Bacteriology
Failure of oral E. coli O83 lipopolysaccharide to influence intestinal
morphology and cell proliferation in rats: Short communication. György Illyés, Krisztina Kovács, Béla
Kocsis and Károly Baintner
..... 1
Salmonella Genomic Island 1 (SGI1) and genetic
characteristics of animal and food isolates of Salmonella Typhimurium DT104 in Hungary. Péter Zsolt Fekete and Béla Nagy ..... 5
Distribution and genetic relatedness of
vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) isolated from healthy slaughtered chickens in Hungary from 2001 to 2004. Ágoston Ghidán, Éva J. Kaszanyitzky, Orsolya
Dobay, Károly Nagy, Sebastian G. B. Amyes and Ferenc Rozgonyi ..... 13
Atrophic rhinitis vaccine composition
triggers different serological profiles that do not correlate with protection. Tibor Magyar, Tamás Donkó and Ferenc Kovács ..... 27
Nutrition
Effects of high dietary molybdenum in rabbits. András Bersényi, Erzsébet
Berta, István Kádár, Róbert Glávits, Mihály Szilágyi and Sándor György
Fekete ..... 41
Effect
of various dietary fat supplementations on liver lipid and glycogen of high-yielding dairy
cows in the peripartal period. Roland G. Karcagi, Tibor
Gaál, László Wágner and Ferenc Husvéth
..... 57
Physiology
and physiological chemistry
Further evidence for the involvement of anatomical parameters
of the cardiopulmonary system in the development of ascites syndrome in broiler chickens. Mohammad Hassanzadeh, Johan Buyse and Eddy Decuypere ..... 71
Parasitology
Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum infection of cats in Hungary. Sándor Hornok, Renate Edelhofer, Anja Joachim, Róbert Farkas, Krisztián
Berta, Attila Répási and Béla Lakatos ..... 81
Pathology
Application of anti-BCG antibody for
rapid immunohistochemical detection of bacteria, fungi and protozoa in formalin-fixed
paraffin-embedded tissue samples. Levente Szeredi, Róbert Glávits, Miklós Tenk and Szilárd Jánosi
..... 89
Proliferative and necrotising pneumonia
and severe vascular lesions in pigs naturally infected with porcine circovirus type 2. Levente Szeredi and Csaba Szentirmai ..... 101
Feline vaccine-associated fibrosarcoma
induced by aluminium compound in two cats: Short communication. Zoltán Deim, Nimród Pálmai and Gábor Cserni ..... 111
Immunohistochemical distribution of alpha
B-crystallin in the cerebellum of dogs infected with canine distemper virus. Tolga Guvenc, Murat Yarim, Mustafa Yavuz
Gulbahar and Yonca B. Kabak ..... 117
Reproduction
Melengestrol acetate as a tool for inducing early ovulation in
transitional mares. Consuelo López-Bayghen, Heidy Zozaya,
Luis Ocampo, Gordon W. Brumbaugh and Héctor Sumano ..... 125
Acrosomal
and viability status of bovine spermatozoa evaluated by two staining methods. Jana Jankovičová, Michal Simon, Jana Antalíková and Ľubica Horovská ..... 133
Virology
Detection and analysis of porcine circovirus type 1 in
Hungarian wild boars: Short communication. Attila Cságola,
István Kiss and Tamás Tuboly ..... 139
FAILURE OF ORAL E. COLI
O83 LIPOPOLYSACCHARIDE TO INFLUENCE INTESTINAL MORPHOLOGY AND CELL PROLIFERATION IN RATS:
SHORT COMMUNICATION
György Illyés1,
Krisztina Kovács2, Béla Kocsis2 and Károly Baintner3,1
12nd Department of
Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary; 2Department
of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Pécs, Pécs,
Hungary; 3Department of Physiology, Faculty of Animal Science, University of
Kaposvár, H-7401 Kaposvár, P.O. Box 16, Hungary
(Received 31 March 2007; accepted 6
September 2007)
It is known that bacterial
lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is not absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract in significant
quantities. However, the question remained whether oral LPS modified the structure or
function of the gut. In the present experiment Escherichia
coli O83 LPS was administered to growing rats in repeated oral doses of 400 mg/kg body
weight (b. w.), every 8 h. After three days of treatment, morphometric and histochemical
examinations of the small intestine did not show significant differences between treated
and control rats. It is concluded that repeated oral administration of high doses of E. coli O83 LPS had no demonstrable effect on
intestinal structure and cell proliferation in a rat model.
