Mean phosphorus (P) content in bovine rib bone was 102.9, 108.3, and 182.7 mg/g of bone on fresh, dry, and ash weight bases, respectively. Values for calcium (Ca) were 194.3, 203.7, and 344.6 mg/g, respectively, and for magnesium (Mg) were 5.3, 5.5, and 9.4 mg/g, respectively. Mean percentage of ash in rib bone was 59.12%. Expected concentrations of Ca, P, and Mg were determined on fresh, dry, and ash weight bases and for 3 age groups, 3 breeds, and bulls, females, and steers. On an ash weight basis, cattle 6 to 18 months old had 185.74 mg of P/g, 372.52 mg of Ca/g, and 12.37 mg of Mg/g. Those 19 to 36 months old had 182.02 mg of P/g, 322.35 mg of P/g, and 8.09 mg of Mg/g. Those > 36 months old had 174.80 mg of P/g, 340.36 mg of Ca/g, and 6.62 mg of Mg/g. Steers had 183.93 mg of P/g, 352.73 mg of Ca/g, and 10.15 mg of Mg/g. Females had 178.47 mg of P/g, 320.28 mg of Ca/g, and 6.5 mg of Mg/g. Males had 176.15 mg of P/g, aH on an ash weight basis. Dairy breeds were found to have 186.08 mg of P/g, 351.25 mg of Ca/g, and 10.47 mg of Mg/g. Cattle of mixed breeding had 177.42 mg of P/g, 341.28 mg of Ca/g, and 6.54 mg of Mg/g. The Africander breed of beef cattle had 167.07 mg of P/g, all on an ash weight basis.

We investigated the biochemical composition of blood from Holstein cows, native breed (criollas), and cows descended from fighting bulls (Vacas de lidia) raised at an altitude of 3,000 m (moderately high altitude, MHA), and compared the results with those from Holsteins and cows of similar genetic ancestry as the criollas (scrub cows), both raised at sea level (SL), to determine blood biochemical values characteristic of adaptation to high altitude. Only potassium and calcium concentrations were similar among groups. Glucose concentration was lower in MHA cows, with the exception of Vacas de lidia. Serum bicarbonate concentration was lower in MHA cows; this finding can be explained by hyperventilation in the hypoxic environment. Serum magnesium concentration was lower in SL and MHA Holsteins than in other groups. Serum phosphate concentration was lower in scrub cows, MHA Holsteins, and criollas than in other groups. Cholesterol concentrations were lower in SL Holsteins, whereas triglycerides were higher in scrub cows and MHA Vacas de lidia. Concentration of high-density lipoprotein was significantly greater in Vacas de lidia and less in MHA criollas than in the other groups. Uric acid and total protein were higher in MHA groups. Using radioimmunoassay for human proteins, thyroxine-binding globulin was undetectable. Total and free thyroxine and free triiodothyronine were higher in scrub cows, followed by Vacas de lidia; lower values were detected in SL and MHA Holsteins and MHA criollas.

Addition of alanine and taurine blocked killing of lymphocytes caused by culture at 45 C. The optimal concentration for thermoprotection was achieved at 12.5 mM for L-alanine and 5 mM for taurine. Both D and L forms of alanine provided thermoprotection. The effect of these agents was not simply to increase osmolarity of the culture medium, because NaCl did not provide thermoprotection at comparable concentrations. Alanine and taurine were each tested at concentration of 50 mM for ability to block heat shock-induced killing and developmental retardation of 8- to 16-cell mouse embryos. Both agents enhanced embryo development after exposure to high temperature, though development remained less than that for embryos not exposed to high temperature. In one experiment, for example, 81% of embryos cultured at 38 C advanced in development during culture vs 0% at 42 C, 15% at 42 C with alanine, and 32% at 42 C with taurine. The beneficial effect of alanine at high temperature may have been partly attributable to effects independent of thermoprotection, because development of embryos cultured at 38 C was also improved by alanine.

