A novel needle-free method of lidocaine administration during standing castration of Holstein bulls.

The American Veterinary Medical Association recognizes castration to be important for both human and animal safety. Lidocaine delivered through-the-needle has been shown to be effective at reducing cortisol response to castration, but this method has drawbacks for both animals and caretakers. As such, a study was conducted to examine the potential benefits of lidocaine delivery using a pneumatic needle-free device immediately before standing bovine castration. Twelve Holstein bulls weighing 400.7 ± 39.5 kg (mean ± standard deviation) were enrolled. Bulls were allocated to receive a local anesthetic block of 2% lidocaine for surgical castration by traditional needle injection or by needle-free injection. Outcomes were collected out to 48 h postcastration. Outcome variables included plasma cortisol concentrations, visual analog scale scores for pain, medial canthus temperatures as measured using infrared thermography, pressure mat changes, and chute defense scores. A time effect was observed for cortisol, visual analog scale scores, infrared thermography temperatures, and some pressure mat outcomes. No statistically significant differences between lidocaine delivery methods were observed, but further research is needed to build upon this small dataset.

Determination of milk concentrations and pharmacokinetics of salicylic acid following acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) administration in postpartum dairy cows.

The objectives of this descriptive study were to (1) describe the pharmacokinetics of salicylic acid (SA) in the milk and plasma of postpartum dairy cattle following oral administration of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA; aspirin), (2) to estimate a recommended milk withdrawal period for dairy cattle treated with ASA, and (3) to determine the effect of ASA administration on plasma prostaglandin E2 metabolite (PGEM) concentrations. Primiparous (n = 3) and multiparous (n = 7) postpartum Holstein dairy cows received 2 oral treatments with ASA at 200 mg/kg of body weight, 24 h apart. Concentrations of SA in plasma and milk from 0 h through 120 h after ASA administration were analyzed using ultra performance liquid chromatography triple quadrupole mass spectrometry and a milk withdrawal period was estimated using the United States Food and Drug Administration Milk Discard App in R. Two withdrawal periods were estimated: (1) a whole-herd treatment scenario with no dilution factor and (2) an individual animal treatment scenario with a bulk tank factor included in analysis. Plasma PGEM concentrations in samples from 0 h to 24 h after ASA administration were determined using a commercially available competitive ELISA. Milk SA concentrations were undetected in all cows by 48 h after the last ASA treatment. Secondary peaks were observed in plasma at 58 and 82 h after the last treatment and in milk at 87 h after the last treatment. In the absence of a tolerance for SA in milk, the estimated milk withdrawal periods were (1) 156 h for the whole-herd treatment scenario and (2) 120 h for the individual animal treatment scenario. Plasma PGEM concentrations were reduced compared with baseline for up to 12 h after ASA administration, with the greatest reduction observed at 2 h. Results from this study suggest that the current milk withhold recommendation for dairy cattle administered ASA may need revision to 120 h (5 d) and that ASA administration may mitigate postpartum inflammation through reduction in prostaglandin production for up to 12 h after treatment. Pharmacokinetic and milk withdrawal data from this study will inform future recommendations for extra-label use of aspirin in postpartum dairy cows. Further research is required to determine the basis for the secondary SA peaks and to elucidate the long-term effects of ASA administration on dairy cow health.

Effects of milk feeding strategies on short- and long-term productivity of Holstein heifers.

Research investigating the effects of feeding raw or pasteurized nonsaleable milk (NSM) on heifers' performance beyond the period of supplementation is limited. This study aimed to examine the effects of type of milk [NSM or milk replacer (MR)] and pasteurization of NSM on preweaning and first-lactation performance of heifers born with low (<36.3 kg) or normal birth weight (≥36.3 kg). Holstein heifers (n = 154) were sequentially assigned to 1 of 3 treatments: MR, pasteurized NSM, or raw NSM. Heifers assigned to raw NSM were fed raw colostrum, whereas heifers assigned to MR and pasteurized NSM were fed pasteurized colostrum. The low birth weight heifers were fed 1.4 L at each feeding until they reached 36.3 kg body weight, whereas normal birth weight heifers were fed 1.9 L at each feeding. A grain mix starter was offered throughout the study. Heifers were weaned ≥42 d old if consuming at least 0.9 kg/d of starter for 3 consecutive days. Data were analyzed with the MIXED procedure of SAS (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC), and the basic model included milk treatments, birth weight group, and treatment × birth weight group. The low birth weight heifers fed raw colostrum and NSM versus pasteurized colostrum and NSM had lower serum protein concentrations. Heifers fed MR versus NSM had or tended to have greater concentrations of hematocrit, red blood cells, and eosinophils but lesser concentrations of platelets, although some of those responses were temporary. Pasteurization tended to increase blood lymphocyte concentrations. Heifers with normal birth weight had greater concentrations of blood neutrophils, lymphocytes, and monocytes, compared with low birth weight heifers. For the first 42 d of life, low birth weight heifers fed pasteurized versus raw NSM had greater weight gain, grain intake, and feed efficiency and were weaned earlier (hazard ratio for weaning by 56 d: 2.90). These pasteurization effects for low birth weight heifers tended to be sustained through 24 wk of age, indicated by greater weight gain and hip height growth. In their first lactation, low birth weight heifers produced less mature-equivalent (MEq) protein and tended to produce less MEq milk and fat than normal birth weight heifers. However, the negative effects of low birth weight on MEq milk and fat yield was only evident in heifers fed raw NSM, whereas the performance of low birth weight heifers was similar to that of normal birth weight when fed MR or pasteurized NSM. These findings confirm that calf management practices influence future performance; in this case, failing to pasteurize milk and colostrum for low birth weight heifers had effects that remained apparent for more than 2 years.