Key
words: Lipopolysaccharide, small intestine, absorption, morphometry, rat, Ki67, AgNOR,
TUNEL
SALMONELLA GENOMIC
ISLAND 1 (SGI1) AND GENETIC CHARACTERISTICS OF ANIMAL AND FOOD ISOLATES OF SALMONELLA TYPHIMURIUM DT104 IN HUNGARY
Péter Zsolt Fekete and Béla Nagy
Veterinary Medical Research
Institute of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, H-1143 Budapest, Hungária
krt. 21, Hungary
(Received 4 August 2007; accepted 6
September 2007)
To study the genetic
characteristics of DT104 strains of Salmonella
Typhimurium and the prevalence of Salmonella Genomic Island (SGI1) in Hungary, 140 recent Salmonella strains of food and animal origin were
examined. For the first time in Hungary,
the SGI1 was found in 17 out of 59 S. Typhimurium
isolates (all proven to be DT104 phage type). These 17 strains were then subtyped by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) into 6
pulsotypes which were less correlated with the
geographic origin than with the animal species of origin.
Key
words: Multidrug resistance, DT104, genomic
island, SGI1, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), Salmonella Typhimurium
Corresponding
author; E-mail: fekete@vmri.hu; Fax: 0036 (1) 467-4076
DISTRIBUTION
AND GENETIC RELATEDNESS OF VANCOMYCIN-RESISTANT ENTEROCOCCI (VRE) ISOLATED FROM HEALTHY
SLAUGHTERED CHICKENS IN HUNGARY FROM 2001 TO 2004
Ágoston Ghidán1, Éva J. Kaszanyitzky2, Orsolya Dobay1, Károly Nagy1, Sebastian G. B. Amyes3 and Ferenc Rozgonyi1
1Institute of Medical
Microbiology, Semmelweis University, H-1089 Budapest, Nagyvárad tér 4, Hungary; 2Central Veterinary Institute,
Budapest, Hungary; 3Centre for Infectious Diseases, University of Edinburgh,
Scotland, United Kingdom
(Received 4 December 2006; accepted 6
September 2007)
The presence of the vanA gene was determined in enterococci from
healthy poultry, originating from the Hungarian resistance monitoring system between 2001
and 2004. Enterococci (n = 562) were collected from intestinal samples of slaughtered
broiler chickens. The presence of van genes was
detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The vancomycin-resistant enterococcus (VRE)
strains carried only the vanA gene. Genus- and
species-level identification of the vanA gene
carrier strains was carried out by PCR using specific primers. In 2001, 25 out of the 289
isolated strains (8.6%) were vanA carriers (1 Enterococcus mundtii, 13 E. durans and 11 E. faecium). In 2002 (n = 87), 20 (23%) strains
were vanA positive (11 E. durans and 9 E. faecium). In 2003 and 2004, none of the strains
(n = 95 and 91, respectively) were positive for the most common van genes. In 2003, there was only one strain for
which higher minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of vancomycin (4 mg/L) and
teicoplanin (8 mg/L) were found. In 2004 there were three strains for which the MIC of
vancomycin was 8 mg/L, and 2 strains and 1 strain with teicoplanin MICs of 4 mg/L and
8 mg/L, respectively. The potential similarity of these strains was studied by
pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). The VRE strains were not closely related to one
another. The annual data of vancomycin resistance indicate an association between the
recovery of vancomycin-resistant enterococci and the use of avoparcin in animal feeds.
This study indicates that with the reduced use of antibiotics in food animals, it is
possible to decrease the rate of resistant bacteria. Although the use of avoparcin had
been banned in 1998, the VRE strains disappeared only five years later.
