A case of verminous mastitis in a mare

This report describes bilateral mammary gland infection with a previously unidentified Cephalobus species of nematode. Only one previous case of verminous mastitis due to a Cephalobus species has been reported, pre-dating the widespread use of molecular diagnostics. This report describes the case presentation and management, as well as the morphological and molecular methods of nematode identification.     

An updated review: Laboratory investigation of equine renal disease

A variety of laboratory tests are available to assist the clinician in the assessment of kidney health and function. The majority of widely used tests are indicative of altered renal function, not becoming abnormal until function is significantly compromised. These include serum urea and creatinine concentrations, serum electrolyte concentrations, urine specific gravity (USG), fractional electrolyte excretion ratios and symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) concentrations. Some of these parameters may also be affected by nonrenal disease. The results of a further group of tests can indicate renal damage, but do not reflect renal function. These include urine tubular enzyme concentrations, urine protein concentrations, urine neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) concentrations and cytological abnormalities.     

Charting the proteome of Cryptosporidium parvum sporozoites using sequence similarity-based BLAST searching

Cryptosporidium (C.) spp. are important zoonotic parasites causing widespread diarrhoeal disease in man and animals. The recent release of the complete genome sequences for C. parvum and C. hominis has facilitated the comprehensive global proteome analysis of these opportunistic pathogens. The well-known approach for mass spectrometry (MS) based data analysis using the BLAST tool (MS BLAST) is a database search protocol for identifying unknown proteins by sequence similarity to homologous proteins using peptide sequences produced by mass spectrometry. We have used several complementary approaches to explore the global sporozoite proteome of C. parvum with available proteomic tools. To optimize the output of the MS data, a sequence similarity-based MS BLAST strategy was employed for bioinformatic analysis. Most significantly, almost all the constituents of glycolysis and several mitochondrion-related proteins were identified. In addition, many hypothetical Cryptosporidium proteins were validated by the identification of their constituent peptides. The MS BLAST approach was found to be useful during the study and could provide valuable information towards a complete understanding of the unique biology of Cryptosporidium.     

正安县山羊主要疫病血清抗体检测报告

为了解正安县山羊主要疫病的发展趋势,通过虎红平板凝集试验、正向间接血凝试验、酶联免疫吸附试验等方法对正安县引进山羊进行布鲁氏杆菌病、O型口蹄疫、AsiaI型口蹄疫、山羊传染性胸膜肺炎、山羊痘等主要疫病血清抗体的检测。结果表明,O型口蹄疫、AsiaI型口蹄疫和山羊痘免疫抗体阳性率分别为79．42％、81．18％和99．58％,未免疫的布鲁氏杆菌病、羊传染性胸膜肺炎的丝状支原体山羊亚种和绵羊肺炎支原体未免疫抗体阳性率分别为0％、0％和3．81％。监测结果为山羊健康的引进、培育和扩繁提供了一些基础数据,对指导养羊生产有一定的意义。     

Treatment of fractured antebrachial bones in both thoracic extremities in toy breed dogs by application of reconstruction plates

Stabilization of fractures at distal third of antebrachial bones in toy breed dogs is often connected with bone healing complications, including delayed union or non-union. In the present study 9 toy breed dogs with fractures at distal third of the epiphysis of two antebrachial bones were treated. Each dog had fractured both thoracic limbs. In all the dogs, internal stabilization was applied using the 1 mm, 4 or 5 -hole reconstructive mini plates. In three dogs mini plates were applied in treatment of non-union of antebrachial bones. In each case radius bone was stabilized only. X-ray examination performed in all the dogs 10 weeks postoperatively showed complete adhesion of treated bones. It was found that application of reconstructive mini plates in treatment of simultaneous fractures of distal shaft of both antebrachial bones is effective therapeutic method.     

Early development of immune system in pigs

Prenatal and early postnatal immune system development has been studied in minipigs. First leukocytes were observed in the yolk sac and fetal liver (FL) on the 17th day of gestation, the majority of them being SWC3(+). The colonization of the thymus (TH) with leukocytes was observed 21 days later. Two waves of fetal TH colonization with pro-T cells were deduced from the frequency of thymocyte subsets. Thymic B cells and immunoglobulin-secreting cells (Ig-SC) were studied by flow cytometry and ELISPOT, respectively. When the total numbers of fetal Ig-SC were compared, the TH was identified as the main source of natural antibodies and the only site of IgA and IgG synthesis. In germ-free animals, the TH also represented the major site of IgG and IgA production and the number of Ig-SC was not influenced by colonization with microflora. FL and bone marrow were identified as primary B lymphopoietic sites. The phenotype of B precursors was characterized and pre-B II cells were shown to be the dominant mononuclear fraction between DG50 and DG105. In the periphery, relative proportions of lymphocyte subsets were determined. Studies in gnotobiotic piglets have revealed that the appearance of CD4(+)CD8(+) T cells and CD2(-) B cells is absolutely dependent on the contact of immune system with live viruses and bacteria, respectively.     

