Serum amyloid A protein in humans and four animal species: a comparison by two dimensional electrophoresis

Two-dimensional electrophoresis and N-terminal analysis were used to study serum amyloid A protein (SAA) from humans, mink, fox, goat and rabbit. Previously uncharacterized SAA variants were demonstrated in fox, goat and rabbit, and considerable interspecies homology was seen. In rabbit, two novel SAAs were characterized, and SAA1 and SAA2 were demonstrated in mink and rabbit sera. The results confirm previous cDNA studies and indicate that SAA do possess an important function also in fox and goat.     

Polymorphic sequence of Korean Native goat lactoferrin exhibiting greater antibacterial activity

Lactoferrin, which exhibits antibacterial activity to protect infants from infectious disease, is a major component of colostrum and milk. Lactoferrin was purified from the colostrum of Korean Native goat, and the cDNA from the mammary gland mRNA of the animal was cloned and sequenced. The nucleotide sequence of the lactoferrin gene of Korean Native goat was found to differ in 15 sites from that of the goat lactoferrin gene reported earlier. This difference in nucleotide sequence resulted in six amino acid substitutions: five in the N-lobe and one in the C-lobe. The antibacterial activity of Korean Native goat lactoferrin was found to be greater than that of Sannen goat lactoferrin.     

Priority during a meningitis epidemic: vaccination or treatment?

The efficacy of medium RPMI-1640 supplemented with either foetal bovine, normal bovine, goat or sheep sera was compared for prolonged in vitro propagation of Theileria annulata (Hisar) schizonts. Medium RPMI-1640 supplemented with 20% foetal bovine serum (standard growth medium) resulted in optimum growth of T. annulata (Hisar) schizonts in vitro. Comparable viability and non-viability counts were observed in growth media supplemented with normal bovine or goat sera. However, viability counts in medium supplemented with sheep serum were significantly lower than that of the standard medium. Mitotic indices of cultures of T. annulata (Hisar) schizonts were directly related to the extent of cell growth and were lower in various growth media supplemented with normal bovine, goat or sheep sera than in that of the standard medium. The results suggested that normal bovine and goat sera could be successfully used in place of foetal bovine serum in the growth medium for long-term in vitro propagation of T. annulata schizonts. The study will help in reducing the cost of large-scale in vitro propagation of T. annulata aimed at mass production of the cell culture vaccine.     

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Role of Doppler echocardiography in the diagnosis and therapeutic approach

The present study was undertaken with the aim to study the role of isologous and heterologous (buffalo) oviductal cell to co-culture on in vitro development of goat embryos. The oocytes were collected by puncturing the goat ovaries obtained from slaughterhouse. The oocyte recovery rate per ovary was 3.0. The media used for oocyte maturation and embryo development was TCM-199 + 10 percent buffalo estrus serum. A total of 79.8 percent oocytes got matured out of 1056 oocytes. The oocytes were inseminated with epididymal buck spermatozoa capacitated in Brackett and Oliphant media. In group I without oviductal cells co-culture only 13.6 percent matured oocytes cleaved and 3.3 and 0.0 percent reached the morula and blastocyst stage. In group II and III having goat and buffalo oviductal cells the cleavage was 57.6 and 59.2 percent respectively. The percentage of morula, blastocyst and those embryos arrested between 2-16 cells were 26.3, 10.2, 63.5 and 26.6, 8.9 and 64.5 in goat and buffalo oviductal cell groups. The results indicated that the oviductal cell co-culture had a marked effect on cleavage and development of goat IVF embryos. Buffalo oviductal cells can be used well for goat embryo development.     

Postoperative infection after transsternal thymectomy for myasthenia gravis: a retrospective analysis of 125 cases

The goat milk lactoperoxidase was purified using CM sephadex C-50 and sephadex G 100. The purity of protein was confirmed by SDS-PAGE. The purified protein was found to have antibacterial action against most of the disease causing bacteria.     

