Sensitive radioimmunoassay of total thyroxine (T4) in horses using a simple extraction method.

Most thyroid hormone determinations in animals are based on immunoassays adapted from those used to test human samples, which may not reflect the actual values of thyroid hormone in horses because of the presence of binding proteins. The aims of the present study were i) to establish a novel radioimmunoassay (RIA) using a more simple and convenient method to separate binding proteins for the measurement of total thyroxine (T4) in horses and ii) to validate the assay by comparing total T4 concentrations in yearling horses raised in different climates. Blood samples were collected from trained yearlings in Hokkaido (temperate climate) and Miyazaki (subtropical climate) in Japan and from adult horses in estrus and diestrus.

White muscle disease in foals: focus on selenium soil content. A case series.

Background: White muscle disease (WMD) is a nutritional myopathy caused by selenium (Se) deficiency. In most soils, Se is present in low concentrations, sometimes even below 0.2 mg/kg, a trend which is seen in many countries.

Addition of an extract of lucerne (Medicago sativa L.) to cattle diets - Effects on fatty acid profile, meat quality and eating quality of the M. longissimus muscle.

There is considerable interest in enhancing beneficial fatty acids, particularly 18:3n-3, conjugated linoleic acid and long chain n-3 fatty acids such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), in beef to provide benefits to human health. Here, the potential to enhance these fatty acids by feeding a n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA)-rich plant extract (PX) from lucerne is presented. Cattle (n=8/diet) were assigned to the following finishing diets: straw and concentrate (S-CC); straw and concentrate containing 25% PX and 2000IUvitaminE/kg PX-concentrate (S-PXC); grass silage (GS); GS plus 75gPX/kg dry matter intake (DMI) (GS-LPX) or GS plus 150g PX/kg DMI (GS-HPX).

The myometrial contractility during late pregnancy in dairy cows, in vitro.

This study aimed to investigate the in vitro contractility of the myometrium and its relationship to the blood concentrations of estradiol-17β (E), progesterone (P), 15-keto-13,14-dihydro-PGF (PGFM) and ionised calcium (Ca) prior to tissue harvest in 12 healthy Holstein-Friesian cows in late pregnancy. Three circular (CM) and 3 longitudinal myometrial (LM) strips were dissected during a caesarean section and mounted in an organ bath containing modified Krebs solution (KS). The spontaneous contractility was recorded during five 30-min time periods (T1 to T5), after which the strips were exposed to increasing concentrations of oxytocin (OT; 10-10M), a natural PGF-analogue (PGF; 10-10M) and KS (Cont) for four 30-min time periods (T6 to T9).

Gene and protein expression of a soluble form of CTLA-4 in a healthy dog.

Cytotoxic T lymphocyte associated gene-4 (CTLA-4) is a costimulatory molecule, expressed on the surface of activated T cells that negatively regulates T cell activation. In humans, alternative splicing of the CTLA-4 gene generates two major isoforms of mRNA, and a soluble form of CTLA-4 (sCTLA-4) was detected in normal human serum. We describe alternatively spliced mRNA expressed in peripheral blood mononuclear cells obtained from a healthy dog lacking the transmembrane domain coded by exon 3 of the CTLA-4 gene.

Transcriptional Control of Dual Transporters Involved in α-Ketoglutarate Utilization Reveals Their Distinct Roles in Uropathogenic .

Uropathogenic (UPEC) are the primary causative agents of urinary tract infections. Some UPEC isolates are able to infect renal proximal tubule cells, and can potentially cause pyelonephritis. We have previously shown that to fulfill their physiological roles renal proximal tubule cells accumulate high concentrations of α-ketoglutarate (KG) and that gene cluster - contribute to anaerobic utilization of KG by UPEC str.

Effects of a single use of the GnRH analog buserelin on the induction of ovulation and endocrine profiles in heavy draft mares.

We observed structural changes in the follicles and uterus of heavy draft mares during estrus and examined the effect of a single injection of the gonadotropin-releasing hormone analog buserelin on ovulation and endocrine profiles. Twenty-two heavy draft mares were divided into a buserelin-treated group (n=8) and a control group (n=14). Mares were given an intramuscular injection of 40 µg buserelin when they presented signs of estrus to a teaser stallion, had ≥45 mm diameter follicles, and presented decreased uterine edema compared with the previous examination.

Compensatory growth in crossbred Aberdeen Angus and Belgian Blue steers: Effects on the colour, shear force and sensory characteristics of longissimus muscle.

