Effect of bovine Azawak colostrum administration on plasma protein profile in red kid.

This study evaluated the impact of heterologous Azawak colostrum administration on plasma protein profile in red kids from Niger. Forty (40) newborn kids were affected to one of two treatments: control group (access to water and the mother) and colostrum group (access to the mother, water and additional 50 ml of colostrum Azawak/animal the day of birth, then 25ml/animal/day from the 2nd to 15th day). Blood samples (10ml/animal) were obtained at the age of 10 and 30 days by jugular puncture into EDTA vacutainer tubes. The quantification of total protein was performed by the Biuret method. The agarose gel electrophoresis was used to determine serum levels of albumin, ɑ-globulin, β1-globulin, β2-globulin, γ-globulin and finally the albumin/globulin ratio. In general, the average concentrations of these proteins obtained at both ages reached higher values in colostrum than in control group. At day 10, the colostrum group tended to show (P <0.07) higher levels for ɑ-globulin and showed higher values (P <0.04) for β1-globulin. At day 30, total protein and β2-globulins were higher in colostrum group. The administration of heterologous colostrum in kid seems to have positive effects on some plasma parameters. It would be worth to discriminate the plasma proteins derived from bovine and maternal colostra.Utilisation du Colostrum Bovin chez les petits ruminant

Clinical features and hormonal profiles of cloprostenol-induced early abortions in heifers monitored by ultrasonography

BACKGROUND: The present study describes the clinical features and plasma profiles of bovine pregnancy-associated glycoprotein 1 (bPAG1), the main metabolite of prostaglandin F(2α )(PG metabolite) and progesterone (P4) in heifers in which early abortions were induced. METHODS: Early abortions were induced in four heifers with cloprostenol and monitored by ultrasonography. Blood samples were collected and the plasma were analyzed for bPAG 1, P4 and PG metabolite. RESULTS: The foetal heartbeat rates varied from 170–186 beats per minute for all foetuses up to the date of cloprostenol treatment. Foetal death was confirmed within two days after cloprostenol treatment. Prior to cloprostenol injection, blood plasma concentrations of bPAG1, PG metabolite and P4 varied from 8.4 – 40.0 ng/mL, 158 – 275 pmol/L and 20.7 – 46.9 nmol/L, respectively. After the foetus expelled, the plasma level of bPAG1 began to decrease but the decrease was small and gradual. The estimated half-life of bPAG1 was 1.8 – 6.6 days. The plasma level of the PG metabolite started to have short lasting peaks (above 300 pmol/L) within three hours after cloprostenol treatment. The plasma concentrations of P4 dropped sharply to less than 4 nmol/L after 24 hours of cloprostenol injection. CONCLUSION: The current findings indicated that after early closprostenol-induced foetal death, the plasma concentration of bPAG1 decreased gradually and showed a tendency of variation with the stages of pregnancy

Evaluation de l’utilisation du pepsinogène sanguin comme biomarqueur de l’intégrité de la muqueuse gastrique chez le porc. 2. Méthodes de dosage et intérêt en pathologie porcine

Pepsinogen is one component of the gastric juice which participes in the digestion. This macromolecule enters the blood circulation in a small measurable quantities in healthy subjects. Therefore, blood pepsinogen is claimed to be an indicator of the integrity of the gastric mucosa. This paper was written to review the use of porcine in the diagnostic of stomach ulcers and Hyostrongylus rubidus infection. The methods of measurement of blood pepsinogen and the diagnostic values are discussed.Le pepsinogène est une composante du suc gastrique qui participe à la digestion des protéines alimentaires. Il est aussi parmi les macromolécules qui entrent dans la circulation sanguine en faibles quantités mesurables chez des sujets normaux. Son dosage est utilisé dans la mise en évidence de certaines pathologies gastriques chez le porc. Cette synthèse décrit les méthodes de dosage et des valeurs sériques ou plasmatiques du pepsinogène en relation avec des ulcères ou les infestations parasitaires à Hyostrongylus rubidus chez le por

Assimilation of sea surface temperature, sea ice concentration and sea ice drift in a model of the Southern Ocean

