Effects of phenylbutazone and indomethacin on the post-operative course following experimental orthopaedic surgery in dogs

Randomized placebo-controlled crossover studies were carried out in dogs to evaluate how two non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) might modulate an acute post-traumatic inflammatory reaction. Two "identical" surgical interventions were performed on the forelimbs of each animal with an interval of 28 days, to enable a paired comparison of the inflammatory signs and the wound/bone healing processes. At one operation 8 dogs received 300 mg phenylbutazone twice daily for 8 days starting on the day before surgery, and at the other operation matching placebo tablets were given. In a similar placebo-controlled trial another group of 8 dogs received 5 mg indomethacin twice daily. With phenylbutazone the post-operative swelling was not significantly reduced compared to placebo, but there was less pain and limping. With indomethacin the swelling was somewhat reduced, but there was no consistent difference to placebo in the pain and limping assessments. None of the drugs appeared to distinctly effect the wound or fracture healing, as evaluated by clinical inspection, comparison of radiographs and comparison of bone sections from the sites of surgery. It proved difficult to select an appropriate dosage of indomethacin due to its high potential to induce GI ulceration and bleeding in dogs. In this experimental surgical model with an acute inflammation, neither phenylbutazone nor indomethacin showed impressive anti-inflammatory or analgesic properties. In the same model paracetamol has proved to significantly and more efficiently, reduce both swelling and pain without any noticeable adverse effects, and appears to be a better alternative than the two presently tested NSAID.     

Concentrations of plasma luteinising hormone,prolactin, progesterone and androgens during the ovulatory cycle of the Turkey

1. Changes in the concentrations of plasma luteinising hormone (LH), prolactin, androgen and progesterone were measured during the ovulatory cycle of the turkey.

2. Single pre‐ovulatory peaks of plasma LH, androgen and progesterone were observed which took 8, 8 and 12 h respectively, to increase and return to base‐line values. The concentration of plasma prolactin tended to be elevated between 6 h before and 6 h after the LH peak with the maximum values occurring after the peak.

3. The changes in the concentrations of plasma LH and progesterone were 3‐ and 7‐fold respectively while 2‐fold changes were observed in the concentrations of plasma androgen and prolactin.

4. The pre‐ovulatory concentration of plasma progesterone and prolactin began to decrease 4 and 6 h respectively, after the pre‐ovulatory peak of LH.

5. Ovulation and oviposition occurred 6 to 8 h and 36.10+ 0.57 h (SEM) ( n= 11) respectively after the pre‐ovulatory peak of LH.

6. In birds kept on 14 h light/d, pre‐ovulatory peaks of LH were initiated only during a 10 to 11‐h period starting within 2 h after the onset of darkness.

7. A comparison between these data and those from the fowl suggest that the egg is retained in the turkey's oviduct for about 3 to 4 h longer than in the fowl.     

A coat protein transgene from a Scottish isolate of potato mop-top virus mediates strong resistance against Scandinavian isolates which have similar coat protein genes

Resistance tests were made on seedlings of transformed lines of Nicotiana benthamiana which contain a transgene encoding the coat protein (CP) gene of a Scottish isolate of potato mop-top virus (PMTV). This transgene has been reported to confer strong resistance to the PMTV isolate from which the transgene sequence was derived and also to a second Scottish isolate. Plants of lines of the transgenic N. benthamiana were as resistant to two Swedish and two Danish PMTV isolates as to a Scottish isolate, and of five lines tested, greater than 93.5% of transgenic plants were immune. The coat protein gene sequences of these four Scandinavian isolates were very similar to those of the two Scottish isolates. The greatest divergence between the isolates was three amino acid changes and there was less than 2% change in CP gene nucleotide sequence. It is concluded that the PMTV CP transgene used in these experiments could confer resistance against isolates from different geographical areas because it is becoming apparent that the CP genes of PMTV isolates are highly conserved.     

