ABSTRACT
The purpose of this paper was to correlate the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) characteristics of a mature brain abscess in a horse with histopathologic alterations of brain tissue. Eight months after the onset of clinical signs, MRI of the brain of a 10-month-old filly was performed. A large space-occupying lesion in the right cerebral hemisphere was identified. This space-occupying lesion was delineated by a thick and well-defined capsule that was isointense to brain parenchyma on the T1-weighted images and with a markedly hypointense on the T2-weighted images. The identification of such a capsule is highly diagnostic of a mature brain abscess. The lesion seen on MR images was confirmed at necropsy where a large abscess of the right hemisphere was observed. Streptococcus zooepidemicus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were isolated from the abscess. Based on histopathologic examination, the signal characteristics of the capsule on T1-weighted and T2-weighted images were found to be due to the presence of numerous hemosiderin-laden macrophages. These results are in agreement with previous studies on human patients. This report confirms the value of MRI in the diagnosis of equine brain diseases.
Subject(s)
Brain Abscess/veterinary , Horse Diseases/diagnosis , Pseudomonas Infections/veterinary , Streptococcal Infections/veterinary , Animals , Animals, Newborn , Brain Abscess/diagnosis , Diagnosis, Differential , Female , Horse Diseases/diagnostic imaging , Horse Diseases/pathology , Horses , Magnetic Resonance Imaging/veterinary , Pseudomonas Infections/diagnosis , Pseudomonas aeruginosa/isolation & purification , Radiography , Streptococcal Infections/diagnosis , Streptococcus equi/isolation & purificationABSTRACT
To investigate plasmin activity in cheese, we produced antibodies to bovine beta-casein with controlled specificity, suitable as markers of the integrity of the major bonds involved in its initial breakdown. Sixteen rabbits were immunized with synthetic substitutes for six plasmin-sensitive peptides. Antisera raised to the peptides (f20-39), (f40-56), (f94-113), (f184-202), and (f193-209) recognized beta-casein in ACP-ELISA, Western-blot, and biosensor assays. Casein in vitro hydrolysis by plasmin or chymosin reduced the detection of these determinants in ACP-ELISA, in agreement with the enzymatic sensitivity of bonds included within the binding sites, or in their neighborhood. Antiserum to (f20-39) in particular allowed the specific detection of plasmin cleavage at the bond generating gamma1-CN. Antisera to C-terminus preferentially detected the cleavage by chymosin. Immunoassays using these antibodies would allow in situ monitoring of significant proteolysis events without bias originated in the secondary degradation of the released peptides.
Subject(s)
Caseins/chemistry , Caseins/metabolism , Fibrinolysin/metabolism , Amino Acid Sequence , Animals , Antibodies , Biosensing Techniques , Blotting, Western , Cattle , Cheese , Chymosin/metabolism , Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay , Hydrolysis , Molecular Sequence Data , Peptide Fragments/immunology , Rabbits , Substrate SpecificitySubject(s)
Animal Feed , Horses/metabolism , Intestine, Large/metabolism , Nitrogen/metabolism , Animals , Male , Methods , Research DesignSubject(s)
Animal Feed , Food Handling/methods , Urea/pharmacology , Water , Ammonia/pharmacology , Animals , Nutritive Value , Sheep , TriticumSubject(s)
Animal Feed , Food Handling/methods , Glycine max , Molasses , Triticum , Urea/pharmacology , Ammonia/pharmacology , Animals , SheepABSTRACT
The extraction of protein from lucerne produces some liquid residue (called lucerne serum), the effects of which were studied on rumen microbial activity in 6 adult fistulated wethers. The introduction of the serum directly into the rumen stimulated cellulolytic activity whereas its incorporation into the lucerne solid residue before dehydration seemed to have no effect.