Sixty-three drugs, belonging to 10 chemical classes, were tested in vitro to determine effects on phagocytosis of 32P-labeled Staphylococcus aureus by neutrophils isolated from milk. Within each class, the number of antibiotics tested were: nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID; 8), peptolids (2), aminoglycosides (8), tetracyclines and fusidic acid (4), beta-lactam antibiotics (25), secretolytic agents (2), macrolides (5), polypeptides (2), and antibacterial quinolones (8). Percentage of phagocytosis was determined after incubating (2 hours at 37 C) 12.5 X 10(6) viable neutrophils, 200 X 10(6) 32P-labeled S aureus with antibiotics and 5% skimmed milk. Concentrations of antibiotics tested were 1,000, 500, and 10 microgram/ml of incubation media. When compared with nonantibiotic controls at the highest drug concentration, the NSAID acetylsalicylic acid and centrophenoxine increased phagocytosis 23.2 and 8.8%, respectively, and benzydamine, indomethacin, phenylbutazone, ibuprofen, and acetominophen decreased phagocytosis 22.8, 14.2, 9.8, 27.0, and 18.2%, respectively. The peptolids novobiocin and pristinamycin decreased phagocytosis 24.5 and 22.0%, respectively. The aminoglycosides tobramycin, amikacin, and gentamicin decreased phagocytosis 21.1, 15.4, and 19.2%, respectively. For the tetracyclines and fusidic acid, minocycline and doxycycline decreased phagocytosis 39.8 and 54.2%, respectively. The beta-lactam antibiotics carfecillin, cephapirin sodium, and cephacetrile sodium decreased phagocytosis 11.2, 12.8, and 23.8%, respectively. The secretolytic agent, bromhexin, increased phagocytosis 10.8%. These data indicate that the potential for enhanced phagocytosis exists through use of some NSAID, and for depressed phagocytosis through use of aminoglycosides, peptolids, tetracyclines, and beta-lactams, as well as certain other NSAID.

Colony hybridizations with DNA probes for 3 heat-stable (STaP, STaH, and STb) enterotoxins and 1 heat-labile (LT) enterotoxin and for 4 adhesins (K99, F41, K88, 987P) were performed on 870 Escherichia coli isolates to determine pathotypes prevalent among enterotoxigenic E coli (ETEC) isolated from cattle in Belgium. One hundred thirty-two E coli isolates (15.2%) hybridized with probes STaP, K99, and/or F41. The 5 other probes were not hybridized by E coli isolates. Therefore, only STaP enterotoxin and K99 and F41 adhesins were virulence factors of ETEC isolated from cattle. Two major pathotypes accounted for 95% of the ETEC: STaP+K99+F41+ (67.4%) and STaP+K99+ (27.3%). The last 5% of probe-positive isolates had STaP+, STaP+F41+, or K99+F41+ minor pathotypes. Of 12 American ETEC isolates also assayed, 7 were positive with STb and/or 987P probes (pathotypes STaP+STb+,STaP+ 987P+, or STaP+STb+987P+) and may be porcine- rather than bovine-specific enteropathogens. The remaining 5 American ETEC isolates belonged to 3 minor pathotypes (STaP+,STaP+F41+, and K99+F41+) also found among Belgian E coli isolates. Such isolates may be derivatives of STaP+K99+F41+ or STaP+K99+ ETEC after in vivo or in vitro loss of virulence genes and/or non-ETEC isolates, which have acquired virulence genes by in vivo transfer.

Cows naturally infected with Brucella abortus developed antibody (Ab) responses to a nonlipopolysaccharide antigen (NLA) purified from B abortus strain 1119-3. Sera from strain 19-vaccinated cows did not have detectable amounts of Ab. Weak lymphoproliferative responses to NLA were observed in blood mononuclear cell suspensions obtained from infected cows. There was no evidence of NLA-specific lymphoproliferation in cell suspensions from healthy cows. Nonlipopolysaccharide antigen binding to bovine blood mononuclear cells was observed by antigen-consumption assays and direct binding of radiolabeled antigen. Cells from infected cows bound less NLA than did cells from healthy cows when assays were conducted with intact blood mononuclear cell preparations (monocytes plus lymphocytes). Monocytes obtained from any group did not bind NLA. Purified B lymphocytes from infected and healthy vaccinated cows bound about 3 times more NLA than did T lymphocytes, but there were no apparent differences between the 2 groups in extent of binding. Results of the study indicate that bovine lymphocytes have binding sites for a NLA purified from B abortus strain 1119-3.

