The D system of canine blood groups was studied in 3, 191 dogs of many different breeds. The frequencies of the D system phenotypes and genes were measured. These frequencies varied considerably between the breeds native to Japan. The frequency of the D1 phenotype was higher in breeds native to Japan than in those of non-Japanese origin. Conversely, non-Japanese breeds generally had the D2 phenotype. The dogs described as mongrel in Japan had D system frequencies intermediate between native Japanese and non-Jahanese breeds. One of the most interesting findings was that in the Afghan hound the frequency of the D1 gene (0.3333) was the same as in the Shiba, though only the Shiba was native to the Japanese isles. Another Japanese breed was the Tosa, and its D1 gene frequency was 0.063, a value even lower than that for the non-Japanese Maltese (0.097).

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We examined the brains, spleens and/or lymph nodes of 197 mainly Suffolk sheep collected from Hokkaido, and the Tohoku, Kanto and Chubu districts to detect PrP^sc and thus to estimate scrapie contamination in Japan. Sixteen sheep in Hokkaido and 2 sheep in other districts that were introduced from Hokkaido were positive for PrP^sc. By comparison of the frequencies of the restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) types of these 18 scrapie sheep with 128 healthy sheep, we confirmed the association of specific RFLP types of the PrP gene with natural scrapie. The frequency of RFLP type I in scrapie sheep was significantly higher than that in healthy sheep and those of other types in scrapie sheep. In contrast, the frequencies of type II and VI in healthy sheep were higher than those in scrapie sheep. Therefore, type I sheep seemed to be susceptible but type II and VI sheep seemed to be resistant to natural scrapie in Suffolk sheep in Japan. Furthermore, we investigated the distribution of the RFLP types of the PrP gene in 161 sheep in Japan to learn about the genetic background of the susceptibility to scrapie. There were variations in the distribution of the RFLP types in each district.

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Intranasal vaccination of mice with inactivated Aujeszky's disease virus (ADV) induced IgA and IgG antibody responses to the virus in the secretion of the respiratory tract, resulting in complete protection of the animals against intranasal challenge with virulent ADV. The immune response was enhanced by the use of the use of the cholera toxin B subunit (CTB) as an adjuvant. On the other hand, subcutaneous vaccination of mice with inactivated ADV, even together with CTB, scarcely stimulated secretory antibody responses, resulting in only partial protection. The present results suggest that development of a vaccination procedure to stimulate the mucosal immune response should improve the protective effects of the inactivated herpesvirus vaccines, and thereby make it possible to control the infections by prohibiting virus replication at the site where primary infection takes place, as well as inhibiting subsequent latency and reactivation of the virus.

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Nineteen, 7- to 13-week-old pigs were inoculated intranasally with different strains of Haemophilus parasuis (serovar 1, 4 and 5), and the pathological lesions induced by each strain were compared. Eleven of thirteen pigs inoculated with either strain Nagasaki (serovar 5) or No. 4 (serovar 1) died between days 1 to 6 after inoculation, and had septicemic lesions, meningitis, or polyserositis. One of six pigs inoculated with strain SW124 (serovar 4) died with polyserositis, another one recovered after illness, and the remaining four pigs remained in good health. Five of the septicemic pigs had thrombi at many organs. Endotoxin was detected in the plasma of 10 pigs in the acute stage of infection. Using the immunoperoxidase technique, H. parasuis antigen was detected in lesions of infected pigs. In the serosal lesions the bacterial antigen was found mainly in the cytoplasm of infiltrating neutrophils and macrophages and appeared as degenerated bacteria and/or lytic bacterial material in dilated phagosomes. Many of the bacteria in the blood vessels of pigs with septicemic lesions were also degenerated. Although H. parasuis was reisolated from nasal secretions of infected pigs, the bacterial antigen could not be detected in the nasal cavities of these pigs. No lesions were observed in the parenchyma of the lung. However, H. Parasuis antigen was detected in the tonsil of infected pigs.

