Diarrhoea in growing-finishing pigs is a common problem of commercial pig farms. Among many causative factors, porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) is one considered an important pathogen in modern pig production. The aim of the study was to verify if PCV2 was responsible for antibiotic non-responsive diarrhoea and wasting in pigs. A total of 13 dead pigs aged between 12 and 15 weeks from three Polish farms with persistent herd symptoms suggestive of PCV2 infection were provided for evaluation. Sections of lymph nodes and intestines were analysed by in situ hybridization (ISH) for PCV2 and histopathological examination. Faeces and intestinal scrapings were tested for Lawsonia intracellularis and Brachyspira hyodysenteriae by real-time PCR and for parasitic infection by flotation and decantation. ISH and histopathological examination showed that all pigs were PCV2 systemic disease negative. Swine dysentery was confirmed by real-time PCR on two farms, and proliferative enteropathy on one farm. In histological examinations, erosions of the caecal and colonic mucosa were found, together with cysts and trophozoites of Balantidium coli. The protozoa were present in the intestinal lumen and mucosa. B. coli cysts were identified in faeces from all examined pigs. These results suggest that monitoring of B. coli infections should be an additional measure of control and prevention of gastrointestinal tract disorders in modern swine husbandry.

Q fever (coxiellosis) is an infectious disease of animals and humans, caused by.C. burnetii and widely distributed throughout the world. It is known that people and animals acquire the disease predominantly.via inhalation of infectious aerosols. The possibility of transmission of the pathogen by the alimentary route is still a matter of debate and remains controversial. Therefore the aim of this study was to fill the gaps in knowledge of oral transmission of.C. burnetii by conducting biological tests on the guinea pig model. Guinea pigs, divided into five groups comprising a negative control and four experimental groups, received specified concentrations of.C. burnetii per os. To determine the presence of specific antibodies, blood samples were tested using CFT. Also, internal organs collected during necropsy were screened by a real-time PCR targeting I.1111. Additionally, histopathological evaluation of the tissues was performed. The presence of antibodies and pathogen DNA in caecum was confirmed in one guinea pig from experimental group IV..C. burnetii was also detected in testicular tissue collected from one animal of experimental group II. The presence of pathogen DNA in the testicular tissue indicates that infection spreads haematogenously. In the majority of experimental animals specific antibodies and genetic material of.C. burnetii were not detected. This fact suggests that development of infection depends on many factors, such as animal immune status.

The study of histopathological changes caused by influenza A (H5N8) viral infection in bird species is essential for the understanding of their role in the spread of this highly infectious virus. However, there are few such studies under natural conditions in minor gallinaceous species. This article describes the pathomorphological findings in Colchis pheasants infected naturally with H5N8 during an epizootic outbreak in Bulgaria. Samples of internal organs of 10 carcasses were collected for histopathological and immunohistochemical evaluation, virus isolation and identification, and nucleic acid detection. Consistent macroscopic findings were lesions affecting the intestine, heart, lung, and pancreas. Congestion and mononuclear infiltrate were common findings in the small intestine, as were necrosis and lymphoid clusters in the lamina propria of the caeca. Congestion with small focal necrosis and gliosis with multifocal nonpurulent encephalitis were observed in the brain. Myocardial interstitial oedema and degenerative necrobiotic processes were also detected. Immunohistological analysis confirmed systemic infection and revealed influenza virus nucleoprotein in all analysed organs. Variable necrosis was observed in the brain, liver, trachea, heart, small intestine, and caeca. Viral antigen was commonly found in the brain, heart, lung and trachea. Contact with migrating waterfowls was suspected as a reason for the outbreak.

