Long-Term Follow-up of Partial Limb Amputation in 13 Horses

Thirteen cases of partial limb amputation in horses were reviewed. Nine horses (69%) survived 18 to 111 months (mean, 41 months). Four unsuccessfully treated horses were euthanatized within 21 days of surgery. The horses' ages at amputation were 4 to 13 years (mean, 7.3 years). There was no predilection for the left or right limb nor for fore or hind limb involvement. Osteomyelitis in six horses (46%) was the most common cause for amputation. Severe, open, comminuted fractures of the third metacarpal bone that were impossible to stabilize by any currently available technique in four horses (31%) were the second most common cause for amputation. One gelding was salvaged because of his sentimental value, two horses were used as breeding stallions, and six were broodmares. One stallion lived 30 months, completed two breeding seasons, and started a third. The other stallion began breeding, but became sterile. Three of the mares have produced five foals. One mare died while in foal. One mare aborted near-term twin fetuses and died of uterine hemorrhage. One mare aborted twice before the femoral head ligament on the contralateral limb ruptured, and she was euthanatized.     

优化灌溉与施肥对冬小麦冠层结构的影响研究

试验研究优化灌溉与施肥对冬小麦冠层结构的影响结果表明,与限量灌溉处理相比,优化灌溉和传统灌溉处理小麦最上部3个节间明显伸长,导致株高增高10cm,旗叶叶面积减小7%,但倒2叶和倒3叶叶面积分别增加7%和20%;优化灌溉处理小麦旗叶茎叶夹角明显减小。与未施N肥处理相比,施用N肥有增大小麦株高、叶面积和茎叶夹角的趋势,且传统施N比优化施N更加明显。优化水N管理麦田各层次透光率与传统处理差异较小,但它们均显著低于限量灌溉和未施N处理。     

Survival after Small Intestine Resection and Anastomosis in Horses

The authors examined factors influencing survival in 140 horses that recovered from anesthesia after small intestinal resection between 1968 and 1986, using Kaplan-Meier estimated survival curves and the Cox proportional hazards regression model. Seventy-two horses (51%) died during the initial postoperative period, 19 horses (14%) died after discharge from the hospital, 33 horses (24%) were alive, and 16 horses (11%) were classified as censored. Mean age at surgery was 8 years. Horses 15 years of age or older, Arabians and Stallions, were overrepresented in the hospital population. The most common reason for resection was strangulation of bowel through a mesenteric rent. The mean and 50% median survival times were 1540 and 27 days, respectively. Horses admitted after January 1, 1980, had a significantly longer survival than those admitted before that time. Survival was longer after anastomosis of two small intestinal segments than after anastomosis of a small intestinal segment to the cecum; however, the length of bowel resected and the method of anastomosis had no demonstrable influence on survival. Of the variables studied, the heart rates at presentation and 24 hours after surgery were the most accurate predictors of survival.     

优化灌溉与施肥对冬小麦冠层结构的影响研究

盆栽试验研究连作对茄子苗期生长的影响结果表明 ,生长初期 4 5d内重茬茄苗株高、叶面积、主根长和总根长明显低于正茬 ,导致茄苗地上部、地下部鲜物质量分别比正茬减少 33 2 %和 30 2 % ,且重茬茄苗随苗龄的增加其根结线虫危害加重。对重茬土壤消毒虽消除线虫的危害 ,但未完全改善重茬茄苗生长状况 ,且播种后 7d重茬土壤茄子出苗率比正茬低 15 % ,表明茄子连作障碍是土传病虫害和化感物质共同作用的结果。通过水培收集的根系分泌物 ,随添加量的增加而对茄子胚根、胚芽生长的抑制作用增强 ,表明化感作用是茄子连作障碍的重要因子之一。     

Pharmacokinetics of tildipirosin in porcine plasma,lung tissue,and bronchial fluid and effects of test conditions on in vitro activity against reference strains and field isolates of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae

