The developmental electroencephalogram (EEG) was recorded from 64 beagles to make a map on the normal EEG in relation to the change of age and the state of consciousness, and to establish the criterion of evaluation on the abnormal EEG. Montages used were four rhinal reference recordings (LF-R, RF-R, LO-R, RO-R) and four bipolar ones (LF-RF, LO-RO, LF-LO, RF-RO). Rhythmic waves which were occasionally seen at the 1st postnatal day increased with days of age and appeared constantly in the 7th postnatal day. The wakefulness and sleep were distinguished in the EEG of two weeks of age. It was revealed that the EEG on the 5th week could be classified into wakefulness, light sleep, middle sleep and deep sleep, because prototypes of all wave patterns or wave forms such as desynchronizations, rhythmic waves of 8-13 Hz, humps, primitive spindles and slow waves below 3 Hz occurred in this age. These waves increased in their amplitudes up to 10-12 weeks of age and then gradually decreased in them. It was also demonstrated that the maturation of the EEG in the dog may occur in 20-30 weeks of age, when it is evaluated from the changes of the EEG due to the state of consciousness.

View full abstract

Serum ferritin concentration and other iron-related blood characteristics of Holstein dairy bulls were studied. Serum ferritin concentration was measured by a two-site immunoradiometric assay (2-site IRMA). The mean value ±standard error of this protein in blood serum of dairy bulls reared in breeding stations near to Sapporo was 36±7 ng/ml in adult (n=109) and 13±1 ng/ml in young bulls (n=19), respectively. Similar changes with age were observed in mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular hemoglobin, hemoglobin concentration, hematocrit, total serum protein and transferrin concentration. On the other hand, count of red blood cells in young bulls was higher than that in adult ones. But sexual difference in serum ferritin concentrations was not detected between bulls and cows previously reported. Furthermore, the ferritin levels in adult bulls were also measured by an enzyme immunoassay (EIA) used horseradish peroxidase as an enzyme and ABTS as a substrate. A correlation coefficient between ferritin concentrations determined by two methods was a significant high value (r=0.990). However, in the present EIA of serum ferritin, determination of low ferritin level below 5 ng/ml was likely difficult. But this assay system may be useful to determine high serum levels of ferritin in some metabolic disorders of animals.

View full abstract

Immunoglobulin concentrations were determined in feline serum, colostrum, milk, bile, intestinal fluid, saliva, tear, nasal secretions, and tracheal secretions by single radial immunodiffusion. The results were as follows. In the serum, colostrum and milk, IgG was predominant (78.1% to 90.7% of the total immunoglobulin contents); IgA and IgM were minor (5.9% to 11.7% and 2.8% to 10.2%). In other secretions, IgA was predominant (41.4% to 70.7%). However, IgG ratio was higher than IgM ratio in the nasal and tracheal secretions. In contrast, IgM ratio was superior to IgG ratio in the bile and intestinal fluids.

View full abstract

Twenty-seven canine mammary tumours of varying histological types were examined for the presence of estrogen and progesterone receptors and aspects of [<14>C] -progesterone metabolism. Using dextran-coated charcoal method with the binding parameters of the reaction determined by Scatchard plots, a half of the 27 mammary tumours were shown to contain both receptors. The majority (69%) were benign tumours. This figure fell to 25% for estrogen receptor negative and/or progesterone receptor-negative tumours. After incubation of [<14>C]-progesterone with cell-free homogenates of mammary tumours and normal glands, 5α-pregnanedione, 17α-hydroxy-5α-pregnanedione, 5α-pregnanediols, and 5α-andro-stanedione were identified as the main metabolites. Although the enzyme activities relevant to the metabolism varied amoung the tissues examined, the most active enzyme demonstrated was 5α-reductase in both tissues. This enzyme activities were significantly greater in the estrogen receptor positive tumours than in the normal glands. These data indicate that some of canine mammary tumours may well be hormone-dependent and these possess active steroid metabolising enzymes.