Key
words: Enterococcus, VRE, vanA gene, E.
durans, E. faecium, MIC
Corresponding
author; E-mail: ghiago@net.sote.hu; Fax: 0036 (1) 210-2930/6317; Phone: 0036 (1)
210-2930/6320
ATROPHIC
RHINITIS VACCINE COMPOSITION TRIGGERS DIFFERENT SEROLOGICAL PROFILES THAT DO NOT CORRELATE
WITH PROTECTION
Tibor Magyar1,
Tamás Donkó2 and Ferenc Kovács3
1Veterinary Medical
Research Institute of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, H-1581 Budapest, P.O. Box 18,
Hungary; 2Institute of Diagnostic Imaging and Radiation Oncology, Kaposvár University, Kaposvár, Hungary;
3Schlangenbad, Germany
(Received 6 August 2007; accepted 6
September 2007)
Atrophic rhinitis (AR)
is a widespread and economically important disease of swine caused by Bordetella bronchiseptica and Pasteurella multocida. It can be controlled by
vaccination. This study investigates the effect of altering the composition (adjuvants
and/or addition of formalin-inactivated P. multocida
toxin, fPMT) of conventional vaccines on the serological profile and on protection against
AR in swine. A significantly higher B.
bronchiseptica specific antibody titre was detected for vaccines with novel
immunostimulants, the best being Montanide IMS 1313 (1:630 compared to 1:274 obtained with
alum). The highest B. bronchiseptica antibody
titre was demonstrated for a combination of B.
bronchiseptica – fPMT, while PMT antibody titre was highest for monovalent fPMT
(both adjuvanted with IMS 1313). The AR-specific antibodies were transmitted from dams to
their offspring in similar titres and with the same hierarchy of effectiveness. After a B. bronchiseptica – P. multocida bacterial challenge, piglets from dams
vaccinated with fPMT combined with B.
bronchiseptica or B. bronchiseptica – P. multocida bacterins showed the lowest nasal
lesions scores (4.5 and 3.2, respectively, out of a possible maximum score of 18). These
combinations, both of which were adjuvanted with IMS 1313, gave the best protection
against experimentally induced AR. Our results show that the adjuvant and the antigen
composition of the vaccine strongly affect seroconversion, and that the AR-specific
antibody titre does not necessarily correlate with the degree of protection.
Key
words: Atrophic rhinitis, Bordetella
bronchiseptica, Pasteurella multocida,
toxin, swine
EFFECTS
OF HIGH DIETARY MOLYBDENUM IN RABBITS
András Bersényi1, Erzsébet Berta1, István Kádár2, Róbert Glávits3, Mihály Szilágyi4 and
Sándor György Fekete1
1Department of Animal
Breeding, Nutrition and Laboratory Animal Science, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Szent
István University, H-1400 Budapest, P.O. Box 2, Hungary; 2Research Institute for Soil Science and
Agricultural Chemistry of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary; 3Central
Veterinary Institute, Budapest, Hungary; 4Research Institute of Animal Breeding
and Nutrition, Herceghalom, Hungary
(Received 24 October 2006; accepted 6
September 2007)
To study the effects of
high dietary molybdenum (Mo) content, rabbits were fed with commercial pellets and carrots
containing 39 mg Mo/kg dry matter (DM) [Experiment 1] and with a commercial diet
supplemented with 40 mg Mo/kg DM [Experiment 2] for 14 days. The high dietary Mo contents
failed to reduce the growth performance of rabbits. Moreover, supplemental Mo given in a
dose of 40 mg/kg non-significantly decreased the apparent digestibility of crude protein
(CP) and crude fibre (CF) compared to the control (73.63 ± 2.49 and 18.56 ± 5.10 vs.
74.31 ± 3.03 and 21.38 ± 6.48, respectively). Molybdenum ingested with feeds was mainly
excreted (57%) via the urine. The highest Mo levels were found in kidney and liver samples (3.464 ± 0.872; 5.27 ± 0.95 mg/kg DM
[Experiment 1] and 1.878 ± 0.283; 1.62 ± 0.16 mg/kg DM [Experiment 2],
respectively), and Mo could also be detected in limb meat (0.336 ± 0.205 mg/kg DM). It
was stated that the testes were more sensitive to Mo exposure than the female reproductive
organs because the number of germ cells was reduced. Due to the high dietary Mo intake
free radicals could be generated, resulting in a marked increase of creatine kinase (CK)
activity.
