Evaluation of the prevalence and onset of lung lesions and their impact on growth of lambs.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence and temporal onset of lung lesions in lambs and the impact of lung lesions on growth of affected lambs. ANIMALS: 259 crossbred wether lambs from a single flock in the upper Midwestern United States. PROCEDURE: An observational study was conducted. Lambs born in the spring and fall were slaughtered at finished weight or at a predetermined time point. Lungs of each lamb were examined and classified as normal, moderate lesions (consolidation > 5% but < or = 50% of any lobe), or severe lesions (consolidation > 50% of any lobe). Data were examined to detect effects of prevalence or severity of lung lesions on growth and carcass traits. RESULTS: 57 of 89 (64%) spring-born lambs had lung lesions characterized by consolidation of lung tissue. A small number of lambs had pulmonary adhesions or active abscesses. In contrast, only 31 of 108 (29%) fall-born lambs had lung lesions. Severe lung lesions were associated with a significant reduction in average daily gain. Severe lung lesions were not detected until the middle of the finishing period and were associated with culture of Mannheimia haemolytica or Pasteurella multocida. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Analysis of results indicates that the prevalence of severe lung lesions can be quite high in lambs. Severe lung lesions can lead to greatly decreased growth performance of lambs.

Evaluation of Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) corn on mouse testicular development by dual parameter flow cytometry.

The health safety of Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) corn (Zea mays L.) was studied using mouse testes as a sensitive biomonitor of potential toxic effects. Pregnant mice were fed a Bt corn or a nontransgenic (conventional) diet during gestation and lactation. After they were weaned, young male mice were maintained on the respective diets. At 8, 16, 26, 32, 63, and 87 days after birth, three male mice and an adult reference mouse were killed, the testes were surgically removed, and the percentage of germ cell populations was measured by flow cytometry. Multigenerational studies were conducted in the same manner. There were no apparent differences in percentages of testicular cell populations (haploid, diploid, and tetraploid) between the mice fed the Bt corn diet and those fed the conventional diet. Because of the high rate of cell proliferation and extensive differentiation that makes testicular germ cells highly susceptible to some toxic agents, it was concluded that the Bt corn diet had no measurable or observable effect on fetal, postnatal, pubertal, or adult testicular development. If data from this study were extrapolated to humans, Bt corn is not harmful to human reproductive development.

A generational study of glyphosate-tolerant soybeans on mouse fetal, postnatal, pubertal and adult testicular development.

The health safety of transgenic soybeans (glyphosate-tolerant or Roundup Ready) was studied using the mammalian testis (mouse model) as a sensitive biomonitor of potential toxic effects. Pregnant mice were fed a transgenic soybean or a non-transgenic (conventional) diet through gestation and lactation. After weaning, the young male mice were maintained on the respective diets. At 8, 16, 26, 32, 63 and 87 days after birth, three male mice and an adult reference mouse were killed, the testes surgically removed, and the cell populations measured by flow cytometry. Multi-generational studies were conducted in the same manner. The results showed that the transgenic foodstuffs had no effect on macromolecular synthesis or cell growth and differentiation as evidenced by no differences in the percentages of testicular cell populations (haploid, diploid, and tetraploid) between the transgenic soybean-fed mice and those fed the conventional diet. Additionally, there were no differences in litter sizes and body weights of the two groups. It was concluded that the transgenic soybean diet had no negative effect on fetal, postnatal, pubertal or adult testicular development.