Macro- and microscopic findings were obtained on cysts formed in the reproductive organs, particularly the mesosalpinx, mesovarium, and fimbria, of 709 cows and 791 sows. The number of cysts totaled 815 for the cows and 525 for the sows, with relative frequencies of 32.3% and 29.3%, respectively. The majority of the cysts measured below 5.9 mm in diameter, with 3 very few large cysts measuring over 10 mm in diameter With regard to the location of the cysts, the highest incidence of cysts was found in the fimbria in cows (81.0%) and in the mesosalpinx in sows (62.9%). In both species, the incidence of the cyst formation in the mesovarium was lower than that in either mesosalpinx or fimbria. So-called parovarian cysts were quite rare. The cysts were classified into 3 types histologically and into 2 types on the basis of cyclic changes in their epithelia. In the latter classification, one type responded to sex hormones, along with the tubal epithelium which was classified as the cyclic change type. The other type did not respond to sex hormones and was classified as the non-cyclic change type. Because of its locality and response to sex hormones, the cyclic change type was regarded as of paramesonephric origin, whereas the non-cyclic change type was of mesonephric origin. Animals with cysts which gave pressure upon the oviducts exhibited histological changes, including partial atrophy or lack of folds in the tubal mucosa.

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Changnes in histamine concentration were determined in the blood and contents of the digestive tract in cattle on concentrate overfeeding. Seven Holstein steers 15 weeks old were divided into two groups. One group of 4 steers (group C) was fed high concentrate and the other of 3 steers (group H) hay to serve as a control for l0 months. Histamine concentration was determined in plasma and ruminal contents collected at intervals of 2 or 3 weeks. Plasma histamine levels varied greatly in both groups during the experimental period. Their changes were almost the same in these groups. There was no significant difference in plasma histamine concentration between the two groups. The histamine level varied greatly in each group. It was more variable in group H than in group C. It was higher in group H than in group C and after l58 days of experiment. The histamine concentration was determined in the contents of the digestive tract collected from each steer at the time of slaughter. The histamine levels of the contents of the rumen and omasum were lower and those of the duodenum and ileum higher in group C than group H. There was no significant difference in the histamine concentration of the contents of the other portions of the digestive tract between both groups. The pH value of the contents of the digestive tract was generally smaller in group C than in group H. The pH value was especially small in the contents of rumen, omasum and duodenum.

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A modification of the method of Tarukoski was employed for the determination of bovine serum haptoglobin (Hp). A mixture of serum sample and diluted methemoglobin (Hb⁺) solution (30 mg/100 ml) was incubated with o-dianisidine reagent, pH 4.1, at 37°C for 45 min. Peroxidase activity of free Hb was found almost lost in the mixture, in which HpHb complex activity was well maintained. Relatively reliable values were obtained even in hemolyzed serum samples as long as the contaminating Hb was less than 150 mg/100 ml. The Hp values determined by this method were quite parallel to the results obtained by polyacrylamide gel disc electrophoresis. They were small or none in normal cattle, but remarkably large (80-130mg% HbBC) in cattle suffering from severe inflammatory diseases, such as mastitis, pyometra and traumatic reticulitis.

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Pathological observation was carried out on 3 domestic cats spontaneously infected with Dirofilaria immitis. Principal lesions were found in a small number of pulmonary arterial branches which corresponded roughly to the site of parasitic infection. Marked degenerative and exudative changes involving the whole layers of the vascular wall and perivascular loose connective tissues were conspicuous in large pulmonary arterial branches containing embolic dead parasites. A certain causal relation may present between disorganized dead parasites and severe necrotic changes.

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An attempt was made to clarify the craniocaudal extent of the glycogen body and the distribution of different type of glycogen, and to determine the glycogen content of the chicken spinal cord. The classically designated "glycogen body" was located in segments 26 to 28 and lay between the dorsal funiculi, occupying the greatly enlarged dorsal fissure. The glycogen body extended cranially and caudally beyond the above-mentioned segments to the cord levels. Different types of glycogen were heavily accumulated in the major marginal nuclei, the ventral margin of the lumbosacral cord and the lower coccygeal cord. The total glycogen content was 47.2 mg on the average in the chicken spinal cord. Glycogen contents were determined in cervical cord, thoracic cord, lumbosacral-coccygeal cord, except segments 26 to 28, and segments 26 to 28. In the first three structures glycogen was mostly contained in the glycogen body, and the glycogen concentration much lower than in segments 26 to 28. The total amount of glycogen, however, was essentially the same in the first three structures as in segments 26 to 28.

