A preliminary passive surveillance of clinical diseases of cart pulling camels in Faisalabad metropolis (Pakistan)

We identified clinical disorders of all 200 city-dwelling cart pulling male camels attending the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan during a 7-year period (1993–1999). Data were collected prospectively on a predesigned form and collated. Diagnoses of different diseases/disorders were based on clinical examination supplemented with relevant laboratory tests. A total of 463 entries of 34 different clinical diseases/disorders were recorded. Sarcoptic mange (35% of 200 camels) followed by anhidrosis (23%) and trypanosomosis (19%) were the three most frequently encountered disorders. The body system most often involved was the integument (31%) followed by gastrointestinal (21%), locomotory (12%), thermoregulatory (6%), blood (6%), urogenital (6%), lymphatic (3%), nervous (3%), respiratory (3%) and ocular (3%).     

Studies on the Respiratory Disease ‘Sonbobe’ in Camels in the Eastern Lowlands of Ethiopia

New epidemics of respiratory disease have caused 29.6 morbidity and 6.4% mortality in camels in the Somalia region of Ethiopia. The major clinical signs observed were fever of 40–41.5°C, depression, cough, loss of appetite and a watery nasal discharge that became mucopurulent at a later stage. Finally, the camel became recumbent and extended its neck straight along the ground. Some of the animals died within 8–9 days. The major post-mortem lesions were hydrothorax, adhesion of the lung to the thorax, red and grey hepatization, emphysema, hydropericardium and fibrinous pericarditis. A treatment trial indicated that oxytetracycline was more effective than a combination of penicillin and streptomycin, the results showing a significant difference (p>0.05) between the treated and control groups. The bacteria isolated from lung, thoracic fluid and whole blood were Pasteurella haemolytica. Further studies on the epidemiology of this disease, the identification of the serotypes involved, and the demonstration of any primary viral initiating agent are recommended to allow the development of preventive methods.     

An Assessment of the Productivity for Meat and the Carcase Yield of Camels (Camelus dromedarius) and of the Consumption of Camel Meat in the Eastern Region of Ethiopia

A survey on camel meat productivity and consumption was conducted in Jijiga and Harar towns in 1999. Almost all the camels slaughtered were adults, predominantly males. Measurements of height, hump girth and thoracic girth were used to estimate the live weight. All the measurements were significantly greater in the male than in the female camels. Average live and carcass weights were 400 and 211 kg, respectively. Males were significantly heavier (p < 0.05) and had better dressing percentages than females. The carcasses contained averages of 76% meat, 12% fat and 20% bone for both males and females. The difference between the males and females was not significant for the ratio of meat and bones, except for fat, which was higher in the males. Camel meat is regarded as a high-quality food with medicinal value and as a least-cost source of meat. Camel meat is preferred to that of any other livestock by some people, particularly by the Somalis in Jijiga town. It is also more available, especially during the dry season when beef is in short supply. Hence, camel meat is a socially acceptable, economically viable and environmentally adaptable alternative source of meat, consumption of which should be encouraged.     

双峰驼髋关节解剖特征

运用大体解剖学方法,结合活体Ｘ射线透视及光学摄影术,观察了双峰驼的髋关节。与马、牛、羊、猪、犬及人的对等器官比,双峰驼的髋关节囊纤维层增厚,形成髂股、坐股及耻股３条韧带,分别类似于人的同名韧带;关节囊纤维层有少量弓形及半环形纤维,但未形成轮匝带;股骨头韧带始于髋臼切迹及髋臼窝,与人（始于髋臼横韧带及髋臼切迹两侧）、马（始于近髋臼切迹的耻骨下沟）均不同;髋关节无副韧带（与牛同）。     

双峰驼骨质疏松症的病因学和病理学研究

长期以来，在内蒙和甘肃部分沙漠草场放牧的驼群中存在一种以消瘦、异嗜、运动跛行和严重骨折倾向为主要特征的代谢性疾病。为确定其病性和地球化学病因，进行了环境土壤、牧草和饮水及机体血、毛和部分组织的矿物元素分析以及组织的病理形态学研究。结果表明，病区土壤和牧草中的磷含量分别为４２３±１３．５μｇ／ｇ和３７９±２７．４μｇ／ｇ干物质，显著低于正常区（Ｐ＜０．０１）。牧草中的钙：磷比为４９．８∶１。病驼血、毛及肋骨磷含量分别为２５３±７２．４μｇ／ｍｌ、９８．４±２１．７μｇ／ｇ和３２．０±９．１８ｍｇ／ｇ，显著低于正常驼（Ｐ＜０．０１）。病区土壤、牧草和病驼肝、肾及肋骨中铜含量与正常相比显著降低（Ｐ＜０．０１），但肝铜含量却高于报道的正常值。全身性骨损伤是本病最大的病理特征，最严重的是肋骨、髋骨和下颌骨。病理组织学证明这种损伤为典型的骨质疏松。肝、肾、心和中枢神经系统也有一定的病理学变化，但牙齿未受损伤。因此认为，该病为一种主要由磷缺乏引起的骨质疏松症，铜缺乏在其发生中也有一定的作用     