View full abstract

Bactericidal (BC) activity of fresh or heated, normal (NCS) and immune (ICS) chicken sera was investigated with encapsulated and nonencapsulated variants dissociated from serotype HA-1 strain 221 of Haemophilus paragallinarum. The BC titer was expressed as the highest serum-dilution reducing viable cell count by 50% after reaction time of 3 hr. Nonencapsulated organisms were shown to be sensitive to the BC activity of fresh NCS, in which no specific antibodies were demonstrable, but encapsulated organisms resisted the BC activity. Fresh ICS with the detectable hemagglutination-inhibition (HI) and agglutination antibodies were bactericidal for both encapsulated and nonencapsulated organisms, but the activity was completely lost by heating at 56°C for 30 min. The BC activity appears to be due to the antibodies against HA-L hemagglutinin and/or L agglutinogen located on outer membrane of the cell, but not to the antibodies against capsular or other somatic antigens except for the HA-L and L antigens.

View full abstract

In order to standardize the E-rosette formation by bovine lymphocytes, the effects of: 1) pretreatments of sheep erythrocytes, 2) breed and 3) individual differences of sheep erythrocytes, and 4) dextran concentration in rosette medium influencing E-rosettes were investigated and also E-rosettes were examined with double markers. Different pretreatments of sheep erythrocytes, with: a) neuraminidase (E_N), b) 2-aminoethy1 isothiouronium bromide hydrobromide (E_AET), formed significantly higher Percentages of rosette forming cells (RFC) (P<.01, <.01) compared with the rosette values for c) untreated (E) sheep erythrocytes. No significant differences in the percentages of E-rosettes were observed between two breeds (Suffolk (n=9), Corriedale (n=7)) and one Crossbreed (n=5), however, individual differences were observed. Standardized method of bovine E-rosette assay (E_AET-dextran) was: 400 μl of lymphocyte suspension (3-4×10⁶/ml) in Eagle's minimum essential medium containing 20% inactivated fetal calf serum (MEM-FCS) was mixed with 400 μl of a 1% sheep erythrocytes (pretreated 0.143M AET) suspended in 8% dextran (Mol. wt. 177000), incubated at 37°C for 30 minutes and centrifuged at 100 g for 5 minutes and then incubated at 4°C overnight. In double marker experiments, 3% (mean) (range 0-6%) of RFC were detected which exhibited both B and T cell markers. Using the standardized E-rosette assay (E_AET-dextran), Surface immunoglobulin (SIg) immunofluorescence assay and yeast ingesting method it was possible to differentiate 90.2±6.5% (mean±SD) (range 83-98%) of bovine peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 8 normal cows into T cells (61.4±3.9%, 56-68%), B cells (22.8±4.1%, 16-30%) and monocytes (6.1±2.6%, 4-10%).

View full abstract

Comparison of reaction patterns among the five strains of infectious pancreatic necrosis virus (IPNV) and an infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) was done by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with antiserum against purified VR299 strain of IPNV. Five strains of IPNV were divided into three groups by the reaction pattern: i) VR299 strain, ii) Buhl and Powder Mill strains, and iii) d'Honnincthun and Bonnamy strains. IBDV could not be detected by ELISA using the anti-IPNV serum. Molecular weight comparison of virion proteins revealed that size of β proteins of IPNV was unique in three groups of IPNV. Antigenic relationships among IPNV strains examined by immunodiffusion (ID) showed that Buhl and Powder Mill strains were similar to VR299 strain, but d'Honnincthun and Bonnamy strains were distinct from other three strains of IPNV. No cross reaction was observed between IBDV and IPNV-VR299 strain by ID. These results indicate that ELISA can be used to distinguish antigenic differences among IPNV strains and to differentiate IPNV from antigenically unrelated virus such as IBDV which is classified in the same virus family as IPNV.

View full abstract

Studies were made on the effects of prey bacterial density and temperature upon multiplication of Colpoda inflata isolated from soil and on the food habit of this protozoan. The generation time of C. inflata at 25°C was examined with 10⁵-10¹⁰ /ml organisms of Escherichia coli as prey bacteria. It was the shortest (4.4 hr) when 10⁸ organisms were used and the longest (18.8 hr) when 10¹⁰ organisms were used. The number of E. coli organisms consumed per protozoan was the smallest (1.0×10³) when 10⁵ or 10⁶ organisms were used and the largest (1.6×10⁵) when 10¹⁰ organisms were used. C. inflata failed to multiply when the E. coli organisms heated at 60°C for 30 min were used. When cultured at a temperature within a range from 5 to 40°C, C. inflata exhibited the shortest generation time (2.6 hr) at 30°C and the longest (6.2 hr) at 15°C. No multiplication was observed when the protozoan was cultured at 5°C, 10°C or 40°C. There were little differences in the number of bacteria consumed per protozoan among different cultivation temperatures. C. inflata preyed on all the fourteen species (nineteen strains) of bacteria of soil and porcine fecal origin, except three species of soil origin. Its generation time was shorter when bacteria of fecal origin were used as prey than when those of soil origin were used. Such was also the case when any other species of bacteria was used for the subculture and preculture of the protozoan. From these results, it is possible that C. inflata plays an important role in purification of soil in respect to porcine fecal bacteria.

