BACTERIAL ENDOCARDITIS WITH THROMBUS FORMATION AND ABSCESSATION IN A HORSE

A 2.5 year old Appaloosa stallion with progressive weight loss and a heart murmur was diagnosed as having vegetative endocarditis of the right atrioventricular valves with a mass in the right atrium. The ultrasonographic appearance of the lesion was characterized by extreme reverberation. On postmortem examination, a 9 cm diameter thrombus was found within the right atrium and auricle, occupying approximately 80% of the chamber volume. Additionally, a lenticular abscess extended throughout the parietal cusp of the right atrioventricular valve. Histologic examination revealed that the lesions were septic with numerous gram positive cocci in short chains, suggestive of Streptococcus equi , and gram negative rods.     

Associations of polymorphisms in the Pit-1 gene with growth and carcass traits in Angus beef cattle

The Pit-1 gene was studied as a candidate for genetic markers of growth and carcass traits. Angus beef cattle that were divergently selected for high- or low-blood serum IGF-I concentration were used in this study. The single-strand conformation polymorphism method was used to identify polymorphism in the Pit-1 gene including regions from intron 2 to exon 6. Two polymorphisms, Pit1I3H (HinfI) and Pit1I3NL (NlaIII), were detected in intron 3 of the Pit-1 gene. One polymorphism, Pit1I4N (BstNI), was found in intron 4, and a single nucleotide polymorphism, Pit1I5, was found in intron 5. The previously reported polymorphism in exon 6, Pit1E6H (HinfI), was also studied in 416 Angus beef cattle. Associations of the polymorphisms with growth traits, carcass traits, and IGF-I concentration were analyzed using a general linear model procedure. No significant associations were observed between these polymorphisms and growth and carcass traits.     

The effects of porcine somatotropin and dietary lysine on growth performance and carcass characteristics of finishing swine

Seventy-two finishing pigs (initial weight = 57.6 kg) were utilized to determine the effects of porcine somatotropin (pST) and dietary lysine level on growth performance and carcass characteristics. Pigs were injected daily with 4 mg pST in the extensor muscle of the neck and fed either a pelleted corn-sesame meal diet (.6% lysine, 17.8% CP) or diets containing .8, 1.0, 1.2 or 1.4% lysine provided by additions of L-lysine.HCl. All diets were formulated to contain at least twice the required amounts of other amino acids. Control pigs received a placebo injection and the .6%-lysine diet. Increasing levels of dietary lysine resulted in increased ADG and improved feed conversion (quadratic, P less than .01) for pST-treated pigs. The calculated daily lysine intake was 16.6, 13.6, 19.6, 25.1, 29.6 and 33.6 g for the control and pST-treated pigs fed .6, .8, 1.0, 1.2 and 1.4% lysine, respectively, over the entire experiment. Breakpoint analysis indicated that cumulative ADG and feed conversion were optimized at 1.19 and 1.22% lysine, respectively. Longissimus muscle area and trimmed ham and loin weights increased as dietary lysine was increased among pST-treated pigs (quadratic, P less than .01). Breakpoint analysis indicated that 1.11% lysine maximized longissimus muscle area, whereas trimmed ham and loin weights were maximized at .91 and .98% lysine, respectively. Adjusted backfat thickness was not affected by dietary lysine, but pST-treated pigs had less backfat (P less than .05) than control pigs did. Percentage moisture of the longissimus muscle increased (linear, P less than .05), as did percentage CP (quadratic, P less than .05), whereas fat content decreased (linear, P less than .05) as lysine level increased. Similar trends in composition were observed for muscles of the ham (semimembranosus, semitendinosus, and biceps femoris). Shear-force values from the longissimus and semimembranosus were lowest for control pigs, but they increased as dietary lysine level increased among pST-treated pigs. Sensory panel evaluations indicated that juiciness and tenderness decreased (linear, P less than .05) as dietary lysine level increased. Plasma urea concentrations decreased linearly (P less than .01) on d 28 as lysine level increased, whereas plasma lysine and insulin were increased (quadratic, P less than .01). Plasma glucose and free fatty acid concentrations on d 28 tended to increase (quadratic, P less than .10) with increasing dietary lysine level.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

Validation of the BioPRYN enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay for detection of pregnancy‐specific protein‐B (PSPB) and diagnosis of pregnancy in American bison (Bison bison)