Superovulatory Response and Embryo Recovery after Treatment with Different Gonadotrophin during Induced Luteal Phase inCamelus dromedarius

Superovulation, embryo recovery and transfer were attempted in 19 dromedary camels of about 6-10 years of age, and having calved at least once. Superovulation was done using two commercially available porcine FSH preparations, FSH-I (II donors) and FSH-2 (8 donors) during a luteal phase created by inducing ovulation with hCG. The superovulatory response was assessed by ultrasonography. The embryo recovery was attempted non-surgically in sitting position on day 8 and day 7 after first mating in one FSH-1 and one FSH-2 group, respectively. Considerable individual variation in response to the superovulatory stimulus was observed. No significant difference was observed between the two groups in terms of superovulatory response and embryo recovery (p > 0.05). In total 30 embryos were recovered from 17 donors (1.51 embryos/donor). Recipients were synchronized with donors using hCG. Eight embryos were transferred, resulting in two pregnancies and live births.     

Separation and Purification of Ovulation-inducing Factors in the Seminal Plasma of the Bactrian Camel (Camelus bactrianus)

Ovulation in the Bactrian camel depends upon ovulation-inducing factors in the seminal plasma. The present study was conducted to isolate and purify the bioactive fractions from the seminal plasma of these camels. The seminal plasma was fractionated by anion-exchange chromatography, and six fractions were obtained. The bioactive potential of each fraction was estimated from its effect on rat pituitary tissue cultured in vitro and by the effect of an intramuscular injection of the fraction into female camels in vivo. Both the third fraction (F3) and the fifth fraction (F5) stimulated the release of LH in vitro and in vivo. In addition, female camels ovulated within 48 h after intramuscular injection of F3. However, neither F3 nor F5 had any significant effect on the secretion of FSH, either in vitro or in vivo. When F3 was further fractionated into four subfractions, the third subfraction (F3-3) still stimulated the in vitro release of LH, but not of FSH. An attempt to further purify the ovulation-inducing factors in F3-3 failed owing to the similarity of the molecular characters.     

骆驼尿液对预防CCl_4诱导小鼠肝损伤的保护作用

试验旨在研究骆驼尿液对预防四氯化碳(CCl_4)诱导小鼠肝损伤的保护作用。将40只C57BL/6小鼠随机分为正常组,模型组,骆驼尿液低剂量组(170 mg/kg)、中剂量组(340 mg/kg)和高剂量组(500 mg/kg),3组骆驼尿液组灌胃相应剂量的骆驼尿液,正常组和模型组灌胃等量的生理盐水,每日灌胃1次,连续14 d;试验末期,除正常组外(橄榄油),各组小鼠腹腔注射20%CCl_4橄榄油混合溶液,建立小鼠急性肝损伤模型;12 h后摘眼球取血和采集肝脏样本,并记录肝脏重量,计算肝脏指数;测定小鼠血清相关指标,并进行肝脏组织病理切片检查。结果显示,与模型组比较,低、中、高剂量骆驼尿液组小鼠血清中谷丙转氨酶(ALT)、谷草转氨酶(AST)活性及总胆红素(TBIL)、碱性磷酸酶(ALP)、葡萄糖(GLU)含量较模型组均明显降低,白蛋白(ALB)、总蛋白(TP)含量升高,且高剂量组效果较好;而小鼠肝脏病理学切片观察显示,骆驼尿液组均有不同程度的改善,其中高剂量骆驼尿液组小鼠肝脏组织病理学损伤明显减轻,与正常组的肝脏组织形态接近。比较低、中、高3种浓度骆驼尿液处理发现,浓度越高治疗效果越好,说明骆驼尿液治疗效果具有剂量依赖性。综上所述,骆驼尿液对CCl_4诱导小鼠肝损伤具有一定的预防保护作用,且高剂量骆驼尿液组的效果较好。     

双峰驼膝关节解剖研究

以12个内蒙古阿拉善成年双峰驼后肢作标本,运用大体解剖学方法对其膝关节进行了详细解剖,并与牛、羊、马等动物的对等器官作了比较,结果发现双峰驼膝关节在形态结构方面有许多显著特征.     

双峰驼腋动脉解剖

本文研究了双峰驼腋动脉（６个前肢，左右各３个）的走行路线及其分支分布的情况，结果表明：腋动脉在胸腔入口处，斜角肌止点腱腹侧缘承接锁骨下动脉之后，有腋静脉与之并行，伸延途中分出的侧支有胸廓外动脉、肩胛上动脉、肩胛下动脉等，在肩关节肌远端内侧分出肩胛下动脉后向腹侧折转成为臂动脉。有时还分出肩胛前动脉。