Clinical, cytogenetic and hormonal findings in a stallion with hypospadias--a case report

This case report describes a three-year-old Friesian stallion with hypospadias. Physical examination revealed a ventrocaudal deviation of the shaft of the penis and an incomplete glans penis. The urethral opening was 4 cm in length, slit-like and had a mucous membrane covering. A short fold ran from the ventral aspect of the anus and ended with a non-pigmented hairless area of skin. A human choriongonadotropin (hCG)-stimulation test resulted in an increase in the plasma levels of estrogen sulfate and testosterone, indistinguishable from that of a normal stallion. The karyogram had a normal number of chromosomes at 2n=64. The stallion was castrated, and histological evaluation of the testicular tissue was unremarkable. In contrast to other animal species and human beings, hypospadias is a rare congenital abnormality in stallions, the cause of which could not be elucidated in our patient.     

Bile ductule carcinoma in a cow

A 20-year-old cow was presented due to chronic diarrhea and weight loss. The clinical examination revealed a markedly enlarged left ovary. However, a cause of the diarrhea could not observe. The examination of the feces was negative for a parasites or bacteria causing diarrhea. The results of hematological and biochemical analyses revealed a mild leucocytosis, bilirubinaemia, higher activities of the enzymes aspartate transaminase, gamma-glutamyltransferase and creatine kinase. The plasma concentrations of estrogen and testosterone were below the detection limits, progesterone concentration was 2.7 ng/ml. The postmortem examination revealed a bile ductule carcinoma with metastases in the lung and in lung and mestenterial lymph nodes. The cause of the tumor remained unclear. Diarrhea might have been the consequence of a portal hypertension due to the tumor. The pathological examination confirmed the clinical diagnosis of the ovarian tumor. The genesis of the ovarian tumor may be independent of the genesis of the bile ductule carcinoma.     

Treatment of parturient paresis with high-dose calcium

The goal of the present study was to evaluate a calcium dose that was higher than the conventional dose for treatment of parturient paresis in cows. Thirty cows with parturient paresis received 1000 ml of 40 per cent calcium borogluconate solution supplemented with 6 per cent magnesium hypophosphite. Cows in group A received 200 ml of the solution intravenously over a 10-minute period, and the remaining 800 ml via a slow intravenous drip over a six-hour period. Cows in group B received 500 ml of the solution intravenously over a 20-minute period, and the remaining 500 ml via a slow intravenous drip over a six-hour period. Afterwards, the cows were monitored continuously and examined every hour for eight hours. Samples of blood were collected from all the cows before treatment and at 10, 20, 40, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, 300, 360, 420 and 480 minutes and 24, 48 and 72 hours after treatment. The concentrations of total calcium, ionised calcium, inorganic phosphorus and magnesium were determined. Cows that did not stand within 12 hours of treatment received one or more additional treatments. There was no significant difference in the recovery rate between the two groups. Of the 30 cows, 14 (47 per cent) rised after one treatment and 15 others (50 per cent) were cured after two or more treatments. One cow did not respond to repeated treatments and was euthanased four days after the start of treatment. The results of electrolyte analyses before treatment did not differ significantly between the two groups. In 27 (90 per cent) cows, the concentrations of calcium and inorganic phosphorus were lower than normal and in 3 (10 per cent) cows, only the concentration of inorganic phosphorus was lower than normal.The concentration of total calcium increased markedly ten minutes after the start of treatment in both groups, and at eight hours, the mean concentration of calcium was within the normal range. At 24 and 48 hours, the mean concentration of calcium was below normal, but at 72 hours it was again within the normal range. The concentration of inorganic phosphorus increased slowly in both groups, although it was not within the normal range at eight hours. In both groups, it achieved normal values at 24, 48 and 72 hours.The mean electrolyte concentrations did not differ significantly at any measuring point between cows that stood within eight hours of treatment and those that did not. Our results indicate that increasing the dose of calcium administered does not improve the recovery rate of cows with parturient paresis.     

Floppy kid syndrome caused by D-lactic acidosis in goat kids

BACKGROUND: Goat kids with floppy kid syndrome have metabolic acidosis, muscle weakness, and depression but no dehydration. HYPOTHESIS: D-Lactate is the major component of acidemia in goat kids with floppy kid syndrome. ANIMALS: Fifty-five goat kids with floppy kid syndrome (group F) and 35 clinically healthy goat kids (group C). METHODS: Clinical, biochemical, microbiologic, virologic, parasitologic, and pathologic examinations. RESULTS: The animals in group F had a blood pH of 7.13 +/- 0.11 and a base excess of -17.8 +/- 3.8 mM, which were both lower than the values in the control animals (pH, 7.32 +/- 0.31; base excess, -0.1 +/- 2.7 mM; P < .001). Floppy kids had a significantly larger anion gap than healthy kids (31.2 +/- 3.7 versus 21.5 +/- 8.5 mM; P < .001). The concentration of L-lactate was lower in floppy kids than in healthy kids (0.67 +/- 0.49 versus 1.60 +/- 1.02 mM), but the concentration of D-lactate was higher in floppy kids (7.43 +/- 2.71 versus 0.26 +/- 0.24 mM; P < .001). Intravenous and oral administration of sodium bicarbonate in floppy kids resulted in a significant increase in blood pH and base excess and a decrease in the anion gap (P < .001). In addition, the concentration of L-lactate increased (P = .039). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Metabolic acidosis in goat kids with floppy kid syndrome is caused by an increase in the plasma concentration of D-lactate.     