Toxoplasmosis in goats in the Netherlands: a pilot study

A pilot-study was carried out on ten Dutch goat farms to see whether there is a relationship between farm management factors and the occurrence of toxoplasmosis. Questionnaires were used to collect information about farm management factors and blood samples were taken to determine the prevalence of toxoplasmosis on these farms. The mean prevalence was 47% (range 5-90%). The presence of kittens on a farm was a risk factor for a higher prevalence of toxoplasmosis.     

Screening of Soil Amendments for Efficient Water-Holding Capacity Based on a Rainfall-Infiltration Model in a Vertisol

A simulation study was conducted with five soil amendments, viz., goat manure, coir pith, phosphogypsum, polyacrylamide, and a control at two rainfall intensities of 60 and 120?mm?h?1 under dry and wet soil conditions in a clay loam vertisol with the objective of identifying a superior soil amendment for maximum infiltration and suitable soil aggregate stability. The F-test based on analysis of variance of infiltration data indicated that soil amendments, rainfall intensities, and soil conditions were significantly different from each other. Based on least significant difference test, polyacrylamide was found to be superior with a significantly higher infiltration, compared to all other amendments. An exponential model of infiltration over a time interval was calibrated for each soil amendment under dry and wet soil conditions. Based on the model, polyacrylamide and phosphogypsum were found to have a better soil aggregate stability compared to other soil amendments. The exponential model gave a significant predictability of instantaneous infiltration ranging from 0.75 to 0.99 under different situations. A grouping of treatments based on mean and coefficient of variation of infiltration in comparison with soil aggregate stability values indicated that polyacrylamide was superior under different situations in the study. Phosphogypsum was found to be the second best soil amendment with a relatively lower infiltration compared to polyacrylamide, but with a better soil aggregate stability compared to other soil amendments. Coir pith, goat manure, and control gave a significantly lower infiltration with a relatively higher variation compared to polyacrylamide and phosphogypsum, and also had a relatively lower soil aggregate stability under different situations examined in the study.     

Epidemiologic evaluation of encephalitic listeriosis in goats

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate host and environmental factors associated with the development of encephalitic listeriosis in goats. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of diagnostic laboratory records and survey of veterinarians and goat producers. SAMPLE POPULATION: 355 goat herds accessible through laboratory records; 38 veterinarians who treated goats and 76 goat producers. PROCEDURE: Data regarding breed and use for goats affected with encephalitic listeriosis were obtained from surveys and case follow-up information. Listeria monocytogenes isolates from the brains of 7 affected goats were serotyped and subjected to DNA restriction analysis. RESULTS: Odds ratio for the development of encephalitis listeriosis in Angora (mohair-producing) goats was 22.9 by use of diagnostic laboratory records. Survey also revealed a high prevalence in herds of Angora and other breeds that subsisted on woody browse, although Angora goats feeding predominantly on hay or pasture were not affected. Listeria monocytogenes isolates from 4 Angora goats in 3 herds differed in DNA restriction patterns, although the pattern was identical in 3 other goats from another herd. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Encephalitic listeriosis can be observed in all goat breeds, but a lifestyle of heavy browse consumption seems important to the development of disease in some herds.     

Fever and dry cough in a construction worker from Portugal

A 33-year-old Portugese worker presented with a one-week history of nonproductive cough and fever. A presumptive diagnosis "viral infection of the respiratory tract" was made. However, because of persisting cough and fever further investigations were necessary, and finally Brucella melitensis was isolated in blood cultures. Three months before admission to the hospital the man was dressing the carcasses of a goat in Portugal and consumpted fresh goats milk cheese. Antibiotic therapy with Rifampicin and Trimethoprim/Sulfamethoxazol over 6 weeks improved the signs and symptoms of the infection.     

