Water Quality for Cattle: Metalloid and Metal Contamination of Water.

Water is the most important nutrient for rangeland livestock. However, competition with municipalities, industry, and other water users often results in grazing livestock being forced to use water supplies that are less than perfect. Surface water in western rangleands are often contaminated by mineral extraction, irrigation runoff and other human activities.

Water Quality for Grazing Livestock I.

Water is the most important nutrient for rangeland livestock. However, competition with municipalities, industry, and other water users often results in grazing livestock being forced to use water supplies that are less than perfect. Surface water in western rangleands are often contaminated by mineral extraction, irrigation runoff and other human activities.

Selenosis in Ruminants.

Selenium (Se) is a metalloid that exists as a red amorphous powder, reddish crystal, silver-gray crystal, or brown-black solid. Its potency as a nutrient and a toxicant is such that few people have seen the pure element. It is easy to lose sight of the narrow margin between too little and too much.

Interlaboratory comparison of heavy metal testing in animal diagnostic specimens and feed using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry.

We compared inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) test results for the analysis of heavy metals (As, Ba, Cd, Hg, Pb, and Se) in pet foods and routine veterinary diagnostic specimens using intralaboratory and interlaboratory comparisons. Four laboratories, 1 principal laboratory and 3 collaborating laboratories, conducted instrument comparison (limit of detection [LOD], limit of quantification [LOQ], and linear dynamic range [LDR] on 24 data sets), in-house method comparison (accuracy and precision on 120 data sets), and interlaboratory comparison (reproducibility on 528 data sets using Horwitz equation analysis). Matrices tested included 2 types of pet food jerky treats (chicken and sweet potato), bovine blood, and bovine liver and kidney.

Huntingtons Disease Mice Infected with Toxoplasma gondii Demonstrate Early Kynurenine Pathway Activation, Altered CD8+ T-Cell Responses, and Premature Mortality.

Huntington's disease (HD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder caused by a polyglutamine-repeat expansion in the huntingtin protein. Activation of the kynurenine pathway of tryptophan degradation is implicated in the pathogenesis of HD. Indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) catalyzes the oxidation of tryptophan to kynurenine, the first step in this pathway.

Altered selenium status in Huntington's disease: neuroprotection by selenite in the N171-82Q mouse model.

Disruption of redox homeostasis is a prominent feature in the pathogenesis of Huntington's disease (HD). Selenium an essential element nutrient that modulates redox pathways and has been reported to provide protection against both acute neurotoxicity (e.g.

Analysis of salazinic, norstictic, and usnic acids in Xanthoparmelia chlorochroa by ultra-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry.

The lichen species Xanthoparmelia chlorochroa is toxic when consumed by domestic sheep, cattle, and Rocky Mountain elk. Clinical signs exhibited by poisoned animals include red urine, ataxia, and muscular weakness that rapidly progresses to recumbency. Elk are unable to recover once becoming recumbent; however, most affected cattle can recover if offered suitable feed shortly following the onset of signs.

Secondary pentobarbital poisoning in two dogs: a cautionary tale.

Two dogs, a 13-year-old spayed female and a 7-year-old neutered male, were diagnosed with pentobarbital poisoning. Follow-up investigation determined that the source of pentobarbital was the carcass of a horse that had been euthanized more than 2 years previously and that was also apparently responsible for the death of a least 1, and possibly 2, other dogs. The fact that the horse carcass remained lethally toxic more than 2 years after it was euthanized reemphasizes the necessity of proper disposal of euthanized animals.

Experimental reproduction of tumbleweed shield lichen (Xanthoparmelia chlorochroa) poisoning in a domestic sheep model.

Xanthoparmelia chlorochroa, commonly called tumbleweed lichen, is found throughout the Rocky Mountain region. This particular species of lichen was incriminated in the poisoning of cattle and sheep in Wyoming during the 1930s. More than 70 years elapsed before another case was reported.

Liver metal concentrations in Greater Sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus).

Greater Sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) are a species of concern due to shrinking populations associated with habitat fragmentation and loss. Baseline health parameters for this species are limited or lacking, especially with regard to tissue metal concentrations. To obtain a range of tissue metal concentrations, livers were collected from 71 Greater Sage-grouse from Wyoming and Montana.

Paresis and death in elk (Cervus elaphus) due to lichen intoxication in Wyoming.

During February-April 2004, an estimated 400-500 free-ranging elk (Cervus elaphus) developed paresis, became recumbent, and died or were euthanized in the Red Rim Wildlife Habitat Management Area (RRWHMA), Wyoming, USA. Elk were found in sternal recumbency, alert and responsive, but unable to rise. Their condition progressed to lateral recumbency followed by dehydration, obtundation, and death.

Modest copper supplementation blocks molybdenosis in cattle.

It is widely accepted that ratios of dietary copper (Cu) to molybdenum (Mo) lower than 10:1 may produce molybdenosis in cattle, especially if sulfur concentrations are more than 3,000 ppm. Some authorities suggest that dietary Mo concentrations greater than 10 ppm are hazardous to cattle regardless of Cu concentration, but anecdotal reports suggest that this may not be the case. The original purpose of the experiment described in this report was to investigate whether supranutritional supplemental Cu could protect cattle against relatively high dietary Mo.

The bioactivity-guided isolation and structural identification of toxic cucurbitacin steroidal glucosides from stemodia kingii.

A histologically validated murine model for the ovine intoxication by Stemodia kingii was used as a bioassay to guide the isolation of several groups of toxins from Stemodia kingiL Two of the toxins from one group were purified sufficiently to allow structural analysis and a determination of their median lethal doses (LD50) for oral administration to mice. A combination of acid hydrolysis, elemental analysis, HPLC-MS, 1D-NMR (1H, 13C) and 2D-NMR (1H-1H COSY, 13C-1H HSQC and HMBC, and gNOESY) was used to define stemodiosides B3 and B4 as cucurbitacin steroidal glucosides. Thus stemodioside B3 is (24Z)-3 alpha-(beta-glucopyranosyloxy)-2 beta,20,27-trihydroxy- 19-(10 -9 beta)-abeo-10alpha-lanost-5,24-diene- 11-one and stemodioside B4 is (23E)-3 alpha-(beta-glucopyranosyloxy)-20,20,22,27-tetrahydroxy- 19-( 10-9 beta)-abeo- 10 alpha-lanost-5,23-diene- 11-one.

Toxic effects of a single parenteral dose of tunicamycin in late stage pregnancy in rats.

Tunicamycin (TM) was given as a single parenteral dose at 3 levels to female rats at gestation day 15 (GD 15) and also to non-pregnant rats. At 16 h post-dosing all pregnant rats had moderate to extensive vaginal bleeding and 1/4 at each of the 2 higher doses died. The other severely affected rats, euthanized after 26-28 h, had free blood in the uterus and large decreases in red cell count (RCC), hemoglobin (Hb) and packed cell volume (PCV).