Use of body measurements and serum metabolites to estimate the nutritional status of mallards wintering in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley, USA.

We collected mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) from bottomland hardwood habitats on the Bayou Meto Wildlife Management Area and the White River National Wildlife Refuge, Arkansas County, Arkansas during the winter of 1990 to 1991 to determine if measures of physiological condition could be predicted from structural size, serum metabolite levels, or from direct measures of carcass composition. Serum triglyceride levels were correlated (r = 0.57, P = 0.007) with total body fat in males and slightly increased the value (from R2 = 0.64 to 0.76) of intact body mass alone for predicting total body fat in males. Overall, however, serum metabolites appeared to be poor indicators of the magnitude of nutrient masses in mallards. Three potential indices of nutritional status were developed from carcass composition data: protein/total ash, fat/ total ash, and fat/fat-free body mass. Protein masses of male mallards changed over winter (P = 0.02). Consequently, fat-free masses are not constant and represent poor indicators of structural size for mallards wintering in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley.

A pathogenic challenge model for adult northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) using a vaccine strain of Pasteurella multocida type 3.

A pathogenic challenge model causing approximately 50% mortality was developed in adult Northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) using Avichol, a live vaccine containing the Clemson University (CU) strain of Pasteurella multocida Type 3. A dose of 2300 or 3000 colony-forming units (CFU) of Avichol injected intramuscularly resulted in 30 to 75% mortality, whereas a dose of 230 CFU or less resulted in no mortality, and 58,720 CFU or more resulted in death in all birds challenged. Primary and secondary vaccination of Northern bobwhite with a formalinized anaculture of Avichol -derived P. multocida resulted in protection against challenge in three separate experiments. Dexamethasone treatment of birds during vaccination resulted in decreased protection against challenge exposure.

Avian heterophils and monocytes: phagocytic and bactericidal activities against Salmonella enteritidis.

The ability of heterophils and monocytes from domestic chickens and turkeys to phagocytize and kill Salmonella enteritidis (SE) was investigated using both a standard plate count (chickens only) and direct microscopic examination by staining with acridine orange (both chickens and turkeys). Optimal phagocytosis of SE by both chicken and turkey phagocytes required opsonization of the bacteria by antibodies as determined by both assays. However, heterophils from both the turkeys and chickens phagocytized more SE than did monocytes from either type of fowl. Regardless of the presence or absence of antibodies, heterophils were more efficient bactericidal cells than were the monocytes since only heterophils killed the intracellular bacteria while the majority of nonopsonized SE survived in the monocytes. Phagocytosis of SE did not result in an increase in the amount of superoxide anion released by the heterophils suggesting that the ultimate fate of the bacteria in these cells was not related to an oxygen-dependent mechanism.

Serum enzymes as indicators of capture myopathy in mallards (Anas platyrhynchos).

Serum concentrations of the enzymes creatine kinase (CK) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were measured in captive and wild mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) as indicators of muscle damage. Baseline values for both enzymes were determined from six captive male mallards. During winter 1990 to 1991, six diets (including controls) representative of food available in the Mississippi alluvial valley were fed to captive female mallards housed in an outdoor aviary at the White River National Wildlife Refuge, Arkansas County, Arkansas (USA). Controlled handling of penned mallards resulted in elevated serum CK (means = 1,352 IU/liter; SD = 1,212) and AST (means = 101 IU/liter; SD = 95) concentrations consistent with myopathies. These serum enzyme elevations were not affected (P > 0.3) by dietary selenium concentrations in the six diets or by energy malnutrition suffered by birds fed soybeans. Capture of wild mallards with an entanglement type rocket net resulted in serum CK and AST concentrations (means = 12,035 and 330 IU/liter; SD = 8,125 and 171, respectively) that were higher (P < 0.001) than those reported after capture with an enveloping type rocket net. Baseline values, controlled handling values, and entanglement rocket net values for serum CK and AST all differed (P < 0.0001).

Preliminary findings of alterations in serum alkaline phosphatase activity in chickens during coccidial infections.

Two-week-old broiler chickens were inoculated orally with various doses of avian Eimeria that infect different sections of the intestine. The coccidia used were E. acervulina (duodenum), E. maxima (jejunum), E. brunetti (ileum) and E. tenella (caecum). The measurements evaluated were weight gains, intestinal lesion scores and changes in serum alkaline phosphatase (SAP) activity 6 days after infection. SAP activity was inversely proportional to both oocyst dose and gross intestinal lesion score, and directly proportional to weight gains with infections of E. acervulina, E. maxima and E. tenella. However, no significant changes in the SAP activity were found in those birds infected with E. brunetti. Taken together, the data suggest that SAP activity may be a sensitive marker of the pathogenesis of certain coccidial infections, especially in the duodenum, jejunum and caecum, that may be used as an additional factor in evaluating coccidial control measures.

Adjuvant chemotherapy with fluorouracil, doxorubicin, and cyclophosphamide, with or without Bacillus Calmette-Guerin and with or without irradiation in operable breast cancer. A prospective randomized trial.