Antibodies to bovine serum albumin were detected in swine sera by use of an immunoblotting technique. Such sera had false-positive reactions, as determined by results of African swine fever virus serodiagnostic techniques when bovine serum albumin was a contaminant in the soluble cytoplasmic antigen obtained from infected cells cultured in the presence of bovine serum. The soluble cytoplasmic antigen obtained from cell cultures infected with African swine fever virus in the presence of porcine serum did not react with the false-positive sera and, therefore, was used for African swine fever virus serodiagnostic methods, with 0% false-positive results.

The amphotropic murine leukemia virus (MLV) has been shown to infect mammalian species other than mice. If this virus infects and expresses genes in cells of livestock species (cattle, sheep, and pigs) it has potential for use as a vector to produce transgenic livestock. Because the gene-injection technique for producing transgenic animals is inherently inefficient, our laboratory was interested in identifying or constructing retroviral vectors capable of infecting livestock embryos. The infectivity of an amphotropic MLV-based vector for ovine, bovine, and porcine cells was tested. Experiments were also conducted to test the ability of the amphotropic MLV promoter, compared with known strong promoters, to express genes in cells from these species. Results indicated that amphotropic MLV infects and expresses genes efficiently in porcine cells and is, therefore, a potential vector for producing transgenic pigs. Infection was not detected in cells from adult bovine and ovine species; however, low levels of infection, with subsequent gene expression, were detected in cells derived from bovine embryos.

Bovine fibroblast interferon (BoF-IFN), produced in primary bovine embryonic kidney cell cultures after priming and infection with bluetongue virus, was purified by controlled pore glass (CPG) chromatography to a specific activity of 10(6) U/mg of protein, with 40% recovery of the original activity. The crude IFN was concentrated more than sevenfold during purification. This proved to be a relatively simple, practical method of obtaining sufficient quantities of partially purified natural BoF-IFN for further studies. The CPG-purified BoF-IFN was further concentrated by sequential ultrafiltration and was analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Interferon, recovered from denaturing conditions either by dialysis against phosphate-buffered saline solution or by dilution in cell culture medium containing 10% fetal bovine serum, migrated as a single stainable protein with molecular weight of 21,000 on analytic SDS-PAGE gels. Recovered IFN activity from preparative SDS-PAGE totalled 8.7% of that applied. Attempts to further purify CPG-purified BoF-IFN by zinc chelate affinity chromatography were unsuccessful.

Studies were conducted to ascertain in vitro effects and effects of percutaneous application (in vivo) of dichlorvos (2,2-dichlorovinyl dimethyl phosphate; DDVP) on cholinesterase activities in bovine erythrocytes and plasma. Treatment in vitro of erythrocytes and plasma with DDVP resulted in concentration- and time-dependent inhibition of erythrocyte acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and plasma cholinesterase (ChE) activities. Mean (+/- SD) DDVP concentrations required to cause 50% enzyme inhibition were 15.7 +/- 3.3 muM and 43.1 +/- 5.7 muM for AChE and ChE, respectively; however, these values required to achieve this inhibition were markedly decreased with increasing incubation time. The inhibited AChE activity failed to be reactivated after incubation of erythrocytes with 2-pyridine aldoxime methiodide (2-PAM); however, limited reactivation of inhibited AChE and ChE activities was observed with excess concentration of 2-PAM. Percutaneous application of a DDVP-containing livestock spray on cattle also caused a marked decrease in the in vivo activities of AChE and ChE; however, the inhibited enzyme activities were reactivated rapidly after incubation with 2-PAM.