Use of a laryngeal mask airway in rabbits during isoflurane anesthesia

The purpose of this study was to find out if an LMA (#1 LMA‐Classic) would provide a better airway than a face mask in spontaneously breathing anesthetized rabbits, and to test if it could be used for mechanically controlled ventilation. Sixteen rabbits (4.1 ± 0.8 kg, mean ± SD) were assigned randomly to three treatment groups; face mask with spontaneous ventilation (FM‐SV; n = 5), LMA with spontaneous ventilation (LMA‐SV; n = 5), and LMA with controlled ventilation (LMA‐CV; n = 6). Rabbits were anesthetized in dorsal recumbency using a circle circuit at constant ET isoflurane (2.3%, Datex airway gas monitor) and constant rectal temperature (38.85 °C) for 2 hours. PaCO₂, PaO₂, minute volume, tidal volume (Wright's respirometer), and Pe CO₂ were measured at 15 minute intervals. Two individuals in the FM‐SV group had PaCO₂ >100 mm Hg (>13.3 kPa). One rabbit in the FM‐SV had PaO₂ <80 mm Hg (<10.7 kPa). All FM‐SV rabbits showed signs of airway obstruction and two were withdrawn from the study at 45 and 90 minutes, respectively, because of cyanosis. Tidal volume could not be measured in the FM‐SV group. No signs of airway obstructions were observed in either of the LMA groups. Four rabbits in the LMA‐CV group developed gastric tympany, and one of these refluxed after 110 minutes. The significance of differences between the two spontaneously breathing groups and between the two LMA groups were measured using Wilcoxon's rank sum test (with significance assumed at p < 0.05). There were no statistical differences between FM‐SV and LMA‐SV in any variable tested. PaCO₂ and Pe ′CO₂ were less in the LMA‐CV group than in the LMA‐SV group, while PaO₂, tidal volume, and minute volume were all more. We conclude that biologically, the LMA provides a better airway than the face mask during spontaneous breathing and that it can be used for IPPV, but that gastric tympany is likely to occur during IPPV.     

A Japanese powdery mildew isolate with exceptionally large infection efficiency on Mlo-resistant barley

A Japanese field isolate (Race I) of Erysiphe graminis f.sp, hordei was tested on 17 barley lines carrying the mlo powdery mildew resistance gene. Race I produced many successful infections with infection type larger than or equal to 2 on six lines (M66, MC20, SRI, SR7, A tem and Totem), On the remaining 11 lines it reacted with infection type 0. Colony numbers on the Mlo-lines were between 26% and 12 9% of the numbers on a susceptible cultivar Manchuria, These numbers were larger than, or similar to those produced by isolate HL3/5, which has the highest recorded infection efficiency on Mlo-resistant cultivars. The interaction between isolates and lines was highly significant. The isolate GE3, from which HL3/5 was derived by selection, gave rise to occasional colonies corresponding to less than 03° o of the number produced on cv. Manchuria.     

Effects of sodium nitroprusside after load reduction and/or atropine pre-treatment prior to dexmedetomidine administration on cardiovascular variables in dogs

The purpose of this study was to determine the cardiovascular effects of sodium nitroprusside (SNP)‐induced after load reduction in dogs administered dexmedetomidine (DEX). Using a randomized crossover design and allowing at least 2 weeks between treatments 12 adult hound dogs of either sex weighing 22 ± 1.7 SD kg were anesthetized by face mask administration of 2.9% ET sevoflurane to facilitate instrumentation prior to administration of treatment drugs. Dogs were intubated and instrumented to enable measurement of heart rate (HR), systolic (SAP), mean (MAP) and diastolic (DAP) arterial pressures, mean pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP), pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP), central venous pressure (CVP), pulmonary arterial temperature (TEMP), and cardiac output (CO). Systemic (SVR) and pulmonary vascular resistances were calculated. Following completion of instrumentation dogs were allowed to recover for 40 minutes. After collection of baseline data, dogs were administered one of four treatments at T–10 minutes prior to injection of DEX (500? g M^–2 IM): 1) saline (SAL); 2) atropine (ATR, 0.02 [n = 6] or 0.04 [n = 6] mg kg^–1 IM); 3) SAL + SNP (infused at 1–10 ?g kg^–1 minute^–1, IV as needed to maintain MAP between 90–110 mm Hg; or 4) ATR + SNP. Cardiovascular data were collected at T‐20 minutes prior to administration of DEX, T‐5 and at 5, 10, 20, 30, 40, and 60 minutes following DEX. Data were analyzed using anova for repeated measures with post hoc differences between means identified using Bonferroni's method (p < 0.05). Differences in ATR dose were not found to be significant and thus results for ATR dose groups were pooled. Administration of SAL (dexmedetomidine alone) was associated with decreases in HR and CO and increases in SAP, MAP, DAP, CVP, and SVR. Administration of ATR was associated with an increase in HR and CO compared with SAL. Administration of SNP was associated with an increase in HR and CO and a decrease in SVR, MAP and CVP compared with SAL. Administration of SNP + ATR was associated with effects similar to that of SNP or ATR alone and resulted in an additive increase in CO. We conclude that SNP‐induced afterload reduction with or without atropine is effective in mitigating DEX‐induced impairment of cardiovascular function.     

