Lupinosis in sheep. 1. Laboratory studies

IN earlier articles by Bennetts (1957, 1960), the clinical and pathological features of lupinosis, as seen in field outbreaks, were described. The suggestion was made that the roughage portion of the lupin plants was responsible for the disease. More recent observations suggest a relationship between parasitism and lupinosis

Toxic ferns of Western Australia

Botanical descriptions and notes on the distribution of six species of ferns are given. These plants contain the enzyme thiaminase, which may induce thiamin deficiency, or other constituents toxic to animals. The clinical signs of both thiamin deficiency and fern toxicity in affected livestock are described

Control of IBMIR in Neonatal Porcine Islet Xenotransplantation in Baboons

The instant blood-mediated inflammatory reaction (IBMIR) is a major obstacle to the engraftment of intraportal pig islet xenografts in primates. Higher expression of the galactose-α1,3-galactose (αGal) xenoantigen on neonatal islet cell clusters (NICC) than on adult pig islets may provoke a stronger reaction, but this has not been tested in the baboon model. Here, we report that WT pig NICC xenografts triggered profound IBMIR in baboons, with intravascular clotting and graft destruction occurring within hours, which was not prevented by anti-thrombin treatment. In contrast, IBMIR was minimal when recipients were immunosuppressed with a clinically relevant protocol and transplanted with NICC from αGal-deficient pigs transgenic for the human complement regulators CD55 and CD59. These genetically modified (GM) NICC were less susceptible to humoral injury in vitro than WT NICC, inducing significantly less complement activation and thrombin generation when incubated with baboon platelet-poor plasma. Recipients of GM NICC developed a variable anti-pig antibody response, and examination of the grafts 1 month after transplant revealed significant cell-mediated rejection, although scattered insulin-positive cells were still present. Our results indicate that IBMIR can be attenuated in this model, but long-term graft survival may require more effective immunosuppression or further donor genetic modification

Modulation in voluntary neural drive in relation to muscle soreness

The aim of this study was to investigate whether (1) spinal modulation would change after non-exhausting eccentric exercise of the plantar flexor muscles that produced muscle soreness and (2) central modulation of the motor command would be linked to the development of muscle soreness. Ten healthy subjects volunteered to perform a single bout of backward downhill walking exercise (duration 30 min, velocity 1 ms−1, negative grade −25%, load 12% of body weight). Neuromuscular test sessions [H-reflex, M-wave, maximal voluntary torque (MVT)] were performed before, immediately after, as well as 1–3 days after the exercise bout. Immediately after exercise there was a −15% decrease in MVT of the plantar flexors partly attributable to an alteration in contractile properties (−23% in electrically evoked mechanical twitch). However, MVT failed to recover before the third day whereas the contractile properties had significantly recovered within the first day. This delayed recovery of MVT was likely related to a decrement in voluntary muscle drive. The decrease in voluntary activation occurred in the absence of any variation in spinal modulation estimated from the H-reflex. Our findings suggest the development of a supraspinal modulation perhaps linked to the presence of muscle soreness

Sheep urine collection simplified

Urine collection is necessary when investigating metabolic balance in sheep, or the excretion of end-products in nutritional and toxicological studies. The collection however poses many problems, including labour requirements, unsettling of the animal, and the possibility of contamination of the urine with faecal material. Current work at Esperance has required 24-hour urine collections and has led to the development of urine collection apparatus

Sheep urine collection simplified

Urine collection is necessary when investigating metabolic balance in sheep, or the excretion of end-products in nutritional and toxicological studies. The collection however poses many problems, including labour requirements, unsettling of the animal, and the possibility of contamination of the urine with faecal material. Current work at Esperance has required 24-hour urine collections and has led to the development of urine collection apparatus

Activation of nuclear transfer embryos

European Patent EP1358317 CA Patent Number: CA2434394Methods for the activation of nuclear transferred embryos using elevated calcium levels introduced into cells, and a maturation promoting factor (MPF) inhibitor are described. Elevated calcium levels introduced into the embryo cells from a culture medium containing elevated calcium levels, in the range 2 mM to about 12 mM, followed directly and immediately by incubation with DMAP are described. Also described are animals produced from embryos so treated