Hemoglobin switching in sheep and goats. VI. Commitment of erythroid colony-forming cells to the synthesis of betaC globin

Bone marrow from mature goats and sheep was cultured in plasma clots, and three erythropoietin (ESF)-dependent responses-growth (colony formation), differentiation (globin production), and initiation of hemoglobin C (alpha2beta2C) synthesis--were quantitated. ESF concentrations below 0.01 U/ml supported colony growth and adult hemoglobin production in cultures of goat marrow, while maximal hemoglobin C synthesis (70%), as measured between 72 and 96 h in culture, required a 100-fold higher ESF concentration. Sheep marrow was cultured in a medium enriched to enhance growth and to permit complete maturation of colonies. These colonies active in hemoglobin synthesis between 24 and 96 h produced mainly adult hemoglobin, and only between 96 and 120 h did sheep colonies develop which produced mainly hemoglobin C (up to 70%). A similar heterogeneity may exist among goat colonies. Thus, when goat bone marrow was fractionated by unit gravity sedimentation, more hemoglobin C synthesis was observed in colonies derived from cells of intermediate sedimentation velocity than in colonies derived from the most rapidly sedimenting cells. Brief exposure of sheep (in vivo) and goat (in vitro) bone marrow to a high ESF concentration committed precursor cells to the generation of colonies which, even at low ESF concentration, produced hemoglobin C. Committment to hemoglobin phenotype appears to be an early and probably irreversible event in the development of an erythroid cell.     

Aneurysmal bone cyst in a dog

A one-year-old male mongrel dog was referred to the Veterinary Clinic with a several-week history of lameness and pain of the right front leg. Radiological examination of the right humerus revealed a cystic lesion at the distal end of the bone; the lesion was nodular in a gross appearance. Histologically, the nodular lesion consisted of large areas of haemorrhage and thick fibrous trabeculae mixed with a variably dilated cavernous structure of blood vessels attributed to haemangiosarcoma. Based on these findings, aneurysmal bone cyst secondary to the tumour was diagnosed.     

Growth profiles and articular cartilage characterization in a goat model of Legg-Calve-Perthes disease

Numerous animal species, including the goat, have been evaluated as potential models for human Legg-Calve-Perthes disease (LCPD). These models disrupt the vasculature of the femoral head, causing it to collapse, and therefore do not mimic all the clinical patterns of the human disease. Baseline data regarding the weight and femoral length in the growing goat are not available. This study characterized the goat's normal growth for comparison with that of humans. The growth aberrations in the proximal femur created by surgically ablating the capital physis were described and compared with the aberrations observed in human LCPD cases. Age, weight, and femoral length (test and control) data were obtained for goats approximately 1 to 14 months of age. At 4 months of age, a craniolateral surgical approach was used to expose the cranial lateral capital physis so that it could be cauterized. Postoperative radiographs were evaluated by graphic analysis to assess the resultant changes in the morphology of the proximal femur. The articular cartilage of the femoral head and acetabulum was evaluated mechanically, using indentation testing, to determine the apparent modulus of elasticity, and histopathologically regarding its thickness and proteoglycan content. The proximal femurs of goats and humans exhibit similar morphology and growth patterns. There was a positive correlation between age, weight, and femoral lengths in the goat. The surgical procedure was effective in ablating the capital femoral physis as indicated by shorter femoral lengths and fragmented, flattened, and mushroomed femoral heads. The histopathological data revealed that the articular cartilage was significantly thicker in the operated hip joints at the ventrocaudal and cranial acetabula and the dorsal and ventral femoral heads. The test cartilage exhibited significantly less positive staining for proteoglycans in the dorsocaudal and the cranial acetabula as well as the ventral femoral head. The apparent modulus of elasticity, of the test cartilage was significantly lower than the control value at the dorsocaudal acetabulum. These data show that the surgical procedure produced morphological changes that mimic those in human LCPD. The increased thickness of the articular cartilage of the LCPD femoral head may account for the articular degeneration observed in older patients with LCPD, as increased cartilage thickness is associated with decreased tissue quality.     