Health status of northern bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus) in eastern Kansas

The health status of wild northern bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus) from Lyon County, Kansas, was evaluated by conducting comprehensive health assessments on 25 birds. Gross lesions indicative of avian pox, ulcerative enteritis, and quail bronchitis were not present. Serologic tests for antibodies to Salmonella pullorum, Salmonella gallinarum, Pasteurella multocida, Mycoplasma gallisepticum, Mycoplasma synoviae, and avian adenoviruses were all negative. Intestinal coccidia (Eimeria spp.) were found in 36% of the birds. Only three species of helminth parasites were found: Dispharynx nasuta in two birds, Cyrnea colini in one bird, and larval Physaloptera sp. in four birds. Arthropod parasites (ticks, lice, mites, and/or chiggers) were present on 96% of the birds examined. Compared with wild bobwhite populations in the southeastern United States, the diversity, prevalence, and intensities of microbial and parasitic agents were low.     

Effect of age and body weight on plasma concentrations of luteinizing hormone in turkey hens before and after photostimulation

The independent effects of age and body weight (BW) on photostimulatory response in turkey breeder hens were studied by measuring changes in plasma luteinizing hormone (LH; ng/mL) before and 3 d after photostimulation. The study was conducted with hens from two BW groups at 24–25, 27–28, and 31–32 wk of age. There was approximately a 1-kg difference in BW between groups within an age. Six hens per BW and age group were cannulated (jugular vein) and serially sampled during each of two 6-hr periods. Samples were collected at 10-min intervals. The two sampling periods were the last 6 hr of the short-day photoperiod (SD) and the same period during the third long day after photostimulation (LD). The photostimulatory response (PR) or difference between the SD and LD baseline LH concentrations was greatest in the 24–25-wk-old hens. The PR was unaffected by hen BW at any age. The baseline LH concentration during the SD photoperiod declined as hens aged. After photostimulation, baseline LH and LH peak amplitude concentrations were higher in 24–25-wk-old hens compared with the older ages. The number of LH peaks increased after photostimulation, but there were no significant effects attributable to age or BW within an age. In conclusion, the PR was affected by hen age but not hen BW or BW within a particular age.     

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Effects of ration level in rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum), on sensory characteristics, lipid content and fatty acid composition

Effects of feed ration levels (RLs) and age on sensory characteristics, fillet lipid content (LC) and fatty acid composition (FA) of rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum), fillet were investigated in a longitudinal feeding experiment. Daily RLs were administered as a percentage of the ration size necessary for expected maximum growth (RL100). Fish on RL50, RL75, RL100 and RL200 were sampled at 1.4, 2.0 and 2.4 years of age. Analyses of LC and FA were carried out on a fillet cross-section. Sensory analyses were performed by an expert panel using ranking and conventional profiling. RL had no effect on the intensity of fresh smell or any sensory characteristic of taste or consistency of fish on RLs over 75%, irrespective of age; fish on RL50, however, scored significantly lower for fresh taste and firmness. Age had no effect on the intensity of total taste, whereas fresh taste increased and rancidity decreased with increasing age irrespective of RL. LC related strongly to RL and age, and increased up to 2.0 years of age. An increase in LC resulted in a higher level of monounsaturated FA and a lower level of polyunsaturated FA. A restriction to RL75 had no negative effects on sensory characteristics, LC or FA of the fillet.