The effect of feed restriction (99days) followed by compensatory growth during a 200day re-alimentation period on the colour and sensory characteristics of meat from Aberdeen Angus×Holstein-Friesian (AN) and Belgian Blue×Holstein-Friesian (BB) steers was examined. Compensatory growth had no effect on muscle pH and temperature decline, chemical composition, drip loss, fat colour, or juiciness, but increased (P=0.009) Warner-Bratzler shear force and decreased tenderness (P=0.

Clinical course of sarcoids in 61 Franches-Montagnes horses over a 5-7 year period.

Background: The progression of equine sarcoids (ES) is notoriously unpredictable. Making a choice for the appropriate treatment is challenging when dealing with milder manifestations of ES.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical course of ES in young horses.

Four cases of equine motor neuron disease in Japan.

In this study, fasciculation of the limbs and tongue was observed in four horses kept by a riding club. Neurogenic muscle atrophy was also observed in biopsy of pathological tissues. In addition, in two cases that subjected to autopsy, Bunina-like bodies of inclusion in the cell bodies of neurons in the spinal cord ventral horn were confirmed, leading to a diagnosis of equine motor neuron disease (EMND).

Oxidative stress markers in Thoroughbred horses after castration surgery under inhalation anesthesia.

Oxidative stress has been reported to occur during surgery. It is important to reduce intraoperative oxidative stress to improve the postoperative prognosis. However, there are no reports regarding oxidative stress related to surgery in horses.

Phosphorylation of eIF2α on Threonine 169 is not required for Trypanosoma brucei cell cycle arrest during differentiation.

The trypanosome life cycle consists of a series of developmental forms each adapted to an environment in the relevant insect and/or mammalian host. The differentiation process from the mammalian bloodstream form to the insect-midgut procyclic form in Trypanosoma brucei occurs in two steps in vivo. First proliferating 'slender' bloodstream forms differentiate to non-dividing 'stumpy' forms arrested in G1.

Evaluation of Costimulatory Molecules in Peripheral Blood Lymphocytes of Canine Patients with Histiocytic Sarcoma.

Histiocytic sarcoma is a rapidly progressive and fatal neoplastic disease in dogs. It is unclear whether costimulatory molecules, including CD28, cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen-4 (CTLA-4), and programmed death-1 (PD-1), are expressed on peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) of canine patients with histiocytic sarcoma. The objective of this study was to evaluate the expression of CD28, CTLA-4, and PD-1 molecules on PBLs of patients with histiocytic sarcoma, patients with other tumors, and healthy controls.

Promoting effects of an extended photoperiod treatment on the condition of hair coats and gonadal function in Thoroughbred weanlings.

The effects of an extended photoperiod (EP) treatment (14.5 hr light, 9.5 hr dark) on Thoroughbred colts and fillies from December 25 at 7-9 months old to the following May at 12-14 months old on coat condition and gonadal functions were investigated.

Different effects of an extended photoperiod treatment on growth, gonadal function, and condition of hair coats in Thoroughbred yearlings reared under different climate conditions.

One- to two-year-old Thoroughbred colts and fillies being reared in Miyazaki (warm climate) and Hidaka (cold climate), Japan, were administered extended photoperiod (EP) treatment between December 20 and the following April 10, and its effect on growth, endocrine changes, gonadal activation, and hair coat condition was investigated. In colts reared in Miyazaki, no effect of EP treatment was noted on the growth indices, including body weight (BW), height at withers (HW), girth, and cannon circumference (CC), whereas the BWs and CCs of fillies were significantly higher in the EP treatment group than the control. In Hidaka, the BWs and HWs of colts and HWs of fillies were significantly higher in the EP treatment group.

Invited review: Environmental enrichment of dairy cows and calves in indoor housing.

In recent years, an increasing number of farmers are choosing to keep their cows indoors throughout the year. Indoor housing of cows allows farmers to provide high-yielding individuals with a nutritionally balanced diet fit for their needs, and it has important welfare benefits for both cows and their calves, such as protection from predators, parasites, and exposure to extreme weather conditions. However, it also confronts cows and calves with a wide range of environmental challenges.

Evidence for the effect of serotonin receptor 1A gene (HTR1A) polymorphism on tractability in Thoroughbred horses.

Tractability, or how easily animals can be trained and controlled, is an important behavioural trait for the management and training of domestic animals, but its genetic basis remains unclear. Polymorphisms in the serotonin receptor 1A gene (HTR1A) have been associated with individual variability in anxiety-related traits in several species. In this study, we examined the association between HTR1A polymorphisms and tractability in Thoroughbred horses.

Inter- and intraobserver agreement in interpretation of CT features of medial coronoid process disease.

