阴外动脉灌注乳脂前体物对奶牛产奶量及乳腺内短链脂肪酸摄取规律的影响

本试验研究了阴外动脉灌注乳脂前体物对奶牛产奶量及乳腺内短链脂肪酸摄取规律的影响。选择8头健康荷斯坦奶牛分为2组,每组4头牛。采用2×2交叉试验设计,2组分别饲喂2种不同粗饲料[苜蓿(MF组)、玉米秸秆(CS组)]的饲粮,饲粮的精粗比为45∶55。试验分为2阶段,每阶段20 d,其中预试期14 d,载体灌注期3 d,乳脂前体物灌注期3 d。在载体灌注期,MF组与CS组均接受载体灌注,分别命名为MFC_1组和CSC组;在乳脂前体物灌注期,MF组继续接受载体灌注(MFC_2组),CS组灌注乳脂前体物(CSF组)。测定产奶量、干物质采食量及乳成分。采集尾动脉和乳静脉血浆测定短链脂肪酸浓度和脂肪酸比例。结果表明:1)在灌注乳脂前体物前,CSC组产奶量、4%乳脂校正乳产量、乳脂产量、乳蛋白产量和产乳脂效率显著低于MFC_1组(P0.05),CSC组尾动脉血浆中短链脂肪酸浓度及短链脂肪酸/长链脂肪酸有低于MFC_1组的趋势(0.05≤P0.10)。2)灌注乳脂前体物后,CSF组产乳脂效率和乳蛋白率显著高于CSC组(P0.05),CSF组产奶量、4%乳脂校正乳产量、乳脂率和乳蛋白率尽管在数值上仍然低于MFC_2组,但组间差异不显著(P0.05),而CSF组产乳脂效率显著高于MFC_2组(P0.05)。3)灌注乳脂前体物后,CSF组尾动脉血浆中乙酸、丙酸以及短链脂肪酸浓度显著高于CSC组(P0.05),且乙酸、丁酸及短链脂肪酸浓度显著高于MFC_2组(P0.05),短链脂肪酸/长链脂肪酸有低于MFC_2组的趋势(0.05≤P0.10)。4)除CSF组丁酸动静脉差有高于CSC组的趋势(0.05≤P0.10)外,CSC组与MFC_1组、CSC组与CSF组、CSF组与MFC_2组乳腺对乙酸、丙酸、丁酸、短链脂肪酸的摄取量、摄取率和动静脉差均无显著差异(P0.05)。结果提示,以玉米秸秆为粗饲料奶牛灌注乳脂前体物可显著增加奶牛的产奶量、乳脂率和乳脂产量,并达到与以苜蓿等为粗饲料相似的水平,且具有较高的产乳脂效率,但对乳腺内短链脂肪酸的摄取量和摄取率无显著的影响。     

Thrombosis of the median artery and its branches in a gelding: Clinical appearance,diagnosis and surgical management

This case report describes the clinical appearance, diagnosis and surgical management of thrombosis of the median artery and its branches in a gelding. The 4-year-old Danish Warmblood presented with acute severe progressive right front leg lameness, not responding to painkillers. Initial clinical examination including radiographs revealed no significant findings, and a scintigraphic examination showed decreased radiopharmaceutical uptake in the right front toe in comparison to the left limb. The following day, the temperature of the right front leg was significantly decreased, especially in the area distal to the carpus. No pulsation of the digital arteries could be detected. Ultrasonography showed partial thrombosis of the medial digital artery (A. digitalis palmaris medialis). Occlusion of this artery is a sporadic event with impressive clinical signs and might not be directly diagnosed due to it being a rare occurrence. Ultrasound is an excellent technique for diagnosing the presence of thrombosis and can also help delineate the extent. Our case did not respond to the initial treatment with phenylbutazone and acetylsalicylic acid. The ischaemia became even worse, requiring surgical intervention. A similar approach as for the aorta-iliac thrombosis in the hindlimb was undertaken in the front limb, which has not been described previously. The gelding recovered initially. Unfortunately, restenosis occurred and due to a poor prognosis for a second surgery, the gelding was euthanised.     

A comparative study between responses of isolated bovine and equine digital arteries to vasoactive mediators

Hemodynamic perturbations, partly resulting from abnormal vasoconstriction of digital vessels, have been implicated in the pathogenesis of bovine and equine laminitis. This study compared the responsiveness of isolated bovine (BDA) and equine (EDA) digital arteries to pharmacological agents that stimulate receptor systems involved in the regulation of normal vessel tone. The role of the endothelium and the short‐ and longer‐term effects of an experimentally induced endothelial damage were also evaluated. Species‐related differences were found in the vessel reactivity to all of the receptor agonists tested. In intact BDA, as compared to intact EDA, norepinephrine was a more effective vasoconstrictor, 5‐hydroxytryptamine a more effective but less potent vasoconstrictor, isoproterenol a less effective vasodilator and carbamylcholine a less potent vasodilator. In BDA, but not in EDA, the contractile responses to norepinephrine and 5‐hydroxytryptamine were enhanced immediately after endothelium removal. However, the contractile reactivity of denuded BDA returned to basal values following overnight incubation. The differences suggest species specificity for the pathophysiology of digital vasomotor tone and function in horses and cattle.     