Hepatic lipidosis: Liver characteristics and acute phase proteins in affected turkeys

The hepatic lipidosis (HL) in fattening turkeys is a disease has been known for a long time, but the cause and pathogenesis is still not clarified. A recent study reported unexplained high levels of iron in liver tissue of fattening turkeys suffering from HL. In this study, the iron status, possible infectious or inflammatory influences in form of an acute phase reaction and the analysis of fatty acid pattern in liver tissue of turkeys affected by HL were examined. Three cases of HL on three different fattening turkey farms were investigated during the outbreak of the disease. Clinically affected and non-affected animals were subjected to a pathological examination, where the diagnosis HL or non-affected was made. In total, 70 birds were examined (40 with HL, 30 without HL) and blood and liver samples were taken. Additionally, samples from 15 slaughtered birds were taken as a further control group. In liver tissue, the iron content and the content of long-chain fatty acids were determined; in blood samples, ferritin and transferrin were measured. The iron content in liver tissue was more than three times higher for animals with HL than among non-affected animals and the control group. The transferrin levels were lowest for animals with HL, highest in the control group and in between for non-affected animals. The fatty acid pattern in liver tissue of affected animals indicated a shift from polyunsaturated fatty acids to saturated fatty acids and monounsaturated fatty acids compared to the control group and the non-affected animals. Overall, the non-affected animals of a flock affected by HL were similar to the healthy animals of the abattoir. The low acute phase protein levels for animals with HL together with high iron contents could indicate a previous malnutrition/starvation period and/or severe liver damage for those animals suffering from HL.     

Time-frequency and complexity analyses for differentiation of physiologic murmurs from heart murmurs caused by aortic stenosis in Boxers

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether time-frequency and complexity analyses of heart murmurs can be used to differentiate physiologic murmurs from murmurs caused by aortic stenosis (AS) in Boxers. ANIMALS: 27 Boxers with murmurs. PROCEDURES: Dogs were evaluated via auscultation and echocardiography. Analyses of time-frequency properties (TFPs; ie, maximal murmur frequency and duration of murmur frequency > 200 Hz) and correlation dimension (T(2)) of murmurs were performed on phonocardiographic sound data. Time-frequency property and T(2) analyses of low-intensity murmurs in 16 dogs without AS were performed at 7 weeks and 12 months of age. Additionally, TFP and T(2) analyses were performed on data obtained from 11 adult AS-affected dogs with murmurs. RESULTS: In dogs with low-intensity murmurs, TFP or T(2) values at 7 weeks and 12 months did not differ significantly. For differentiation of physiologic murmurs from murmurs caused by mild AS, duration of murmur frequency > 200 Hz was useful and the combination assessment of duration of frequency > 200 Hz and T(2) of the murmur had a sensitivity of 94% and a specificity of 82%. Maximal murmur frequency did not differentiate dogs with AS from those without AS. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results suggested that assessment of the duration of murmur frequency > 200 Hz can be used to distinguish physiologic heart murmurs from murmurs caused by mild AS in Boxers. Combination of this analysis with T(2) analysis may be a useful complementary method for diagnostic assessment of cardiovascular function in dogs.     

Modelling carbon dynamics in mixed grass–red clover swards

Growth and carbon dynamics in mixed grass–red clover leys were simulated using a growth model for pure stands based on radiation use, allocation within plant and loss of biomass. The model and its parameter values were taken from previous applications of the model to pure swards of grass and red clover grown in the same experiment at the same sites and years.     

Localization of alkylresorcinols in wheat,rye and barley kernels

Cereal alkylresorcinols (AR), a group of phenolic lipids mainly found in the outer parts of wheat and rye kernels, are currently being studied for the possibility to use them as biomarkers for the intake of whole grain wheat and rye foods. In this work, AR were localised in grains by using light microscopy and gas chromatographic analysis of hand-dissected botanical and pearling fractions. GC-analysis of hand-dissected fractions showed that more than 99% of the total AR content was located in an intermediate layer of the caryopsis, including the hyaline layer, testa and inner pericarp. Microscopic examination showed that the outer cuticle of testa/inner cuticle of pericarp was the exact location, and that no AR were found in the endosperm or in the germ, suggesting that AR could be used as a selective marker of testa.     