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The therapeutic effect of ulinastatin (25, O0O U/kg, i.v.) on endotoxin-induced shock was compared with that of methylprednisolone (30 mg/kg, i.v.) in 17 anesthetized dogs. Both of these drugs had almost the same tendency to improve the hemodynamics, arachidonate cascade metabolites and pulmonary surface activity. There was little difference between the effectiveness of ulinastatin and that of methylprednisolone. It was newly confirmed that the release of 6-keto-PGF_1α, thromboxane B₂ and leukotriene B₄, arachidonate cascade metabolites and chemical mediators associated with endotoxin-induced shock, were significantly (p<0.0l and p<0.05) decreased by ulinastatin in the same way as methylprednisolone. These results suggest that ulinastatin is as useful as methylprednisolone for the treatment of endotoxin-induced shock.

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Myocardiopathy in rats with monocrotaline (MCT)-induced pulmonary hypertension was investigated morphologically and immunohistochemically. A single subcutaneous injection of MCT (60 mg/kg body weight) to SD rats produced progressive cardiac lesions. Histologically, the lesions were characterized by myocardial hypertrophy and myocardial degeneration followed by mononuclear cell infiltration and fibroblast proliferation in the right atrium and ventricle. Such histological changes began to be seen 3 weeks after injection and thereafter progressively developed in rats killed 4 and 5 weeks after injection. These findings indicate progressive hypertrophic myocardiopathy, due probably to pulmonary hypertension induced by MCT. Immunohistochemically, atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP)-positive myocardial cells were frequently observed in the left and right ventricle in MCT-treated rats killed 4 and 5 weeks after injection. The intensive immunopositive reaction was observed mainly in hypertrophic myocardial cells in the subendocardium of the right ventricle and also present in hypertrophic myocardial cells around injured areas consisting of degenerated myocardial cells, mononuclear cell infiltration and fibrosis. These findings suggest a close relationship between the ANP expression and cardiac hypertrophy in MCT-treated rats.

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Serum biochemical profile and whole blood chemiluminescent (CL) responses in 8 Holstein cattle affected with leukocyte adhesion deficiency (LAD) were evaluated. Concentrations of sodium, chloride and calcium in serum from cattle affected with LAD were significantly (p<0.05) decreased as compared with controls. The characteristic changes in serum proteins were hypoalbuminemia and hyperglobulinemia, and the concentrations of albumin and gammaglobulin in serum from normal cattle and cattle affected with LAD were significantly (p<0.01) different. Significantly (p<0.01) diminished CL indices and prolonged peak time of CL responses in whole blood were detected in cattle affected with LAD. These findings indicate that the CL response associated with iC3b receptor mediated phagocytic activity is impaired in cattle affected with LAD. The whole blood CL assay appeared to be practical and useful for routine evaluation of blood samples from cattle affected with LAD.

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We purified a Ca²⁺-dependent agarose-binding protein from rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) sera. SDS-PAGE analysis showed the possibility that the purified protein was a polymer with a molecular weight of over 100, 000 composed of covalently-bounded 32-kDa subunits. N-terminal twenty amino acid sequence of the 32-kDa protein showed partial homology with other known serum amyloid P components (SAPs) including plaice (Pleuronectes platessa) (indicated 40% homology), human (55%), hamster (45%), rat and mouse (40%) SAPs. In electron micrographs the 32-kDa protein was observed as pentameric disc-like structure. On the basis of the results, the 32-kDa agarose-binding protein of rainbow trout was concluded to belong to pentraxin family and to be a SAP homologue.

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Effects of furazolidone (FZ) on the sleeping time induced with hexobarbital (HEX) and paralysis time induced by zoxazolamine (ZOX) were investigated by measuring the length of time required to recover from righting reflex loss in rats after oral administration of FZ at doses of 50, 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg/day for 4 successive days. Administration of 50 mg/kg to rats of both sexes induced no effect on the HEX sleeping time, but of 100 mg/kg FZ or more induced prolongation of sleeping time dose-dependently. In female rats, HEX sleeping time of the control gloup was twice that of the male rats, but HEX sleeping time after receiving FZ above 200mg/kg was approximately the same as in the male rats. ZOX paralysis time exhibited no sex differences in the control rats, and it was significantly prolonged by FZ at a dose of 100 mg/kg or more. No significant differences in blood levels of HEX and ZOX at the time of recovery were found between the control and FZ treated rats, suggesting that FZ produced prolongation of the drug effects was due to the maintenance of the blood levels rather than the change in the sensitivities of rats at the receptor sites. Body weight gains were inhibited in the rats treated with FZ at doses over 100 mg/kg. Cytochrome P-450 content in hepatic microsomes in the rats which received 100 mg/kg FZ were slightly increased. It is suggested that successive oral administration of FZ to rats at high doses impaired drug clearance and this resulted in the prolongation of HEX sleeping and ZOX paralysis times.