OBJECTIVE To analyze the transit time from various locations in the intestines of cows with cecal dilatation-dislocation (CDD), healthy control cows, and cows with left displacement of the abomasum (LDA). ANIMALS 15 cows with naturally occurring CDD (group 1), 14 healthy control cows (group 2), and 18 cows with LDA (group 3). PROCEDURES 5 electronic transmitters were encased in capsules and placed in the lumen of the ileum, cecum, proximal portion of the colon, and 2 locations in the spiral colon (colon 1 and colon 2) and used to measure the transit time (ie, time between placement in the lumen and excretion of the capsules from the rectum). Excretion time of the capsules from each intestinal segment was compared among groups. RESULTS Cows recovered well from surgery, except for 1 cow with relapse of CDD 4 days after surgery and 2 cows with incisional infection. High variability in capsule excretion times was observed for all examined intestinal segments in all groups. Significant differences were detected for the excretion time from the colon (greater in cows with CDD than in healthy control cows) and cecum (less in cows with LDA than in cows of the other 2 groups). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE The technique developed to measure excretion time of capsules from bovine intestines was safe and reliable; however, the large variability observed for all intestinal segments and all groups would appear to be a limitation for its use in assessment of intestinal transit time of cattle in future studies.

Six Jersey cows were implanted with 8 pairs of bipolar electrodes: 1 in the jejunum, 1 in the ileum, 3 in the cecum, and 3 in the proximal loop of the ascending colon (PLAC). Myoelectric activity was recorded at 2- to 3-day intervals, 3 times for 8 hours or 4 times for 6 hours, using a computer-based oscillograph and data-acquisition program. Mean (+/- SD) duration of the migrating myoelectric complex (MMC) in the ileum was 84.52 +/- 4.87 minutes. Phases I and II of the MMC lasted significantly (P < 0.05) longer than phase III. Two types (A and B) of cyclic activity were found in the cecum and PLAC. Cyclic activity type A was observed predominantly in the cecum, and type B was observed exclusively in the PLAC. Phase III of the MMC in the ileum was accompanied by hyperactivity type A at the level of the ileocecocolic junction in 60.90 +/- 12.65% of the MMC. Twenty-seven types of orally and aborally propagated spike sequences, involving the cecum and PLAC, were found. They were most frequent when an MMC phase III was observed in the ileum, and least frequent when an MMC phase I was observed in the ileum (P < 0.05). All electrode sites of the cecum and PLAC served as pacemaker areas. Propagated and nonpropagated spikes were found at all electrode sites of the cecum and PLAC. Although propagated spikes lasted significantly (P < 0.05) longer than nonpropagated spikes, a clear distinction on the basis of duration could not be defined between the 2 spike types because broad overlapping of duration existed. Duration of cecocolic spiking activity per electrode (expressed as percentage of time) was significantly (P < 0.05) greater during MMC phase III in the ileum than during MMC phase I. It can be concluded that myoelectric activity of the cecum is well coordinated with the ileum and the PLAC. Phases of reduced and increased myoelectric activity in the cecum and PLAC are simultaneous with phases I and III of the MMC in the ileum.

To study increase of the Salmonella population in the cecum of chickens infected with Eimeria tenella, quantitative changes in mannose residues on the cecal mucosa were investigated. Inhibition of S typhimurium adherence to the cecum by a 2% carbohydrate (D-mannose, D-galactose, L-fucose, alpha-methyl-D-glucoside) in phosphate-buffered saline solution was examined. Only D-mannose had inhibitory effects. Whereas, D-galactose had somewhat enhancing effects on adherence of S typhimurium to the cecal mucosa of uninfected germ-free chickens. In infected and uninfected chickens, D-mannose inhibited adherence of S typhimurium. D-mannose significantly (P < 0.05) increased adherence of Bacteroides sp. In infected and uninfected chickens, D-mannose did not have any effect on adherence of Clostridium perfringens and Bifidobacterium thermophilum. Under microscopic observation, only concanavalin A and Lens culinaris agglutinin, of 8 lectins examined, were recognized as lectin-positive staining lines or spots in the cecal mucosa, indicating presence of mannose residues on the cecal mucosa. In E tenella-infected chickens, lectin-positive staining was seen strongly on the coarse surface of damaged cells and at the bottom of the crypts. These results indicate that coccidial infection may induce increase of mannose residues on the intestinal surface and allow adhesion of more salmonellae to the intestine.