View full abstract

Diurnal changes in peripheral plasma concentrations of melatonin (MLT) and effects of 2 hr light exposure during the nighttime and 2 hr dark exposure during the daytime on MLT concentrations in goats were examined in natural lighting condition. Two breeds of goats, the Saanen goat as a seasonal breeder at the breeding season, and the Shiba goat as a non-seasonal one, were used while they were at luteal phase. Plasma concentrations of MLT showed a marked diurnal change in both breeds of goats, which was high during the nighttime (20-120 pg/ml) and low during the daytime (<20 pg/ml). Light exposure during the nighttime (for 2 hr) caused an abrupt decline in plasma concentrations of MLT to the basal level; and when the light was turned off, plasma MLT began to increase. On the contrary, 2 hr dark treatment during the daytime did not induced a rapid increase in plasma MLT as observed at the onset of the night. The pattern and the magnitude of the nocturnal elevation in plasma MLT and the responses to the dark or light interruption were virtually identical between the two breeds. These results suggest that the secretion of MLT in goats is driven by the endogenous rhythm, though the lighting stimulus temporarily suppresses the MLT secretion.

View full abstract

The challenge organisms were recovered from the chickens injected with an inactivated vaccine prepared from Haemophilus paragallinarum and their hemagglutination-inhibition (HI) titers were determined. Clearance of the organisms from the nasal cavity and paranasal sinus of the chickens with HI titers &ge;1:5 was apparent. The organisms recovered from the chickens with titers of 1:40 or higher gradually decreased in number, and the time necessary for the nasal clearance depended on the titer. The organisms were completely cleared from these chickens within 12 hr after the exposure, and they did not show any sign of coryza. Numerous organisms were recovered constantly from the chickens with titers of 1:5 to 1:20 within 6 hr after the exposure, then gradually cleared from them during 12 hr to 48 hr postchallenge, and most of them did not show any sign of coryza. In contrast, numerous organisms were constantly recovered from most of the chickens lacking the titers (<1:5) during 7 days postchallenge, showing proliferation of the organisms in these chickens, and most of them showed signs of severe coryza. Significant correlation was observed between the HI titer and nasal clearance of the organisms in these chickens. The inactivated H. paragallinarum vaccine gave solid protective immunity to the immunized chickens.

View full abstract

Pathogenicity of Haemophilus pleuropneumoniae (Hpn) serotype 2, strain SH-15 was investigated using five different animal species including piglet. Guinea pigs, cotton rats, and Afghan pikas were found to be sensitive to the bacterium depending on the route of inoculation, whereas mice were insensitive via any route of inoculation. The death occurred within two days postinoculation, and gross hemorrhagic lung lesions similar to those induced in piglets were produced only in all the dead animals. The inoculated organism was recovered constantly from all the lung lesions and heart blood samples, and rarely from the upper respiratory tract of the dead animals except for piglets. Various Hpn-hemolysin preparations killed piglets within 12 hr after intratracheal administration, however, most of the guinea pigs given any of the preparations survived for two days post-administration. Severe hemorrhagic lung lesions similar to those induced by the live organism were produced in these piglets and guinea pigs. The ability of crude hemolysin preparation to produce the lung lesions was not abolished after heating at 121°C for 2 hr, and the heat-stable hemolysin seemed to be a virulent factor of Hpn. The present results suggested that guinea pigs were useful for the pathogenicity test of Hpn instead of piglets.