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Raccoon dogs were successfully infected with Sarcocystis cruzi and S. miescheriana by oral inoculation of infected cardiac muscle of cattle and pigs slaughtered in Saitama and Okinawa prefectures, respectively. Oocysts and sporocysts passed by raccoon dogs were similar in measurements and morphological features as reported of S. cruzi and S. miescheriana respectively. The prepatent and patent periods of both S. cruzi and S. miescheriana were 9 and 66-72 days respectively in raccoon dogs.

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In the lung of the cow (Holstein), the right and left bronchi have the dorsal, lateral, ventral and medial bronchiole systems, respectively. Furthermore, the right lung has a tracheal bronchiole (bronchus). From the standpoint of bronchial ramifications, a bilobed cranial lobe and the middle, caudal and accessory lobes can be discriminated in the right lung, whereas a bilobed middle lobe and a caudal lobe can be discriminated in the left lung. The left cranial lobe is lacking. The right pulmonary artery runs obliquely across the ventral side of the trachea caudally to the origin of the cranial lobe bronchiole. It then runs across the dorsal side of the right middle lobe bronchiole, and thereafter along the dorsolateral side of the right bronchus. During its course, it gives off arterial branches running mainly along the dorsal or lateral side of each bronchiole. The left pulmonary artery runs the same course as that in the right lung. The pulmonary veins run mainly along the ventral or medial side of the bronchiole.

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We recently generated a monoclonal antibody immunoglobulin G1 (MAb 10G5), which can recognize 15- to 17-kDa antigens, virulence-associated antigens of Rhodococcus equi, and developed a colony blot enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay with MAb 10G5 for the rapid identification of virulent R. equi. In this epidemiologic study, we evaluated the results of the colony blot test in the identification of virulent isolates of R. equi from feces of horses and soil and compared them with those from a conventional procedure (plasmid profiles of isolates by agarose gel electrophoresis). Environmental isolates (778 isolates from feces of foals, 170 isolates from feces of dams, and 1, 267 isolates from soil on horse-breeding farms in Hokkaido) were tested by the colony immunoblot test, and 238 of the 778 isolates, 6 of the 170 isolates, and 85 of the 1, 267 isolates showed positive signals. Positive isolates were then analyzed for the presence of virulence plasmid DNA, and 235 (98.7%) of the 238 isolates from foals, 6 (100%) of the 6 isolates from dams, and 75 (88.2%) of the 85 isolates from soil showed the presence of virulence plasmids. On the other hand, 50 isolates from each source, which were randomly selected from the isolates that showed negative signals by colony immunoblot, did not contain virulence plasmids. These results demonstrated that the colony blot test that uses a monoclonal antibody specific for virulence-associated antigens is a rapid and reliable test for the identification of virulent R. equi.

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The pig lung has the dorsal, ventral, medial and lateral bronchiole systems on either side. In addition, a tracheal bronchiole (bronchus) arises from the right side of the trachea. According to the bronchial ramification, the right lung consists of the cranial, middle, caudal and accessory lobes, while the left lung consists of the bilobed middle and caudal lobes. The right and left pulmonary arteries run along the dorsolateral side of the right and left bronchi, respectively. During their coufse, these pulmonary arteries give off arterial branches running mainly along the dorsal or lateral side of each bronchiole. The pulmonary veins run mainly along the medial or ventral side of each bronchiole.

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Chickens inoculated with the cell-associated (CA) vaccine acquired higher protective immunity to ILT. In chickens vaccinated with CA or cell-free (CF) vaccine, respectively, virus-neutralizing and IgG- and IgM-ELISA antibodies were detected in the serum, but no antibody was detected in the tracheal washes of the vaccinated chickens. More apparent antibody response was seen in chickens vaccinated with the CA vaccine than with the CF vaccine. The antibody titers did not correlate closely with the protection against challenge with ILT virus. After subcutaneous injection of either CA or CF vaccine, ILT virus was isolated from the liver, spleen, thymus, lungs and other organs of the chickens from 1 to 6 days after injection, and there was no correlation of the isolation rate for the CA-vaccinated and the CF-vaccinated chickens.