Key
words: Molybdenum, rabbit, biochemical parameters, testis, liver, kidney
EFFECT
OF VARIOUS DIETARY FAT SUPPLEMENTATIONS ON LIVER LIPID AND GLYCOGEN OF HIGH-YIELDING DAIRY
COWS IN THE PERIPARTAL PERIOD
Roland G. Karcagi1, Tibor Gaál2, László Wágner1 and Ferenc Husvéth1
1Department of Animal
Science and Production, Georgikon Faculty, University of Pannonia, H-8360 Keszthely, Deák
F. u. 16, Hungary; 2Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary
Science, Szent István University, Budapest, Hungary
(Received 20 February 2007; accepted 6 September 2007)
In a model experiment,
Holstein-Friesian dairy cows were fed on a corn-silage-based diet supplemented with 11.75
MJ NEl per day of calcium soaps of palm oil fatty acids (CAS) or hydrogenated
triglyceride (HTG) or without fat supplementation (control). All diets were fed to the
cows over a period from 21 ± 3 days (d) prior to the expected calving to d 100 ± 5
postpartum. On d 25 (basal sample) and d 14 prepartum as well as on d 5 and 25 postpartum
liver samples were collected by percutaneous biopsy. Total lipid content, fatty acid
composition and glycogen of liver tissues were determined. At d 5 postpartum, both control
and CAS cows had higher liver lipid (P < 0.05) and lower glycogen (P < 0.05)
concentrations than cows in the HTG group. No significant (P < 0.05) differences were
detected in liver fat content among the groups at d 14 prepartum or d 25 postpartum. The
glycogen concentration slightly decreased in the liver of cows in each treatment group
from d 14 prepartum to d 5 postpartum; however, this decrease was more intensive in both
the control and CAS groups than in the HTG group. The variations in liver lipid
concentrations were accompanied by significant changes in the proportion of C16:0,
C16:1n-7, C18:0, C18:1n-9, C18:2n-6 and C20:4n-6 fatty acids in the liver lipids. The
results show that HTG supplementation exerted more advantageous effects on liver lipid and
glycogen metabolism than did CAS supplementation.
Key
words: Dairy cows, fatty liver, dietary
fats, liver lipids, fatty acids, glycogen
FURTHER
EVIDENCE FOR THE INVOLVEMENT OF ANATOMICAL PARAMETERS OF THE CARDIOPULMONARY SYSTEM IN THE
DEVELOPMENT OF ASCITES SYNDROME IN BROILER CHICKENS
Mohammad Hassanzadeh1, Johan
Buyse2 and Eddy Decuypere2
1Department of Clinical
Science, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, P.O. Box 14155-6453 Tehran,
Iran; 2Laboratory for Physiology, Immunology and Genetics of Domestic Animals,
Catholic University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
(Received 2 April 2007; accepted 6
September 2007)
Eggs from a broiler line
were incubated at two different altitudes and hatched. Relative heart and lung weights,
volumes of the heart, lung and thoracic cavity, incidence of right ventricular hypertrophy
and ascites, and related physiological parameters were followed in the day-old chickens
hatched from the above eggs. Lung and heart weights as a percentage of body weight, lung
and heart volumes relative to the volume of the thoracic cavity after removing the heart
and lungs were higher in chickens hatched at high altitude. Additionally, embryonic
triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) levels relative to cardiopulmonary parameters
were higher in day-old chickens that hatched at high altitude as compared with chickens
hatched at low altitude. This was associated with a lower incidence of right ventricular
hypertrophy and ascites in chickens hatched at high altitude. Our data indicate that
chronic hypoxia interacting with the endogenous functions of embryos during embryonic
development at high altitude, as adaptation mechanisms, changed the developmental
trajectories of cardiopulmonary parameters in postnatal chickens. This important
development facilitates an increase in the gas exchange area in broiler chickens, thus lowering their susceptibility to pulmonary
hypertension and ascites.