Current ocean models have relatively large errors and biases in the Southern Ocean. The aim of this study is to provide a reanalysis from 1985 to 2006 assimilating sea surface temperature, sea ice concentration and sea ice drift. In the following it is also shown how surface winds in the Southern Ocean can be improved using sea ice drift estimated from infrared radiometers. Such satellite observations are available since the late seventies and have the potential to improve the wind forcing before more direct measurements of winds over the ocean are available using scatterometry in the late nineties. The model results are compared to the assimilated data and to independent measurements (the World Ocean Database 2009 and the mean dynamic topography based on observations). The overall improvement of the assimilation is quantified, in particular the impact of the assimilation on the representation of the polar front is discussed. Finally a method to identify model errors in the Antarctic sea ice area is proposed based on Model Output Statistics techniques using a series of potential predictors. This approach provides new directions for model improvements

Three years pilot of spinal muscular atrophy newborn screening turned into official program in Southern Belgium

Motor neuron disease; Population screeningMalaltia de la neurona motora; Cribratge de poblacióEnfermedad de la neurona motora; Cribado de poblaciónThree new therapies for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) have been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency since 2016. Although these new therapies improve the quality of life of patients who are symptomatic at first treatment, administration before the onset of symptoms is significantly more effective. As a consequence, newborn screening programs have been initiated in several countries. In 2018, we launched a 3-year pilot program to screen newborns for SMA in the Belgian region of Liège. This program was rapidly expanding to all of Southern Belgium, a region of approximately 55,000 births annually. During the pilot program, 136,339 neonates were tested for deletion of exon 7 of SMN1, the most common cause of SMA. Nine SMA cases with homozygous deletion were identified through this screen. Another patient was identified after presenting with symptoms and was shown to be heterozygous for the SMN1 exon 7 deletion and a point mutation on the opposite allele. These ten patients were treated. The pilot program has now successfully transitioned into the official neonatal screening program in Southern Belgium. The lessons learned during implementation of this pilot program are reported.This pilot study is supported by AveXis, Biogen, Roche, the ABMM (Association Belge contre les Maladies neuro-Musculaires), Minister's Office Alda GREOLI (Wallonia-Brussels Community) and donations from individuals

Can we predict troubles during horse clinical examination by a simple test?

Peer reviewe

Effect of exogenous circulating anti-bPL antibodies on bovine placental lactogen measurements in foetal samples

BACKGROUND: The involvement of placental lactogen (PL) in the regulation of foetal growth has been investigated in different species by in vivo immunomodulation techniques. However, when circulating antibodies are present together with the hormone, the procedure for hormonal measurement becomes considerably complex. The aim of this study was the immunoneutralization of bovine placental lactogen (bPL) concentrations in bovine foetal circulation by direct infusion of rabbit anti-bPL purified immunoglobulins (IgG) via a foetal catheter (in vivo study). The ability of a RIA based on guinea pig anti-bPL antiserum, for the measurement of bPL concentrations in samples containing exogenous rabbit anti-bPL immunoglobulins, was also analyzed in in vitro and in vivo conditions. METHODS: Six bovine foetuses were chronic cannulated on the aorta via the medial tarsal artery. Infusion of rabbit anti-bPL IgG was performed during late gestation. Pooled rabbit anti-bPL antisera had a maximal neutralization capacity of 25 microg bPL/mL of immunoglobulin. Interference of rabbit anti-bPL immunoglobulin with radioimmunoassay measurement using guinea pig anti-bPL as primary antibody was first evaluated in vitro. Polyclonal anti-bPL antibodies raised in rabbit were added in foetal sera to produce 100 samples with known antibodies titers (dilutions ranging from 1:2,500 till 1:1,280,000). RESULT(S): Assessment of the interference of rabbit anti-bPL antibody showed that bPL concentrations were significantly lower (P < 0.05) in samples added with dilutions of rabbit antiserum lower than 1:80,000 (one foetus) or 1:10,000 (four foetuses). It was also shown that the recovery of added bPL (12 ng/mL) was markedly reduced in those samples in which exogenous rabbit anti-bPL were added at dilutions lower than 1:20,000. Concentrations of foetal bPL were determined in samples from cannulated foetuses. In foetuses 1 and 6, bPL concentrations remained almost unchanged (<5 ng/mL) during the whole experimental period. In Foetus 3, bPL concentrations decreased immediately after IgG infusion and thereafter, they increased until parturition. CONCLUSION(S): The use of a bPL RIA using a guinea pig anti-bPL as primary antiserum allowed for the measurement of bPL concentrations in foetal plasma in presence of rabbit anti-bPL IgG into the foetal circulation. Long-term foetal catheterization allowed for the study of the influence of direct infusion of anti-bPL IgG on peripheral bPL concentrations in bovine foetuses