View full abstract

Ferritin, iron and total iron-binding capacity (TIBC) of the serum from young steers were estimated during a prolonged period of caloric undernutrition and a subsequent recovering period. Holstein young steers of 3 months of age (n=8) received 42% ration for 5 months and 136% ration for 4 months on the basis of TDN for 0.7 kg daily weight gain. The control animals (n=8) received 100% ration for 9months. The prolonged caloric restriction caused a mild normocytic and normochromic anemia without a decrease in total serum protein nor albumin. The anemia thus induced was eliminated during the recovering period. TIBC decreased gradually with the progress of the malnutritional period and was improved quickly by the increase in rations. A decrease in serum iron concentration was observed only at the end of the undernutritional period. Serum ferritin started to rise shortly after the beginning of the undernutritional condition with the highest level at the end of that period, and returned to the control level in 3 months of the recovering period. The magnitude of changes in serum ferritin was exceedingly larger than that in TIBC. Serum ferritin seems to be a sensitive indicator for the malnutritional status of steers.

View full abstract

Plasminogen (Pmg), the precurser protein of proteolytic enzyme plasmin was isolated from cat plasma according with the modification of Deutsch and Mertz's method. Purified protein had approximately 96, 000 dalton at SDS-PAGE and PI was 6.0 and 6.5. Pmg values in plasma collected from 28 individuals of male and female adult cats were measured using anti feline Pmg rabbit serum. In this experiment, 0.34±0.07 g/l (mean ±standard deviation) (max. 0.67-min. 0.24) were obtained.

View full abstract

Feline serum transferrin (Tf) was purified from small material (7ml) in short time (The yield was 12.1%). Molecular weights of isolated Tf were 78, 000 and 77, 700 dalton determined by SDS-PAGE. These two proteins were immunized each to New-Zealand rabbits and two antisera revealed same precipitate. The value in plasma collected from healthy 56 adult cats was measured using above antiserum. On RIE, 3.46±0.99 g/l (mean ±standard deviation) was gained.

View full abstract

Feline hemopexin (Hx) was isolated from serum with the procedure on the modification of Vretblad et al.. Purified Hx had 71, 000 and 74, 000 dalton at 4-30% PAGE, and the solution immunized to rabbit foot pad. After 3 weeks, only one precipitate was observed between feline plasma and antiserum with IEP and Ouchtalony method. Hx level in 51 healthy adult cat plasma was 1.11±0.27 g/l (mean ±standard deviation) by RIE.

View full abstract

Secretory IgA levels in the intestinal contents of 1- to 6-week-old piglets were investigated, revealing that the levels were likely to be the lowest at age 3 weeks and the highest in the ileum throughout the observation period.

View full abstract

In ddY mice primarily and secondarily infected with Metagonimus yokogawai, the permeability of intestinal mucosa was measured by the amount of Evan's blue leaked into the intestinal lumen. The kinetics of worm recovery and mast cells in the intestinal wall of infected mice were also examined. The results suggested that there was a close relationship between worm expulsion from the intestine of M.yokogawai infected mice and increase of mucosal permeability or kinetics of mast cells in the intestine.

View full abstract

Delayed-type footpad swelling to nonviable Mycoplasma pulmonis was studied in mice treated with some immunomodulators. Mice pre-treated subcutaneously with nonviable M. pulmonis and carrageenan or dextran sulfate had significantly increased footpad swelling when the mice were injected in the footpad with nonviable M. pulmonis 7 days later. In contrast, pre-treatment with nonviable M. pulmonis and Corynebacterium parvum or diethylstilbestrol did not enhance footpad swelling.

View full abstract

Changes of parathyroid hormone (PTH) concentrations in maternal and fetal blood and in amniotic fluid throughout rat pregnancy were determined by radioimmunoassay. PTH levels in matemal blood increased during the last quarter of gestation, and seemed to play a significant role for maintaining maternal blood ionic calcium at a constant level. PTH levels in fetal blood and amniotic fluid remained mostly undetectable (less than 100 pg/ml).

View full abstract

An anaplastic nephroblastoma with metastases to the lung and liver was observed in an 8-year-old spayed female Yorkshire terrier. Primitive glomerulus-like structures were seen in the metastatic lesions of the lung and left kidney.

View full abstract

Strains of bovine viral diarrhea-mucosal disease virus isolated in Japan were examined on the ability of interference. Among the strains, one strain (No. 12) was non-cytopathogenic and the other three strains (Nose, So and Tokachi strains) were cytopathogenic. No. 12 strain strongly interfered with the Nose strain but not remarkably with the So and Tokachi strains.