Key
words: Ascites, anatomical parameters, cardiopulmonary systems, broiler chickens
SEROPREVALENCE
OF TOXOPLASMA GONDII AND NEOSPORA CANINUM INFECTION OF CATS IN HUNGARY
Sándor Hornok1,
Renate Edelhofer2, Anja Joachim2, Róbert Farkas1,
Krisztián Berta3, Attila Répási4 and Béla Lakatos5
1Department of
Parasitology and Zoology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Szent István University, H-1078
Budapest, István u. 2, Hungary; 2Department of Pathobiology, Institute of
Parasitology and Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria; 3Pestimre
Pet Ambulance, Budapest, Hungary; 4Clinic for Large Animals, Faculty of
Veterinary Science, Szent István University, Üllő, Hungary; 5Clinic and
Laboratory for Feline Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
(Received 25 April 2007; accepted 6
September 2007)
Blood samples were
collected from 330 cats in Hungary in
order to evaluate their seroconversion to Toxoplasma
gondii and Neospora caninum using the
indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT). The overall prevalence of toxoplasmosis was
47.6%, the prevalence being 22.4% among urban, 50% among suburban and 61.3% among rural
animals. Significantly more cats had high IFAT titres (1:640 to 1:5120) in the
countryside. Female cats were more frequently infected with T. gondii than males (53.3% vs. 39.3%), and
seropositivity increased with the age of animals. The prevalence (0.6%) and titre (1:40) of antibodies to N. caninum
was low. Sixty-two cats were also screened for seroconversion to feline infectious
peritonitis (FIP) virus. Higher titres to T.
gondii were more frequently detected among FIP-positive cats, but this difference was
non-significant due to the small number of cats with concurrent infection.
Key words: Toxoplasma
gondii, Neospora caninum, FIP, cats,
seroprevalence
APPLICATION OF ANTI-BCG ANTIBODY
FOR RAPID IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL DETECTION OF BACTERIA, FUNGI AND PROTOZOA IN FORMALIN-FIXED
PARAFFIN-EMBEDDED TISSUE SAMPLES
Levente Szeredi, Róbert Glávits, Miklós Tenk and Szilárd Jánosi
Central Agricultural Office,
Veterinary Diagnostic Directorate, H-1149 Budapest, Tábornok u. 2, Hungary
(Received 4 December 2006; accepted 19
April 2007)
The applicability of an
anti-Mycobacterium bovis (BCG) antibody-based immunohistochemistry (IHC) procedure
was investigated using everyday veterinary pathological samples collected from 13
different animal species. Fifty-one formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissue samples
were selected for this study. Forty, 4 and 7 tissue samples contained different species of
bacteria, fungi and protozoa, respectively. Three serial sections were prepared in each
case. Two sections were pre-treated with enzyme and heat, respectively, while the last
section was not pre-treated. In seven cases the sensitivity of histochemical staining
(HSM), IHC and bacteriological culture were compared. Heating of the sections in a
microwave oven was the most effective method in the case of almost all pathogens used.
Strong or moderate positive reactions were observed for 26 bacterial species, all fungal
and 2 protozoal species, while weak reactions occurred for 2 bacterial and 1 protozoal
species. Only 4 protozoal and 12 bacterial species, including Leptospira and all
the five Mycoplasma species examined, showed no reaction in this test. IHC had
almost the same sensitivity as bacteriological culture and was more sensitive than HSM.
The IHC method presented here should be preferred to HSM as a general screening tool in
cases where pathological lesions suspicious for
infections are evident and no microorganism can be cultured in vitro or only formalin-fixed tissue samples
are available for the laboratory examination.
Key
words: Anti-BCG antibody, bacteria, fungi, protozoa, immunohistochemistry
PROLIFERATIVE
AND NECROTISING PNEUMONIA AND SEVERE VASCULAR LESIONS IN PIGS NATURALLY INFECTED WITH
PORCINE CIRCOVIRUS TYPE 2
Levente Szeredi1 and
Csaba Szentirmai2
1Central Agricultural
Office, Veterinary Diagnostic Directorate, H-1149 Budapest, Tábornok u. 2, Hungary;
2Veterinary Practitioner, Komárom, Hungary
(Received 10 April 2007; accepted 6
September 2007)
Severe disease induced
by porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) was observed in three pigs originating from a large
herd affected by respiratory and digestive signs as well as wasting. Proliferative and
necrotising pneumonia (PNP) was diagnosed in two animals, while severe acute interstitial
pneumonia characterised by the presence of abundant hyaline membrane in the alveoli and
fibrin in the bronchioles was found in one pig. In all cases, large amounts of PCV2
antigen were found in each tissue sample collected from the lungs and mediastinal lymph
nodes. Neither porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) nor swine
influenza virus (SIV) was detected, and no bacteria could be cultured in any of the cases.
