, rumen, reticulum and abomasum without omasum. The rumen was S-shaped with large ventral and caudoventral blind sacs and the reticulum was larger than the abomasum. Internally, the rumen was covered with numerous ruminal papillae even on the pillars and the ruminoreticular fold. These papillae were leaf- or tongue-like shaped and varied in size and density. The reticulum had honey-combed crests and the secondary crests were found rarely. The lips of the reticular groove were prominent and more developed in the aboral part than in the oral one. A sac-like transition zone, which had more prominent mucosal folds than had the floor of the reticular groove, was observed between the caudal end of the reticular groove and the abomasum. Mucosal folds of the abomasum were spiral, low but rather thick. These findings were discussed in view of comparison with other ruminants and of possible functional implications.     

Laboratory parameters for the control of the course of therapy of canine Cushing's syndrome]

We compared the results of the ACTH stimulation tests with measurements of alkaline phosphatase and serum cholesterol during Lysodren therapy in 23 dogs with pituitary-dependent hyperadrenocorticism. The ACTH stimulation test proved to be a very sensitive parameter, by which the extent of Lysodren under- or overdosage could be reliably estimated. On the other hand, regulation of the individual Lysodren requirement was not possible by measuring AP and serum cholesterol only. However, it is highly probable that those two parameters can be used to evaluate the general state of metabolism, and they appear to be of prognostic value when greatly elevated.     

Skeletal muscle characteristics in young trained and untrained standardbred trotters.

Muscle biopsies were taken from the middle gluteal muscle of 28 Standardbred trotters, 3-4 years of age. The 13 horses in Group T were trained consistently from 18 months of age, whereas the 15 horses in Group UT were not exposed to any systematic training before 3 years of age. Group T horses had a lower percentage of Type IIB fibres (31%) than did Group UT horses (39%). Citrate synthase (CS) activity, representing oxidative capacity, was higher in Group T (72 mmol kg-1 min-1) than in Group UT (47 mmol kg-1 min-1). Biopsies were taken from 4 horses in each group when they were foals and then annually until 3-4 years of age. Results from this study indicate that regular training of Standardbreds from 18 months of age resulted in increased CS activity and a decrease in the percentage of Type IIB fibres. This study shows that training, not growth, is the main factor that induces a high oxidative capacity and a high Type IIA/IIB fibre ratio in muscle of Standardbred trotters.     

Seroprevalence of porcine and human influenza A virus antibodies in pigs between 1986 and 1988 in Hassia

1,268 sera collected from slaughtered pigs in Hassia (FRG) from 1986 to 1988 were tested for antibodies against porcine and human influenza A virus strains using the single radial haemolysis test (SRHT). Antibodies against the porcine strains (subtype H1N1) A/Swine/Arnsberg/1/81, A/Swine/Iowa/15/30 and A/New Jersey/7/76 were detected in 411 (32.4%), 318 (25.1%) and 304 (24.0%) of sera, respectively. Up to 1988 a slight increase (10%) in the seroprevalence to A/Swine/Arnsberg/1/81 was noticed, whereas the results obtained with the other strains showed little variation. Antibodies against the human H1N1 strain A/Singapore/6/86 were only found in sera collected 1987 and 1988 in rates of 1.6% and 3.0%. Serological indication of infections with the human H3N2 strains A/Victoria/1/75, A/Hong Kong/1/68 and A/Philippines/2/82 could be shown in 286 (22.6%), 178 (14.4%) and 135 (10.6%) of the serum samples. Within the three year period the rate of sera positive for antibodies against A/Philippines/2/82 increased from 6.5% to 23.0%, whereas no variation in the rates were found using the other H3N2 strains. Antibodies simultaneously against porcine (H1N1) and human (H3N2) virus strains were detected in 9.9% of all sera tested.