Factors Associated with Colostrum Quality and Effects on Serum Gamma Globulin Concentrations of Calves in Swiss Dairy Herds.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have shown a high prevalence of failure of passive transfer of immunity (FPT) in Swiss dairy calves. OBJECTIVES: To investigate risk factors associated with poor colostrum quality and FPT on Swiss dairy farms. ANIMALS: Colostrum and serum samples from 373 dam-calf pairs at 141 farms. METHODS: The gamma globulin (Gg) concentrations of the dams' colostrum and the calves' serum samples were determined by electrophoresis. Potential risk factors were assessed by logistic regression of questionnaire data. RESULTS: Prevalence values of 15.5% (95% confidence interval [CI], 12.0-19.6%) for low-quality colostrum (<50 g Gg/L) in cows and 43.5% (95% CI, 38.4-48.8%) for FPT (serum Gg < 10 g/L) in calves were estimated. The main factors associated with low colostrum quality included colostrum leakage before or during parturition and a time lag > 6 hours between parturition and first milking. The results confirm that the occurrence of FPT in calves primarily was influenced by the quality of colostrum, the amount of ingested colostrum, and the time between birth and first feeding. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: These results confirm a large potential for improvement in colostrum harvesting and colostrum feeding procedures in the study herds. Control for colostrum leaking intra-partum, early colostrum milking, and ensuring that the calves ingest a sufficient volume of colostrum within the first hours of life are measures that can be readily implemented by farmers to decrease the incidence of FPT without additional workload.

Cysteinyl leukotriene receptor (CysLT) antagonists decrease pentylenetetrazol-induced seizures and blood-brain barrier dysfunction.

Current evidence suggests that inflammation plays a role in the pathophysiology of seizures. In line with this view, selected pro-inflammatory arachidonic acid derivatives have been reported to facilitate seizures. Kainate-induced seizures are accompanied by leukotriene formation, and are reduced by inhibitors of LOX/COX pathway. Moreover, LTD4 receptor blockade and LTD4 synthesis inhibition suppress pentylenetetrazol (PTZ)-induced kindling and pilocarpine-induced recurrent seizures. Although there is convincing evidence supporting that blood-brain-barrier (BBB) dysfunction facilitates seizures, no study has investigated whether the anticonvulsant effect of montelukast is associated with its ability to maintain BBB integrity. In this study we investigated whether montelukast and other CysLT receptor antagonists decrease PTZ-induced seizures, as well as whether these antagonists preserve BBB during PTZ-induced seizures. Adult male albino Swiss mice were stereotaxically implanted with a cannula into the right lateral ventricle, and two electrodes were placed over the parietal cortex along with a ground lead positioned over the nasal sinus for electroencephalography (EEG) recording. The effects of montelukast (0.03 or 0.3 µmol/1 µL, i.c.v.), pranlukast (1 or 3 µmol/1 µL, i.c.v.), Bay u-9773 (0.3, 3 or 30 nmol/1 µL, i.c.v.), in the presence or absence of the agonist LTD4 (0.2, 2, 6 or 20 pmol/1 µL, i.c.v.), on PTZ (1.8 µmol/2 µL)-induced seizures and BBB permeability disruption were determined. The animals were injected with the antagonists, agonist or vehicle 30 min before PTZ, and monitored for additional 30 min for the appearance of seizures by electrographic and behavioral methods. BBB permeability was assessed by sodium fluorescein method and by confocal microscopy for CD45 and IgG immunoreactivity. Bay-u9973 (3 and 30 nmol), montelukast (0.03 and 0.3 µmol) and pranlukast (1 and 3 µmol), increased the latency to generalized seizures and decreased the mean amplitude of EEG recordings during seizures. LTD4 (0.2 and 2 pmol) reverted the anticonvulsant effect of montelukast (0.3 µmol). Montelukast (0.03 and 0.3 µmol) prevented PTZ-induced BBB disruption, an effect that was reversed by LTD4 at the dose of 6 pmol, but not at the doses 0.2 and 2 pmol. Moreover, the doses of LTD4 (0.2 and 2 pmol) that reverted the effect of montelukast on seizures did not alter montelukast-induced protection of BBB, dissociating BBB protection and anticonvulsant activity. Confocal microscopy analysis revealed that 1. PTZ increased the number of CD45+ and double-immunofluorescence staining for CD45 and IgG cells in the cerebral cortex, indicating BBB leakage with leukocyte infiltration; 2. while LTD4 (6 pmol) potentiated, montelukast decreased the effect of PTZ on leukocyte migration and BBB, assessed by double-immunofluorescence staining for CD45 and IgG cells in the cannulated hemisphere. Our data do not allow us ruling out that mechanisms unrelated and related to BBB protection may co-exist, resulting in decreased seizure susceptibility by montelukast. Notwithstanding, they suggest that CysLT1 receptors may be a suitable target for anticonvulsant development.

[Successful treatment of an equine sarcoid. Case report on a combined surgical and photodynamic therapy]. / Erfolgreiche Behandlung eines rezidivierenden equinen Sarkoids. Fallbericht einer kombinierten chirurgischen und photodynamischen Therapie.

The case report describes the surgical and photodynamic treatment (PDT) of an equine sarcoid in a 6-year-old gelding. A mass on the ventral prepuce, several tumours on the lateral aspect of the prepuce and one sarcoid on the front aspect of the chest were treated. For PDT, Temoporfin (Fospeg® Biolitec AG, Jena) at a concentration of 0.15mg/ml was injected locally. The subsequent irradiation was performed using a red-light laser (652nm) with an energy density of 10J/cm². The mass on the ventral aspect of the prepuce and some of the lateral tumours displayed total remission. The remaining tumours decreased in size or stopped growing.

Simultaneous recordings from two physiologically different types of relay neurons, mitral cells and ruffed cells, in the olfactory bulb of goldfish.

Anatomical differences characterizing mitral cells and ruffed cells were published by Kosaka and Hama in three teleost species. Physiological responses from both different types of relay neurons were recorded extracellularly and simultaneously in the plexiform layer using a single tungsten microelectrode. During interstimulus intervals mitral cells responded with higher, frequently burst-like impulse rates triggered by the activity of epithelial receptor neurons. The mitral cell activity could be totally suppressed during local anesthesia of the olfactory epithelium. Ruffed cell impulse rates were low, and each action potential triggered a long-lasting (3-5 ms), continuously variable, summed up granule cell potential. In contrast to mitral cells, blockade of epithelial receptor cells significantly increased the activity of ruffed cells. I.e., the ruffed cells, which have no input from the olfactory epithelium, are spontaneously active, and are laterally inhibited by granule cells activated by mitral cells. During olfactory stimulation contrasting interactions between mitral cells and ruffed cells resulting in a drastic intensification of centrally transmitted information, frequently were recorded. An excitation of mitral cells activity via granule cells laterally inhibited the ruffed cells activity, and an inhibition of mitral cells activity simultaneously "released" an excitation of ruffed cells. This is the first physiological determination of different types of relay neurons in the olfactory bulb of fish.