Vascular lesions, e.g. degeneration of endothelial cells, perivascular and intramural
oedema, fibrinoid necrosis, vasculitis, perivasculitis, and vascular thrombi were observed
in all cases, associated with the presence of PCV2 antigen. The viral antigen was present
in the intravascular mononuclear cells, endothelial cells, myocytes and infiltrating
inflammatory cells in lymph and blood vessels. In one case, obliterating thrombi in the
lymph and blood vessels were directly connected to areas of tissue necrosis and were
associated with abundant PCV2 antigen. The results further suggest the causative role of
PCV2 infection in PNP, and the importance of the vascular system in the pathogenesis of
PCV2-associated diseases of swine.
Key
words: Swine, proliferative and necrotising pneumonia, vascular lesions, porcine
circovirus type 2
FELINE
VACCINE-ASSOCIATED FIBROSARCOMA INDUCED BY ALUMINIUM COMPOUND IN TWO CATS: SHORT
COMMUNICATION
Zoltán Deim1,
Nimród Pálmai2 and Gábor Cserni3
1Department of Mammal
Pathology, 2Department of Histology, Central Agricultural Office, Veterinary
Diagnostic Directorate, H-1149 Budapest, Tábornok u. 2, Hungary; 3Department
of Surgical Pathology, Bács-Kiskun County Teaching Hospital, Kecskemét, Hungary
(Received 20 June 2006; accepted 19
April 2007)
Two cases of feline
vaccine-associated fibrosarcoma (FVAF) are reported. The excised tumours were both
characterised as well circumscribed, subcutaneous, firm and white with central necrosis.
Histopathologically, they consisted of well-differentiated and variably sized and shaped
anaplastic cells, characterised by marked nuclear and cellular pleomorphism including
giant cells. The mitotic activity was low. Aluminium
was demonstrated in the central necrosis and giant cells. Neoplastic cells were
positive for vimentin and negative for desmin and cytokeratin. The presence of feline
sarcoma virus and feline immunodeficiency virus could not be detected by PCR in either
case.
Key
words: Vaccine-associated fibrosarcoma, cat, aluminium, feline sarcoma
IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL
DISTRIBUTION OF ALPHA B-CRYSTALLIN IN THE CEREBELLUM OF DOGS INFECTED WITH CANINE
DISTEMPER VIRUS
Tolga Guvenc, Murat
Yarim, Mustafa Yavuz Gulbahar and Yonca B. Kabak
Department
of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Ondokuz Mayis, Kurupelit, 55139 Samsun, Turkey
(Received 2 April 2007; accepted 6
September 2007)
The cerebella of 12 dogs
infected with canine distemper virus (CDV) and those of three normal dogs were examined.
The avidin-biotin-peroxidase complex technique was used to detect ?B-crystallin (?B-c)
immunoreactivity and immunolocalisation of the CDV antigen. CDV antigens, immunopositive
astrocytes, oligodendrocytes and granular neurons were seen in both the white and grey
matter of the infected dogs. In the controls, ?B-c immunopositive glial cells were seen
in the white matter and around the Purkinje cells. In dogs with distemper, ?B-c
immunoreactivity was not observed in some of the glial cells around the Purkinje cells. A
significant negative correlation of P < 0.01 level was found between areas of severe
demyelination and the number of ?B-c immunopositive cells in dogs infected with CDV. Such
correlation was not observed between mild and moderate demyelinating areas and ?B-c
immunostaining. The ?B-crystallin/total number of cells ratio was found to be significant
in severely affected demyelinating areas (P < 0.05). These data indicate that there was
a relationship between the degrees of CDV associated with demyelination and the level of
?B-c expression in the glial cells.