Proteomic analysis reveals greater abundance of complement and inflammatory proteins in subcutaneous adipose tissue from postpartum cows treated with sodium salicylate.

This study aimed to investigate sodium salicylate (SS) treatment effects on the proteome of adipose tissue (AT) in postpartum cows. Twenty Holstein cows were assigned to control (CON, n = 10) or SS (n = 10) provided via drinking water (2.3 g/L) during the first 7 d of lactation. Subcutaneous AT was collected on d 7 of treatment and label-free quantitative shotgun proteomics and immunoblotting were analyzed in a subset of 5 AT per group. Eighty out of 1422 proteins (5.6%) were differentially abundant between CON and SS [fold change ±1.5, P < 0.05]. Top canonical pathways differing between CON and SS (Ingenuity) were complement system, interleukin-10 signaling, and acute phase response signaling. The abundances of complement C1r, C1qC, C1qB and C6 were greater in SS than CON. Regarding IL-10 signaling, the abundances of BLVRB, STAT3, and lipopolysaccharide binding protein (LBP) were greater in SS AT compared to CON. Immunoblots revealed increased abundance of paraoxanase-1 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha, as well as a tendency for greater abundance of cluster differentiation 172a in SS AT, which may indicate of increased macrophage infiltration. SS treatment postpartum likely promotes inflammatory signaling in AT of dairy cows, perhaps due to immune cell recruitment. SIGNIFICANCE: This work demonstrates that treating early lactating cows with sodium salicylate, an anti-inflammatory agent that has been shown to have metabolic effects and increase milk production in dairy cows, affects the proteome of subcutaneous adipose tissue in early lactating dairy cows. Unexpectedly, sodium salicylate treatment enriched inflammatory pathways of the complement system, cytokine signaling, and acute phase response, as revealed by proteomic analysis of subcutaneous adipose tissues from cows at 7 d postpartum. These findings imply that SS treatment during the first 7 d of lactation likely promotes inflammatory signaling in AT of the dairy cow, perhaps due to immune cell recruitment. Tissue-specific impacts of systemic sodium salicylate requires further scrutiny.

Effects of sodium salicylate on glucose kinetics and insulin signaling in postpartum dairy cows.

Low-grade inflammation has been implicated as a contributor to metabolic disease during the transition to lactation. In previous work, administration of sodium salicylate (SS) for 7 d led to hypoglycemia in mature dairy cows in early lactation. The purpose of this study was to identify the mode of action underlying this response to SS. Twenty mature (parity 3) cows were assigned alternately at time of calving to either control or SS treatments; the control received a molasses placebo in drinking water, whereas SS received 2.3 g/L of SS with the molasses carrier in drinking water for 7 d after parturition. Blood samples were collected daily. A glucose turnover assay was performed on d 7, followed by liver, muscle, and adipose tissue biopsies. There were no treatment effects on intake of dry matter or water. Tumor necrosis factor α mRNA abundance tended to be decreased by SS in adipose tissue but not in muscle or liver, and plasma haptoglobin and adiponectin concentrations were not altered by treatment. Treatment did not significantly alter plasma glucose or insulin concentrations, but plasma glucagon concentration tended to be increased by SS and the insulin:glucagon molar ratio was significantly decreased. Cows on SS had a tendency for a 25% decrease in glucose turnover rate compared with control cows. However, there were no differences in transcript abundance of pyruvate carboxylase (PC) or glucose-6-phosphatase (G6PC) in liver or of glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) in any of the tissues. Finally, SS did not alter insulin receptor substrate-1 phosphorylation in muscle or adipose, but tended to increase phosphorylation of AMP-activated protein kinase and decrease protein kinase B phosphorylation in adipose tissue. These findings may be explained by enhanced hepatic insulin sensitivity leading to posttranscriptional suppression of gluconeogenesis and adaptive responses to decreased glucose supply in the pancreas and adipose tissue.

