Familial narcolepsy in the Lipizzaner horse: a report of three fillies born to the same sire

The occurrence of sleep disorder in three half sibling Lipizzaner is described. Sleepiness, swaying, stumbling, carpal joints buckling and falling down onto the carpal joints had been present since early foal age in all of them. Clinical signs had gradually reduced since the age of 2 years in cases 1 and 3. Sleepiness was induced by going out from the stable in adulthood. A physostigmine test was performed in all three affected horses and produced positive results in cases 1 and 3. The result of the test in case 2 was unclear due to the almost continuous sleepiness of the foal. Hypocretin-1 concentration in the cerebrospinal fluid was established using a standardised radioimmunoassay in case 1 (317.85?pg/mL), case 2 (303.43?pg/mL) and five adult control horses (275.2?±?47.9 [SD] pg/mL) and was considered as normal in all horses. The sire of the affected horses has had 19 other registered offspring who did not show clinical signs of sleep disorder and also dams of all three cases produced healthy foals. Based on the demographic and clinical data together with the responses to the physostigmine challenges, the diagnosis of familial equine narcolepsy was made.     

Trapped neutrophil syndrome in a Border Collie dog: clinical, clinico-pathologic, and molecular findings

Trapped neutrophil syndrome (TNS) is an autosomal recessive inherited neutropenia known in Border Collies since the 1990's. Recently, the causative mutation has been identified in the canine VPS13B gene and a DNA-based diagnosis has now become available. The present paper describes clinical and clinico-pathologic findings in a Border Collie with TNS that was molecularly diagnosed for the first time in Japan. In a 10-week-old male Border Collie with microgenesis and symptoms related to recurrent infections, a hematological examination revealed severe leukopenia due to neutropenia, suggesting the dog to be affected by inherited neutropenic immunodeficiency. Direct DNA sequencing demonstrated that the dog was homozygous for the causative mutation of TNS and both its parents were heterozygous carriers. In addition, a simple and rapid polymerase chain reaction-based length polymorphism analysis coupled with microchip electrophoresis was developed for the genotyping of TNS. This assay could discriminate clearly all genotypes, suggesting that it was suitable for both individual diagnosis and large-scale surveys for prevention.     

Effect of postactivation treatment with latrunculin a on in vitro and in vivo development of cloned embryos derived from kidney fibroblasts of an aged clawn miniature boar

The objective of this study was to examine the effect of postactivation treatment with latrunculin A (LatA), an actin polymerization inhibitor, on in vitro and in vivo development of somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) embryos derived from kidney fibroblasts of an aged Clawn miniature boar (12 years old). After electric activation, SCNT embryos were treated with 0, 0.5 or 1 μM LatA and cultured in vitro. The rate of blastocyst formation was significantly higher (P<0.05) in SCNT embryos treated with 0.5 μM LatA (38%) than those in control (14%). When cloned embryos treated with 0.5 μM LatA were transferred into the oviducts of two recipient miniature gilts to assess their development in vivo, both recipients became pregnant; one maintained pregnancy to term, and a live piglet (weighing 220 g) was delivered by Caesarean section. The results of this study indicated that the postactivation treatment with LatA was effective in improving in vitro developmental capacity of SCNT miniature pig embryos derived from kidney fibroblasts of an aged animal and that miniature pig cloned embryos treated with LatA had the ability to develop to term.     

Efficacy of a single intravenous dose of the neuraminidase inhibitor peramivir in the treatment of equine influenza

Equine influenza A virus (EIV) of the H3N8 subtype is an important pathogen causing acute respiratory disease in horses. Peramivir is a selective inhibitor of the influenza virus neuraminidase (NA). The characteristics of peramivir are not only its capacity for parenteral administration, but also its strong affinity for NA and slow off-rate from the NA-peramivir complex, suggesting that it could lead to a prolonged inhibitory effect and thus allow a lower dosing frequency. The aims of this study were to evaluate the inhibitory efficacy of peramivir against the NA activities of EIV in vitro and the treatment efficacy of a single intravenous dose of peramivir in horses experimentally infected with EIV. Peramivir inhibited the activities of NA from the seven contemporary EIV strains in vitro, with 50% inhibitory concentrations ranging from 0.10 to 0.20nmol/L. Horses treated with a single IV dose of peramivir (3000mg/600mL/animal, 7.8-9.3mg/kg of bodyweight) showed significantly milder clinical signs (pyrexia, nasal discharge and cough) with a shorter duration than control horses injected with normal saline. Moreover, the mean duration of virus shedding for the horses treated with peramivir was significantly shorter than for the control horses. These findings suggested that a single IV administration of peramivir had good potential for the treatment of equine influenza, and may help to limit the spread of the disease in the horse population.     

Evidence for estrogen receptor expression during medullary bone formation and resorption in estrogen-treated male Japanese quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica)

The temporal expression of estrogen receptor (ER)-α and ER-β mRNA was examined in male Japanese quails. Femurs of quails receiving 17β-estradiol underwent RTPCR and histochemical analysis 1 to 15 days after treatment. Untreated quails were used as controls (day 0). Between days 0 and 5, cells lining the bone endosteal surface differentiated into osteoblasts, which in turn formed medullary bone. Expression of ER-α was already observed on day 0 and increased slightly during bone formation whereas ER-β was hardly detected throughout this process. After osteoclasts appeared on the medullary bone surface, this type of bone disappeared from the bone marrow cavity (days 7~15). ER-α expression simultaneously decreased slightly and ER-β levels remained very low. These results suggest that estrogen activity mediated by ER-α not only affects medullary bone formation but also bone resorption.     