Assessment of EST- and genomic microsatellite markers for variety discrimination and genetic diversity studies in wheat

It is likely that in the near future sequence information from sequencing programmes and EST libraries will generate an abundance of genic microsatellite markers. This study is focused on the assessment of their likely impact and performance vis-à-vis their genomic counterparts. Microsatellites from two sources were used to assess the genetic diversity in 56 old and new varieties of bread wheat on the UK Recommended List. A set of 12 microsatellite markers generated from genomic libraries and 20 expressed sequence tag (EST)-derived microsatellites were used in the study, and the performance of both marker sets assessed. The EST-derived or genic microsatellites delivered fingerprints of superior quality, amplifying clear products with few stutter bands. Diversity levels as revealed bygenic microsatellites are similar to the few published results. The PIC values for the genic markers were generally lower than those calculated for the genomic microsatellites, though advantages of both marker classes for variety identification applications are discussed. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

C and N turnover in structurally intact soils of different texture

The turnover of native and applied C and N in undisturbed soil samples of different texture but similar mineralogical composition, origin and cropping history was evaluated at −10 kPa water potential. Cores of structurally intact soil with 108, 224 and 337 g clay kg⁻¹ were horizontially sliced and ¹⁵N-labelled sheep faeces was placed between the two halves of the intact core. The cores together with unamended treatments were incubated in the dark at 20 °C and the evolution of CO₂-C determined continuously for 177 d. Inorganic and microbial biomass N and ¹⁵N were determined periodically. Net nitrification was less in soil amended with faeces compared with unamended soil. When adjusted for the NO₃-N present in soil before faeces was applied, net nitrification became negative indicating that NO₃-N had been immobilized or denitrified. The soil most rich in clay nitrified least N and ¹⁵N. The amounts of N retained in the microbial biomass in unamended soils increased with clay content. A maximum of 13% of the faeces ¹⁵N was recovered in the microbial biomass in the amended soils. CO₂-C evolution increased with clay content in amended and unamended soils. CO₂-C evolution from the most sandy soil was reduced due to a low content of potentially mineralizable native soil C whereas the rate constant of C mineralization rate peaked in this soil. When the pool of potentially mineralizable native soil C was assumed proportional to volumetric water content, the three soils contained similar proportions of potentially mineralizable native soil C but the rate constant of C mineralization remained highest in the soil with least clay. Thus although a similar availability of water in the three soils was ensured by their identical matric potential, the actual volume of water seemed to determine the proportion of total C that was potentially mineralizable. The proportion of mineralizable C in the faeces was similar in the three soils (70% of total C), again with a higher rate constant of C mineralization in the soil with least clay. It is hypothesized that the pool of potentially mineralizable C and C rate constants fluctuate with the soil water content.     

Climate impact of late quaternary equatorial pacific sea surface temperature variations

Magnesium/calcium data from planktonic foraminifera in equatorial Pacific sediment cores demonstrate that tropical Pacific sea surface temperatures (SSTs) were 2.8 degrees +/- 0.7 degrees C colder than the present at the last glacial maximum. Glacial-interglacial temperature differences as great as 5 degrees C are observed over the last 450 thousand years. Changes in SST coincide with changes in Antarctic air temperature and precede changes in continental ice volume by about 3 thousand years, suggesting that tropical cooling played a major role in driving ice-age climate. Comparison of SST estimates from eastern and western sites indicates that the equatorial Pacific zonal SST gradient was similar or somewhat larger during glacial episodes. Extraction of a salinity proxy from the magnesium/calcium and oxygen isotope data indicates that transport of water vapor into the western Pacific was enhanced during glacial episodes.