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A survey of Campylobacter jejuni in the cecal contents of broilers raised on a farm was carried out by the DNA-DNA hybridization method from the day of assignment to slaughter at about 1-week intervals. C. jejuni was detected in chickens as early as 1 week of age, and was widely detected at each week of age throughout the growing period. In addition, of 20 chickens tested just after assignment, 7 (35%) were C. jejuni positive. It is suggested that newly introduced chickens may have already been contaminated with C. jejuni. The hybridization method was able to detect C. jejuni in the chickens from the day of assignment to 3 weeks of age, but C. jejuni was never detected in the same chickens by the enriched culture method. Therefore, it is suggested that the hybridization method is more sensitive than the enriched culture method.

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This report describes an analytical method for the measurement of tetrahydrofolate (H₄PteGlu), 10-formyltetrahydrofolate (10-HCO-H₄PteGlu) and 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (5-CH₃-H₄-PteGlu) in rat bile by high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection (HPLC-ECD). After diluting the bile sample with 0.2% sodium ascorbate solution, the sample was analyzed under the following conditions; (a) phenyl bonded phase column as an analytical column; (b) mobile phase consisting of 20 mM acetate buffer (pH 5.0) containing 0.1 mM EDTA; (c) an applied ECD potential of +300 mV; (d) 0.8 ml/min of flow rate. Under the above conditions, peaks of H₄PteGlu, 10-HCO-H₄PteGlu and 5-CH₃-H₄PteGlu in rat bile were well separated on the ECD-chromatogram. Detection limits of H₄PteGlu, 10-HCO-H₄PteGlu and 5-CH₃-H₄PteGlu were 0.13, 0.11 and 0.10 ng/ml, respectively, at S/N=3. Bile excretion rates for H₄PteGlu, 10-HCO-H₄PteGlu and 5-CH₃-H₄PteGlu, which were analyzed by this method in rats, were 314±181, 321±179 and 449±198 ng/hr, respectively. Bile concentrations of the folates were more than 5, 000 times higher than the detection limits for this method. This HPLC-ECD method is, therefore, a useful tool for bile folate analysis.

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The composition of ciliate protozoa in the rumen of 30 Japanese beef black cattle (Bos taurus taurus) fed in Yoron Island, Kagoshima, was compared with that of 125 Holstein-Friesian cattle (Bos taurus tairus) fed in Hokkaido. Thirteen genera including 44 species with 32 formae detected from Japanese beef black cattle and 15 genera including 48 species with 25 formae from Holstein-Friesian cattle were identified. Thirty-six species with 19 formae were common to both hosts. A new species was recognized from Japanese beef black cattle and named Entodinium yunnense n. sp. This new species was classified into such four formae as yunnense n.f., spinonucleatum n.f., acutonucleatum n.f. and spinolobum n.f. A new forma of Entodinium bifidum having only one caudal spine was also recognized from Japanese beef black cattle and named monospinosum n.f. The average ciliate density in Japanese beef black cattle, 18.7×10⁴/ml, was lower than 40.3×10⁴/ml in Holstein-Friesian cattle. The average number of ciliate species per head in Japanese beef black cattle, 14.4 was also lower than 17.8 in Holstein-Friesian cattle. The average value of diversity index was 1.789 in Japanese beef black cattle and 1.718 in Holstein-Friesian cattle. Both incidence and composition ratio of Entodinium rectangulatum and E. ovinum were significantly higher in Japanese beef black cattle than in Holstein-Friesian cattle. On the other hand, Charonina ventriculi, E. caudatum, E. rostratum, E. parvum, E. bursa, Metadinium affine and Ostracodinium mammosum showed a reverse relation.

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Schizogony of Japanese Theileria sergenti of cattle was studied by light and electron microscopy. Schizonts were detected in the draining lymph node between 4 and 8 days after sporozoite inoculation. Macroschizonts (the phase of nuclear division having invaginations) were formed 6 days after inoculation. Subsequently, microschizonts (the phase of merozoite formation displaying rosette-like appearance) were observed 8 days after inoculation. Multiple infections of a host cell with sporozoites were suggested to occur since different stages of schizonts were simultaneously detected in the same cell. Host cells of schizonts were considerably enlarged by parasitism. However, morphological characteristics of the developmental stages of T. sergenti schizonts resembled those of malignant Theileria species (e.g. T. parva). Schizogony of T. sergenti observed in this study seems to be the primary generation.