The suitability of some blood gas and biochemical parameters as diagnostic tools or early indicators of ascites syndrome in broiler sire lines

In recent few years, there have been some attempts to find a reliable indicator trait as a selection criterion against susceptibility to ascites syndrome (AS). Blood parameters were of great interest as they could be measured in live animals without implementing an ascites‐inducing challenge (AIC). In this work, the suitability of some blood parameters was evaluated for diagnosing AS‐susceptible chicks in later steps of the disease in trial 1 as well as their early predictive ability in trial 2. In the first trial, one hundred 1‐day‐old chicks from two pure broiler lines namely S₁ and S₂ and, in the second trial, 226 1‐day‐old chicks from line S₂ were subjected to AIC. Saline drinking water (1200 mg/l) and lower‐than‐standard ambient temperatures were the implemented AICs in trials 1 and 2 respectively. The blood parameters including pH, partial pressure of O₂ (pO₂), partial pressure of CO₂ (pCO₂), bicarbonate ion concentration (BIC), percentage of haematocrit (HCT) and saturated haemoglobin (SaO₂) were measured twice per each bird at days 28 and 35 in trial 1 and once in trial 2 at day 21. The results of the first trial revealed that in line S₂ some of the blood parameters differed significantly between the ascitic and non‐ascitic groups following exposure to AIC. In this line, the incidence of AS was accompanied by a lower pO₂, SaO₂ and BIC, while with higher pCO₂ and HCT values. In the second trial, however, although almost all of the parameters showed meaningful differences between the ascitic and non‐ascitic broilers, only mean difference of BIC parameter was statistically significant. The general conclusion of this study is that the blood parameters can somewhat have diagnostic ability in the condition in which the AIC is already present, whereas the results did not approve their usefulness as early predictors of AS.     

Cardiovascular effects of sevoflurane in Holstein calves

Objective The purpose of this study was to determine the cardiovascular effects of sevoflurane in calves. Study design Prospective experimental study. Animals Six, healthy, 8–12‐week‐old Holstein calves weighing 80 ± 4.5 (mean ± SEM) kg were studied. Methods Anesthesia was induced by face‐mask administration of 7% sevoflurane in O₂. Calves tracheae were intubated, placed in right lateral recumbency, and maintained with 3.7% end‐tidal concentration sevoflurane for 30 minutes to allow catheterization of the auricular artery and placement of a Swan‐Ganz thermodilution catheter into the pulmonary artery. After instrumentation, administration of sevoflurane was temporarily discontinued until mean arterial pressure was > 100 mm Hg. Baseline values were recorded and the vaporizer output increased to administer 3.7% end‐tidal sevoflurane concentration. Ventilation was controlled to maintain normocapnia. The following were recorded at 5, 10, 15, 30 and 45 minutes after collection of baseline data and expressed as the mean value (± SEM): direct systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial blood pressures; cardiac output; mean pulmonary arterial pressure; pulmonary arterial occlusion pressure, heart rate; and pulmonary arterial temperature. Cardiac index and systemic and pulmonary vascular resistance values were calculated using standard formulae. Arterial blood gases were analyzed at baseline, and at 15 and 45 minutes. Differences from baseline values were determined using one‐way analysis of variance for repeated measures with post‐hoc differences between mean values identified using Dunnet's test (p < 0.05). Results Mean time from beginning sevoflurane administration to intubation of the trachea was 224 ± 9 seconds. The mean end‐tidal sevoflurane concentration at baseline was 0.7 (± 0.11)%. Sevoflurane anesthesia was associated with decreased arterial blood pressure at all sampling times. Mean arterial blood pressure decreased from a baseline value of 112 ± 7 mm Hg to a minimum value of 88 ± 4 mm Hg at 5 minutes. Compared with baseline, arterial pH was decreased at 15 minutes. Pulmonary arterial blood temperature was decreased at 15, 30 and 45 minutes. Arterial CO₂ tension increased from a baseline value of 43 ± 3 to 54 ± 4 mm Hg (5.7 ± 0.4 to 7.2 ± 0.3 kPa) at 15 minutes. Mean pulmonary arterial pressure was increased at 30 and 45 minutes. Pulmonary arterial occlusion pressure increased from a baseline value of 18 ± 2 to 23 ± 2 mm Hg at 45 minutes. There were no significant changes in other measured variables. All calves recovered from anesthesia uneventfully. Conclusion We conclude that sevoflurane for induction and maintenance of anesthesia was effective and reliable in these calves and that neither hypotension nor decreased cardiac output was a clinical concern. Clinical relevance Use of sevoflurane for mask induction and maintenance of anesthesia in young calves is a suitable alternative to injectable and other inhalant anesthetics.