Rose, M, Menge, M, Bohland, C, Zschiesche, E, Wilhelm, C, Kilp, S, Metz, W, Allan, M, Röpke, R, Nürnberger, M Pharmacokinetics of tildipirosin in porcine plasma, lung tissue, and bronchial fluid and effects of test conditions on in vitro activity against reference strains and field isolates of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae. J. vet. Pharmacol. Therap.  36 , 140–153. The pharmacokinetics of tildipirosin (Zuprevo^® 40 mg/mL solution for injection for pigs), a novel 16‐membered‐ring macrolide for the treatment for swine respiratory disease (SRD), was investigated in studies collecting blood plasma and postmortem samples of lung tissue and bronchial fluid (BF) from swine. In view of factors influencing the in vitro activity of macrolides, and for the interpretation of tildipirosin pharmacokinetics in relation to minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC), additional experiments were conducted to study the effects of pH, carbon dioxide‐enriched atmosphere, buffers, and serum on tildipirosin MICs for various reference strains and Actinobacillus (A.) pleuropneumoniae field isolates. After single intramuscular (i.m.) injection at 4 mg/kg body weight, maximum plasma concentration (C_max) was 0.9 μg/mL observed within 23 min (T_max). Mean residence time from the time of dosing to the time of last measurable concentration (MRT_last) and terminal half‐life (T_1/2) both were about 4 days. A dose–response relationship with no significant sex effect is observed for area under the plasma concentration–time curve from time 0 to the last sampling time with a quantifiable drug concentration (AUC_last) over the range of doses up to 6 mg/kg. However, linear dose proportionality could not be proven with statistical methods. The time–concentration profile of tildipirosin in BF and lung far exceeded that in blood plasma. In lung, tildipirosin concentrations reached 3.1 μg/g at 2 h, peaked at 4.3 μg/g at day 1, and slowly declined to 0.8 μg/g at day 17. In BF, tildipirosin levels were 14.3, 7.0, and 6.5 μg/g at days 5, 10, and 14. T_1/2 in lung was ～7 days. Tildipirosin is rapidly and extensively distributed to the respiratory tract followed by slow elimination. Culture media pH and carbon dioxide‐enriched atmosphere (CO₂‐EA) had a marked impact on in vitro activity of tildipirosin in reference strains of various rapidly growing aerobic and fastidious bacteria including Histophilus (H.) somni ATCC 700025 and A. pleuropneumoniae ATCC 27090. For A. pleuropneumoniae ATCC 27090 testing conditions without CO₂‐EA resulted in reduced acidification of culture media pH and a reduction in the minimum inhibitory concentrations compared to standard in vitro test conditions by 2 log₂ dilution steps (4‐fold) from 8 to 2 μg/mL. Supplementary buffering of standard culture media resulted in a reduction in the A. pleuropneumoniae (n = 8) MIC range by 4 log₂ dilution steps (16‐fold) from 8–16 to 0.5–1 μg/mL. Incremental supplementation of culture media with 50% serum resulted in noticeable shifts to lower minimum or maximum MICs by at least 2 log₂ dilution steps (≥4‐fold) in all aerobic and fastidious reference strains tested except for Pasteurella (P.) multocida. The MIC of A. pleuropneumoniae ATCC 27090 decreased by 2–4 log₂ dilution steps (4 to 16‐fold) from 8 to 0.5–2 μg/mL when 50% serum was added to the standard assay. Considering a higher presence of serum and the rather neutral pH conditions maintained in vivo, it is suggested to take the influence of these factors on in vitro activity into account when interpreting tildipirosin MICs for A. pleuropneumoniae in relation to pharmacokinetics.     

DEVELOPMENT OF A WHOLE BODY MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING PROTOCOL IN NORMAL DOGS AND CANINE CANCER PATIENTS

Whole body magnetic resonance imaging (whole body MR imaging) could potentially provide accurate cancer staging as a single imaging modality. This study was done to develop a whole body MR imaging protocol for a 1.5T MR instrument using four normal Beagle dogs (Phase 1) and then to assess the protocol's feasibility in cancer-bearing dogs (Phase II). In Phase I, anesthetized dogs were placed in dorsal recumbency with limbs flexed along the torso. T1, T2, and short tau inversion recovery sequences were acquired by spin echo or fast spin echo, and also using the more rapid single shot fast spin echo and gradient echo pulse sequences. Three large overlapping fields of view (FOV) were used to visualize the entire body and the sagittal and dorsal imaging planes were compared. Relative examination time, image quality, organ visibility and signal intensity were evaluated. Phase I results were used to establish a protocol that balanced image quality with examination time. In Phase II, whole body MR imaging was done on 10 dogs with cancer. Examination times were 60-75 min. Image quality was sufficient for all known lesions to be visualized, including mass lesions, pulmonary infiltrate, and lymphadenomegaly. Skeletal detail was sufficient to visualize known neoplastic lesions of the appendicular skeleton, yet it was suboptimal because of the large FOV and use of the body coil. Additional modifications of a whole body MR imaging protocol and continued technological improvements in MR imaging will further increase its potential for veterinary cancer staging.