Ultrastructural characteristics of Fc epsilon R-positive basophils in the spleen and bone marrow of mice immunized with goat anti-mouse IgD antibody

BACKGROUND: Previous work showed that injection of mice with goat anti-mouse IgD antibodies results in increased numbers of Fc epsilon R-positive, non-B, non-T cells in the spleen and Fc epsilon R-positive cells in the bone marrow, and that some of these cells had ultrastructural features of basophils. Fc epsilon R-positive, non-B, non-T cells express virtually all of the capacity of mouse splenic "non-B, non-T cells" to produce interleukin-4 in response to stimulation by cross-linking of Fc epsilon R or Fc gamma R, or by the calcium ionophore, ionomycin. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: The present study is a detailed ultrastructural analysis of Fc epsilon R-positive bone marrow cells or Fc epsilon R-positive splenic non-B, non-T cells sorted from mice injected with goat anti-mouse IgD antibody and of Fc epsilon R-positive bone marrow cells or spleen cells pooled from normal mice not injected with goat anti-IgD. RESULTS: Basophils represented the majority (90%) of the granulated cells present in the Fc epsilon R-positive splenic non-B, non-T cells or Fc epsilon R-positive bone marrow cells of goat anti-IgD-injected mice. In contrast, the cytoplasmic granule-containing Fc epsilon R-negative cells sorted from spleen or bone marrow of goat anti-IgD-injected animals contained predominantly a mixture of neutrophils, eosinophils, monocytes and their precursors. Both the Fc epsilon R-positive and -negative preparations contained rare (< 5%) cells with ultrastructural features of very immature mast cells. Basophils were also identified in Fc epsilon R-positive cells sorted from total bone marrow cells or spleen cells of normal mice not injected with goat anti-IgD. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together with data concerning the numbers of Fc epsilon R-positive, non-B, non-T cells in the spleen, and Fc epsilon R-positive B220-negative cells in the bone marrow, these ultrastructural findings indicate that injection of mice with goat anti-IgD results in increased numbers of basophils, particularly in the spleen, that exhibit an 8-fold increase in basophils as a result of injection of goat anti-IgD.     

An unusual skin lesion in a pediatric patient with Wegener's granulomatosis

Cutaneous manifestations occur in a significant number of patients with Wegener's granulomatosis (WG); however, the presentation and histopathology of these lesions are highly variable and may present problems in diagnosis. We report the presentation of a single large skin lesion in a pediatric patient with a history of WG and the characterization of this lesion by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and histopathology. MRI was helpful in delineating the extent of the lesion, although a skin biopsy was necessary to confirm the diagnosis of the vasculitic nature of the lesion.     

Development of a displacement immunoassay by exploiting cross-reactivity of a monoclonal antibody

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay-based displacement assay was developed for the determination of the herbicide 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D). Advantage was taken of the cross-reactivity of a monoclonal anti-2,4-D antibody toward 2-methyl-4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid (MCPA). MCPA was conjugated with bovine serum albumin (BSA), immobilized on the surface of a microtiter plate, and saturated with the anti-2,4-D antibody. Due to the low affinity of the antibody toward MCPA (cross-reactivity of approximately 30%), the addition of 2,4-D resulted in a displacement of the antibody. Remaining antibodies were subsequently detected using a peroxidase-labeled goat anti-mouse antibody. The detection limit was as low as 0.1 microgram/liter for 2,4-D, which complies with the European Union Drinking Water Directives. When 2,4-D-BSA was used instead of MCPA-BSA conjugates, no significant displacement of bound antibody was observed.     

