Bleeding tendency as a cause of epistaxis in the dog

Based upon a survey of the pathophysiology of haemostasis, the causes of epistaxis in the dog are discussed, and guidelines for a diagnostic and therapeutic approach are given.     

Influence of rootstock on the susceptibility of sweet cherry scions to bacterial canker, caused by Pseudomonas syringae pvs morsprunorum and syringae

In a field trial to determine whether the rootstock influenced the susceptibility of cherry cultivars to bacterial canker three cultivars (Napoleon, Roundel and JI 14039), each grafted on two rootstocks (F 12/1 and Colt), were subjected to natural infectionand to inoculation with three bacterial canker pathogens (Pseudomonas syringae pv. morsprunorum races 1 and 2 and P. syringae pv. syringae). Inoculations were made through leaf scars and through wounds. The high susceptibility of Napoleon and high resistance of JI 14039 were confirmed. Napoleon was more susceptible to inoculation through branches when on F12/1 than when on Colt but the reverse was true for leaf scar inoculations. JI14039 was more susceptible to race 1 inoculated through leaf scars when grown on F12/1 than when on Colt. No rootstock/scion interaction was detected with Roundel.
The complexity of the relationships between the pseudomonad pathogens and their cherry hosts is briefly discussed.     

Effect of surfactants on weight gain in mice

A study was conducted to determine if four surfactants can induce increased weight gain in the mouse. Basic-H, Triton X-100, Amway All Purpose Adjuvant and X-77 were put in water and fed to various groups of ICR 21 day old female mice for a period of 43 days. All the mice were clinically normal throughout the study period. Pathological examination of a random sample of the mice revealed no gross pathological changes. Similarly, histopathological examination of the lungs, livers and intestines did not reveal any visible lesions. Basic-H and Amway surfactants induced weight gain, though not significantly, better at 0.1% (V/V) concentration while X-77 and Triton X-100 induced weight gain better at 0.4% (V/V) concentration. Overall results show that none of the surfactants tested induced significant weight gain.     

Relationship between blood iron parameters and trichinellosis in swine

Reduced levels of total iron binding capacity and unsaturated iron binding capacity were observed in the blood of trichinous and iron-injected trichinous pigs. No change was observed in their serum iron and saturation concentration levels. Also, reduced iron concentration levels were observed in the livers of trichinous pigs, while increased iron concentration levels were observed in the spleens of trichinous pigs and the livers and spleens of iron-injected pigs. No difference was found with regard to weight gains, number of larvae per gram of tissues, or histologic characteristics of 'nurse cells'.     

Effect of various plant factors on the expression of creeping-rootedness in lucerne (Medicago sativa L. complex)

Although agronomically interesting, selection of creeping-rootedness inlucerne, that is, the ability to form adventitious shoots on horizontal,spreading roots, remains difficult because of the complex and still unclear geneticcontrol of this character, coupled with the possible occurrence of external factorsthat affect unpredictably its expression. Two experiments were undertaken onprogenies of creeping-rooted plants, to verify previous findings and inferences,and test novel hypotheses, concerning the effect of various plant factors on theexpression of creeping-rootedness. The ultimate aim was to provide information onthe most appropriate germplasm, procedures, or indirect selection criteria, that wouldimprove the efficiency of breeding for this character. The factors here examinedincluded genotype, age, kind of progeny, vigour, spreading ability, and undergroundmorphology. Some genotypes appeared to be good donors of the character, whereasothers did not. The proportion of creeping-rooted plants increased in allcases with the plant age. Selfing consistently depressed the expression ofthe character compared with clonal propagation or crossing. It is suggestedthat the effect of age and selfing on the penetrance of creeping-rootedness ismediated through their effect on plant vigour. Both aerial and root vigour showedindeed an effect per se on the presence of the character. Beside thevigour, possible indirect selection criteria were identified in the frequenciesof swollen zones and latent stem primordia on horizontal roots. Proportion ofcreeping-rooted plants in progenies after one year of growth appeared as a simple anduseful criterion to predict future trends. Consistent with previous conclusions, theresults provided evidence that a combination of family and individualselection may enhance the character expression.     

Aerosol transmission of arthropathic and amyloidogenic Enterococcus faecalis.

One-day-old brown layer chicks were exposed to an aerosol of an arthropathic and amyloidogenic Enterococcus faecalis strain alone or after being subjected to treatment with formaldehyde gas (100-200 ppm). Four-day-old chicks were also treated with the same aerosol but after treatment with a Newcastle disease vaccine virus (NDVV) aerosol or intramuscular injection with methylprednisolon at day 1. The same E. faecalis strain was inoculated intramuscularly in day-old chicks as positive control. Bacteremia with time showed that 24 hr after the aerosol the day-old exposed chicks had the highest rate of positive blood cultures (70%-80%). Lower numbers of bacteremic birds at this point in time were found in the chicks treated with E. faecalis aerosol at day 4 (3/10 in the methylprednisolon-treated group and 0/10 in the NDVV-treated group) and the E. faecalis intramuscular-injected group at day 1 (2/10). Formaldehyde gas treatment did not favor the occurrence of bacteremia. NDVV aerosol exposure or injection with corticosteroids did not favor the occurrence of bacteremia 24 hr after E. faecalis aerosol exposure at day 4 either, although 66 days after aerosol, one bird (1/14) treated with NDVV showed bacteremia. A few bacteremic birds were found 10 days after aerosol in the NDVV- and methylprednisolon-treated groups, whereas at 14 days after aerosol, one bacteremic bird was seen in the group subjected to E. faecalis aerosol at day 1, indicating the occurrence of chronic bacteremia. In contrast to the E. faecalis intramuscular-inoculated birds, no joint pathology was seen in the aerosol-exposed groups in spite of the occurrence of chronic bacteremia.     

Seroprevalence of Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale infection in commercial laying hens in the north central region of the United States.

This study was the first to examine the seroprevalence of Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale (ORT) within a commercial egg layer population. Serum samples collected from egg production companies were examined by serum plate agglutination test (SPAT) and outer membrane protein-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results show that 90% of layer flocks were positive by SPAT and 100% by ELISA. Of the pullet flocks examined, 43% and 52% were positive by SPAT and ELISA, respectively. Our study indicates that the prevalence of ORT antibody is high in the commercial layer population, suggesting that this respiratory pathogen can easily spread through multiple-age layer farms from older flocks to newly housed pullet flocks.     

Blackhead disease (Histomonas meleagridis) aggravated in broiler chickens by concurrent infection with cecal coccidiosis (Eimeria tenella).

The effect of concurrent cecal coccidiosis infections on severity of Histomonas meleagridis (blackhead disease) in chickens was investigated in a series of experiments. Cecal lesions from H. meleagridis were severe in all inoculated control groups and did not appear to be affected by the introduction of Eimeria tenella infection. However, the severity of liver lesions and number of birds positive for liver lesions of H. meleagridis increased significantly with the presence of E. tenella. The increase was similar when 10(3) or 10(4) oocysts of E. tenella were given and was the same when oocysts were given at the same time as H. meleagridis or 4 days prior. The liver lesions increased directly as doses of H. meleagridis increased from 7.5 x 10(3) cells to 30, 100, or 300 x 10(3) when E. tenella was given along with H. melelagridis but not when H. meleagridis was given alone. Administration of a live coccidiosis vaccine containing very low levels of E. tenella also gave a significant boost to liver lesions but at a much lower level than that observed with larger doses of E. tenella. The positive relationship between infections of cecal coccidiosis and H. meleagridis in chickens suggests that such dual exposure may contribute to increased clinical outbreaks of blackhead disease in chickens under field conditions.