Evaluation of sugarcane smut resistance in wild sugarcane (Saccharum spontaneum L.) accessions collected in Japan

ABSTRACT

Sugarcane smut, caused by Sporisorium scitamineum, is one of the most important sugarcane diseases in Japan. Wild sugarcane, Saccharum spontaneum, is known to be a key breeding material to obtain high-yielding clones. In this study, we sought to identify Japanese wild sugarcane accessions with high resistance to smut. Thirty wild sugarcanes and three sugarcane cultivars were tested by the pinprick method. The results of the inoculation tests aided in identifying wild sugarcanes with high resistance to smut disease, namely JW90, Iriomote8, and Iriomote15. After screening the germplasm, progeny distribution of smut resistance from the inoculation test and dry matter productivity in the smut disease-free field were compared. The highly resistant wild sugarcane accession had a much better impact on progeny distribution of smut resistance compared with the susceptible accession. No relationship was found between smut resistance and dry matter productivity in both populations.     

Retrospective diagnosis of feline GM2 gangliosidosis variant 0 (Sandhoff-like disease) in Japan: possible spread of the mutant allele in the Japanese domestic cat population

GM2 gangliosidosis variant 0 (human Sandhoff disease) is a lysosomal storage disease caused by simultaneous deficiencies of acid beta-hexosaminidase (Hex) A and Hex B due to an abnormality of beta-subunit, a common component in these enzyme molecules, which is coded by the HEXB gene. In the present study, a retrospective diagnosis was performed in 2 previous suspected cases of feline Sandhoff-like disease using a DNA test to detect the causative mutation identified previously in 4 cats in 2 other families of Japanese domestic cats. Enzymic analysis was also performed using stored leukocytes and plasma collected from the subject families in order to investigate the usefulness of enzymic diagnosis and genotyping of carriers. The DNA test suggested that the 2 cases were homozygous recessive for the mutation. Consequently, 6 cats homozygous for the same mutation have been found in 4 separate locations of Japan, suggesting that this mutant allele may be spread widely in the Japanese domestic cat populations. In enzymic analysis, Hex A and Hex B activities in leukocytes and plasma measured using 4-methylumbelliferyl N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminide as a substrate were negligible in affected cats, compared with those in normal and carrier cats. However, there was a wide overlap in enzyme activity between normal and carrier cats. Therefore, it was concluded that enzymic analysis is useful for diagnosis of affected cats, but is not acceptable for genotyping of carriers.     

Effects of follicle‐stimulating hormone followed by gonadotropin‐releasing hormone on embryo production by ovum pick‐up and in vitro fertilization in the river buffalo (Bubalus bubalis)

In this study, we examined the effects of superstimulation using follicle‐stimulating hormone (FSH) followed by gonadotropin‐releasing hormone (GnRH) on buffalo embryo production by ultrasound‐guided ovum pick‐up (OPU) and in vitro fertilization (IVF). Nine Murrah buffaloes were subjected to OPU‐IVF without superstimulation (control). The morphologies of the oocytes collected were evaluated, and oocytes were then submitted to in vitro maturation (IVM). Two days after OPU, same nine buffaloes were treated with twice‐daily injections of FSH for 3 days for superstimulation followed by a GnRH injection. Oocytes were collected by OPU 23–24 hr after the GnRH injection and submitted to IVM (the superstimulated group). The total number of follicles, number of follicles with a diameter > 8 mm, and number of oocytes surrounded by multi‐layered cumulus cells were higher in the superstimulated group than in the control group (p ≤ 0.05). After IVF, the percentages of cleavage and development to blastocysts were higher in the superstimulated group than in the control group (p < 0.05). In conclusion, superstimulation improved the quality of oocytes and the embryo productivity of OPU‐IVF in river buffaloes.     

Length of lags in responses of milk yield and somatic cell score on test day to heat stress in Holsteins

We used daily records from provincial Japanese weather stations and monthly test‐day records of milk production to investigate the length of the lags in the responses of cows’ milk yield and somatic cell score (SCS) to heat stress (HS). We also investigated the HS thresholds in milk yield and SCS. Data were a total of 17,245,709 test‐day records for milk and SCS in Holstein cows that had calved for the first time between 2000 and 2015, along with weather records from 60 weather stations. Temperature–humidity index (THI) values were estimated by using average daily temperature and average daily relative humidity. Adjusted THI values were calculated by using temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, and solar radiation. The model contained herd, calving year, month of test day, age group, days in milk, and THI as a fixed effect. THIs for each day from 14 days before the test day until the test day were used to represent the HS effects. The HS occurring 3 days, and between 8 and 10 days, before the test day had the greatest effect on the milk yield and SCS, respectively. The threshold THI values for the HS effect were about 60–65 for both traits.     

Effect of Low-Dose Human Interferon-alpha on Shipping Fever of Thoroughbred Racehorses

To assess the effect of human interferon-alpha (IFNα) on shipping fever of Thoroughbred racehorses subjected to long-distance transportation, an IFNα preparation was orally administered to 48 horses three times (once daily, 3 successive days) before transportation (IFNα group). In the control group (25 horses), maltose was administered in the same way. These treatments induced no abnormal findings in Thoroughbred racehorses before transportation. Immediately after transportation, significant increases in rectal temperature were observed in both treatment groups, whereas the rectal temperature of the IFNα group tended to be lower than that of the control group. Although WBC, Fbg, and SAA immediately after transportation were significantly increased due to transportation in both groups, the extent of the increases in the IFNα group was significantly smaller than in the control group. Long-distance transportation had a relatively profound impact on Thoroughbred racehorses, which was mitigated by IFNα treatment.