A review of demineralized bone matrices for spinal fusion: the evidence for efficacy.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Autologous Iliac Crest Bone Grafting (ICBG) is considered the gold-standard graft choice for spinal arthrodesis; however, it is associated with donor site morbidity and a limited graft supply. Bone graft alternatives to replace autograft and augment arthrodesis are a topic of ongoing research. This article will review properties of Demineralized Bone Matrix (DBM) and review the evidence for its use, including animal models and human clinical trials. METHODS: A systematic and critical review of the English-language literature was conducted on Pubmed, Cochrane, CINAHL, and Google Scholar using search key terms such as 'Demineralized Bone Matrix', 'Spine' and 'Fusion'. Papers that were included were original research articles in peer-reviewed journals that investigated fusion outcomes. Scientific validity of articles was appraised using the PRISMA methodology. Articles were critically examined and compared according to study design, DBM type, outcomes, and results. Primary outcome of interest was fusion rate. Secondary outcomes included Oswestry Disability Index; Short Form-36 survey; Odom's criteria; Visual Analog Scale neurologic pain score; Japanese Orthopedic Association myelopathy score; Neck Disability and Ishihara Curvature Indices; and pseudarthrosis and surgical failure rates. RESULTS: Demineralized Bone Matrix has been evaluated in animal models and human clinical trials of spine fusion. Results of animal studies indicate variation in performance within and among DBM products. The majority of human clinical trials report high fusion rates when DBM is employed as a graft extender or a graft enhancer. Few prospective randomized controlled trials have been performed comparing DBM to autologous iliac crest bone graft in spine fusion. CONCLUSIONS: Although many animal and human studies demonstrate comparable efficacy of DBM when combined with autograft or compared to autograft alone, additional high level of evidence studies are required to clearly define the indications for its use in spine fusion surgeries and the appropriate patient population that will benefit from DBM.

Dynamic changes of the ligamentum flavum in the cervical spine assessed with kinetic magnetic resonance imaging.

The purpose of this article is to quantify changes in thickness of the ligamentum flavum (LF) associated with motion of the cervical spine and to compare the thickness of the LF at each cervical level using kinetic magnetic resonance imaging (kMRI). Two hundred fifty-seven symptomatic patients (129 men; 128 women) underwent kMRI in neutral, flexion, and extension positions. Midsagittal images were digitally marked and electronically analyzed by spine surgeons. Thickness of LF in the cervical region from C2-3 to C7-T1 was measured in all three positions. LF at C7-T1 was significantly thicker than C2-3 to C6-7 in neutral, flexion, and extension positions (p < 0.05). LF was significantly thicker in extension than in flexion at C3-4 to C6-7. LF thickness increases with extension and decreases with flexion. LF is uniquely thick at C6-7 and at C7-T1 in the extension position, which may predispose these levels to cord compression syndromes and associated neuropathies.

Fixing the photorefractive soliton.

We report the formation of permanent two-dimensional 12-microm waveguides in a bulk strontium barium niobate crystal. The waveguides are made by formation of a photorefractive spatial soliton in which the space-charge field induces ferroelectric domains that are permanently polarized opposite to the crystal c axis. The fixed waveguide propagates light with 80% efficiency. These results make possible the permanent recording of intricate optical circuitry in the volume of a bulk crystal.

A proposal for compatibility testing incorporating the manual hexadimethrine bromide (Polybrene) test.

In November 1984, the Standards Committee of the American Association of Blood Banks changed the requirements for pretransfusion testing by making the performance of an antiglobulin crossmatch optional when the antibody screening test is negative. The crossmatch would be necessary only to confirm ABO compatibility. Many will welcome this change; others will persist in their current methods. This article presents data supporting the use of the manual hexadimethrine bromide (Polybrene) test, a 1-minute room temperature procedure, as a crossmatch technique when the antibody screening test is negative. The manual Polybrene test (MPT) is an effective method for detecting ABO incompatibility. Forty-seven randomly selected serums gave expected results with A1, A2, and B red cells. Only 66 percent of 84 group B sera were serologically incompatible with A2B red cells by MPT, but the same results (69% positive) were observed using a 5-minute low-ionic-strength solution (LISS) room temperature technique. As only 37 percent of these crossmatches were incompatible using a LISS immediate spin (IS) method, the reliability of an IS method is questioned. An MPT crossmatch provides added security in that most unexpected blood group antibodies are demonstrable by this method. Of 106 serums tested which contained antibodies, 83 reacted. We believe that the MPT provides a rapid and sensitive test that, accompanied by a carefully performed antibody screening test, meets the requirements of Standards and will provide for safe red cell transfusion without the need for an antiglobulin crossmatch.