The pathology of disseminated Aspergillus terreus infection in dogs

Disseminated Aspergillus terreus infection was diagnosed in ten previously healthy adult dogs--nine German shepherds and one dalmatian. The disease was characterized by the presence of multiple granulomas and infarcts in a wide range of organs. The kidney, spleen, and skeletal system were most commonly and severely affected. Fungal hyphae were demonstrated in large numbers within granulomas and thrombi, and A. terreus was readily isolated by culture. This disseminated mycosis appears unique; in this series of cases there was no apparent predisposing factor, portal of entry, or primary focus for dissemination of the infection.     

Passive protection of mice with antiserum to neuraminidase fromPasteurella multocida serotype A:3

Antiserum to a partially purified neuraminidase fromPasteurella multocida, type A:3, was adsorbed with protease-digestedP. multocida type 3 lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to remove LPS immunoreactivity. The LPS-adsorbed antineuraminidase caused a 77% reduction in the neuraminidase activity of homologousP. multocida in anin vitro enzyme neutralization test. All 14 mice passively immunized with the adsorbed antineuraminidase were protected against challenge infection with homologousP. multocida in a mouse protection test. Ten out of 14 mice in one group that received antisera containing antibodies to both neuraminidase and LPS were protected. In contrast, only 1 out of 14 mice that were immunized with pre-immune serum survived the challenge. These results suggest that antiserum toP. multocida neuraminidase was, at least partly, responsible for the protection observed in this study. Neuraminidase may be one of the immunogenic protective proteins present in aqueous extracts ofPasteurella multocida.     

Skeletal muscle fiber size in untrained and endurance-trained horses.

The mean area and minimal diameter of 3 histochemically determined myofiber types (1, 2A, and 2B; myosin ATPase in acid buffer) were calculated in middle gluteal muscle biopsy specimens from 62 stallions, 47 Andalusians and 15 Arabians, ranging in age from 6 to 12 years. Fourteen Andalusians and 7 Arabians were untrained, and the remainder were actively endurance-trained. The 6-month training schedules involved walking, slow trotting, and cantering. Fourteen Andalusians were moderately endurance-trained, whereas the other 19 Andalusians and 8 Arabians were strongly endurance-trained. Significant differences were not recorded between untrained and endurance-trained Arabians with respect to the area (type 1, 3,194 +/- 869 microns 2 and 3,150 +/- 370 microns 2; type 2A, 3,819 +/- 890 microns 2 and 3,380 +/- 356 microns 2; and type 2B, 4,872 +/- 962 microns 2 and 4,417 +/- 646 microns 2) or minimal diameter (type 1, 52.2 +/- 7.4 microns and 52.8 +/- 3.1 microns; type 2A, 58.1 +/- 6.7 microns and 55.0 +/- 2.8 microns; and type 2B, 65.3 +/- 6.4 microns and 63.4 +/- 4.3 microns) of the 3 fiber types, nor between untrained and endurance-trained Andalusians with respect to the area (untrained, 3,990 +/- 690 microns 2; moderately endurance-trained, 3,882 +/- 347 microns 2; and strongly endurance-trained, 3,758 +/- 510 microns 2) and minimal diameter (untrained, 58.1 +/- 4.7 microns; moderately endurance-trained, 59.7 +/- 2.7 microns; and strongly endurance-trained, 58.7 +/- 4.5 microns) of 2A fibers.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

New concepts in fetal and placental amino acid metabolism.

Fetal amino acid nutrition and metabolism have been studied primarily in pregnant sheep. The umbilical uptake of amino acids changes during gestation, but at both mid- and late gestation the total supply exceeds that required for growth. Weight-specific protein synthetic rate decreases with increasing gestational age, and these changes are proportional to the changes in metabolic rate. The use of multiple tracer methodology coupled with measurement of net tracer fluxes into and out of fetal and placental tissues can be used to delineate amino acid metabolism in considerable detail. Such studies demonstrate that even essential amino acids can be oxidized extensively by the fetus. The oxidation rate of leucine exceeds its rate of accretion in tissue proteins. Glycine metabolism is unique in several ways; there is a large umbilical uptake of glycine without a measurable uterine uptake. In late gestation there is no significant umbilical uptake of serine, although there is a significant uterine uptake, suggesting net uteroplacental utilization. Glycine is oxidized within the fetal liver and used for serum production. The interorgan exchange of amino acids between the fetal liver and placenta is clearly of major importance for serine and glycine metabolism and is likely to be of major importance for most nonessential amino acids.     

In vitro nitroimidazole resistance of Trichomonas gallinae and successful therapy with an increased dosage of ronidazole in racing pigeons (Columba livia domestica)

Six out of eight different Trichomonas gallinae strains isolated from racing pigeons proved to be resistant to the nitroimidazole drugs ronidazole, carnidazole and metronidazole. The minimal cytocidal concentration of ronidazole was determined in in vitro experiments. Moreover, a therapeutic dose for ronidazole was determined for the control of trichomoniasis in pigeons from which the resistant T. gallinae strains were isolated. It was a 5-fold increase of the recommended ronidazole dosage which eliminated the infection in affected pigeons.     

Population variability of some quantitative characters in Argas polonicus larvae (Acarina: Argasidae)

The nature of variability of quantitative morphometrical characters was studied in larvae of two local populations of Argas (Argas) polonicus Siuda, Hoogstraal, Clifford et Wassef, 1979 collected in Czechoslovakia and Poland. Statistically significant differences in five quantitative characters studied, in which the larvae of both wild populations differed from one another, disappeared during three generations of laboratory rearing. The variability of these characters was lower in laboratory populations than in field collected ticks. The results of hybridization experiments and analysis of variability of larvae of individual populations and parental pairs suggest that rather adaptive than genetic variation is involved. The genetic component of the variation is inferior and is expressed probably by dominant relations between alleles of the same locus, or by different types of non-allelic interactions.