Key
words: ?B-crystallin, canine distemper virus, cerebellum, dog, immunohistochemistry
MELENGESTROL
ACETATE AS A TOOL FOR INDUCING EARLY OVULATION IN TRANSITIONAL MARES
Consuelo López-Bayghen1, Heidy Zozaya1, Luis Ocampo1, Gordon W. Brumbaugh2 and Héctor Sumano1
1Department of
Physiology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
and Zootechnics, National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), Av. Universidad 3000,
Coyoacán, Mexico City 04510, Mexico; 2Pfizer Animal Health, Pfizer Inc.,
Wellborn, TX, USA
(Received 26 January 2007; accepted 19
April 2007)
The efficacy of
melengestrol acetate (MGA) to shorten the vernal transition of mares by synchronising and
accelerating the first ovulation of the year after 60 days of phototherapy was determined
by ultrasonographic monitoring. Sixteen mares in late transition were fed two doses of MGA
(150 mg/mare/day and 100 mg/mare/day, respectively) for 10 days. A luteolytic dose of
prostaglandin was administered to each mare one day after the end of MGA treatment. The
presence and duration of oestrus, follicular growth, uterine oedema and presence of
ovulation were monitored by ultrasonography and the cervical tone was evaluated by rectal palpation. Ovulation was detected in
87.5% of the mares treated with 150 mg MGA/mare/day for 10 days, and in 62.5% of the mares
receiving 100 mg MGA/mare/day for 10 days. This was statistically different (P = 0.03)
from the untreated control mares having an ovulation rate of 20%. Mares that received 150
mg MGA/day for 10 days had a mean treatment to ovulation interval of 13.1 ± 5.97 days
after the end of treatment, while mares that received 100 mg MGA/day for 10 days had a
mean of 25.6 ± 10.50 days (P = 0.01) to ovulation. These results suggest that MGA can be
used for synchronising and hastening the first ovulation of the year in mares.
Key
words: Mare, transition, oestrus, ovulation
ACROSOMAL
AND VIABILITY STATUS OF BOVINE SPERMATOZOA EVALUATED BY TWO STAINING METHODS
Jana Jankovičová,
Michal Simon, Jana Antalíková and Ľubica Horovská
Institute
of Animal Biochemistry and Genetics,
Slovak Academy of Sciences, Moyzesova 61, 900 28 Ivanka pri Dunaji, Slovak Republic
(Received 6 March 2007; accepted 6
September 2007)
Artificial insemination
with frozen-thawed spermatozoa is commonly used in cattle breeding. A simple and fast
procedure is needed for routine evaluation of the acrosomal status of frozen-thawed bovine
sperm. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to test two staining procedures used to
determine the viability and integrity of acrosome of frozen-thawed bovine spermatozoa.
Double staining and Hoechst/FITC-Pisum sativum agglutinin
(FITC-PSA) labelling were tested for evaluating the viability and acrosome reaction
induced by calcium ionophore of bull spermatozoa. In our experiments no significant
differences were detected in the frequency of acrosome-reacted sperm either by double
staining (37.98%) or by FITC-PSA labelling (39.33%). The viability of sperm stained by the
double staining method was 67.17%, and a higher portion of viable sperm (82.67%) was
observed by staining with the Hoechst procedure (P < 0.01). On the basis of the results
obtained it is concluded that both methods can be used for detecting the acrosome reaction
of frozen-thawed bovine spermatozoa.
Key
words: Spermatozoa, bull, acrosome reaction, staining method
DETECTION AND
ANALYSIS OF PORCINE CIRCOVIRUS TYPE
1 IN HUNGARIAN WILD BOARS: SHORT COMMUNICATION
Attila Cságola1, István Kiss2 and Tamás Tuboly1
1Department of
Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Szent István
University, H-1143 Budapest, Hungária krt. 23–25, Hungary; 2Department of Microbiology, Veterinary Diagnostic Directorate,
Central Agricultural Office, Debrecen,
Hungary
(Received 9 May 2007; accepted 6
September 2007)
Porcine circovirus type
1 (PCV1) is considered to be a non-pathogenic virus detected in cell cultures, vaccines or
products used for cell culture preparations, all of them of porcine origin. Serological
evidence and genetic studies suggested that PCV1 was widespread in domestic pigs. The
presence of PCV1 in wild boars in Germany was also described using serological methods. This paper reports the first
detection of PCV1 in Hungarian wild boars. Samples were collected at slaughterhouses and
processed for polymerase chain reactions. The complete genome of PCV1 detected in the
samples was determined and compared with the available PCV1 sequences of the GenBank
database. The genomes formed two distinct clusters with minimum differences, where the
Hungarian wild boar PCV1 (WB-H8) grouped together with genomes originating from domestic
swine from China and Australia and with a genome detected in a porcine
pepsin product.
Key
words: Porcine circovirus 1, PCV1, wild boar, phylogenetic study
GenBank Accession No. of the PCV1 reported in this paper: DQ648032