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In order to clarify an etiological factor of bovine abomasal displacement and atony, 24 clinical cases of bovine abomasal displacement were studied mainly fluoroscopically and histopathologically. Of them, fourteen were operated successfully to recover and ten slaughtered to investigate pathological changes. In addition to the dilatation and displacement of the abomasum, some significant findings were obtained by fluoroscopy. They were signs of severe forestomach disorders in the form of ruminal dilatation, bloat, impaction, reticular atony, and slow and weak contraction of the reticulum. The presence of sharp metallic foreign bodies in the reticulum was significantly observed in 92% of the cases. The histopathologic findings were characterized by relatively fresh degenerative lesions in the smooth muscle and intramural nerve fibers of the omasum and abomasum with blood vessels altered (edematous loosening and swelling of the wall) and by rather old degenerative lesions of the same tissues in the reticulum. In 2 cases which had developed inflammatory reactions near the reticular plexus below the cardia, rather old lesions were found not only in the reticulum but also in the omasum and abomasum. From the results of this study it was suggested that forestomach disorders might exist as pre-cursors of abomasal displacement and atony, and that at least as one of the etiological factors of the forestomach disorders, the presence of sharp foreign bodies in the reticulum might have significant meaning.

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In the previous paper, it was suggested that forestomach disorders might act as precursors of abomasal displacement and atony, and that as one of the etiological factors of forestomach disorders, the presence of a sharp foreign body in the reticulum might have significant meaning. In this paper, therefore, traumatic reticulitis was induced experimentalIy in two bullocks to study the significant effect of a sharp metallic foreign body in the reticulum mainly fluoroscopically and histopathologically. Fluoroscopy: Immediately after the ingestion of pieces of wire and their implantation in the reticular plexus just below the cardia, sustained tonic contraction (tonus) was observed in the reticulum. Reticular tonus waned on the 7th day, but reticular atony supervened simuItaneously. Bloat was observed on the 8th day in both cases. Tonus was observed in the abomasum immediately after implantation of wire in the reticular plexus just below the cardia. Abomasal tonus waned on the 5th and 6th days, but abomasal atony supervened simultaneousIy. The abomasal posterior edge further extended gradually backwards. Histopathological examination: The general feature was found the presence of relatively fresh degenerative lesions in the smooth muscle and intramural nerve fibers of the reticulum, amasum and abomasum. From the results of this study, it can be considered that the direct consequential effect of a sharp foreign body in the reticulum is one of the etiological factors of abomasal atony and forestomach disorders.

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The kinetics of reaginic and hemagglutinating antibody productions in dogs experimentally infected with Dirofilaria immitis was studied by passive cutaneous anaphylaxis reaction and indirect hemagglutination test. Reaginic antibody was first detected on the 65th day of infection, which coincided with the fourth molt of worm development. Although the antibody transiently disappeared on the 97th day, it reappeared, thereafter, and boosted when microfilaremia became evident. The reaginic activity of sera was completely deleted by heating at 56°C for 60 min and by reduction and alkylation procedures. Sephadex G-200 gel filtration analysis indicates that reaginic activity was recovered in the ascending portion of the second (IgG) peak, suggesting molecular weight slightly greater than that of IgG. Hemagglutinating antibody was first observed on the l9th day of infection and then, steadily increased until the end of the study. Hemagglutinating antibody responses showed the pattern of two distinct peaks which coincided both with the fourth larval molt and the occurrence of microfilaremia.

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Clinical, hematological, and immunoserological studies were made on the effect of splenectomy and dexamethasone (DM) administration on 26 cattle experimentally infected with Babesia ovata. Four intact cattle serving as controls recovered from temporary parasitemia and mild anemia with immunofluorescent antibody (IFA) titers rapidly rising. Nine cattle infected after splenectomy showed severe anemia because of a marked increase in severity of parasitemia. Five of them died or were killed in the moribund stage. No antibody response was observed in two of the five cattle. Eight splenectomised cattle were injected intramuscularly one to four times with DM (0.lmg/kg/day) after inoculation. Parasitemia always reached markedly high levels followed by fatality. Four cattle of them presented no IFA response. Two carrier cattle were treated with DM (0.1mg/kg/day) for 7 days. They manifested no parasitemia and their IFA titers were not changed. On the other hand, the relapse of parasitemia occurred in three cattle splenectomized in the carrier stage. Two of these cattle were treated consecutively with DM (0.1 and 0.15mg/kg/day) for 7 and 9 days, respectively. They showed no noticeable increase in severity of parasitemia, as compared with the control which had not been treated with DM. Discussion was made on the roles of humoral and celluIar factors and the importance of the spleen for protection of cattle from Babesia ovata infection.