This study assessed the accuracy of the commercial BioPRYN^® ELISA for the detection of pregnancy‐specific protein‐B (PSPB) using a single blood sample to determine pregnancy status in American bison (Bison bison). A total of 49 bison cows were used in the study, and sampled at two time‐points during the gestation period, fall and spring, correlating with early‐ to mid‐term gestation (average 62.9 days post‐mating) and mid‐ to late‐term gestation (average 229.2 days post‐mating), respectively. Sensitivity of the test during early‐ to mid‐term gestation sampling period (fall) was 87.1%, while specificity was 100%; sensitivity of the test during late‐term gestation sampling period (spring) was 96.3%, while specificity remained at 100%. In total, the test showed a total sensitivity of 91.4%, specificity of 100% and total accuracy of 93.8%, similar to domestic cattle. Use of the single‐sample BioPRYN^® ELISA in American Bison for pregnancy diagnosis is economical and practical, minimizing animal handling time, frequency and subsequent stress while providing accurate results for pregnancy diagnosis at 62 days post‐mating. This method should be considered over more traditional pregnancy diagnosis methods for use in managed bison herds.     

Genetic differences in susceptibility to two diseases among strains of the common carp

In a test involving 5 inbred strains, and 9 strain crossbreds of the common carp, one inbred strain was found to be infected by Epidermal epithelioma disease and a second inbred strain was infected by a swim bladder inflammation. Crossbreds between these 2 strains, as well as between them and other strains did not show a single fish infected by either disease. It was concluded that susceptibility to both of these diseases is controlled by recessive genetic factors. It appears that the decreased incidence of Epidermal epithelioma in Israeli fish ponds in recent years has been due to the increased use of selected crossbred carp fry. The incidence of Epidermal epithelioma was twice as high in experimental ponds with a high stocking rate than in those with a lower stocking rate.The swim bladder inflammation was apparently due to a blockage of the pneumatic duct, with secondary infection by Aeromonas liquefaciens.     

Prevention of organ allograft rejection by a specific Janus kinase 3 inhibitor

Because of its requirement for signaling by multiple cytokines, Janus kinase 3 (JAK3) is an excellent target for clinical immunosuppression. We report the development of a specific, orally active inhibitor of JAK3, CP-690,550, that significantly prolonged survival in a murine model of heart transplantation and in cynomolgus monkeys receiving kidney transplants. CP-690,550 treatment was not associated with hypertension, hyperlipidemia, or lymphoproliferative disease. On the basis of these preclinical results, we believe JAK3 blockade by CP-690,550 has potential for therapeutically desirable immunosuppression in human organ transplantation and in other clinical settings.     

Hormonal therapy for sows weaned during fall and winter

Sows from five commercial herds were weaned in the fall and winter and used to ascertain the potential application of hormonal therapy to stimulate subsequent litter size born. At weaning sows within parity (1, 2, and 3 through 6) and lactation length classification (early weaned, < or = 14 d; conventionally weaned, > 14 d) were randomly assigned to treatment. Treatments were injection with P.G. 600 (400 IU PMSG with 200 IU hCG) at weaning or no treatment. Sows were individually observed for estrus and mated following protocol for each herd. Breeding, culling, and farrowing data were collected. Treatment with P.G. 600 did not change subsequent rebreeding performance for sows at parity 1 or parities 3 through 6. However, conventionally weaned parity-2 sows treated with P.G. 600 were more likely (P < .05) to return to estrus than conventionally weaned controls (99.0 vs 93.6%, respectively). For parity-1 and parity-2 sows, treatment did not significantly change the likelihood for farrow percentage. However, the likelihood to farrow a litter was greater (P < .05) among P.G. 600-treated sows at parities 3 to 6 that were conventionally weaned (84.4 vs 71.3%, respectively). Subsequent litter birth weight for parity-1 sows treated with P.G. 600 was lower (P < .02) than for controls (15.6 vs 16.6 kg, respectively). Subsequent litter size at birth was not affected by treatment for parity-1 or parity-2 sows compared with controls. However, early-weaned sows at parities 3 through 6 treated with P.G. 600 had more (P < .06) total number born than controls (12.4 vs 10.6, respectively). Treatment with P.G. 600 improved reproductive function within specific parity and lactation length classification for sows weaned in the fall and winter.