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The present study was aimed at elucidating the responsibility of parasitic females for sudden cardiac death following Strongyloides papillosus infection in calves. A preliminary experiment demonstrated a percutaneous infection with S. papillosus infective larvae to cause sudden cardiac death in lambs as in calves, indicating lambs could serve as a model to study fatal strongyloidiasis in calves. Parasitic females of S. papillosus were inoculated into the duodenum of lambs. Lambs given live worms developed continuous sinus tachycardia immediately after inoculation, and died of sudden cardiac arrest by ventricular fibrillation through a phase of the disease identical to the case of percutaneous larval infection. The lambs had high fecal egg counts at the time of death. Inoculation of homogenized worms did not produce fatal arrhythmias. These results demonstrate that live parasitic females of S. papillosus in the small intestine are responsible for cardiac dysfunctions regardless of the presence or absence of migratory larvae.

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The effect of intrauterine transplantation (IU group) as a potential immunologically privileged site on the diabetic state of the recipient was compared with that of conventional intraperitoneal transplantation (IP group) using Fischer 344 rats. Islets were isolated from the pancreata of normal rats and transplanted into the uterus and peritoneal cavity of the isogenic rats with experimental diabetes, which were treated with estradiol benzoate and progesterone. Although all the rats in both groups became normoglycemic within 4 days after transplantation, all of those in the IU group relapsed into a diabetic state up to the 20th day after transplantation. On the other hand, 6 of 8 rats in the IP group remained normoglycemic throughout the experimental period. Weight gain and diminution of urinary glucose excretion in the IU group were significantly lower than those in the IP group (P<0.01). The glycosylated hemoglobin level in the IU group did not differ significantly from that in the IP group, but the serum level of fructosamine in the IU group was significantly higher than that in the IP group (P<0.01). These results indicate that the response to fluctuations of blood glucose of islets in the uterine cavity is less than that of islets in the peritoneal cavity. Histologically, islets were observed to be aggregated in the uterine cavity, however the number of cells decreased markedly with time. Although this study demonstrated that blood glucose was normalized by transplantation of islets into the uterine cavity of diabetic rats, long-term survival of the islets in this location was not obtained.

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The production of interferon-γ (IFN-γ) in bovine peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) during the perinatal period was studied. IFN-γ activity was neutralized with monoclonal antibodies (MoAb) to recombinant bovine IFN-γ. IFN-γ production was apparently suppressed by treatment of the PBMC with MoAb to bovine pan-T cell. IFN-γ was more susceptible to treatment with MoAb to CD4⁺ than that with MoAb to bovine CD8⁺, suggesting that the CD4⁺ T-cell subset was the major producer of the lymphokine formed in the culture. IFN-γ production by concanavalin A (Con A) stimulation was found to be significantly depressed throughout the perinatal period (from 5 weeks before to 7 weeks after parturition) when compared to that of the non-pregnant control group, but phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-induced IFN-γ production was markedly depressed from 3 weeks before to 2 weeks after calving. The addition of recombinant human interleukin 2 (100 IU/ml) to the PBMC cultures from perinatal cows resulted in the augmentation of IFN-γ production by stimulation with Con A or PHA.

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The reduction of experimental humeral fracture in pigeons was performed with intramedullary bone cement (poly (methyl methacrylate): PMMA) and neutralization plate fixation to investigate the effect on bone fracture healing and the recovery of flying ability. As a result, neither plate nor bone cement fixation held for more than 2 weeks, but no refracture was observed in any cases with both plate and bone cement. In the latter group, it was confirmed by flight tests that almost normal flying ability was recovered in 6 weeks. In pathological findings, blood supply to the fractured ends recovered within 2 weeks and no cortical bone necrosis was observed at the time except for a disturbance of endosteal callus formation. The process of fracture healing on the plate side took place slightly later than that on the non-plate side, and when much PMMA remained between the fractured ends of the cortical bone the bone formation became spongioid. In view of the quick recovery of flying ability, however, plate and bone cement fixation is considered appropriate to prevent the displacement of a humeral fracture in the pigeon.

