Endotoxemia following experimental intestinal strangulation obstruction in ponies.

Experimental small intestinal strangulation obstruction was produced in anesthetized ponies. The limulus amoebocyte lysate test demonstrated the presence of endotoxin in the general circulation 60 and 120 minutes following restoration of mesenteric blood flow. Mucosal degeneration, with loss of villus epithelial cells, was demonstrated coincident with endotoxemia. The findings were consistent with an ischemia-mediated alteration in the intestinal barrier to endotoxin.     

Genotoxic activity of dichlorvos,trichlorfon and dichloroacetaldehyde

Two structurally related organophosphorous insecticides, dichlorvos and trichlorfon, and their main metabolite dichloroacetaldehyde, were assayed for their ability to induce DNA repair, detected as unscheduled DNA synthesis in human epithelial-like cell (EUE) cultures in vitro. A dose-response relationship was found for treatment with the two pesticides, but negative results were obtained with dichloroacetaldehyde. Tests for induction of gene mutation, as ouabain resistance in Chinese hamster cells (V79), failed to show any mutagenic activity by these compounds.     

Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (Elisa) for Detection of Antibodies to Mycobacterium Para-Tuberculosis in Cattle

Paratuberculosis may be diagnosed by clinical, bacteriological and immunological methods, but so far only the demonstration of M. paratuberculosis is considered a definite proof of the infection. World-wide use is being made of the complement fixation (CF) test as a valuable immunological test for diagnosis of clinical cases, but its low specificity and sensitivity makes its value problematic in non-clinical cases.