Mucosa obtained from the cecum of healthy horses and incubated in vitro with 0.1 mM cycloleucine could accumulate this amino acid against an apparent concentration gradient after 60 and 120 minutes. Accumulation by the serosal (antiluminal) surface of the tissue was 3 times greater than accumulation by the mucosal (luminal) surface after 120 minutes (P < 0.001). Cycloleucine accumulation was significantly reduced by Na deprivation after 60 minutes (P < 0.05) and 120 minutes (P < 0.01) and by anoxic conditions after 120 minutes (P < 0.05). Transmucosal flux from mucosal to serosal surface of the tissue was significantly (P < 0.05) greater than the opposing flux, but both unidirectional fluxes were small and were largely attributed to passive processes. It was concluded that the most avid transport system for cycloleucine was on the serosal surface of the horse's cecal mucosa, and an active transport system was not evident on the mucosal surface. An active transport system for amino acids on the serosal surface could be explained by the need for crypt cells, the predominant epithelial cell type in the cecum, to obtain nutrients from blood, rather than from the intestinal lumen.

Myoelectric activity of the ileum, cecum, and right ventral colon (RVC) was studied in 4 mature ponies. Eight Ag-AgCl bipolar recording electrodes were sutured to the seromuscular layer of the ileum (2 electrodes), cecum (4 electrodes), and RVC (2 electrodes). Myoelectric activity was studied beginning 10 days after surgery. Eight, 60-minute recording sessions were performed in each pony during the interdigestive period, which was the period 3 to 7 hours after the morning feeding. On separate days, food was withheld for 24 hours, and 90-minute recordings were obtained during the nonfeeding period. Ponies were then fed a normal ration, and recordings were continued to obtain data for the digestive (feeding) period. All phases of the migrating myoelectric complex were seen at both ileal electrodes during the interdigestive period, including the periods of no spiking activity (phase 1), irregular spiking activity (phase 2), and regular spiking activity (phase 3). Phase 2 occupied 77% of the total recording time, and the mean duration of phases 1, 2, and 3 was 3.4 +/- 0.2, 12.8 +/- 1.2, and 6.7 +/- 0.7 min, respectively. Frequency of ileal slow waves was 11.8 +/- 0.1/min, and spike burst conduction velocity was 4.7 +/- 0.3 cm/s. A complete migrating myoelectric complex was seen in 11 of 32 tracings (34%) and had a mean duration of 24.2 +/- 2.6 min. The ileal migrating action potential complex, most often seen in phase 2, had a frequency of 4.8 +/- 0.5 spike bursts/h and a conduction velocity of 13.6 +/- 0.4 cm/s. The migrating action potential complex was detected directly before retrograde cecal myoelectric activity 73% of the time, indicating possible myoelectric coupling of the ileum and cecum. Motility patterns recognized in the cecum included: pattern I, spike bursts beginning at the apex and conducted to the cranial base; pattern II, spike bursts beginning at the caudal base and conducted to the apex; pattern III, spike bursts beginning at the cranial base and conducted to the apex; and pattern IV, termed the progressive pattern, beginning at the cecal apex, conducted through the cecal base and cecocolic orifice and into the RVC. The progressive pattern was detected at a frequency of 34.2 +/- 1.8 spike bursts/h and was often preceded by (71%), followed by (64%), or preceded and followed by (51%) pattern I or II. This recurring sequence of cecal myoelectric events was termed the cecal myoelectric complex. In the RVC, 2 patterns of myoelectric activity were seen: aborally directed propulsive spike bursts (3.6 +/- 0.6 spike bursts/h) and orally directed retropulsive spike bursts (7.2 +/- 1.2 spike bursts/h), confirming that propulsion and retropulsion exist in the RVC. Nonfeeding caused a significant decrease in the frequency of ileal migrating action potential complex (P = 0.008), cecal pattern III (P = 0.003), and the progressive motility pattern (P = 0.003). Nonfeeding caused a significant decrease (P less than or equal to 0.009) in the appearance of the cecal myoelectric complex. Feeding caused a significant increase (P = 0.003) in the mean frequency of the progressive pattern compared with the nonfeeding period, but this was significantly less than during the interdigestive period (P = 0.003).