Connected to death: the (unexpurgated) mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis

The mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis in vertebrates is dependent on the process of mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization (MOMP), which leads to the release of proteins from the mitochondrial intermembrane space into the cytosol. "Upstairs" of this event are the Bcl-2 family proteins that regulate and mediate MOMP; "downstairs" is the activation of caspases that orchestrate the dismantling of the cell. In the Connections Map database at Science's Signal Transduction Knowledge Environment (STKE), the pathways that define the mitochondrial pathway of apotosis are illustrated, with the bulk of control occurring "upstairs" of MOMP.     

Clinical observations and management of a severe equine herpesvirus type 1 outbreak with abortion and encephalomyelitis

Latent equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) infection is common in horse populations worldwide and estimated to reach a prevalence nearing 90% in some areas. The virus causes acute outbreaks of disease that are characterized by abortion and sporadic cases of myeloencephalopathy (EHM), both severe threats to equine facilities. Different strains vary in their abortigenic and neuropathogenic potential and the simultaneous occurrence of EHM and abortion is rare. In this report, we present clinical observations collected during an EHV-1 outbreak caused by a so-called “neuropathogenic” EHV-1 G₂₂₅₄/D₇₅₂ polymerase (Pol) variant, which has become more prevalent in recent years and is less frequently associated with abortions. In this outbreak with 61 clinically affected horses, 6/7 pregnant mares aborted and 8 horses developed EHM. Three abortions occurred after development of EHM symptoms. Virus detection was performed by nested PCR targeting gB from nasal swabs (11 positive), blood serum (6 positive) and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (9 positive) of a total of 42 horses sampled. All 6 fetuses tested positive for EHV-1 by PCR and 4 by virus isolation. Paired serum neutralization test (SNT) on day 12 and 28 after the index case showed a significant (≥ 4-fold) increase in twelve horses (n = 42; 28.6%). This outbreak with abortions and EHM cases on a single equine facility provided a unique opportunity for the documentation of clinical disease progression as well as diagnostic procedures.     

Retrospective study of the fertility outlook in cows after caesarean section

Evaluating the possibility of performing a caesarean section on a cow with dystocia, the economic value of the animal usually plays a central role. The aim of this retrospective study was to analyse and to determine possible factors influencing the fertility. In 1998, 1999 and the first half-year of 2000 a total of 207 cows had a caesarean section. 68% of the inseminated cows which gave birth to a living calf became pregnant again, whereas only 46% of the cows with a dead calf were successfully reinseminated. Thus, 59% of all inseminated cows became pregnant, 2.5% of them had an abortion. The occurrence of retained fetal membranes or of endometritis has been shown to have negative effects on fertility. Only 30% of subsequent inseminations were successful in cows which had suffered from endometritis. The probability of being affected by endometritis was twice as high after birth of a dead calf than after a living calf.     

Conformational analysis of the fungicide fenpropimorph by molecular mechanics calculations and NMR spectroscopy

Fenpropimorph is an inhibitor of Δ8→Δ7-isomerase and Δ14-reductase in fungi and cycloeucalenol-obtusifoliol-isomerase and Δ8→Δ7-isomerase in higher plants. A detailed conformational analysis of the most potent enantiomer (S)-fenpropimorph is described. The conformational analysis is based on three different methods: molecular mechanics calculations. NMR spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography. In solution several conformations coexist. The molecular mechanics calculations using MM2(85) show a folded conformation of the unprotonated form of fenpropimorph to be stabilized by at least 3 kcal mol^?1 relative to the next lowest energy conformer, suggesting only one conformation of fenpropimorph to be present. A corresponding stabilization of the protonated form (5.4 kcal mol^?1) is obtained. However, this stabilization is found partly to be due to attractive steric interactions and may be a phenomenon occurring only in vacuum. In the solid state, fenpropimorph exists in an L-shaped conformation resembling one of the low-energy conformers obtained with MM2(85). Based on comparison with the natural substrate, a totally extended conformation of fenpropimorph is suggested to be the biologically active conformation for interaction with the Δ8 → Δ7-isomerase in fungi.