View full abstract

Two samples of 60 canine diarrheal feces were positive by a reverse passive hemagglutination (R-PHA) test kit of human rotaviruses. An agent was isolated in a fetal rhesus monkey kidney (MA 104) cell culture from the sample with higher R-PHA titer, and it was identified as a rotavirus based on morphologic features by electron microscopy (EM) and common rotaviral antigen detected by immune EM and immunofluorescent test with an immune serum against a bovine rotavirus.

View full abstract

Attempts were made to detect serologic specificities involved in the serum bactericidal (BC) reaction with Haemophilus paragallinarum (Hpg). On the basis of serum BC reactions, ten Hpg isolates were classified into two distinct serotypes. Specificity of the BC activity toward the encapsulated organisms of Hpg defined by the BC assay is similar to serotype specificity defined by the hemagglutination-inhibition or by the agglutination tests.

View full abstract

Inoculation of mice with brain homogenate of a sheep showing disorder of the central nervous system (CNS) was carried out. The clinical signs of CNS disorder were observed in 10 out of 24 mice from 271 to 307 days post intracerebral inoculation of 10% homogenate of the brain tissue. These 10 and two mice free from the clinical signs had histological lesions corresponding to those reported in scrapie-affected mouse.

View full abstract

Unpasteurized cured hams were prepared from pork loins by curing with salt (3 or 6%) and 0.02% sodium nitrite. The hams were inoculated with the spores of Clostridium botulinum types A and B and held for 56 days at 15 or 27°C. No botulinum toxin developed at 15°C in the ham cured with 3% salt and nitrite, but type A toxin lower than 400 mouse ip MLD/g was detected after the 7th day of holding at 27°C. The ham cured with 6% salt and sodium nitrite never became toxic at 15 or 27°C.

View full abstract

The susceptibility of 42 isolates of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae from pigs affected with acute septicemic erysipelas in Japan to antimicrobial agents was determined. A total of 28 (66.7%) strains showed double resistance to oxytetracycline and dihydrostreptomycin. Plasmids were not detected in the resistant strains.

View full abstract

Organic dust pneumoconiosis occurred with high morbidity (20-100%) in 3- to 5-week-old conventional Hartley guinea pigs. Grossly, the lung showed atelectasis and palpable nodular foci in the parenchyma. Microscopically, granulomatous pneumonitis and interstitial pneumonia were observed. The granuloma consisted of prominent giant cells surrounding organic dusts inhaled from the bedding or food materials.

View full abstract

The prevalence of Chlamydia psittaci was determined in psittacine birds dying or wasting soon after importation. During the past 3 years from 1981 to 1983, C. psittaci was isolated from 70.5% (266/377) of the psittacines examined. The yearly chlamydial isolation rate was 77.5% (131/169) in 1981, 49.1% (27/55) in 1982 and 70.6% (108/153) in 1983. The parakeets, Psittacula krameri manillensis, Psittacula cyanocephala and Psittacula alexandri fasciate and parrot, Amazona aestiva yield the most number of chlamydia-positive birds.

View full abstract

Intestinal emphysema was observed in two male ICR-mice of twelve months of age. Gas-filled cysts of various sizes were located on the wall of the cecum and colon, and mesentery. Histopathologically, a thin layer of endothelium-like cells which occasionally observed multinucleate giant cells among them, covered the inside of the cysts. These cysts were surrounded by thin fibrous tissue and inflammatory cells. No bacteria could be detected in the lesions.

View full abstract

The heart of the duck was observed by light (LM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The subendocardial Purkinje (P) fibers formed a delicate network. Most of the P fibers appeared as flattened cylinders. The end portions of these fibers showed irregular shapes. Single slender P fibers were often observed to extend from the P network into the ordinary cardiac muscle layer.

View full abstract

An occurrence of Tyzzer's disease was experienced in Hooded athymic nude rats. The infected nude rats had severe liver necrosis, and many slender rods were detected within the necrotic foci by histopathology and immunofluorescence. The disease could be transmitted to nude rats but not to euthymic littermates by intraperitoneal inoculation with affected liver homogenate.

View full abstract

Fifteen strains of Yersinia enterocolitica isolated from patients and animals in Japan were examined for the presence of plasmids and plasmid-associated virulent properties. The plasmids of about 44 megadalton detected from serovar 0:3, 0:5B, and 0:9 were associated with autoagglutination, calcium dependency, and infectiousness of mice, but not associated with HeLa cell invasiveness, and conjunctivitis in guinea pig eye.

View full abstract