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Electron microscopic observation was carried out on epithelial cells of Lieberkuhn's crypts in the natural case of canine parvovirus infection. The replication of virions was revealed in the nuclei of the lining epithelial cells, as demonstrated in feline panleukopenia. In cells seemingly in the early stage of infection, virus particles 18 to 20 nm in diameter were scattered in swollen nuclei. In rather severely infected cells, the nuclei were considerably atrophic with a marked margination of chromatin granules and occupied with fine fibrillar masses and virion clusters. The nuclei of epithelial cells desquamated into the lumen were shown to have compact crystalline arrays of virions. Virions were observed also in the cytoplasm, being either membrane-associated or free in the ground substance.

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Some biological, physicochemical and antigenic properties of the MI-110 strain of Getah virus (GV) were examined at the tenth passage level in Vero cell cultures. The virus produced CPE in a wide variety of cells, including eleven kinds of primary equine fetal cells. Especially, it multiplied to the highest titer (10^7.5 TCID₅₀/0.2 ml) in primary equine fetal lung, BHK-2l, HmLu and Vero cell cultures. The MI-110 strain was sensitive to a high concentration of trypsin, an acid pH value of less than 5.0, an alkaline pH value of more than 10.0, and heating at more than 50°C, especially heating in IM MgCl₂ at 50°C. Moreover, it was unstable at 20 or 37°C, but survived at l0°C for 3 months, at 4°C for 6 months, and at -20 or -80°C for more than 2 years. In the cross virus neutralization, hemagglutination inhibition and complement fixation (CF) tests, this strain was proved to be quite closely related to the AMM 2021, Haruna and Sakai strains of GV, whereas it was a little more closely related to Sagiyama virus. Besides, it had a rather weak antigenic relationship with Ross River, but not with Chikungunya virus, except in the CF test. From these results, it was concluded that four strains of GV, or the AMM 2021, Haruna, MI-110 and Sakai strains, belonged antigenically to the same virus, and that Sagiyama virus might probably be classified in a subtype of GV.

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Four clinically, pathologically and serologically diagnosed cases of fatal feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) as well as 14 experimentally infected cases were examined for gut lesions and local presence of viral antigen and particles by immunofluorescence or electronmicroscopy, respectively. Two of 4 naturally occurring cases and 12 of 14 orally infected cases had diarrhea. In most of these cases the small and large intestines showed edematous thickening of either anemic or hyperemic mucosa with watery or mucous content. Histopathologically the enteric lesions in 3 natural and 12 experimental cases were rather superficial and characterized by degeneration, desquamation and hyperplasia of epithelial cells and edematous tunica propria with some infiltration of neutrophils and mononuclear cells. Fusion of epithelial cells was frequently encountered. In the remaining 1 natural and 2 experimental fatal cases, however, the deep mucosa of the small and large intestines was also severely affected with remarkable cell infiltration. By immunofluorescence virus-specific antigen was detected in the cytoplasm of intestinal epithelial cells of natural as well as experimental cases. Electronmicroscopy revealed coronavirus particles within the same cells as well as in feces. The findings suggest that fecal excretion of the virus from intestinal lesion may be of importance for transmission of FIP.

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During a bacteriological survey conducted on infertile mares on a thoroughbred breeding farm in Hokkaido, many mares were found manifesting clinical signs of contagious equine metritis (CEM) in May, 1980. The most remarkable sign was discharge of white, turbid mucus from the cervix. Cervical swabs were collected from these mares and cultured in an atmosphere containing 10%CO₂ on eugon chocolate agar containing 5% horse blood. Gram-negative short rods were isolated from 17 samples. They were positive in oxidase and catalase tests. These organisms were identified to Haemophilus equigenitalis, on the basis of their properties and the cross agglutination tests with a reference strain, Kentucky 188. In sera of the mares yielding H. equigenitalis, agglutinating and complement fixing antibodies were demonstrated. Therefore both the tests proved to be useful in diagnosis of H. equigenitalis infection in an early stage.

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Light and scanning electron microscopic observations were performed on the oxyurid nematodes belonging to the genus Syphacia collected from the ceca of the laboratory conventional golden hamsters and mice. The nematodes from golden hamsters were identified as Syphacia mesocriceti Quentin, 1971. This species differed from S. obvelata (Rudolphi, 1802) from the mice in the measurements and the morpho1ogy by means of scanning electron microscopy. The morphological characters of S. mesocriceti were as follows. (1) The lateral alae was distinctly observed even in the living worms. (2) The lip was triangular and projected foreword, and the periphery of lip was serrated. (3) Mamelons in the male were composed of the thorn-like processes, and took the shape of a crown.(4) There was no significant difference between the measurements of the eggs of S. mesocriceti and S. obvelata.

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[in Japanese]

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[in Japanese]

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[in Japanese]

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[in Japanese]

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