Dynamic respiratory endoscopy without treadmill in 68 performance Standardbred, Thoroughbred and saddle horses under natural training conditions.

REASONS FOR PERFORMING STUDY: High speed treadmill endoscopy provides a true assessment and diagnosis of the dynamic obstructions of the upper equine respiratory tract (DO-URT). However, treadmills do not always allow reproduction of the exact conditions of dynamic collapse of the URT. The availability of on-board endoscopes, which could be used without a treadmill, would make exercising endoscopy readily available to more equine practices. OBJECTIVES: To develop and validate an innovative endoscope which could be used for the examination of the URT at exercise in ridden and harnessed sport horses performing in natural conditions. METHODS: Authors worked closely with engineers of a company manufacturing veterinary endoscopes. Over a 2-year period several prototypes were tested on more than 20 cooperative horses performing either in trot, gallop, jumping or endurance. The final Dynamic Respiratory Scope (DRS) allows real-time visualisation of the URT and video recordings for post test reviewing and archiving. The DRS was then tested in 2 equine livery yards. Performance horses presented for investigation of abnormal respiratory noises at exercise and/or poor performance were subjected to exercising endoscopy. Endoscopic images of the URT were recorded and video recordings of the URT were reviewed post test. RESULTS: A total of 68 horses were examined: 39 harnessed Standardbred and 29 mounted horses (16 Thoroughbred and 13 saddle horses). Of these, 44 were diagnosed with a URT abnormality. Good quality videos were obtained even at maximum speed in all cases. The innovative insertion tube provided very stable images compared to those obtained with flexible video endoscopes on treadmills. CONCLUSIONS: This study validates the safety and the reliability of the DRS for imaging the equine URT during natural exercising conditions. POTENTIAL RELEVANCE: Most common causes of DO-URT can be diagnosed easily during any type of performance without a treadmill and the DRS offers a great potential for further URT clinical research.

Aromatase gene expression in the stallion.

Adult stallion secretes very high estrogen levels in its testicular vein and semen, and the responsible enzyme cytochrome P450 aromatase (P450 arom) is known to be present mainly in Leydig cells. We studied in further details the distribution of equine aromatase in various adult tissues including the brain (hypothalamic area), liver, kidney, small intestine, muscle, bulbourethral gland and testes. The aromatase mRNA was essentially detected by RT-PCR in testis (169+/-14 amol of aromatase mRNA per microg of total RNA) and was barely detectable in brain, or below 0.1 amol/microg RNA in other tissues. This range of expression was confirmed by ELISA (50+/-7 pg/microg total protein) in the testis, and by immunoblot, evidencing a 53 kDA specific protein band in testis and brain only. The corresponding aromatase activity was well detected, by 3H(2)O release from 1beta, 2beta(3)H-androstenedione, in testis and brain (200+/-23 and 25+/-6 pmol/min per mg, respectively) and below 3 pmol product formed/min per mg in other tissues. This study indicates that the testis, among the tissues analyzed, is the major source of aromatase in the adult stallion, and that the aromatase gene expression is specifically enhanced at this level, and is responsible for the high estrogen synthesis observed. Moreover, the study of aromatase in one colt testis has shown lower levels of transcripts, protein and enzyme activity, evidencing that aromatase is regulated during the development and may serve as a useful marker of testicular function. As the second organ where aromatase mRNA and activity are both well detected is brain, this study also underlines the possible role of neurosteroids in stallion on behaviour, brain function or central endocrine control.

[Cervical lymph node inflammation in children]. / Adénophlegmons cervicaux de l'enfant.

One hundred and twenty seven cases of cervical lymph node infection were seen between 1974 and 1986 in children aged between 1 month and 10 years. The point of origin of the infection wa identified in 30% of cases and was, in decreasing order: cutaneous, in the cervico-cephalic region; pharyngo-tonsillar via the lymphatic structures of the pharynx or by direct effraction of the buccopharyngeal mucosa; and, finally, dental. The site of the secondary lymph node infection was generally below and behind the angle of the jaw and in some cases submandibular. Two thirds of cases progressed to suppuration and were evaluated bacteriologically. Four organisms were identified: Staphylococcus, very much in the majority. The origin of the infection was almost always cutaneous. There was a predilection for the child aged under 5 with a majority under 2. The streptococcus was in second place far behind the staphylococcus. The origin of the infection was pharyngo-tonsillar, with the beta-haemolytic streptococcus predominant, bucco-dental, with the alpha-haemolytic predominant, and a very small number of cases with a cutaneous origin. The age of these children was greater than in the staphylococcal infection group: the great majority were over 2 and all cases with a dental origin were aged over 5. There were a small number of anaerobic infections. In 2 of the 3 bacteriologically confirmed cases, the origin was pharyngo-tonsillar and development was obviously favored by the initial antibiotics prescribed. Management took into account the predominance of the staphylococcus, the resistance of this organism to penicillin G and its usual sensitivity to methicillin.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)