Pregnancy‐Associated Glycoprotein and Progesterone Concentrations during Pregnancy Failure in Bedouin Goat from the Southwest of Algeria

Thirteen female Bedouin goats living in arid land of Algeria Sahara desert were used in this study. These goats were pregnant but they sustained an abortion because of unidentified causes. None of the goats showed any signs of general disease. Plasma concentrations of caprine pregnancy‐associated glycoproteins (cPAGs) and progesterone (P4) were determined during pregnancy using radioimmunoassay. The cPAGs concentration was undetectable (<0.8 ng/ml) throughout the first 2 weeks of gestation. From week 3 after mating, cPAGs concentration was detectable with significant individual variations (p < 0.05) reaching a maximum secretion (436.1 ng/ml). Throughout gestation, cPAGs concentration remained relatively constant but decreased few days before abortion, on an average of 9.2 ± 1.2 days (n = 11), except for two females where the concentrations decreased later (1–2 days before abortion). One or two peaks of cPAGs concentrations (in 4/13 and in 9/13 females, respectively) have been measured few weeks before abortion (77–124 days after mating), when a decline of cPAGs was detected. The P4 concentration increased after mating, and was high from the first week till the end of pregnancy. The P4 concentration (9.1 ± 0.9 ng/ml) decreased rapidly (<0.5 ng/ml) after 4 ± 0.7 days (n = 6) or 9.4 ± 1.6 days (n = 7) before abortion. A positive relationship (p < 0.01) was found between P4 and cPAGs concentrations during gestation. Results indicate that cPAGs and P4 measurements can be used for monitoring gestation and for abortion prediction.     

自由舔食补饲小苏打在高产奶牛疾病预防中的应用研究

[目的]饲喂碳酸氢钠能够参与反刍动物瘤胃酸碱调节并发挥重要的酸碱平衡作用。试验通过对比高产、中产、低产3个不同群体荷斯坦奶牛每头每日补饲不同剂量小苏打后,观察其对奶牛个体平均泌乳天数和日单产的影响,探究小苏打的最佳补饲量与补饲方法,为我国现阶段高产奶牛的饲管提供有价值的借鉴。[方法]对本场挤奶大厅1 000头泌乳牛连续16个月不间断全群补饲小苏打,以奶牛恶性舔土现象出现的次数以及临床热应激疾病发病数量作为瘤胃酸碱平衡的量化指标,分析各试验组的小苏打补饲量。[结果]高产群、中产群、低产群每头荷斯坦奶牛每日通过自由舔食分别平均获得61 g, 70 g, 80 g的小苏打,加上精饲料中分别提供的174 g, 156 g, 120 g,高产群、中产群、低产群每头每日实际需要量为235 g, 226 g, 200 g。[结论]通过高产奶牛自由舔食补饲小苏打的研究,确认自由舔舐是一种安全有效的小苏打补充方法。添加适合剂量的小苏打能够预防高产奶牛代谢性疾病的发生,有效减少奶牛恶性舔土现象,从而提高奶牛的生产和繁殖性能。     

The surgical technique and the age of the horse both influence the outcome of mosaicplasty in a cadaver equine stifle model

Six pieces of grafts, 6.5 mm in diameter, 20 mm in length, were taken from each of 170 cadaver hindlimbs, using the cranial surface of the medial femoral trochlea for harvesting. The age of the horses varied between 4 months and 23 years. 30 limbs under the age of 12 years were selected for transplantation. Three of six grafts were transplanted into the medial femoral condyle using different combinations of tunnel depth and dilation. With ageing, a significant decline in transplantability was detected. In general, mosaicplasty cannot be recommended in horses above 11 years. Based on a previous clinical case (Bodó et al., 2000), a good surface alignment was indeed achieved with a combination of graft length drilling and dilation in most cases. However, the occasional entrapment of cartilage debris under the graft prevented perfect alignment in the present cadaver study in 27% of the grafts transplanted in this manner. Since the protrusion of grafts never exceeded 1.5 mm, we conclude that drilling 3-5 mm deeper than graft length with graft length deep dilation can avoid disadvantageous protrusion of the transplanted hyaline cartilage caps, achieving bone decompression at the same time.