Evaluation of Tissue Adhesive to Contain Axonal Regeneration in Horses

Bilateral palmar and plantar digital neurectomies were completed in 10 horses (a total of 80 neurectomies) using one of three methods: (1) simple transection (guillotine method); (2) epineural capping; (3) n-butyl cyanoacrylate injected into the epineural sheath to act as a nerve sealant. Horses were regularly evaluated clinically for tenderness in and around the surgical site, as well as skin sensation at the coronary band in the heel region, during the 12-week course of the study. None of the surgical sites exhibited any signs of drainage or infection. Horses were then euthanatized, the nerve stumps were dissected from surrounding tissues, and the length and width of the tissue mass that had formed on the end of the nerve was recorded. Longitudinal and transverse sections of the nerve endings were examined histologically for numbers of proliferating axon sprouts (neuroma formation); whether the axons had penetrated the epineurium; degree of Schwann cell proliferation; degree of chronic inflammation; extent of foreign body reaction; extent of retrograde degeneration of the nerve bundles; and amount of fibro vascular proliferation. The proportion of legs exhibiting tenderness or heel sensation did not differ significantly between the three different treatments at any of the six different times they were examined. There was no difference between the three treatments in the length or width of the fibrous tissue scar on the ends of the nerves or in the number of sprouting axons from the ends of the nerves. Of 80 nerves examined, only two nerves were not confined to the epineurium. Both these nerves had been treated by simple transection. Statistically there was more chronic inflammation and foreign body reaction in the acrylic treated nerves, but no difference in Schwann cell proliferation or retrograde degeneration between the three treatments. There was slightly less fibrovascular proliferation in the transected nerves than in those subjected to epineural capping or acrylic, but the difference was not statistically significant. The use of the tissue adhesive n-butyl cyanoacrylate to prevent the continuous growth of axons after digital neurectomy seems to offer little advantage over more traditional methods of neurectomy.     

Growth patterns of two lines of Angus cattle selected using predicted growth parameters.

Linear functions of body weight and condition score at weaning and 18 mo of age were used to predict the mature weight (A) and maturing rate (k) parameters of an asymptotic growth model of Angus cows at the Subtropical Agricultural Research Station, Brooksville, FL. From 1981 through 1988 a heavy-mature-weight line (Line A) and a rapid-maturing line (Line K) were selected based on predicted A and k values. Linear contrasts (A-K) of least squares means for weight at fixed ages indicated that the weight difference between lines increased from birth to maturity during the period of the study. Animals from Line A were heavier (P less than .01) at all ages. A negative response in maternal ability, relative to increased growth potential of their calves, seems to have occurred in the cows of Line A. Mature weight was reached at approximately 4.5 yr of age in Line K and at approximately 5.5 yr in Line A. Brody's three-parameter and Richards' four-parameter functions were fitted to 2,855 quarterly weights of cows, from birth to 6.5 yr of age, to estimate the average growth curve for each line. Brody's model gave better estimates of weights from 18 mo to maturity, but the asymptotic residual mean squares were slightly higher because early weights were overestimated. Linear and nonlinear regression analyses of weight-age data and comparisons of degree of maturity at different premature ages showed differences in the growth patterns of the two lines selected for early predicted values of A and k.     

Hyperadrenocorticism in four cats.

This paper describes four cats with hyperadrenocorticism. Cat 1 showed polydipsia and polyphagia. Diabetes mellitus was initially diagnosed. As the animal appeared to be insulin resistant, pituitary and adrenocortical function tests were performed and the diagnosis of hyperadrenocorticism was made. Resistance to the high-dose dexamethasone suppression test was noticed in this cat. Pathological examination revealed a pituitary chromophobe adenoma. Cat 2 presented with diabetes mellitus, which was treated with insulin. The animal had a pendulous abdomen and its coat was in a poor condition. The low-dose dexamethasone suppression test demonstrated hyperadrenocorticism. Necropsy findings of pituitary tumour and hyperplasia of the adrenal cortex confirmed the diagnosis. Cat 3 showed clinical abnormalities indicative of hyperadrenocorticism, for instance, muscle weakness, alopecia, multiple abscesses. The diagnosis of hyperadrenocorticism was confirmed by the results of the lowe-dose dexamethasone suppression test. Pathological examination revealed an adrenocortical carcinoma. Cat 4 presented with polydipsia. The cause of this symptom was not found initially. One and a half years later additional symptoms, such as nephritis and polyphagia developed. Hyperadrenocorticism was diagnosed because of a palpable mass cranial to the left kidney. The diagnosis was confirmed by the results of the lowe-dose dexamethasone suppression test and the necropsy findings.     