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To compare a chicken serum mannan-binding protein (MBP) with a chicken Ra-reactive factor (RaRF), both serum proteins were isolated by combination of different chromatography. In SDS-PAGE, both purified proteins were resolved into a major protein band with a molecular weight of 34, 000 and a few minor protein bands. In Western blotting with both purified proteins, only a single band with a molecular weight of 34, 000 was detected with anti-chicken serum MBP antibody, indicating that the major protein band of chicken serum MBP and RaRF are antigenically identical. The combining sites of these two proteins were most reactive with N-acetylmannosamine followed by mannose, N-acetylglucosamine, and L-fucose. These findings suggest that chicken serum MBP may be identical to its corresponding bactericidal factor RaRF in terms of antigenicity and monosaccharide specificity.

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Disseminated hemangiosarcoma was encountered in a 12-year-old female Maltese dog. Tumor tissues were dispersed on the serosal surface of the liver, kidney, digestive tract, omentum and diaphragm. Metastatic lesions were not observed in the parenchyma of the lung and heart. The spleen was enlarged with rupture at the anterior region of the hilus. The disseminated protruding tumor masses could be easily peeled off from the organ surfaces. The tumor cells were round or spindle in shape, with hyperchromatic nuclei containing prominent nucleoli. Various-sized vascular spaces containing erythrocytes and serum could be identified in this tumor. This case was diagnosed as hemangiosarcoma originating from the spleen with abdominal dissemination.

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Erythrocyte (RBC)-bound IgG values (IgG concentration, ng/ml) were examined in 8 Babesia gibsoni-infected and 10 healthy dogs by a competitive enzyme immunoassay. Five dogs with clinical B. gibsoni infection, manifesting severe anemia, were observed to have increased RBC-bound IgG values compared to dogs with subclinical B. gibsoni infection and healthy controls, this suggesting that anemia in B. gibsoni infection may be explained in part on the basis of a humoral immunologic mechanism.

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Bovine polymorphonuclear cells (PMNs) were found to migrate to suspensions of finely granulated chitin and chitosan of an average size of 1 μm at higher rates than to those of an average size of 30 and 50 μm, respectively, through a 5 μm pore size polycarbonate filter in a Blind well chamber.

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The corneal endothelia of 15 male and 16 female cynomolgus monkeys (estimated age: 2 years and more) were examined with a contact-type specular microscope under general anesthesia. The specular microscopy showed uniform-sized, hexagonal endothelia arranged regularly on the innermost layer of the cornea. Concerning the cell density (cells/mm²), no statistically significant difference was observed between the left and right eyes or between sexes. However, the cell density decreased in monkeys over 7 years old.

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The serum concentration of a bovine mannan-binding protein reactive with a Ra chemotype strain of Salmonella Typhimurium in sera from cows with or without mastitis were determined by sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. From the results obtained for 10 healthy cows aged 2 to 7 years, mean ± SD serum concentrations of MBP in bovine sera were 77.5 ± 33.1 μg/ml. Concentrations in 7 healthy heifer calves aged 6 months were 52.2 ± 10.2 μg/ml, whereas those in 7 healthy bullocks 65.8 ± 21.8 μg/ml. Concentrations in 4 cows aged 4 to 7 years with mastitis were slightly lower (34 to 72 μg/ml). After recovery, the serum concentrations rose to the normal concentrations in healthy cows. These findings indicate that the serum concentrations of bovine MBP decrease during mastitis, suggesting that bovine MBP may not be an acute phase reactant.

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A well-demarcated solitary splenic mass (20×20×15 cm in size) containing hemorrhagic and necrotic foci was observed in a 4-year-old Thoroughbred stallion. Histologically, the mass consisted of lymphoma cells of the diffuse large non-cleaved type, with a high mitotic index and scattered macrophages that formed a starry sky pattern. The lymphoma cells revealed diffuse positivity for acid phosphatase and alpha naphthyl butyrate esterase, and were also positive for intracytoplasmic IgM on occasion, and mostly for proliferating cell nuclear antigen. Ultrastructural examination revealed moderately-developed rough endoplasmic reticulum sometimes with dilated cisternae. Thus, the diagnosis was a primary splenic lymphoma of B cell origin, but the exact reason for the absence of invasive growth or metastasis despite the high proliferative activity of this neoplasm was unclear.