Objectives: To evaluate inter- and intraobserver reliability of the assessment of computed tomography features commonly used in the identification and classification of medial coronoid process disease and to assess inter- and intraobserver variability in the identification of the percentage ulna sclerosis from single transverse computed tomography images.

Methods: Eight observers, on two occasions, reviewed 84 standardised single transverse computed tomography images acquired at the level of the apex of the medial coronoid process. Observers assessed: medial coronoid process disease, coronoid process fragmentation, osteophytes, sclerosis grade and sclerosis delineation with normal bone defined using a sclerometer.

Influence of transfusion of lymphokine-activated T killer cells on inflammatory responses in dogs after laparotomy.

The influence of transfusion of lymphokine-activated T killer cells (T-LAK) on inflammatory responses was examined in dogs after laparotomy. Plasma C-reactive protein (CRP) level, cell numbers of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) and T lymphocyte subsets (CD3(+), CD4(+) and CD8(+)) and mRNA expression levels of cytokines including interleukin (IL)-2, IL-12, IL-4, IL-10 and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were measured in dogs with (T-LAK group) or without (control group) a single T-LAK administration immediately after laparotomy. The plasma CRP level initially increased and then decreased to the normal range at 7 days after laparotomy in the T-LAK group, which was earlier than in the control group.

Clinical features and management of equine post operative ileus (POI): Survey of Diplomates of the American Colleges of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM), Veterinary Surgeons (ACVS) and Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care (ACVECC).

Reasons For Performing Study: A recent survey of European Colleges (European College of Equine Internal Medicine [ECEIM] and European College of Veterinary Surgeons [ECVS]) revealed the different strategies implemented by, and some of the challenges facing, European clinicians presented with cases of post operative ileus (POI). It was concluded that further comparative analysis of opinions, canvassed from additional colleges of equine veterinary specialism worldwide, would provide valuable additional insight into current POI knowledge on a more global scale.

Objectives: To report and compare the current strategies favoured by American veterinary specialists when managing POI in horses that underwent emergency colic surgery.

Long-term impact of puerperal metritis on the profiles of peripheral blood leukocytes in peripartum dairy cows.

To determine the effects of puerperal metritis on the immune response, changes in the differential peripheral blood leukocyte counts were analyzed during the peripartum period in cows with or without metritis. Multiparous Holstein cows were examined for uterine health disorders and classified into two groups: healthy (n = 11) or metritis (n = 5) cows. The lymphocyte and monocyte counts and the proportion of CD8(+) lymphocytes were higher in cows with metritis compared to healthy cows.

Effects of a synovial flap and gelatin/β-tricalcium phosphate sponges loaded with mesenchymal stem cells, bone morphogenetic protein-2, and platelet rich plasma on equine osteochondral defects.

This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a synovial flap and gelatin/β-tricalcium phosphate (GT) sponge loaded with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2), and platelet rich plasma (PRP) for repairing of osteochondral defects in horses. Osteochondral defects were created on the medial condyle of both femurs (n=5). In the test group, a GT sponge loaded with MSCs, BMP-2, and PRP (GT/MSCs/BMP-2/PRP) was inserted into the defect and then covered with a synovial flap.

Diagnostic endoscopy of the navicular bursa using a needle endoscope by direct or transthecal approach: A comparative cadaver study.

Objectives: To compare the practicability, visualization of structures, and iatrogenic damage of direct and transthecal approaches to the navicular bursa for diagnostic needle endoscopy.

Study Design: Descriptive study.

Sample Population: Equine cadaver forelimbs (n = 30).

Effects of an extended photoperiod on gonadal function and condition of hair coats in Thoroughbred colts and fillies.

The effects of an extended photoperiod (EP) in Thoroughbreds colts and fillies from winter at one year old to spring at two years old on the gonadal functions, coat condition, and endocrine changes were investigated. Sixty-two Thoroughbreds (31 colts and 31 fillies) reared in the Hidaka Training and Research Center (Hidaka), Japan Racing Association were used. Thirty of them (15 colts and 15 fillies) were reared under EP conditions from December 20 to April 10, and the remaining 32 horses were reared under natural light alone as a control group.

Comparison of growth and endocrine changes in Thoroughbred colts and fillies reared under different climate conditions.

Development and endocrine changes in Thoroughbreds colts and fillies were compared between those reared at two facilities of the Japan Racing Association, the Hidaka Training and Research Center (Hidaka) and Miyazaki Yearling Training Farm (Miyazaki). Thoroughbred colts and fillies born in Japan between 2003 and 2010 were used. Each colt group and filly group was divided into 2 groups, respectively, and raised in Hidaka or Miyazaki for 7 months from September at 1 year old to April at 2 years old.