Test of Stice''s dual pathway model: dietary restraint and negative affect as mediators of bulimic behavior

Many investigators have used animal models to clarify the role of the human anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). Because none of these models are anatomically and biomechanically identical to the human ACL, there exists a need for an objective comparison of these models. To do this, we used a universal force-moment sensor to measure and compare the in situ forces, including magnitude and direction, of the ACL and the anteromedial (AM) and posterolateral (PL) bundles of human, pig, goat, and sheep knees. An Instron was used to apply 50 and 100 N anterior tibial loads at 90 degrees of knee flexion, while a universal force-moment sensor was used to measure the forces applied by the ACL to the tibia, the in situ force of the ACL. We found significant differences between the magnitude of force experienced by the goat and sheep ACL and AM and PL bundles when compared with the human ACL and AM and PL bundles. Also, the direction of the in situ force in the ACL and AM bundles of the goat and sheep were different from the human. The pig knee differed from the human only in the magnitude and direction of the in situ force in the PL bundle in response under anterior tibial loading. A tally of the significant differences between the animal models and the human knees indicates that goat and sheep knees may have limitations in modeling the human ACL, while the pig knee may be the preferred model for experimental studies.     

Measurements by biphasic changes of the alpha band amplitude as indicators of arousal level

A questionnaire survey to examine worm control practices on angora and other goat farms in Denmark was undertaken in 1993. Questionnaires were inserted in the July, 1993 issue of the official journal of the angora goat farmers in Denmark (Mohair News) and 72 questionnaires posted directly to other goat farms selected from a list of 150 farms registered with the Goat Breeders Association. Data from 51 angora and 41 other goat farms indicated that anthelmintics were used on more than 80% of the farms. On 51% of the farms, no predetermined drenching programmes were followed. On 72% and 64% of the farms, kids (< 1 year of age) and adult goats (> 1 year old) were drenched 1-3, and two or three times per year, respectively. Only 9% of the farmers used the recommended weight of the heaviest animal in a herd to determine anthelmintic doses for groups of both kids and adult goats. Visual perception which may result in underdosing was used to determine weights for drenching on 41% and 69% of the farms for kids and adult goats, respectively. From 1986 to 1993, Class I anthelmintics (benzimidazoles) were the most commonly used. Anthelmintic classes were not alternated annually on the majority of farms, which would enhance selection for resistance. While the majority of farmers (58%) rotated goats regularly between paddocks, only 21% drenched the goats when being moved. Anthelmintic treatment for newly introduced goats was not carried out on 45% of 55 respondent farms, nine of which had imported stock. This increases the likelihood of introducing resistant worms to the farms.     

Time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay of zearalenone in cereals with a europium chelate as label

A competitive indirect time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay(TRFIA) was developed for detection of zearalenone(ZEN) in cereals,in which ZEN conjugated to bovine serum albumin(BSA) is used as solid-phase antigen.A competitive indirect TRFIA was conducted by simultaneously incubating ZEN in standard or extracted samples with anti-ZEN monoclonal antibody over ZEN-BSA coated plates,and then determining the bound ZEN monoclonal antibody with goat anti-mouse europium conjugate.Samples were extracted with methanol/water...     

The amino acid sequence of topi pancreatic ribonuclease

Pancreatic tissue from topi (Damaliscus korrigum) contains three ribonuclease components in a ratio of 8:22:70. Two components are glycosidated, whereas the third one does not contain carbohydrate. The amino acid sequence of topi ribonuclease A was deduced from a tryptic digest of the performic acid-oxidized protein. Peptides were positioned by homology with other bovid ribonucleases. Only peptides that differed in amino acid composition from the corresponding peptides of bovine ribonuclease were sequenced. The evidence obtained for the sequence of residues 67-73 is incomplete. Among the bovid ribonucleases (cow, bison, eland, sheep, goat and gnu), topi ribonuclease shows the closest resemblance with sheep and goat ribonucleases; except that the glutamic acid residue at position 103 in the ribonucleases from sheep and goat is substituted by a lysine residue in topi. Topi ribonucleases A and B differ only in the presence of carbohydrate attached to asparagine 34.