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Seven cases of thoroughbred foals kept on a farm in the Hidaka district of Hokkaido showed bilateral thyroid enlargement from 3 or 4 months after birth. Their serum T₄ levels were remarkably low, whereas T₃ levels were in the normal range. Serum T₄ levels were also low in the other clinically normal foals and their dams kept together. Since the iodine content in pasture soil and grass was very low, iodine deficiency was supposed to be the cause of the disease.

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Genomic DNAs from 4 canine spontaneous lymphoid neoplasms were examined by Southern blot hybridization using 7kinds of oncogene probes. Analysis using a human c-yes-1 cDNA probe revealed amplification of the proto-oncogene in a DNA sample from a dog with lymphoid leukemia. Its degree was about 4- to 8- fold in comparison with a control DNA sample from a healthy dog. The genomic abrlormality of canine c-yes-1-related oncogene may have a role in the tumorigenesis of this neoplasm, although the significance of the structural change in this oncogene remains unclear.

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Spontaneous Harderian gland tumorsin B6C3F₁ mice were foundin 18 (3.1%) (one male had bilateral tumors) of 589 males and 18 (3.0%) of 609 females. The tumor-bearing mice ranged in age from 73 to 109 weeks. These tumors comprised 32 adenomas (86.5%), four adenocarcinomas (10.8%) and one pleomorphic tumor (2.7%); the adenomas were classified, basesd on the growth patterns, into 17 papillary, nine cystic papillary, five acinar and one cystic types. Two adenocarcinomas grew papillary and invaded surrounding tissues, and the other two grew acinously. The pleomorphic tumor consisted of pleomorphic cells some of which had a keratin-positive epithelial feature and acini lined by atypical epithelial cells.

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In order to examine the prophylactic effects of milbemycin oxime (MO) against Dirofilaria immitis infection, experiments were carried out under multiple infection with D. immitis. Ten filaria-free beagles of age 4 to 8 months were each inoculated with a total number of 480 larvae 12 times at intervals of 15 days over a period of 6 months, and MO was given monthly for the 6 months at a dose of 0.25 mg/kg. The infection rate in the medicated group of dogs was nil, this suggesting complete protection of the infection, while in the non-medicated control group it ranged from 6.5 to 14.8% (mean, 11.4%).

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Milk fortified with medium chain triglycerides (MCT) was given to neonatal calves to increase their energy intake. Tricaprylin (C₈), tricaprin (C₁₀), a mixture of C₈ and C₁₀ (mixed MCT) or soya oil were given at 11-18 days of age. Feeding C₈, C₁₀, and mixed MCT caused a transient hyperketonemia (3-HB, acetoacetate). Plasma ketone levels returned to the initial ones within 3 hr at 40 or 80 ml of mixed MCT feeding, though hyperketonemia was marked and more persistent at 120 ml dose in one meal. Hyperketonemia caused by C₈ was stronger than those caused by C₁₀. Soya oil caused no increase in plasma ketone levels.

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Fifty-one ostriches (Struthio camelus), 6 weeks old, were imported from Namibia and introduced onto a farm in Zambia. Soon after introduction, most of the birds manifested clinical symptoms such as anorexia and diarrhea and 19 birds died within 1 week. The proventriculus and gizzard in the 4 dead birds were full of solid masses of lucerne hay mixed with maize and consequently the gizzard was extremely impacted by them. Neither pathogenic bacteria nor parasites were detected from the autopsied birds and 8 fecal samples. After diagnosis, the ostrich feed was improved and a demulcent was given immediately; then all ostriches that remained on the farm recovered. In conclusion, these data confirmed that the present case was stomach impaction in ostriches.

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To study the distribution of pathogenic Yersinia in city-living birds, 145 wild jungle crows were captured in a zoo between June, 1992 and April, 1993. Although pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica was not isolated, Y. pseudotuberculosis belonging to serovar 4b was independently isolated from 7 caecal contents, respectively. Al17 isolates were positive on temperature-dependent autoagglutina-tion and had a 70 Kb large plasmid. The plasmid DNAs from the 7 strains had the same BamHI digestion pattern. These results suggest that the wild crows in a zoo are one of the possible reservoirs of Yersinia.