Pathology of infectious diarrhea of infant rats (IDIR) induced by an antigenically distinct rotavirus

Suckling rats were inoculated with a group B rotavirus to determine the progression of the morphologic changes induced in the intestine by this virus. Several changes were observed by light microscopy 1 day after viral inoculation: shortening of small intestinal villi, villous epithelial necrosis, and villous epithelial syncytia. The lesions were most often present in the distal small intestine, although other small intestinal segments were affected to a lesser degree. By day 3 post-inoculation, epithelial necrosis, and syncytia were no longer present; however, the villous epithelium was disorganized and irregularly vacuolated, and intestinal crypt epithelium was hyperplastic. Alterations in villous height to crypt depth ratios were present in portions of the small intestine for the remainder of the 12-day study period. Epithelial syncytia appeared to form by the breakdown of the lateral interdigitating membranes of the absorptive villous epithelium. Viral particles, abundant in the syncytia, appeared to form from amorphous or reticular arrays of viral precursor material. Group B rotaviral antigens, as detected by indirect immunofluorescence, were present in large amounts in the small intestinal villous epithelium only on the first day after viral inoculation. These studies show that two important diagnostic features of group B rotaviral infections of rats, epithelial syncytia and viral antigen as determined by immunofluorescence, are present only on the first day of disease. These findings should be taken into consideration when attempting to diagnose disease induced by this agent.     

Correlation of DNA ploidy to tumor histologic grade, clinical variables, and survival in dogs with mast cell tumors.

By using flow cytometry, a retrospective analysis of the DNA content of 40 primary canine mast cell tumors and seven lymph nodes that contained metastatic mast cell tumor from 44 dogs of various breed, sex, and age was performed on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded samples of the tumors and nodes. These samples were chosen according to the following criteria: samples contained sufficient well-preserved tumor tissue in the paraffin block for processing, sufficient patient history data were available, clean and homogeneous cell suspensions were obtained after processing, and interpretable DNA histograms were produced on analysis. The ploidy data obtained were compared with the histopathologic grade, the anatomical site of occurrence, the clinical stage of the tumors, and the survival of the dogs. Over 70% (29/40) of the mast cell tumors were diploid. Three metastatic mast cell tumors in lymph nodes had the same ploidy status as their corresponding primary tumors. In five dogs, mast cell tumors from multiple sites in each dog displayed similar ploidy status. Of 26 dogs evaluated for survival times, 69% (18/26) had diploid tumors and 31% (8/26) had aneuploid tumors. When numbers of diploid versus aneuploid tumors were compared, no significant difference was found between any two grades, clinical stages, or anatomic sites. A significant difference (P = 0.02) was found, however, between aneuploid and diploid tumors when comparing Stage I and non-Stage I disease. The Kaplan-Meier survival plot indicated a tendency towards an increased survival within the first year in dogs with diploid versus aneuploid tumors (P = 0.06).     

Dense Cultivation and Fertilization for Higher Yield of Thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.)

Thyme ( Thymus vulgaris L.) plants were spaced at 15, 30 or 45 cm distances in a clay-loamy soil. They received different levels of nitrogen and phosphorus, besides a constant level of potassium. The results showed, that the wider spacing promoted the growth and production of herb and oil per plant, however dense cultivation significantly increased the yields of herb and oil per unit area. In all cases, the applied fertilization treatments significantly increased the productivity per unit area. Dense cultivation accompanied with higher levels of fertilization proved to be very usefull. The essential oil content was not influenced by either the plant spacing or fertilization treatments applied in this study.     

Evaluation of sodium thiosulfate as an extracellular water marker in cattle.

Two studies were conducted to determine whether sodium thiosulfate (THS) can estimate extracellular water (ECW) in beef cattle in conjunction with empty body water (EBW) estimation by urea space. Experiment 1 used 24 steers (366 kg) to determine the clearance parameters for THS and urea. Blood samples were taken over 1 h. A two-component curve, Y = A1ek1(t) + A2ek2(t), (t = hours after infusion) fit the clearance of both markers; intercepts (A1, A2) and clearance coefficients (k1, k2) were 44.8, 44.4, -25.8, and -2.24 mg/dL, respectively, for THS (r2 = .98, Sy.x = 2.72, animal effects removed and 24.4, 10.5, -21.7, and -.71 mg/dL, respectively, for urea (r2 = .98, Sy.x = 1.49). Sodium thiosulfate equilibrated with ECW 5 to 10 min after infusion. Experiment 2 consisted of 22 steers (483 kg) infused with a combination solution of 20% urea, 10% THS, and 4% sodium thiocyanate (SCN; equilibration time = 28 min); half the steers were implanted with estradiol. Empty body water increased with implantation (P less than .01). Extracellular water tended to increase in implanted steers as measured by THS (12 min, P = .14) and SCN (P = .10). The estimation of ECW at 12 min was not different (P greater than .2) from the SCN estimate at 28 min (SCN = 3.7 + .873 THS; r2 = .70; P less than .001). Sodium thiosulfate gave reasonable estimates of ECW (22 to 26% of BW) and required only 0- and 12-min blood samples.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)