Between May 1977 and April 1980, 238 patients with operable breast cancer were treated with adjuvant fluorouracil, doxorubicin, and cyclophosphamide (FAC) chemotherapy. All patients were randomized to receive FAC alone or FAC with nonspecific immunotherapy with Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine. A randomization for routine postoperative irradiation was included in the study in May 1978. At the median follow-up of 33 months, 53 patients had developed recurrent disease. Up to the present time, there have been no significant differences in the disease-free survival of patients treated with FAC alone from those treated with FAC + BCG (P = 0.21). The disease-free survival for patients treated with and without routine postoperative irradiation was similar (P = 0.99). Disease-free survival of premenopausal and postmenopausal women was similar. The overall estimate of disease-free survival was 72% at 3 years.

Treatment of advanced breast cancer with aminoglutethimide after therapy with tamoxifen.

Thirty-eight metastatic breast cancer patients were treated with aminoglutethimide. All patients had progressive metastatic disease following initial response to Tamoxifen therapy. Thirty-two patients were evaluable for response, of these, two patients (6%) had complete remission, 13 patients (41%) had partial response, and six patients (19%) had stable disease. Eleven patients (34%) had progressive disease. The most common side effects were transient skin rash, lethargy or dizziness. Four patients' (11%) treatment was discontinued because of either skin rash or dizziness within the first two weeks of the study. These data show that aminoglutethimide is an effective agent following tamoxifen therapy.

Aminoglutethimide after tamoxifen therapy in advanced breast cancer: M. D. Anderson Hospital experience.

Forty-six patients with progressive metastatic disease following initial response to tamoxifen therapy were treated with aminoglutethimide. Three patients (6%) achieved complete remission, 15 patients (33%) had partial response, and eight patients (17%) had stable disease. Twenty patients (44%) had progressive disease. The most common side effects were transient skin rash, lethargy, or dizziness. In four patients (7%), treatment was discontinued because of undesirable side effects within the first 2 weeks of the study. These data show that aminoglutethimide is an effective agent following tamoxifen therapy.

AMSA and peptichemio in the treatment of advances metastatic breast cancer: a phase II study.

A combination of AMSA and peptichemio was evaluated in patients with advanced breast cancer refractory to conventional chemotherapy. Of 33 evaluable patients, five patients (15%) achieved partial remission, two patients (6%) had less-than-partial remission, nine patients (27%) had stable disease, and seventeen patients (52%) had progressive disease. The median duration of response was 6 months (range: 3-8 months). The median duration of stable disease was 5 months (range: 2-7 months). Myelosuppression was the dose-limiting toxicity. This combination of AMSA and peptichemio did not result in an improved response rate or duration of remission compared to the previous experience with single-agent therapy with either of these agents.

Effect of timing of initiation of adjuvant chemotherapy on disease-free survival in breast cancer.

Four hundred and sixty patients with stage II or III breast cancer following regional therapy were treated with an adjuvant combination chemotherapy consisting of fluorouracil, doxorubicin, and cyclophosphamide (FAC). The relationship between the length of disease-free survival and length of delays in initiation of chemotherapy after surgery was evaluated. Patients were divided into four subgroups according to the length of delay in initiation of chemotherapy (less than 10 weeks, 10-13, 14-17, and greater than or equal to 18 weeks). Overall four year disease-free survival was 64%, 68%, 60%, and 63% for patient groups with delays of less than 10 weeks, 10-13, 14-17, or greater than or equal to 18 weeks respectively (p = 0.39). There was no trend for longer delay in treatment to be associated with shorter disease-free survival, except in poor prognosis patients.

Phase II study of 4'-(9-acridinylamino) methanesulfon-m- anisidide (AMSA) in metastatic melanoma.

A phase II study of AMSA in previously treated patients with metastatic malignant melanoma was conducted. The dose schedule of AMSA was 40 mg/m2/day for 3 days repeated at 3-week intervals. Among the 30 evaluable patients, one achieved a complete response, one a partial response, and four had minor responses. Side effects included mild nausea and vomiting and moderate degree of myelosuppression. AMSA has poor activity against previously treated metastatic melanoma.

Liver disease in Papua New Guinea.

This paper gives, in detail, the causes of either liver disease or hepatomegaly in 100 patients, mostly adults, admitted to the medical wards of Angau Memorial Hospital, Lae, during 1968 and 1969. The major findings included liver cell carcinoma, cirrhosis (often with chronic active hepatitis), tropical splenomegaly, pericholangitis and hepatitis. There were 27 with miscellaneous findings including ten with normal, or almost normal, livers despite the definite enlargement. Patients with liver cell carcinoma presented late in the course of their illness and had a poor prognosis. Others, with pericholangitis, had clinical features of portal hypertension indistinguishable from that complicated cirrhosis. There was an unexpected number with chronic active hepatitis and a liver biopsy is essential for such a diagnosis. Hepatic sinusoidal lymphocytosis is almost invariably found in patients with TS but may occasionally be found in those with a non-palpable spleen. Patients with right heart failure of chronic respiratory disease, and jaundice of acute pneumonia were excluded from the study.