Lateral cecal arterial blood flow, carotid arterial pressure, heart rate, and mechanical activity of the circular and longitudinal muscle layers of the cecal body were measured in 7 conscious healthy horses during IV infusion of physiologic saline solution for 60 minutes (control), during a 60-minute IV infusion of dopamine (at dosages of 1, 2.5, and 5 microgram/kg/min), and for 60 minutes after IV infusion of dopamine. The mean values for lateral cecal arterial blood flow during IV infusion of dopamine at a dosage of either 1 or 2.5 microgram/kg/min were not significantly different from the mean values for lateral cecal arterial blood flow during IV infusion of saline solution. The mean values for lateral cecal arterial blood flow, however, were significantly greater during IV infusion of dopamine at a dosage of 5 microgram/kg/min than the mean values for lateral cecal arterial blood flow during IV infusion of saline solution. Intravenous infusion of dopamine at 1 and 2.5 microgram/kg/min did not significantly change the mean values for carotid arterial pressure. In contrast, the mean values for carotid arterial pressure were significantly less during IV infusion of dopamine at dosages of 2.5 and 5 microgram/kg/min than during infusion of saline solution. The mean values for heart rate were not significantly altered by infusion of dopamine at a dosage of either 1 or 2.5 microgram/kg/min, but infusion of dopamine at a dosage of 5 microgram/kg/min significantly increased heart rate. Intravenous infusion of dopamine at dosages of either 1 or 5 microgram/kg/min did not significantly change the mechanical activity of the circular muscle layer of the cecal body, as measured by the area under the strain gauge deflection curve. Conversely, the mechanical avtivity of the circular muscle layer of the cecal body was significantly reduced by IV infusion of dopamine at a dosage of 2.5 microgram/kg/min. This reduction of circular muscle mechanical activity by dopamine infusion was attributable to a significant decrease in the total duration of contractions. The mechanical activity of the longitudinal muscle layer was not significantly altered by infusion of dopamine at any dose. These results suggest that IV infusion of dopamine at a dosage of 5 microgram/kg/min increased lateral cecal arterial blood flow by either increasing cardiac output or dilating the lateral cecal artery, an effect most likely mediated by dopaminergic or beta-adrenergic receptors. In addition, dopamine had a biphasic effect on contractile activity of the equine cecum.

OBJECTIVE To investigate effects of body condition on permeability of intestinal mucosa in horses. ANIMALS 13 horses (7 obese and 6 lean) from 8 to 15 years of age. PROCEDURES Body condition score was assessed, and an oral sugar test (OST) was performed to evaluate glucose and insulin dynamics. Horses were allowed a 2-week diet acclimation period and were then euthanized. Tissue samples were collected from the jejunum, ileum, cecum, pelvic flexure, right dorsal colon, and rectum. Mucosal permeability was assessed by measuring transepithelial resistance and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) flux across tissue samples mounted in Ussing chambers. RESULTS 5 obese horses and 1 lean horse had evidence of insulin dysregulation, whereas 1 obese and 5 lean horses had no abnormalities in results of the OST. Results for the OST were not available for 1 obese horse. Mucosal transepithelial resistance did not differ in any intestinal segment between obese and lean horses. Obese horses had a significantly higher LPS flux across jejunal mucosa, compared with results for lean horses, but there were no significant differences between obese and lean horses for other intestinal segments. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Obese horses may have had greater paracellular mucosal permeability of jejunal mucosa to LPS, compared with that for lean horses. This finding was consistent with data for the gastrointestinal mucosa of humans and mice and supported the hypothesis that obese horses may be at higher risk from chronic exposure to increased amounts of LPS, compared with the risk for lean horses.