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Immunological cross-reactivity of bovine, chicken and human serum mannan-binding proteins was studied by sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Although some immunological cross-reactivity was observed with whole sera as antigens, almost no cross-reactivity was found with purified mannan-binding proteins. Such cross-reactivity was found to be due to nonspecific reaction since these animal and human sera reacted with preimmune (or normal) rabbit IgG. From these findings, bovine and chicken sera are suggested to contain human rheumatoid factor-like substance(s) reactive with normal rabbit IgG. Thus, it seems to be necessary to compensate nonspecific reactivity of preimmune rabbit IgG with whole sera for determination of crude mannan-binding proteins.

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Computed tomography after myelography (CTM) was performed pre- and postoperatively on four dogs diagnosed as having Cervical intervertebral disc protrusion. The surgery was performed by ventral slot technique in all the cases. The direction of the ventral slot was precisely adjusted according to the location of the protruded discs as seen on CTM. Postoperative values for the transversal area of the spinal cord were greater than those measured preoperatively, suggesting effective decompression of the cord. The prognosis for these patients was excellent. In view of these results, it was considered that preoperative confirmation of the positional relationship between the spinal cord and the protruded disc by CTM was quite useful in planning the surgical technique for disc disease in the dog.

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Broilers were divided into four groups and the first group served as the control. The second, third and fourth groups were given feed containing 25, 50 and 100 mg/kg of sulfadimethoxine (SDM), respectively, for 21 days, and thereafter each group received the SDM free feed. On certain days during the experiment period, three broilers in each group were sacrificed and tissues, including blood, heart, liver, spleen, gizzard, thigh muscle, breast muscle and fat, were collected and residual SDM were determined by HPLC. Two days after withdrawal, SDM in each tissue had decreased to below the detection limit of 0.01 μg/g.

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We constructed the recombinant infectious laryngotracheitis virus (ILTV), CE strain, containing the LacZ gene of E. coli in the thymidine kinase gene. The growth property of the recombinant virus was almost the same as parental CE strain in chicken embryo fibroblasts. The recombinant CE strain of ILTV could be used as a live vaccine vector.

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Protective immunity against multiple challenge infections was examined in Mongolian gerbils after a drug-abbreviated infection with Brugia pahangi. The gerbils treated with mebendazole (MBZ) during the late prepatent period (7-9 weeks of postinfection) were challenged with 5 inoculations of 50 infective larvae of B. pahangi at 4-week intervals. The worm burden was significantly reduced 68.6% (19.0 in average number) to that of controls (60.6) and was accompanied with enhanced eosinophil responses 1 week after each challenge. MBZ-treated gerbils suppressed microfilaremia almost completely after the challenge infections.

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Bovine viral diarrhea-mucosal disease (BVD-MD) virus antigen was detected in bovine fetal muscular cells from sera of 42 cattle persistently infected with noncytopathic BVD-MD virus by the indirect immunoperoxidase procedure (IIP) but not from sera of 100 apparently healthy cattle. These findings agreed with the results obtained by the interference method. Furthermore, BVD-MD virus antigens were detectable in the smears of buffy coats by the IIP procedure and in the formalin-fixed tissue sections by the avidin-biotin-peroxidase complex procedure. These procedures are therefore expected to be useful for rapid detection of BVD-MD virus antigen.

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The expression of neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM), tenascin and fibronectin during cartilage-like tissue formation in canine mammary mixed tumor was immunohistochemically examined. Mirror-image serial sections revealed that proliferating myoepithelial cells simultaneously expressed these adhesion molecules where no cartilage-like tissue and no expression of cartilage-specific type II collagen were observed. With the formation of cartilaginous tissue, positive signals of these adhesion molecules decreased in chondroblast-like cells, the cartilaginous tissue was hyalinized and mature chondrocyte-like cells no longer expressed these cell adhesion molecules. NCAM, tenascin and fibronectin, therefore, may play crucial roles on the proliferation of myoepithelial cells and the subsequent development of cartilaginous tissue in canine mammary mixed tumor.

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Computed tomography (CT) was performed on renal tumors (Wilms' tumor and renal cell carcinoma) and renal cysts in dogs and cats. CT images in renal tumors were well correlated with macroscopic findings, and contrast CT images were quite useful in differentiating tumoral regions from non-tumoral ones. On renal cysts, intravenous pyelography and ultrasonography were as effective as CT images in morphological diagnosis, but CT was considered to be superior for evaluating three-dimensional (3-D) relationships in complicated lesions.

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